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Saturday 24 February 2018

France building Richelieu-class battleships according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1935 no. 4

French fast battleship Dunkerque

French Richelieu-class battleships

Roma of the Italia Vittorio Veneto-class

An item referred to the N.M.R. dated 11 April 1935 reporting that the [first] French 35.000 ton battleship (1) was to be laid down in August of September. The building costs were estimated to be 785 million francs or 10 times the price as the new to be built 1.700 ton destroyers. The second battleship was to be laid down on 1 January 1937 at St. Nazaire, France.

Notes
1. The Richelieu-class of which the Richelieu and Jean Bart were completed but the Clemenceau and Gascogne not and the with a design standard displacement of 35.000 ton, preceded by the Dunkerque-class and to succeeded by the never built Alsace-class. Designed as an answer on the Italian Vittorio Veneto-class battleships (1) while Italy and not Germany was the main threat for France regarded the supremacy in the Mediterranean. As a result of building under different programs were the ship not entirely similar. Richelieu was laid down at the Brest Navy Yard, France on 22 October 1935, launched in the Salou no. 4 graving dock on 17 January 1939, bow and stern parts were with the hull assembled in the Laninon dock no. 9, trials in April 1940, commissioned in June 1940, part of the forces of Vichy France, attacked by British Royal Air Force while lying at Dakar, Senegal - afraid she would fell in German hands, on 8 July 1940, involved in the Battle of Dakar against Free French and British forces between 23-25 September 1940, departed for the USA on 30 January 1943, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard overhauled and repaired, commissioned in October 1943, accommodation ship at Brest since 21 May 1956, laid up in reserve in 1958, condemned in 16 January 1968, renamed Q432 and breaking up at Cantieru Navali Santa Maria, Genoa, Italy started in September 1968.
2. Jean Bart was laid down in the Caquot or Jean Bart dock at Chantiers de Penhoët, Saint-Nazaire, France in December 1936, launched on 6 March 1940, captured by the German forces when they invaded and occupied France in June 1940, escaped while being 75% to Casablanca, French Morocco, sunk while lying there during an allied air attack on 8 November 1942, refloated was on 21 September 1945 suggested to complete her a 40.000 tons aircraft carrier with 40-54 planes, completed as battleship, commissioned in active service on 1 May 1955, reserve since 1 August 1957, never realized plans to convert her into a guided missile battleship in 1957-1958, decommissioned in 1961, Gunnery School Tender at Toulon, France since 1961, stricken in 1968 and broken up at Brégailon, Toulon, France since on 24 June 1970.