Mogador Class Destroyer
4 x 2 - 138 mm (5.4 in) Mle 1934 guns
2 x 1 - 37 mm (1.5 in) Mle 1933 AA guns
2 x 2 - 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) Mle 1929 AA guns
2 x 3, 2 x 2 - 550-millimeter (22 in) torpedo tubes
The Mogador-class large destroyers (contre-torpilleurs) of the French navy were laid down in 1935 and commissioned in 1939. They were extremely fast, very large destroyers intended to act as scouts for the two fast Dunkerque-class battleships. The design evolved from the extremely fast Le Fantasque-class, being 300 tons heavier and carrying eight guns in semi-enclosed twin turrets rather than five guns in single open mounts. With their eight 138 mm (5.4 in) guns they approached a light cruiser in firepower.
Both Mogador and her sister Volta were present during the British attack on Mers-el-Kébir on 3 July 1940, but only Volta managed to escape to Toulon. Mogador was struck by a 15-inch (38 cm) shell in the rear hull that detonated her ready depth charges despite not actually detonating itself. This destroyed most of her stern above water, but she remained afloat and was repaired enough to be sent to Toulon on 1 November 1940 for reconstruction. Both ships were scuttled in Toulon Harbour when the Germans tried to seize them on 27 November 1942.
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