"(6x280-mm guns in two 3-gun turrets and 8x150-mm guns in single-gun turret-like installations - 4 on each side) and the British Exeter cruisers (heavy, 6x203-mm guns in three 2-gun turrets) , "Ajax" and "Achilles" (light, 8x152-mm guns each in four 2-gun turrets; "Achilles" - New Zealand).
The heavy cruiser "Spee", still intact.
If the British cruisers were typical representatives of the "contractual" ships of the interwar period, then their German counterpart is a very unusual design. It was created as part of the Versailles restrictions to replace obsolete battleships from the period of the Russo-Japanese War (the Germans were not allowed to have larger ships). True, the Germans failed to keep the limit of 10,000 tons in / and, but the result was not bad - the new ships were superior in strength to all the "contractual cruisers" and were faster than most battleships, i.e. in theory, they could destroy the first and run away from the second. Only 5 ships in 1939 posed a danger to them - 3 British ("Hood", "Ripals" and "Rinaun", respectively, 8 and 6x 381-mm guns) and 2 French ("Dunkirk" and "Strasbourg", 8x330-mm ), which had superiority in speed and armor. The ship's power plant was especially unusual - 8 (!) Diesel engines provided a speed of 26 knots. Booking was mediocre. The Germans themselves used the traditional term “battleship” for classification (later they were transferred to cruisers), the British came up with the term “pocket battleship” (they also met the term “diesel battleship”). In total, the Germans built 3 ships of this type ("Spee" - 3rd), their main purpose is raider operations on enemy sea lanes. And now fate ordered to test theoretical calculations in practice quite soon.
Spee went to sea before the start of the war and began operations in the southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans after the hopes for peace between Germany and Britain disappeared. It cannot be said that his hunt was successful - he destroyed only 9 British "merchants", there was no critically valuable cargo on any of them. To catch the raider, the British formed several search groups, one of which - Commodore G. Harwood (flag on the Ajax) - and played a role (in addition to the cruisers mentioned above, the group also included the heavy cruiser Cumberland - 8x203-mm guns , but at the time of the battle it was being repaired in the Falklands). Harwood correctly guessed the time and area of \u200b\u200bthe “meeting” - at the mouth of La Plata and ordered to act in battle in two groups - Exeter separately and two light cruisers together, in order to separate enemy fire. To "lure" the battleship, the British used a randomly encountered Dutch merchant, whose silhouette was similar to the German auxiliary supply vessel "Ussukuma" (carried for the "Spee" s / h, etc.), intercepted and destroyed by them earlier.
At 6:10 am on December 13, the parties discovered each other, and the Germans incorrectly identified the enemy (as a heavy cruiser and 2 destroyers - the single-tube silhouettes of British light cruisers of the Linder type and a malfunction of the battleship aircraft affected) and the Spee commander G. Langsdorf quickly went on rapprochement (they say his torpedo-boat past affected him). Some consider this to be his mistake, but this is not so - the British ships outperformed the battleship in speed (by 4-6 knots) and could choose the distance in any case. At 06:18 the battleship opened fire, the British ships began to respond at 0620/23. Already at 6:23 "Exeter" received the first hit (the Germans knew how to shoot!). But Langsdorff made his FIRST MISTAKE at 6:30 - he divided the fire of the main caliber (that is, he did what the British wanted) - firing 150-mm armadillo guns that did not have central aiming was absolutely ineffective (it was planned that with with their help they will sink stationary or slow-moving merchant ships) and he decided to use one of the two 280-mm towers against the British light cruisers ...
By 7:30 on the Exeter all main guns were out of action and she left the battle, having a roll, fires on board and a speed that had dropped to 18 knots. Here Langsdorf made his SECOND MISTAKE - he didn’t finish off the enemy (“Exeter” will reach the Falklands, where the minimum necessary repairs will take place, followed by a solid 13-month one in Britain - and only to get to the East and be sunk by the Japanese in 1942 ...) - but Harwood would not have passed by sailors floundering in the water - even it takes time to drop life-saving equipment!
