Bretagne class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Bretagne class battleships were the first "super-dreadnoughts" built for the French Navy
during the First World War
. The class comprised three vessels: Bretagne
, the lead ship
, Provence
, and Lorraine
. They were an improvement of the previous , and mounted ten 340 mm (13.4 in) guns instead of twelve 305 mm (12 in) guns as on the Courbets. A fourth was ordered by the Greek Navy, though work was suspended due to the outbreak of the war. The three completed ships were named after French provinces.
The three ships saw limited service during World War I, and were primarily occupied with containing the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea
. After the war, they conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean and participated in non-intervention patrols off Spain during the Spanish Civil War
. After the outbreak of World War II
, the ships were tasked with convoy duties and anti-commerce raider patrols until the fall of France in June 1940. Bretagne and Provence were sunk by the British Royal Navy
during the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir the following month; Provence was later raised and towed to Toulon
, where she was again scuttled in November 1942
. Lorraine was disarmed by the British in Alexandria and recommissioned in 1942 to serve with the Free French Naval Forces
. She provided gunfire support during Operation Dragoon
, the invasion of southern France, and shelled German fortresses in northern France. She survived as a gunnery training ship and a floating barracks until the early 1950s, before being broken up for scrap in 1954. Bretagne and Provence were scrapped in 1952 and 1949, respectively.
s, with eight and three more of the two types, respectively, under construction. Germany had built eight dreadnoughts and one battlecruiser and the United States had six built and four more building. Late that year, the French Navy laid down the first of the four ships. To remedy the inferiority of the French fleet, the government passed the Statut Naval on 30 March 1912, authorizing a force of twenty-eight battleships, to be in service by 1920. The first three ships were to be laid down in 1912.
The Bretagne class were replacements for the battleships Carnot
, Charles Martel
and Liberté
. They were developed from the Courbet class, and were built with the same hulls
. The primary reason for the decision to use the same hull design as the Courbet class was was limitations of French shipyards. The Courbet class ships were the largest possible ships that could fit in existing dockyards and refitting basins. The Conseil Superieur de la Marine (CSM), the French naval high command, ordered the construction department to prepare designs for a 23500 metric tons (23,128.8 LT) ship armed with twelve 340 mm (13.4 in) guns in six twin gun turret
s.
The additional weight of the 340 mm turrets compared to the 305 mm (12 in) of the Courbet class ships imposed insurmountable problems for the designers. To incorporate six turrets with the same arrangement of the earlier vessels, with four on the centerline in superfiring pairs
and two wing turrets amidships would have required an additional 3000 metric tons (2,952.6 LT) displacement as well as a significant increase in the length of the hull. After several other proposals, the CSM chose a design with five twin turrets, all mounted on the centerline. This would achieve the same broadside of ten guns, despite the reduction in the number of guns. The width of the armored belt was reduced by 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) to compensate for the increased weight of the main battery.
Provence was the first ship of the class to be laid down, which she was on 21 May 1912 at the Arsenal de Lorient. Bretagne was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest
shipyard in Brest
on 22 July 1912. Lorraine followed at the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
shipyard in St. Nazaire almost six months later on 7 November 1912. Due to the outbreak of World War I
in the summer of 1914, French industrial capacity was redirected to the army and work slowed on the ships. The Greek Navy ordered a battleship to be named Vasilefs Konstantinos to the same design from AC de St Nazaire Penhoet. Work began in June 1914 but ceased on the outbreak of war in August and never resumed. The contract dispute was settled in 1925.
The ships were 164.9 metres (541 ft) long at the waterline and 166 m (544.6 ft) long overall. They had a beam
of 26.9 m (88.3 ft) and a draft
of between 8.9 m (29.2 ft) and 9.8 m (32.2 ft). At the designed load, the ships displaced 23936 metric tons (23,557.9 LT), and at full combat load, this increased to 26000 metric tons (25,589.3 LT). The crew included 34 officers, 139 petty officer
s, and 1,020 enlisted men, for a total crew of 1,193. The vessels carried a number of smaller boats, including two 10 m (32.8 ft) steamboats, three 11 m (36.1 ft) patrol boats, one 13 m (42.7 ft) long boat, three 10.5 m (34.4 ft) dinghies
, two 5 m (16.4 ft) dinghies, two 8.5 m (27.9 ft) whaleboats, and two 5.6 m (18.4 ft) lifeboat
s.
