French destroyer La Combattante
La Combattante ("The Combatant") was a destroyer of the "Forces navales françaises libres" (FNFL). A British-built , she was offered to the Free French in 1942. History. Laid down as HMS "Haldon", she was damaged in a bombing in the night of 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 23 March 1943, escorting a convoy in the English Channel. She rescued 68 sailors from the liberty ship "Stell Traveller", after it had struck a mine . On 29 May 1943, she rescued British and Australian aircrews ; in September 1943, she rescued two British airmen. In the night of 25–26 April 1944, "La Combattante" and the frigate intercepted a group of German E-boats; "La Combattante" managed to sink "S-147" and damage another ship. In the night of 12–13 May, "La Combattante" destroyed "S-141", killing Klaus Dönitz, Admiral Dönitz's son in the process. During the night of 27–28 May "La 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, "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 off the beach, in deep waters, as she shelled shore batteries; at one point she ran aground, and morsed "I am happy that a French be the first to touch the ground of France". "La Combattante" destroyed several shore batteries, until troops started landing on the beach. She then returned to Portsmouth, escorting a landing ship dock. On 25 June 1944 "La Combattante" rescued two downed US pilots. 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; awaiting the ship's arrival 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, preparing to cross the English 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. 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 off the South-Fall Bank. Sparbrodt was decorated for his alleged success. The ship sunk by Sparbrodt was in fact the British cable layer .