"Spee" after the battle - visible surface holes in the bow
The Spee was also damaged (including the fuel system), to fix them, Langsdorf decided to go to a neutral port, chose Montevideo - THE THIRD MISTAKE (the Argentines treated the Germans better). At 7:40 the battle was practically over, although the sides occasionally exchanged volleys. On the night of December 13-14, the battleship entered the port of Montevideo, where she received permission to stay for 72 hours. Here the British masterfully launched an information war - they gave the Germans the impression that they were joined by the Rinaun battle cruiser, the Ark Royal aircraft carrier and 3 more cruisers (in fact, they could only arrive on the 19th, and on the 14th in the evening from the Falklands only the Cumberland approached, but the morale of the Germans fell sharply due to this fake news). Langsdorf conducted intensive negotiations with Berlin, but as a result he only made the FOURTH MISTAKE - on the 17th he went to the Montevideo roadstead (the whole city gathered on the embankment in anticipation of the spectacle of a naval battle, radio commentators broadcast live) and left and blew up his ship there - they believe that the shell shock received during the battle affected (I remind you - the mouth of La Plata is about 100 km wide, with three main passages, the British were physically unable to block them with three ships, especially at night) ... The crew switched to the auxiliary ship Tacoma ”, on which he came to Buenos Aires, where he was interned.
The blown up battleship burned for 3 days
Opponents of "Spee":
"Exeter" before and after the battle (in the Falklands)
Ajax before and after the fight
The Ajax bell in the port of Montevideo. The cruiser survived the war (2 years, however, was under repair - with a break for a half-ton German bomb), decommissioned in 1948
"Achilles" received the least damage in battle
One of the Achilles towers in Auckland (N. Zealand), the cruiser also survived the war, was sold to India in 1948, decommissioned there only in 1978.
Of course, this turn of events had a negative impact on public opinion in Germany - we must remember that there was a "strange war" - i.e. there were no special events after Poland - the death of an armadillo in battle would undoubtedly be more worthy. On December 19, apparently realizing that he had committed Langsdorf, he shot himself ... The result is completely unimportant - against 9 British merchant ships (50,000 tons) and 2 damaged cruisers ("Achilles" had practically no damage) - 1,000 interned sailors (72 British and 36 Germans), a lost battleship (one of only 10 German heavy ships in the war) and 3 auxiliary ships (except Ussukuma and Tacoma, the British intercepted Altmark in Norwegian waters in February 1940 with part of the crews of ships sunk by Spee "- this incident prompted Hitler to capture Norway). In 1940, the lead ship of the series, Deutschland, was renamed Lutzow (Hitler did not want to hear that Germany had sunk).
By the way, they say in his youth, Langsdorf's neighbor was Admiral von Spee himself, which influenced the choice of profession. Let me remind you that Spee himself died with his squadron and two sons in the same South Atlantic (near the Falklands) 25 years before the events described - I will write about this separately.
Of the almost 1,000 Germans from the crew of the battleship interned in Argentina, some remained there, but there was another example - the chief artilleryman of Spee P. Asher managed to return to Germany, became the 1st officer of the headquarters of Admiral Lutyens on the Bismarck and died on it in May 1941 - how do you like the “typical” fate of a “Jewish boy” (and Asher is just like that!) In Nazi Germany ?!
In 1956, the British made a film about the fight - The Battle of the River Plate-it has been translated into Russian. The Germans there are almost friends of the British (we must remember what time it was - they were only accepted into NATO, the common enemy is us), the Spee is played by the American heavy cruiser Salem, but the Achilles is real (in this he had already served in the Indian Navy under the name "Delhi"). There is a lot of typical British humor in the film - for example, when inspecting the damage to the Ajax, Harwood shares with his staff: "he shoots well, at the village fair he would have received a teddy bear."
Since 1940, attempts have been made to raise individual parts of the Spee (the British were especially interested in the radar), the last - in 2006. Part of what was raised was installed in the port and museum of Montevideo, I photographed something ... There is even a project to raise the remains of the ship as a whole - but this is a fantasy of Uruguayan proportions.
