class battleship class dreadnought battleships group ships ordered french_navy class comprised lead ship design incorporated radical arrangement main battery guns quadruple gun turrets opposed twin turrets navies ships equipped unusual hybrid propulsion system steam turbine triple expansion engines increase fuel efficiency ships named provinces france completed shifting production requirements outbreak war ships sufficiently advanced construction permit launching clear shipyards important work guns built ships instead converted use army war french_navy considered proposals complete ships originally designed modernized account lessons war weak french post war economy necessitated ships broken scrap ship significantly advanced time work halted converted aircraft carrier 1920s remained service capacities 1960s ship ultimately scrapped development december french_navy issued report examined design class ordered concluded amidships gun turret unsatisfactory choice based previous experiences blast damage battleships 1880s position influenced construction class dreadnought battleships design work began shortly french_navy design staff submitted draft new dreadnought design february size french shipyard facilities significantly impacted design length limited meters breadth draft approximately dimensions limited ship displacement metric tons long tons speed knots mph depending armament arrangement design staff advocated retaining armament armor previous class speed knots design staff prepared version armed main battery sixteen guns quadruple turrets speed knots technical department prepared different designs propulsion system direct drive steam turbines proposed class option hybrid system pair direct drive turbines inner propeller shafts steam engines outer shafts low speed cruising design adopted new ships turbine system fuel efficient fifth ship instead equipped sets turbines armor layout class retained load draft fixed greater issue addressed main armament general staff decided march retain centimeter gun class chose new quadruple turret advocated armament guns quadruple double turrets arrangement placed weight bow stern arrangement twin turrets class battleships substituted april accepted design quadruple turret time construction scheduled begin armor layout class retained increase thickness main belt effected possible prepared new designs incorporated twin turrets armed quadruple turrets design long tons short tons lighter design april navy accepted quadruple turret design submitted secondary battery initially comprised guns guns guns added weight design completed time work scheduled begin gun chosen initially proposed mounting secondary guns single twin turrets determined arrangement flexible instead mounted casemates groups guns characteristics machinery ships long perpendiculars long waterline long overall beam draft load ships displace long tons ships equipped pair steam turbines center shafts reversing gear parsons turbines turbines built turbines built ships pair cylinder triple expansion engines steaming astern cruising low speed ship equipped parsons turbines given temple small tube boilers equipped belleville small tube boilers small tube boilers ships engines rated shaft horsepower speed knots mph plans increase power shp knots mph ships designed carry long tons coal long tons fuel oil long tons coal stored hull cruising speed knots mph ships steam nautical miles knots mph range fell nmi speed cruising radius dropped nmi ships crew officers petty officers enlisted men armament armor modèle guns mounted quadruple turrets comprised main battery turret placed forward amidships aft centerline turrets weighed long tons short tons electrically trained elevated guns divided pairs mounted twin thick bulkhead divided turrets pair guns ammunition magazine fired simultaneously independently guns range rate fire rounds minute shells kilogram armor piercing rounds fired muzzle velocity meters second gun supplied rounds ammunition provided fire control main battery mounted conning tower placed atop turrets turrets secondary gunnery control stations ships armed secondary battery modèle guns singly mounted casemates hull guns fired shell muzzle velocity guns supplied rounds ammunition anti aircraft guns converted low angle guns carried ships ships equipped torpedo tubes mounted submerged hull ship supplied torpedoes ships waterline belt armor thick amidships reduced bow stern upper belt thick amidships ends ships armored decks thick sloped armor thick connected lower deck armor conning tower thick sides barbettes supported main battery turrets protected armor turrets thick faces thick sides guns protected thick armor plating ships construction cancellation ordered december followed july ordered december ships permit creation ship divisions class ships construction work class suspended outbreak world war resources needed army government immediately war expected conflict brief ships launched start war clear purposes july navy determined ships priority prohibited work later july work ships armament suspended save guns converted use army completed guns converted railway guns guns built mounted railway carriages end war guns converted service army time work stopped hull percent complete engines percent complete boilers delivered instead installed new destroyers turrets percent assembled percent hull percent engines constructed boilers percent complete percent turrets built hulls percent complete respectively engines percent assembled sets boilers destroyers ships turrets percent complete work significantly progressed time war broke hull percent complete engines percent finished boilers percent assembled turrets percent january final wartime order specified ships remained suspended material work remain place time long tons short tons steel plating taken uses november days armistice germany design staff sent general staff proposal complete modified design general staff replied ships need speed mph powerful main battery dockyard facilities enlarged war size ships significantly increased allowed modest improvements particularly installation anti torpedo february general staff decided ships completed new vessels incorporating lessons war completed years lengthy design studies battleships require created revised design incorporated improvements machinery ships launched war retained increasing speed mph required corresponding increase shp obtained building new turbines elevation main guns increased degrees increase range guns need engage targets longer ranges confirmed examination austrian class ships surrendered france end war main armored deck increased increase resistance fire submerged torpedo tubes replaced deck mounted tubes fire control equipment improved equipment handling seat aircraft installed war admiral chief general staff july argued country primary rival resume work class battleships suspended war suggested options ships complete designed increase range guns improve armor hull install new engines increase speed determined hulls increase speed mph september determined completing ships expensive fragile french economy plans incomplete ships included converting cargo ships fuel passenger liners floating fuel depots plans abandoned ships formally cancelled construction program laid parts broken salvaged material incorporated completing cruisers built program launched april clear slip navy decided vessel plans complete battleship included replacement coal fired boilers oil fired boilers new powerful turbines new quadruple turret allowed greater range considered twin turrets mounting guns navy instead decided complete ship aircraft carrier conversion work began august completed ship carrier french_navy served fleet world war ferry aircraft refitted united_states equipped battery modern american anti aircraft guns remained service war aircraft ferry ultimately broken scrap starting
Normandie-class battleship