The ships' propulsion systems consisted of four Parsons
steam turbine
s. Bretagne was equipped with twenty-four Niclausse boilers; Lorraine had the same number of Belleville boilers
. Provence was equipped with eighteen Guyot du Temple boilers. All three ships were coal-fired. The turbines each drove a single screw and were rated at a total of 29000 shp. This provided a top speed of 20 knots (10.9 m/s). The four ships could carry 900 MT (885.8 LT) of coal, though additional spaces could be used for coal storage, for up to 2680 MT (2,637.7 LT). At maximum speed, the ships could steam for 600 nautical miles (1,111.2 km); at 13 kn (7.1 m/s), the range increased significantly to 2800 nmi (5,185.6 km) A further reduction in speed to 10 kn (5.4 m/s) correspondingly increased the range to 4600 nmi (8,519.2 km).
The ships were modified several times in the interwar period. In 1919, Bretagne was equipped with a heavy tripod mast; Provence and Lorraine were given tripod masts in the early 1920s. Four of Bretagnes boilers were converted to oil-firing in 1924, and half of Provences boilers in the rear boiler room were similarly converted in 1927. Bretagne subsequently had six new oil-fired boilers to replace the rest of the old coal fired boilers, and her direct drive turbines were replaced with Parsons geared turbines. Provence was similarly modified in 1931–1934. Lorraines propulsion system was improved in a similar pattern. In 1935, her center main battery turret was replaced with an aircraft catapult and a hangar for three aircraft. These were initially Gourdou-Leseurre
GL-819 and Potez 452
seaplane
s, though they were replaced with the Loire 130
flying boat
. In March–May 1944, the aircraft installation was removed.
s in five twin gun turret
s. The turrets were mounted all on the centerline, with two in a superfiring pair
forward of the conning tower
, one amidships between the two funnels, and two superfiring aft of the rear superstructure
. These guns had a maximum elevation of 12 degrees, with a range of 14500 m (47,572.2 ft); this was a result of the CSMs belief that the decisive battle range would only be 6000 m (19,685 ft) and that fleets would not engage at ranges longer than 8000 m (26,246.7 ft). Lorraine was modified in 1917 to increase the elevation of the guns to 18 degrees, which correspondingly increased the range to 21100 m (69,225.7 ft). Bretagne and Provence were similarly modified after the end of the war in 1919. Each gun was supplied with 100 rounds of ammunition, stored in shell rooms located beneath the propellant
magazines. The guns were controlled centrally by 4.57 m (15 ft) Barr & Stroud
rangefinder
s; each turret was also equipped with a 2 m (6.6 ft) independent rangefinder, which were located on top of the turret roofs in an armored hood.
Twenty-two Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910
guns were mounted in casemate
s along the length of the ship's hull. They were expected to be used offensively to attack the upper works of enemy battleships, as well as to defend against torpedo boat
attacks. The secondary battery fire control consisted of two central directors four rangefinders, which were located abreast of the superfiring turrets, fore and aft. The ships carried seven 47 mm M1885 Hotchkiss
quick-firing guns. Two were placed on the conning tower and one was placed on each main battery turret. During World War I, a pair of 75 mm (3 in) guns were added. The ships' armament were rounded out by four 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tube
s. The tubes were submerged in the ships' hulls.
