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The French Battleship Richelieu
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Author:  David Latuch [ November 19th, 2014, 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  The French Battleship Richelieu
We continue our perusal of the French Battleship Saga with the Battleship Richelieu.

We will begin our look at Richelieu with Richelieu “as Designed”. Richelieu was a more muscular version of the Dunkerque Class, which the French Conseil Superieur de la Marine intended as a counter to the Italian battleships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto. Richelieu’s armor and armament increased to meet the Italian threat to France’s access to her North African colonies.

As initially designed the design board though to expand the role of the 152mm single purpose gun used on the French cruisers Émile Bertin and the La Galissonnière-class into a dual purpose long range anti-aircraft weapon as well as its former role as an anti-surface gun. The new turret could elevate to 90º—albeit at the painfully slow rate of 8º per second and load at any angle. This, plus the overly complex loading system which utilized three separate hoists per gun, one for AP, one for HE and one for powder casings led to jamming and the two wing turrets of the original five were canceled and replaced by three dual mounted 100mms port and starboard mid-ships.

Below is Richelieu as “Designed” with the five 152mm triple Turrets. We will then move on to the hastily completed Richelieu “Leaving for Dakar” in 1940. This version does not possess the mid-ships 152s but rather their replacement 100mms. I bring this up to counter any misinterpretation, the center 152mms were replaced intentionally and not due to 152mm turret unavailability,

[ img ]

(I have been in contact with Redhorse and secured his permission to proceed.)
Author:  emperor_andreas [ November 19th, 2014, 8:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
Very nice work!
Author:  bezobrazov [ November 19th, 2014, 8:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
That boat complement is just so friggin' awesome! Good job, David!
Author:  David Latuch [ November 19th, 2014, 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
bezobrazov wrote:
That boat complement is just so friggin' awesome! Good job, David!
Thanks Bezo and Matt. Tomorrow I'll post the 1940 As Built leaving France for Dakar version. I'm beginning the 1941 post British attack version.
Author:  eswube [ November 19th, 2014, 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
Great work! :)
Author:  Hood [ November 19th, 2014, 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
Excellent work! This is going to be another fantastic series.
Author:  Krakatoa [ November 19th, 2014, 10:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
Good work David, just lovin' these French capital ships, they look better than my 1/400 Heller kits :)
Author:  David Latuch [ November 20th, 2014, 11:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
On the morning of 18 June, due to the rapid advance of German troops, Richelieu received orders to retreat to the colonies. Richelieu left Brest bound for Dakar on 18 June, at 16.00, escorted by destroyers Fougueux and Frondeur. Richelieu had on board, for her main artillery, 250 shells, but powder charges for only 48 rounds, and no munitions for the 152 mms. On 20 June, the escort was replaced off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal, by the destroyer Fleuret; Fougueux and Frondeur proceeded to Casablanca, and Richelieu reached Dakar on 23 June.

[ img ]

Colombamike made some additional information known to me about Richelieu's Light AA Battery. Here is the modified AA Gun arangement:
[ img ]
Author:  emperor_andreas [ November 20th, 2014, 12:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
Beautiful!
Author:  David Latuch [ November 20th, 2014, 2:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The French Battleship Richelieu
I was just informed by another French friend that Richelieu did not have blasts bags, blummer, etc. until after her New York refit, so I removed them :D Also catapult trials weren't until 1941. So, no seaplanes. you are not seeing things :lol:

By the by, Colombamike concurs.
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