They spent the rest of the war at Salonica and Athens. Her main distinguishing features were very powerful AA guns and 431 mm main battery guns, which were developed in France in the late 1930s.WGWiki This topic is … After the end of the war, République was placed in reserve in 1919, disarmed in 1920 and sold for scrapping in 1921; Patrie was placed in reserve as well in 1919 and served as a training ship from 1920, until she was stricken in 1927 and she too was sold to the ship-breakers in 1928. The secondary turrets had 150 mm (5.9 in) thick faces and 280 mm thick back plates to balance the turrets, and the casemate guns were protected with 140 mm of armor. [2] Patrie was retained longer, serving as a training ship in Toulon for mechanics and torpedomen until 1927, when she too was stricken and sold for scrap. In 1916 the ships supported Allied operations in Salonica and also detached landing parties to support the Allied attempt to force Greek acquiescence for those operations in Athens on 1 December. [2], The ships' main belt was 280 mm (11.0 in) thick at the waterline and extended for almost the complete length of the hull, from the bow to near the stern. Nevertheless, the design for République and Patrie corrected many of the problems in earlier French battleships. The armored deck was 53 mm (2.1 in) thick amidships, and increased to 70 mm (2.8 in) on the slopes that connected to the belt. [8] They participated in the Battle of Antivari in mid-August and unsuccessfully attempted to lure out the Austro-Hungarian battle fleet. [2] Patrie was retained longer, serving as a training ship in Toulon for mechanics and torpedomen until 1927, when she too was stricken and sold for scrap. [2], The ships' main belt was 280 mm (11.0 in) thick at the waterline and extended for almost the complete length of the hull, from the bow to near the stern. The belt was reduced to 240 mm (9.4 in) on the top edge and 81 mm (3.2 in) on the bottom. [7], Both ships were in the Second Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. It is not a medieval instrument of savagery such as a claymore, but a precise thrusting weapon, designed to punch holes in the enemy fleet formations and strategies, enabling exploitation by other fleet vessels. She was laid down on 1 April 1902, launched 17 December 1903, and commissioned in December 1906. The ships were equipped with four electric generators that had a combined output of 1,000 amps at 83 volts. The ships had a metacentric height of 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in), and were equipped with bilge keels to increase their stability. They had a crew of between 766 and 825 officers and enlisted men.