Q&A · 2:56:00-2:56:47

French super-dreadnoughts in the Adriatic and Gallipoli

A much larger French capital-ship force would concentrate in the Adriatic and might give the Allies enough naval weight to force the Dardanelles.

Question

How would a fully completed French super-dreadnought program fare in the First World War?

Short answer

Most ships would serve in the Adriatic, and their added strength might let the Allies force the Dardanelles despite submarine losses.

Notes

The counterfactual gives France its Lyon, Normandie, Bretagne, and Courbet capital ships before the First World War. A few might reinforce the Grand Fleet, but most would operate against the Austro-Hungarian position in the Adriatic. Some additional losses to submarines would be likely. Combined with British Mediterranean forces, however, the larger fleet might sustain the losses needed to push through at Gallipoli.