French Richelieu-class battleships of World War II

Project evaluation

"Richelieu".
Profile. Many experts rate Richelieu-class battleships as the most advanced in the history of shipbuilding. In terms of combat power, it was inferior to the Yamato and Iowa and was approximately equal to the Bismarck (at the same time, in speed it was second only to the Americans), but at the same time it had significantly smaller dimensions and displacement. With a relatively small tonnage, the ship had excellent armor and powerful artillery. Initially, the ship had imperfect locators and equipment (which was more likely a consequence of the hostilities already underway at the time of its completion, rather than the backwardness of the French radio industry), but as it was modernized, it became one of the most advanced in the world in this regard. An automated fire control system for 152-mm guns against air targets was even implemented, although at that time, when jet aviation already reigned, this had no practical meaning.

Armor protection

Armor protection

Richelieu-class battleships had one of the most effective defense systems of all times. It practically repeated the protection system introduced on Dunkirk, only the thickness of the armor and the slope of the belt were increased.

According to the project, the zone of invulnerability from its own 380-mm/45 guns extended from 18,800 m, the maximum distance at which shells could still penetrate the belt, to 29,800 m, above which the deck had already begun to break through. The deck armor was designed to withstand a 500 kg bomb dropped from a height of 4700 m.

Vertical armor. The relatively short citadel had excellent protection from shells. Its length on the first three ships was 131.45 m (54.2% of the length along the overhead line), and on the Gascony - 135.1 m

(55.8%). Outside the citadel, the steering gears in the stern, the shafts and the conning tower had sufficiently powerful armor protection. In the bow, from the citadel to the forepeak, there was a fragmentation-proof deck, and the large compartment immediately in front of the forward armored beam was filled with water-repellent material, as were the side compartments between the outer skin of the hull and the armor of the belt moved inward.

The inclination of the 330-mm belt by 15.24° from the vertical increased its effective resistance (taking into account the outer skin and the 18-mm lining made of specially treated steel - STS) to 478 mm of vertical armor at a heading angle of 90° and a strictly horizontal projectile trajectory. At a projectile impact angle of 10°, the resistance increased to 546 mm. The height of the belt above the overhead line with a design draft of 9.17 m was 3.4 m, and under the overhead line it dropped by 2.56 m. Starting from 1.5 m below the overhead line, its thickness gradually decreased to 170 mm at the lower edge. Such a large deepening of the belt was a response to criticism of the Nelson project and was supposed to protect the hull from shells diving at the side.

Reservation schemes for ships of the Richelieu class

"Richelieu" according to the 1935 project;

"Richelieu" according to the final project, 1940;

"Gascony" according to the project The rest of the booking is the same as for "Richelieu"

The thickness of the armor is given in millimeters (vertical armor in a plane parallel to the plane of the drawing is indicated in brackets). Accepted abbreviations: MO, KO - engine and boiler rooms, Pgk and Psk - main and medium caliber cellars, TsPU - central control post; TG and DG – compartments of turbo and diesel generators, C – chain box; PTO – water-repellent material; BC, VTs, VnTs and TC – ballast, water, wine and fuel tanks; RP – steering gear.

There were three armored traverses: two at the ends of the citadel and the third at the rear of the steering gear compartment. The thickness of the latter, as well as the walls adjacent to it, was uniform (150 mm), but at the traverses of the citadel it varied depending on the expected angles of impact of 380 mm shells and the thickness of structural elements and armor covering access to vital parts of the ship. Between the armored decks, the thickness of the bow was 233 mm (+18 mm of the lining from STS), below to protect the magazines of the 1st tower it increased to 355 mm (+18 mm of the lining), but under the bow anti-fragmentation deck it again returned to the previous 233 + 18 mm . Outside the anti-torpedo bulkheads (ATB) on the sides, the thickness of the traverse was reduced to 165 mm, since it was believed that when penetrating this part of it, the projectile would then encounter several bulkheads of the PTZ system at a very unfavorable angle. The aft traverse of the citadel had a thickness of 233+18 mm, with the exception of parts outside the anti-tank point and below the bevel, where it thinned to 145 mm. This reduction in the armor of the stern beam was taken on the assumption that these ships would always keep the enemy at the bow heading angles.

The main battery towers and barbettes had powerful protection. The floor of the fighting compartment was composed of two-layer armor 150+55 mm, which in combination with the armor of the roof (170-195 mm) and walls (forehead 430, sides 300 mm, rear 270 mm for the 1st and 260 mm for the 2nd) gave excellent protection of cellars from bombs and shells. The thickness of the fighting compartment armor was chosen based on numerous calculations and experiments carried out to determine the best possible protection within a given displacement. The barbettes covering the supply of ammunition (internal diameter 13.3 m) had hardened 405 mm plates with a 20 mm lining along the entire circumference, but under the main armored deck their thickness was only 80 mm. According to other sources, the thickness of the barbettes in the final Richelieu design was only 355+17+17 mm.

The armor of the SK turrets on all battleships was a weak point, and ships of the Richelieu type were no exception. Here it was impossible to combine two requirements: protection from heavy shells and bombs and the high mobility of these towers for firing at fast-moving surface and air targets. From the fire of medium-caliber guns, the protection was quite sufficient: 130 mm front plates (according to other sources 115 mm), 70 mm walls and roof, 60 mm rear, 100 mm barbettes.

But the French preferred to defend the conning tower well. Its walls had a thickness of 340 mm plus two layers of lining 17 mm each and only on the aft segment - 280 + 17 + 17 mm; roof – 170+12+12, floor – 100 mm. Between the wheelhouse and the citadel there was an armored 160-mm pipe, which protected all communications going to the central post.

Anti-fragmentation protection. The air intakes and chimney above the main armored deck were covered with 20-mm armor plates, and all the corresponding openings in this deck were covered with special armored grates. The outer walls of the bow superstructure and rangefinder fences were made of 10 mm STS - more for protection from muzzle gases than from fragments. Although this was enough against fragments of small-caliber shells and 50-kg bombs when they exploded no closer than 50 m (for 500-kg bombs no closer than 75 m). Protection of communications inside the superstructure was provided by a well with 30 mm walls. Important compartments above the armored decks received 6.7 mm walls, and access to them was through doors and hatches with high coamings. The bow traverse of the steering compartment (sp. 19) had a thickness of 50 mm.

Horizontal protection. Along the length of the citadel there were two armored decks made of STS: the main one, adjacent to the upper edge of the belt and having a thickness of 170 mm above the main battery cellars and 150 mm above the mechanisms and cellars of the main battery; 40 mm lower, which had 50 mm bevels at an angle of 49.5 °, descending to the lower edge of the belt. The lower deck was considered anti-fragmentation, and its slopes enhanced the side protection from shells. This arrangement of the decks gave good support to the main belt, and they also served as load-bearing elements of the hull set. Aft of the citadel, at the lower level, there was a 100 mm deck with bevels at the sides at an angle of 45°, the thickness of which increased to 150 mm above the steering gear compartment. The bevels compensated for the lack of side armor in this area. A 40-mm anti-fragmentation deck ran forward from the citadel below the overhead line. According to the design, the lower armored deck of the citadel was supposed to be 0.98 m above the overhead line.

Grade. The 170-mm armored deck above the Richelieu cellars is the next thickest after the only armored deck of the Japanese Yamato. If we also take into account the lower deck and express the horizontal protection of these ships in the equivalent thickness of American “class B” deck armor, we get 193 mm versus 180 mm in favor of the French battleship. Thus, the Richelieu had the best deck armor of any ship in the world. With the exception, again, of the SK cellars. It is also believed that the onboard protection on the Richelieu is as good as on the Bismarck in the cellar area. Having penetrated the inclined belt of 330-mm hardened armor, the projectile had little chance of penetrating the lower deck or its slope in order to explode in vital parts of the ship. All this puts Richelieu in first place in terms of hull protection among all completed battleships of the Second World War. And only in protecting the lower part of the hull from diving shells is it inferior to the Yamato and the latest American ships.

The belt on the Clemenceau was supposed to become 10 mm thinner, and the 100 mm twin was to receive 30 mm protection. The armor of the Gascony was almost the same (the belt was 320 mm, but the citadel was 3.65 m longer), with the exception of better protection for the SK cellars. With the linearly elevated arrangement of the main gun and skeletal towers, it was possible to place the cellars of the latter under a 170-mm armored deck. Although, according to R. Dumas, the main deck became thinner: 140-150 mm. Another difference was the thicker armor on the 152 mm turrets and barbettes.

Anti-torpedo protection. Issues of protection against underwater explosions were carefully studied during the design and construction of Dunkirk, when a 1:10 scale model of the PTZ was tested in Le Havre. The effectiveness of the inclined armor belt and filling the space between it and the outer skin with water-repellent material was confirmed, especially in the area of ​​the main battery cellars, where the depth of the PTZ was narrowed due to the sharp contours of the hull. Similar studies continued during the design of new battleships. In March 1934, in Lorian, on models on a scale of 1: 2.5, a series of experiments was carried out with contact and non-contact underwater explosions of charges equivalent to 300 kg of TNT (trinitrotoluene). These experiments showed that the width of the PTZ should be at least 4.97 m. However, the explosions, which caused less damage than in experiments with the 1:10 scale model, led French designers to the conclusion that the damage on the 1:10 model would correspond to a full-scale explosion of a charge of 1200 kg of TNT. These experiments revealed difficulties in relating model damage to reality, so most navies began using full-scale caissons to test their PTZ systems. At the preliminary design stage, it was decided that the Richelieu-class battleships would receive a PTZ system similar to that used on Dunkirk, but with improvements at the ends of the citadel. According to calculations, it was supposed to withstand a contact explosion of 300 kg of TNT at a depth of 3.5 m under the design overhead line with a draft of 9.17 m.

Characteristics of the Richelieu type PTZ system

Cross-section along the midship frame There were 4 compartments between the hull skin and the PTP: filled with water-repellent material (maximum width 1.98 m), empty, filled with oil and empty, the latter being intended for counter-flooding. The largest compartment in width (up to 3.42 m) was the oil tank, in which most of the explosion energy was dissipated. Behind the PTP there was an empty space, separated from the cellars and mechanisms by a bulkhead 6-10 mm thick, which served as a tunnel for cables and pipelines, but could also be considered part of the PTP system, since it retained gases from the explosion, fragments and leaks that passed through the PTP. The main bulkhead was solid and had no breaks along the entire citadel. Fastenings for pipes and cables were located on the top of the PTP or on the innermost bulkhead, which gave the former the opportunity to bend and stretch plastically relative to its central part, being rigidly clamped at the top (armored deck) and bottom (double bottom).

