Batillus class supertankers

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The Batillus oil tanker at the end of its construction in Saint-Nazaire, being refueled by the Port-Vendres
Class overview
Name:	Batillus class
Operators:	Société Maritime Shell France
In service:	1976 to 2003
In commission:	1976 to 1979
Completed:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Supertanker
Tonnage:	275,276 GT 555,000 DWT 225,473 NT
Length:	LOA: 414.22 metres (1,359.0 ft) LBP: 401.10 metres (1,315.9 ft)
Beam:	63.01 metres (206.7 ft)
Draught:	28.5 metres (94 ft)
Depth:	35.01 metres (114.9 ft)
Installed power:	64,800bhp (48,321.5kW)
Propulsion:	4 × Stal Laval steam turbine engines 2 × propellers
Speed:	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)

The biggest ships by gross tonnage ever constructed were four Batillus-class supertankers built in France at the end of the 1970s, having 555,000 metric tons deadweight (DWT) and a 414 meters length.

Built in the Louis Joubert Lock, they were launched from the shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint Nazaire. The only larger ship was the Knock Nevis (ex Jahre Viking, Happy Giant and Seawise Giant) of 1981, which was originally designed with a smaller tonnage than the Batillus class, but had its length and tonnage increased during construction. If gross tonnage is considered, the Batillus and Bellamya each had a gross tonnage of 275,276 tons. This is the greatest in history, including the Knock Nevis (260,581 gross tons when in service as an oil tanker).

Ships of the Batillus class included:

• Batillus, built in 1976, scrapped in 1985.^[1]
• Bellamya, built in 1976, scrapped in 1986.^[2]
• Pierre Guillaumat, built in 1977, renamed Sea Brilliance, scrapped in 1983.^[3]
• Prairial, built in 1979, renamed Hellas Fos, renamed Sea Giant, scrapped in 2003^[4]

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