French destroyer design emphasized hitting hard at the first opportunity, especially against Italian forces in the Mediterranean. Limited fleet numbers and treaty parity with Italy encouraged an interest in heavy guns that could also threaten cruisers. The 1919 model managed about four to five rounds per minute and the 1924 model five to six, while the 1935 model could reach ten to fifteen depending on the crew and circumstances. Ammunition endurance remained a constraint: the later destroyer carried about 170 rounds per gun, against 400 on Dunkerque and a British norm near 300. Speed and firepower took priority over the stores needed for prolonged operations far from supply. French concern about the Far East reached ship design and sustainment planning later than its Mediterranean requirements.
Chapter · 1:29:16-1:33:42
French 130 mm guns and the first-hit philosophy
France sought heavier destroyer shells to compensate for limited numbers, improving firing rates across successive models while accepting smaller ammunition stocks.