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Notable events involving Milan include:

7 Dec 1939
The aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (Capt. F.E.P. Hutton, RN), heavy cruisers Foch (Capt. J. Mathieu), Dupleix (Capt. L.L.M. Hameury), light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and the destroyers Milan (Cdr. M.A.H. Favier) and Cassard (Cdr. R.A.A. Braxmeyer) departed Dakar for patrol in the mid-Atlantic.

Around 1115N/10, the destroyers HMS Hardy (Capt. B.A. Warburton-Lee, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. C.F. Tower, MVO, RN) and HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, RN) joined.

Around 1300N/13, HMS Neptune, HMS Hardy, HMS Hero and HMS Hostile parted company.

On 16 December 1939, HMS Hermes, Foch, Dupleix, Milan and Cassard returned to Dakar. (1)

29 Dec 1939
The aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (Capt. F.E.P. Hutton, RN) flew off some of her aircraft off Dakar. During the flying operations she was escorted by Cassard (Cdr. R.A.A. Braxmeyer).

Later the same day HMS Hermes, the heavy cruisers Foch (Capt. J. Mathieu), Dupleix (Capt. L.L.M. Hameury) and the destroyers Milan (Cdr. M.A.H. Favier) and Cassard departed Dakar to proceed to the U.K / France.

Around 1615N/1, HMS Hermes parted company with the French ships and joined convoy SLF 14.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy SLF 14 ' for 27 December 1939.] (2)

12 Apr 1940
As part of the 11e Division de Contre-Torpilleurs (D.C.T.), Milan (Capitaine de Fr?gate L. M. E. Plumejeaud) departed Brest in escort of Convoy FP 1 A, en route Greenock, Scotland. Rammed in the starboard side by the 5o British trawler Glamorgan Coast at 2330 hours on 13 April at 54°12'N and 05°02'W. The resulting vertical gash in the hull required the ship to undergo repairs from 16 to 18 April. Arrived in Greenock on 14 April. (3)

5 May 1940
Around 1800A/5 the French armed merchant cruisers El D’Jezair, El Kantara, El Mansour, the French troopships Djenne, President Doumer, the British troopships Duchess of Atholl and Reina del Pacifico departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde. They made the passage together with the damaged British heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk (Capt. J.W. Durnford, RN). They were escorted by the British destroyers HMS Kelly (Capt. L.F.A.V.N. Mountbatten, GCVO, RN), HMS Grenade (Cdr. R.C. Boyle, RN) and HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.de W. Kitcat, RN), the French large destroyers Chevalier Paul (Cdr. M. L. Bonnot), Tartu (Capt. J.M. Chomel) and Milan (Cdr. L.M.E. Plumejeaud).

They arrived in the Clyde the next day.

13 May 1940

Convoy NP 3.

This convoy departed the Clyde on 13 May 1940 for the Narvik area, Norway where it arrived on 17 May 1940.

It was made up of the following troopships; Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936) and Sobieski (Polish, 11030 GRT, built 1939).

Escort was provided by two British destroyers HMS Delight (Cdr. M. Fogg-Elliott, RN), HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, RN) as well as the large French destroyer Milan (Cdr. L.M.E. Plumejeaud).

17 May 1940
In the early evening convoy NP 3, the troopships; Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936), Sobieski (Polish, 11030 GRT, built 1939) and their escort; the British destroyers HMS Delight (Cdr. M. Fogg-Elliott, RN), HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, RN) and the large French destroyer Milan (Cdr. L.M.E. Plumejeaud) arrived at Narvik.