The "Courbet"-class battleships were the first dreadnoughts built for the French Navy. These were completed prior to WWI. The class comprised four ships: , , , and . All four ships were deployed to the Mediterranean Sea for the entirety of World War I, spending most of their time escorting French troop convoys from North Africa and covering the Otranto Barrage. An Anglo-French fleet led by "Courbet" succeeded in sinking the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser in the Battle of Antivari. "Jean Bart" was torpedoed in the bow by on 21 December 1914, but she was able to steam to Malta for repairs.