Richelieu-class battleship

Richelieu-class battleship. The Richelieu-class battleship was a class of battleships built for the French Navy during the 1930s, designed by Jacques-Auguste Taravel and Louis-Émile Bertin. The class consisted of two ships, Richelieu and Jean Bart, which were constructed at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire and the Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard in La Seyne-sur-Mer. The Richelieu-class battleships were designed to counter the Italian Navy's Littorio-class battleship and the German Navy's Bismarck-class battleship, with the support of François Darlan and Philippe Pétain.

● Design and Development

The design of the Richelieu-class battleship was influenced by the Washington Naval Treaty and the London Naval Treaty, which imposed restrictions on the size and armament of battleships. The class was designed to be fast and heavily armed, with a main armament of eight 380 mm guns in two quadruple turrets, similar to the Dunkerque-class battleship. The Richelieu-class battleships were also designed to be well-armored, with a belt armor of up to 330 mm and a deck armor of up to 170 mm, comparable to the Yamato-class battleship and the Iowa-class battleship. The design of the class was also influenced by the French Navy's experience with the Courbet-class battleship and the Bretagne-class battleship, with the advice of André Giraud and Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet.

● Construction and Career

The construction of the Richelieu-class battleship began in 1935, with the laying of the keel of Richelieu at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. The construction of Jean Bart began in 1936 at the Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard in La Seyne-sur-Mer. The construction of the class was delayed due to the Spanish Civil War and the Munich Agreement, with the support of Édouard Daladier and Neville Chamberlain. The Richelieu-class battleships were launched in 1939, but the construction was not completed until 1940, due to the Battle of France and the Armistice of 22 June 1940, with the involvement of Charles de Gaulle and Winston Churchill.

● Armament and Armor

The main armament of the Richelieu-class battleship consisted of eight 380 mm guns in two quadruple turrets, similar to the Dunkerque-class battleship. The class was also armed with nine 152 mm guns in three triple turrets, and twelve 100 mm guns in six double turrets, comparable to the Bismarck-class battleship and the Tirpitz. The Richelieu-class battleships were also armed with anti-aircraft guns, including sixteen 37 mm guns and thirty-two 13.2 mm guns, similar to the Yamato-class battleship and the Iowa-class battleship. The armor of the class consisted of a belt armor of up to 330 mm and a deck armor of up to 170 mm, with the advice of André Martinerie and Louis Rivet.

● Propulsion and Performance

The Richelieu-class battleship was powered by four Parsons turbines, which were fueled by six Indret boilers, similar to the Dunkerque-class battleship. The class had a top speed of 32 knots and a range of 9,500 nautical miles, comparable to the Bismarck-class battleship and the Tirpitz. The Richelieu-class battleships were also equipped with a rudder and a stern propeller, with the support of François Dupont and Pierre Barjot. The performance of the class was influenced by the Washington Naval Treaty and the London Naval Treaty, with the involvement of Georges Leygues and Charles Nungesser.

● Service History

The Richelieu-class battleship saw service during World War II, with Richelieu serving in the French Navy and Jean Bart serving in the Free French Naval Forces. The class participated in several battles, including the Battle of Dakar and the Battle of Casablanca, with the support of Charles de Gaulle and Winston Churchill. The Richelieu-class battleships were also used as flagships, with Richelieu serving as the flagship of the French Navy and Jean Bart serving as the flagship of the Free French Naval Forces, with the advice of André Diethelm and Philippe de Gaulle. The class was eventually decommissioned and scrapped, with the involvement of Pierre Mendès France and René Coty. Category:Battleships