French Aircraft Carrier Béarn

The ''Béarn'' was commissioned in 1927 and was the only aircraft carrier produced by France until after World War II . Generally comparable to other early carriers developed by the major navies of the world, unlike those navies, France did not produce a further replacement and as naval aviation lagged in France, ''Béarn'' continued to serve past her time of obsolescence. Her most valued service during the war was as an aircraft transport. She was named after a Historic French Province .

DESCRIPTION

The ''Béarn'' was a conversion of a ''Normandie'' Class battleship hull. The design resulted in a cramped and slow vessel that was incapable of efficient flight operations. Unfortunately, with no replacement, ''Béarn'' was forced to serve in an operational role for more than a decade. Obsolescence limited her use, during World War II, to an aircraft transport moving aircraft from the United States to the European Theatre.

''Béarn'' was also originally conceived of as part of a plan to also produce an aviation battlecruiser with eight 12 inch main guns and a small catapult equipped deck for handling eight aircraft. This plan was dropped in favor of a more conventional battlecruiser, leading to the Dunkerque Class . With the approaching obsolescence of the ''Duquesne'' Class heavy cruisers, there were plans drafted to convert them into carriers, possibly with retention of an 8 inch gun turret as a hybrid design. Like other design work on hybrids, this never went past the planning stage, and the only credible replacement for ''Béarn'' was actually begun when the ''Joffre'' Class was laid down. This project was not completed, however, and ''Béarn'' served as France's solitary carrier until delivery of a British Escort Carrier , the HMS ''Biter'' , in 1944, which served as the '' Dixmude '' with France.

HISTORY

During the German invasion of France, ''Béarn'' was dispatched to the United States to ferry new aircraft which had been ordered from that country, including Vought Vindicator s and Grumman Wildcat s. Neither aircraft reached its destination before the surrender of France in 1940, and the ''Béarn'' instead sought harbor in Martinique . She was one of a number of French ships that were effectively interned at Martinique, at United States insistence, to prevent their use by Germany.

After German occupation of Vichy France ( Case Anton ), ''Bearn'' was one of several French ships that re-joined the Allies. She was, however, too obsolete to participate in the naval operations of the Free French fleet. Instead, in 1943/44, she was converted to an aircraft transport, a valuable role to the Allied war effort.

This role was continued after the war, as part of the French attempt to recover their possessions in Indochina .

From 1948, she served as a training ship and then as a submarine depot ship. ''Bearn'' was scrapped in Italy in 1967.

SEE ALSO

List Of Aircraft Carriers

List Of World War II Ships

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French Aircraft Carrier Béarn

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