The backbone of the French fleet at the outbreak of war. When France fell the ships where split between the Free & Vichy French forces, most of the Vichy French ships later being destroyed during Operation Torch or scuttled at Toulon.
Designed to replace the Adroit class, most where finished just before France fell. One ship was used/captured by four different navies during the war & also sunk then raised twice!
The T 47 (inspiring name eh!?) where some of the first ships to be built for the French navy in the post-war period. They were upgraded with AA & ASW missiles during there long career which lasted until the late 80's.
The Dunkerque was smaller & less armored then other battleships of the era but it was also one of the fastest ships. Which it was specifically designed for in order to catch & counter Germany's new pocket battleships.
The biggest ship France has ever built, the Richelieu was like the Dunkerque built to counter an enemy threat but this time from the Italian Littorio class. The Richelieu was finished only weeks before France fell & spent the first few years in port. She had a eventful combat history tho, first fighting the British in Africa & then fighting for the British in the Pacific.
The successor to the Richelieu, construction was planed to start early in 1941. If built it would have been on par with the likes of the Bismark & Iowa, representing the peek of French battleship design.
Next update is the French airforce, which will be up in a few days.
