| Notes:
1) The Model 1930 mountings were built
by FAM Homécourt and largely automated. However, there were
many teething problems during the early cruiser gunnery trials, with numerous
jams related to the hoists, loading systems, safety interlocks, firing
gear and breech mechanisms. Emile Bertin conducted 24 gunnery trials
between 1934 and 1938 and there were many more gunnery trials for the La
Galissonnière class before the war. The problems were mainly
resolved before the start of the war, but the pratical ROF was only about
half of what had been expected. Shell rooms and magazines were on
the same level and shared a common handling room. Each handling room
had stowage for 7 complete rounds. Shell and cartidge hoists to each
gun were on the rotating stalk and ran directly from the handling room
up to the gunhouse. At the top of the hoists the projectiles were
tipped into a slide which transferred them to the loading gear. The
breech mechanism opened automatically. A catapult rammer loaded the
projectiles while a chain rammer was used for the cartridges, with both
of these mounted on arms to the gun and which elevated with it. RPC
for both training and elevation was installed starting in 1938.
2) The battleship Model 1936 mountings
had more complex loading arrangements and used hydro-pneumatic chain rammers
on extensions from the cradles. These were intended to permit loading
at any angle over the full elevation range of -10 / +90 degrees, but in
fact loading was difficult or impossible beyond +45 degrees. As a
result, the maximum elevation was reduced to +75 degrees. Postwar
modifications increased the maximum elevation to +85 degrees. There
were separate pusher hoists for the AA and SAP shells which came up to
the left of each gun. A separate cartridge hoist came up on the right
of each gun. These hoists and rotated with the gunhouse and ran down
to a handling room where rotating transfer mechanisms were installed for
moving ammunition from the fixed structure. The two forward mountings
that were never installed would have been 77 feet (28 m) from their magazines
and shell rooms, which would have required a long horizontal transfer mechanism.
3) The two amidships DP mountings on Richelieu
were removed prior to completion and replaced with 100
mm guns.
4) Richelieu had delay coils fitted to
the center gun of each mount around 1948 in an effort to reduce dispersion.
Ward Léonard RPC systems were fitted post-war to Richelieu and Jean
Bart.
5) The Model 1936 DP mountings intended
for the De Grasse class had significant differences than the ones used
for the Richelieu class. They had a lower maximum elevation, which
reduced the depth of the gun wells and thus made the mountings more compact.
The three hoists for each gun were oriented longitudinally, which meant
the guns could be closer together, thus reducing the width of the gunhouse.
6) Emille Bertin lost her Turret II center
gun during a 1943 refit in the USA to allow trials with the new USN projectiles
and propellants. It is not clear if this gun was ever replaced as
photographs of her in late 1944 show that the gun is still missing.
7) The weight differences are mainly due
to armor thickness, which "French Battleships: 1922 - 1956" and "French
Cruisers: 1922 - 1956" list as follows:
Emile Bertin
Splinter protection only
La Galissonnière
Front - 3.9 in (10 cm)
Sides - 1.96 in (5 cm)
Roof - 1.8 in (4.5 cm)
Rear - 1.6 in (4 cm)
De Grasse
Front - 3.9 in (10 cm)
Sides - 1.6 in (4 cm)
Roof - 1.6 in (4 cm)
Rear - 1.6 in (4 cm)
Richelieu
Front - 5.1 in (13 cm)
Sides - 2.8 in (7 cm)
Roof - 2.8 in (7 cm)
Rear - 2.4 in (6 cm) |