An 18 mm thick bulkhead between the two outer compartments of the PTZ, extending from the lower edge of the belt, was the main structural element of the hull. This also carried over from the Dunkirk project. The outer skin was only 10 mm thick, but was reinforced by closely spaced stringers and other kit elements. This design was used to reduce the formation of large fragments during a contact explosion. The main PTP from the STS had a thickness of 30 mm at the midship, thickening to 40 and then 50 mm towards the ends of the citadel to compensate for the decrease in the depth of the PTP.

A possible weakness of such liquid-void PTZ systems, designed to absorb explosion energy by liquid and elastic deformations of longitudinal bulkheads, was the placement of these bulkheads close to each other. Under the powerful load of the explosion, they could come into contact when bulging, transmitting damage outside the fuel compartment. The situation was aggravated by the fact that many fleets switched to torpedoes with a much larger charge than the designed 300 kg of TNT. The Japanese, for example, used torpedoes with a charge of 680 kg.

The French PTZ system was subjected to the only serious test in Mers-el-Kebir, when part of its side was torn apart during the detonation of depth charges near the Dunkirk. But since all structural damage was limited to areas outside the PTP, the French designers considered this proof of the correctness of their design.

During the reconstruction of the "Jean Bar" in Brest after the war, the shape of the underwater part was changed, adding side boules 1.27 m wide and approximately 122 m long to compensate for the expected overload. This significantly improved the PTZ system - to withstand a contact explosion of approximately 500 kg TNT. Since the new skin turned out to be thicker, the total thickness of the material that the explosion was supposed to pierce also increased. The depth of the PTZ from the shell to the main PTZ increased to 8.25 m, and to the last bulkhead - to 9.45 m.

As on the Dunkirk, in the external compartments of the PTZ system and in the compartment in front of the citadel, the water-repellent material “Ebonite Mousse” was used, which was a dense rubber foam with a specific gravity of 0.07-0.10 t/m3

. To reduce the risk of fire, this flammable material was contained in foil placed around the periphery of the compartment. It did not allow water to pass through even under a pressure of 1 atm. (pressure of a column of water 10 m high), was not subject to aging and did not react with iron. With the ship's displacement of 40,900 tons and empty fuel tanks, the flooding of even all unprotected compartments in the bow of the citadel did not lead to disastrous consequences. Although the trim at the bow would be 5.47 m, the Metacentric height remained equal to 3 m, the immersion of the propellers was 3 m, the immersion of the main deck at the bow perpendicular was 0.3 m, and at the bow armored beam it would rise above the water by 1.1 m. The use of “Ebonite Mousse” in compartment “F” in front of the citadel reduced possible flooding and trim on the bow, and also increased the length of the protected part of the ship from 54.2 to 58.3%.

In addition to excellent onboard underwater protection, the ships also had a certain protection from the bottom: a double bottom with a height of 1.12 m along the length of the propulsion unit (outer bottom 26 mm, internal 14 mm) and a triple bottom with a height of 2.5 m with a top of 30 mm STS under GK cellars. The French recognized the need to protect the bottom, at least under the main battery cellars, but it was not possible to ensure its good reservation within the framework of the contractual displacement. The recognized sufficient height of a double or triple bottom of 4.6 m created difficulties with the placement of mechanisms and cellars. We had to confine ourselves to a double bottom for most of the citadel, the height of which was not much higher than that of merchant ships. But its entire structure was made of HTS steel with high tensile strength.

In addition to protection from underwater explosions, the PTZ system on the Richelieu type provided additional protection from projectiles: both those that pierced the belt and those that dived under it. The French designers believed that no shells or their fragments after breaking through the belt would be able to reach the vital parts of these ships, since to do this they would have to penetrate the 50-mm bevel of the armored deck and the PTZ system with its bulkheads and tanks filled with oil or ballast. The resistance of the PTZ in this case was considered equivalent to 80 mm of steel. The liquid-filled compartments were especially effective at slowing down projectiles with an underwater trajectory that fell under the armor belt.

Stability and division into compartments. These battleships had excellent hull division into compartments, and the main transverse bulkheads below the survivability deck were not even allowed to have watertight doors. All communications with the compartments on the decks below were carried out through the shafts. No openings were allowed in the longitudinal bulkheads. In total, the hull was divided into 21 watertight compartments by transverse bulkheads, most of which reached the upper deck. The French designated these compartments with letters, starting with “A” for the forepeak. The Shipbuilding Technical Service carried out a thorough analysis of damage stability, as a result of which the required metacentric height (MB) values ​​were determined at the preliminary design stage. Although these values ​​were not as large as those on the Bismarck or Yamato class battleships, they still provided sufficient righting moment and range of stability. With a buoyancy reserve of 44,295 tons, the stability range was 65°. But with the presence of the Ebonite Mousse material and good division into compartments, the danger of mass flooding was practically absent and a large MB value was not required. After completion, they did not have time to determine the stability of the Richelieu, but after modernization in the USA it had the following characteristics:

Design and armor of Richelieu-class battleships

The shape of the vessel remained identical to the previous Dunkirk. Only the size was different. The length along the waterline was 242 meters, the maximum reached 248 m. The normal load capacity was 37,832 tons, the total displacement was 44,708 tons. Four Parsons steam turbines provided power of 150,000 hp, which made it possible to sail at a speed of 31. 5 knots. In economy mode, the dreadnought covered 10,000 nautical miles without refueling.

The lower part of the hull was divided into 21 independent compartments, each of which had sealed rooms. There were not even waterproof doors between these compartments. The transition was carried out through special mines. Experts call the Richelieu one of the best ships in the world

Along with ensuring good waterproofing, which will prevent the ship from going under water in the event of a hole, much attention was paid to the armor

The length of the main armor belt was 131.5 meters, height - over 6 m. Almost a third was under water. The thickness of the steel in this place was 330 mm. The main deck was covered with 170 mm uncemented armor. The main caliber towers and barbettes were covered with 405 mm and 430 mm sheets. It was assumed that such a defense would be able to withstand a hit from a 500-kg aerial bomb.

Mine protection was calculated based on the possibility of attack by a 300-kg torpedo. Some compartments were provided with double and triple bottoms.

Universal weapons – 152 mm gun

French Richelieu-class battleships of World War II

Richelieu-class battleships became the best French ships of their class built for the French Navy before World War II. Since Germany was actively developing new warships in the late twenties and early thirties, there was concern in France that the fast battleships (heavy cruisers) of the Dunkirk class would not be able to fight the German battleships, and the French began creating real battleships.

French Richelieu-class battleships - video

The Richelieu-class ships were developed on the basis of the Dunkirk-class battleships, but were armed with 15-in. (381 mm) main caliber guns and had more powerful armor protection. Initially, it was planned to build four Richelieu, but circumstances allowed only three to be laid down, and two to be launched. All of the Richelieu's main artillery was installed in the bow of the hull (eight guns in two turrets), while the universal 6-in. (152 mm) artillery weapons were located in the stern. The main towers have a 15-in. (381-mm) guns were installed in pairs, and one pair could change the elevation angle independently of the other. The chimney and the ship's command post were initially located separately from each other.

However, by the time the construction of the ship was completed, they were combined, with the pipe tilted back so that the smoke did not interfere with the control of the fire. Richelieu was laid down on October 22, 1935, and launched on January 17, 1939. In June 1940, the battleship was 95 percent technically ready, but left the dock in Brest so as not to fall to the Germans. At the same time, the same type “Jean Bart” headed to Casablanca in a state of even less readiness. The Richelieu sailed to Dakar in Senegal, where other French naval forces gathered and where they were later attacked by the British. Having received damage, the Richelieu and its crew eventually went over to the Allied side and went to the USA for re-equipment (Jean Bar remained in the hands of the Vichyists and in November 1942, met the Americans landing in North Africa with the fire of its cannons). Work on re-equipping the battleship Richelieu was completed in 1943, when a new radar was installed on it and anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened. Returning from the USA, the Richelieu became part of the British Far Eastern Fleet. In 1946, the battleship was officially returned to France. In 1956, Richelieu was transferred to reserve and used as a blockade in the harbor of Brest until it was sent for scrap in 1964.

Tactical and technical characteristics of Richelieu-class battleships

Photos of Richelieu-class battleships

Project evaluation

"Richelieu". Profile.

Many experts rate Richelieu-class battleships as one of the most advanced in the history of shipbuilding.

The French did their best in terms of protecting the battleships. In terms of absolute armor mass (16,800 tons), Richelieu was inferior only to two potential opponents - the largest Yamato and Bismarck, all other battleships, including the very well-protected Scharnhorst, Vittorio Veneto, King Georgie 5 , and especially Dunkirk, it was noticeably superior. The sufficiently high thickness of the main belt, taking into account its slope and the quality of the armor, created one of the highest levels of resistance for all projectiles. In this indicator, as well as in the height of the main belt (5.96 m), the Richelieu even confidently surpassed all German (and even more so the old British, Italian and French) ships. Almost all new American battleships had even shorter, less thick and less high belts. For example, the shorter “South Dakota” had a belt of class “A” armor with a length of 113.4 (!) and a height of 3.2 m (!), a much longer and new “Iowa” - 145.6 and a height of again 3, 2 m (!)

Only the new British “King Georgie 5” had a higher and thicker (355.5-381 mm) main belt (but it was without slope and almost 5 m shorter than the French). All German battleships had main belts approximately 20 m longer, with a comparable thickness of 320-350 mm, but noticeably lower in height and without slope than the French ones. Finally, the Italian “Vittorio Veneto” type had a belt that was also smaller in height and length, although, taking into account several spaced apart inclined layers, bulkheads and linings, it was altogether thicker than that of its classmates - “Richelieu”, “Scharnhorst”, “Bismarck” and even King George 5.

The deck and turret armor was even more outstanding. In terms of the total thickness of the deck armor and taking into account its higher quality among the French (compared to the Japanese on the Yamato and other ships of the Axis countries), the Richelieu deck had the best protection in the world. The main caliber towers and barbettes were also protected at the highest level, and even the medium caliber artillery had only slightly weaker cover. The turrets of the 152 mm guns were inferior in armor thickness only to their counterparts on the Vittorio Veneto (in some places by a factor of 2), almost as good as the Scharnhorst and Strasbourg, and noticeably superior to all other ships in the world (especially British and Japanese).

In terms of maximum speed, the French also surpassed many modern battleships in the world, almost all British (except Hood), Japanese and American (except Iowa type). German ones were theoretically just as fast, but due to not very reliable boilers with high pressure and steam temperature, they would not be able to maintain maximum speed for a long time.

In terms of range of 380 mm artillery (41,700 m), the Richelieu was also noticeably superior to most battleships of its time - almost all British and American (even the newer Iowa and King George 5 - 36,700-38,700 and 34,600-35,200 m, respectively) , part of the German ones (including the Bismarcks - 35600-36500 m, and the Deutschlands) and all the older Italian and Japanese ones. Only the Yamato, Scharnhorst, Dunkirk and Vittorio Veneto had a maximum main gun firing range comparable to the Richelieu. As a result, all the new French battleships, from Dunkirk to Jean Bart, were able to choose a convenient battle distance with the help of higher speed and hit the enemy at the limit of their artillery range!

