She underwent a refit in 1941 to augment her light anti-aircraft guns then was placed in care and maintenance at Toulon.

She was scuttled at Toulon when the Germans attempted to seize the French Fleet at the end of November 1942.

She was named in honour of Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683), the Controller General of Finances under King Louis XIV from 1665 to 1683.

He was responsible for bringing France out of bankruptcy, restoring the financial health of the nation and laying the foundation of the French Navy, including bases and the training of the officers and men.

[3] Under the 1926 program a 10,000 ton Treaty Cruiser was authorized, becoming the second ship of the Suffren class.

The contract for the new vessel was awarded to the Arsenal de Brest with the order being placed on 1 March 1927.

She was commissioned on 11 November 1929[5] On 10 May 1930 she partook in a Naval Review celebrating 100 years since the arrival of the French in Algeria at Algiers.

[7] On 1 April 1931 she entered service with La Marine National and was assigned to the First Light Division of the First Squadron at Toulon.

The international Patrol had been formed to protect merchant shipping from piracy instituted by unknown (probably Italian) submarines.

[14] On 25 June the Franco-German Armistice took effect and La Marine Nationale ceased all offensive operations.

On 3 July with the ill-conceived British attack on Mers-el-Kébir, the battleship Strasbourg had escape undamaged, the Fourth Cruiser Division had sailed from Algiers to Oran.

The Germans were delayed from entering the naval dockyard, giving the French sailors time to scuttle the fleet.