Building at the Arsenal de Brest, France ordered on 30 July 1913, laid down on 1 October 1913, launched on 20 October 1914, hull for 65% completed in December 1917 and finally broken up in October 1924.
Part of the Normandie-class battleships which consisted of the Normandie, Flandre, Gascogne, Languedoc and the Béarn. The last one is the only ship of this class completed, however not as a battleships but as a aircraft carrier. The ships except for the Béarn were fitted out with a combination of steam turbines and triple expansion engines in an attempt to increase the fuel efficiency consumption. The latter was to be fitted out with 4 sets of turbines. Despite several proposals from the French were the ships broken up while France lacked the needed money after the First World War. Cancelled in the 1922 construction program were the ships laid up ain Landevennec. The Normandie-class was to be succeeded by the planned but never realized Lyon-class battleships.
Displacement 25.230 tons/24.830 long tons and as dimensions 190,6 (between perpendiculars)-175,7 (over waterline) 176,6 (over all) x 27 x 8,65 metres or 55.9-576.1-579.5 x 88.7 x 28.5 feet. In February 1912 were the design dimensions 172 x 27.8 x 8,8 metres or 564 x 91.2 x 29 feet with a displacement of about 25.000 tons. The dimensions and displacement were limited due to the sized of the French shipyards. This first design should have a speed of 20-21knots.A second design with an armament of 4x4-40,6cm/16.0“ guns and a maximum draught of 9 metres/30’should have a speed of 20 knots. The machinery existed of 2-shaft triple expansion engines and 2-shaft turbines and 21/28 coal-fired boilers which delivered 32.000 shp allowing a speed of 21 knots and with a speed of 12 knots a range of 6.500 nautical miles and with maximum speed just 1.800 nautical miles. The crew should number 1.200 men (included 43 officers). The armour consisted of a 12/18cm/4.7-4.1”30cm/12” thick belt on the waterline, the upper belt was 16/6.3“-24cm/9.4” thick, 2 armoured deck of 5cm/2.0 with the gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 34vm/13” and 30cm/12” thick armour and the casemate guns by 16-18cm thick armour. The armament consisted of 4x3-34cm/45 Modèle 1912 guns, 24x1-13,86cm/55 Mle 1910 guns, 6-4,7cm/1.9” guns and 6-45cm/17.7” torpedo tubes.
