Lorraine, Bretagne-class battleship

[WayOfTheWolk 1,573]

Lorraine

Introduction:

Spoiler

The Bretagne class battleships were developed in the early 20th century as replacements for the older Liberte, Carnot & Charles Martel pre-dreadnoughts. Designers took the Courbet for influence using similar hulls as the prior class due to shipyard limitations but incorporating newer main caliber guns, an anti-torpedo bulkhead and a more advanced fire-control system. The Bretagne class were considered to be the strongest French battleships at the time under the Statut Naval Program which called for over modern dreadnoughts to be completed by 1920. To compensate for the increased gun caliber from 30.5 to 34 cm with weight restrictions the guns were mounted in a 5 x 2 configuration which also necessitated the removal of extra belt armor. This meant that while the overall caliber was increased the Bretagne class could not accommodate more main caliber barrels. Issues during their service lives found issues with unreliable boilers, ill-seaworthiness and a lack of main caliber gun elevation. These issues were later corrected in refits throughout the Lorraine's career. 

The construction of the Lorraine, the second ship of the class laid down on August 1, 1911 and was commissioned on March 10, 1916 following delays in wartime construction.

Service History:

Spoiler

After entering service in March 1916 Lorraine was attached to the 1st Division of the 1st Battle Squadron. During the first world war Lorraine spent most of her time in the Mediterranean acting against the Austro-Hungarian Navy seeing no combat action. Seeing that the Austro-Hungarians were held up at port for most of the conflict she returned to Toulon in 1917 for a refit. In January 1919 Lorraine had the duty of guarding the former Austro-Hungarian Navy at Cattaro repatriating Austrian sailors and escorting the captured ships to France for war prizes. This lasted until March went she and her sister ship Provence were planned to be sent to the Black sea to aid against Communist forces in the Russian Civil War. When the crew learned of command's plans a mutiny ensured and the higher ups relented as a result. Instead both ships were sent to Constantinople in October forming the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron till July 1921.

This would be when the Lorraine would undergo her first major refit in November increasing her main gun elevation, gaining a tripod mast and some additional AA guns. The refit was completed on December 4, 1922 and in 1923 she was assigned to the 1st Battle Division of the Mediterranean fleet.  Lorraine received another refit lasting from November 1924-August 1926 removing belt armor, increasing the gun elevation and converting the boilers to oil. A third refit from September 1929-June 1931 saw her boilers replaced, AA guns installed and rangefinders replaced. Her last prewar refit between September 1934-September 1935 saw her amidships turret removed for a seaplane catapult, more AA guns installed again and work done on the funnels. Lorraine was subsequently transferred to the Atlantic Squadron where she remained until the start of World War 2. 

At the beginning of the conflict Lorraine was designated flagship for Force X in the Mediterranean under the command of Admiral Godfroy. In December 1939 she transported the French treasury gold to Bermuda and was transferred to the 2nd Battleship Division for a refit in April 1940 receiving AA guns. When Italy had declared war on France in June Lorraine was the only French warship in the Eastern Mediterranean joining with British warships forming a task force on the 21st. Together they bombarded Italian positions at Bardia which was the last joint Anglo-French operation before the armistice. After the armistice Admiral Godfroy with the British arranged to intern and disarm the Lorraine at Alexandria given the tense relations with Vichy France. However the crew later decided upon themselves to join the Allied Forces in December 1932 and so Lorraine was reactivated for service leaving Alexandria on July 3, 1943 for Dakar. She was used as a training ship until December 2 when she was sent for her final refit. The refit included the removal of her older AA guns and the installment of newer Bofors and Oerlikon auto-cannons. Her fire-control system was enhanced with radar at the cost of Lorraine's seaplane facilities. 