In terms of the mass of the broadside, it was noticeably inferior to the Yamato, also to all 406 mm "Americans", "Nelsons", "Nagatos", a little "Vittorio Veneto", the new "British" and was approximately equal to the "Bismarck" salvo, but at the same time " French" had smaller dimensions and displacement.

Initially, the ship had imperfect locators and equipment (which was more likely a consequence of the hostilities already underway at the time of its completion, rather than the backwardness of the French radio industry), but as it was modernized, it became one of the most advanced in the world in this regard. An automated fire control system for 152-mm guns against air targets was even implemented, although at that time, when jet aircraft already reigned, this had no practical meaning [ source not specified 308 days

].

Crime and Punishment. French battleship Jean Bart

April 1689. English Channel. The 24-gun French frigate Serpan engages a Dutch ship. The French are at a clear disadvantage. On board the Serpan is a cargo of barrels of gunpowder - the frigate can fly into the air at any moment. At this moment, the ship's captain, Jean Bart, notices a 12-year-old cabin boy, who squatted down in fear. The captain, furious, shouts to the sailors: “Tie him to the mast. If he does not know how to look death in the eye, he is not worthy to live.”

The 12-year-old cabin boy was Francois-Cornille Bar, the son of Jean Bar and the future admiral of the French fleet.

Oh, what a fierce family they were!

The father is especially famous - the legendary Jean Bart from Dunkirk, the most daring and successful of the French corsairs of the 17th century. It was in his honor that the best battleship of the French Navy during the Second World War was named. The Jean Bart is the second ship in the Richelieu series of battleships, which had a surprisingly long and eventful life.

Design

French battleships of the Richelieu class are rightfully considered the most balanced and advanced battleships of the pre-war period. They had many advantages and almost no serious disadvantages. Minor flaws in their design were gradually eliminated over the many years of their service.

At the time of construction, these were the fastest battleships in the world (32 knots), noticeably inferior in combat power only to the Yamato and approximately equivalent to the German Bismarck. But at the same time, the French “35,000-ton ships”, along with the American “North Caroline”, remained the smallest ships in their class.

Excellent performance was achieved using a special layout, placing two four-gun main battery turrets in the bow of the ship. This made it possible to save on the mass of the turrets (a four-gun turret weighed less than two two-gun turrets), as well as to reduce the length of the citadel (“a linear meter” of which weighed 25 tons), converting the allocated load reserve into additional armor thickness.

From the point of view of combat characteristics, the “all guns forward” scheme also had its advantages: the ability to fire full salvoes at the bow angles could be useful when pursuing enemy raiders and heavy cruisers. The guns grouped in the bow had a smaller spread of salvoes and simplified fire control. By unloading the aft end and shifting the scales to the midships, the ship's seaworthiness improved and the strength of the hull increased. Boats and seaplanes located in the stern were no longer at risk of exposure to muzzle gases.

The disadvantage of the scheme was the “dead zone” at the stern corners. The problem was partially solved by the unprecedentedly large firing angles of the main caliber turrets - from 300° to 312°.

Four guns in one turret created the threat of losing half of the entire main battery artillery from a single hit from a “stray” shell. In order to increase combat survivability, the Richelieu turrets were separated by an armored partition; each pair of guns had its own independent ammunition supply system.

380 mm French guns were superior in armor penetration to all existing German and British naval guns. The French 844 kg armor-piercing projectile could penetrate 378 mm of armor at a distance of 20,000 m.

The rapid slope of the chimney is a trademark of French battleships

The installation of nine medium-caliber guns (152 mm) turned out to be not a very rational decision: their high power and armor penetration did not matter when repelling attacks from destroyers, at the same time, insufficient aiming speed and low rate of fire made them practically useless when repelling air attacks. It was possible to achieve acceptable characteristics only after the war, when this no longer made much sense.

In general, the question of everything related to air defense and fire control systems “hangs in the air”: due to the specific conditions of their completion, “Richelieu” and “Jean Bart” were left without modern radars. Despite the fact that before the war, France occupied a leading position in the development of radio-electronic equipment.

However, Richelieu managed to obtain a full set of modern radio equipment during repairs in the USA in 1943. Restored on its own, Jean Bart also received the best fire control system of its time. By 1949, 16 radar stations of various ranges and purposes were installed on board.

"Richelieu" arrives in New York

The air defense system of the late period looked very cool: 24 universal 100 mm cannons in twin mounts, coupled with 28 57 mm anti-aircraft guns. All guns had centralized guidance based on radar data. The Jean Bart, without exaggeration, received an outstanding air defense system - the best ever installed on a battleship. However, the approaching era of jet aircraft already placed different demands on anti-aircraft systems.

A few words about the armor protection of battleships:

Richelieu-class battleships had the best horizontal armor of any ship in the world. The main armored deck is 150...170 mm thick, reinforced by a 40 mm lower armored deck with 50 mm bevels - even the great Yamato could not boast of such indicators. The horizontal armor of the Richelieu battleships was not limited to the citadel: a 100 mm armored deck with bevels went into the stern (150 mm above the steering gear compartment).

The vertical armor of French battleships is no less admirable. The resistance of the 330 mm armor belt, taking into account its inclination of 15° from the vertical, the side plating and the 18 mm STS steel lining, was equivalent to homogeneous armor with a thickness of 478 mm. And at a meeting angle of 10° from the normal, the resistance increased to 546 mm!

Armored traverses differentiated by thickness (233-355 mm), a powerful conning tower, where the thickness of the walls was 340 mm of solid metal (+ 2 STS linings, a total of 34 mm), excellent turret protection (430 mm front, 300 mm sides, 260 -270 mm rear), 405 mm barbettes (80 mm below the main armored deck), local anti-fragmentation armor for important posts - there’s nothing to complain about.

Special attention was paid to the issues of anti-torpedo protection: the depth of the PTZ ranged from 4.12 meters (in the area of ​​the bow beam) to 7 meters (midship frame). During the post-war modernization of the Zhanu Baru, 122-meter boules with a width of 1.27 m were added. This further increased the depth of the PTZ, which, according to calculations, could withstand an underwater explosion with a power of up to 500 kg of TNT.

And all this splendor fits into a hull with a total displacement of only 48,950 tons. The given value corresponds to the Jean Bart model of 1949 after its completion and all post-war measures to modernize the battleship.

Overall rating

Richelieu and Jean Bart. Powerful, beautiful and very original ships, which stood out from other battleships with their well-thought-out, balanced design. Despite the large number of innovations introduced, the French never had to regret their bold decisions. The boilers of the Sural-Indre system operated uninterruptedly, in which fuel combustion occurred under an excess pressure of 2 atm. The design of the battleships demonstrated excellent combat stability. The Jean Bart, being in an unfinished state, was able to withstand five to seven hits from American 406 mm shells, each of which weighed a ton and a quarter. It’s easy to imagine the destructive power of these “blanks”!

We can safely say that in the person of "Richelieu" and "Jean Bar" any battleship of the Second World War would have met a worthy opponent, the outcome of a one-on-one duel with which hardly anyone could have predicted.

— “French LC “Richelieu” and “Jean Bart””, S. Suliga

Courage, Betrayal and Redemption

On May 10, 1940, German troops invaded France. At that moment, the unfinished battleship Jean Bart was in Saint-Nazaire, whose entry into service was scheduled for October of the same year. Already on May 17, the situation became so serious that the French had to think about the immediate withdrawal of the battleship from Saint-Nazaire.

This could be done no earlier than on the night of June 20-21 - on the full moon, when the tide reaches its highest point. But before that, it was necessary to expand and deepen the canal leading to the Loire for the unhindered withdrawal of the huge ship.

Finally, it was necessary to complete the construction of the battleship itself - to partially commission its power plant, electricity generators, radio station, install propellers and equip the battleship with the necessary navigation equipment. Connect the galley, ensure the habitability of the compartments to accommodate personnel. It was not possible to install all the planned weapons, but the French planned to commission at least one main-caliber turret.

This entire enormous complex of work must be completed in one month. At the slightest delay, the French had no choice but to blow up the battleship.

Shipyard workers in Saint-Nazaire began a race against time. Under German bombing, working 12-hour shifts, 3,500 people attempted the impossible.

On May 22, the dock in which the Jean Bart stood was drained. Workers began painting its underwater part.

On June 3, a propeller was installed on the inner shaft of the left side (from a set of spare parts for the Richelieu, delivered from the Brest shipyard). Four days later, a propeller was installed on the starboard internal shaft.

On June 9, some auxiliary mechanisms, a steering gear and a galley were put into operation.

On June 12, three boilers were put into operation and work began on balancing the propellers.

The medium-caliber towers did not arrive by the appointed date. A compromise solution was urgently developed - to mount twin 90 mm anti-aircraft guns (model 1926) in their place. The guns and ammunition supply systems were installed in a matter of days, but the ammunition sent from Brest was late for the ship’s departure. The battleship was left without medium and universal calibers.

On June 13 and 14, a complex and time-consuming operation was carried out to install four 380 mm main caliber turret guns.

On June 16, the main turbines and generators were put into operation, and steam was raised in the battleship's boilers.

On June 18, the Germans entered Nantes, which lies only 65 km east of Saint-Nazaire. On this day, the tricolor flag of France was raised on the battleship. The supply of electricity from the shore stopped; now all the necessary electricity was generated by the only turbogenerator on board the Jean Bart.

By this time, the dredging workers managed to clear a channel only 46.5 m wide (with a battleship hull width of 33 meters!). The crew of the Jean Bart required remarkable courage and luck to safely navigate the battleship along such a narrow path.

The operation was scheduled for the next night. Despite the absence of most of the weapons on the battleship and the minimum reserve of oil on board (125 tons), the estimated depth under the keel did not exceed 20-30 centimeters.

The tugs pulled the Jean Bart out of the dock, but after only 40 meters of movement, the bow of the battleship buried itself in the mud. It was pulled off the shoal, but after a couple of minutes the ground began to grind under the bottom again. This time the consequences were more serious - the battleship damaged part of the bottom plating and the right propeller.

By 5 a.m., when the Jean Bart, assisted by its own vehicles, was already reaching the middle of the river, Luftwaffe planes appeared in the sky. One of the dropped bombs pierced the upper deck between the barbettes of the main battery towers and exploded in the internal compartments, forming a bulge in the deck flooring. The fire that arose was quickly extinguished with water from the broken pipeline.

At this time, the battleship was already confidently moving towards the open ocean, reaching a speed of 12 knots. At the exit from the harbor, two tankers and a small escort of French destroyers were waiting for him.

Now that the horrors of imprisonment in Saint-Nazaire were behind us, the commander of the battleship, Pierre Ronarch, faced an obvious question: Where to go?

