Dutch magazine Onze Vloot dated June 1935, p. 80, after a drawing of Adriaan van Sorge
The Dunkerque
An item referred to the magazine U.S.R. dated 20 July 1939 reported that the British East Asia Fleet was relative weak due to lacking capital ships. There was a possibility that during the British-French staff meetings France would be asked to sent her 2 new battle cruisers Dunker (1) and Strasbourg to Singapore keeping her 6 older battleships in European waters. The presence of both French ships at Singapore was just opportune.
Notes
1. Of the Dunkerque-class of fast battleships. Laid down at the navy yard at Brest, France on 24 December 1932, launched on 2 October 1935, commissioned on 1 May 1937, scuttled at Toulon, France on 27 November 1942 and finally broken up in 1958. Displacement 26.900/26.500 long tons (standard)-35.500 tons/34.900 tons (full load), a main armament of 8-33cm/13” guns and a maximum speed of 31,06 knots.
2. Of the Dunkerque-class fast battleships. This class was preceded by the Bretagne-class, succeeded by the Richelieu-class and an answer to the German so-called pocket battleships of the Deutschland-class (for instance the Graf Spee!). The Strasbourg was laid down in November 1934, launched on 12 December 1936, scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1i42, refloated on 17 July 1943 by the Italian navy but after Italy capitulated in German hands, handed over to France on 1 April 1944, sunk as a result of an American air attack on 18 August 1944, refloated on 1 October 1944 and used as a target for trials with underwater explosives, renamed Q45 on 22 March 1955 and sold on 27 May of the same year to be broken up.
