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Friday 21 April 2017

The quadruple gun turrets of the French Normandie-class battleships according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1915-1915 no. 3

Normandie-class

An item reported that the French Normandie-class was fitted out with quadruple gun turrets divided with armoured bulkheads into two compartments with each a pair of guns using one cradle. The intention was to fire with 2 guns at the same time although care was taken to fire all four guns at the same time without disabling the turret. Each turret had a range-finder on a large foundation below the guns. The fore turret could be used as 2nd fire control station. The 24-14cm/5.5” L/55 were mounted armoured triple redoubts.(1)

Note
1. The Normandie-class 25.230 tons battleships to consist of the Normandie, Flandre, Gascogne, Languedoc and Béarn, preceded by the Bretagne-class and succeeded by the planned but not realized Lyon-class and the actual built Dunkerque-class was to consist of 5 units of which just one the Béarn was completed although as an aircraft carrier. The main armament was to consist of 4x3-34cm/13” /45 Modè 1912 guns.