P.S. At first glance, the episode is similar to our "Varangian", but do not forget that the Japanese initially had overwhelming superiority in forces, TTE ships, on their side were the features of the battlefield.
Rangefinder "Spee" in the port of Montevideo - my photo
Ships of World War II
The five strongest maritime powers - Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, the USA - have long shared influence on the sea. By the end of the 1930s, all European states felt the approach of great bloody events. The government of each country tried to increase combat power not only the ground forces, but also the fleet.
States such as Great Britain, Germany, France and the United States preferred the construction of heavy surface ships. To escort ships, protect them and carry out reconnaissance work, special squadron submarines were created.
In 1934, France built the submarine Surku. The cruiser had the ability to strike at the enemy using 14 torpedo tubes and 2 203 mm guns. Armor served as protection, which covered the deck and deckhouse.
England also prepared for battles. Starting from the 40s of the 20th century, underwater monitors M-1, M-2, M-3 appeared in the British Navy. A little later, one of them was converted into an underwater aircraft carrier. At the same time, the gun turret was replaced by a spacious hangar, where the seaplane was located.
Over time, the power of the English ships increased. The ships were distinguished by high speed, hull immersion depth, cruising range, as well as the characteristics and composition of the general armament. And the X-1 squadron submarine was equipped and powered by a diesel plant, which made the ship move at a speed of 20 knots.
Each of the maritime powers of the world sought to improve the design of warships and break ahead in terms of the combat capability of their fleet.
States sought to outdo each other with technical improvements and new developments. Holland and America provided the sailors of their ships with air conditioners to cool the air. The British installed Asdik sonars on submarines, with the help of which it became possible to measure the distance to an enemy object in the water and, moreover, it was much easier to search for anchor mines.
The states did not spare Money and installed on submarines devices that reduce the number of bubbles during torpedo shots. And on the submarines, 20-mm anti-aircraft guns appeared, which made it possible to shoot down enemy aircraft. Submarines, forced long time carried out at sea, required a constant supply of fuel. The sailors needed to replenish their water and food supplies. It was for the purpose of supplying submarines in the open ocean that submarine tankers were created.
The installation of powerful electric motors and batteries made it possible to increase the speed of movement of boats on the surface. Special system the operation of diesel engines under water, called the "snorkel", extended the time the vessel was in a submerged position and thus increased the possibility of covert hostilities. The submarine, originally conceived as a ship for short-term diving, has become a submarine.
The means of tracking the enemy continued to improve. Sailors sailing on American submarines began to use night periscopes with radar antennas. And to adjust good connection submarines sailing on the surface were assisted by high-frequency radiotelephones.
Germany was mainly concerned with improving the combat capabilities of its ships, placing on board an increasing number of weapons. As a result, the free space intended for the crew became less and less. Therefore, the conditions for the stay of sailors on board the submarine often turned out to be difficult.
Experimental developments were put into practice without a thorough preliminary check, and therefore the ships, being unsuitable for attacking and repelling enemy attacks, did not take part in serious battles.
Almost before the start of the Second World War in Germany, a project was developed for a new submarine "U-1407", equipped with three combined-cycle turbines. The submarine had to develop a fairly high speed, reaching 24 knots, and was intended for long-distance voyages, up to 230 miles. However, "U-1407", unfortunately, did not justify the hopes of engineers and designers, and remained just a good project.
Japanese submarines, created in the early 40s of the XX century, were distinguished by a large displacement. In the design of Japanese ships, the main drawback was the difficulty in managing and the large vibration of the ship's hull during movement. It was said that the rumble of numerous mechanisms could be heard even from a short distance.
Aircraft carriers have become the new strike force of the world fleet. The Japanese were the first to design and use aircraft carriers. The aircraft carrier "Hose" had good fighting qualities, but because of the slow speed could not act in concert with the squadron. The aircraft carrier moved surrounded by cruisers and destroyers. Therefore, there was no need to take care of the armor protection of the ship. At the same time, the absence of heavy armor made it possible to place a large number of aircraft and anti-aircraft guns on the decks.
