View source for French destroyer Léopard

{{Short description|French Navy's Chacal-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|French ship Léopard}}
{{good article}}
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|Ship image=[[File:Free French destroyer Léopard on 6 June 1942.jpg|300px|Free French destroyer Léopard on 6 June 1942]] 
|Ship caption=''Léopard'' at anchor, 6 June 1942
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=France
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|France|naval}} {{shipboxflag|Free French|naval}}
|Ship name=''Léopard''
|Ship namesake=[[Leopard]]
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|Ship builder=[[Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire]], [[Saint-Nazaire]]
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|Ship laid down=14 August 1923
|Ship launched=29 September 1924
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|Ship completed=
|Ship commissioned=15 November 1927
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|Ship honours=[[Médaille de la Résistance]] with rosette, 29 November 1946<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/medailles-de-la-resistance |title=La Médaille de la Résistance |publisher=Musée de l'Ordre de la Liberation |access-date=3 December 2015 |language=fr |archive-date=13 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613134848/http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/medailles-de-la-resistance |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|Ship fate=[[Ship grounding|Ran aground]] and wrecked, 27 May 1943
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (as built)
|Ship class=[[Chacal-class destroyer|''Chacal''-class destroyer]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|2126|t|LT|abbr=on}} (standard)
*{{convert|2980|-|3075|t|LT|abbr=on}} ([[Full-load displacement|full load]])
|Ship length= {{convert|126.8|m|ftin|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship beam={{convert|11.1|m|ftin|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draft={{convert|4.1|m|ftin|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|50000|PS|kW shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
*5 [[du Temple boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=*2 shafts
*2 geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed= {{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship crew=12 officers, 209 crewmen (wartime)
|Ship range={{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship armament=*5 × single [[Canon de 130 mm Modèle 1919|{{convert|130|mm|abbr=on|1}} guns]]
*2 × single [[Canon de 75 mm modèle 1924|{{convert|75|mm|abbr=on|1}}]] [[anti-aircraft gun]]s
*2 × triple {{convert|550|mm|abbr=on|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s
*2 chutes; four throwers for 46 [[depth charge]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''French destroyer ''Léopard''''' was a {{sclass|Chacal|destroyer}} built for the [[French Navy]] during the 1920s. She became a [[training ship]] in the mid-1930s before serving as a convoy escort during [[World War II]] before the [[Battle of France|Germans invaded France]] in May 1940. After that time, she bombarded advancing German forces near the northern French coast and took part in the [[Dunkirk evacuation]]. After the surrender of France, she was seized by the British in July and turned over to the [[Free French]].

''Léopard'' escorted convoys in the [[Western Approaches]] in 1940–41 before beginning a year-long conversion into an [[escort destroyer]]. She helped to sink a German submarine before [[Battle of La Réunion|liberating the island of La Réunion]] in late 1942. She [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] near [[Benghazi]] just a few weeks after being transferred to the Mediterranean in mid-1943. [[Marine salvage|Salvage]] attempts failed and her wreck was abandoned after it broke in half.

==Design and description==
The ''Chacal''-class ships were designed to counter the large Italian {{sclass|Leone|destroyer|2}}s. They had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|126.8|m|ftin|sp=us}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|11.1|m|ftin|sp=us}},<ref>Jordan & Moulin, p. 22</ref> and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|4.1|m|ftin|sp=us}}. The ships displaced {{convert|2126|t|LT|sp=us}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]]<ref>Chesneau, p. 267</ref> and {{convert|2980|-|3075|t|LT|sp=us}} at [[deep load]]. They were powered by two geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]], using steam provided by five [[du Temple boiler]]s. The turbines were designed to produce {{convert|50000|PS|kW shp|lk=on|sp=us}}, which would propel the ship at {{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}. During her [[sea trial]]s on 12 May 1927, ''Léopard'' reached {{convert|35.59|kn}} for a single hour. The ships carried {{convert|530|t|LT|0|sp=us}} of [[fuel oil]] which gave them a range of {{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. Their crew consisted of 10 officers and 187 crewmen in peacetime and 12 officers and 209 enlisted men in wartime.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 18, 22–27, 35</ref>

