The 26,500 tons battle cruiser Dunkerque was around 18 months ordered and now finally laid down. Her main armament consisted of 2x4-33cm guns placed in two turrets on the fore ship. Regarded the position of the main armament concluded the journalist that she was designed to attack and or pursue. Although she was armed with heavy guns it was nothing compared with the 9-40,6cm guns and 12-15,2cm guns of the British battleships HMS Nelson and Rodney. However the Dunkerque was with 30 knots obvious faster as the 23,5 knots of both British ships. The 42,600 tons British cruiser HMS Hood with 8-38cm guns and 31 knots was on paper superior to the Dunkerque. The latter was also armed with 3x4-15,5cm guns in turrets on the aft ship and she could carry with her 4 planes for which purpose she was fitted out with a catapult, but she was lacking torpedo tubes. According to the rumours was she the French answer to the German Deutschland-class and was she competitive against two of these ships.(1)
Note
1. The German so-called pocket battleships Deutschland (later renamed Lützow), Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee with a displacement of 12,100 (standard)-16,200 (full load) tons and a main armament of 2x3-28,3cm guns and a speed of 28,5 knots.
