In WWII, Duguay-Trouin would spend several years interned at the port of Alexandria after the Fall of France in June 1940.

Several years later, Duguay-Trouin found herself taking part in the international patrols to protect shipping during the Spanish Civil War. Following a year of construction work, Duguay-Trouin was launched in August 1923 and subsequently entered active service by the end of 1926.ĭuring the interwar period, Duguay-Trouin primarily served in the Mediterranean sea while also going on a longer cruise to Indo-China in the early 1930s.

Duguay-Trouin would be laid down as the lead ship of the class and was also the first French capital ship built to modern standards and classifications established after the war. As a result, the French navy ordered three ships for construction, which began shortly after the orders were placed. In 1922, one of the designs was selected for construction despite the designers intending to further improve it. Striking a particular interest in the American Omaha class light cruiser, French shipbuilders revised their designs and eventually came up with four different drafts. However, as design work stagnated by the start of the 1920s, this made it possible to compare the French design with contemporary designs of other nations.

In the years following the end of WWI, French naval designers began working on a new cruiser design, intended to counter Italian vessels which were seen as the most likely adversaries in a potential future conflict.

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