French cruiser Duguay-Trouin (1923)

The Duguay-Trouin was a light cruiser of the French Navy, lead ship of the Duguay-Trouin class. Built during the interwar period, she was named after the 18th-century French privateer René Duguay-Trouin.

Launched in 1923 and commissioned in 1926, Duguay-Trouin served extensively in the Mediterranean Sea before the outbreak of World War II. She participated in patrols and fleet exercises, representing French naval power in the region.

At the start of World War II, Duguay-Trouin continued her patrol duties. Following the Fall of France in 1940 and the establishment of the Vichy regime, she remained under Vichy control. In 1942, following Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, she was scuttled in Toulon to prevent her capture by the Germans.

Later salvaged by the Italians, the ship was briefly renamed FR12, but was never recommissioned. Following Italy's surrender in 1943, the Duguay-Trouin was recaptured by the Free French forces.

After the war, she underwent repairs and modernization, serving as a training ship until the early 1950s. The Duguay-Trouin was eventually decommissioned and scrapped in 1952. Her service life encompassed a critical period in naval history, bridging the gap between the world wars and playing a role in the tumultuous events of World War II.