In the interwar period, all three ships had their armament rearranged. In 1919–1920, Bretagne had the four forwardmost of her 138 mm guns removed, along with the 75 mm and two of the 47 mm guns. In their place, four 75 mm M1897 guns
were installed on the forward superstructure. Twenty-four 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in) Hotchkiss
machine guns were installed on the forecastle deck in 1927. The four rearmost 138 mm guns were removed during this refit, along with the 75 mm guns, which were replaced with eight 75 mm M1922 anti-aircraft guns. Sixteen 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun
s, in quadruple mounts, were also added. Provence had her four forward 138 mm guns removed in 1919, and was equipped similarly to Bretagne. In 1931–1934, she received the same eight 75 mm guns as Bretagne did, and in 1940, three quadruple mounts of 13.2 mm guns were fitted. Lorraine followed a similar pattern, though in 1935, her center main battery turret was removed; an aircraft catapult was fitted in its place. At this time, four 100 mm (3.9 in) Model M1930 guns were added, along with two of the 13.2 mm quadruple mounts. In 1940, the 100 mm guns were removed to arm the new battleship Richelieu, and eight 75 mm M1922 guns replaced them. In March–May 1944, fourteen 40 mm (1.6 in) and twenty-five 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) guns in single mounts were added, and the quadruple 13.2 mm guns were removed.
rangefinder
s. Each turret had 2 metres (6.6 ft) rangefinder under an armoured hood at the rear of the turret. Between the wars, fire-control directors were added for the main, secondary and anti-aircraft armament. The rangefinder on the forward superfiring turret was replaced by a 8.2 metres (26.9 ft) instrument.
s that housed the lower turret assemblies were armored with 248 mm (9.8 in) thick steel. The forward-most and rear-most turrets had 340 mm (13.4 in) thick sides. The superfiring turrets were less well protected, with 270 mm thick sides. The amidships turret was the most heavily armored, with 400 mm (15.7 in) thick sides. The conning tower was protected with 314 mm (12.4 in) thick armor plating. The total weight of armor was 7614 MT (7,493.7 LT).
for the entirety of the First World War. They were deployed to guard the southern end of the Adriatic Sea
, based in Argostoli
and Corfu
, to block a possible sortie by the Austro-Hungarian fleet. The three ships largely remained in port, though Provence was repeatedly used to intimidate the government of Greece, which favored Germany during the war. In January 1919, after the end of the war, Lorraine was sent to Cattaro to guard the Austro-Hungarian fleet. She joined her sisters in Toulon
in June 1919; later that year the ships formed the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet until 1921.
Financial problems forced the French Navy to reduce its battleship force to four active vessels. Lorraine and Provence were reduced to reserve status in 1922, and the latter went into drydock for a major overhaul. Lorraine returned to service with the Mediterranean Squadron in 1923. Bretagne remained in service and conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean and along the coast of North Africa during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1934, Bretagne and Provence were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, based on France's Atlantic coast. In 1936, they joined the non-intervention patrols off Spain during the Spanish Civil War
. At the outbreak of World War II
in September 1939, Bretagne and Provence were based in Toulon with the 2nd Squadron, while Lorraine was assigned to the Atlantic Squadron.
After undergoing a refit in the early months of the war, Provence conducted anti-raider patrols with Force Y, based in Casablanca
. Bretagne was also overhauled early in the war; in March 1940 she escorted a convoy to Halifax and returned with another convoy loaded with aircraft for the French Air Force. She was then ordered to join Lorraine in Force X, to be based in Alexandria
to operate in concert with the British Mediterranean Fleet
. Two weeks later, Bretagne was instead ordered to steam at high speed to Bizerte
, to join the Force de Raid
with Provence. The ships put in at Mers-el-Kébir
and remained there until after the fall of France in June 1940. To prevent the ships of the French Navy from falling into the hands of the occupying Germans, British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
ordered the neutralization of all French warships. Force H
was to deliver an ultimatum to the ships based at Mers-el-Kébir; on 3 July, the British squadron arrived outside the harbor and demanded that the ships sail with them to Britain or they would be sunk.
