class battleship class battleship class pre dreadnought battleships built french_navy world war ships assigned mediterranean_fleet commissioning beginning world war early august sister ships participated spent rest war blockading dardanelles prevent warships breaking mediterranean ship sunk german submarine remaining ships end war assigned secondary roles sisters sent black_sea support whites russian civil war ship ran aground crew members killed protest intervention support whites ships quickly condemned later sold scrap remaining sisters received partial training ships condemned mid-1930s later scrapped survivor afloat beginning world war august serving navy torpedo school captured germans occupied scuttled allied invasion southern france background description class ships ordered second french naval expansion plan began response growth imperial_german_navy discussions began enlarged version preceding class design french analyses russian defeat japanese battle credited victory large number medium caliber hits heavily damaged russian ships started fires crews difficulty superior speed handling japanese ships credited role victory french decided increasing range naval combat dictated use millimeter gun lieu millimeter gun class larger gun greater ability penetrate armor longer ranges having good rate fire navy wanted faster ship reducing armor exceeding metric tons long tons limit imposed minister navy budgetary reasons preliminary design usual triple expansion steam engines accepted march modifications requested proposal replace millimeter guns turrets single millimeter turrets create big gun ship like british battleship hms dreadnought rejected raised displacement metric ton limit slower firing millimeter guns reduced volume weight fire unacceptable degree initial parliamentary discussion design focused anticipated cost ships idea france left technological arms race particularly regard innovative parsons steam turbines response navy sent technical mission inspect parsons factory shipyards gun factories rangefinder factory concluded turbines offered power smaller volume triple expansion steam engines significant increase fuel consumption low speeds ships ordered naval months previously navy decided use turbines july things requested study heavier powerful caliber millimeter modèle gun august endorsing navy decision use turbines october director naval construction requested decision recommending ships use steam engines turbines felt minimize delays expense design needed modified accommodate turbines propeller shafts company france knew build turbines times expensive steam engines inclined accept recommendation december parliamentary debates showed overwhelming support turbines ships contracts remaining ships signed december day conclusion debate delayed deciding boilers use sent technical mission britain look design april decision favor french built boilers june ships laid design estimated displace tonnes long tons adoption heavier gun required new larger turret handle gun meant turret supporting structure reinforced unsuccessful bid reduce displacement sections armor reduced thickness ships exceeded design estimate built general description significantly larger predecessors class ships meters long waterline meters long overall meters longer earlier ships beam meters draft meters deep load class ships slightly overweight actually displaced metric tons long tons normal load tonnes long tons earlier ships serving crew consisted officers enlisted men admiral staff embarked crew numbered officers enlisted men propulsion class ships license built parsons direct drive steam turbines drove single propeller steam coal fired belleville boilers boiler type installed ships class boilers housed large compartments forward boiler room forward funnels aft boiler exhausted rear pair funnels amidships boiler rooms compartments center engine room housed turbines center propeller shafts turbine outer shafts compartment flanking center engine room turbines rated total shaft horsepower steam provided boilers working pressure cm2 kpa psi designed maximum speed knots mph exceeded sea trials speeds ranging knots mph boilers suited use turbines burned coal belleville boilers produced amounts smoke sparks occasionally flames incomplete coal carried maximum tonnes long tons coal gave estimated range nautical miles speed knots mph depending boilers fitted endurance half predecessors fuel consumption turbines low speeds meant needed frequent stops war armament main battery class ships consisted modèle guns mounted twin gun turrets fore aft superstructure turret elevate gave guns maximum range meters guns fired kilogram armour piercing projectiles muzzle velocity rate rounds minute turret stored rounds rear wall kept floor firing chamber turret ships normally rounds gun space available additional rounds secondary armament consisted modèle guns twin gun turrets ship maximum elevation turrets kilogram shell fired range meters guns fire rate rounds minute turret space shells necessary charges rounds gun normally carried maximum capacity rounds gun carried number smaller guns defend torpedo boats included sixteen millimeter modèle guns mounted hull sides guns range meters fire approximately rounds minute shell slow shells difficult handle round cases magazines total rounds stored close guns ready use gun provided rounds maximum storage available rounds gun ships mounted millimeter hotchkiss guns pivot mounts superstructure rate fire larger guns range meters gun rounds nearby ready use ships provided maximum rounds gun battleships armed submerged millimeter torpedo tubes broadside tube angled forward downward ship carried modèle torpedoes kilogram speed range settings meters knots mph meters knots mph storage space modèle mines explosive charge kilograms laid ships loaded use fire control finding coincidence rangefinder design superior existing french designs mounted pair meter atop conning tower meter rangefinder turret use turret commanders integrating overall fire control system took time required knowledge target mast height overall length interim war replaced longer precise instrument triple meter model installed conning tower meter models replaced smaller ones turret roofs armor class ships built metric tons long tons armor percent designed displacement metric tons long tons predecessors waterline armored belt maximum thickness millimeters fore aft turrets reduced millimeters bow stern belt consisted armor meters high covered sides hull main deck extended normal waterline lower armor plates tapered thickness millimeters edge upper plates tapered millimeters amidships millimeters ends ship belt armour backed millimeters teak extended entire length ship stern unprotected stern belt terminated millimeter transverse bulkhead forward millimeter transverse bulkhead connected sides forward barbette belt main gun turrets millimeters armor faces millimeter sides roofs layers millimeter mild steel plates barbettes protected millimeters armor millimeters upper protected deck secondary gun turrets millimeter faces millimeter sides roof layers millimeter plates millimeter turret barbettes sides millimeters conning tower armour millimeters thick sides millimeters walls communication tube fire control center central millimeters thick upper protected deck ships protected decks formed triple layers mild steel millimeters millimeters thick lower curved downwards sides hull meet torpedo bulkhead curved portion reinforced millimeter plate armor lieu millimeter plate mild steel sloped downward bow similarly reinforced form armored internal anti torpedo meters deep hull waterline backed torpedo bulkhead consisted layers millimeter armor plate bulkhead watertight compartments normally kept abreast boiler rooms coal system protection mixed success practice capsized minutes torpedo hits survived torpedoes ships construction careers took long time build construction prolonged number factors chief plus changes original design inability timely decision meant builders rip completed sections incorporate modifications problems shortages necessary infrastructure shipyards lengthy delays delivery parts labor shortages lack building slips naval example water lower end newly completed point slip brest meant building stern delayed months bow began construction begin armored cruiser launched commissioning ships assigned mediterranean_fleet participated fleet maneuvers june war began squadron command vice admiral sea preparing escort troop convoys french north_africa france ships unsuccessfully searched german battlecruiser light cruiser escorted convoys later month ships participated adriatic_sea helped sink austro hungarian protected cruiser spent rest war blockading dardanelles prevent german austro hungarian turkish warships breaking participated attempt ensure greek allied operations macedonia late post war briefly participated occupation constantinople end war ships sent black_sea early allied intervention russian civil war crew members killed protest intervention support whites suppressed forced return french ships supporting whites ran aground february coast refloated guns armor removed surviving ships reduced second line roles repaired salvage years sold bad shape target ship sold scrap underwater protection modernized early 1920s training ships condemned mid-1930s assigned early 1920s underwater protection modernized training ship completion depot ship torpedo school ship captured intact germans occupied toulon november barracks ship scuttled germans august refloated following year scrapped wreck discovered algeria depth meters
Danton-class battleship