french battleship battleship french_navy built 1910s named honor french region member class alongside sister ships laid arsenal launched april commissioned fleet march outbreak world war armed main battery guns speed knots mph spent bulk career served fleet flagship world war stationed prevent austro hungarian fleet leaving adriatic_sea saw action modernized significantly 1920s 1930s conducted normal peace time cruises training maneuvers mediterranean atlantic_ocean participated non intervention patrols spanish civil war early days world war conducted patrols sweeps atlantic search german surface raiders stationed france surrendered june fearful germans seize french_navy british_royal_navy attacked ships damaged sank harbor refloated moved toulon flagship training fleet late november germans occupied toulon prevent seizing fleet french scuttled ships including raised july guns coastal defense area germans scuttled second time toulon ultimately raised april sold ship breakers design laid arsenal launched april completed june commissioned french_navy march ship meters long overall beam load draft displaced metric tons long tons load crew officers enlisted men powered parsons steam turbines eighteen belleville boilers rated shaft horsepower provided speed knots mph coal storage amounted long tons short tons main battery consisted canon guns mounted twin gun turrets numbered rear placed centerline superfiring pair forward amidships superfiring arrangement aft secondary battery consisted canon modèle guns casemates length hull carried seven hotchkiss guns defense aircraft conning tower roof turret ship armed submerged torpedo tubes ship main belt thick main battery protected armor conning tower thick sides service entering service sisters assigned 1st division 1st battle squadron fleet flagship ships remained unit remainder war spent majority time prevent austro hungarian fleet attempting break adriatic fleet presence intended greece increasingly hostile triple later war men drawn crews anti submarine warfare vessels austro hungarians largely remained port duration war saw action conflict leave port entirety april returned toulon french_navy intended send ship black_sea join operations major mutiny prevented operation went constantinople october formed core june went naval review toulon september placed reserve leaving member class service service underwent significant refit work lasted february july carried toulon ship armament improved main guns given greater elevation increase range guns installed forward superstructure heavy mast fire control station rangefinder ship anti aircraft guns added refit followed december july elevation main battery guns increased bow section belt armor removed half boilers converted oil firing models final modernization began september lasted august rest coal fired boilers replaced oil fired boilers new turbines main battery guns installed new anti aircraft guns emerging refit assigned 2nd squadron atlantic joined fleet exercises azores morocco ships took cruise africa august involved non intervention patrols outbreak spanish civil war patrols lasted april world war outbreak world war september toulon 2nd squadron serving flagship vice admiral october went drydock periodic maintenance lasted december days later numerous cruisers destroyers sortied cover french merchant shipping west_africa azores middle month french warships returned port sent joined unit conducted fruitless sweeps atlantic gibraltar damaged forced return toulon repairs route intercepted italian passenger ship oceania dispatched inspected sailed january returned force force transferred april arrived days later april sisters cruisers moved alexandria returned following french surrender june french fleet disarmed german italian supervision terms armistice british high command concerned french ships seized axis powers placed service axis navies british_royal_navy prime minister winston_churchill ordered vice admiral commander force french fleet instructed order french vessels join british free french french possessions like martinique outside reach axis powers usa interned sunk july arrived delivered ultimatum hours discussions french rejection ultimatum british ships opened fire returned fire seconds british attacked success hit inch shells exploded killing crew hit times badly damaged shells set fire caused settle harbor explode like sister ship ship subsequently refloated temporarily repaired november transferred toulon arriving 8th escorted destroyers beginning january flagship flag officer training division november german_army occupied toulon prevent seizing fleet including french scuttled ships time moored old pre dreadnought seaplane carrier italians moved toulon raised july guns removed ship coastal battery saint sur outside toulon axis scuttled ship second time harbor ultimately raised april broken scrap
French battleship Provence