Moving onto France we will take a look at the ships named, Jean Bart. Jean Bart was a French naval commander and privateer. He was born in Dunkirk October 21, 1651. At the time of his birth Dutch was the spoken language in this region of France there fro his birth name was more than likely, Jan Baert. His father was a fisherman and young Jean began his love of the sea at home.

For a short time when he was young he served in the Dutch navy under Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter. De Ruyter is possibly the best know of all Dutch naval heroes. (Stand by for more in the future). Bart did not stay in the Dutch service long. In 1672 Louis XIV and the United Provinces began a war. Jean entered the French service as one of the Dunkirk Privateers, Dunkirkers. They operated along the coast near Dunkirk capturing Dutch merchant ships.

During this first action he gained great distinction in the Mediterranean. Because he was not of a royal line he did not hold a true commission at the time. However because of his success he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1679. He eventually rose to the rank of Admiral.

His legend grew during the Nine Years’ War, 1688-1697. In 1689 he was captured by the British and spent 3 days as a prisoner in Plymouth. He escaped and made it back to Brittany in a row boat. Not only that but he brought 20 other sailors home with him. In 1691 he evaded the Dutch blockade of Dunkirk. He then created havoc in the allied fleet, made his way to Scotland, burnt a castle, and 4 villages.

With the French coast being blockaded and supplies being deprived he captured a large Dutch fleet and prevented starvation in Paris. Then in 1697 he fought the Dutch again in the Battle of Dogger Bank. The Peace of Ryswick in 1697 ended his service to France. He was married twice and fathered 14 children. His second marriage contract is still on file in Dunkirk. He signed this document, Jan Baert. He passed away on April 27, 1702.

In his home town of Dunkirk there is a statue dedicated to his honor. During World War II nearly 70% of the town was destroyed. The statue survived. The French Navy has had 27 different ships named in honor of Jean Bart. These include the following ships.

French ship Jean Bart (1791), a 74-gun ship of the line (1791–1809)
French corvette Jean Bart (1793), a 20-gun corvette, lead ship of her class (1793–1795) French lugger Jean Bart (1793), a 8-gun lugger (1793–1800)
French corvette Jean Bart (1794), a 24-gun corvette (1794–1795)
French corvette Jean Bart (1803), (1803–1807)
troop ship n°799 (1803-1806)
troop ship n°816 (1803-1806)
French ship Jean Bart (1820), a 74-gun ship of the line (1820–1833)
French ship Jean Bart (1852), an 80-gun ship of the line
The ship of the line Donawerth was renamed Jean Bart in September 1868

 Jean Bart (1886) - First class cruiser of 4800 ton
 Jean Bart (1910) - 23,600 ton battleship; the first French Dreadnought
 Jean Bart (1940) - 50,000 ton battleship armed with 380mm guns. Although launched in 1940, the ship was not fitted out and completed until 1955, having spent much of World War II in dock at Casablanca; the last French battleship completed
 Jean Bart (1988) - Anti-aircraft frigate, still in service with the French Navy




The first few ships listed I could not find information on. Given the time frame they were built I am guessing they saw service against the British at some time in their careers. Moving on to the ship of 1886 we begin to pick up the trail again. She was built as a 4800 ton first class protected cruiser. She was built in Rochefort in 1886 and commissioned in 1892. In 1897 she was reclassed to a second class cruiser and sent to East Asia. In 1902, she returned to Lorient to be decommissioned. Once again duty called and she was recommissioned in 1906 and sent to the Caribbean. In 1907 she ran aground at Ras Nouadhibou and became a total loss.


Next the French moved into the modern era with their first dreadnaught, Jean Bart (1910). She was the second ship of the Courbet-class Battleships. She spent World War I operating in the Mediterranean. She took part in the allied naval sweep of the Adriatic. She helped to sink the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser Zenta in August 1914. She then provided gunfire support for the Montenegrin army. She took three torpedoes from the U12, but was able to make her way to Malta for repairs. Upon returning to service in and around Greece until 1919. She then transferred to the Black sea to help defend Sevastopol against the advancing Bolsheviks. The crew mutinied in sympathy for the Bolsheviks. The mutiny fell apart when the ship returned home. She underwent two upgrades during the 1920’s, but was outclassed by newer ships. In 1936 her name was changed to Ocean to allow her name to be used on the new battleship being built. During World War II she spent her time in Toulon. She was captured by German forces intact. The German’s used her to test large explosive charges and she was finally sunk by Allied aircraft in 1944. Her wreck was scrapped stating in 1945.

Next we move to the 1940 French battleship. This ship was the second ship of the Richelieu class ships designed to counter the ships of the Italian Navy. She was laid down in 1936 and launched in 1940. At the time of the German invasion of France Jean Bart was only about 75% completed. Her boilers and engines had never work correctly, but her captain, Captain Ronach took her to Casablanca. Her second main turret was not installed and was later lost when the ship carrying it was sunk. Her secondary armament were not installed either. During the Allied invasion of North Africa she suffered heavy damage by the US battleship Massachusetts and aircraft from the USS Ranger. After the surrender of all French forces in North Africa she then turned to the allied side. She could not make the trip to America to be finished, so she remained in North Africa. After the war she returned to France and was completed in 1949. She served until 1957, was decommissioned in 1961, and scrapped in 1969.

The final Jean Bart is a Cassard class anti-air frigate. She was commissioned in 1988 and was a test bed for many of the systems used on the La Fayette class frigates. Although called a frigate she is more like a destroyer. She took part in the capture of a band of pirates who had recently taken the Le Ponant. Along with her sister ship she is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2010.

The a son of a fisherman, to a privateer captain, to a series of warships the name Jean Bart stretches a long way through the history of France’s Navy.


Images and info from Wikipedia.