FAN Toulouse (BC-1913 (1936-mod))
The Gloire class battlecruisers were under construction, but even before they were completed, the HMS Invincible had been revealed to the world as being armed with 12" guns, NOT the 9.2" that the Royal Navy had fed to the world with false information. At least 5-6 countries were taken in by this mis-information campaign and had built ships with similar sized guns to the fictional 9.2". Once the deception was revealed, all those countries scrambled to catch up with battlecruisers with guns equivalent to the Invincible. The French were lucky in that their building practices changing from wing turrets to inline main guns gave them an overrun of production of eight turrets. Just enough for two new battlecruisers. They were essentially to be Gloire class with 12".
Having the plans for the Gloire to hand, an all round raising of tonnage and
dimensions for a ship with eight 12" in place of the eight 9.4" was made. Most
of the Toulouse resembled the Gloire, there was just more of it. More length,
breadth and displacement, more armour, minor weaponry. A general increase in
staying power. Like the other older pre-World War One ships, they were
saved from the scrapheap by the Japanese not renewing their allegiance to the
London Naval Treaty, but also because the French had few, what could be called,
'Fast' ships. The latest Treaty cruisers that had been built were fast but had
no armour. They required a ship of force to look out for them. That is what the
Toulouse class was to become. Flagships to the cruiser squadrons.
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With twenty years service in, the ships were due for retirement when the
Japanese refused to ratify the 1930 Arms treaty and all of the ships that would
have gone into the scrapyard were reprieved and rebuilt. The Toulouse were to
have similar rebuilds to the Gloire class with appropriate differences for size.
The larger ship also allowed for more AA weapons.
I have the drawing dated 1934, but in reality the light AA is more 1939-40.
| Displacement | 18,500 tons std, 21,800 full load | 18,800 tons std, 22,300 full load |
| Length | 575 ft | 575 ft |
| Breadth | 84 ft | 84 ft |
| Draught | 25 ft | 25 ft |
| Machinery | 4 shaft steam turbines, 75,000shp | 4 shaft steam turbines 100,000shp |
| Speed | 28 knots | 30 knots |
| Range | 5000 miles at 12 knots | 7500 miles at 12 knots |
| Armour | 9" side, 3" deck, 10" turrets | 9" side, 5.1" deck, 10" turrets |
| Armament | As completed 8 x 12" (4x2) 12 x 5.5" (12x1) 10 x 100mm (8x1) |
As rebuilt 1934 8 x 12" (4x2) 12 x 5.1" (6x2) 22 x 37mm (11x2) 18x 20mm H-S (18x1) |
| Torpedoes | 5 x 17.7" (submerged) | nil |
| Complement | 900 | 1020 |
| Notes | FAN Toulouse FAN Bordeaux |
|
Twin 12".