Despite the unfinished state and the absence of most of the crew (there were only 570 people on board, including 200 civilians - shipyard workers), on the evening of June 22, 1940, the battleship Jean Bart arrived safely in Casablanca. On the same day, news arrived that a truce had been concluded with the Germans.

For the next two years, the Jean Bart rusted quietly at its pier in Casablanca; he was strictly forbidden to leave the harbor. The battleship was closely monitored by German and Italian authorities. British reconnaissance planes monitored the situation from the air (one of which was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the battleship).

The French, hoping for the best, continued to maintain the Jean Bart mechanisms in working order, engaged in homemade repairs and modernization of the weapons. They repaired the hole from the German bomb with sheets of ordinary steel. The barbette of the unfinished turret II was filled with cement in order to reduce the trim at the stern. A set of rangefinders for fire control of the main and universal calibers, removed from the battleship Dunkirk, which was undergoing repairs, was delivered from Toulon. Anti-aircraft weapons were reinforced with five turrets with twin 90 mm guns. A search radar appeared on the roof of the superstructure.

Finally, on May 19, 1942, it came to the main caliber. With the permission of the occupation authorities, the Jean Bart fired five four-gun salvoes towards the sea. The tests were successful, but the event did not go unnoticed (and even more so, unheard) for the American consul in Casablanca. A dispatch arrived in Washington about the presence of a powerful combat-ready battleship off the coast of North Africa, which could pose a threat to the allies. During Operation Torch (the landing of Anglo-American troops in North Africa) planned for November 1942, Jean Bart was included in the list of priority targets.

At dawn on November 8, 1942, a message was received on board the battleship about the movement of a group of unknown ships off the coast. At 6:00 local time, the team took up positions according to the combat schedule, and the main caliber guns were loaded. Closer to 8 am, through the clouds of smoke from the destroyers standing in the harbor separating pairs, the silhouettes of a battleship and two cruisers were seen.

The Americans were serious - battle group TG 34.1 was approaching Casablanca, consisting of the newest battleship Massachusetts with a 406 mm main caliber, supported by the heavy cruisers Wichita and Tuscaloosa, surrounded by a detachment of destroyers.

Museum ship USS Massachusetts, Fall River, today

The first strike was carried out by 9 Dontless dive bombers, which took off from the Ranger aircraft carrier located 30 miles from the coast. One of the bombs hit the rear of the Jean Bart. Having broken through several decks and the bottom, it caused flooding of the steering gear manual control compartment. Another bomb hit the embankment nearby - the battleship was showered with stone crumbs, and the hull received cosmetic damage.

This was only the first cruel greeting with which the Yankees greeted the ships of Vichy France. At 08:04, US Navy battleships and cruisers opened fire on the ships in Casablanca harbor. Over the next 2.5 hours, the Massachusetts fired 9 full salvoes of 9 shells and 38 salvoes of 3 and 6 shells at the French from a distance of 22,000 meters, achieving five direct hits on the Jean Bart.

The meeting with a supersonic 1226 kg alloy steel blank did not bode well. The greatest consequences could have been a hit from a shell that pierced the deck at the stern of the battleship and exploded in the cellar of the medium-caliber turrets (luckily for the French, it was empty). Damage from the remaining four hits can be classified as moderate.

A piece of an armor-piercing shell that hit the Jean Bart

One of the shells pierced through part of the pipe and the superstructure, and exploded from the outside, causing shrapnel damage to the side. Closer to 9 am, the ship shuddered from two direct hits on the barbettes of the main battery towers. The fifth shell hit the stern again, in a place already damaged by the bomb. Also, there are discrepancies regarding two close explosions: the French claim that there was a direct hit in the armored belt and bulb of the battleship.

Due to the heavy smoke in the harbor, the Jean Bart managed to fire only 4 salvos in response, after which it was impossible to adjust the fire.

Having shot the motionless, unfinished battleship, the Yankees considered the task completed and retreated at full speed towards the open sea. However, by six in the evening of the same day, “Jean Bar” had restored its combat capability. The next day, his universal artillery fired 250 shells at the advancing Anglo-American troops, but the main caliber was not used so as not to fully reveal all the trump cards.

On November 10, the American heavy cruiser Augusta confidently approached Casablanca. At that moment, the Jean Bart fired a sighting salvo at it from 380 mm cannons. The Yankees took to their heels in horror, radiograms about the suddenly awakened giant rushed into the open air. The retribution was cruel: three hours later, the Dontlesses from the aircraft carrier Ranger attacked the French battleship, achieving two hits of 1000 pounds. bombs.

In total, as a result of artillery shelling and air strikes, the Jean Bart received heavy damage, lost most of its electricity, took on 4,500 tons of water and sat stern on the ground. The irretrievable losses of the crew amounted to 22 people (out of 700 sailors on board). The magnificent armor fulfilled its purpose to the end. By comparison, 90 people died on board the nearby light cruiser Primoge.

Speaking about the damage to the Jean Bart, it is worth taking into account that the ship was unfinished, many of its compartments were not sealed. The only turbogenerator was damaged - power was provided using emergency diesel generators. There was a reduced crew on board the ship. Nevertheless, the immobile battleship turned out to be a “tough nut to crack” and greatly frayed the nerves of the allies.

After French forces in Africa joined the Allies, the Jean Bart was removed from the ground and prepared to be sent under its own power for repairs in the United States. However, unlike its parent "Richelieu", "Jean Bar" required extensive restoration repairs with the manufacture of the missing main caliber turret. The problem was complicated by the lack of drawings of the tower mechanisms and the difficulty of switching to the metric system of weights and measures. The process dragged on, as a result, work on the restoration of “Jean Bar” began on its own only after the end of the war.

Bold projects were considered for converting the Jean Bart into an aircraft carrier or an exotic “air defense battleship” with the installation of 34 twin universal five-inch guns and 80 Bofors anti-aircraft guns. As a result of all the discussions, the designers returned with the simplest, cheapest and most obvious option. Completion of the battleship according to the original design with the introduction of the latest achievements in the field of automation and radio technology.

The updated battleship returned to service in April 1950. Over the following years, Jean Bart was used as the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet of the French Navy. The ship made many calls to European ports and made a visit to the United States. The last time the Jean Bart was in a combat zone was in 1956, during the Suez Crisis. If the Egyptian leadership was stubborn, the French command planned to use the battleship's guns to bomb Egyptian cities.

Between 1961 and 1969, Jean Bart was used as a training ship at the artillery school in Toulon. In January 1970, the last of the French battleships was finally removed from the fleet and put up for sale. In the summer of the same year it was towed to La Seime to be dismantled for metal.

A veteran rests in his laurels of glory on the French Riviera

Based on materials from the monograph “French LC Richelieu and Jean Bart” by Sergei Suliga.

Battleship "Richelieu"

After the start of construction of the relatively small French battleships Dunkirk, information appeared that Germany and Italy continue to strengthen their fleets with new battleships, and are also modernizing existing dreadnoughts. Maintaining balance in the Mediterranean Sea in the waters of the Atlantic required decisive measures from the French authorities.

It was planned to gradually build 4 battleships of the new Richelieu type. The first ship of the same name was laid down in 1935, immediately after the launch of Dunkirk. 5 years later, at the height of the war, it was put into service. "Jean Bar" entered service only in 1949. Clemenceau was never completed. In connection with the surrender of France, the fourth ship was not laid down at all.

Battleships of France

Service

Military operations on French territory contributed to faster completion of the necessary tests on the first dreadnought Richelieu. However, it entered service after the surrender. The primary task was to remove French gold from the country. In September 1940, the battleship took part in the Senegalese operation against Britain. After 3 years, he went to the USA to carry out repair work, after which he participated in the war on the side of the Allies. After the end of the war, Richelieu was converted into a training ship and scrapped in 1968.

Due to the German attack, the second ship of the described class, the Jean Bart, was transferred to Morocco in an unfinished state. In 1942, with only one main caliber installation on board, it took part in the Moroccan-Algerian operation. He was wounded and surrendered to the Free French fleet. After the end of the war it was repaired and put into operation. In 1961 it was put out of commission.

Literature

• Balakin S. A., Dashyan A. V. and others.
  Battleships of the Second World War. Strike force of the fleet. - M.: Collection, Yauza, EKSMO, 2006. - 256 p.: ill. — (Arsenal Collection). — 3000 copies. — ISBN 5-699-18891-6, BBK 68.54 L59.
• Dumas R.
  Les cuirasses Richelieu. Nantes, Marine editions, 2001.
• Suliga S.
  “Richelieu” and “Jean Bart”. - M.: Citadel, 1995. - 32 p.
• "Richelieu" and "Jean Bart". - Breeze magazine, No. 37 (No. 1/2001). — 2001.
• Robert O. Dulin, William H. Garzke.
  British, Soviet, French and Dutch Battleships of World War II. - London: Jane's Publishing Company, Ltd., 1980. - 391 p. — ISBN 0-7106-0078-X.
• Jordan, John.
  Dumas, Robert. French Battleships 1922-1956. - Barnsley, Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing, 2009. - 224 p. — ISBN 978-1848320345.

Service

Battleship "Richelieu"

Initially built to counter the Italian fleet. After Germany's attack on France, the battleship Richelieu departed for Dakar on June 18, 1940, carrying gold reserves of France, Belgium, Poland and part of the Netherlands in its holds. There, on July 8, the battleship was attacked by aircraft from the British aircraft carrier Hermes. The explosion of a torpedo dropped from a Swordfish-type aircraft under the bottom of the ship severely damaged the stern, which made it impossible for the battleship to make combat exits from Dakar harbor.

Richelieu took part in a naval battle in September 1940 (Operation Senegal), when a British force consisting of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and the battleships Barham and Resolution tried to force the French ships to surrender. During the battle, Richelieu scored one hit on the English battleship Barham. The French battleship did not receive major damage, having lost one of its main caliber guns as a result of a shell burst in the barrel.

In January 1943, the battleship, with its stern reinforced with a wooden caisson, set sail for New York for the purpose of restoration and rearmament. During the repair process, two catapults were removed from the battleship, the radar was replaced, and the crane for lifting aircraft was removed. After which they installed a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun on the stern. In October 1943, Richelieu set sail for the port of Mers-el-Kebir. In 1943-1944, together with the forces of the British Navy, he participated in the liberation of Norway.

After the end of World War II, the battleship was used to escort French troops in Indochina. Provided artillery support for their landing on the coast. After visiting the UK and Portugal in 1948, she was converted into a gunnery training ship. In 1958 he joined the reserve forces. 10 years later, having become morally obsolete, in 1968 it was sent for scrap at the Fincantieri shipyard Cantieri Navali in Genoa.

One of the 380-mm naval artillery guns of the battleship Richelieu was installed in the port of Brest. This gun still stands as a monument to this day, recalling the glorious service of the battleship.

