The French destroyer Mistral was a Bourrasque-class torpilleur d'escadre built for the French Navy during the 1920s. She measured 105.6 meters (346 feet 5 inches) in length, with a beam of 9.7 meters (31 feet 10 inches) and a draft of 3.5 meters (11 feet 6 inches). Her displacement was 1,320 metric tons at standard load and increased to 1,825 metric tons at deep load. Powered by two geared steam turbines, each driving a propeller shaft and fueled by three du Temple boilers, Mistral was designed to produce 31,000 horsepower, enabling her to reach a top speed of 33 knots (61 km/h). Her range was approximately 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at a cruising speed of 15 knots (28 km/h). Mistral's main armament comprised four 130 mm (5.1 inch) Modèle 1919 guns arranged in shielded single mounts, with two superfiring pairs positioned fore and aft of the superstructure. For anti-aircraft defense, she carried a single 75 mm (3 inch) Modèle 1924 gun. Her offensive armament included two triple torpedo tube mounts of 550 mm (21.7 inches) located amidships. Additionally, she was equipped with two stern depth charge chutes storing a total of sixteen 200 kg (440 lb) depth charges, emphasizing her ASW capabilities. During World War II, as France surrendered to Germany in June 1940, Mistral sought refuge at Plymouth Dockyard in England. On 3 July 1940, during Operation Catapult, she was partially scuttled at Plymouth by her crew to prevent capture. The British later salvaged her and commissioned her into the Royal Navy as HMS Mistral. Serving with the Free French Naval Forces in support of the Normandy invasion, she was damaged by German artillery off Quinéville, Manche, France, on 10 June 1944, which resulted in her being declared a constructive total loss. Mistral's service highlights her role in both French naval history and the broader Allied efforts during WWII.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.