The main armament of the ''Chacal''-class ships consisted of five [[Canon de 130 mm Modèle 1919]] guns in single mounts, one [[superfiring]] pair fore and aft of the superstructure and the fifth gun [[abaft]] the aft [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]. The guns were numbered '1' to '5' from front to rear. Their [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] armament consisted of two [[Canon de 75 mm modèle 1924]] guns in single mounts positioned [[amidships]]. The ships carried two above-water triple sets of {{convert|550|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s. A pair of [[depth charge]] chutes were built into their stern; these housed a total of twenty {{convert|200|kg|sp=us|adj=on}} depth charges. They were also fitted with four depth-charge throwers for which they carried a dozen {{convert|100|kg|sp=us|adj=on}} depth charges.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 27–33</ref>

== Construction and career ==
[[File:Léopard X22 SAS2009-10-116.jpg|thumb|left|Léopard in 1939]]
''Léopard'', named after the [[Leopard|eponymous feline]], was ordered on 26 February 1923 from the ''[[Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire]]''. She was [[laid down]] on 14 August 1923 at their shipyard at [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 29 September 1924, [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 15 June 1927, completed on 13 October and entered service on 15 November. Completion was delayed by problems with her propulsion machinery and late deliveries by sub-contractors. ''Léopard'' was assigned to the 4th Light Division (''Division légère'') (DL) of the Second Squadron (''2ème Escadre'') based at [[Brest, France|Brest]] upon completion, together with her [[sister ship]]s {{ship|French destroyer|Lynx||2}} and {{ship|French destroyer|Jaguar||2}}. The four depth charge throwers were removed in 1932. The next year, the ship was present when the fleet was reviewed by the [[President of France]], [[Albert Lebrun]], in Cherbourg on 20 July 1933. About a year later, the 75-millimeter guns were replaced by four twin mounts for [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|adj=on|1|sp=us}}]] [[anti-aircraft machinegun]]s. On 15 July 1935, ''Léopard'' and her sister {{ship|French destroyer|Chacal||2}} of the 8th DL were assigned to the Naval School (''Ecole Navale'') at Brest. On 12 April 1937, the 8th DL was redesignated as the 2nd Large Destroyer Division (''2ème division de contre-torpeilleurs'') (DCT); their sister ''Jaguar'' joined them in September.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 20–21, 38–39, 213–14, 217</ref>
 
=== World War II ===
By 7 September 1939, ''Léopard'' was no longer a part of the 2nd DCT and was assigned  to the Western Command (''Forces maritimes de l'Ouest'') for convoy escort duties from October to May 1940 where she guarded convoys traveling between [[Gibraltar]] and Brest as well as [[Casablanca]], [[French Morocco]], and [[Le Verdon-sur-Mer]]. In early 1940, the ship had a British Type 123 [[ASDIC]] installed; in addition two depth-charge throwers were reinstalled, No. 3 gun removed, and her depth charge stowage reduced to a dozen 200&nbsp;kg and eight 100&nbsp;kg depth charges to improve her stability.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 39, 225, 227–28</ref>

By 22 May ''Léopard'' was reassigned to the 2nd DCT when the unit was tasked to carry demolition teams to the northernmost French ports; the ship arrived at [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]] that evening.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 227–28</ref> Together with ''Chacal'' and eight smaller destroyers, ''Léopard'' bombarded advancing German troops as they approached the defenses of Boulogne-sur-Mer, firing the last shots of the battle at midday on 24 May. On 28 May, a special flotilla was constituted under the command of Admiral {{ill|Marcel Landriau|fr}}, with his flag on the ''[[aviso]]'' {{ship|French aviso|Savorgnan de Brazza||2}}, with these ships and a number of smaller units to support the ongoing evacuation of Dunkirk. On 3 June, the contre-torpilleur rescued 19 British soldiers from a boat and delivered them to England.<ref>Admiralty Historical Section, p. 107; Bertrand, pp. 78, 85; Smith, p. 27; Winser, p. 113</ref>

