An item reported that on 11 December at Fort de France, Martinique were lying the Emile Bertin (1), Bearn (2) and Barfleur (3), the latter leaving last night under cover of the darkness. The Jeanne d’Arc (4)was lying at Guadeloupe.
Notes
1. Émile Bertin, fast light cruiser, preceded by Jeanne d’Arc succeeded by La Galissonière-class, laid down by Chantiers de Penhoët on 18 August 1931, launched on 9 May 1933, commissioned on 28 January 1935, decommissioned in October 1951, stricken on 27 October 1959 and broken up in 1961.
2. Béarn, laid down at the yard of Société des Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranée, La Seyne, France on 10 January 1914 as a battleship of the Normandie-class, launched in April 1920, rebuild as a carrier between 1923-1927, although already in October 1920 an airplane successfully landed, commissioned in May 1927, stricken on 21 March 1967 and finally broken up in Italy. Although she joined the Allied forces was she never used as an carrier but as an aircraft transport.
3. Armed merchant cruiser X19 Barfleur, launched by Burmeister&Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1938, commissioned in November 1939, in 1944 armed transport X2.
4. Light cruiser. Preceded by Duguay Trouin-class succeeded by Émile Bertin. Designed by engineer Antoine to be used as cadet training ship, laid down in September 1928 at Saint Nazaire, launched in 1930, baptized on 14 February the same year, commissioned in October 1031, decommissioned in 1964 and finally broken up. Nicknamed the La Jeanne was her homeport Toulon.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration) mr0422a. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 2 Dated 12 December 1941.
