History
of the Ship
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 vessels, designated "avisos
for distant campaigns" were capable of a large range, and their
shallow 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.
Construction of the Aviso
"Bougainville" began on November 25, 1929. The new vessel
launched on April 25, 1931 will enter service on February 15, 1933
after having completed its tests.
At its exit, the "Bougainville"
is attached to the French colonies of Africa and Asia, and will
cross the Indian Ocean. He joined the Mediterranean sector in 1935
before leaving for Djibouti in 1939. At the outbreak of hostilities,
the Aviso joined the port of Toulon.
After the Armisitice of June
1940, the "Bougainville", under the colors of the Vichy
Naval Forces, will take part in the battle of Libreville on November
9, 1940. This combat opposed the soldiers of Vichy to the Free French
Forces who came to take possession of the Gabon. During this fight,
the Aviso "Bougainville" faced, in direct combat, one
of its sister-ships, the "Savorgnan De Brezza". This cannona
cannon with precision and cadence, but the "Bougainville"
which had on board only part of its crew, could not defend itself
effectively and was burned and sunk ...
.The "Bougainville"
bailed out in March 1941, will be definitively destroyed and sunk
again during the battle of Madagascar. On May 5, 1942 the British,
without having warned the Free French Forces, launched a ground
attack on Madagascar after having jacked up and destroyed all the
Vichy ships present in the port of Diego-Suarez. The "Bougainville"
was finally bailed out in 1952 before being destroyed.
