The "Richelieu" class were fast battleships built for the French Navy between the 1930s and 1950s. Initially two ships were ordered in 1935 in response to Italian orders for the s the previous year. The "Richelieu"s were based on the preceding , but scaled up to accommodate more powerful guns and armor to protect them from guns of the same caliber. To keep the ships within the displacement limits imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty, they featured the same concentrated arrangement as the "Dunkerque"s for the main battery: two quadruple gun turrets placed forward. They also incorporated new, more compact boilers that allowed for a shorter hull (which required less heavy armor) for the desired top speed. After Germany ordered two s, France responded with another pair of "Richelieu"s, but built to modified designs. The first, "Clemenceau", received modified secondary and anti-aircraft batteries, while "Gascogne" had her superfiring main battery turret shifted aft, along with other changes.