with an Alpha-2 sonar system in cases pending the modification of the hull to accommodate the required flexible underwater dome. Construction and career Ordered on 20 June 1931 as part of the 1930 Naval Program, Le Terribles hull was laid down on 8 December 1931 by Chantiers Navals Français at their shipyard in Blainville-sur-Orne and it was then towed to Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire's Nantes shipyard for completion to help keep the former company in business. She was launched on 30 November 1933, commissioned on 15 April 1935, completed on 1 October, and entered into service on 5 February 1936. Completion was delayed when her turbines stripped some of their blades and required lengthy repairs. When the Le Fantasques entered service they were assigned to the newly formed 8th and 10th Light Divisions () which were later redesignated as scout divisions (); both divisions were assigned to the 2nd Light Squadron () in Brest. As of 1 October 1936 , and were assigned to the 8th Light Division while Le Terrible, Le Fantasque and L'Audacieux belonged to the 10th. Albert Lebrun, President of France, inaugurated the new building of the Naval Academy () in Brest and reviewed the 2nd Squadron on 30 May 1936, including L'Indomptable, L'Audacieux, Le Fantasque, and Le Terrible. Between 15 January and 26 February 1937, the 2nd Light Squadron cruised as far south as Conakry, French West Africa. On 27 May, Alphonse Gasnier-Duparc, Minister of the Navy, reviewed the fleet, including all of the Le Fantasques. World War II Both the 8th and 10th Scout Divisions were assigned to the at Brest when war was declared in September 1939; it made only a single sortie as a complete unit on 2–6 September when it responded to an erroneous report that German ships had left port. Afterwards it was dispersed into smaller groups to search for German commerce raiders and blockade runners. During 21–30 October, the , including all of the Le Fantasques, screened Convoy KJ 4 against a possible attack by the heavy cruiser . On 25 November, together with Le Fantasque and the heavy cruiser , Le Terrible captured the German merchantman . The ships of the 10th Scout Division escorted the and the British aircraft carrier as they searched for German ships in the Central Atlantic 7–13 November. The division escorted Strasbourg and the heavy cruiser back to France on 18 November.