French Cruiser La Motte-Picquet

The La Motte-Picquet was a French Duguay-Trouin class light cruiser, launched in 1924, and named in honour of the 18th century admiral count Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte.

Completed in 1927, La Motte-Picquet was based at Brest until 1933, serving with the 3rd Light Division, of which she was flagship. In 1935, she was sent to the Far East, where at the outbreak of war in 1939, she patrolled around Indochina, then a French colony, and the Dutch East Indies.

After the French surrender in Europe, tension developed along the border with Siam (now Thailand). These flared into hostilities between Siam and Vichy France in December 1940. In January 1941, the La Motte-Picquet became flagship of a small squadron, the Groupe Occasionnel. It was formed on 9 December at Cam Ranh Bay, near Saigon, under the command of Capitaine de Vaisseau Bérenger. The squadron also consisted of the colonial sloops Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charner, and the older sloops Tahure and Marne. The Battle of Koh Chang took place on 14 January 1941 during which the Thai squadron was destroyed.

Apart from a visit to Osaka, Japan in September 1941, the La Motte-Picquet was restricted in her activities.

The La Motte-Picquet was used in the next month as a training hulk. Subsequently she was sunk in harbour, on 12 January 1945, by U.S carrier based aircraft from Task Force 38. The remains of the hull were scrapped after of the war.