England entered World War II with the modern aircraft carrier Ark Royal. The ship reached a speed of 30 knots and at the same time could accommodate up to 72 aircraft on the platforms. Ark Royal was the first aircraft carrier to have two-story hangars connected to the flight deck by mechanical lifts. In the bow of the ship were two large catapults, which made it possible to launch aircraft into the air even if the ship turned out to be turned into the wind. In addition, a special strong net was installed on board, with the help of which it was possible to catch planes that missed when landing on the deck of the ship.
The technical innovation of the British designers of the Ark Royal was the inclusion in its design of a special aft overhang, which made it possible to increase the length of the flight deck to 244 m. Engineers of no other maritime power in the world could achieve a greater lengthening of the landing strip on the ship.
The Japanese wanted to follow suit. European countries who improved military equipment, and therefore, following the British, they decided to reconstruct the old ships. Some time later, the construction plants of Japan produced powerful aircraft carriers, which received the names Hiryu and Soryu. In addition, before the outbreak of World War II, Japan created two giant aircraft carriers, named "Zuikaku" and "Shokaku". The ships were able to accommodate up to 92 combat aircraft on board.
However, American aircraft carriers were considered the most advanced. The ships were carried by 81 aircraft. The flight deck had an overhang extending the takeoff area. Chimneys from steam boilers were combined into a single chimney, which was brought out through an island-type superstructure. Artillery was used only to repel air attacks, since the aircraft carriers moved, as usual, accompanied by cruisers and destroyers capable of repelling enemy ships and submarines.
The Japanese fleet lost six aircraft carriers in the first months of the war, while America's losses amounted to four ships. However, according to total strength fleet, America was clearly lagging behind the leading maritime powers, and therefore English engineers directed all their forces to the construction of new ships and the re-equipment of old ones.
The new light aircraft carriers, converted from cruisers, carried only 45 aircraft each. Open hangars and flight decks were installed on top of the cruiser hulls. To improve the stability of the ships, side boules were installed. Additional island superstructures appeared in the forward part of the deck. Two catapults were used to launch aircraft. Only the armored hull and machine engines remained from the old cruiser model.
Such ships of the American fleet were called "Independent" and began to take part in hostilities starting in 1943.
The largest American aircraft carriers were the Midway-class ships. Powerful aircraft carriers were ready to receive up to 137 aircraft on their wide flight decks, while maintaining high speed. However, the construction of aircraft carriers dragged on for many years, and none of the six ships under construction took part in naval battles.
In America, the pace of building aircraft carriers during World War II was several times higher than the rate of their production in peacetime. During the 20 years of peace, America produced 7 aircraft carriers, while the development of military events made it necessary to provide the fleet with 36 heavy aircraft carriers and 124 escorts, previously converted from merchant ships.
After the end of World War II military industry The United States switched to the production of multi-purpose aircraft carriers, whose tasks included air cover for warships, landings and convoys at sea, air strikes against land and sea targets, blockade of ports and straits. Multi-purpose aircraft carriers, possessing a new type of weapon - nuclear, could strike at targets located within a radius of about 1500 km. Such aircraft carriers could cover up to 1,100 miles per day. However, the large size made the ships very vulnerable to enemy attacks.
The main problem with the introduction of multi-purpose aircraft carriers was the huge financial costs that went to the construction, maintenance and use of ships. The cost of one such aircraft carrier could reach 250 million dollars.
Calculations by American engineers have shown that the use of multi-purpose aircraft carriers is economically unprofitable. In 1980, the US Congress refused to finance the creation of multi-purpose aircraft carriers.
By the early 1980s, the Americans had transferred most of their nuclear missiles to the ships of the navy. Thus, the aircraft that were on the aircraft carriers were replaced by missiles.
In response to the improvement of the armament of American ships, the Soviet Union also began to create a nuclear-missile ocean fleet. The Soviet fleet did not have a sufficient number of military bases located on the territories of other countries. The ships had to overcome large spaces in the territory of neighboring states before they reached the ocean expanses.
