French destroyer Fantasque Le Fantasque ( " The capricious one " ) was a large destroyer ( " " contre - torpilleur " " , " torpedo boat destroyer " ) of the French Navy which served during the Second World War . Her class is the fastest type of destroyer ever built . Construction and Early Service . " Le Fantasque " was the second destroyer of the " Malin " class , out of a total of six units built bu order of the French naval program in 1930 , but in English , her name is most often associated with this class . These ships were designed to outclass the large escorts built by the Italian navy . The design strongly stressed firepower and speed over armour protection , and indeed , " Le Fantasque " is still to this day the fastest type of destroyer ever built . In the beginning of the Second World War , " Le Fantasque " patrolled the Atlantic , sinking the German cargo ship " Halle " on 16 October 1939 and capturing its crew . She also took part in the hunt for the " Graf Spee " . On 25 November , along with her sister ship " Le Terrible " and the heavy cruiser " Dupleix " , she captured the German merchantman " Santa Fé " . Changing Hands . After the Fall of France , " Le Fantasque " was assigned to the Vichy French 10th DCT ( " Division de Contre - Torpilleurs " , " destroyer division " ) , with her sister ships " Malin " and " Audacieux " , based at Dakar . On 23 September 1940 , the Allies attacked Dakar . " Le Fantasque " sailed through the harbour , setting smoke screens and protecting the stronger French units . She took fire from the British ships and aircraft , but was not damaged . Allied Operations . Shortly after Operation Torch , French West Africa and its fleet , including " Le Fantasque " and her sister " Le Terrible " , returned to the Allies . In March 1943 , she underwent refitting in Boston , repairing damage , adding radar s and ASDIC , and reinforcing her anti - aircraft armament . After the refit , she was reclassified as a light cruiser . On 9 September 1943 she took part in the Salerno landings ( Operation Avalanche ) , providing fire support for the landing force . On the night of 13 – 14 September , she landed 250 commandos at Ajaccio , along with ammunition and weapons for the maquis . On 24 December 1943 , she intercepted the German merchant ship " Nicoline Maersk " , forcing the freighter to run aground near Tortosa , Spain . In 1944 , the 10th DCT was reconstituted to raid deep in the Adriatic , with the aim of isolating Italy from Yugoslavia . On the night of 18 – 19 March , along with " Le Terrible " , she encountered a German convoy composed of the large ferry " F124 " , the tugboat " Titanic " , and three escorts ( " FS270 " , " FS273 " and " FS274 " ) ; all enemy ships were sunk except for " Titanic " , which managed to escape to Kyparissia . On 17 June , along with " Le Terrible " , she sank the tanker " Giuliana " and damaged the " R5 " and " R14 " . On 15 August , the 10th DCT took part in Operation Dragoon , the Allied landing in Provence . Post WWII . Between 1945 and 1946 , she served in Indochina . In 1950 , she was placed in the reserve , reclassified as a " swift escort " and received the pennant number D610 . In 1953 , she was towed by tug to Toulon , where she was used as a floating barracks . On 2 May 1957 , she was struck from the Navy list , renamed " Q98 " , and sold for scrap .