Destroyer Bouvet (D624) used as a breakwater

The T 47 class were the first destroyers built for the French Navy after the Second World War. Twelve ships were built between 1955 and 1957. The ships were modernised in the 1960s and decommissioned in the 1980s when they were replaced by Georges Leygues class frigates

These ships were larger than other contemporary European destroyers and were based on the wartime Hardi class destroyers but were enlarged and had a dual purpose armament. The ships were designed as fleet escorts rather than for independent operations therefore had a slower speed than their predecessors. The main guns were a French design firing a 127mm (5 inch) shell, which enabled them to use US ammunition.