Béarn (aircraft carrier)

See also: Béarn (homonymy)

The Porte-avions Béarn is the only ship of this affected type to the French National marine until 1945 (where it will receive the Dixmude ).

Launched the April 15th 1920 like Armoured of the class Normandy, it is transformed between 1923 and 1927, pursuant to the Traité of Washington. Its speed of 20 node S is too slow to fulfill its role (whereas its British counterparts based on cruisers slip by to 31 nodes) and it is used only as platform of drive and transport.

In May 1940, it was used for transport of the Or intended to pay the planes bought with the the United States and the convoying of the same apparatuses towards France but is diverted on the the Antilles at the time of the Armistice then will undergo in the United States of deep modifications.

It contributed to the beginning of the Guerre of Indo-China to transport the aviation intended for the French Task force.

It is used as pontoon for the crews of Sous-marins with Toulon until in 1965 and will be reinforced in 1967 in Italy.

Armament

of origin:

8 X 155 mm in simple casemates
6 X 75 mm AA
8 X 37 mm AA
4 torpedo tubes 550 mm
12 X 8 then 12,2 mm AA

in 1943:

4 X 127 mm AA
24 X 28 mm AA (6 quadruple)
26 X 20 mm AA Oerlikon simple

Installations of aviation

flight deck: 180 m X 27 m
2 hangars: 124 m X 19,5 m
3 axial ascenceurs
5 bits of stop
system of lifting: crane of 12 T
fuel aviation: 115.856 liters

External bonds

Aircraft carrier Béarn Aircraft carrier Béarn
Pa '' Béarn ''
Page and photo gallery of the '' Béarn ''

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