Bearn's machinery changed after the hull was laid out

Bearn's hull had been laid out for an all-turbine installation before the machinery plan changed to one turbine set and two triple-expansion engines. The stated justification was support for French industry, despite the work already committed to the original hull arrangement. That change compromised a conversion which, in this assessment, would probably have made a slightly better carrier with the original turbine machinery. The identity and motive of the person responsible remain unresolved, and speculation about bribery provides no established explanation. Graf Zeppelin is excluded from the comparison because it never entered service.