French battleship Lorraine
Encyclopedia
The Lorraine was a French Navy
battleship
of the Bretagne class
named in honour of the region of Lorraine
in France.
and Provence
, the Lorraine was armed with a main armament of ten of the new 340 mm
main guns from the cancelled Normandie-class battleships
. The main guns were mounted two per turret; two centreline superfiring forwards, two centreline superfiring aft and one amidships centreline turret that could fire to both sides.
In refits from 1921 to 1922, 1926 to 1927, and from 1934 to 1936 the Lorraine was modernised between the wars, with an aircraft catapult put in place of her midships gun-turret and modern anti-aircraft armament, as well being converted to new oil-firing boilers. Despite putting out 43,000 horsepower, the new boilers only pushed her speed up to 21 knots and here again her lack of speed as well as her relatively thin 270 mm armour made her a liability in battle.
.
During the outbreak of Second World War
the Lorraine carried France's gold reserves to the United States in November 1939. She was then ordered to the Eastern Mediterranean, where she participated in the bombardment of Bardia
.
When in the earliest days of July 1940, the Royal Navy carried out the Operation Catapult, in Alexandria, Admiral Andrew Cunningham
who commanded the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, and Admiral Godfroy
, in command of the French Force X, struck a deal which avoided a dreadful affrontment and led to the disarmament and internment of the Lorraine and the other ships of the French squadron by the British, on July 7, 1940.
Six months after the French Africa forces joined the Allies
, the French warships in Alexandria joined them on 31 May 1943. In 1944, the Lorraine carried out shore bombardments of Southern France, during the Allies' Operation Dragoon
: her big guns supported the landings in August and September 1944 and she bombarded a number of hold-out German fortresses in both the Mediterranean and Atlantic for the rest of the war.
Following the end of the war in Europe
, the Lorraine was converted into a training hulk.
Decommissioned on 17 February 1953, she was finally scrapped in 1954.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
of the Bretagne class
Bretagne class battleship
The Bretagne class battleships were the first "super-dreadnoughts" built for the French Navy during the First World War. The class comprised three vessels: Bretagne, the lead ship, Provence, and Lorraine. They were an improvement of the previous , and mounted ten guns instead of twelve guns as on...
named in honour of the region of Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
in France.
Construction
The Lorraine was built by Ateliers & Chantiers de la Loire at St. Nazaire, and her keel was laid down on 1 August 1912. Launched on 30 September 1913, she was completed and commissioned on 27 July 1916. Like her sister ships, the battleships BretagneFrench battleship Bretagne
The Bretagne was a battleship of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was named in honour of the French region of Brittany, and was built by Arsenal de Brest...
and Provence
French battleship Provence
The Provence was a French Navy battleship of the Bretagne class named in honour of the French region of Provence.- Construction :She was built by Arsenal de Lorient, and her keel was laid on 1 May 1912...
, the Lorraine was armed with a main armament of ten of the new 340 mm
340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun
The 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy.While the calibres of the naval guns of the French Navy were usually very close to those of their British counterparts, the calibre of 340 mm is specific to the French Navy....
main guns from the cancelled Normandie-class battleships
Normandie class battleship
The Normandie-class dreadnought battleships were ordered for the French Navy before the First World War. They were named after provinces of France. These ships were never completed as battleships because the war stopped their construction...
. The main guns were mounted two per turret; two centreline superfiring forwards, two centreline superfiring aft and one amidships centreline turret that could fire to both sides.
In refits from 1921 to 1922, 1926 to 1927, and from 1934 to 1936 the Lorraine was modernised between the wars, with an aircraft catapult put in place of her midships gun-turret and modern anti-aircraft armament, as well being converted to new oil-firing boilers. Despite putting out 43,000 horsepower, the new boilers only pushed her speed up to 21 knots and here again her lack of speed as well as her relatively thin 270 mm armour made her a liability in battle.
Service
She served with her two sister ships in the Mediterranean during both World Wars. Save for sailing around in potentially hostile waters, the ship saw no action during the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
During the outbreak of Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Lorraine carried France's gold reserves to the United States in November 1939. She was then ordered to the Eastern Mediterranean, where she participated in the bombardment of Bardia
Bardia
Bardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
.
When in the earliest days of July 1940, the Royal Navy carried out the Operation Catapult, in Alexandria, Admiral Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT, GCB, OM, DSO and two Bars , was a British admiral of the Second World War. Cunningham was widely known by his nickname, "ABC"....
who commanded the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, and Admiral Godfroy
René-Emile Godfroy
René-Emile Godfroy was a French admiral.Godfroy was born at Paris. In June 1940, he commanded French naval forces at Alexandria, where he negotiated, with British Admiral Andrew Cunningham, the peaceful internment of his ships.The French squadron consisted of the battleship Lorraine, 4 cruisers, 3...
, in command of the French Force X, struck a deal which avoided a dreadful affrontment and led to the disarmament and internment of the Lorraine and the other ships of the French squadron by the British, on July 7, 1940.
Six months after the French Africa forces joined the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
, the French warships in Alexandria joined them on 31 May 1943. In 1944, the Lorraine carried out shore bombardments of Southern France, during the Allies' Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
: her big guns supported the landings in August and September 1944 and she bombarded a number of hold-out German fortresses in both the Mediterranean and Atlantic for the rest of the war.
Following the end of the war in Europe
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, the Lorraine was converted into a training hulk.
Decommissioned on 17 February 1953, she was finally scrapped in 1954.