r/NavalArt • • 13h ago

Alliance St Louis

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15 Upvotes

Drawn for my buddy.any advice welcomed.


r/NavalArt • • 19h ago

Origial Content Fictional French Navy Large Light Cruiser: Bourrienne (1943, post-refit)

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16 Upvotes

Bourrienne (1943, post-refit)

  • Type: Large Light Cruiser
  • Length: 197 m
  • Beam: 20.1 m
  • Speed: 34 knots

[Armament]

  • 6 x quadruple 130 mm/45 DP gun mounts (24 guns)
  • 6 x twin 100 mm/45 DP gun mounts (12 guns)
  • 4 x twin 550 mm torpedo launchers (8 tubes)
  • 48 x 40 mm/56 Bofors AA autocannons (mixed twin and quadruple mounts)
  • 21 x twin 20 mm/70 Oerlikon AA mounts (42 guns)

Shortly after the fall of France, Bourrienne joined the Free French Naval Forces alongside her consorts. Continuous ammunition resupply was essential to sustain combat operations, yet obtaining supplies from the French mainland was impossible. Consequently, in 1943, she underwent a major refit ahead of her fellow warships to transition to readily available American weaponry; her remaining stockpiles of French ammunition were redistributed to other vessels in the fleet.

While US license-production lines were eventually established for her 130 mm main battery and 100 mm high-angle shells, her original 37 mm autocannons and 13.2 mm machine guns were completely removed. In their place, she was fitted with a total of 48 Bofors 40 mm/56 AA guns in a mix of twin and quadruple mounts, along with twenty-one twin 20 mm/70 Oerlikon mounts (42 guns total). Additionally, an SG surface-search radar and a CXAM-1 air-search radar were installed on her forward bridge superstructure.

Seaplanes can be hoisted or lowered using a crane attached to the hangar structure, and they can also be temporarily stowed in the space at the stern of the ship.