French destroyer Surcouf

Surcouf was a T 47-class destroyer of the French Navy. She was the fourth French ship named in honour of privateer and slave trader Robert Surcouf.

Design and construction
Laid down in February 1951 at Lorient and launched in October 1953, Surcouf was commissioned into the French Navy in 1955. She was the first of twelve T 47-class destroyers. With a standard displacement of 2,750 tons and a length of 128.6 m, the ship had a beam of 12.7 m and a draught of 5.4 m. Her armament consisted of six 127 mm guns which were mounted in three twin turrets, six 57 mm guns in twin mounts and four single-mounted 20 mm guns. There were four banks of three 550 mm torpedo tubes, capable of launching both anti-submarine homing and anti-ship torpedoes. Surcouf had two shafts, geared turbines, and four boilers, which were capable of producing 63,000 hp and a top speed of 34 kn (71,725 shp and 38 kn during trials). At 18 kn, Surcouf had a range of 5,000 nmi. The ship had a complement of 347 personnel.

Major modification
In the early 1960s, Surcouf was converted to a command ship to become a flotilla leader. In order to install an operations centre and housings for an admiral and his staff, the forward 57 mm mount was removed (extending forward the bridge) and the two aft torpedo platforms were removed so that housing quarters could be constructed. The overhaul was conducted at the arsenal of Brest between 11 June 1960 (commencement of work) and 4 October 1961 (end of the tests).

Operational service
Following her commissioning in November 1955, Surcouf homeport was Toulon, being assigned to the First Destroyers Flotilla (1st FEE), at the head of the Fourth Destroyer Division (DEE4). In 1956 she alternated between naval exercises (including NATO's) and Algerian coastal surveillance. From October to December Surcouf took part in Operation Musketeer during the Suez Crisis.

On 10 April 1959 her assignment and homeport were changed. Surcouf was attached to the Tenth Destroyer Division (DEE10) of the Light Fleet (the Escadre légère) based at Brest. On 26 March 1960, Surcouf was involved in a collision with the cargo ship Léognan off Groix, suffering significant damage but no loss of life.

After her conversion into a flotilla leader (June 1960 – October 1961) Surcouf was assigned to the main fleet (the Escadre), based at Toulon, where she was the flagship of the admiral commanding the 1st FEE (ALFEE).

In March 1962, during the Battle of Bab El Oued, Surcouf was sent to shell the OAS-held Bab el-Oued quarter of Algiers along with her sister ship FRENCH DESTROYER Maillé-Brézé. After suggestions from the naval command, the bombardment was called off as impractical. The destroyers kept their station close to the shore as a deterrent. Along with three other destroyers, both vessels ferried troops to Algiers on 2 March to counter the OAS rebellion.

Final fate
On 6 June 1971, before sunrise, in the Mediterranean Sea 60 nmi southeast of Cartagena, Spain, as she sailed with the tactical group of the aircraft carrier FRENCH AIRCRAFT CARRIER Arromanches, Surcouf was again in a collision when she cut across the bow of the Soviet tanker General Busharov. The tanker, six times heavier than the destroyer, could not avoid the collision and rammed Surcouf at 16 kn. Nine men from Surcouf were lost at sea and one was severely burned (he later died of his wounds). When the French destroyer FRENCH DESTROYER Tartu (which belonged to the same tactical group) attempted to tow the badly damaged ship, Surcouf snapped in two, the bow sinking quickly. The aft part was taken in tow to Toulon via Cartagena. Surcouf was eventually sunk as a target by an Exocet anti-ship missile after being decommissioned on 5 May 1972.