View source for French battleship Bretagne

{{short description|Dreadnought battleships built in the 1910s for the French Navy}}
{{other ships|French ship Bretagne}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image =French battleship Bretagne NH 55630.tiff
| Ship caption =''Bretagne'' in [[Toulon]] during [[World War I]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
| Ship country = [[France]]
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|France|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Bretagne''
| Ship namesake = [[Brittany]]
| Ship ordered=1 May 1912
| Ship laid down = 22 July 1912
| Ship launched = 21 April 1913
| Ship completed =29 November 1915
| Ship commissioned = 10 February 1916
| Ship fate = Sunk, 3 July 1940
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =(as built)
| Ship class = {{sclass|Bretagne|battleship}}
| Ship displacement =* {{convert|23936|MT|LT|abbr=on}} (normal)
* {{convert|26600|MT|LT|abbr=on}} ([[deep load]])
| Ship length = {{convert|166|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
| Ship beam = {{convert|27|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|9.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (mean)
| Ship power =* {{convert|28000|PS|kW shp|abbr=on|lk=in|0}}
* 24 [[Niclausse boiler]]s
| Ship propulsion = 4 shafts; 2 [[steam turbine]] sets
| Ship speed = {{convert|20.6|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|4700|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
| Ship crew =1,193 (1,250 as [[flagship]])
| Ship armament =
*  5 × twin [[340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun|{{convert|34|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} guns]]
* 22 × single [[Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910 Naval gun|{{convert|138|mm|in|abbr=on}} guns]]
*  2 × single [[Canon de 47 mm modèle 1902|{{convert|47|mm|in|abbr=on}} guns]]
*  4 × {{convert|450|mm|abbr=on|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s
| Ship armour =
* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|140|-|250|mm|abbr=on|1}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|40|-|70|mm|abbr=on|1}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|266|mm|abbr=on}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|300|mm|abbr=on|1}}
* [[Casemate]]s: {{convert|160|mm|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship notes =
}}
|}

'''''Bretagne''''' was the [[lead ship]] of [[Bretagne-class battleship|her class]] of three [[dreadnought battleship]]s built in the 1910s for the [[French Navy]]. ''Bretagne'' entered service in February 1916, after the start of [[World War I]]. She spent the bulk of her nearly 25-year-long career with the [[Mediterranean Fleet (France)|Mediterranean Squadron]] and sometimes served as its [[flagship]]. During World War I she provided cover for the [[Otranto Barrage]] that blockaded the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]] in the [[Adriatic Sea]], but saw no action.

The ship was significantly modernised in the [[interwar period]], and when she was on active duty, conducted normal peacetime cruises and training manoeuvres in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. After [[World War II]] broke out in September 1939, ''Bretagne'' escorted troop convoys and was briefly deployed to the Atlantic in search of German [[blockade runner]]s and [[commerce raider]]s. Germany [[Battle of France|invaded France on 10 May 1940]] and the French surrendered only six weeks later, at which time the battleship was stationed in [[Mers-el-Kébir]], [[French Algeria]]. Fearful that the Germans would seize the French Navy, the British [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir|attacked the ships there]] on 3&nbsp;July 1940 after the French refused to surrender or demilitarise the fleet; ''Bretagne'' was hit four times and exploded, killing the majority of her crew. Her wreck was [[Marine salvage|salvaged]] in 1952 and broken up for [[ship breaking|scrap]].

== Background and description ==
{{main|Bretagne-class battleship}}
[[File:Bretagne Brassey's.png|thumb|left|''Bretagne''-class design as depicted by [[The Naval Annual|Brassey's ''Naval Annual'']] 1915]]

The ''Bretagne'' class of [[dreadnought battleship]]s was designed as an improved version of the preceding {{sclass|Courbet|battleship|4}} with a more powerful armament, but the limited size of French [[drydock]]s forced the turrets to be closer to the ends of the ships, adversely affecting their [[seakeeping]] abilities.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 176–177</ref> The ships were {{convert|166|m|ftin}} [[length overall|long overall]],<ref>Dumas, p. 79</ref> had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|27|m|abbr=on|ftin}} and a mean [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|9.1|m|abbr=on|ftin}}. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|23936|t|LT}} at normal load and {{convert|26600|t|LT}} at [[deep load]]. Their crew numbered 34 officers and 1,159 men as a [[private ship]] and increased to 42 officers and 1,208 crewmen when serving as a flagship.<ref name=pc3/>

