Lead ship of her class, built in response to Italian battleship constructions. Overall design roughly similar to that of Dunkerque class (quadruple main armament turret, main armament all concentrated forward). The only class of French battleship armed with 15in guns...
To quote from Conway
"Richelieu was 95 per cent complete when France surrendered and she proceeded to Dakar, where she was damaged during the British attack. In 1942 she joined the Allies and was sent to the USA for a major refit, emerging in October 1943 with radar added, aircraft and catapults removed, ...
... Richelieu was employed with the British Eastern Fleet in 1944-45 and later off French Indo-China. She paid off in 1959 and was hulked at Brest as an accommodation ship."