Laid down at F.&Ch. de la Méditerranée, La Seyne, France 10 January 1914, launched April 1920, commissioned May 1927, stricken and departed March 1967 towards Italy to be broken up. n. Was to be a battleship of the Normandie-class but finished as an aircraft carrier. The building of the four ships of this class was made by the Law of 30 March 1912 and the Béarn was to be the 5th ship, although an improved version, allowed 3 December 1913. The building however was stopped in August 1914, and started again in December 1918. In 1921-1922 was the upper deck rebuilt as an provisional flight deck, since 4 August 1923 started the rebuilding as a real carrier and commissioned 1 September 1926, although she was not earlier completed as May 1927. After 1943 rebuilt as a aircraft transport became she in 1947/1948 a hulk at Toulon and finally a depot ship for submarines.
Dimensions 182.6 (over all) x 35.2 x 9.3m with a displacement of 22.146 tons standard and 28.400 tons loaded. Her Parsons turbines delivered 36.200 ship making a speed of 21,5 knots possible. Her crew numbered 865 men. As a battleship her main armament was to be 12-34cm guns. In fact she was armed with 8 single mounted 155mm guns , 6 single mounted 75mm anti-aircraft guns and 4-55cm torpedo tubes. To this armament were in 1935 8-37mm and 16 single mounted 13.22mm, both anti aircraft guns added. millimetre anti-aircraft guns (added 1935). When she was rebuilt as a transport she was rearmed with 4-5 inch guns and 24-40 mm and 26-20 mm, both anti-aircraft guns. As carrier she had between 35-40 planes on board. She still was armoured, the main belt with 80mm and the flight deck with 25mm.
She was in fact the only French aircraft carrier before and in the Second World War, until in 1945 the Dixmude (the former British HMS Biter) joined her.
Sources
Jean Moulin, Lucien Morareau and Claude Picard “Le Bearn et le Commandant Teste”.
“Warship International”, 1995, No 4 (Question Section) and 1996, No 4 (Answer Section)
“Lloyd’s Register of Shipping 1941”.
sourcehttp://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/french_aircraft_carriers.htm
http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/treachery.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_B%C3%A9arn
Conway’s Al the World Fightings Ships 1906-1946.
Jacques Vichot. Répertoire des navires de guerre français. Paris, 1967.
Peter Hore. Slagschepen.
Siegfried Beyer. Schlachtschiffe und Schlachtkreuzer 1905-1970.
