French battleship Richelieu (1939)

The "Richelieu" was a battleship of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was named after the seventeenth-century statesman Cardinal de Richelieu, and served during World War II.

Design

Derived from the "Dunkerque" class, "Richelieu" and "Jean Bart", as well as the unfinished "Clemenceau" and "Gascogne", were designed to counter the growing threat of the Italian Navy. Their speed, armour, armament and overall technology were state of the art and compared favourably to contemporary rivals. The turret arrangement for the main battery of eight 380 mm guns was unusual, with two 4-gun turrets located forward.

In the context of the Treaty of Washington, the quad arrangement had the advantage of saving weight on turret armouring, compared to four double turrets, while retaining the same firepower. The drawback was that a single lucky shot immobilising one of the turrets would effectively put half the main artillery out of action. On the other hand, the entirety of the main artillery was able to fire forwards, as the ship closed in to her enemy, in an angle where she made the smallest possible target.

The "Richelieu" class, with their 380 mm main artillery, were the most powerful battleships ever built in France.

The keel was laid in October 1935 in Brest. "Richelieu" was launched in January 1939, and sea trials began in January 1940.

ervice entry and Vichy years

After the decisive German offensive in the Battle of France broke through the French defences on the Somme and Aisne, the incomplete "Richelieu" (Captain Marzin) hastily left Brest, on 18 June 1940, narrowly escaping the advancing German forces. She sailed under her own power, escorted by the "Adroit" class destroyers ""Fougueux"" and "Frondeur", arriving at Dakar on 23 June 1940. The local political conditions prompted her transfer to Casablanca two days later, shadowed by a powerful British battle group. She returned to Dakar on 28 June and, although only 95% complete, she was commissioned there on 15 July 1940.

The armistice between France and Germany prompted British anxiety that the French Navy would be taken over by the Axis Powers. This led to attacks by Swordfish torpedo bombers from the British aircraft carrier HMS "Hermes" on 8 July 1940, after the attack on the French fleet at Mers el-Kebir. A torpedo hit below the armoured deck disabled the starboard propulsion shaft on "Richelieu" and flooding caused her stern to touch bottom. She was pumped out after a few days, however, and made seaworthy for emergencies.

On 24 September, "Richelieu" fought against Allied naval forces at the Battle of Dakar. There was a gunnery duel between "Richelieu" and the British battleship HMS "Barham": the "Barham" was hit twice by secondary batteries and the "Richelieu" was struck by two 15” shells, causing no serious damage. The "Richelieu" was further damaged in the battle when a 380 mm shell blew back and disabled two guns in the number 2 main turret: this was traced to the use of the wrong type of propellant. The British force was beaten off.

Temporary repairs were completed by 24 April 1941 and "Richelieu" could sail on three engines at convert|14|kn|km/h|0, but with only three usable main guns — there had been then another explosion in a 380 mm gun.

Allied service

After French forces in Africa joined the Allies in November 1942, "Richelieu" sailed for refitting at the New York Navy Yard on 30 January 1943

Aeronaval equipment (hangar, catapults and crane) was dismantled and replaced with a radar. The space thus spared was used to mount 40 mm anti-aircraft guns on the rear deck. The overall anti-aircraft armament was massively reinforced, with 48 20 mm AA guns in single mount replacing the original 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine guns, and 14 quad 40 mm turrets replacing the original 37 mm semi-automatic guns. Adoption of US-pattern secondary batteries made providing ammunition easier; a special factory had to be assembled to manufacture ammunition of the appropriate calibre for the main battery. One of the main telemetres was removed, and the rear mast was shortened. The refit was declared complete on 10 October 1943. "Richelieu" sailed for Mers el-Kebir on 14 October and thence to Scapa Flow, arriving on 20 November.

"Richelieu" served with the British Home Fleet from November 1943–March 1944, participating in an operation off the Norwegian coast in January 1944. She was then transferred to the British Eastern Fleet to cover for British battleships undergoing refit. This was despite reputedly strong anti-Gaullist sympathies on board and limitations with her radar and ammunition (only available from US sources). She arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on 10 April 1944, in time to join the attack by Task Force 65 on Sabang on 19 April (Operation Cockpit) and on Surabaya in May 1944 (Operation Transom) and on Operations "Councillor" and "Pedal" in June. On 22 July, she sailed to attack Sabang and Sumatra (Operation Crimson) and returned to Trincomalee on the 27th.

Relieved by HMS "Howe", "Richelieu" returned to Casablanca on 7 September for a major refit, arriving back at Trincomalee on 20 March 1945. Now with Task Force 63 of the British East Indies Fleet, she joined in more bombardments of Sabang in April and of the Nicobar Islands in late April to early May. The next operation, to intercept the "Haguro", was abortive.

After a refit at Durban in July and August, the "Richelieu" arrived back at Trincomalee after the Japanese surrender. She covered the British re-occupation of Malaya, in September. During this task, she was damaged slightly by a magnetic mine.

She was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

Post-war

In late September 1945, "Richelieu" escorted a French troop convoy to Indochina to re-establish French colonial rule and bombarded shore targets in the First Indochina War. On 29 December, she sailed for France and arrived in Toulon on 11 February 1946.

There were visits to Britain and Portugal in 1946 and she carried the French President on a tour of French African colonies in April and June 1947. She stayed in home waters until 16 October 1948, when she was withdrawn from active service for refit and subsequent use as a gunnery training ship.

From 25 May 1956, she was used as an accommodation ship in Brest, and placed in reserve in 1958. The "Richelieu" was condemned on 16 January 1968 and renamed "Q432". She was scrapped by Cantieri Navali Santa Maria of Genoa in September 1968. One of her guns is on display in the harbour of Brest.

See also

* "Richelieu" (1873)

Notes

External links

*fr icon [http://membres.lycos.fr/generationcuirrasse/richelieu.htm Génération Cuirassé] (in French). Notably, a number of significant photographs.
* [http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Francja/Battleships/1940_Richelieu_class/_Richelieu_history.html Extensive description of Richelieu's combat service]
* [http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Francja/Battleships/1940_Richelieu_class/_Richelieu_photos.html warship.get.net.pl] a number of photographs
*fr icon [http://www.alabordache.com/marine/espacemarine/desarme/croiseur/richelieu-croiseur/ Richelieu on Alabordache.com]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/france/battleships/richelieu/richelieu.htm Maritimequest Richelieu Photo Gallery]