French fast battleship/battle cruiser Dunkerque
French Richelieu-class
Italian Vittorio Veneto-class.
With our thanks to Enrico
An item referred to the magazine Revista Maritime dated May 1935 which reported that according to the navy budget sent to the French parliament that the unity for building 35.000 ton battleship (1) was not caused by a prestige issue but just a minimum demand for obtaining the necessary offensive and defensive qualities.
Note
1. The Richelieu-class of which the Richelieu and Jean Bart were completed but the Clemenceau and Gascogne not and the with a design standard displacement of 35.000 ton, preceded by the Dunkerque-class and to succeeded by the never built Alsace-class. Designed as an answer on the Italian Vittorio Veneto-class battleships (1) while Italy and not Germany was the main threat for France regarded the supremacy in the Mediterranean. As a result of building under different programs were the ship not entirely similar.
