The Richelieu was the lead ship in a class of two battleships in the French Navy. Laid down on October 22, 1935, she was launched on January 17, 1939, and entered service on April 1, 1940. The Richelieu-class battleships were built in response to Italy's Littorio-class battleships. However, the battleship was not ready until June 15, 1940, just days before France's surrender. Therefore, it was decided to evacuate the ship to Dakar. However, on July 8, 1940, as part of Operation Catapult, the battleship was attacked by British forces, suffering a serious hole in the stern. Although the ship remained afloat, she was completely immobilized, and the hole required extensive repairs. From September 23 to 24, 1940, the ship was attacked again by a British formation. The battleships Resolution and Barham approached Dakar. During the skirmishes and British air raids on those days, the Richelieu was hit by the Barham. Gun No. 7 was put out of action by a shell that exploded in the barrel. However, the battleship shot down several British aircraft.

The ship underwent repairs in 1941, but they proceeded extremely slowly. Following the Allied landing in French North Africa, Admiral François Darlan, the commander of the force in Dakar, was forced to switch sides and join the Allies. In January 1943, the battleship went to sea to test its engines, which had not been used for three years. On February 11, the ship moved to New York, where she underwent full repairs and modernization. The Richelieu remained in the shipyard until October. Afterward, she sailed to European waters to support Allied operations. She subsequently participated in the liberation of Norway and then moved to the Indian Ocean, where she took part in several operations in Asia. After the war, the Richelieu participated in operations to regain control of the French colonies in Indochina. On April 1, 1949, the battleship was placed in reserve. In October 1951, she was converted into a training ship. In February 1956, the Richelieu was converted into a non-self-propelled training ship in Brest. She was decommissioned on September 30, 1967, and sold for scrap on January 16, 1968.

The Richelieu was introduced in Update 2.47 "Leviathans", in her 1943 modernization. The ship has a powerful main caliber and boasts a strong anti-aircraft battery and high speed. However, the location of her main caliber is a disadvantage because she can only fire from the bow, which is not always convenient.