Jean de Vienne
was a unit of the 3rd Cruiser Division, and had completed a major
refit at Toulon when war was declared. She rejoined her Division
at Bizerte, where the task of the 4th Squadron was to secure the
North African coast in the event of Italy entering the war. In
November the cruiser division was tasked with the transport of
gold from France to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving back in Toulon
on 27 December. Until the entry of Italy into the war on 10 June
1940, her activities were limited, but subsequent fears of German
pocket battleships forcing the Straits of Gibraltar led to a major
sortie to protect the eastern approaches to the Straits, for which
task the Royal Navy was short of ships. However, the only contact
with the enemy was an attack by the Italian submarine Dandolo
on La Galissonniere, but the two torpedoes missed. Jean de Vienne
was at Algiers at the time of the French armistice, and covered
the escape of Strasbourg and contre-torpilleurs from Mers-el-Kebir
in July and escorted them to Toulon, where she remained. Placed
in disarmed care and maintenance state, the ship did not resume
active service until joining the High Seas Force in March 1941.
With this force she participated in a number of exercises until,
on 27 November 1942, she was scuttled by her crew at Toulon. Handed
over to Italy and renamed FR 11, she was raised on 18 February
1943 and a refit began. This was not finished at time of the Italian
surrender, and the vessel fell into German hands once more, only
to be hit by incendiary bombs on 24 November 1943 and set on fire,
gradually listing until she rested against the quayside. She was
found in this state at the end of the war, and although a refit
was briefly considered, the idea was abandoned and the ship was
scrapped.
Illustrated by RN.
