In this assessment, the sixteen-gun Lyon had more potential than Normandie, but both remained tied to 13.4-inch weapons and 21-knot speed as foreign standards advanced. France might have sought British 15-inch gun technology instead of compounding the risks of a new quadruple turret with an increasingly modest calibre. Political interference and individual yards' departures from central designs further weakened the connection between national capability and the ships delivered. The Washington settlement consequently becomes a beneficial pause that broke procurement momentum and allowed France to reset before the more coherent Dunkerque generation.
Chapter · 1:16:57-1:24:09
Normandie, Lyon, and French design momentum
The Normandie and Lyon projects illustrate the danger of continuing an established design path after rivals have changed the standard.
15-inch GunsDunkerque Class BattleshipsFrench NavyLyon Class BattleshipsNaval Arms RaceNaval Industrial CapacityNaval ModernisationNaval ProcurementNormandie Class BattleshipsPolitical InterferenceQuadruple Gun TurretsQueen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsShip DesignShipyardsStandardisationWashington Naval Treaty