- Yes
- No
Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion!
Today I’m presenting a rather unusual ship from the French fleet: the Bapaume.
Designed in Lorient and launched in 1918, the Bapaume is one of the many ships of the Arras class, already well-known to players. This class of aviso (patrol vessel) is easily recognizable by its distinctive bow and stern shape. Commissioned by the French Navy in 1920, this ship has a truly unique history. It was modified and became the very first aircraft carrier in history, capable of carrying a single aircraft. This modification was carried out in 1920 at the request of Paul Teste, a pioneer of French naval aviation, to allow for initial test flights while awaiting the commissioning of the first true French aircraft carrier, the Béarn. A wooden takeoff platform was installed between the steering wheel and the stern (approximately 20m by 8.75m), allowing pilots to practice takeoffs.
In French service, the Bapaume had a relatively short history, serving in pilot training until 1924 (when the Béarn took over this role), then it was modified to become a hydrographic survey vessel and carried out surveys off the west coast of Brittany, near the island of Ouessant. Towards the end of its career, the Bapaume was transformed again, this time into a training ship for recruits from the French colonies, particularly Algeria. The ship was then decommissioned and scrapped in 1929. Although it never saw combat and had a relatively short career, this ship is a unique and emblematic unit of the French forces of the interwar period, having trained the very first generation of fighter and reconnaissance pilots for the French Navy. Adding this vessel to the game would introduce an interesting ship that could deploy not a seaplane like many others, but rather a unique aircraft that takes off from a runway (the aircraft tested on this runway include the Hanriot HD 2, the Nieuport 21/23, and the Nieuport Delage NiD.32).
Characteristics
-
Length : 74.90 m
-
Width : 8.70 m
-
Draft : 3.20 m
-
Mass : 644 tons
The ship is powered by two Parsons oil-fired turbines, providing 5,000 horsepower and enabling it to reach a speed of 20 knots. The crew consists of 103 sailors.
Weapons
The armament of the Bapaume is very similar to that of the other ships in the Arras class; however, due to the presence of the flight deck at the front, the guns located at the front were removed.
- 1 138 mm Mle 1910 gun
- 2 8mm Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun
In the game, this ship could be a very interesting addition as an event or premium vehicle, offering a variant of an existing ship but with a unique capability: the ability to deploy a fighter aircraft. This would make it a truly unique ship in the French tech tree.
