The Charlemagne-class construction dates at the Brest and Lorient arsenals show how uneven French output could be. Charlemagne and Saint Louis moved slowly from laying down to completion, while Gaulois was laid down in January 1896, launched in October 1896, and commissioned in January 1899. The last ship started therefore entered service first. Gaulois shows that French yards could build rapidly when their priorities aligned, and all three ships carried Harvey armour. The comparison places the output problem in shipbuilding organisation and political choices rather than a lack of technical ability.
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French arsenals and uneven building speed
The completion dates of Charlemagne, Saint Louis, and Gaulois expose how French shipbuilding could be both slow to start and unexpectedly quick to finish.