World War II Database

The Dunkerque-class battleships were not as well-armed as contemporary battleships because they were purposefully built to counter the German Deutschland-class pocket battleships, which were in effect extra-heavy cruisers. The design of the class was innovative, having the entire main armament mounted forward in two quadruple turrets, which allowed unrestricted forward fire. During the Phony War, battleship Strasbourg escorted convoys. After the fall of France, she was docked in Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria alongside of sister ship Dunkerque. On 3 Jul 1940, British Force H executed Operation Catapult and attacked the French fleet there. While other French ships were damaged, Strasbourg managed to escape, eventually making her way to Toulon, France, becoming the flagship of the Vichy French Navy. On 27 Nov 1942, the Germans broke the armistice and invaded Toulon. Along with most of the French fleet, she was scuttled by opening sea valves and then by demolition charges, with some of her guns firing at German tanks as she sank. On 17 Jul 1943, she was refloated by the Italian Navy in an attempt to either put her into service or to use as scrap, but the Italian surrender prompted German takeover of the ship. On 1 Apr 1944, she returned under Vichy French control. On 18 Aug 1944, she was sunk a second time in Toulon, this time as the result of American aerial bombing. On 1 Oct 1944, she was refloated by the Free French. Re-entering French naval service, she was used as a test bed for underwater explosions until 22 Mar 1955. She was sold for scrapping on 27 May.

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