With continued British action around Dakar, the Vichy French had scheduled for 22 September 1940 to send the cruisers Algérie, Foch, Dupleix, and plus three contre torpilleurs and two fleet torpedo boats to Dakar as reinforcements. The plan was vetoed by the Germans on 20 September. On 1 January 1941 Dupleix was reduced to care and maintenance being replaced by Colbert in the First Cruiser Division. She was reactivated on 4 October replacing Foch. Following the Torch landings in North Africa, the Germans invaded the unoccupied zone of France on 11 November 1942. The FHM was ready to sail to North Africa to defend it from the Torch landings but was denied permission to sail. By 27 November the Germans had reached Toulon and entered the base. The Germans were delayed from entering the naval dockyard giving the French sailors time to scuttle the fleet. Dupleix was tied up in the Missiessy Basin. The Germans boarded the ship and forced the crew below to close the sea cocks and condensers before the ship sank. The guns had been destroyed by explosive charges and a fire took hold in the ship. The fire was punctuated by numerous explosions. Dupleix burned until 6 December. Dupleix was refloated on 3 July 1943 by the Italians. In March 1944 she was hit by bombs during an American air attack and she was sunk again. She was scrapped in situ in 1951. References Bibliography External links 203 mm/50 (8in) Model 1924 naval gun 90 mm/50 (3.5 in) Model 1926 naval gun 37 mm/50 (1.46 in) Model 1933 naval gun 13.2 mm(0.5 in) machinegun Model 1929 French Pre-war Torpedoes Dupleix on Uboat.net World War II warships scuttled at Toulon 1930 ships World War II cruisers of France