Richelieu’s New Dawn: The French Battleship Returns to Power after Her New York Refit, 26 August 1943

On 26 August 1943, the mighty French battleship Richelieu sliced through the Atlantic swells, her sleek hull and freshly painted superstructure gleaming in the sunlight. This was no ordinary cruise: the Richelieu, pride of the French Navy and symbol of national resilience, was returning to war after a dramatic journey of survival, exile, and rebirth at the New York Naval Shipyard. Her story that day was not just about a ship, but about the rebirth of French naval power amidst the global struggle of World War II.

An Epic Odyssey Begins

When Richelieu was first laid down in 1935, she was a marvel of naval architecture—the first of her class, boasting 15-inch (380mm) guns mounted in two quadruple turrets forward, powerful armor, and advanced fire control. In June 1940, as German armies surged across France, she was rushed to completion and sailed for Dakar, in French West Africa, to escape capture. The battered, half-completed ship became a reluctant centerpiece in the bitter clash between Free French and Vichy forces, coming under British attack during Operation Catapult and later resisting an Allied assault at Dakar in 1940.

Her early years in exile were marked by damage and isolation. But when the tides of war shifted and the French fleet in North Africa joined the Allies after Operation Torch in 1942, Richelieu received a second chance. With a Free French crew and under the understanding of the United States and United Kingdom, the battered giant crossed the Atlantic to New York for a much-needed refit. Here, in the bustling heart of American shipbuilding, she would finally claim her place as a true ship of war.

Rebirth in Brooklyn

From February to August 1943, Richelieu underwent an extensive modernization at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Americans were impressed by her design but keenly aware of her battle damage and outdated systems. They overhauled her engines, repaired hull breaches, and replaced her anti-aircraft armament with American-made 40mm Bofors and 20mm Oerlikon guns—the latest in close-in ship defenses. Her fire control systems were upgraded, and American radar was installed, giving Richelieu a technological edge she’d never enjoyed before.

Life alongside American and Allied sailors was a unique chapter for her French crew. The shipyard’s docks bustled with workers, officers exchanged languages in the wardrooms, and a sense of international camaraderie inflected every repair hammered home. As welding torches flashed and paint crews worked overtime, the Richelieu came back to life—modern, sharper, and ready for combat.

Underway to a New War

On 26 August 1943, her refit complete, Richelieu set out into the Atlantic under the tricolor flag of Free France. Her shakedown cruise proved the wisdom of America’s upgrades: her new AA guns bristled on the decks, radars swept the distant horizons, and her engines throbbed with restored power. At long last, she was a battleship ready to take her place alongside the Allies.

For the United States, Richelieu’s emergence symbolized the return of France as a fighting partner, not just in spirit but in steel. For the French Navy, it was a spiritual emancipation—an echo of the nation’s resolve to fight on, no matter the odds or the journeys required.

Back to Battle: Serving the Allied Cause

Richelieu’s battle didn’t end with her Atlantic crossing. She was rapidly dispatched to the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, screening convoys, performing exercises, and integrating into Allied naval doctrine. But perhaps her greatest glory awaited in the vastness of the Indian Ocean: in 1944, she steamed east to join operations against the Japanese, shelling enemy positions, escorting aircraft carriers, and flying the French flag into battle as she never had before.

The once-exiled ship became a floating ambassador for a Free France on the world stage. Her journeys took her to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the Malacca Straits, and Indonesia. In July 1945, Richelieu participated in bombardments during Operation Crimson against the Japanese in Sumatra—a demonstration that French naval might had survived occupation and exile to strike at tyranny on the other side of the globe.

A Symbol of French Resilience

The saga of Richelieu is more than steel and steam; it is the odyssey of a nation. From her narrow escape at Dakar to her reinvention in an American shipyard, to her proud return to combat, Richelieu shows how hope and partnership can reshape history’s course. She embodied the enduring will of France, battered but unbeaten, refusing to accept defeat even in exile.

On that August day in 1943, as salty Atlantic spray broke over her prow, Richelieu was not just a revitalized battleship, but a 35,000-ton declaration: France fights on.

References:

• Jordan, John and Dumas, Jean. French Battleships 1922–1956. Seaforth Publishing, 2009.
• Rohwer, Jürgen & Hümmelchen, Gerhard. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press, 2005.
• U.S. Naval Historical Center, photo archives.