[7] Over the course of her long career, Béarn never launched her aircraft in combat. She reached Casablanca on March 25, 1945 and was maintained for prolongated repairs until July 19, 1945. To make room for the additional AA, the forward flight deck section and the rear one are cut off. Links to individual pages giving description, history, and photo. As a former battleship, the hull was stripped of all and any armor, with only a symbolic 80 mm belt on the central section of the ship, with a buttress of ASW compartmentation behind. This famous class was the first to inaugurate the trademark French quad-turret design. The ship's gun armament comprised eight 6.1 in (150 mm) /55 Mod 21 guns in casemates for defense against surface attack, and six 76 mm (3.0 in) anti-aircraft (AA) guns, eight 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns, and sixteen machine guns. From 1936 she was redeployed in Britanny, operating from Brest. Learn how your comment data is processed. Her initial group was a squadron of twelve torpedo bombers, twelve reconnaissance aircraft, and eight fighters. Just after Béarn was launched, the Marine Nationale constructed a mocked-up flight deck right on the unfinished hull to perform some tests. Béarn was commissioned in 1927 and was the only aircraft carrier produced by France until after World War II, and the only ship of its class built. by Michael D. Hull When the armistice between France and Germany was put into force on June 25, 1940, the fate of the powerful French Navy—the fourth largest in the world—was of … Thanks to this system, Béarn could reach 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph) at max power, carrying 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) of fuel oil, enough for 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at cruising speed of 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph). When fully repaired, the Béarn was used to transport the French Expeditionary Force in the Far East (CEFEO) in October 1945 and was deployed to support it until June 1946. Here is the Cybermodeler Online paint and color reference resource directory. In 1928, the provisional ropes-sandbags were replaced by hydraulic arrestor systems but no catapult was ever fitted. She carried 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) of fuel oil. The lead ship was laid dow… Overview of the Béarn in 1935 – src www.navweaps.com. Béarn remained in Martinique until 1944 sent to the United States for a major refit. In October 1945, Bearn departed Europe ferrying land-based aircraft, spare parts, and supplies to … It started in April-May 1943 but only concluded in March 1945. Only one of the two vessels was laid down, and neither was launched before the project was cancelled in 1940. The reason was she was to be completed on a modified design. Among the forces committed to the region were the battleship Richelieu, the cruisers Gloire and Suffren, and several smaller warships. The main reason was new ships had been acquired by the fleet for the Mediterranean and Béarn was to be replaced here by the two brand new Joffre class in 1939. Nonetheless, hypothetical interest in developing Italian aircraft carriers persisted. By that time, Béarn’s incomplete hull has been launched in April 1920 to clear the slipway, and the Admiralty was not sure what to do with it. The idea was to reduce air turbulence over the flight deck. She also had six 76 mm (3.0 in) AA guns and eight more modern 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns. The aviator Paul Teste conducted a series of landing experiments on the temporary flight deck that concluded in October. It carried fewer, lighter aircraft than the Nimitz-class supercarriers but still packed a potent punch. From 1935 this was reinforced by sixteen 13mm machine guns in single mounts. Full titles read: "NAVAL MIGHT OF FRANCE"Very good footage of the French Navy. She carried up to twelve different types of aircraft at this time of naval aviation experimentation. *Cover: Colorized photo by Hirootoko Jr. Paul Teste making trials on board the Sloop Bapaume (cc). Support Naval Encyclopedia, get your poster or wallpaper now ! The only backside was that a single hit can disable twice more guns. Modified as repair ship in 1907, minelayer in 1910, seaplane depot ship/transport in 1911, and seaplane carrier in 1913.. During WWI she was employed in many duties, … When the harshness of the sea meets the cruelties of war, a challenge for perseverance makes itself known. The construction of ships such as the first-rate Zara cruisers and Littorio battleships swallowed her ship construction capacity. With the Allied invasion of French North Africa, the Germans sought to take the ships, but were prevented from doing so when the French crews scuttled them. 1939: 10 x Dewoitine D.373, 10 x Levasseur PL.7 and 9 x Levasseur PL.10. The French navy should get a new aircraft carrier in 2038. Steam was supplied by six Normand du Temple water-tube boilers. [Another view of Foudre as a seaplane carrier].Built by Ch de la Gironde. Their exhausts were truncated into a single funnel on the starboard side of the flight deck and stacked down to it was a large vented chamber to mix cooler air with the boiler exhaust. The Bearn sailed to Martinique, Fort de France (French Caribean) arriving May 27 where she met the cruiser Emile Bertin. Foudre ex-La SeinePhotos: [Foudre as a seaplane carrier]. Much of the material from breaking up these ships was used to complete Béarn and several cruisers also ordered in 1922. [2] The incomplete hull was launched in April 1920 to clear the slipway, though the Navy had not yet decided what to do with it. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). 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