L'Adroit as workhorse design and Dunkirk loss

The L'Adroit class continued the torpilleur d'escadre role as a fleet workhorse, with six torpedoes and a gun fit broadly similar to the preceding smaller destroyers. L'Adroit herself supported the northern coastal flank and the Dunkirk evacuation under Henry Dupin de Saint-Cyran. Heinkel He 111 bombers damaged the ship, forcing him to beach her at Malo-les-Bains. A later forward-magazine explosion tore open the hull and left her unusable, while all the crew survived in safe positions. Deliberate detonation to deny the stranded ship to German forces is suggested as a possible explanation. The cause remains uncertain.