| Navy | The French Navy |
| Type | Large destroyer |
| Class | Vauquelin |
| Pennant | |
| Built by | At.&Ch de la Loire (St. Nazaire, France) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 14 Sep 1930 |
| Launched | 7 Dec 1931 |
| Commissioned | 27 Nov 1932 |
| Lost | 27 Nov 1942 |
| History | Scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans. |
We don't have any commands listed for FR Tartu
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Notable events involving Tartu include:
7 Apr 1940
HMS Jupiter (Cdr. D.B. Wyburd, RN) returned to Scapa Flow from escort duty.
She departed again later the same day escorting the French light cruiser Emile Bertin (Capt. R.M.J. Battet) and the large destroyers Maille Breze (Cdr. H.M.E.A. Glotin) and Tartu (Capt. J.M. Chomel) in.
8 Apr 1940
After a German force of warships was sighted which the Admiralty thought to be proceeding to the North-Atlantic, HMS Devonshire (Capt. J.M. Mansfield, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.H.D. Cunningham, CB, MVO, RN), HMS Berwick (Capt. I.M. Palmer, DSC, RN), HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN) and HMS Glasgow (Capt. F.H. Pegram, RN), disembarked their troops and set out to sea around 1300A/8 and proceed north to intercept.
In the evening, around 2100A/8, they were joined near Rattray Head by the French light cruiser Emile Bertin (Capt. R.M.J. Battet) and the large destroyers Maille Breze (Cdr. H.M.E.A. Glotin) and Tartu (Capt. J.M. Chomel).
By then it had become apparent that the Germans were proceeding to invade Norway and the cruisers were ordered to proceed towards the Home Fleet which was also at sea.
They joined the Fleet around mid-morning on the 9th. (1)
9 Apr 1940
Around 1800A/9, the light cruisers HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral G.F.B. Edward-Collins, CB, KCVO, RN), HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN), Emile Bertin (Capt. R.M.J. Battet, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral E.L.H. Derrien) and the large destroyers Tartu (Capt. J.M. Chomel) and Maille Breze (Cdr. H.M.E.A. Glotin) parted company with the Home Fleet. They arrived at Scapa Flow around 1900A/10. (2)
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.
Sources
- ADM 199/388
- ADM 53/111410 + ADM 53/112280
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.