The British and French negotiated for several hours, and culminated in the British opening fire on the French fleet. In the span of ten minutes, Bretagne was sunk and Provence was badly damaged. Bretagne was hit by at least four 15 in (38.1 cm) shells from , and and exploded, killing the vast majority of her crew. Provence was set on fire and sank to the bottom of the harbor, though she was subsequently raised and transferred to Toulon, where she was later scuttled in 1942
to prevent her from being seized by the Germans. They nevertheless salvaged the ship starting in July 1943. Two of her main guns were emplaced as coastal batteries outside Toulon. Lorraine was disarmed in Alexandria until December 1942, when she joined the Free French Naval Forces
. She served as a training ship for much of 1943 until a major refit at the end of the year to prepare her to participate in Operation Dragoon
, the invasion of southern France. She provided gunfire support during the landings before steaming to Britain for a minor refit. She remained in Britain until March 1945, when she bombarded German-held fortresses in northern France.
After the end of the war, Lorraine served as a gunnery training ship in Toulon. She was then used as a barracks ship
until February 1953, when she was stricken from the naval register and sold for scrapping at the end of the year. She was broken up for scrap outside Toulon the following year. Bretagne remained at the bottom of Mers-el-Kébir until she was raised for scrapping in 1952 and broken up. Provence was raised in April 1949 and scrapped.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The class comprised three vessels: Bretagne
French battleship Bretagne
The Bretagne was a battleship of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was named in honour of the French region of Brittany, and was built by Arsenal de Brest...
, the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
, Provence
French battleship Provence
The Provence was a French Navy battleship of the Bretagne class named in honour of the French region of Provence.- Construction :She was built by Arsenal de Lorient, and her keel was laid on 1 May 1912...
, and Lorraine
French battleship Lorraine
The Lorraine was a French Navy battleship of the Bretagne class named in honour of the region of Lorraine in France.- Construction :...
. They were an improvement of the previous , and mounted ten 340 mm (13.4 in) guns instead of twelve 305 mm (12 in) guns as on the Courbets. A fourth was ordered by the Greek Navy, though work was suspended due to the outbreak of the war. The three completed ships were named after French provinces.
The three ships saw limited service during World War I, and were primarily occupied with containing the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. After the war, they conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean and participated in non-intervention patrols off Spain during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. After the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the ships were tasked with convoy duties and anti-commerce raider patrols until the fall of France in June 1940. Bretagne and Provence were sunk by the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir the following month; Provence was later raised and towed to Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, where she was again scuttled in November 1942
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
. Lorraine was disarmed by the British in Alexandria and recommissioned in 1942 to serve with the Free French Naval Forces
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
. She provided gunfire support during Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion of southern France, and shelled German fortresses in northern France. She survived as a gunnery training ship and a floating barracks until the early 1950s, before being broken up for scrap in 1954. Bretagne and Provence were scrapped in 1952 and 1949, respectively.
Design
By 1910, France had yet to lay down a single dreadnought battleship; Britain had by then completed ten dreadnoughts and five battlecruiserBattlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s, with eight and three more of the two types, respectively, under construction. Germany had built eight dreadnoughts and one battlecruiser and the United States had six built and four more building. Late that year, the French Navy laid down the first of the four ships. To remedy the inferiority of the French fleet, the government passed the Statut Naval on 30 March 1912, authorizing a force of twenty-eight battleships, to be in service by 1920. The first three ships were to be laid down in 1912.
The Bretagne class were replacements for the battleships Carnot
French battleship Carnot (1894)
The Carnot was an ironclad battleship of the French Navy. She was laid down in 1891, launched in 1894 and completed in 1897. She was refitted once in the early 1900s.-Design:...
, Charles Martel
French battleship Charles Martel (1893)
The Charles Martel was an ironclad battleship of the French Navy. She was designed before the era of the dreadnought, and at a time when battleship design theory in terms of armour and armament was changing continually...
and Liberté
French battleship Liberté (1905)
The Liberté was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. Commanded by capitaine de vaisseau Louis Jaurès, She sailed to the United States after her commissioning...
