french battleship pre dreadnought battleship french_navy launched july named french vice admiral ship originally intended modified version design firepower better armour world war career twice collided french ships twice propeller shafts break quickly sent dardanelles beginning war reinforce british forces joined british ships multiple ottoman fortifications mouth dardanelles moderately damaged major action march sent toulon repairs completion returned provide gunfire support allied forces ship provided covering fire allies withdrew peninsula accidentally sank evacuation ships repairs assigned french squadron assigned prevent interference greeks allied operations route refit torpedoed lisbon november sunk hands design description save time intended updated version modest improvements armament armour number improvements grew project discussed french des marine essentially new design retaining layout biggest changes mounting bulk secondary armament turrets casemates constant thickness waterline belt armour compared belt ends ship shells main armament increased rounds gun general characteristics slightly larger metres long overall beam metres draft metres forward metres aft slightly heavier displaced metric tons long tons normal displacement metric tons long tons load metres longer displaced metric tons long tons earlier ship fitted reduce rolling propulsion vertical triple expansion steam engines engine shaft centre shaft drove bladed screw propeller wing propellers bladed propeller metres diameter engines powered boilers working pressure cm2 kpa psi engines rated indicated horsepower produced ihp gave speed knots mph sea trials slightly designed speed knots mph ship carried maximum metric tons long tons coal allowed steam nautical miles speed knots mph metric tons long tons fuel oil carried sprayed coal improve burn rate ship electrical power provided armament like preceded carried main armament calibre canon modèle guns twin gun turrets fore aft guns maximum elevation fired kilogram projectiles theoretical rate round minute muzzle velocity metres second gave range metres maximum elevation carried rounds gun ship secondary armament consisted calibre canon modèle guns carried single turrets superstructure remaining mounted individual casemates 1st deck casemates sides guns fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity metres second maximum range metres theoretical rate fire rounds minute carried shells guns carried calibre canon modèle guns shielded mounts shelter deck superstructure guns fired kilogram metres second trained maximum range metres theoretical maximum rate fire rounds minute rounds minute sustained ship carried shells guns calibre canon modèle hotchkiss guns mounted anti torpedo boat guns mounted fighting tops superstructure fired kilogram metres second maximum range metres theoretical maximum rate fire rounds minute seven rounds minute sustained carried rounds millimetre guns millimetre modèle hotchkiss guns mounted upper bridge fired shell weighing kilograms muzzle velocity range metres rate fire rounds minute torpedo tubes carried tubes submerged forward turret fixed angle beam water tubes central pivot limited traverse reserve modèle torpedoes carried combat models armour complete waterline armour belt harvey armour metres high millimetres thick lower edge belt uniform millimetres thickness upper armour belt protected casemates millimetres thick maximum thickness armoured deck millimetres fore aft armoured transverse bulkheads thick main turret armour millimetres thickness millimetre roof barbettes protected armour armour secondary turrets ranged millimetres thick millimetres rear conning tower walls millimetres thick communications tube protected millimetres armour construction service named french admiral ordered april laid january launched july year fitting delayed late delivery fittings armour july began sea trials november commissioned february august participated gunnery trial pre dreadnought mild steel plate centimetres thick measuring centimetres attached forward turret determine resistance armour plate large calibre shell anchored metres away fired number millimetre shells plate training shells knocked splinters armour plate shells fired charges cracked plate turret fully operational electrical fire control system sheep placed turret unharmed splinter struck armour belt left sized hole hull kilogram splinter landed metres naval minister observing trials commissioned february assigned flagship commander vice admiral days later february april carried president france state visit naples time went defects revealed service including weakness barely capable raising anchor waters metres deep problem centre engine propeller shaft tended excessively fleet exercises february rammed submarine fleet movements firing position rose depth metres managed turn quickly crash diving struck blow breach compartments abreast ship starboard engine room docked toulon emergency repairs bow crushed ballast tanks ripped open rapidly dropping weighted keel submarine able avoid sinking casualties suffered vessel summer water torpedo tubes removed adjacent march toulon ship magazine exploded burning fragments started small fire aboard damaged explosion early metre rangefinder mounted navigation bridge manoeuvres august ship port propeller shaft broke propeller fell water metres deep new shaft ordered corresponding shaft success ship engineers requested place save new shaft spare proposal rejected shaft exchanged opportunity taken successfully centre propeller shaft mounting november starboard propeller shaft broke propeller lost deep water shaft immediately available wait months repairs meantime boilers overhauled february port anchor chain broke killing sailor injuring fleet exercise suddenly lost power struck battleship lightly damaged port anchor carried away world war shortly war began fitted additional near bridge mounted transverse rails fore aft bridge bulkhead removed millimetre guns superstructure moved deck lower september battleship ordered dardanelles assist british ships blockading dardanelles prevent sortie german battlecruiser light cruiser mediterranean november french pre dreadnoughts joined british ships bombarding ottoman fortifications mouth dardanelles short minute bombardment french little damage alerted ottomans defences required strengthening november sailed toulon lengthy refit returned dardanelles january flagship squadron french battleships commanded bombarded turkish fort asian february assisted sending firing radio provided counter battery fire suppress ottoman coastal artillery late day british pre dreadnought bombarding fort began taking heavy fire approached fort british battlecruiser hms attempted suppress ottoman coast defense guns allow vengeance unsuccessful combine fire vengeance successfully withdraw fired thirty millimetre shells millimetre shells day participated limited way bombardment february targets far successful ships moved close yards forts march french squadron bombarded targets base march french squadron attempted suppress turkish guns british battleships bombarded fortifications admiral squadron returned march bombarded turkish fortifications returned assist major attack fortifications planned march british ships initial entry dardanelles french ships passed engage forts closer range shortly having heavy fire struck times minutes significant damage including bounced millimetre turret shell port millimetre turret ripped roof port killing entire gun crew debris dropped gun magazine started fire quickly flooded prevent explosion shell tore hole millimetres bow flooded base forward turret withdrawing admiral order struck sank seconds lowered admiral barge intact boat rescued men escort badly damaged away dardanelles taking water bow beached entrance dardanelles sank ordered escort toulon malta march days later ships encountered storm forced seek refuge arrived toulon april repaired returned dardanelles provide gunfire support troops ashore remained area fired mission december returning anchorage island collided sank british steamer horse transport involved evacuation gallipoli badly damaged arrived toulon january repairs april month joined french squadron pre dreadnoughts assigned prevent interference greeks allied operations july flagship squadron departed refit toulon october entered harbour prepared fire greek pre dreadnoughts cruiser things resolved peacefully french ship returned harbour originally intended refit naval base location switched dockyard informed naval staff room november ship departed reached november sailed november gibraltar heavy weather route delayed arrival november departed gibraltar following day escort morning november roughly nautical miles portuguese coast near lisbon torpedoed german submarine route austro hungarian naval base torpedo detonated magazine sank seconds taking entire crew searched scene found survivors
French battleship Suffren