Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

The JEAN BART, IIRC, was the very last battleship completed. She was taken in hand March, 1946 to be updated and completed. She finally joined the French Fleet in May, 1956!! Only turret II (380mm) and VII (152mm) along with two groups of 100 mm and three groups of 57mm were worked up and manned for the Suez operation. She fired 4 rounds of 380 mm at Port Said before the operation was called off.

This information is from the superb book: FRENCH BATTLESHIPS 1922-1956 by John Jordan and Robert Dumas. If one has interest about the four third generation French BBs, this is the best single source I have seen.

She was a big beast to berthalongside . I first encountered her in Gibraltar early 1956 when we berthed alongside and saw the sixe of her up close. We were in company with her again as we formed up and sailed from Cyprus to sort out the Gypos at Suez .

Dave H

She's certainly is a brute Dave , and looks as if she could give as good as she took , very sleek for her size and has a commanding air about her .thanks for posting her Dennis .

Richelieu Class Battleship FS Jean Bart pictured in 1955.
Derived from the Dunkerque Class, Jean Bart (and her sister ship Richelieu) were designed to fight the new Battleships of the Italian Navy. Their speed, shielding, armament, and overall technology were state of the art, but they had a rather unusual main battery armament arrangement, with two 4-gun turrets forward and none aft.
Jean Bart was incomplete when France surrendered to Germany in June 1940. She sailed from Saint-Nazaire to Casablanca just before the Armistice. She was sunk in harbour in 1942. After the war she was re-floated, completed with an updated Anti-Aircraft battery, and entered service in 1955. She had a very short career: Jean Bart was put into reserve in 1957, decommissioned in 1961, and scrapped in 1969.

She was a handsome pincushion wasn't she? Not a good ROI, but plenty for we ship lovers to ogle!!

No argument from me Dennis , she certainly looked the rowlocks

Richelieu Class Battleship FS Jean Bart.

From 1945 to her end.......DFO

Casablanca, Nov. '42 was when this picture was taken....OWCH! DFO

The big JEAN BART, NYC 1955........... I sure wish I would have seen her; lived @ 30 miles away! DFO