Catapulte was a Arquebuse-class destroyer contre-torpilleur d'escadre built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

They carried enough coal to give them a range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

[5] When the First World War began in August 1914, Catapulte was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (3e escadrille de torpilleurs) of the 2nd Light Squadron (2e escadre légère)[6] based at Cherbourg.

[5] On 11 May 1918, Catapulte assisted several other ships in rescuing the survivors of the French troopship Sant Anna, which was carrying 2,025 troops when she was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea with the loss of 605 lives by the Imperial German Navy submarine SM UC-54 26 nautical miles east of Cape Bon, French Tunisia.

Off Bône, French Algeria,[7][8] the destroyer collided with the British steamer Warrimoo, some of Catapulte's depth charges broke loose, fell into the sea and detonated, sinking both ships.