JEAN BART - Vichy French Battleship

Photo of French battleship Jean Bart at Casablanca pier following Allied aerial and naval bombardment during North African Invasion ("Operation Torch") .
  • During the opening bombardment of Casablanca on 8 November, 1942 the battleship USS Massachusetts scored 5 hits on Jean Bart with her 16" shells. One penetrated an empty magazine. A second penetrated below the after control station, completely wrecking it, and the nose made a large hole below the waterline. The third and fourth did not meet sufficient resistance to detonate an armor-piercing shell. The fifth, about 0720, hit the forward turret (then firing at Massachusetts), ricocheted against the top of the barbette, and then into the city, where it was recovered and set up as a trophy at the French Admiralty building. The impact of this shell on the barbette jammed the turret in train, silencing Jean Bart's entire main battery for about eight hours.

At 1145 November 10, 1942 the Jean Bart opened fire on the USS Augusta which at the time had been supporting the invasion transport troops and firing upon a French destroyer. The photo to the left was taken from the deck of the Augusta and shows one of the gun splashes from Jean Bart's 15-inch shells.The Augusta's War Diary entry for that date tells the rest of the story.

Photos reproduced at National Archives, College Park, MD

Jean Bart Statistics:
Richelieu class battleship
Displ: 35,000 tons standard; 46,500 tons normal; 49,850 tons full load
Dim: 813 x 116 x 30 feet
Prop: Steam turbines, 6 boilers, 4 shafts, 165,000 hp, 32 knots
Crew: 2134 as flagship)
Arm: 2 quad 15/45, 3 triple 6/55, 6 dual 3.9/45, 4 dual 37 mm AA, 4 quad 13.2 mm AA
Armor: 13.6 inch belt, 5.9-6.7 inch deck, 16.9 inch (max) turrets, 13.8 inch CT
Very heavily armored, very powerful fast battleship

Built by A C de St. Nazaire-Penhoet. Laid down 1/1939, launched 6 March 1940, escaped to Casablanca under her own power 6/1940 at 77% completion, with only one 15" turret installed. Damaged by US gunfire during the invasion of North Africa. Completion work began in 1946 at Brest, completed for trials 1/1949. but AA armament was not installed until 1951-52. Armament in 1955 was 8 15 inch, 9 6 inch, 12 dual 3.9 inch, 14 dual 57 mm, 20 single 20 mm. Used as gunfire support ship at Suez in 1956, training ship until stricken 1/1961. Hulked as accommodation ship at Toulon, scrapped 1970.

 USS AUGUSTA HOMEPAGE

BULLETIN BOARD

CREW | CREW PHOTOS | HISTORY | LINKS | PLANES | REPORTS | REUNION | SEARCH THE SITE |SHIP PHOTOS | SHIP STATISTICS

ship@internet-esq.com