History of the battleship Richelieu - Dakar raid

France, despite the fact that its government surrendered in the first months of World War II, and the territory was almost completely under the control of German troops, still managed to create weapons capable of countering the fascist threat. This weapon was the battleship Richelieu , named after the greatest of the French cardinals.

Construction of the battleship began in October 1935, that is, when no one preferred to think seriously German The French government hoped that a strong and powerful ship would intimidate Italy and would not allow it to seize by force the French colonies in Africa, which the Italian military had coveted for several pre-war years.

The battleship had a length of about 242 meters, a width of just over 33 meters, a draft of over 9 meters and a total displacement of 47,548 tons. The ship was armed with 8 380-mm caliber guns; it also had three additional turrets, each of which contained three smaller-caliber guns; in addition, the lower deck, wheelhouse and barbettes were equipped with guns. To protect against attack from the air, anti-aircraft installations were placed on the battleship ; in addition, the ship also had 2 catapults and 3 seaplanes.

Turrets of the main caliber guns of the battleship Richelieu with 380 mm cannons.

4 standard propulsion systems gave the battleship a power of 150 thousand horsepower, suitable for the ship to develop a speed of over 31 knots per hour. Traveling at approximately half the possible speed, the Richelieu could travel over 10 thousand nautical miles without refueling. To operate the ship, a team of more than 1,600 people was required.

In addition to good and modern weapons, the French battleship could also boast of great strength; its armor in the wheelhouse area exceeded 44.5 centimeters in thickness, which made the ship the most formidable ship of its class in the world at that time.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the battleship did not take any part in hostilities, and after the rapid occupation of France and the shameful surrender of most of the troops, the battleship went to Dakar, away from the location of the Nazis.

No matter how treacherous the actions of the Vichy government formed by Hitler were, it understood how important for France was a huge battleship that was out of reach of the Nazis and ready for combat. In mid-July 1940, the Richelieu arrived in Dakar and docked, among other similar French ships, the command of which was not fully able to understand which of the two governments that existed at that time they needed to obey - the ruling circles of France that had entered the union with Germany, or with the English Parliament, which entered into battle with the enemy. It should be noted that the British ships were also in the Dakar port, awaiting orders from above.

The British, quite reasonably, fearing that such a powerful ship might fall into the hands of the enemy, invited the French to join the ranks of the resistance, but in response to the request they received a sharp refusal. Representatives of the Vichy authorities in Dakar ordered the captains of French ships to immediately open fire on all approaching English ships if the purpose of the latter’s mission was clearly unfriendly.

Realizing how much danger they were exposed to, the British were the first to attack; at dawn on July 8, the battleship Richelieu was torpedoed by five torpedoes from the English aircraft carrier Hermes.

The French battleship did not receive significant damage, the keel was slightly damaged, it was bent, the bottom skin was deformed, the lid of the fuel tank was bent, and small cracks appeared between the bulkheads that prevented free access of fuel to the living compartments, through which oil began to seep. In addition, the internal shaft of the starboard side was lopsided, the supporting structure of the cast shaft bracket was also damaged, both in the longitudinal and oblong sections. Where the torpedo hit, the lining was slightly cracked and began to leak water. There were other minor damages that were not considered serious under normal circumstances, but in the conditions of pressure between the Germans and the British, the French could not carry out repairs properly; to do this, they had to leave Dakar and, under the threat of English guns, go to one of the European ports for repairs, while they were all already occupied either by the British or the Germans.

As a result, Richelieu had to stay in Dakar and carry out repairs on its own, which took more than 2 weeks. The British controlled the situation, but made no further attempts to attack.

Battleship Richelieu in Dakar after repairs

By the beginning of the autumn of 1940, a fairly strong French fleet had gathered in Dakar, which, in addition to the Richelieu, consisted of three more light cruisers, three destroyer leaders, about 8 submarines and 5 naval aviation squadrons. All the French sailors were opposed to the British; naturally, they did not support the Germans, but they believed that Britain had no need to interfere with the orders of the French government.

Realizing that it would not be possible to force the French to surrender by force, the British resorted to a trick and invited the head of the French Resistance government, Charles de Gaulle, to enter into negotiations with them, who was tasked with diplomatically removing the French ships from the control of the Vichy government. Naturally, behind de Gaulle’s diplomacy stood all the strength and power of the British guns. The operation to pacify the French crews and transfer them to the side of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition began on September 23, 1940 and was called “Threat”.

De Gaulle's first action in the direction he needed was to lift several planes into the air, dropping a pile of leaflets on the decks of French ships calling for submission to the real government and demands for surrender. Immediately after the planes took off into the air, they were fired upon by coastal artillery forces, sent to make direct contact, and the boats with French sailors were almost sunk by shots from the battleship. De Gaulle's plan for a peaceful resolution of the situation completely failed, as the general began to realize after the very first hostile shots.

A real battle ensued between the British and the French, during which both sides received significant damage. So, on the Richelieu, more than 80 sailors and officers were killed, over 100 more people were seriously injured, there were also killed and wounded among civilians - port employees and residents of houses close to the port. The losses of the English side were much smaller, in addition, the British demanded that the French surrender Dakar and all the ships in it leave it, but it was not possible to agree on the fate of the fleet.

The presence of the battleship Richelieu in the port, which was about to be transferred under German control, irritated not only the British, but also the Americans; in November 1940, the American government, which had not yet entered the war, offered the Vichy government to sell the ship to the American side, but received a negative response and the assurance that information about any movements of the battleship would be immediately transmitted to the allies.

2 years later, in November 1942, the Allied forces, consisting of American and British paramilitary units, carried out an invasion of Africa, which, according to the idea of ​​the German government, was supposed to be counteracted by the French fleet located there. But the Richelieu, which was still in a state of repair, and other ships could not offer strong resistance, the ground forces were entrusted with saving the situation, whose actions seemed so insignificant to Hitler that he ordered his armies to completely occupy France, effectively removing the fictitious government from power .

Having learned about the actions taken by the Germans, the French ships finally agreed to surrender to the British and urgently left the port of Dakar, fleeing the advancing German army. "Richelieu", in need of modernization and repair, was sent to America, where unnecessary parts were removed from it and more than 50 modern machine guns of various calibers were installed. Since August 1943, the battleship joined the ranks of the allied British fleet and took part in most of the operations it undertook, including the battles against Japan.

French battleship Richelieu arrived in New York

After the end of World War II, the Richelieu was mainly used for peaceful purposes, and was even used by the French President himself. On August 25, 1958, the battleship Richelieu was withdrawn from the fleet and scrapped.

Footnotes

Sea-Man

Fire control system

The fire control of the main caliber guns was carried out with the help of two directors equipped with 14-meter triplex rangefinders. One director was placed on the roof of the bow and stern superstructures. In case of failure of both directors or destruction of centralized fire control, each tower also had its own rangefinder with a 12-meter base and could serve as central control. For night shooting, rangefinders had infrared devices.

The fire control system was developed by the Naval Ordnance Directorate of Toulon. It was completely electric and highly automated; The main caliber gun turrets were closed into a single circuit with feedback from the directors. Unlike previous battleships, both horizontal and vertical aiming were controlled by directors, while the moment of the shot was determined automatically using the gyro-vertical when the gun barrels occupied a “neutral” value.

Lafayette-class battleship

Anti-aircraft fire was controlled by eight separate directors located on the roofs and tiers of superstructures.

In 1941, while still being completed, Lafayette received a SADIR-N search radar and an OR-2 navigation radar. Subsequently, before entering service, the battleship was equipped with two artillery radars on top of the rangefinder turrets and two “magnetron guns” (as the centimeter radars used for targeting anti-aircraft guns were called in the navy). By 1944, the battleships were equipped with 18 radars each, including navigation, search, altimeter and artillery stations.

Project ships: battleship Alsace

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Battleships of the Alsace project were planned for laying in accordance with the 1940 program. It represented a further development of the ideas laid down in the design and construction of the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne, without taking into account the restrictions imposed by the Washington and then the second London Agreement - meaning the additional protocol of June 30, 1938, which established the standard displacement for battleships weighing 45,000 tons. The basis was taken on battleships of the Richelieu type in all variants and modifications, as well as Clemenceau and Gascogne as the latest examples. The project was not implemented due to the defeat of France and its subsequent capitulation. And although it remained in the drawings, our colleagues from the worldofwarships.ru portal still launched it into the water - albeit only in the game.

The project is based on one of the options for battleship designs approved for construction by the French Parliament on April 15, 1940. It differs from its predecessors of the Richelieu type by the presence of a third four-gun main caliber turret in the stern. Accordingly, the size, power of the power plant and armor, which was greatly reduced on Richelieu due to displacement restrictions, increased.

The resulting ship can be described as the result of crossing Clemenceau and Gascogne. The main caliber is 380 mm guns in three four-gun turrets mounted in the bow in a linear-elevated pattern with the large distance between the turrets characteristic of French battleships, where the entire diesel generator compartment was placed.

When developing the preliminary design, French engineers took an overly optimistic approach to the placement of the main power plant: in the same volumes they expected to place one and a half times more powerful mechanisms, despite the fact that the units used on previous ships had reached a high degree of perfection, and it would not be so easy to add 50% of the power there was no possibility. The developers of World of Warships had to increase the size of the premises to accommodate the power plant and reduce its power. Preliminary calculations showed that to achieve the desired speed of 32 knots, 28,000 hp is sufficient. less. A side effect of increasing the size of the power plant premises was an increase in the distance between the main battery towers and the emergence of sufficient space for the free placement of a large number of universal caliber installations and MZA. The main battery and secondary battery turrets and guns are similar to the Richelieu. On hull A, the PMK installations were used from Clemenceau, and on hull B from the post-war Jean Bart. MZA in both versions from Clemenceau.

Table of main dimensions of the Project ver.3, Alsace and Clemenceau.

Side view of the battleship Alsace

Frame

The hull is formed on the basis of a theoretical/practical drawing of the battleship Gascogne with scaling in length and width while maintaining a constant side height.

There are now two hull options: Corps A in 1940 (at the time of possible entry into service) and Corps B in 1945 (at the time of the end of hostilities). The modeling simulated hull welding (with the exception of longitudinal seams on the bottom), which was typical for French battleships.

• The shafts, propellers and bilge keels are taken from the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne.
• The armored belt is internal, completely hidden under the skin and not visible from the outside.
• A dock keel is provided in the form of a wooden beam under the torpedo bulkhead.
• Add-ons
• The design of the superstructures is closest to the battleship Gascogne; its original drawings served as a guide.
• When placing masts, equipment, small parts, pipelines, etc. the developers also focused on the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne.
• A rotary chimney is used, the rotation is ±90 degrees from the blast hole. The rotation is synchronized with the rotation of the control tower on the aft superstructure-pipe. Steam exhaust pipes and chimneys of auxiliary boilers are fixed. The top of the chimney is covered with louvers, like on Jean Bart. The rotation drive is located above the pipe.

