French cruiser Colbert (1928)

	The Colbert
History
France
Namesake	Jean Baptiste Colbert
Builder	Brest Naval Yard
Laid down	12 June 1927
Launched	20 April 1928
Commissioned	4 March 1931
Fate	scuttled at Toulon, 27 November 1942
General characteristics
Class and type	Suffren class cruiser
Displacement	list error: <br /> list (help); 10,000 tonnes (standard); 12,780 tonnes (full load)
Length	196 metres
Beam	20 metres
Draught	7.3 metres
Propulsion	3-shaft Rateau-Bretagne SR geared turbines, 9 Guyot boilers, 100,000 shp
Speed	32 knots
Range	4500 at 15 knots
Complement	773
Armament	list error: <br /> list (help); 8 203mm/50 Modèle 1924 (4 × 2); 8 90 mm (3.5 inch) 55-calibre anti-aircraft guns (8 × 1); 8 37 mm anti-aircraft guns (4 × 2); 12 13.2 mm AA (4 × 3); 6 550 mm (21.7 inch) torpedo tubes (2 × 3);
Armour	list error: <br /> list (help); belt 60 millimetres; ; deck 25 millimetres; ; turrets and tower, 30 millimetres.
Aircraft carried	2 Loire-Nieuport 130, 2 catapults

The Colbert was a French heavy cruiser of the Suffren class, that saw service in World War II. She was named for Jean Baptiste Colbert.

Colbert was part of the 1st Light Division of the 1st Squadron in the Mediterranean, which also included Algérie and Dupleix. In September 1939, at the start of World War Two, Colbert was part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, which also included Algérie, Dupleix, Foch, Duquesne and Tourville.

On 14 June 1940, the French navy executed Operation Samoyède. The 3rd French squadron, including cruisers Foch, Algérie, Dupleix and Colbert, bombarded Genoa, supported by the French Naval Air Arm.

Following the French surrender, Colbert and much of the French fleet was taken out of action and kept at Toulon. On 27 November 1942, she was successfully scuttled by her crew in the Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon, despite the presence of German officers attempting to take control. She was blown apart when her magazine exploded.

See also