"Richelieu" (1940)

Les Géants de la République

        Richelieu / Jean Bart  / Surcouf 

low brick version: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3676822027

Good afternoon, captains. Today I present a battleship I’ve long wanted to showcase. So without further delay, let’s take a deeper look at this King Without a Kingdom of naval history.

Richelieu: L’Errant de l’Empire

The battleship Richelieu was laid down in 1935 as France’s response to the rising naval tensions in Europe. Her original purpose was clear: to counter the growing strength of the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean, particularly the modern battleships of the Regia Marina that threatened the balance of power in the region.

France required a warship capable of matching, and surpassing, those Italian giants in speed, protection, and firepower. Thus, Richelieu was born: the lead ship of her class and one of the most advanced battleships of her time. She was fast, heavily armored, and armed with eight 380 mm guns concentrated in two forward quadruple turrets, a bold and distinctly French design choice.

But history had other plans.

When Germany invaded France in 1940, Richelieu was still incomplete. To avoid capture, she fled to Dakar in West Africa just days before France surrendered. There, she found herself in an uncertain position, serving under the Vichy regime while the Free French forces, led by Charles de Gaulle, sought to continue the fight.

In July 1940, during Operation Catapult, British forces attacked French ships to prevent them from falling under Axis control. Richelieu was struck by torpedoes launched from aircraft of the carrier HMS Hermes, leaving her damaged and partially disabled.

For a time, she stood isolated, powerful, yet politically adrift. A battleship without clear allegiance.

In 1942, following the Allied landings in North Africa and the gradual alignment of French forces with the Allies, Richelieu joined their cause. She was sent to the United States for extensive modernization in New York, receiving improved radar systems, reinforced anti-aircraft defenses, and repairs to her damaged equipment.

By 1944, she returned to combat, this time operating alongside the British Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean against Japanese forces. The very ship that had once faced British guns was now fighting beside them.

Richelieu survived the war and remained in service for years afterward, becoming not only a symbol of French naval power, but also a reflection of a nation once divided… and ultimately reunited.

Technical Specifications

Type: Battleship Class: Richelieu-class

Laid down: 1935 Commissioned: 1940

Displacement:

~35,000 tons (standard)

~47,000–48,000 tons (full load, post-refit)

Length: 247.9 m Beam: 33 m Draft: ~9.9 m

Propulsion:

4 shafts

Steam turbines

~155,000 shp

Maximum Speed: 30–32 knots

Range: ~8,000 nautical miles at 20 knots

Crew: ~1,500–1,700 (depending on refit period)

Armament (as completed / post-US refit)

Main Battery:

8 × 380 mm (15 in) guns

Mounted in 2 quadruple turrets (both forward)

Secondary Battery:

9 × 152 mm guns (in triple turrets)

Anti-Aircraft (post-modernization):

100 mm dual-purpose guns

40 mm Bofors

20 mm Oerlikon

Seaplanes with catapult launch system

Controls:

Main Battery – FA1 Secondary Battery – FA2 Aircraft Launch – Increase throttle and press B

Others things

Special thanks to “August Kramer” for the flags

This elegant naval beast was suggested by the user “QHM.” I hope you’re satisfied with the result, and thank you for trusting me with the creation of this magnificent war machine.

Well, my friends, as always, all that’s left for me is to wish you good fortune in these troubled seas. Until next time, captains :D