The Guépard-class
destroyers (contre-torpilleurs) were six ships of the
French Navy, laid down in 1927 and commissioned in 1930. They were similar to the previous Chacal class, with a larger hull and with a slightly improved speed and gun armament with 138 mm guns of a new design. The first three ships bore 'animal' names like the Chacals, while the remaining three were given names starting with V, for two battles and a field-marshal. The class saw action in
World War II.
She was sunk by German
Junkers Ju 87Stukas while taking part in the
evacuation of Namsos, on 3 May 1940, off
Trondheim. Out of 229 members on the crew, 136 were lost.[2] Survivors from Bison were picked up by
HMS Afridi, which was then also sunk by the Stukas.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Bison". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^
Charles Hocking (1990). Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During The Age of Steam. The London Stamp Exchange, London. p. 87.
ISBN0-948130-68-7.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Guepard". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Lion". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Valmy". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Verdun". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^Helgason, Guðmundur (2013).
"Vauban". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
References
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
ISBN0-87021-459-4.
Cernuschi, Enrico & O'Hara, Vincent P. (2013). "Toulon: The Self-Destruction and Salvage of the French Fleet". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2013. London: Conway. pp. 134–148.
ISBN978-1-84486-205-4.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing.
ISBN978-1-84832-198-4.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
ISBN0-87021-326-1.