History & Modifications
All ships:
The three surviving ships were refitted between 1926 and 1929. The twin funnels were combined into
a single uptake, and a tripod replaced for the pole foremast. The range of the 12" guns was increased to
23000 yards by increasing the barrel elevation. Seven 3" and two 45mm AA guns were also added.
Courbet:
Courbet was the flagship of Admiral de Lapeyrere during WW1. During her 1929 refit she was also given
new small watertube boilers that had been intended for the cancelled Normandie class. She was
classified as a training ship in 1939. On 3rd July 1940 she was taken over by the Royal Navy and then
used as a guardship. On 9th June 1944 she was scuttled as a breakwater off Normandy
France:
France sank on 26th August 1922 after striking an uncharted rock in Quiberon Bay.
Jean Bart:
Jean Bart was torpedoed by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U12 in the Adriatic on 21st December 1914,
but little damage was done. She was renamed Ocean in 1936 and converted to a training ship in 1938.
On 7th March 1944 she was damaged by bombs in an Allied air raid, and on 15th March 1944 she sank
during weapons trials held by the Germans. The wreck was salvaged postwar and scrapped at Toulon
between 1946 and 1947.
Paris:
Paris was converted into a training ship in 1939 and was taken over by the Royal Navy on 3rd July 1940.
She was used as an accomodation ship during WW2, and returned to France postwar, arriving at Brest
in August 1945. She was then used as a pontoon from 1950 until being sold for scrapping on 21st
December 1955.