• The fencing of decks, superstructures and platforms is made by analogy with the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne. In the area of ​​MZA 2×37 installations, the railing is foldable. On the 4th, 5th and 7th tiers of the bow superstructure there is a high bulwark with a wind deflector. Spotlight areas with fencing made of pipes covered with tarpaulin.

Lifeboats

Placed according to the design scheme, models of boats from Richelieu and Jean Bart.

Main caliber

• Three turrets with four 380 mm caliber guns, barrel length 45 calibers. The turrets and guns are entirely taken from the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne.
• Guidance of the main battery is carried out using a control tower on the bow superstructure with a 13.5-meter triplex rangefinder. Reserve control panel on the aft superstructure with an 8-meter duplex rangefinder. The control towers are similar to those from the battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart. The central artillery post is located under the cellar of the bow turret of the 152 mm secondary battery.
• The main battery towers are additionally equipped with 14-meter duplex rangefinders.

• Additionally, a 5-meter navigation rangefinder on the roof of the armored cabin can be used to guide the main battery.
• There are also two night control towers on the sides of the 2nd tier of the Gascogne bow superstructure.
• Seven combat searchlights with a mirror size of 120 cm were installed.
• On hull B there is provision for the installation of a control tower with an artillery fire control radar. For 1945, only American or British production was possible; Richelieu had a British radar 284.
• There are means for cleaning the barrels of main battery guns from Richelieu and Jean Bart: winches, mounting points for guide blocks, places for storing cables, the cables themselves on the views.

Mine artillery

• Three three-gun turrets with 152 mm caliber guns, barrel length 55 calibers. The turrets and guns are entirely taken from the battleships Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne.
• Initially, these installations were planned as universal, but problems with loading at high elevation angles greatly reduced their anti-aircraft capabilities. The problem was solved only by the 1950s, which somewhat does not fit into the time frame, so the developers considered these guns mainly as secondary guns, although they were included in the long-range air defense aura.

• Secondary gun fire is controlled using a control tower with an 8-meter duplex rangefinder on the aft superstructure-pipe. To control anti-aircraft fire, a control center is used on the bow superstructure with a 6-meter duplex rangefinder on top of the main control center of the main battery.
• Hull B is equipped with control towers with artillery fire control radar.

Universal and anti-aircraft artillery

• On Hull A, the artillery of the UK is represented by 12 two-gun mounts 100 mm/45 Mle 1933, installed in a pyramid along the sides in the midship area.
• On Hull B, the UK artillery is represented by 12 two-gun 100 mm/55 Mle 1945 mounts, installed in place of the previous mounts.
• Small anti-aircraft artillery is represented by 12 double-barreled 37 mm/70 Mle 1935 ACAD mounts and 10 double-barreled 25 mm/60 Mle 1939 Hotchkiss mounts.

• The UK fire is controlled using four control panels with a 5th rangefinder installed on the sides of the superstructures.
• The 37 mm MZA is controlled using directors for each pair of installations. MZA 25 mm caliber has only local control.
• Hull B is equipped with control towers with artillery fire control radar. For 1945, only American or British production is possible.
• Anti-aircraft sights and other means of observation and communication are provided on the 7th and 8th tiers of superstructures.

Radar facilities

• The ship has three radio rooms: the bow superstructure of the fifth tier, the main station in front of the second secondary battery turret and under the armored deck above KO No. 2.
• The main wire antennas are stretched between the yards on the masts and a special radio mast on the reserve control center of the main battery. Additional antennas between the bow yards and the armored deck.
• Various special antennas and other equipment were used from Richelieu and Jean Bart.
• The radio direction finder is installed on the main mast, the radio direction finding cabin is on the 6th tier of the aft superstructure-pipe and an additional antenna behind the bow breakwater.
• Radar: a British surveillance radar type 273 is installed in a glass booth on the foremast and a British surveillance radar is installed on the top of the mainmast.

Aviation weapons

• Adopted according to the final version for the battleship Gascogne, but with lighter and more compact aircraft Dewoitine HD.730 bis instead of Loire 130. They can be placed up to five units: three in the hangar, one on the catapult, one on a trolley on the deck. Gascogne can only accommodate four.
• The hangar is located below the main deck, similar to the Gascogne.
• The catapult is installed in the DP, the aircraft lifting crane is on the starboard side, and on the left there are rail tracks for the trolley with the aircraft prepared for takeoff.

Reservation and PTZ

• The citadel's side armor is internal. The thickness of the belt is 350 mm, the height is 5.96 m, at the bottom, starting from 1.65 m from the lower edge, the thickness of the armor begins to decrease to 200 mm at the lower edge. The armor slope is 15.3˚.
• The bow traverse of the citadel is 370 mm from the armored deck to the bow armored deck, below 250 mm, the stern beam is 250 mm.
• The main armored deck is 170 mm, above the ammunition magazines is 190 mm.
• Below the armored deck there is a 40 mm thick anti-fragmentation deck with 50 mm thick bevels to the lower edge of the main armor belt.
• Within the citadel, the thickness of the decks is: main 26 mm, 1st tier superstructure 7 mm.
• The barbettes of the main battery towers are 405 mm above the armored deck, below 85 mm.
• Barbettes for PMK and UK towers 100 mm.
• The ammunition cellars of the main battery, secondary battery and criminal rifle are protected by the citadel.
• A 100 mm thick armored deck with bevels is installed at the stern of the citadel. Above the steering mechanisms, the thickness of this deck is 150 mm.

• In the bow from the citadel at the level of the second deck there is a 40 mm forward armored deck up to the collision bulkhead.
• The armored cabin on the 4th and 5th tiers of the superstructure has a wall thickness of 340 mm, the roof, deck and pipes in the DAC are 160 mm.
• The pipes to the directors have 30 mm armor.
• The chimneys of the main boilers above the armored deck and up to the superstructure deck are covered with 50 mm armor.
• The armor of the main battery turrets is similar to that of Richelieu and Jean Bart: front 430 mm, walls 300 mm, roof 195 and 170 mm and rear wall 250 mm.
• The PTZ system within the citadel is represented by a double (under the cellars - triple) bottom and a side “layer cake”. The composition of the “pie”: outer side 12 mm, compartment with water-repellent material, bulkhead 18 mm, fuel oil, inner side 8 mm, fuel oil, bulkhead 10 mm, expansion compartment, torpedo bulkhead 40 mm, filtration chamber, bulkhead 10 mm. The total depth of the PTZ (from the side to the PTZ) amidships is 7 m and from 4 m in the area of ​​the main battery ammunition magazines.

Ammunition placement

• The position of ammunition for the main battery in the turret magazines protected by the citadel. Supply of ammunition directly to the towers.
• The means of loading shells and main battery charges are adopted entirely according to Richelieu and Jean Bart.
• The cellars for the secondary battery are located in separate compartments within the citadel behind/in front of the main battery cellars. Supply of ammunition directly to the towers.
• The cellars for the management company (unlike the original Richelieu and Jean Bart) are located directly under the management installations under the armored deck above the boiler rooms and machine rooms (as on the Jean Bart before the official commissioning). All cellars are within the citadel. The guns are supplied by elevators and ammunition is loaded through deck hatches.
• The ammunition of the 2x37 mm MZA installations is located in the cellars directly below the installations under the armored deck. Ammunition is supplied directly to the turrets; ammunition is loaded through deck hatches.
• The ammunition of the 2x25 mm mounts is located in the cellars located in the main battery cellar compartments. Operational ammunition is placed in three to four boxes near each installation, additional ammunition is supplied through the deck loading hatches of the main battery ammunition.

Alsace in World of Warships
In the game, Alsace is located at level IX in the French battleships branch. Three turrets with four guns give the battleship a salvo of 12 shells, while most battleships of this tier only have nine. In addition, the battleship's base secondary gun range is 7.5 km, which will help in close-range battles. Alsace has the Afterburner consumable, which is atypical for battleships, and can reach a fairly high speed compared to its classmates, up to 33.0 knots with a power output of 180,000 hp. and up to 34.7 knots with a power plant of 192,000 hp. This combination of main guns, secondary guns and equipment allows the battleship to be effective at any battle distance, but the comfortable range is still medium and long. The targets in battle are cruisers and battleships.

Source: https://warspot.ru/19874-proektnye-korabli-linkor-alsace

Modules

Power point

The power plant of the battleships was turboelectric, implementing the experience of building the superliners Normandy and Brittany. Four turbine units, powered by steam from eight boilers (located in front of the main caliber towers), transmitted power to electric motors that drove the ship’s propellers. The total power of the battleship's power plant exceeded 180,000 hp, which ensured a full speed of 30 knots. On a trial run, Lafayette developed 33.2 knots and maintained a 32-knot speed for three hours.

The oil reserves in the tanks (maximum 5,960 tons, 4,900 in wartime) were enough for 10,800 nautical miles of economical 16-knot cruising. When moving at “fast economic” speed (20 knots), the fuel was enough for 8,400 nautical miles, and at a 30-knot speed, the reserve was theoretically enough for 3,500 nautical miles. As an interesting detail, the design of the ship's electrical system included input terminals that made it possible to power the drive electric motors from an external source.

In the series

Lafayette-class battleship

Lafayette

Participated in combat operations in the Atlantic from May 1942. Played a decisive role in the battle of May 19, 1942, where, together with the battleship Richelieu and the super-dreadnoughts Normandie and Flanders, he defeated the German battle group consisting of the battleships Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Moltke. and "Grosser Kurfürst". Took part in the Franco-British local conflict in 1944; participated in a firefight with the battleships Lion and Temeraire off Brest, forcing them to retreat.

* "Rochambeau" - laid down on October 21, 1938, launched in 1940, commissioned on May 2, 1943.

Operated in the Mediterranean Sea. In the spring of 1944, together with the Yugoslav dreadnoughts Tegetthof and Yugoslavia, he took part in a naval demonstration off the coast of Sicily. In 1945 he moved to the Bay of Biscay, but no longer took part in hostilities in the Atlantic.

* "Vauban" - laid down on June 22, 1940, launched on October 4, 1942, commissioned on December 17, 1946. Did not participate in hostilities.

* No.4 (no name assigned) - laid down on May 5, 1940, construction suspended at 20% completion in 1942. Dismantled in 1944.

