A new "Statut Naval" in 1906 brought about the construction of the six s and the seven dreadnoughts of the and es. The "Danton"s were pre-dreadnought vessels built after the launch of the British "all-big-gun" rendered such vessels obsolescent, though the French at that time preferred the higher rate of fire of the lighter secondary guns. Convinced of the need to follow suit with dreadnoughts of their own, the French ordered the four "Courbet"s in 1910 and the three "Bretagne"s followed in 1912. These would be the last battleships completed for two decades, as World War I forced the French to cancel the and es (ordered for the 1913 and 1915 programs) as industrial and financial resources were diverted to the French Army and financial limitations after the war prevented further construction. During the war, the bulk of the French fleet was occupied with guarding the southern end of the Adriatic Sea to contain the Austro-Hungarian Navy, while older vessels were used elsewhere, particularly during the Dardanelles campaign, where "Bouvet" was sunk in 1915. After the war, the surviving pre-dreadnoughts were either scrapped or reduced to secondary roles.