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The Voltaire/Danton class were still under construction when the next class of four ships were authorised and laid down. The Royal Navy had just completed the Neptune's and were constructing the Orion class. The French Navy liked the design of the Orion class with its five inline turrets. What was not liked was the complexity of the arrangements for machinery around the Q turret. Surely something better could be arranged. The French still had 12" turrets available from the rearrangement of the armament of the Danton type battleships. Because of this it was felt that it would be quicker to keep producing the twin 12" turret for this design and to follow it with the next class having an increase in gun size. Besides which, the Germanic States were still producing battleships with 12" guns.
The original design of the Courbet class featured two wing turrets where I have placed the 'drop' boat. This means for the ten gun broadside, the ship needs six turrets. My design above only requires five turrets for the same broadside. This style of ship does require a stepped hull for that three level design for the turrets aft. This saving of four twin 12" turrets would give enough guns for a battlecruiser. (Now why didn't I think of that!)
Between 1928 and 1931, all four ships were refitted to an updated status. While new ships were starting to be laid down, these four ships would have to provide longer service than they might have otherwise done. The Japanese refusing to be a signatory to the London Naval Treaty of 1930, kept these ships in front line service where they may have been dropped to miscellaneous service as befitting their age. 1940 and three had made it to war. The France had foundered after hitting a rock in Quiberon Bay, becoming a total loss. No further work was to be done on the remaining ships. They would fight or die as required. At the armistice, the three ships were scattered far and wide. One was in the West Indies with the Bearn. One had been in Brest and escaped to Plymouth where the ship was taken by the British and passed onto the Free French. The third was at Alexandria, and stayed their till December 1942 when it rejoined the Free French Navy.
