"Richelieu" - the French battleship

In the period before World War II, all the naval powers renewed their battleship escadres. In response to German plans to build battleships of the "Bismarck' and "Tirpiz" and Italian battleships of the "Vittorio Veneto" type, in 1935 France began building two "Richielieu" type battleships with 380 mm caliber main artillery. These were ships with a rarely seen arrangement of the main artillery in two 4-gun turrets in the bow of the ship and an original funnel, integrated into the aft superstructure. After installing the newest radars, the reconnaissance seaplane was completely abandoned, and a very powerful anti-aircraft artillery was installed, consisting of 100 mm caliber guns and the best in the world at that time 40 mm "Bofors" guns. During the French campaign, both ships were not yet fully completed and were re-based to North African ports. "Richelieu" demonstrated her artillery power during the Allied and Free French combined forces attempt to land in Dakar on September 23, 1940. In February 1942, the ship arrived in the United States, where her anti-aircraft artillery was reinforced with 20 mm "Oerlikon" guns. At the turn of 1943-1944, the French colossus was based at Scapa Flow and, together with Allied forces, patrolled the North Sea and the coast of Norway, where she did not meet equal opponents. In the spring of 1944, the ship sailed to the Indian Ocean and patrolled off the coast of Burma and Java. In early 1945, "Richelieu" arrived in the already liberated Toulon, where she underwent repairs, after which in March of the same year she sailed again to the Indian Ocean, where she was caught by the Japanese capitulation. The post-war period consisted of constant training and patrols, and representative voyages. In 1956, the giant, who honorably bore the name of the great cardinal, was written off and given for cutting. His co-type ship was named "Jean Bart".

A large, complex, well-designed and richly detailed model only for medium-experienced and experienced modelers. The textual instructions are not very large and not very detailed, the graphic ones are also small and also incomplete, most of the drawings are small and resemble hedgehogs with arrows of many details. Surprisingly, this publication already has a color reserve, albeit small. Antiquarian publication.