French destroyer Fantassin

Fantassin was ordered from Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée on 30 October 1907 and was laid down later that year at its shipyard in Le Havre-Graville. She was launched on 17 June 1909, began her sea trials in April 1910 and was completed in June 1911.^[2] The ship initially assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (1^ère escadrille de torpilleurs) of the 1st Fleet (1^ère escadre) in the Mediterranean Sea on 9 September 1910, but this was changed to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla on 18 November while still working up.^[5] Together with her three sister ships, Chasseur, Cavalier, and Janissaire, she was scheduled to participate in a large naval review by the President of France, Armand Fallières, off Toulon on 2 September 1911 after the annual fleet maneuvers.^[6] Fantassin was transferred to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Naval Army (1^ère Armée navale) on 14 March 1913.^[5]

When the First World War began in August 1914, Vice-Admiral (Vice-amiral) Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère, commander of the 1st Naval Army, was tasked to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from leaving the Adriatic Sea and breaking their blockade of Antivari (now known as Bar). His first step was to lead a sweep of the southern Adriatic and clear the approaches to Antivari. During the preliminary stages of the Battle of Antivari on 16 August, the 1st, 4th and 5th Destroyer Flotillas were tasked to escort the core of the 1st Naval Army while the 2nd, 3rd and 6th Flotillas escorted the armored cruisers of the 2nd Light Squadron (2^e escadre légère) and two British cruisers. After reuniting both groups and spotting the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser SMS Zenta and the destroyer SMS Ulan, the French destroyers played no role in sinking the cruiser, although the 4th Flotilla was sent on an unsuccessful pursuit of Ulan.^[7] The following day, Fantassin collided with her sister ship Cavalier.^[2]

Having broken the Austro-Hungarian blockade of Antivari, Boué de Lapeyrère decided to ferry troops and supplies to the port, escorted by the 2nd Light Squadron and the 1st and 6th Destroyer Flotillas while the rest of the 1st Naval Army bombarded the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro, Montenegro, on 1 September. Four days later, the fleet covered the evacuation of Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro to the Greek island of Corfu. The fleet escorted multiple small convoys loaded with supplies and equipment to Antivari, beginning in October and lasting for the rest of the year, always covered by the larger ships of the Naval Army in futile attempts to lure the Austro-Hungarian fleet into battle.^[8]

The torpedoing of the French battleship Jean Bart on 21 December forced a change in French tactics as the battleships were too important to risk to submarine attack. Henceforth, only the destroyers would escort the transports. On 26 March 1915, the badly damaged predreadnought battleship Gaulois radioed for help as she was taking on water in a storm off the Greek coast. Fantassin, her sister ship Cavalier, the destroyer Bouclier and the armored cruiser Jules Ferry responded, but were unable to render assistance due to the heavy weather.^[9]

After Italy signed the Treaty of London and declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 23 May 1915, Boué de Lapeyrère reorganized his forces in late June to cover the approaches to the Adriatic and interdict merchant shipping of the Central Powers since the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) now had primary responsibility for the Adriatic itself. His area of responsibility extended from Sardinia to Crete and he divided it into two zones with the 1st Light Squadron assigned to the western zone and the 2nd Light Squadron in the east. Those destroyers of the 1st Naval Army not assigned to reinforce the Italians were transferred to the newly-formed 1st and 2nd Flotillas of the Naval Army (flotille d'Armée navale). The 1st and 3rd Destroyer Flotillas were assigned to the 2nd Flotilla of the Naval Army, which was tasked to support the cruisers of the 2nd Light Division.^[10]

Fantassin was badly damaged when the French destroyer Mameluck accidentally rammed her in the Ionian Sea at 02:30 on 5 June 1916 while the two ships were patrolling the Otranto Barrage 14 nmi (26 km; 16 mi) west of the Greek island of Othonoi. The nearby destroyers and naval trawlers went to the assistance of the two ships and were able to take off Fantassin's entire crew without loss. The destroyer broke in half and sank at 09:00 while under tow.^[11]

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• Freivogel, Zvonimir (2019). The Great War in the Adriatic Sea 1914–1918. Zagreb: Despot Infinitus. ISBN 978-953-8218-40-8.
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• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours [Dictionary of French Warships from Colbert to the Present Day]. Vol. II: 1870–2006. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.* Smigielski, Adam (1985). "France". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 190–220. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
• Stanglini, Ruggero & Cosentino, Michelle (2022). The French Fleet: Ships, Strategy and Operations, 1870-1918. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-0131-2.