world of warships french battleship penetration

This similarity should provide us with the most interesting comparison. This design was the closest to the Iowa class in terms of size and capability. For the purposes of this article, we are going to use the largest and most potent of the designs, the 45,000-ton No.

It’s still a matter of debate on which design France would ultimately choose.

Designs ranging from 40,000 to 45,000 tons were being developed without a clear choice by the time construction ended. Though allowed up to 45,000 tons, French designers were unsure if they would need the maximum size. Furthermore, the Alsace class was still divided among three potential design variants. Being unfinished designs, the best we have to work with are the original design specifications. Important Considerationīefore continuing, it’s important to point out that the data on the Alsace class is not complete. In this article, we compare the Iowa class vs Alsace class, seeing how these two mighty dreadnoughts would have compared with each other. These dreadnoughts, designed to the new maximum allowable displacement of 45,000 tons would allow them to match the Iowa class in size. However, the Richelieu class was to be succeeded by an even larger and more powerful design, the Alsace class battleships. Though they were almost as fast, they lagged behind the American ships in firepower and armor, not surprising considering they were 35,000-ton “Treaty” battleships. These powerful battleships could exceed 32 knots in speed, almost matching the Iowa class. However, there was one notable exception, the Richelieu class battleships of the French Navy. Unique designs built with an emphasis on speed, few of their dreadnought contemporaries could keep up with them. Few battleships during the Second World War were as specialized as the Iowa class battleships of the United States Navy.

World of warships french battleship penetration