It was the need for long passages that determined the choice of the design of new Russian ships. Such vessels had high seaworthiness, good combat stability, reliability and powerful motor engines. In addition, cruise and ballistic missiles began to be placed on ships.
The Leninsky Komsomol nuclear submarine, created at that time, reached the North Pole thanks to its robust design and high endurance. After some time, a group of nuclear boats made a trip around the world without a single ascent to the surface. It was a unique case in the history of the submarine fleet.
A feature of the development of the domestic navy in comparison with the fleet of other world powers was the use of multi-purpose submarines, which were located cruise missiles and long range torpedoes.
The domestic surface fleet also developed differently from other states. Soviet engineers paid the greatest attention to the use of missile boats, landing hovercraft, hydrofoil torpedo boats, missile cruisers type "Varyag" with rocket and artillery anti-aircraft weapons and nuclear missile cruisers of the type "Kirov".
The first Soviet aircraft carrier "Moskva" first appeared in the 5th (Mediterranean) squadron of the Navy. On board were powerful military helicopters. For several years, our designers were ahead of the British, later creating an aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Kyiv type, on which, in addition to helicopters, there were vertical and short takeoff and landing aircraft.
Until now, the Russian Navy is constantly being updated and improved. Twelve seas wash the shores of Russia. The population of Russia has been associated with the sea, shipping and military campaigns since ancient times. For 33 wars that took place on the territory of Russia, only two of them did not involve the navy.
The English historian F. Jen expressed his attitude towards Russia as a mighty maritime power in the following words: "The Russians fought in fierce battles and a thousand years ago they were considered the best sailors of their time."
From the book Naval battles author Khvorostukhina Svetlana AlexandrovnaShips of World War II The five strongest maritime powers - Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, the USA - have long shared influence on the sea. By the end of the 1930s, all European states felt the approach of great bloody events.
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Battleships of the Second World War did not play an important role in the course of large-scale naval battles that shook the skies over the seas and oceans for exactly six years, from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945. They did not fulfill their function, did not justify the high hopes placed on them. But a lot of money was spent on their construction, a lot of money was spent on their maintenance. The fate of these imaginary "masters of the sea", the tools of failed domination, is very instructive, and can serve as an example of incorrect calculation, incorrect forecasting of the future nature of strategy and tactics, and irrational expenditure of economic resources.
The State of Naval Tactical Thought in the Interwar Period
From the time when the Anglo-Dutch naval battles thundered on the seas, and until the middle of the 20th century, the idea of an ideal ship existed and practically did not change in the minds of the command of the fleets of the whole world. The main tactical technique was formed at the same time, in the 17th century, and it consisted in lining up all the forces in a wake column, and then opening fire from all trunks. Whoever sinks more enemy units wins. Some confusion in the minds of naval commanders was introduced in 1916 by the Battle of Jutland, which took place according to a slightly different scenario. Performing energetic maneuvering, the German squadron inflicted significant damage on the British forces, which had quantitative and qualitative superiority, suffering half as many losses and "beating on points" (to put it in sports terminology) the enemy. However, the British hurried to announce the victorious outcome of the battle, do not bother to analyze their, in general, unsuccessful actions. And you should have thought about it. Perhaps then the battleships of the Second World War would have been more effective weapons in the fight against fascism, or at least there would have been fewer of them, which would have freed up resources for other, more important defense programs. However, the winners of Jutland, the Germans, did not draw the right conclusions either. They (at least Hitler and his immediate circle) also considered power and size to be a priority factor in defeating the enemy. And other countries that faced heavy battles on the seas and oceans held similar views. They were all wrong.
What is a battleship?
The question is not superfluous, and in order to answer it, one should return to history, to those times when the ships (then still sailing, and later steam) of the opponents lined up in wake formations (that is, one after another), and the advantage of artillery weapons was a guarantee of victory. The formation was a straight line, this was dictated by the main principle of the battle, otherwise there would be interference in the line of fire, and the power of the guns could not be used to the full. The ships that had the largest number of guns lined up on decks were defined as "linear". The abbreviation "battleship" has taken root in the Russian fleet, consisting of the roots of the two words "linear" and "ship".
