The prewar naval treaties had triggered keen design competition within the various class limitations. French cruisers and destroyers were noted for their speed and armament, but not their armor. In this last single ship prewar class of heavy cruiser, Algerie carried much heavier armor at some sacrifice of speed.

Algerie was based in Toulon, when France fell in summer 1940, and she was scuttled there on 27Nov42. It would have been interesting to see how she would have fared against her intended opponents, the supposedly heavily armored - and probably overrated - Italian Zara class.

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5Jan12