The ships were powered by two [[Licensed production|licence-built]] [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]] sets, each driving two propeller shafts,<ref name=pc3>Jordan & Caresse, p. 163</ref> using steam provided by twenty-four [[Niclausse boiler]]s.<ref>Dumas, p. 81</ref> The turbines were rated at a total of {{convert|28000|PS|kW shp|lk=in|0}} and were designed for a top speed of {{convert|21|kn|lk=in}}, but none of the ships exceeded {{convert|20.6|kn}} during their [[sea trial]]s. They carried enough coal and [[fuel oil]] to give them a range of {{convert|4700|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=pc3/>

The ''Bretagne'' class's [[main battery]] consisted of ten [[340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun|Canon de 34&nbsp;cm (13.4&nbsp;in) modèle 1912]] guns mounted in five twin-[[gun turret]]s, numbered one to five from front to rear. Two were in a [[superfire|superfiring pair]] forward, one [[amidships]], and the last two in a superfiring pair aft. The [[secondary armament]] consisted of twenty-two [[Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1910 naval gun|Canon de 138&nbsp;mm (5.4&nbsp;in) modèle 1910 guns]] mounted individually in [[casemate]]s along the length of the hull. She also carried a pair of [[Canon de 47 mm modèle 1902|Canon de {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} modèle 1902 guns]] mounted in the forward [[superstructure]] in single mounts. Five older 47&nbsp;mm weapons were installed for [[sub-calibre training]], one on each turret roof, before they entered service. The ''Bretagne''s were also armed with a pair of submerged {{convert|450|mm|abbr=on|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] and could stow 20–28 [[naval mine|mines]] below decks. Their [[waterline]] [[belt armor|belt]] ranged in thickness from {{convert|140|to|250|mm|abbr=on|1}} and was thickest amidships. Armour plate that was {{convert|300|mm|abbr=on|1}} thick protected the gun turrets and {{cvt|160|mm|1|abbr=on}} plates protected the casemates. The curved armoured [[Deck (ship)|deck]] was {{cvt|40|mm|1}} thick on the flat and {{cvt|70|mm|1}} on the outer slopes. The armour of the [[conning tower]] was {{convert|266|mm|abbr=on}} thick.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 163, 168, 172–175</ref>

== Construction and career ==
===1912–1923===
[[File:Bretagne October 1916 Q58294.jpg|thumb|''Bretagne'' in Toulon harbour, 23 October 1916]]
The ship was ordered on 1 May 1912<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 162</ref> and named in honour of the province of [[Brittany]].<ref>Silverstone, p. 92</ref> ''Bretagne'' was [[laid down]] on 22 July 1912 at the [[Brest Arsenal]], [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 21 April 1913, completed on 29 November 1915, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the fleet on 10 February 1916. After entering service, she was assigned to the 1st Division (''1ère Division'') of the 1st Battle Squadron (''1ère Escadre de ligne'') and became the flagship of [[Vice-Admiral]] (''Vice-amiral'') [[Dominique-Marie Gauchet]], commander of the squadron, on 10 May.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 163, 244–245</ref> They spent the majority of their time at [[Corfu]] to prevent the Austro-Hungarian fleet from attempting to break out of the Adriatic. They also supported the [[Otranto Barrage]], a barrier erected to block German and Austro-Hungarian [[U-boat]]s operating in the Mediterranean.<ref>Halpern, p. 19</ref> The fleet's presence was also intended to intimidate Greece, which had become increasingly hostile to the [[Triple Entente]]. Later in the war, men were drawn from her crew for anti-submarine warfare vessels. As the Austro-Hungarians largely remained in port for the duration of the war, ''Bretagne'' saw no action during the conflict. In fact, she did not leave port at all for the entirety of 1917,<ref>Whitley, pp. 42–43</ref> due to a severe shortage of coal at Corfu. The 47&nbsp;mm modèle 1902 guns were replaced by a pair of [[Canon de 75 modèle 1897|Canon de {{cvt|75|mm|0}} modèle 1897 guns]] on [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA)]] mounts in 1918.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 168, 277</ref> ''Bretagne'' returned to [[Toulon]] after the war's end in November.<ref name=w3>Whitley, p. 43</ref>

