List of escorteurs of France

The escorteurs of the French Navy were light naval warships used for convoy protection during and after the Second World War.

The earliest escorteurs in the French Navy were purchased from the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy. After the war, these were supplemented by former German and Italian vessels transferred to French control as war reparations.

After the war, the term escorteur replaced that of torpilleur and contre-torpilleur traditionally used by the French Navy. However, in the 1970s, the designation of escorteur ceased to be used and was replaced with that of frigate, destroyer, aviso or patroller.

Second World War ships

  • Royal Navy:
    • River-class frigate (Free French Naval Forces)
      • L'Aventure (F707) (ex-HMS Braid) 1944–1961
      • L'Escarmouche (F709) (ex-HMS Frome) 1944–1961
      • Tonkinois (F711) (ex-HMS Moyola) 1944–1961
      • Croix de Lorraine (F710) (ex-HMS Strule) 1944–1961
      • La Surprise (F708) (ex-HMS Torridge) 1944–1964
      • La Découverte (F712) (ex-HMS Windrush) 1944–1961
    • Flower-class corvettes (Free French Naval Forces)
      • Alysse (ex-HMS Alyssum K100) 1941–1942
      • Roselys (ex-HMS Sundew) 1941–1947
      • Aconit (ex-HMS Aconite) 1941–1947
      • Lobelia (ex-Lobelia) 1941–1947
      • Mimosa (ex-Mimosa) 1941–1942
      • Commandant Détroyat (Ex-HMS Coriander) 1941–1947
      • Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves (ex-HMS Lotus) 1942–1947
      • Renoncule (ex-HMS Renonculus) 1941–1947
      • Commandant Drogou (ex-HMS Chrysanthemum) 1941–1947
  • United States Navy (USN):
    • Cannon-class destroyer escort:
    • PC-461-class submarine chaser (or coastal patroller):
      • Eveillé (ex-USS PC-471) 1944–1959
      • Rusé (ex-USS PC-472) 1944–1959
      • Ardent (ex-USS PC-473) 1944–1945
      • Indiscret (ex-USS PC-474) 1944–1960
      • Résolu (ex-USS PC475) 1944–1951
      • Emporté (ex-USS PC-480) 1944–1959
      • Effronté (ex-USS PC481) 1944–1953
      • Enjoué (ex-USS PC-482) 1944–1945
      • Tirailleur (ex-USS PC-542) 1944–1958
      • Volontaire (ex-USS PC-543) 1944–1964
      • Goumier (ex-USS PC-545) 1944–1965
      • Franc Tireur (ex-USS PC-545) 1944–1953
      • Vigilant (ex-USS PC-550) 1944–1959
      • Mameluck (ex-USS PC-551) 1944–1958
      • Carabinier (ex-USS PC-556) 1944–1958
      • Dragon (ex-USS PC-557) 1944–1959
      • Voltigeur (ex-USS PC-559) 1944–1970
      • Attentif (ex-USS PC-562) 1944–1953
      • Spahi (ex-USS PC-591) 1944–1959
      • Fantassin (ex-USS PC-621) 1944–1961
      • Grenadier (ex-USS PC-625) 1944–1958
      • Lansquenet (ex-USS PC-626) 1944–1958
      • Cavalier (ex-USS PC-627) 1944–1951

Post-war ships

War reparations

Allied fleet ships

French-built ships

Fleet Escorts – (Escorteurs d'escadre)

Le Surcouf
  • Classe T 47 (Surcouf class)
    • Surcouf (D621) 1955–1972
    • Kersaint (D622) 1956–1984
    • Cassard (D623) 1956–1974
    • Bouvet (D624) 1956–1982
    • Dupetit-Thouars (D625) 1957–1988
    • Chevalier Paul (D626) 1957–1971
    • Maillé-Brézé (D627) 1957–1988
    • Vauquelin (D628) 1956–1986
    • D’Estrées (D629) 1957–1985
    • Du Chayla (D630) 1957–1991
    • Casabianca (D631) 1957–1984
    • Guépratte (D632) 1957–1985
  • Classe T 53
    • Duperré (D633) 1957–1972
    • La Bourdonnais (D634) 1958–1976
    • Forbin (D635) 1958–1981
    • Tartu (D636) 1958–1979
    • Jauréguiberry (D637) 1958–1977
  • Classe T 56 – single ship modified for ASW testing
    • La Galissonnière (D638) 1962–1990

Fast Escorts – Escorteurs rapides

Le Bourguignon
  • Type E50 (Le Corse-class) frigate:
    • Le Corse (F761) 1955–1975
    • Le Brestois (F762) 1956–1975
    • Le Boulonnais (F763) 1955–1976
    • Le Bordelais (F764) 1955–1976
  • Type E52 (Le Normand-class) frigate:
    • Le Normand (F765) 1956–1983
    • Le Picard (F766) 1956–1979
    • Le Gascon (F767) 1957–1977
    • Le Lorrain (F768) 1957–1976
    • Le Bourguignon (F769) 1957–1976
    • Le Champenois (F770) 1957–1975
    • Le Savoyard (F771) 1957–1980
    • Le Breton (F772) 1957–1976
    • Le Basque (F773) 1957–1979
    • L'Agenais (F774) 1958–1985
    • Le Béarnais (F775) 1958–1979
  • Type E52B:
    • L'Alsacien (F776) 1960–1981
    • Le Provençal (F777) 1959–1981
    • Le Vendéen (F778) 1960–1982

Sloop Escorts – Avisos escorteurs

Le Commandant Bourdais
  • Commandant Rivière-class frigate
    • Victor Schœlcher (F725) 1962–1988
    • Commandant Bory (F726) 1964–1996
    • Amiral Charner (F727) 1962–1990
    • Doudart de Lagrée (F728) 1963–1991
    • Balny (F729) 1970–1994
    • Commandant Rivière (F733) 1962–1984
    • Commandant Bourdais (F740) 1963–1990
    • Protet (F748) 1962–1992
    • Enseigne de vaisseau Henry (F749) 1963–1996

Coastal Escorts – Escorteurs côtiers

L'Effronté
Le Fringant
  • Le Fougueux-class
    • Le Fougueux (P641) 1954–1975
    • L'Opiniâtre (P642) 1954–1975
    • L'Agile (P643) 1954–1976
  • L'Adroit-class :
    • L'Adroit (P644) 1957–1979
    • L'Alerte (P645) 1957–1979
    • L'Attentif (P646) 1957–1978
    • L'Intrépide (P630) 1958–1976
    • L'Ardent (P635) 1958–1979
    • L'Etourdi (P637) 1958–1976
    • L'Enjoué (P647) 1958–
    • Le Hardi (P648) 1958–1977
    • L'Effronté (P638) 1959–
    • Le Frondeur (P639) 1959–1977
    • Le Fringant (P640) 1959–1982

See also