The results of this refit meant that the Lorraine was capable of taking part in Operation Dragoon, the allied invasion of southern France in August 1944 bombarding German defensive positions along the coast and she retained this role until September 1944. Lorraine left southern France on September 17 heading to Cherbourg in December after repairs in Portsmouth. Her last operation in the Allied siege of La Rochelle had the Lorraine pounding the German held "Giron-Noird" fortress on April 1945 supporting two allied infantry divisions. After World War 2 the Lorraine was used as a gunnery training ship since February 1947 before being stricken on February 17 1953. She was scrapped by January 1954 in Toulon.

Photographs:

Spoiler

Lorraine in Casablanca Harbor 1943

\

Lorraine anchored at port

Lorraine at Alexandria (April 22, 1943)

Lorraine passing through Suez Canal 1943

Lorraine during WW1

Lorraine guns broadside

 

Technical Data:

Spoiler

Specifications:

Displacement:  23230 tonnes

Length: 164.9 m

Beam: 26.9 m 

Draught: 9.80 m

Installed Power: 24 x Guyot du Temple boilers (29000 hp)

Propulsion: 4 x shafts, 4 x Parsons geared steam turbines

Speed: 20 knots

Crew: 1133 men

 

Armor:

Belt: 250-160 mm

Upper Belt: 160 mm

Main Deck: 45 mm with 70 mm slopes

Upper Deck: 40 mm

Forecastle Deck: 40 mm

Main Turrets: 400-250 mm

Barbettes: 270 mm

Casemates: 160:

Conning Tower: 300 mm sides

 

Armament (1931):

10 x 340/45 M1912 guns (5 x 2)

18 x 139/55 M1910 guns 

4 x 75/63 M1908 AA guns

4 x 37/50 M1925 AA guns

4 x 450 mm torpedo tubes (beam)

3 x Loire 130 aircraft (one catapult)

Armament (1944):

8 x 340/45 M1912 guns (4 x 2)

14 x 139/55 M1910 guns 

8 x 75/50 M1922 AA guns

14 x 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III AA auto-cannons

25 x 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV AA auto-cannons

SA, SF radars

Sources:

Spoiler

• Jordan, John & Dumas, Robert (2009). French Battleships 1922–1956 . Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
• Breyer, Siegfried. Battleships And Battle Cruisers 1905-1970. Doubleday & Company Inc. 1973
• http://3dhistory.de/wordpress/warship-drawings-warship-blue-prints-warship-plans/french-battleship-drawingsplan-sets-newest-first/french-battle-ship-lorraine-as-build-1913/
• http://www.navypedia.org/ships/france/fr_bb_bretagne.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_battleship_Lorraine
• http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_134-45_m1912.php
• http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_55-55_m1910.php

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by WayOfTheWolk

[ItssLuBu 1,802]

Approved and open for discussion. 

[Admiral_Aruon 2,264]

hey the first French Superdreadnoughts! all for it.

[tricakill 38]

What is that giant tower in the middle-front?

[ThedepthPunisher 194]

3 hours ago, tricakill said:

What is that giant tower in the middle-front?

I’m afraid to say something stupid, but you can see that the tower has two cranes. So in my opinion, its primary purpose, observation and as a second purpose, the launching and towing of seaplanes But we’d have to confirm ! 

[Milocat 4,856]

+1 when we get battleships and a French naval tree.

[WayOfTheWolk 1,573]

On 18/06/2020 at 02:49, tricakill said:

What is that giant tower in the middle-front?

Fire-control director and main observation post 

[sam_dom 87]

Hon hon hon , la Liberation

 

[DoxerWhite@psn 82]

On 22/05/2020 at 10:45, WayOfTheWolk said:

 

Hide contents

Lorraine anchored at port

 

I see two three Latécoère 298 torpedo-bomber facing each other between the funnel and the tower. I also know she had a Loire 130 reconnaissance plane at that time.

Edited November 22, 2020 by DoxerWhite@psn

[Arghail 1,220]

These 340mm mle 1912... I haven't been able to find the amount of explosive for the HE shells it used.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Arghail

[Magiaconatus 1,679]

1 hour ago, Arghail said:

These 340mm mle 1912... I haven't been able to find is the amount of explosive for the HE shells it used.

Time to visit the archives!

[sam_dom 87]