The ship received a lengthy refit there from 12 June 1919 to 18 October 1920. This included modifications to her gun turrets which increased the elevation of her main armament from 12° to 18° and thus their maximum range. The four forward 138&nbsp;mm guns were removed and their casemates plated over, because they could only be worked in good weather—in rough seas, water would frequently rush over the guns. The 75&nbsp;mm AA guns were replaced by four 75&nbsp;mm modèle 1918 AA guns mounted amidships. The ship's [[foremast]] was replaced by a [[tripod mast]] and her [[mainmast]] was shortened to allow the ship to fly a captive [[kite balloon]]. A [[Vickers]] [[fire-control director]] that was equipped with a {{convert|3.66|m|ft|adj=on|0}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] was installed atop the tripod mast; two other {{convert|2|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinders were added, one on each side of the superstructure for the 138&nbsp;mm guns. [[Flight deck#Early|Flying-off platforms]] were fitted to the roofs of Turrets&nbsp;2 and 4, but these were unsuccessful.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 304</ref>

''Bretagne'' became flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron again<ref name=m6>Meirat, p. 26</ref> on 6&nbsp;June 1921 when Vice-Admiral [[Henri Salaun (French Navy officer)|Henri Salaun]] hoisted his flag aboard her.<ref name=jc7>Jordan & Caresse, p. 247</ref> The ship accompanied her [[sister ship]] {{ship|French battleship|Provence||2}} to [[Le Havre]] for a [[naval review]] that month, and they were back in Toulon in September.<ref name=w3/> During this period, ''[[Ship-of-the-line lieutenant|Lieutenant de vaisseau]]'' [[Paul Teste]] used ''Bretagne'' in a series of [[dive bomber|dive-bombing]] experiments.<ref>Smith, p. 22</ref> ''Bretagne'' and the battleship {{ship|French battleship|France||2}} hosted the British battleship {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}} and the [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Coventry|D43|2}} during a port visit to [[Villefranche-sur-Mer|Villefranche]] from 18 February to 1&nbsp;March 1922. The two French battleships had a gunnery exercise on 28 June using the former Austro-Hungarian battleship {{SMS|Prinz Eugen|1912|2}} as a target and sank her. On 18 July, ''Bretagne'', ''France'' and the battleship {{ship|French battleship|Paris||2}} began a cruise visiting French ports in the Bay of Biscay and English Channel. On the evening of 25/26 August, ''France'' struck an uncharted rock while entering [[Quiberon]] and sank several hours later. ''Bretagne'' and ''Paris'' were able to rescue all but three of her crew. During a training exercise, ''Bretagne'' briefly [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] in the [[Bizerte]] canal in [[Tunisia]] on 22 June 1923, but was not damaged.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 289–290</ref> ''Provence'' relieved ''Bretagne'' as the fleet flagship<ref name=m6/> on 1&nbsp;September.<ref name=jc7/>

===1924–1939===
[[File:Bretagne (ship, 1915) - NH 42845 - cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|''Bretagne''{{'}}s aft turrets, 1919]]

She received a major refit at Toulon from 1 May 1924 to 28 September 1925, during which the elevation of her main armament was increased to 23°, giving her guns a maximum range of {{convert|23700|m|yd}}, and two {{convert|1.5|m|ftin|adj=on}} high-angle rangefinders were added for the AA guns. Part of her forward hull armour was removed to lighten the bow and increase her forward [[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]], one group of boilers was converted to oil-firing and the flying-off platforms were removed. The ship resumed her position as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron<ref name=m6/> when her refit was completed. ''Bretagne'' transported the [[List of Naval Ministers of France|Navy Minister]], [[Georges Leygues]], to [[Malta]] for an official visit over the period 27 April – 1&nbsp;May 1926.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 290</ref> ''Provence'' reassumed the role of fleet flagship<ref name=m6/> on 1&nbsp;October 1927 when ''Bretagne'' prepared to begin a refit to [[wikt:overhaul|overhaul]] her boilers that began on 15 November and lasted until 12 May 1928. The navy took the opportunity to upgrade her fire-control systems, replacing her Vickers model with a French Saint Chamond-Granat system in a [[List of British ordnance terms#DCT|director-control tower]] (DCT), and replaced all of her original rangefinders with the exception of the {{convert|2|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinders in each turret. A pair of {{convert|4.57|m|ft|adj=on|0}} rangefinders were added on the conning tower roof, another one in the DCT at the top of the foremast and another at the base of the mainmast. A {{convert|3|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinder was added to the DCT to measure the distance between the target and shell splashes, and a traversable {{convert|8.2|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinder was fitted to the roof of No.&nbsp;2 turret. Directors with 2-metre rangefinders were also added to control the secondary guns.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 306–307</ref>

