She was the French answer on the Italian Zara-class cruisers and despite being a so-called Treaty Cruiser (1) was much attention paid to her armour resulting in a better armoured cruiser then many others dating from that period.
Laid down at the Brest Dockyard at Brest, France on 19 March 1931, launched on 21 May 1932, commissioned on 15 September 1942, scuttled while lying at Toulon, France on 27 November 1942, by the Italian forces salvaged in sections on 18 March 1943, what was left of her sunk again during an aircraft attack on 7 March 1944 and finally again salvaged and broken up.
With a displacement of 10.000 (standard)-13.641 (full load) tons and as dimensions 186,2 x 20 x 6,15 metres or 611 x 66 x 20.2 feet. The machinery consisted of 4-shaft Rateau-Bretagne SR geared turbines and 6 Indret boilers supplying 84.000 shp allowing a speed of 31 knots. With a speed of 15 knots she had a range of 8.700 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 748 men. The armour consisted of a 12cm/4.7” thick main belt, 7cm/2.8” thick transverse bulkheads, 4cm/1.6” thick longitudinal bulkheads, a 8cm/3” thick main deck with the gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 7cm/2.8”(sides and roofs)-9,5cm/3.7” (faces) and 7cm/2.8”-9,5cm/3.7”. Against torpedo attacks was also a torpedo bulkhead available. The armament consisted of 4x2-20,3cm/8” /55 Modèle 1931 guns, 6x2-10cm/3.94“/45 guns, 4x2-3,8cm/1,5” anti aircraft guns (since 1941 even 16), 4x4-13,2mm anti aircraft guns (since 1941 even 36) and 2x2-55cm torpedo tubes. She carried with 3 Loire 130 floatplanes for which she was fitted out with 2 catapults (removed in 1941).
Note
1. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930 dictated the limits of heavy cruisers, namely a maximum displacement of 10.000 tons and a maximum calibre of 20,3cm/8” for her main armament. The armour was often sacrificed due to the limited displacement, the wanted speed and the weight of the armament.
