Interesting. Would have been one expensive command ship though given the refit costs and operating costs.
France is
(seriously) considering A-Bombs/H-Bombs test in the French-Polynesia by spring 1962.
Immediately, the French navy proposed a command-ship for the future testing series
(expected by 1965+).
This command-ship need to have a very long range
(Brest to Tahiti), so only a cruiser or a battleship could have this role
(a option with a french-destroyer of the Surcouf class was secretly studied, for the "cheapest-option possible", maybe can be drawn one day by David )
Battleships:
- Richelieu: by 1962, this BB was too tired/worn-out.
- Jean Bart were more modern than the Richelieu by 1962-1966
Cruisers:
- Colbert was too recent
(commissioned by 1959) to be converted to a secondary role.
- Cruisers of the Georges-Leygues class were too old/worn-out by early 1960s.
- The "De Grasse" cruiser was between Colbert & the "1930s-builts" Georges Leygues
So the French Navy studied various options between Jean Bart & De Grasse
The "De Grasse" cruiser won because he needed a smaller crew
(760 crew VS 850/950 for the Jean-Bart), & this modernization might cost less
For the Jean Bart, you should know that:
- The
French have never seriously considered removing boths quadruple 380mm turrets (it would be too expensive in manpower to retiring. By late 1950s this "removing" was considered "premature" by the French & by early 1960s the French prefers still maintain both turrets until the final scrapping of this ship, mainly for cost-reasons).