On 3 July 1928, ''Bretagne'', ''Provence'' and their sister {{ship|French battleship|Lorraine||2}} participated in a fleet review by the [[President of France]], [[Gaston Doumergue]], at Le Havre and they spent the following year in the Mediterranean. ''Bretagne'', ''Provence'' and ''Paris'' participated in another fleet review by Doumergue on 10 May 1930 that commemorated the [[Invasion of Algiers in 1830|centennial of the conquest of Algeria]]. On 1&nbsp;October 1930, ''Bretagne'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] in anticipation of a modernisation that began on 1&nbsp;July 1932. Her original coal-fired boilers were replaced by new and smaller oil-burning ones, which allowed the No.&nbsp;2 [[Fire room|boiler room]] to be converted into an oil tank. This increased her fuel capacity to {{convert|2500|t|LT}}. Geared Parsons cruise turbines were fitted to the inboard propeller shafts and the outer high-pressure turbines were replaced. The four aft 138&nbsp;mm guns were removed and their casemates plated over. The four 75&nbsp;mm mle 1918 AA guns were replaced by eight [[Canon de 75 mm modèle 1924|Canon de 75 mm modèle 1922]] AA guns and the torpedo tubes were removed. A new DCT was installed as were a pair of anti-aircraft directors fitted with 2-metre rangefinders.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 291, 307–308</ref>

After the modernisation was completed on 12 November 1934, ''Bretagne'' remained in Toulon for [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#W|working up]] until 11 May 1935, when she left to join her sisters in the 2nd Division (''2e Division'') of the 2nd Battle Squadron (''2e Escadre de ligne'') for manoevres off the [[Azores]]. The ships also made port visits in the islands and [[French Morocco]] before sailing to [[Brest, France|Brest]] where they arrived on 16 June.<ref name=JC/> As tensions with [[Nazi Germany]] rose, the French naval command decided that the squadron based in Brest should be strengthened to deter Germany, so ''Bretagne'' and her sisters were stationed there for most of the rest of the decade.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, p. 168</ref> Later in June 1934, ''Bretagne'' participated in exercises with the combined fleet. She was briefly refitted from 29 October to 3&nbsp;December. Together with ''Provence'', ''Bretagne'' had gunnery practice off [[Groix]], Brittany, on 7–11 July. On 15 August, the 2nd Squadron was renamed the Atlantic Squadron (''Escadre de l'Atlantique''). Beginning in 1936, all three sisters had their 4.57-metre rangefinders replaced by {{convert|5|m|ftin|adj=on}} ones. The 2nd Battle Division visited ports in the Azores, [[Madeira]], [[Portuguese Cape Verde]], and French Morocco, returning to Brest on 26 February 1937. Later that year Navy Minister [[Alphonse Gasnier-Duparc]] reviewed the combined Atlantic and Mediterranean Squadrons on 27 May after that year's fleet manoevres. Beginning in 1938, the sisters had the rangefinder in the DCT replaced by a {{convert|8|m|ftin|adj=on}} model. ''Bretagne'' finished a refit on 1&nbsp;October 1938 and was then working up until May 1939. The 2nd Battle Division was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron on 10 June 1939.<ref name=JC>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 294–295, 310</ref>

=== World War II ===
[[File:Provence-1.jpg|thumb|left|''Provence'' after her 1934 modernisation]]

