Bretagne class battleship

The three "Bretagne class" "super-dreadnought" battleships were built for the French Navy during the First World War. They were named after French provinces.

Design

The ships were part of the 1912 programme and were replacements for the battleships "Carnot, Charles Martel" and "Liberté". They had the same hull dimensions as the Courbet Class but had a heavier main armament with ten of the powerful new 340 mm main guns mounted two per turret; two centerline superfiring forwards, two centerline superfiring aft and one amidships centerline turret that could fire to both sides.

The main guns were the Model 1912, 340 mm/45 calibre, each weighing 67 tons. The rate of fire was 2 rounds per minute, and there were various types of both HE (High-Explosive) and SAP (Semi-Armour Piercing) projectiles available, with two and four models respectively. Among these were:

* M1912 APC: length 1.258 m, weight 555 kg, launch charge 153.3 kg BM16, muzzle velocity 794 m/s.
* M1924 APC: length 1.496 m, weight 475 kg.
* M1926, HE: length 1.054 m, weight 382 kg, launch charge 140 kg of BM15.
* M1932, HE: launch charge 177 kg SD19G, muzzle velocity 920 m/s.

These guns were 20% heavier compared to the earlier model and fired shells 30% heavier than those of the Model 1910 305 mm. Muzzle velocity was slightly inferior, but even so this weapon was clearly a step forward in firepower. The lifetime of the inner barrel was about 250 shots, while 100 shells for every gun were carried.

The gun mounts were capable of 23° elevation, equivalent to 26,600 m with the M1924 shell. If the real elevation was only 18° (probably before updates) then the range was around 21 km; at this elevation the original M1912 shell was able to reach 18 km. The greater range was not so important in relation to the power of the single shell.

Secondary weapons were twenty-two 138 mm Model 1910s, and these were powerful weapons too, capable of firing 40 kg shells at 16 km, even farther than a contemporary WWI 152 mm gun (45 kg to 12 km was quite standard). Their main drawback, however, was that some of the lower casements had a tendency to flood, especially in high seas.

Initially powered by coal-fired turbine engines, these were later supplemented with oil burners. The French 340 mm gun proved to be an excellent piece of ordnance but the ship’s overall protection was found wanting.

They were comparable to the contemporary British Iron Duke class battleships.

Units

*"Bretagne" - Built by Arsenal de Brest, Laid down 1 July 1912, Launched 21 April 1913, Completed September 1915. Served in the Mediterranean in both World Wars. Sunk by the British at Mers-el-Kebir, 977 French sailors perished.

*"Provence" - Built by Arsenal de L'Orient, laid down 1 August 1912, Launched 30 September 1913, Completed July 1916. Served in the Mediterranean in both World Wars. Damaged by the British at Mers-el-Kebir. Repaired at Toulon and sunk on 27 November 1942 in the Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon.

*"Lorraine" - Built by Ateliers & Chantiers de la Loire at St. Nazaire, laid down 1 May 1912, launched 20 April 1913, Completed June 1915. Served in the Mediterranean in both World Wars. Based in Alexandria in 1940 and disarmed by the British. Joined the Free French Navy in 1943 and was involved in shore bombardment of Southern France including the cities of Toulon and Marseille during the Allies Operation Dragoon. Broken up in 1954.

*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 stopped on the outbreak of war in August and never resumed. The contract dispute was settled in 1925.

References

*"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1922"

External links

*Naval weapons of the world, [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_134-45_m1912.htm 340 mm/45] and [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_55-55_m1910.htm 138 mm/55] for the guns of Bretagne class.
* [http://le.fantasque.free.fr/php3/ship.php3?page_code=bretagne BATIMENT DE LIGNE Bretagne]