Institutional battles among advocates of torpedo boats, destroyers, submarines, and battleships had weakened coherent procurement, metallurgy, and large-gun testing. The planned Lyon class offered sixteen 13.4-inch guns in mountings that were effectively two twin mechanisms sharing one turret rather than a fully integrated quadruple system. That arrangement could leave half a turret working after some failures, but it did not solve the ship's 21-knot speed against Italy's 28-knot Caracciolos. French naval shells were also less reliable than their Italian counterparts, adding another recovery problem beyond broadside weight. Six peaceful years could support two further design generations, true quadruple turrets, 15-inch guns, reliable French boilers, and imported Parsons turbines for a competitive fast successor.
Chapter · 1:44:47-1:55:41
France's six-year race to recover from Jeune Ecole disruption
France begins behind in heavy-gun metallurgy and speed, but two further design generations could yield true quadruple turrets, 15-inch guns, and a 28-knot response.