At the start of World War II in September 1939, the division was based in Toulon. At the time, Italy was neutral, so there was no immediate threat in the Mediterranean.<ref name=w3/> Nonetheless, the sisters escorted troop convoys between France and [[French North Africa]] from 1&nbsp;September to 5&nbsp;October.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 311</ref> On 4&nbsp;December, ''Bretagne'' and ''Provence'', along with the cruisers [[French cruiser Colbert (1928)|''Colbert'']], [[French cruiser Dupleix (1930)|''Dupleix'']], and [[French cruiser Primauguet (1924)|''Primauguet'']] and several [[destroyer]]s and [[submarine]]s operated out of [[Dakar]], [[French West Africa]] in search of German commerce raiders and blockade runners without success. Around the middle of the month, the task force began to return to the Mediterranean.<ref>Rohwer, p. 10</ref> After returning to Toulon, ''Bretagne'' underwent an extensive overhaul, which lasted until 3&nbsp;March 1940,<ref name=w3/> during which her 8-metre rangefinder was replaced by a {{convert|12|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinder.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 310</ref>

On 11 March, she left France carrying 1,820 boxes of gold bars from the French treasury together with the [[heavy cruiser]] [[French cruiser Algérie|''Algérie'']], which carried another 1,179 boxes. These two ships were designated Force X. They arrived in [[Halifax (former city)|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]], on 22 March. On the return voyage, they escorted two American merchant ships carrying 82 aircraft bought by France and arrived at Toulon on 10 April. Five days later, ''Bretagne'' sailed to [[Oran]], [[French Algeria]], together with ''Lorraine'', arriving on the 18th where they joined ''Provence''. On 27 April, the 2nd Battle Division was transferred to Algiers and then to [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]].<ref name=m6/><ref>Jordan & Moulin, p. 179</ref><ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 312</ref><ref>Rohwer, pp. 16, 21</ref> ''Bretagne'' and her sisters passed through the [[Strait of Sicily]] on 30 April, covered by the French [[3rd Cruiser Division (France)|3rd Cruiser Division]] on their way to Alexandria. While still en route, they met the British battleships {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|05|6}} and {{HMS|Malaya||2}}, after which the cruisers departed, leaving the battleships to continue on to their destination, where they were assigned to a new Force X.<ref>Jordan & Moulin, p. 182</ref>

As war with Italy became increasingly likely following Germany's [[Battle of France|invasion of France on 10 May]], the Anglo-French naval command decided to concentrate naval forces in the western Mediterranean. ''Bretagne'' and ''Provence'' were accordingly recalled from Force X; they left Alexandria on 20 May, their place in Force X being taken by a pair of cruisers. ''Bretagne'' and ''Provence'' steamed together with two destroyers and reached Bizerte on 23 May. Admiral [[François Darlan]], Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy, decided that all [[capital ship]]s should be concentrated in [[Mers El Kébir]], so he instructed them to steam there. ''Bretagne'' and ''Provence'' arrived there on 27 May, where they rendezvoused with the ''Force de Raid'', France's most modern ships, in an unsuccessful effort to deter Italy from joining the war.<ref>Brown, p. 23</ref>

==== Loss ====
[[File:Cuirassé Bretagne 03-07-1940.jpg|thumb|''Bretagne'', partially obscured by the shell splash, is on fire and sinking by the stern, 3 July 1940]]
{{main|Attack on Mers-el-Kébir}}

Following the [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|French surrender]] on 22 June 1940, the French fleet was to be disarmed under German and Italian supervision. The British high command was concerned that the French ships would be seized by the [[Axis powers]] and placed in service. The Axis navies would then [[overmatch]] the [[Royal Navy]]{{cn|date=February 2023}}. [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]] therefore ordered Vice-Admiral [[James Somerville]], the commander of [[Force H]], to neutralise the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir. He was instructed to order the French vessels to either join the British with the [[Free French]], surrender for internment, to scuttle themselves, or be sunk. On 3&nbsp;July, Somerville arrived and delivered the ultimatum; the French rejected it, and so the British ships opened fire.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 312–313</ref>

