The La Motte-Picquet was a French Duguay-Trouin class light cruiser, launched in 1924, and named in honour of the 18th century admiral count Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte. Completed in 1927, La Motte-Picquet was based at Brest until 1933, serving with the 3rd Light Division, of which she was flagship. In 1935, she was sent to the Far East, where at the outbreak of war in 1939, she patrolled around Indochina, then a French colony, and the Dutch East Indies. Apart from a visit to Osaka, Japan in September 1941, the La Motte-Picquet was restricted in her activities.