At the start of the Second World War in 1939, nineteen "Arras"-class avisos had been retired and only eleven still remained in active service. Several ships of the class were active in the evacuation of Allied Forces after the collapse of France in June 1940. One of which, "Vauquois" was sunk by a naval mine in 18 June 1940. After the Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed between Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic, the French navy became split in two. French navy ships in British ports were interned and soon passed to the fledgling Free French Naval Forces. These were "Amiens", "Arras", "Belfort", "Coucy", and "Epinal". Those ships still in France and her colonial empire swore allegiance to the new collaborationist Vichy French government of Philippe Pétain. "Calais" participated in the defence of Dakar in September 1940. "Tahure", which was stationed in Vichy-controlled French Indochina during the French-Thai war and participated in the Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941. "Tahure" was sunk by (the United States having declared war on the Vichy French government with Operation Torch) on 29 April 1944. While in Vichy French service, "Lassigny" was retired in 1941 and "Ypres" (formerly "Dunkerque") was retired April 1942. "Les Éparges" was scuttled in Toulon on 27 November 1942 but was raised by Germany and converted to a minesweeper. She was renamed "M6060" and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine in 5 May 1943. She was in the process of being converted to an escort shipped and renamed "SG25" when she caught fire and work on her was abandoned 1 March 1944.