Six boilers and geared Parsons turbines drove four shafts with about 107,500 shaft horsepower and produced an operational top speed around 29.5 knots. The ships could cover roughly 7,850 nautical miles at 15 knots or 2,450 miles at 28.5 knots. For comparison, the passage from the Lizard to New York is about 2,880 nautical miles. That high-speed endurance approached an Atlantic crossing and made the class unusually capable of responding to commerce raiders across wide ocean areas.
Notable Point · 33:05-34:47
Dunkerque combined 29-knot speed with Atlantic reach
Parsons turbines, four shafts, and unusually strong high-speed endurance made the class valuable for distant patrol and raider-hunting missions.