Richelieu-class battleship

The Richelieu
Class overview
Name	Richelieu
Preceded by	Planned: Lyon class battleship Built: Dunkerque class battleship
Succeeded by	Planned: Alsace class battleship
Completed	2 Richelieu Jean Bart
General characteristics
Type	battleship
Displacement	48,950 tonnes
Length	248 m
Beam	35 m
Draught	9.60 m
Propulsion	four Parsons geared turbines, 150,000 hp (112 MW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range	7,671 nautical miles (14,207 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h); 3181 nautical miles (5,891 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement	911 men in 1950 (incomplete) 1,280 men during the Suez affair.
Armament	8 x 380mm/45 Modèle 1935 guns in quadruple mounts at bow 9 × 152 mm AA in 3 triple turrets at the aft 24 × 100 mm AA in 12 twin turrets 8 × 40 mm AA 28 × 57 mm AA in 14 twin turrets 20 × 20 mm AA.
Armour	belt: 330 mm upper armoured deck: 150 mm lower armoured deck: 40 mm

The Richelieu class battleships were the last and largest of the battleships of the French Navy, staying in service into the 60s. They were derived from the Dunkerque class, and designed to counter the threat of the Italian Navy. Their speed, shielding, armament and overall technology were state of the art (note the unusual 4-gun turret arrangement).

In the context of the Treaty of Washington, the quad arrangement had the advantage of saving weight on turret armouring, compared to four double turrets, while retaining the same firepower. The drawback was that a single lucky shot immobilising one of the turrets would effectively put half the main artillery out of action. On the other hand, the entirety of the main artillery was able to fire forwards, as the ship closed in to her enemy, in an angle where she made the smallest possible target.

Originally, four units were planned, but only the first two, the Richelieu and the Jean Bart, were fitting at the outbreak of the Second World War.

The third unit, the Clemenceau, was broken up while still under construction. The fourth unit, the planned Gascogne, was never started. She was planned to bear her second turret on the aft of the ship, bringing back a more traditional design.

The Richelieu and the Jean Bart saw action during the war, initially under Vichy France, and with the Free French Forces after the Allies captured North Africa.

They saw action again during the First Indochina War and the Suez Crisis.

• The quadruple 380 mm turrets of the Richelieu and the Jean Bart]]
  The quadruple 380 mm turrets of the Richelieu and the Jean Bart]]
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Richelieu class battleship

Richelieu | Jean Bart | Clemenceau | Gascogne

List of battleships of France