. They were developed from the Courbet class, and were built with the same hulls
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. The primary reason for the decision to use the same hull design as the Courbet class was was limitations of French shipyards. The Courbet class ships were the largest possible ships that could fit in existing dockyards and refitting basins. The Conseil Superieur de la Marine (CSM), the French naval high command, ordered the construction department to prepare designs for a 23500 metric tons (23,128.8 LT) ship armed with twelve 340 mm (13.4 in) guns in six twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s.
The additional weight of the 340 mm turrets compared to the 305 mm (12 in) of the Courbet class ships imposed insurmountable problems for the designers. To incorporate six turrets with the same arrangement of the earlier vessels, with four on the centerline in superfiring pairs
Superfire
The idea of superfire is to locate two turrets in a row, one behind the other, but with the second turret located above the one in front so that the second turret could fire over the first...
and two wing turrets amidships would have required an additional 3000 metric tons (2,952.6 LT) displacement as well as a significant increase in the length of the hull. After several other proposals, the CSM chose a design with five twin turrets, all mounted on the centerline. This would achieve the same broadside of ten guns, despite the reduction in the number of guns. The width of the armored belt was reduced by 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) to compensate for the increased weight of the main battery.
Provence was the first ship of the class to be laid down, which she was on 21 May 1912 at the Arsenal de Lorient. Bretagne was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest
Brest Arsenal
The Brest Arsenal is a collection of naval and military buildings located on the banks of the river Penfeld, in Brest, France...
shipyard in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on 22 July 1912. Lorraine followed at the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire was a French shipbuilding company of the late 19th and early 20th century.ACL was formed in 1881 in Nantes by Jollet Babin to take advantage of the expansion of the French Navy....
shipyard in St. Nazaire almost six months later on 7 November 1912. Due to the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in the summer of 1914, French industrial capacity was redirected to the army and work slowed on the ships. The Greek Navy ordered a battleship to be named Vasilefs Konstantinos to the same design from AC de St Nazaire Penhoet. Work began in June 1914 but ceased on the outbreak of war in August and never resumed. The contract dispute was settled in 1925.
General characteristics
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 26.9 m (88.3 ft) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of between 8.9 m (29.2 ft) and 9.8 m (32.2 ft). At the designed load, the ships displaced 23936 metric tons (23,557.9 LT), and at full combat load, this increased to 26000 metric tons (25,589.3 LT). The crew included 34 officers, 139 petty officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
s, and 1,020 enlisted men, for a total crew of 1,193. The vessels carried a number of smaller boats, including two 10 m (32.8 ft) steamboats, three 11 m (36.1 ft) patrol boats, one 13 m (42.7 ft) long boat, three 10.5 m (34.4 ft) dinghies
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
, two 5 m (16.4 ft) dinghies, two 8.5 m (27.9 ft) whaleboats, and two 5.6 m (18.4 ft) lifeboat
Lifeboat
Lifeboat may refer to:* Lifeboat , a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape* Lifeboat , a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen...
s.
The ships' propulsion systems consisted of four Parsons
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company was a British engineering company based in Wallsend, North England, on the River Tyne.-History:The company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1897 with £500,000 of capital, and specialised in building the steam turbine engines that he had invented for...
steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s. Bretagne was equipped with twenty-four Niclausse boilers; Lorraine had the same number of Belleville boilers
Water-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
. Provence was equipped with eighteen Guyot du Temple boilers. All three ships were coal-fired. The turbines each drove a single screw and were rated at a total of 29000 shp. This provided a top speed of 20 knots (10.9 m/s). The four ships could carry 900 MT (885.8 LT) of coal, though additional spaces could be used for coal storage, for up to 2680 MT (2,637.7 LT). At maximum speed, the ships could steam for 600 nautical miles (1,111.2 km); at 13 kn (7.1 m/s), the range increased significantly to 2800 nmi (5,185.6 km) A further reduction in speed to 10 kn (5.4 m/s) correspondingly increased the range to 4600 nmi (8,519.2 km).