In mid-June, ''Léopard'' defended the approaches to [[Cherbourg]] and sailed to [[Portsmouth]] on 19 June, after the port surrendered to the Germans. The ship was still there when [[Operation Catapult]], a British operation to capture or disable the ships of the French Navy lest the Germans seize them and use them against the British, began on 3 July.<ref>Auphan & Mordal, p. 88; Bertrand, p. 124</ref> She was handed over to the [[Free French Naval Forces]] on 31 August. Command of ''Léopard'' was given to Lieutenant (''[[Lieutenant de vaisseau]]'') {{ill|Jules Évenou|fr}}, who went by the [[nom de guerre]] of "Jacques Richard".<ref name="ordredelaliberation">{{cite web|url=http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/326.html|title=Jules Evenou|work=ordredelaliberation.fr|year=2012|access-date=4 December 2015|language=fr|archive-date=17 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617053532/http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/326.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Service with the Free French ====
''Léopard'' was commissioned by the Free French on 3 September although she was under repair until November as the British dockyards were very congested. During this time, the British took the opportunity to improve her anti-aircraft suite. A [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|abbr=on|0}} Mk V]] AA gun replaced the two 13.2&nbsp;mm machinegun mounts on the platform abaft the rear funnel, the 13.2&nbsp;mm guns on the forecastle were moved to positions abreast the fore funnel, and a pair of [[QF 2 pounder naval gun#QF 2-pounder Mark II|2-pounder (40&nbsp;mm) Mk II "pom-pom"]] light AA guns were added on platforms on the side of the forward superstructure. Upon the completion of this refit, she was assigned to convoy escort duties in the Western Approaches.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, p. 251</ref> On 24 February 1941, ''Léopard'' rescued 39 survivors of a British cargo ship.<ref name="ordredelaliberation" />

On 8 May 1941, she began a lengthy conversion into an escort destroyer at [[Kingston upon Hull]]. Her forward boiler and its funnel were removed and replaced by additional oil storage and additional accommodation for her ratings. They reduced her maximum speed to {{convert|31.5|kn}}, but increased her fuel storage to {{convert|780|t|sp=us}} which raised her range to {{convert|4200|nmi|abbr=on}}, and her crew to 234 ratings. Her troublesome depth charge chutes were sealed off and their machinery was removed; her stern had to be rebuilt to accommodate two rails at the stern, each with a dozen {{convert|251|kg|adj=on}} Mk VIIH heavy depth charges, plus an additional four stored below decks. Her two existing depth charge throwers were replaced by four improved Thornycroft Mk IV throwers. The ship carried a total of twenty-four {{convert|191|kg|adj=on}} Mk VII light depth charges for the throwers. To compensate for the weight of the additional depth charges, her aft torpedo tubes were removed. The 4-inch gun was replaced by a single [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} Oerlikon]] light AA gun and two others replaced the "pom-pom"s. These were moved to positions on the upper deck that had formerly been occupied by the 75&nbsp;mm guns and another gun was added on top of the aft superstructure. A pair of quadruple mounts for [[Vickers .50 machine gun|Vickers {{convert|0.5|in|abbr=on|1}}]] AA machineguns were added on the forward superstructure. A [[Type 291 radar|Type 291]] search [[radar]] was also added.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, pp. 251–52</ref>