Sails gave way to steam engines and turbines, but the principle and purpose of a large artillery floating battery, protected by armor and fast, remained unchanged. Combine all required fighting qualities was possible only if the size was large. For this reason, the battleships of the Second World War had a monstrous displacement.
Battleships and the economy
The shipbuilders of the thirties, fulfilling the orders of the fleets and governments, tried to provide them with the most powerful and destructive weapons in the history of mankind. Not every country could afford to have at least one ship of this class; in addition to the defense function, it also played the role of a prestigious fetish. Owning battleships, the state asserted itself in its own power and demonstrated it to its neighbors. Today the owners nuclear weapons or aircraft carriers constitute a certain special club, access to which is allowed only to certain countries with the economic potential of the corresponding level. In the thirties, ships of the line served as a symbol of military power. Such an acquisition, not only was it very expensive, but also required additional allocations for ongoing maintenance, maintenance and training of crews and infrastructure. The fleets included units that survived the previous global conflict, but new ones were also launched. Battleships of the Second World War, that is, built in the period from 1936 to 1945, were the focus of all recent achievements technical thought of his time. Their presence served as a kind of guarantee of a new worldwide slaughter. It was possible to create such a powerful and expensive weapon only if it was to be used, and in the very near future. Otherwise, it makes no sense.
How many were there
For the entire period called the pre-war period (in fact, the war was already underway, in Spain and the Far East, for example), and all the years of the “hot phase” of the world conflict, the most developed countries, seeking to establish or restore their regional (or world) dominance, built twenty seven units of ships belonging to the class of linear.
Most of all, the Americans launched, as many as ten. This testifies to the quite serious intentions of the United States to maintain the level of its influence in remote areas of the World Ocean, however, without the large-scale direct participation of ground forces, which at that time were quite modest.
The second place is occupied by Britain with its five units. Good too.
Germany, having just rejected the terms of Versailles, launched four.
Italy, which claimed the role of the regional Mediterranean leader during the reign of Duce Mussolini, was able to master three large-capacity units. France managed to produce the same number of dreadnoughts.
Japanese battleships of World War II are represented by two units of the Yamato series. Relatively compared to other members of the "club", the imperial fleet was going to compensate for the small number of ships with the cyclopean size of the ships.
The figures given are actual. The plans were much bigger.
Soviet battleships of World War II were laid down in tsarist Russia. Before the World War, the domestic fleet was developing rapidly, the modernization program launched then became the basis for growth for many years, after the revolution.
There were three battleships: "Paris Commune" ("Sevastopol"), "Marat" ("Petropavlovsk") and " October Revolution"(" Gangut "), all of the same project. They survived the hard times, albeit with damage, and served for some time after 1945. Thirty years of age for a warship is not considered advanced, and in 1941 they turned just that much. Thus, at the time of entry into the war, after the German attack, the USSR had three fairly modern units of ships of the linear class, inherited "by inheritance" from the tsarist regime. But this does not mean that the leadership of the USSR had no plans to strengthen the Navy. They were, and not only plans, but also quite specific actions. Stalin was preparing the most ambitious project in the history of domestic shipbuilding.
USSR plans
According to the government shipbuilding program adopted in 1936, over the next seven years, Soviet shipyards were to launch no less than 533 naval units. Of these, there are 24 battleships. Maybe they were going to build them in accordance with the possibilities, smaller and more modest, so to speak, in the "economy version"? No, the planned displacement is 58.5 thousand tons. Reservation - from 375 mm (belt) to 420 (base of gun turrets). Project "A" (No. 23) was calculated with the help of American engineers invited to the USSR in 1936 with appropriate pay. The Italian specialists with whom they tried to cooperate at the beginning were refused, and not because the Nazis (this circumstance did not prevent the purchase of the “blue cruiser”), they simply “did not pull” the scale of the plan. The guns were ordered from the Barricades plant (Stalingrad). Nine giant cannons of the main caliber 406-mm were supposed to fire shells of 11 centners each. Three armored decks. Only the latest battleships of Japan during the Second World War could compete with such power, but no one knew about them then, they were deeply classified, and became an unpleasant surprise for the US Navy in December 1941.