The ships were modified several times in the interwar period. In 1919, Bretagne was equipped with a heavy tripod mast; Provence and Lorraine were given tripod masts in the early 1920s. Four of Bretagnes boilers were converted to oil-firing in 1924, and half of Provences boilers in the rear boiler room were similarly converted in 1927. Bretagne subsequently had six new oil-fired boilers to replace the rest of the old coal fired boilers, and her direct drive turbines were replaced with Parsons geared turbines. Provence was similarly modified in 1931–1934. Lorraines propulsion system was improved in a similar pattern. In 1935, her center main battery turret was replaced with an aircraft catapult and a hangar for three aircraft. These were initially Gourdou-Leseurre
Gourdou-Leseurre
Gourdou-Leseurre was a French aircraft manufacturer, whose main designers were Charles Edouard Pierre Gourdou and Jean Adolf Leseurre.The company was active between 1917-1934.-Aircraft:* Gourdou-Leseurre Type A* Gourdou-Leseurre Type B...
GL-819 and Potez 452
Potez 452
|-References:* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats. London:Macdonald, 1968. ISBN 0 356 01449 5....
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s, though they were replaced with the Loire 130
Loire 130
-See also:-References:*Green, William . War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats. Macdonald:London. ISBN 0 356 01449 5.*Morareau, Lucien . Les aéronefs de l'aviation maritime . ARDHAN, ISBN 2-913344-04-6....
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
. In March–May 1944, the aircraft installation was removed.
Armament
The ship's primary battery consisted of ten 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun
The 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy.While the calibres of the naval guns of the French Navy were usually very close to those of their British counterparts, the calibre of 340 mm is specific to the French Navy....
s in five twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s. The turrets were mounted all on the centerline, with two in a superfiring pair
Superfire
The idea of superfire is to locate two turrets in a row, one behind the other, but with the second turret located above the one in front so that the second turret could fire over the first...
forward of the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
, one amidships between the two funnels, and two superfiring aft of the rear superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
. These guns had a maximum elevation of 12 degrees, with a range of 14500 m (47,572.2 ft); this was a result of the CSMs belief that the decisive battle range would only be 6000 m (19,685 ft) and that fleets would not engage at ranges longer than 8000 m (26,246.7 ft). Lorraine was modified in 1917 to increase the elevation of the guns to 18 degrees, which correspondingly increased the range to 21100 m (69,225.7 ft). Bretagne and Provence were similarly modified after the end of the war in 1919. Each gun was supplied with 100 rounds of ammunition, stored in shell rooms located beneath the propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
magazines. The guns were controlled centrally by 4.57 m (15 ft) Barr & Stroud
Barr and Stroud
Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering Scottish optical engineering firm, based in Glasgow, that played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders, for the Royal Navy and for other branches of British Armed Forces during the 20th century...
rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
s; each turret was also equipped with a 2 m (6.6 ft) independent rangefinder, which were located on top of the turret roofs in an armored hood.
Twenty-two Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910
Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910 Naval gun
The Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910 was a medium calibre naval gun of the French Navy used during World War I and World War II. It was carried by the dreadnoughts of the Courbet and Bretagne classes as their secondary armament and planned for use in the Normandie class battleships...
guns were mounted in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s along the length of the ship's hull. They were expected to be used offensively to attack the upper works of enemy battleships, as well as to defend against torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
attacks. The secondary battery fire control consisted of two central directors four rangefinders, which were located abreast of the superfiring turrets, fore and aft. The ships carried seven 47 mm M1885 Hotchkiss
QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against new small fast vessels such as torpedo boats, and later submarines...
quick-firing guns. Two were placed on the conning tower and one was placed on each main battery turret. During World War I, a pair of 75 mm (3 in) guns were added. The ships' armament were rounded out by four 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s. The tubes were submerged in the ships' hulls.