Design history

Design history

"Dunkirk" (26500 T. 30 knots, 8 guns 330/52, 16 130/45, 8 37/60. 32 13.2 mm 3 gsm, side armor 241, decks up to 180, barbettes and turrets up to 340 mm)

The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, which set a limit on the standard displacement of battleships at 35,000 T (“long” tons of 1,016 kg each) and a limit on the caliber of their guns at 406 mm, declared the so-called “battleship holiday”, which prohibited the construction of ships of this class until 1930. France and Italy, as compensation for their refusal to complete the construction of new battleships begun during the World War, were allowed to begin construction of “contractual” ships before the expiration of the specified period. The difficult economic situation and constantly ongoing diplomatic negotiations for a long time did not allow both countries to get down to business, although the design studies of the projects were carried out with due intensity. Only in 1932 did the French parliament authorize the laying of the first battleship of a new generation - Dunkirk, and two years later - the same type Strasbourg. For many reasons, both economic and political, their standard displacement (26,500 T) turned out to be much lower than permitted, but the design concepts that became the basis for more powerful ships were incorporated into the project.

Two events had the greatest influence on the formation of the opinion of the Supreme Council of the Fleet, which was responsible for shipbuilding policy, regarding the appearance of future battleships. In 1933, Germany began building the third ship in the series of so-called “pocket battleships” and it was known that two more were planned. And in 1934, the leader of Fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini, announced his intention to build two 35,000-ton ships armed with 380 mm guns. Along with the already begun modernization of two old Italian dreadnoughts of the Giulio Cesare class (a response to the construction of Dunkirk), this meant that France was faced with the rearmament of its main rivals in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

On June 25, 1934, the Supreme Council discussed the current situation and planned a response. Two high-speed battleships of the "Dunkirk" class with 330-mm main caliber guns were quite enough to withstand the German diesel "pickpockets" with 283-mm artillery, but to maintain the balance of power in the Mediterranean, it was necessary to build two 35,000-ton battleships armed 380 mm or 406 mm main gun. The project of the ship, which met Washington’s limits, received the official designation “PN 196” and on July 24 the following requirements were formulated for it:

Design requirements for a 35,000 t battleship

Standard displacement 35,000 T (35,562 t)

Armament 8 or 9 380 mm or 406 mm in 3 or 4 gun turrets; universal medium-caliber guns, located like on Dunkirk

Speed ​​29.5 32 knots

Protection belt 360 mm with an inclination of 11.3°, main deck 160+15, lower 40, bevels 50, anti-torpedo like on Dunkirk.

As you can see, many of the features of the Dunkirk project were immediately included in the requirements, with the only difference being that the thickness of the armor and the caliber of the guns increased. Although at the first stage the placement of the main battery in 2-gun turrets was not excluded. Based on these requirements, the Shipbuilding Technical Service began work in the second half of 1934 and first prepared a preliminary design for a ship with a minimum speed of 29.5 knots. By November 27, some characteristics of the project were clarified:

– the speed must be at least 31.5 knots;

– the location of the main and auxiliary artillery as on “Dunkirk” (with 380-mm guns in front in two towers);

– armor thickness in accordance with the requirements of July 24, 1934;

– the caliber of auxiliary artillery should, if possible, be increased from 130 mm to 138 or 152 mm (in the latter case, the five 4-gun 130 mm turrets originally planned were replaced by five 3-gun 152 mm turrets);

– placement of aircraft as on “Dunkirk” when modifying the hangar for Loire-Neuport 130 aircraft (under no circumstances should the hangar interfere with the operation of auxiliary guns).

For light anti-aircraft weapons, the Supreme Council required the installation of at least four twin 37 mm machine guns or, as an alternative, the possibility of installing a multi-barrel Le Prieux system should be considered. It was proposed that every effort should be made to begin work at the shipyard in mid-1935. Testing of the lead ship was planned for 1938, and full commissioning for 1939. In the 1935 shipbuilding program, the construction of a 35,000 T battleship received top priority.

On February 13, 1935, in connection with the proposed installation of 75-mm anti-aircraft guns on new ships, the Supreme Council demanded that the composition and location of the auxiliary battery be investigated in order to determine the optimal number of anti-aircraft guns in terms of their combination with the number of universal gun turrets. There were three main schemes to consider:

– five protected towers with 152 mm (one on the center plane - DP - in the stern and two on each side);

– four such towers (two on the DP and one on the side);

– five protected turrets with 130 mm guns (location as in the first diagram).

By April 12, some final decisions had been made on the design of the first French “treaty” battleship and certain controversial elements had been identified for further development. We settled on an auxiliary battery of five 3-gun turrets of 152 mm caliber, the guns of which should be universal - that is, have appropriate devices for loading at elevation angles of 90° and above, as well as high horizontal (HH) and vertical (VV) speeds. tips. The thickness of the armor of the towers ranged from 90-120 mm. It was necessary to conduct research to determine the composition of short-range anti-aircraft guns: new 75-mm guns with an elevation of 90 °, 37-mm machine guns, a combination of them, or guns of an intermediate caliber. The total weight of the short-range air defense system was allocated 100 tons.

French shipbuilders, like their colleagues in other countries, in their desire to provide powerful weapons, sufficient protection and high speed of “contractual” battleships were faced with the problem of exceeding the displacement limit of 35,000 tons. At the same time, a variety of decisions were made - from the use of technical innovations to the most basic hiding the true figures of weight loads. The French, to their credit, were the least guilty of the latter. Early in the design phase, they considered the following weight-saving measures:

– the main traverses of the vertical protection should be made from 147 mm “class A” armor plates (cemented) instead of the initially planned 160 mm “class B” (or STS - specially processed steel);

– due to the resulting savings of 300 tons, it was decided to study the use of new boilers with pressurized combustion, which the Indre company was already working on;

– reduce the thickness of the main armor belt by 20 mm while maintaining the angle of inclination of 11.3°;

– determine the possibility of removing 200-250 tons of armor from the turrets of 152 mm guns.

Moreover, the last two measures should have been applied only if the first ones were insufficiently effective. The possibility of using 140-150 mm cemented armor for the main armor deck instead of 150-170 mm homogeneous (homogeneous) armor was also considered, which at the same time increased protection. But making such armor still faced difficulties. To make a final decision, corresponding experiments began in Brest and Le Havre.

By November 1934, it became clear that in order to maintain the desired protection and speed of 29.5 knots, the main battery of eight 380-mm guns should be placed in two 4-gun turrets, and in the case of the 6,406-mm option, in two 3-gun turrets. In all preliminary designs, the main battery turrets were grouped in the bow, and the auxiliary caliber in the stern. The Supreme Council preferred a main battery of 9,406 mm guns, citing the English Nelson and Rodney, but the designers made it clear that such weapons in combination with the required protection and speed within the agreed upon 35,000 T displacement were simply impossible and that the British It was no coincidence that they left the Nelsons with 23 knots. There was another important argument against the three-gun main battery turrets, which were completely new to the French fleet - they still had to be designed, manufactured and tested. And the loading and vertical guidance mechanisms promised many problems that took time to resolve.

Large discussions also arose regarding the battery of universal medium-caliber guns (MC), since the choice of its caliber influenced the number and caliber of short-range anti-aircraft guns. As a result, it turned out that the prospects for developing a universal gun of 130-138 mm caliber are less than those of 152 mm. It was also established that such guns cannot be equipped with a unitary cartridge. The placement of 75-mm anti-aircraft guns, 37-mm and 13.2-mm machine guns, which were supposed to provide complete hemispherical protection of the ship from aircraft, but ended up in areas exposed to the muzzle gases of main guns and guns, also proved difficult. The safest in this regard were the forecastle and part of the superstructure between the 152-mm towers.

"Richelieu" based on the revised 1935 project

After all discussions were completed, the basic design received the following characteristics:

Standard displacement 37960 T (38580 t)

Total displacement 44385 T (45110 t)

Length/width at waterline (WL) 242/33.08 m

Design draft 9.17 m

Armament 8 380/45 (2×4), 15 152/55 (5×3), 8 37 mm (4×2), 24 13.2 mm (6×4), 5 Loire-Neuport 130 seaplanes »

Speed ​​31.5 knots. (at 1/3 fuel)

Shaft power 150,000 metric hp.

Fuel capacity 6300 tons of oil

Range 14300 miles (15 kts), 9900 miles (18 kts)

Protection belt 340 mm with an inclination of 11.3°, decks 170 (cellars)/150 (mechanisms) mm (against 500 kg bombs dropped from a height of 4000 m).

The underwater protection must withstand the explosion of a 300-kg charge anywhere in the citadel.

Much in the project remained from Dunkirk: an 11-meter compartment between the main battery turrets to reduce the likelihood of their being disabled by one hit, drawings of the 380-mm gun turrets themselves, their cellars and ammunition supply elevators. The location of the SK towers was also similar: one along the DP behind the aft turbine compartment, two on the sides and two more onboard ones amidships.

But the leadership, concerned about possible political problems, recognized the displacement as excessive and at a meeting on April 12, 1935, the demand was again put forward to try, where possible, to save weight. Since the tests of the new Sural-Indre (Norge) boilers using supercharging during fuel combustion were successful, we decided to stick with them. Due to their smaller dimensions, it was simultaneously possible to reduce the number of boiler rooms (BO) from three to two, placing not two, but three boilers in each. With this rearrangement of the power plant (PP), it was possible to add a second compartment of turbogenerators in the stern, immediately in front of the 152-mm magazines. At the same time, the length of the armored citadel was reduced by 4.85 m. However, when fully loaded, the lower armored deck found itself dangerously close to the overhead line, and again there were calls to reduce the displacement. After further discussions, they decided to reduce the thickness of the belt by another 10 mm, while at the same time giving it a greater inclination - 15.5°, so that the effective thickness did not change. The thickness of the main armored beams at the ends of the citadel, as well as the walls of the conning tower, was reduced (from 350 to 340 mm). The SK towers were not spared attention: the thickness of the barbettes was reduced to 100 mm, the frontal plates to 120 and the roofs to 70 mm.

At the same time, studies of the protection of main battery towers have shown that 420 mm frontal, 280 mm side and 170 mm top plates may be insufficient in the context of increasing the accuracy of bombing from high altitudes and the use of potential enemy ships of the Bismarck and Vittorio types Veneto" powerful 380 mm guns. It was assumed that savings on the reservation of other parts would make it possible to strengthen it on the main battery towers without increasing the displacement. It must be said that the overload of these battleships worried shipbuilders and sailors throughout their entire service and, ultimately, in the post-war period, this led to the modernization of the Jean Bart.

After preliminary studies were completed, the French parliament authorized the allocation of funds for the construction of the first two ships of a new type: the first, called Richelieu, was to be built at the Brest naval shipyard, and the second, Jean Bart, in Saint-Nazaire jointly by the Penoyeux and Loire shipyards . In fact, in the practice of the French fleet, the rule has already been established to name battleships after the names of provinces, and cruisers were named after historical figures. However, in this case, as subsequently with the Clemenceau, an exception was made (the name Richelieu was already borne by one of the spar battleships in the 70s of the last century, and a little later the armored cruiser Jean Bart appeared in the French fleet).

