french battleship class semi dreadnought battleships built french_navy early 1900s shortly world war began ship participated adriatic_sea helped sink austro hungarian protected cruiser spent rest war blockading dardanelles prevent german austro hungarian turkish warships breaking mediterranean briefly participated occupation constantinople end war modernized subsequently training ship ship condemned later sold scrap design description class battleships significant improvement preceding class advent dreadnought completed combined poor traits including great weight coal carry unsuccessful ships numerous rapid firing guns use mediterranean meters long overall beam meters load draft meters displaced metric tons long tons deep load crew officers enlisted men ship powered parsons steam turbines steam generated belleville boilers turbines rated shaft horsepower provided speed knots mph reached speed knots mph sea trials carried maximum tonnes long tons coal allowed steam nautical miles speed knots mph main battery consisted modèle guns mounted twin gun turrets forward aft secondary battery consisted modèle guns twin turrets ship number smaller guns carried defense torpedo boats included sixteen guns hotchkiss guns ship armed submerged torpedo tubes ship waterline armor belt thick main battery protected armor conning tower thick sides wartime modifications war anti aircraft guns installed roofs ship forward gun turrets elevation guns increased extended range meters career construction began december ship laid october launched april completed august ship assigned division squadron mediterranean_fleet commissioned ship participated combined fleet maneuvers tunisia june subsequent naval review conducted president france june joined squadron tour october december participated grand fleet exercise mediterranean world war early august ship cruised attempt prevent german battlecruiser light cruiser breaking west august combined admiral including sweep adriatic_sea allied ships encountered austro hungarian cruiser escorted destroyer blockading coast montenegro ships escape remained allow away sunk gunfire battle coast bar montenegro subsequently participated number raids adriatic later year patrolled december ship participated distant blockade based flagship transferred month sister ships prevent breaking mediterranean remained end war postwar armistice signed october allies ottoman_empire ship participated early stage occupation constantinople november december based toulon modernized improve underwater protection ship training ship condemned march sold july arrived breaking august
French battleship Diderot