NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Languedoc launch 1.5.1915

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Béarn		1071	F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne	10.1.1914	4.1920	6.1927 // ---	completed as aircraft carrier from 8.1923
Flandre			Arsenal de Brest	1.10.1913	20.10.1914	---	BU 10.1924
Gascoigne			Arsenal de Lorient	1.10.1913	20.9.1914	---	BU 1923/24
Languedoc			F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux	18.4.1913	1.5.1916	---	BU 6.1929
Normandie			A C de la Loire et Penhoët, St-Nazaire	18.4.1913	19.10.1914	---	BU 1924/25

Technical data

Displacement normal, t
Displacement full, t	25230
Length, m	170.6 pp 175.6 wl 176.6 oa
Breadth, m	27.0
Draught, m	8.65
No of shafts	4
Machinery	Béarn: 4 Parsons steam turbines, 21 Niclausse small-tube boilers Flandre: 2 Parsons steam turbines, 2 4-cyl VTE, 28 small-tube Belleville boilers Gascoigne: 2 Rateau-Bretagne steam turbines, 2 4-cyl VTE, 21 small-tube Guyot du Temple boilers Languedoc: 2 Schneider-Zoelly steam turbines, 2 4-cyl VTE, 28 small-tube Belleville boilers Normandie: 2 Parsons steam turbines, 2 4-cyl VTE, 21 small-tube Guyot du Temple boilers
Power, h. p.	32000 (planned increase to 45000)
Max speed, kts	21 (planned increase to 22)
Fuel, t	coal 2700 + oil 300
Endurance, nm(kts)	6500(12)
Armour, mm	belt: 300 - 120, upper belt: 240 - 160, main turrets: 340 - 250, barbettes: 284, casemates: 180 - 160, main deck: 50 with 70-mm slopes, forecastle deck: 50, CT: 300 sides 270 roof
Armament	3 x 4 - 340/45 M1912, 24 x 1 - 139/55 M1910, 6 x 1 - 47/50 M1902, 6 - 450 TT (beam, sub)
Complement	1200

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Ordered in 1912-1913. The project was developed on the basis of Bretagne; for the first time in history main guns were supposed to be mounted in quadruple turrets (by pairs in two gun slides). Four-shaft machinery included two steam turbines and two VTEs for cruising. After beginning of war construction works were strongly inhibited, and on some ships in general stopped. After Armistice Frenchmen planed to finish these battleships under the advanced project with strengthened underwater protection, but at the Washington conference the decision to balance Naval Forces of France and Italy on number of capital ships was accepted, therefore only Béarn, converted to aircraft carrier, was completed (works were restarted in August 1923).

Ship protection

Complete main belt was 300mm at 99m length amidships and 180-120mm at ship ends. Upper belt covered the part between turret No1 and aft casemate and was 240mm amidships and 160mm at ship ends. Casemates had 180-160mm protection. Main deck had 50mm thickness at flat part and connected with lower edge of main belt by 70mm slopes. There was 50mm forecastle deck. Main turrets had 340-250mm protection. Barbettes had 248mm protection.