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Construction of Warships - Drydocks

Discussion in 'United States at Sea!' started by GJPBoston, Nov 18, 2018.

  1. GJPBoston

    GJPBoston Member

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    Takao
    Takao, Very helpful answer, thank you. I was off course, and you have steered me back in the right direction.

    I appreciate everyone's answers. In case of interest to anyone, I had been looking at French pre-WW2 graving docks, and here is what I have found so far. Should be fairly complete for French navy operated graving docks, but probably very incomplete for commercial:

    Port Dock, Type, Dimensions, Military/Commercial
    Brest
    Laninon Dock 8, Graving Dock, 250x36 m, Military Dock
    Laninon Dock 9, Graving Dock 250x36 m, Military Dock
    Pontaniou No. 2, Graving Dock 178x27 m, Military Dock
    Pontaniou No. 3, Graving Dock 178x33 m, Military Dock
    Bassin Redoub Commerce No. 1, 225 m, Commercial Dock​

    Cherbourg
    Forme du Homet, Graving Dock 249x36 m, Military Dock
    St. Nazaire
    Louis Joubert Lock, Graving Dock, 350 m, Commercial Dock
    Bassin 1, 241 m
    Bassin 2, 200 m​

    Toulon
    Missiessy Basin No. 1, Graving Dock, 202x30 m, Military Dock
    Missiessy Basin No .2, Graving Dock, 202x30 m, Military Dock
    Missiessy Basin No. 3, Graving Dock, 179x30 m, Military Dock
    Vauban Grands Bassins 1-2, Graving Dock, 250 - 408 x40m, Military Dock
    Vauban Grands Bassins 3-4, Graving Dock, 250 - 408 x40 m, Military Dock​

    Le Havre
    No. 7 Dock, Graving Dock, 319x38 m, Commercial Dock​

    Bizerte
    Dock No. 2, Graving Dock, 254x40 m, Military Dock
    Graving Dock, 203X30m, Military Dock
    Graving Dock, 203x30m, Military Dock
    Graving Dock, 92x15m, Military Dock​

    Oran
    Graving Dock, ?, Commercial
    Graving Dock, ?, Commercial​

    Alger
    Graving Dock, 138x26m, Commercial
    Graving Dock, 80x22m, Commercial​

    Dakar
    Graving Dock, 198m, ?
    Floating Drydock, ?​

    Casablanca
    Floating Drydock, 150x25m, ?
    Floating Drydock, 150x25m, ?
    Floating Drydock, 80x22m, ?
    Floating Drydock, 80x22m, ?
    Fort de France
    Graving Dock, 190x25m, ?
    Here is what I have found for facilities that can build large capital ships:

    Port, Dock, Dimensions

    Brest
    Salou No. 4, Building Dock, 200x40 m
    St. Nazaire
    Forme Caquot, Building Dock, 325x46 m
    Penhoet No. 1 Slipway, Slipway, 315x36 m​
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2018
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  2. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    There were a thread or two over on the Axis history forum that went into details about the slips available to some of the powers prior to and during the war. Not directly related to the above but you might find them of interest.
     
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  3. Takao

    Takao Ace

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  4. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    So long ago, I'd forgotten about it.
     
  5. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    As @GJPBoston noted, the drydocks at Brest were 250m long, which is probably why the Richelieu class battleships were 248m.

    Bismarck and Tirpitz were 251m, one meter too long to be docked at Brest unless they squeezed them in on an angle as in the photo @Takao provided. This is what made the Normandie dock at St. Nazaire so important.
     

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