French cruiser questions

dracos42 · **dracos42**

Why did France not build any sister ships to Algerie? She was a fine cruiser, worthy of further construction. Algerie was completed in 1934. Other cruisers were built later, but 6" gun ships. I suppose that the French were unhappy with the 8" gun's usefullness.

The training cruisers Pluton and Jeanne D'Arc, did their tonnage count in the cruiser tonnage allotted to France under the Washington Naval Treaty?
France seems to be the only major naval power to have purpose built training cruisers. (though Pluton was also a cruiser-minelayer and a troop transport)

Diamondback · **Diamondback**

Actually, Pluton s the first step to the Galissonniere (Gloire) design: it is the direect ancestor of Emile Bertin (which deleted the mines), which Galissonniere was in turn a slightly-stretched and improved version of.
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Asbestos · **Asbestos**

I think the real question is 'Why build a great cruiser like the Algerie if you're just going to give up on CAs and go build some lousy CLs?'

Its especially odd when you consider that the French were generally comparing their navy to the Italians... and the Italians had the Trentos, Bolzano, and Zaras. The Zaras in particular being quality CAs, each one a potential match to the Algerie in an engagement.

seisen · **seisen**

The Marine Nationale was merely "keeping up with the Jone's"... the Galissonniere's werent built "in place" of the excellent Algerie, but were built to counter the continual developments (and launchings) of the Italian Condottieri's. It would have been politically difficult to justify building more of the Algerie as France had already achieved a "paper match" in Heavy Cruiser tonnage to Italy. So with the Galissonniere, France rectified the unsatisfactory Duguay-Trouins class, while countering the cruiser capability of Italy.

Strictly speaking, however, the Galissonniere's were very good designs using some excellent (today considered standard) design trends along with good protection for their tonnage. Just because they faired badly with the changing fortunes of the French State, doesnt make them bad ships. In every area, they trumped the Condottieri's, with the exception of the last two which had a slightly thicker belt and one more gun than they did.
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