French cruiser La Galissonnière
- French cruiser La Galissonnière
"La Galissonnière" was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France.
"La Galissonnière" was at first assigned to the 2nd Light Squadron in the Mediterranean until October 1937, when she formed the 3rd Cruiser Division at Toulon, together with sister ships "Jean de Vienne" and "Marseillaise".
At the outbreak of World War II, "La Galissonnière" carried out patrol duties off the Tunisian coast until mid November 1939, when she started a major refit at Brest until end of February 1940. She then was based at Toulon until the French surrender.
From January 1941, she was part of the Vichy High Seas Force at Toulon, effectively disarmed and inactive. When the Germans occupied Vichy France, she was scuttled on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans. The cruiser shared the drydock with "Dunkerque", and her captain moved her forward and opened the sea valves so that she would sink and block the gates.
Allocated to Italy after some political delays, she was subsequently raised by the Regia Marina on 3 March 1943 and renamed "FR 12". The intention to incorporate the former French ship into the Regia Marina was, however, undermined by Italy's chronic oil fuel shortages.
She was damaged by US bombers on 24 November 1943, after the Italian armistice. Although by now restored to French ownership, she was bombed and sunk on 18 August 1944 in an air raid by B-25s of the 321st Bombardment Group, USAAF.
The hulk was raised and finally scrapped in 1952.
External links
* [http://hush.gooside.com/name/g/Ga/Gallissoniere/LaGallissoniere.html La Galissoniere ラ･ガリソニエール] Photographs
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