Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

Bretagne Class Dreadnought Battleship Provence pictured at Toulon c1915.

PROVENCE after the MN's "suicide"............ DFO

Lead Ship,Dreadnought Battleship Bretagne pictured post her major refit at Toulon c 1920... Bretagne entered service in February 1916, after the start of World War I. She spent the bulk of her nearly 25-year-long career in the Mediterranean Squadron and sometimes served as its flagship. During World War I she provided cover for the Otranto Barrage that blockaded the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea, but saw no action.
She was significantly modernised in the interwar period, and when she was on active duty, conducted normal peacetime cruises and training manoevres in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. After World War II broke out in September 1939, Bretagne escorted troop convoys and was briefly deployed to the Atlantic in search of German blockade runners and commerce raiders. Germany invaded France on May 10th 1940 and the French surrendered only six weeks later, at which time the Battleship was stationed in Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria. Fearful that the Germans would seize the French Navy, the RN attacked the ships there on July 3rd 1940 after the French refused to surrender or demilitarise the fleet; Bretagne was hit four times and exploded, killing the majority of her crew. Her wreck was salvaged in 1952 and broken up for scrap.

Some of BRETAGNEs' 13.4s!! DFO

Bretagne Class Battleship Lorraine pictured at Alexandria in April 1942.

A early and late view (semi-submersible!) of COURBET.............. DFO

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship Bretagne pictured in the 1930's..She was sunk at Mers El Kébir on July 3rd 1940.

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship Bretagne pictured at Toulon in 1919.

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship Bretagne pictured in dry dock at Toulon on October 21st 1916...Bretagne entered service in February 1916, after the start of World War I. She spent the bulk of her nearly 25-year-long career in the Mediterranean Squadron and sometimes served as its flagship. During World War I she provided cover for the Otranto Barrage that blockaded the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea, but saw no action.
The ship was significantly modernised in the interwar period, and when she was on active duty, conducted normal peacetime cruises and training manoeuvres in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. After World War II broke out in September 1939, Bretagne escorted troop convoys and was briefly deployed to the Atlantic in search of German blockade runners and commerce raiders. Germany invaded France on May 10th 1940 and the French surrendered only six weeks later, at which time the Battleship was stationed in Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria. Fearful that the Germans would seize the French Navy, the British attacked the ships there on July 3rd 1940 after the French refused to surrender or demilitarise the fleet; Bretagne was hit four times and exploded, killing the majority of her crew. Her wreck was salvaged in 1952 and broken up for scrap.

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship Bretagne pictured in dry dock at Toulon on October 1st 1916.