French destroyer Mousquet

Mousquet (Musket) was ordered from Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire on 14 November 1900 and the ship was laid down in November at the company's shipyard in Nantes. She was launched on 7 August 1902 and conducted her sea trials during February–May 1903. The ship was commissioned after her completion and was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet (Escadre de la Méditerranée).^[4] Mousquet and her sister ship Fronde were used to conduct the navy's first trials with wireless telegraphy.^[5] The destroyers and their sister Pistolet were transferred to the Far East Squadron (escadre de l'Extrême-Orient) based in French Indochina in April 1904; they traveled there in company with the protected cruiser D'Assas.^[4][6]

In March 1907, the three destroyers were assigned to the newly formed 1st China Sea Torpedo Boat Flotilla (1^re Flotille des torpilleurs des mers de Chine) of the Far East Squadron.^[6] As of 1911, the renamed Naval Division of the Far East (Division navale de l'Extrême-Orient) consisted of the armored cruisers Dupleix and Kléber, the old torpedo cruiser D'Iberville, Mousquet and two other destroyers, six torpedo boats, and four submarines, along with a number of smaller vessels.^[7] In July of that year, Mousquet was placed in reserve at Saigon, where she remained laid up until early 1914.^[6] She was recommissioned on 5 March to relieve Fronde and was still on active service when World War I began in July 1914.^[4]

At the start of World War I in August 1914, the Naval Division of the Far East included Mousquet, along with the armored cruisers Montcalm and Dupleix, D'Iberville, and the destroyers Pistolet and Fronde. The unit was based in Saigon in French Indochina. The destroyers and D'Iberville were initially sent to patrol the Strait of Malacca while the armored cruisers were sent north to join the search for the German East Asia Squadron.^[8] D'Iberville and the destroyers conducted patrols in the strait for the German unprotected cruiser SMS Geier, which was known to be passing through the area at the time; the French ships failed to locate the German vessel.^[9]

In the early hours of 28 October, the German light cruiser SMS Emden raided Triple Entente warships in the Battle of Penang. Mousquet was approaching the harbor at George Town, Penang, when Emden fled, having torpedoed and sunk the Russian protected cruiser Zhemchug. Mousquet turned away from Emden when the latter opened fire, but the German vessel quickly found the range and scored at least one hit that damaged Mousquet's propulsion system. Mousquet returned fire with one of her guns and launched a torpedo, but both missed. The damage from Emden's shell quickly proved to be fatal, and once it became apparent that she was sinking by the bow, the Germans ceased firing and came close by to pick up survivors. Emden lowered a pair of cutters and rescued an officer and 35 men. Another 42 of her crew, including her captain, were killed in the sinking.^[10] Two days later, Emden stopped the British steamer SS Newburn and transferred the survivors to her.^[11]

The wreck was deemed at hazard to navigation in 1969 and was scrapped in place. The remains of the sailors locked in the wreck were handed over to France by the Malaysian government on 20 October 1970 and transferred to New Caledonia. They now rest in a tomb in the naval base at Nouméa.^[12]

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• Stanglini, Ruggero & Cosentino, Michelle (2022). The French Fleet: Ships, Strategy and Operations, 1870-1918. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-0131-2.