''Bretagne'', having remained in Mers El Kébir since being stationed there one month earlier, was hit by four {{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} projectiles from {{HMS|Hood|51|2}}, {{HMS|Resolution|09|2}}, and {{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}} (no ship is individually credited). The first two shells struck simultaneously at 16:59{{refn|The times given here are French local time, [[British Double Summer Time]] was one hour later.|group=Note}} in the third [[salvo]]. The first hit the ship near turret No. 4, causing a large explosion that sent flames as high as the masthead and blew a hole in the side of the hull. The resulting flooding limited the explosion's effect on the ship. The second shell struck above the waterline, and detonated in the centre engine room, killing all but one of the sailors inside. It knocked out all power and damaged the internal communication system of the ship. Seven minutes later, two other large shells struck ''Bretagne''. One detonated near Turret No.&nbsp;3 and ignited some ready-use projectiles which were stored in lockers next to the anti-aircraft mounts. At 17:09 a large explosion occurred in the ship and she rolled over and capsized with the loss of 36 officers, 151 [[petty officer]]s and 825 seamen. The ''Société de matérial naval du Midi'' attempted to salvage the wreck in late 1942, but it was called off after a [[Salvage diving|diver]] was seriously injured by an explosion when attempting to cut through the hull with an [[oxy-acetylene]] torch. The ''Serra Frères'' company salvaged ''Bretagne''{{'}}s wreck, [[ship breaking|breaking up]] the vessel for [[scrap]] beginning in 1952 and completing the job on 21 December 1954.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 314–315</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==Citations==
{{reflist|20em}}

== References ==
* {{cite book
  |last=Brown
  |first=David
  |year=2004
  |orig-year=1990
  |title=The Road to Oran: Anglo-French Naval Relations, September 1939–July 1940
  |publisher=Routledge
  |location= London
  |isbn=978-1-135-77163-8
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Dumas
  | first = Robert
  | year = 1986
  | editor-last = Lambert
  | editor-first = Andrew D.
  | chapter = The French Dreadnoughts: The 23,500 ton Bretagne Class
  | title = Warship
  | volume = X
  | pages = 74–85, 158–165
  | publisher = Conway Maritime Press
  | location = London
  | isbn = 978-0-85177-449-7
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Halpern
  | first = Paul G.|author-link=Paul G. Halpern
  | year = 2004
  | title = The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I
  | publisher = Indiana University Press
  | location = Bloomington, Indiana
  | isbn = 978-0-253-34379-6
  }}
* {{cite book |last1=Jordan |first1=John |last2=Caresse |first2=Philippe |title=French Battleships of World War One |date=2017 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-59114-639-1 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Jordan
  |first1=John
  |last2=Moulin
  |first2=Jean
  |title=French Cruisers: 1922–1956
  |year=2013
  |publisher=Seaforth Publishing
  |location=Barnsley
  |isbn=978-1-84832-133-5|name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Meirat
  | first = Jean
  | year = 1969
  | title =French Battleships ''Lorraine'', ''Bretagne'' and ''Provence''
  | journal = La Revue Maritime
  | publisher =Institut Français de la Mer
  | location = Paris
  | issue = 261, 263, 265
  |via=F. P. D. S. Newsletter, VI:4, pp. 26–27, 1978|oclc=41554533
  }}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen| author-link = Jürgen Rohwer|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{cite book
  |last=Smith
  |first=Peter C.|author-link=Peter C. Smith
  |year=2008
  |title=Dive Bomber!: Aircraft, Technology, and Tactics in World War II
  |location=Mechanicsburg
  |publisher=Stackpole Books
  |isbn=978-0-8117-4842-1
  }}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|author-link=Michael J. Whitley|title=Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-184-X}}

== Further reading ==
{{Commons category|Bretagne (ship, 1915)|Bretagne}}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Dumas
  | first1 = Robert
  | last2 = Guiglini
  | first2 = Jean
  | year = 1980
  | language = fr
  | title = Les cuirassés français de 23,500 tonnes
  | publisher = Editions de 4 Seigneurs
  | location = Grenoble, France
  | oclc = 7836734|name-list-style=amp|trans-title=The French 23,500-ton Battleships
  }}

{{Bretagne class battleship}}
{{July 1940 shipwrecks}}
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}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bretagne}}
[[Category:Bretagne-class battleships]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of France]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of France]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Algeria]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Ships built in France]]
[[Category:1913 ships]]
[[Category:Naval magazine explosions]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in July 1940]]