French destroyer La Combattante La Combattante ( " The Fighter " ) was a destroyer of the " Forces navales françaises libres " ( FNFL ) . A British - built Hunt class destroyer , she was offered to the Free French in 1942 . History . Laid down as HMS " Haldon " ( L19 ) , she was damaged in a bombing in the night of the 14 and 14 March 1941 . She was offered to the FNFL in 1942 , and renamed " La Combattante " . Escort duty and " S - Boot " fighting . " La Combattante " made her first sortie in the 23 March 1943 , escorting a convoy in the English Channel . She rescued 68 sailors from the " Stell Traveller " , a liberty ship sunk by a mine . On the 29 May 1943 , she rescued English and Australian aircrews ; in the night of September 1943 , she rescued two British airmen . In the night of the 25 and 26 April 1944 , " Combattante " and the frigate HMS " Rowley " intercepted a group of German E - boat s ; " La Combattante " managed to sink the " S - 147 " and damage another ship . In the night of 12 – 13 May , " Combattante " destroyed " S - 141 " , killing Klaus Dönitz , Admiral Dönitz ' s son in the process . In the night of the 27 – 28 May " Combattante " met Motor Torpedo Boats " MTB - 732 " and " MTB - 739 " ; the two groups mistakenly engaged each other , and " MTB - 732 " was sunk . D - Day . Under " commandant " André Patou , the " La Combattante " took part in " Operation Neptune " , providing close fire support to the landing parties during the Battle of Normandy off Courseulles - sur - Mer . She stayed 3 , 000 metres off the beach , in 4 - metre deep waters , as she shelled shore batteries ; at one point she ran aground , and HMS " Venus " morsed " I am happy that a French be the first to touch the ground of France " . The " Combattante " destroyed several shore batteries , until troops started landing on the beach . She then returned to Portsmouth , escorting a landing ship dock . Ferrying General De Gaulle . " La Combattante " kept escorting convoys in the Channel between France and England until 14 July 1944 , when she was ordered to the King ' s Stairs of Portsmouth harbour ; there were General Charles de Gaulle , Generals Béthouart and Koenig , Admiral d ' Argenlieu , Gaston Palewski , Pierre Viénot , Pierre Billotte , François Coulet , Pierre de Chevigné , Geoffroy de Courcel , Pierre Laroque and Claude Hettier de Boislambert , waiting to cross the Channel to Normandy The delegation also carried a 250 - million franc treasure to counter introduction of the US occupation franc . One of the most famous photographs of De Gaulle was taken aboard during the journey , before he landed at Courseulles . On 25 June 1944 " Combattante " rescued two downed US pilots . Fights off Normandy . " La Combattante " further patrolled the Channel . In the night of 25 – 26 August 1944 , she sank four German ships ferrying an artillery unit On 23 February 1945 , an explosion broke " La Combattante " in two and she sank quickly , with 117 survivors of her 181 - man crew . Allied sources stated the ship having been sunk whilst running on a mine . On the German side , a " Kriegsmarine " bulletin reported that " La Combattante " was destroyed at 10 . 28 a . m . on 24 February by two torpedoes fired by " U - 5330 " , a German midget submarine of the " Seehund " type commanded by lieutenant Klaus Sparbrodt , approximately 5 miles off the South - Fall Bank . Sparbrodt was decorated for his alleged success . The ship sunk by Sparbrodt was in fact the British cable layer " Alert " .