Ten "De Bougainville"
class ships will be built between 1931 and 1940. Eight of them will
return to service before the Armistice of June 1940. The last two
will not be completed in time. These ships, designated "avisos
for distant campaigns" were capable of a large radius of action,
and their weak draft should allow them to go up the rivers of Asia
and Africa. The Avisos of this class will be the first French surface
ships to be fitted with diesel engines.
The construction of the Aviso
"Rigault de Genouilly" was entrusted to the Forges et
Chantiers de la Gironde on July 07, 1931. The new ship, launched
on September 18, 1932 will enter service in March 1934 after having
completed its tests.
As soon as it leaves, the
new Aviso leaves for a mission which brings it to Easter Island.
Arrived there in July 1934, he landed a scientific mission from
the National Museum of Natural History.
In 1938, the "Rigault
De Genouilly" participated in an exercise alongside the Light
Cruiser "Jeanne d'Arc". He then joined Papeete, in Polynesia,
where he arrived on June 15, 1938.
After having sailed for a
time in the region, he left Polynesia for the Far East, which he
joined in early 1939. One of his sister-ships, the "Savorgnan
De Brazza" advisory replaced him, and the "Rigault De
Genouilly "will join the Indian Ocean on October 10, 1939 after
the outbreak of the conflict.
After the Armistice of June
22, 1940, The British launched Operation "Catapult". This
operation consisted in preventing that French ships fall into the
hands of the Germans or Italians by capturing or destroying them:
Mers El Kébir will henceforth be inevitable. At the time
of this tragic event of July 3, 1940, the "Rigault De Genouilly"
is based in Oran. Wanting to join the escort of the battleship Strasbourg,
the aviso left the port before realizing that her speed was too
low to catch up with the French ships. He tries to return to the
port of Oran, but finds himself facing British ships. The aviso
was damaged during a fast fight with the English cruiser "Enterprise".
The French ship retaliated, but its 138mm guns were not powerful
enough for an effective response. The English seeking in priority
to intercept cruisers or battleships, lets flee the "Rigault
de Genouilly"
However, it will be sunk
the next day by the British submarine "HMS Pandora". The
latter, taking the advice for a cruiser, launched a torpedo which
stopped the ship. The machines on fire, it will break in two before
sinking in less than an hour. The losses amounted to 12 dead and
22 injured. The survivors will be recovered by French ships and
a Romanian oil tanker. The British will apologize to the French
authorities for this tragic error.
