The French rejected their standard hexagonal configuration for the main armament of the "Courbet" class. Twelve 305 mm Mle 1910 45-calibre guns were mounted in six twin gun turrets, with two turrets superimposed fore and aft, and one on each flank of the ship. The guns had a maximum elevation of only 12°. They fired armour-piercing projectiles at a muzzle velocity of at a rate of 1.5–2 rounds per minute. At maximum elevation, this provided a maximum range of only . The guns were provided with 100 shells each.