Navy | The French Navy |
Type | Large destroyer |
Class | Vauquelin |
Pennant | |
Built by | At.&Ch de St. Nazaire (St. Nazaire, France) |
Ordered | |
Laid down | 9 Oct 1930 |
Launched | 9 Nov 1931 |
Commissioned | 6 Apr 1933 |
Lost | 30 Apr 1940 |
History | Maille Breze (Capitaine De Fregate Henry Marie Edouard Antoine Glotin) was severely damaged by a two of its own torpedoes at Greenock, Scotland. She was scuttled by her crew to prevent her magazines from exploding and causing major damage to the civilian areas nearby. Two live torpedoes were accidentally discharged into her own forward section causing a terrific explosion with flames shooting 50 feet high into the air. Some of her crewmembers tried to squeeze themelves through the portholes to safety. There were 25 dead and 48 wounded among her crew. |
Commands listed for FR Maille Breze
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Commander | From | To | |
Henry Marie Edouard Antoine Glotin, FR | 30 Apr 1940 |
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Notable events involving Maille Breze 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 Berwick (Capt. I.M. Palmer, DSC, RN), HMS Devonshire (Capt. J.M. Mansfield, 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 and proceed north to intercept.
In the evening 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.