Sir, – In this, the year that marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of US Navy, let us salute our American colleagues, not least for their having named warships that salute other nations. Named after a French admiral (1722-1788) who helped secure the independence of the United States, the Spruance-class destroyer USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974) was in commission for 20 years from 1978. A frigate named FS De Grasse was in commission for the same two decades, the ship being in the French Navy List until well into this century. A cruiser, FS De Grasse, was laid down in 1939 but the ship,…