In the interwar period, all three ships had their armament rearranged. In 1919–1920, Bretagne had the four forwardmost of her 138 mm guns removed, along with the 75 mm and two of the 47 mm guns. In their place, four 75 mm M1897 guns
Canon de 75 modèle 1897
The French 75mm field gun was a quick-firing field artillery piece adopted in March 1898. Its official French designation was: Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897. It was commonly known as the French 75, simply the 75 and Soixante-Quinze .The French 75 is widely regarded as the first modern artillery piece...
were installed on the forward superstructure. Twenty-four 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in) Hotchkiss
Hotchkiss machine gun
Hotchkiss machine gun:*Hotchkiss M1909, light machine gun also known as the "Hotchkiss Mark I" in British service*Hotchkiss M1914, medium machine gun*Hotchkiss M1922, light machine gun*13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun, heavy machine gun...
machine guns were installed on the forecastle deck in 1927. The four rearmost 138 mm guns were removed during this refit, along with the 75 mm guns, which were replaced with eight 75 mm M1922 anti-aircraft guns. Sixteen 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun
13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun
The 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun was a heavy machine gun designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss et Cie from the late 1920s until World War II where it saw service with various nation's forces, including Japan where the gun was built under licence....
s, in quadruple mounts, were also added. Provence had her four forward 138 mm guns removed in 1919, and was equipped similarly to Bretagne. In 1931–1934, she received the same eight 75 mm guns as Bretagne did, and in 1940, three quadruple mounts of 13.2 mm guns were fitted. Lorraine followed a similar pattern, though in 1935, her center main battery turret was removed; an aircraft catapult was fitted in its place. At this time, four 100 mm (3.9 in) Model M1930 guns were added, along with two of the 13.2 mm quadruple mounts. In 1940, the 100 mm guns were removed to arm the new battleship Richelieu, and eight 75 mm M1922 guns replaced them. In March–May 1944, fourteen 40 mm (1.6 in) and twenty-five 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) guns in single mounts were added, and the quadruple 13.2 mm guns were removed.
Fire control
The Bretagnes were provided with 4.57 metres (15 ft) Barr and StroudBarr and Stroud
Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering Scottish optical engineering firm, based in Glasgow, that played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders, for the Royal Navy and for other branches of British Armed Forces during the 20th century...
rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
s. Each turret had 2 metres (6.6 ft) rangefinder under an armoured hood at the rear of the turret. Between the wars, fire-control directors were added for the main, secondary and anti-aircraft armament. The rangefinder on the forward superfiring turret was replaced by a 8.2 metres (26.9 ft) instrument.
Armor
The ships' main armored belt was 270 mm (10.6 in) thick amidships and reduced to 160 mm (6.3 in) on either end of the ship. Above the belt, the secondary battery casemates were armored with 170 mm (6.7 in) thick steel plate. Horizontal protection consisted of three armored decks; the main deck was 30 millimetre thick. The upper and lower decks were both 40 mm thick. Sloped armor 70 mm (2.8 in) thick connected the main deck to the armored belt. Each of the main battery barbetteBarbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s that housed the lower turret assemblies were armored with 248 mm (9.8 in) thick steel. The forward-most and rear-most turrets had 340 mm (13.4 in) thick sides. The superfiring turrets were less well protected, with 270 mm thick sides. The amidships turret was the most heavily armored, with 400 mm (15.7 in) thick sides. The conning tower was protected with 314 mm (12.4 in) thick armor plating. The total weight of armor was 7614 MT (7,493.7 LT).
Construction
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | In Service | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal de Brest, Brest Brest, France Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon... |
22 July 1912 | 21 April 1913 | 10 February 1916 | Sunk by the Royal Navy Royal Navy The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service... at Mers-el-Kébir, 4 July 1940 |
|
| AC de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"... |
7 November 1912 | 30 September 1913 | 10 March 1916 | Scrapped beginning January 1954 | |
| Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient Lorient Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis... |
21 May 1912 | 20 April 1913 | 1 March 1916 | Scuttled at Toulon Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :... , 27 November 1942 Refloated Marine salvage Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship... , 11 July 1943, and eventually scrapped Ship breaking Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially... |
|
| Vasilefs Konstantinos | AC de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire | 12 June 1914 | — | — | Work halted, August 1914 |
Service history
All three ships of the class entered service with the French Navy in 1916. Bretagne and Lorraine were assigned to the 1st Division of the 1st Battle Squadron, while Provence served as the fleet flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for the entirety of the First World War. They were deployed to guard the southern end of the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, based in Argostoli
Argostoli
Argostoli is a town and a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kefalonia, of which it is a municipal unit...
and Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, to block a possible sortie by the Austro-Hungarian fleet. The three ships largely remained in port, though Provence was repeatedly used to intimidate the government of Greece, which favored Germany during the war. In January 1919, after the end of the war, Lorraine was sent to Cattaro to guard the Austro-Hungarian fleet. She joined her sisters in Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
in June 1919; later that year the ships formed the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet until 1921.
Financial problems forced the French Navy to reduce its battleship force to four active vessels. Lorraine and Provence were reduced to reserve status in 1922, and the latter went into drydock for a major overhaul. Lorraine returned to service with the Mediterranean Squadron in 1923. Bretagne remained in service and conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean and along the coast of North Africa during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1934, Bretagne and Provence were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, based on France's Atlantic coast. In 1936, they joined the non-intervention patrols off Spain during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in September 1939, Bretagne and Provence were based in Toulon with the 2nd Squadron, while Lorraine was assigned to the Atlantic Squadron.
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. Bretagne was also overhauled early in the war; in March 1940 she escorted a convoy to Halifax and returned with another convoy loaded with aircraft for the French Air Force. She was then ordered to join Lorraine in Force X, to be based in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to operate in concert with the British Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
. Two weeks later, Bretagne was instead ordered to steam at high speed to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, to join the Force de Raid
Force de Raid
The Force de Raid was a French naval unit based at Brest until 1940. It included some of the most modern capital ships of its day organised into two squadrons, commanded at the outbreak of World War II by Vice Amiral Marcel Gensoul...
with Provence. The ships put in at Mers-el-Kébir
Mers-el-Kébir
Mers-el-Kébir is a port town in northwestern Algeria, located by the Mediterranean Sea near Oran, in the Oran Province.-History:Originally a Roman port, Mers-el-Kébir became an Almohad naval arsenal in the 12th century, fell under the rulers of Tlemcen in the 15th century, and eventually became a...
and remained there until after the fall of France in June 1940. To prevent the ships of the French Navy from falling into the hands of the occupying Germans, British Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
ordered the neutralization of all French warships. Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
was to deliver an ultimatum to the ships based at Mers-el-Kébir; on 3 July, the British squadron arrived outside the harbor and demanded that the ships sail with them to Britain or they would be sunk.
The British and French negotiated for several hours, and culminated in the British opening fire on the French fleet. In the span of ten minutes, Bretagne was sunk and Provence was badly damaged. Bretagne was hit by at least four 15 in (38.1 cm) shells from , and and exploded, killing the vast majority of her crew. Provence was set on fire and sank to the bottom of the harbor, though she was subsequently raised and transferred to Toulon, where she was later scuttled in 1942
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
to prevent her from being seized by the Germans. They nevertheless salvaged the ship starting in July 1943. Two of her main guns were emplaced as coastal batteries outside Toulon. Lorraine was disarmed in Alexandria until December 1942, when she joined the Free French Naval Forces
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
. She served as a training ship for much of 1943 until a major refit at the end of the year to prepare her to participate in Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion of southern France. She provided gunfire support during the landings before steaming to Britain for a minor refit. She remained in Britain until March 1945, when she bombarded German-held fortresses in northern France.
After the end of the war, Lorraine served as a gunnery training ship in Toulon. She was then used as a barracks ship
Barracks ship
Barracks ship or barracks barge are terms used to indicate a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sailors. A barracks ship may also be used as a "Receiving Unit" for sailors who need temporary residence prior to being...
until February 1953, when she was stricken from the naval register and sold for scrapping at the end of the year. She was broken up for scrap outside Toulon the following year. Bretagne remained at the bottom of Mers-el-Kébir until she was raised for scrapping in 1952 and broken up. Provence was raised in April 1949 and scrapped.