The heavy cruiser in the 1930s was considered one of the best heavy cruisers in the world and certainly the best in Europe.
On the morning of November 27, 1942, the heavy cruiser Algerie was blown up and set on fire by his crew to prevent the capture of the ship by German Army (Nazi Wehrmacht) invading the territory of Vichy France. After the explosion, the Algerie cruiser sat down on the ground and burned until December 16, 1942.