Welcome aboard Bayard, Captain!
To create an alternate history, you must know the real historical events very well and be able to draw logical conclusions from them. This is how we created cruiser Bayard based on the drawings of La Galissonnière-class cruisers. So, let's imagine another path that history might have taken had the French shipbuilding industry made a different decision. Let’s imagine that it continued to develop the ideas behind the original De Grasse project…
An alternate history
After the signing of the Rome Naval Treaty of 1931 with Italy, the French Navy was obliged to cease the development of heavy cruisers and was forced to focus on building only light ones—with a battery of 155 mm or smaller. Between 1931 and 1933, six rather successful La Galissonnière-class cruisers with main batteries consisting of nine 152 mm/55 Mle 1930 guns in three triple turrets were ordered. However, in 1934, Japan launched its first of four new and powerful Mogami-class light cruisers, with fifteen 155 mm main caliber guns in five triple turrets. To protect the French domains in the Pacific—Indochina, Polynesia, and New Caledonia—an urgent and adequate response was required.
New 152 mm guns, later mounted on De Grasse-class light cruisers and known under the name of Mle 1936, were still under development at the time. It was decided to augment the salvo and firepower of the main battery by simply increasing the number of guns. Between 1934–1935, without waiting for the approval of the next shipbuilding program, noticeably larger ships with the same 152 mm Mle 1930 guns in four triple turrets were designed on the basis of the drawings of La Galissonnière-class cruisers. It was originally intended to arm the ships with six turrets with twin 100 mm/50 Mle 1926 HA guns as their dual-purpose battery. But since the National Assembly of France had resolved not to fund the creation of additional cruisers, construction was delayed. The dual-purpose battery was subsequently replaced with four twin 100 mm/45 CAD Mle 1937 mounts. The ships also had rather powerful torpedo armament, consisting of two triple 550 mm tubes.
Eventually, this new series of cruisers was confined to just one ship, because in 1937, the new shipbuilding program diverted resources to the De Grasse project instead. Despite having a smaller displacement, the approved alternative design carried newer and more effective main battery guns.
The lone Bayard wasn't ready for operation at the start of World War II, and with the defeat of France, the cruiser fled overseas. She finally found herself in the U.S.A., where she waited out the war. Upon her return to the French Navy, the ship was redesigned to confront Soviet light cruisers of the 68K and 68bis projects, as she had a displacement suitable for such refurbishment. Bayard was fitted with a modern fire control system and radar equipment, which became possible only with the complete redevelopment of the ship's superstructures. Her AA armament was significantly reinforced in the process. It consisted of four twin dual-purpose 100 mm/55 Mle 1945 mounts, supplemented by six coaxial 57 mm/60 Mle 1951 guns.
Modeling the Ship
In the game, the ship will be featured as she would have looked in 1953, after all the refurbishments.
Main Battery: twelve 152 mm/55 Mle 1930 guns.
Dual-purpose battery: four twin dual-purpose 100 mm/55 CAD Mle 1945 mounts.
Torpedo armament: two triple 550 mm torpedo tubes.
Anti-aircraft armament: six twin-gun 57 mm/60 ACAD Mle 1951 mounts.
Commanding Bayard
Commander with 10 skill points
- Priority Target
- Adrenaline Rush
- Superintendent
- Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
Commander with 19 skill points
- Priority Target
- Adrenaline Rush
- Superintendent
- Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
- Concealment Expert
- Demolition Expert
- Last Stand
The ship has five slots for upgrades. We consider the following combination to be the most effective:
- Main Armaments Modification 1
- Propulsion Modification 1 or Engine Boost Modification 1
- AA Guns Modification 1
- Propulsion Modification 2
- Concealment System Modification 1
Consumables
Cruiser Bayard carries a fine array of consumables. In addition to the Damage Control Party, you can choose between improving your anti-aircraft defenses by mounting the Defensive AA Fire consumable, or increasing your acquisition range by installing the Hydroacoustic Search consumable. But the main features of the ship are the Engine Boost consumable that increases her maximum speed by 20% for three minutes, and the Main Battery Reload Booster that significantly enhances her rate of fire.
Bayard in Combat
VIII Bayard is a French light cruiser, a further development of the ideas from the initial De Grasse project. She can reach high speeds and has a decent firing range, as well as the ability to rain down a slew of shells on the enemy at the right moment thanks to her Main Battery Reload Booster consumable.
Key features
- Twelve 152 mm main battery guns in four turrets. Similar to other light cruisers, the ballistics allow for attacking the enemy from behind cover. The firing range of these guns is 16.4 km, which is decent for a Tier VIII light cruiser. In addition, the ship carries a triple-tube torpedo launcher on each of her sides.
- The Main Battery Reload Booster consumable is able to improve the firing rate of the artillery at any given moment that it’s ready.
- The ship’s top speed can reach as much as 43 knots with the use of the Engine Boost consumable and the respective signal.
- Extra credits per battle and 50% more XP provided by the camouflage.