Pluton's original armament and a possible Allied refit

Pluton entered service with four 5.5-inch (138.6 mm) guns, ten 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, and twelve 8 mm Hotchkiss machine guns. The mine-handling system and carrying capacity were sound, while much of this battery was poorly suited to wartime service. In a Free French or Royal Navy counterfactual, twin 4-inch weapons replace the 5.5-inch guns and pom-poms replace the 37 mm battery. The change would preserve a useful specialist hull while improving its anti-aircraft defence. The criticism falls on procurement decisions that burdened a good minelayer with weapons poorly matched to the Second World War.