French aircraft carrier Béarn

The "Béarn" was a unique aircraft carrier which served with France into World War II.

The "Béarn" was commissioned in 1927 and was the only aircraft carrier produced by France until after World War II. She was to be an experimental ship and should have been replaced in the 1930s by two new ships of the "Joffre" class. She was generally comparable to other early carriers developed by the major navies of the world. However, France did not produce a further replacement and as naval aviation lagged in France, "Béarn" continued to serve past her time of obsolescence. In 1939, she ended her career as an experimental ship and saw limited service during the war as an aircraft transport. She was named after the historic French province of Béarn.

Description

The "Béarn" was a conversion of a "Normandie"-class battleship hull, converted during 1923-1927.cite web |url="http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/normandie_class.htm" |title="www.battleship-cruisers.co.uk" |accessdate=2008-08-24] The design resulted in a big but rather slow vessel. Her role of experimental ship led her to embark experimental planes, with limited efficiency and without group tactics. Unfortunately, with no replacement, "Béarn" was forced to serve in an operational role for more than a decade. Obsolescence limited her use, during World War II, to an aircraft transport moving aircraft from the United States to the European Theatre.

"Béarn" was also originally conceived of as part of a plan to also produce an aviation battlecruiser with eight 300 mm main guns and a small catapult-equipped deck for handling eight aircraft. This plan was dropped in favor of a more conventional battlecruiser, leading to the "Dunkerque"-class. With the approaching obsolescence of the "Duquesne"-class heavy cruisers, there were plans drafted to convert them into carriers, possibly with retention of an 8 inch gun turret as a hybrid design. Like other design work on hybrids, this never went past the planning stage, and the only credible replacement for "Béarn" was actually begun when the "Joffre"-class aircraft carrier was laid down. This project was not completed, however, and "Béarn" served as France's solitary carrier until delivery of a British escort carrier, HMS "Biter", in 1945, which served as the "Dixmude" with France.

The Béarn had a single island on the starboard side which incorporated the ship's large funnel.

ervice

On the 20 October 1920, Paul Teste landed on the "Béarn", achieveing the first aeronaval landing in the history of the French Navy.

Shortly after the declaration of World War II in 1939, "Béarn" was deemed too slow for fleet service, and was relegated to aircraft transportation duty. She was also used for training as French navy crews flying the Vought Vindicators practised carrier operations on her deck, though they were based ashore.

During the German invasion of France in 1940, "Béarn" was dispatched to the United States to ferry new aircraft which had been ordered from that country, including Curtiss H-75s, SBC Helldivers but also Brewster Buffaloes intended for the Belgian Air Component. Before these aircraft could reach their destination, the armistice with Germany was signed, and the "Béarn" instead sought harbour in Martinique. She was one of a number of French ships that were effectively interned at Martinique, at United States insistence, to prevent their use by Germany.

After German occupation of Vichy France (Case Anton), "Béarn" was one of several French ships that re-joined the Allies. She was, however, too obsolete to participate in the naval operations of the French fleet. Instead, in 1943/44, she resumed her previous role as an aircraft transport, a valuable role for the Allied war effort.

This role was continued after the war, as part of the French attempt to recover their possessions in Indochina.cite book |title=Aircraft carries of the world |last=Ireland |first=Bernard |year=2007 |publisher=Southwater |isbn=9781844763634 |pages=pp.124]

From 1948, she served as a training ship and then as a submarine depot ship. "Béarn" was scrapped in Italy in 1967.

References

ee also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of World War II ships
* List of ship launches in 1920
* List of ship commissionings in 1927