The French did put up a good fight against the British at the battle of Dakar on the West African Coast, an attempt to sink the Richelieu. The Royal Navy was repulsed with heavy dammages and had to go back to Gibraltar. Richelieu took little part in it, firing 24 rounds in two days but scoring no hits.
Jean Bart, still incomplete, faced the US Navy during Operation Torch and took a heavy beating. She was unoperationnal for the rest of the war.
I like the immobille Battleship house rule. It could be included in the game, especially in SZ 87 but maybe in North Africa too.
