On November 27, 1942, during World War II, the crew of the French battleship Strasbourg deliberately sank their ship to prevent it from falling into the hands of advancing German forces. This act was part of a larger operation in which nearly 90 French vessels, totaling about 235,000 tons of steel, were scuttled in the harbor of Toulon. The operation resulted in 12 deaths and 26 injuries among the sailors involved. The Strasbourg, launched in 1934 and commissioned in 1939, was one of the most advanced and powerful warships of the French Navy at the time, measuring over 200 meters in length and weighing nearly 47,000 tons when fully loaded. The decision to scuttle the fleet came from within the French Navy itself, following orders issued by Admiral Darlan as early as December 1940. These orders were later carried out by Admiral de Laborde, who was in charge of the fleet at the time. The operation involved a series of deliberate actions, including opening valves to flood the ships, sabotaging engines, and setting fire to fuel reserves. This was not a result of a military defeat or an accident, but a calculated decision to destroy the ships rather than allow them to be used by enemy forces. In addition to the Strasbourg, 77 other warships were sunk in the Toulon harbor, with auxiliary vessels bringing the total number of scuttled ships to nearly 90. This act marked a significant moment in French military history, as it demonstrated the Navy's commitment to resisting the Nazi regime, even at the cost of its own assets. The scuttling was a symbolic gesture of defiance and became an important event in the history of Free France, helping to establish its reputation among the Allied forces. After the war, the Strasbourg was refloated by the Italians and returned to France in 1944. However, it was later sunk by American aircraft during the bombings preceding the Allied landings in Provence in August 1944. The ship was refloated again in 1945 and used as a test target for underwater explosions before being scrapped in 1955. The wreck of the Strasbourg remains a poignant reminder of the difficult choices faced by the French Navy during World War II and its role in the broader struggle against Nazi Germany.