In addition to shipbuilding facilities, the new battleships would necessitate improved repair and harbor facilities at the various major naval bases. Port facilities had already been built or were in the process of construction at Cherbourg, Toulon, Casablanca, Bizerta, and Dakar, though dry-docks in those ports were not sufficient to handle even a "Richelieu" in a damaged condition (where flooding would increase draft of more than ). It was estimated that these docks would need to be dredged to at least to accommodate the "Alsace" design. The navy had to acquire other equipment, including the tugboats necessary to maneuver the ships in port and floating cranes needed to fit out the vessels, but shortages in machinery slowed construction and owing to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, France was unable to order the vessels from neutral countries.