[[File:General De Gaulle inspecting sailors on the Free French ship LEOPARD at Greenock, 24 June 1942. A10354.jpg|thumb|General [[Charles De Gaulle]] inspecting sailors aboard ''Léopard'', 24 June 1942]]
While escorting Convoy OS33 on 11 July 1942, the [[frigate]] {{HMS|Spey|K246|6}} spotted the {{GS|U-136|1941|6}} on the surface and made multiple attacks after the U-boat dived. ''Léopard'' joined her, as did the [[sloop of war|sloop]] {{HMS|Pelican|L86|6}} and they sank the submarine at coordinates {{Coord|33|28|N|23|28|W|display=inline}}.<ref name="convoyweb">{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/os33/index.html?u-136.htm~mainframe33 |title=Convoy OS.33 |work=convoyweb.org.uk |year=2005 |access-date=3 December 2015}}</ref> The next day ''Léopard'' collided with the sloop {{HMS|Lowestoft|U59|6}} and had her bow stove in by the British ship. She was repaired in [[South Africa]] in September–October.<ref name=jm0>Jordan & Moulin, p. 250</ref>

==== Liberation of La Réunion ====
[[Image:Plaque-Barachois-Léopard.JPG|thumb|Commemorative plaque of the liberation of La Réunion]]
''Léopard'' had been selected to convince the Vichy government of La Réunion to join the Free French in June, but the collision and her consequent repairs delayed her mission. On the night of 27/28 November, she arrived off the island with 80 troops aboard. They were landed successfully and seized control of [[Saint-Denis, Réunion]], the island's capital, although the governor fled into the interior. A [[Coastal artillery|coast-defense]] [[battery (artillery)|battery]] engaged the contre-torpilleur and she fired back, with men killed on both sides. The Vichy hold-outs surrendered on the 30th and ''Léopard'' remained in the [[Indian Ocean]] escorting convoys until March 1943.<ref name=b9>Bertrand, p. 159</ref>

She was briefly refitted at [[Diégo-Suarez]], [[Madagascar]] from 13 March to mid-April when she was transferred to the Mediterranean.<ref name=b9/> ''Léopard'' arrived in [[Alexandria]], Egypt, on 12 May and screened a convoy to Malta shortly afterwards. She departed on 24 May with a convoy returning to Alexandria and accidentally ran aground near [[Benghazi]] three days later after aerial attacks disrupted the convoy. The Allies attempted to refloat her by sealing damaged areas between her bilges with cement and dredging a channel back to the sea.<ref name=pk0>Keeble, Chapter VI “The Fight for ‘Leopard’” pp. 86-101</ref> The weather soured and the wreck broke in two in a gale on 19 June and was declared a total loss on 1 July.<ref name=jm0/>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Admiralty Historical Section|title=The Evacuation from Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo 26 May–4 June 1940|publisher=Frank Cass|location=London|year=2000|series=Naval Staff Histories|isbn=0-7146-5120-6}}
*{{cite book|last1=Auphan|first1=Paul, Rear Admiral|last2=Mordal|first2=Jacques|title=The French Navy in World War II|date=1959|publisher=United States Naval Institute|location=Annapolis, Maryland|oclc=423218|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book|last1=Bertrand|first1=Michel|title=La marine française au combat, 1939-1945|date=1982|publisher=Lavauzelle|location=Paris|isbn=2-7025-0002-1|volume=Tome 1: ''Des combats de l'Atlantique aux F.N.F.L.''}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book|last1=Jordan|first1=John|last2=Moulin|first2=Jean|title=French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956|year=2015|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-198-4 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Peter C.|title=Naval Warfare in the English Channel 1939–1945|publisher=Pen & Sword Maritime|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84415-580-4|location=Barnsley, Yorkshire, UK}}
*{{cite book|last=Winser|first=John de D.|title=B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Gravesend, UK|year=1999|isbn=0-905617-91-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Keeble|first=Peter|title=Ordeal by Water|publisher=Doubleday & Company, Inc. |location=Garden City, New York|year=1958|oclc=1252892}}

{{Chacal class destroyer}}
{{July 1940 shipwrecks}}
{{May 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leopard}}
[[Category:Chacal-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Ships built in France]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:1924 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in July 1940]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in May 1943]]
[[Category:Destroyers of the Free French Naval Forces]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Resistance Medal]]