Richelieu-class Battleship

Ships in class: Richelieu, Jean Bart

The Richelieu-class battleships were the largest ships of the French Navy and remain the largest French-built warships. They were designed in the 1930s to counter the threat of the Italian Vittorio Veneto-class battleships. Richelieu-class ships were essentially scaled-up versions of the preceding Dunkerque class. They featured a main battery of eight 380 mm (15.0 in) guns in two quadruple turrets in forward superfiring positions.

Four Richelieu-class ships, of three different subclasses, were designed over the course of three construction programs, in 1935, 1936, and 1938. Only three were laid down. Only the first two, Richelieu and Jean Bart, were partially completed. They saw service during World War II, first under Vichy control in Dakar (1940) and Casablanca (1942), then under Allied control.