Batillus-class supertanker

The Batillus class was a group of four French ultra large crude carriers built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard in Saint-Nazaire between 1976 and 1979. The ships were Batillus, Bellamya, Pierre Guillaumat and Prairial, and all four were built in the yard's large Bassin C dock. At roughly 275,000 gross tons, 555,000 tonnes deadweight and more than 414 metres overall, they were the largest ships ever built by gross tonnage until the Pioneering Spirit, and second only to the Seawise Giant in length and deadweight. Unlike most very large tankers they had twin propellers, twin boilers and twin rudders, so one side could keep working after a failure. Weak oil demand cut their careers short, and three were scrapped within about ten years of service; Prairial lasted until 2003.