The late 1900s to early 1910s saw a tendency toward increasing the caliber of main battery guns of dreadnoughts—the newest British, U.S., and Japanese battleships were designed to carry 343–356 mm guns. The new French ships received 340 mm main battery artillery. Due to a number of limitations, the hull design of the new ships was almost identical to the previous Courbet class, but with five main turrets instead of six. All three Bretagne-class ships served in World War I and the beginning of World War II. Bretagne was destroyed in the attack on Mers-el-Kébir.