In January 1935, France refused to continue to comply with the terms of the Washington Treaty and announced that it would no longer adhere to restrictions on the tonnage of its battleships. In June, Great Britain, without consulting its ally France, entered into negotiations with Germany regarding the rearmament of the latter's fleet. On June 18, an agreement was signed in London that allowed Germany, in addition to other types of warships, to begin construction of two 26,000 T battleships (the future Scharnhorst and Gneisenau). And as relations with Italy deteriorated due to the policies of Prime Minister Laval, France suddenly found itself faced with a new threat from both the North Sea and the Mediterranean. We could only hope for the strength of the alliance with Britain and its powerful, albeit aging, fleet.

In December 1935, the Second London Naval Conference was held, designed to establish new “limits” on the displacement of ships of the main classes (both general and for individual ships). France was among the countries that signed the new agreement. But after Japan’s refusal, the situation in the naval circles of all countries became tense. However, France chose to comply with treaty restrictions so as not to provoke a new round of naval arms race in the European theater. Her example had no effect and already in 1936 Germany began building the Bismarck and Tirpitz, and Italy laid down two more ships of the Vittorio Veneto type the following year.

In the face of this behavior by all the Axis powers, in 1938 representatives of France, the United States and Great Britain met in London to discuss possible derogations from naval treaties. The “Mistress of the Seas” wanted to limit the caliber of the battleships’ guns to 406 mm and the displacement to 40,000 tons. These were the characteristics of her new Lion-class ships planned for laying. France wanted 406 mm and 35,000 T, but the British pointed out that this was incompatible with a 30-knot speed. The French, using the example of the Richelieu, already knew this, but it was difficult for them to come to terms with the futility of the titanic work already done to save weight on their latest battleships, the construction of which was in full swing. The United States, agreeing with the 406-mm main battery, pushed for a displacement limit of 45,000 tons. And it was their proposals that, after a long discussion, were accepted on June 30.

For France, this meant little, since the development of a new project required considerable time, and the situation in Europe was heating up every month. After the signing of the Munich Agreement, which practically gave Hitler a free hand for direct aggressions in neighboring countries, the French decided to order two more battleships of 35,000 T each, called Clemenceau and Gascony. The first was going to be laid at the Brest Naval Shipyard immediately after the launch of the Richelieu, the second at the Chantiers de la Loire shipyard in Saint-Nazaire immediately after the launch of the Jean Bart. By this time, everyone already clearly understood the increased threat of air attacks, so the need to strengthen “purely” anti-aircraft weapons was not in doubt. Moreover, loading 152-mm guns, hastily called “universal”, at an elevation angle of over 75° caused certain difficulties.

The final design view of "Richelieu"

It was necessary to reduce the angle of 90° specified in the design requirements to 75°. and the anti-aircraft weapons will be supplemented with proven 100 mm twin installations by removing two 152 mm turrets in the middle part. At first they wanted to do without the last measure, but weight considerations and lack of space to obtain good firing angles forced these towers to be removed. The number of 37-mm machine guns also increased - two more paired closed installations were placed immediately in front of the 2nd main battery turret.

Final characteristics of "Richelieu"

Standard displacement 37832 T (38450 t)

Total displacement 44708 T (45438 t)

Length/width at waterline (WL) 242/33.08 m

Design draft 9.17 m

Armament 8 380/45 (2×4), 9 152/55 (3×3), 12 100/45 (6×2), 12 37 mm (6×2), 24 13.2 mm (6× 4), 3 Loire-Neuport 130 aircraft, 2 catapults Speed ​​31.5 knots. (at 1/3 fuel)

Shaft power 150,000 metric hp.

Fuel capacity 6900 tons of oil

Range 10,000 miles at 15 knots

Protection belt 330 mm with an inclination of 15.5°, decks 170 (cellars)/150 (mechanisms) mm belt armor – “class A”, decks – “class B”

Battleship "Clemenceau" (project)

Battleship "Gascony" (project)

When selecting projects for the next two ships, the construction of which was approved on May 2, 1938, 12 options for the arrangement of weapons, divided into three groups, were considered. Projects of group “A” had both main gun turrets in the bow, group “B” – in both ends, and projects of group “C” had main guns in three 3-gun turrets (2 in the bow and 1 stern). Since there were already preliminary estimates of weights from the Brest shipyard, where the lead Richelieu was being built, the A2 project was chosen for the third ship, where the number of 152-mm towers was reduced to four, with the complete abandonment of aviation weapons (hangars, catapults, aircraft). This made it possible to install six 100-mm slarks of the latest type of 1937, six twin 37-mm machine guns and 9 quad 13.2-mm, giving them good firing angles (according to other sources, 4 aft 13.2-mm installations were replaced by two 4- barrel 37 mm). The firing angles of the 152 mm guns also improved: the placement of two turrets along the sides amidships and two linearly elevated along the DP gave the same 9 barrels in a side salvo as with the five-turret version.

Project A2

The project of the fourth ship, the Gascony, has undergone more drastic changes. During. In 1939, as Richelieu was completed, the problem of overload became more acute. Loire was commissioned to conduct a study to determine the best placement of anti-aircraft guns and recommend ways to reduce weight. The shape of the Gascony hull should not have differed from previous ships, but when placing the main battery towers on it, they returned to the traditional layout, dividing them equally between the ends. All medium-caliber turrets were moved to the DP: two elevated above the bow main gun turret, the third elevated above the stern (VZ project). By further reducing the number of 152-mm guns, it was possible to better position anti-aircraft guns (16 100-mm in 8 twin mounts, 20 37-mm machine guns in twin and quad mounts, and 20 13.2-mm in quad mounts) in places not exposed to muzzle gases of GK and SK guns. However, like the Clemenceau, the 37 mm Slarks were planned in closed installations. All anti-aircraft guns, including the 152-mm caliber, could fire in isolated groups and their fire was controlled by four directors. The redistribution of weapons by 3.65 m increased the length of the armored citadel and they decided to compensate for the additional weight by thinning the belt to 320 mm and modifying the anti-fragmentation protection. The armor of the barbettes of the 152 mm turrets was increased to 150, and their frontal plates were increased to 155 mm. The more compact arrangement of the towers made it possible to give 152 mm cellars the same horizontal protection as 380 mm. But the thickness of the main armored deck decreased from 150-170 mm on the Richelieu type to 140-150 mm. Aviation armament was restored again: 2 aircraft were to be placed in an under-deck hangar in the very stern, free from the effects of muzzle gases from the aft main battery turret; Behind the hangar, one rotating catapult and a crane were planned for lifting seaplanes from the water and installing them on the catapult. Although the most noticeable change on the Gascony was the redistribution of the main gun and hull towers, an equally important change was made in the power plant, which was therefore shifted 19.4 meters forward.

Project B3

On April 15, 1940, the fleet proposed the construction of two more Gascony-class battleships, with the keel of the first in 1941 and the second in 1944. The Prime Minister approved this plan, but after the fall of France under the pressure of German troops just two months later, it naturally had to be canceled.

But the history of the design of a large series of French high-speed battleships, of which Richelieu became the founder, did not end there. At the beginning of 1940, the fleet began developing further larger battleships in order to “catch up” with other powers in this regard. The Germans, finishing the construction of Bismarck and Tirpitz, have already laid down the first of the planned six giant battleships of the H type (Asch). In response, the Supreme Council of the Fleet decided to begin work on a project for even more powerfully armed and protected ships. Three options were considered with a standard displacement of 40,000 T (like the British “Lyons”), 45,000 T (the upper limit established by the London Treaty of 1936) and an intermediate 42,500 T (characteristics of the projects are given in the table).

Although the French fleet has not decided which option to build new battleships, according to many experts, in particular the Americans R. Dulin and U. Hartzke, with a complete lack of experience in the design and production of three-gun turrets of large caliber with separate guidance of barrels in war conditions, the French would prefer the third option. The hull shape and protection system would most likely be similar to previous ships, but the thickness of the decks and belt (on option 3), reduced on the Richelieu type due to overload, increased.

On April 15, 1940, the French parliament approved the construction of these battleships and even the names “Alsace”, “Normandie”, “Flandre” and “Bourgogne” were chosen. At the same time, the two Gascony-class ships proposed for construction did not receive names.

Project "Type No. 1"

Project "Type No. 2"

Project "Type No. 3"

Aviation equipment

Like their predecessors, the Lafayette-class battleships were equipped with a pair of 22-meter rotating pneumatic catapults and a folding crane at the stern. They could launch aircraft weighing up to 3.5 tons. The hangar located below deck could accommodate up to 4 single-engine aircraft: two more could be stored on catapults, and two more could potentially be located on feed rails.

The ship's aviation group usually consisted of three Lorie 130 reconnaissance spotters, one Potez 453 reconnaissance aircraft and two HD.780 float fighters (float version of the D.520). Since 1943, battleships began to take on board gyroplanes-spotters.

Design

French Richelieu-class battleships of World War II

Richelieu-class battleships became the best French ships of their class built for the French Navy before World War II. Since Germany was actively developing new warships in the late twenties and early thirties, there was concern in France that the fast battleships (heavy cruisers) of the Dunkirk class would not be able to fight the German battleships, and the French began creating real battleships.

French Richelieu-class battleships – video

The Richelieu-class ships were developed on the basis of the Dunkirk-class battleships, but were armed with 15-in. (381 mm) main caliber guns and had more powerful armor protection. Initially, it was planned to build four Richelieu, but circumstances allowed only three to be laid down, and two to be launched. All of the Richelieu's main artillery was installed in the bow of the hull (eight guns in two turrets), while the universal 6-in. (152 mm) artillery weapons were located in the stern. The main towers have a 15-in. (381-mm) guns were installed in pairs, and one pair could change the elevation angle independently of the other. The chimney and the ship's command post were initially located separately from each other.

However, by the time the construction of the ship was completed, they were combined, with the pipe tilted back so that the smoke did not interfere with the control of the fire. Richelieu was laid down on October 22, 1935, and launched on January 17, 1939. In June 1940, the battleship was 95 percent technically ready, but left the dock in Brest so as not to fall to the Germans. At the same time, the same type “Jean Bart” headed to Casablanca in a state of even less readiness. The Richelieu sailed to Dakar in Senegal, where other French naval forces gathered and where they were later attacked by the British. Having received damage, the Richelieu and its crew eventually went over to the Allied side and went to the USA for re-equipment (Jean Bar remained in the hands of the Vichyists and in November 1942, met the Americans landing in North Africa with the fire of its cannons). Work on re-equipping the battleship Richelieu was completed in 1943, when a new radar was installed on it and anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened. Returning from the USA, the Richelieu became part of the British Far Eastern Fleet. In 1946, the battleship was officially returned to France. In 1956, Richelieu was transferred to reserve and used as a blockade in the harbor of Brest until it was sent for scrap in 1964.

Tactical and technical characteristics of Richelieu-class battleships

Photos of Richelieu-class battleships

Source