FAN St Louis (CA - 1940)
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Last of days - 2023 - While I like the idea of quad
8" armed cruisers to rival the battleships. The moment I arm the Algerie with
three triple turrets then the St Louis is going to go to four triples.
The St Louis introduces new marks of 8", 3.9" and minor AA weaponry. The size of
the ship increases to almost battlecruiser sizes to take the weapons, armour and
machinery to be set aboard ship.
It is always a temptation to have one of these 90% complete and able to be
transferred to Britain at the Armistice. Operation Catapult turning over the
ship to the Free French and the ship going to the Clyde for completion. This
would include the new twin 40mm Bofors weapons and a few 20mm twins. Radar
systems would start to be fitted and all the different electronics would be
brought up to date.
Much more likely would be the ships being laid down in 1939 for completion in
1942-43. But how am I supposed to get the St Louis to square off against a
Hipper if I can't get them both at sea at the same time.
| Displacement |
15,500 tons std 19,800 tons full load |
| Length |
681 ft |
| Breadth |
74 ft |
| Draught |
26 ft |
| Machinery |
4 shaft steam turbines, 140,000shp |
| Speed |
33 knots |
| Range |
8000 miles at 15 knots (2,450 nm at 28 knots) |
| Armour |
6.1" side, 3.9" deck, 6.1" turrets |
| Armament |
12 x 8" (4x3)
12 x 3.9 (6x2)
16 x 40mm (8x2)
24 x 20mm (12x2) |
| Aircraft |
3 (Loire 130) |
| Complement |
1025 |
| Notes |
|
Original drawings and blurb for quad armed St Louis.
The French Navies last heavy cruiser was the well liked Algerie. Since that ship
the French had built the Dunkerque type and Richelieu class with two quad
turrets forward. The French Naval Designers decided to put forward a heavy
cruiser type with the same layout, two quad turrets of 8" forward. These were to
be big ships, equivalent to the German Hipper class with good armament and much
better armour than earlier ships.
As designed through to mid 1940. As escaped from Brest Navy Yard, July 1940.
The two ships of the class were to be fitted with all the latest marks of guns,
8"/1939, 3.9"/1940, 37mm/1940, with aircraft. The strange part was the lack of
torpedoes on a French cruiser. A lot of the extra large hull was made available
to the propulsion system with a 140,000shp output for 34 knots. Up to 3 aircraft
could be carried.
Twin 37mm as fitted.
95% completed when the Germans were rolling through France, both ships were
hastily got to sea from the Brest Navy Yards and sent to Belfast in Northern
Ireland for completion. Only the electronic fittings were needed to be completed
and British systems were fitted in place. Both ships then rejoined the Free
French Navy and fought alongside other French units that had joined the fight
with the Allies against the hated Boche.
With additional electronic fittings placed aboard at Belfast July 1940.
FAN Charlemagne (1945)
As the Richelieu and Alsace are related, so to the St Louis and Charlemagne.
With 12x8" in three quad turrets the ship needed to be longer than the Dunkerque
class battlecruisers to fit everything in. The same propulsion system as the St
Louis, the speed dropped from 34 knots to 32 knots. The longer and broader hull
(733x76 feet) helped to keep stability even.
The armament of the ship at 1945:
12 x 8" (3x4)
14 x 100mm (7x2)
18 x 37mm (9x2)
6 x 21" torpedoes (2x3)
3 Aircraft
FAN St. Louis: 1940
FAN St. Henri: 1940
FAN Charlemagne: 1945
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