The 1926 studies included a 33-knot ship with twelve 12-inch guns and a slower alternative with six 16-inch guns. The smaller calibers were not simply a treaty preference; French gunmaking and shipbuilding capacity had suffered enough to make British-built guns or machinery plausible. A British-built hull followed by French fitting-out was also considered while France worked out how to expand its own yards. The designs show how industrial capacity can define a fleet's apparent doctrine before tactical preferences do.
Notable Point · 3:42-6:24
French industry bounded the early capital-ship studies
Early 36,000-ton concepts paired high speed with twelve-inch guns because French industrial capacity constrained the available armament choices.