Why did the plans fail?
The battleship "Soviet Union" of project "A" was laid down in Leningrad by plant number 15 in the summer of 1938, two units ("Soviet Belarus", " Soviet Russia”) began to be built in Molotovsk (today this city is called Severodvinsk), another one - in Nikolaev (“Soviet Ukraine”). So I. V. Stalin cannot be reproached for projecting and manilovism, the plans set by the party were steadily carried out. Another question is that there were objective difficulties, for which, quite possibly, some comrades who did not cope with the task subjectively answered before the law. At the time of the German attack, the ships under construction were in varying degrees of readiness, but no more than a fifth of the total amount of work. The most modern battleships of the USSR of World War II never got into combat formation, serving as donors for other important defense programs. Their guns and armor plates were used, but they themselves never went to sea. There was not enough time and experience, the development of technologies took too long a period.
What if they could?
JV Stalin was often reproached (and continues to do so) for not preparing the country to repel the German invasion. To some extent, these claims can be considered justified. However, given the situation that developed in the first months of Hitler's aggression, today we can conclude that even the most modern and large Soviet battleships of World War II could not have influenced the course of hostilities that took place mainly on the land front. Already in the summer of 1941, the operational area of the Baltic Sea, due to its geographical feature(closeness), was closed by minefields and blocked by the submarine forces of the Kriegsmarine. The battleships of the USSR during the Second World War that were in service were used as stationary batteries, similar to coastal ones. With their heavy main-caliber guns, they inflicted damage on the advancing enemy, but aviation and long-range artillery succeeded more in this. In addition, going to sea with such a huge ship is fraught with great risk. He, like a magnet, attracts to himself all the forces of the enemy, who calms down only by letting him go to the bottom. A sad example is the many battleships of the Second World War, which became a steel grave for their crews.
The Germans and their ships of the line
Not only Stalin suffered from gigantomania, but also his main opponent, the German Chancellor. He had great hopes for the German battleships of World War II, their construction was too expensive, but it was they who were supposed to crush the naval power of the arrogant Britain. This, however, did not happen. After the loss of the Bismarck in 1941, shot by a superior enemy, the Fuhrer treated the Tirpitz as an expensive and thoroughbred fighting dog, which is a pity to launch into an ordinary dog dump, but you still have to feed it, and it is used as a deterrent. For a long time, the second battleship annoyed the British until they dealt with it, bombing the beauty and pride of the Kriegsmarine in an obscure Norwegian fjord.
So the battleships of Germany rested at the bottom. In the Second World War, they got the role of huge animals, hunted down by a pack of smaller, but more agile predators. A similar fate awaited many other ships of this class. Their loss entailed huge casualties, they often died along with the crews in full force.
Japan
Who built the largest and most modern battleships of World War II? Japan. "Yamato" and the second ship of the series, which became the last, "Musashi", had a titanic displacement (total) in excess of 70 thousand tons. These giants were also armed with the most powerful guns of the main caliber 460 mm. Armor also knew no equal - from 400 to 650 mm. To destroy such a monster, dozens of direct hits from torpedoes, aerial bombs or artillery shells were required. The Americans had all these deadly weapons in sufficient quantities, and the circumstances were such that they were able to use them. They were angry at the Japanese for Pearl Harbor and knew no pity.
USA
US battleships of World War II are represented by ships of various designs, including the newest ones, launched between 1941 and 1943. These primarily include the class "Iowa", represented, in addition to the head unit, by three more ("New Jersey", "Wisconsin" and "Missouri"). On the deck of one of them, namely the Missouri, the last point was put in the six-year world war. The displacement of these giant ships- 57.5 thousand tons, they had excellent seaworthiness, but for modern naval combat they were, after the appearance missile weapons, are practically unusable, which did not prevent the use of their artillery power for punitive purposes against countries that did not have the opportunity to effectively resist them. They served for a long time, and fought along different coasts:
- "New Jersey" - in Vietnamese and Lebanese.
- "Missouri" and "Wisconsin" - at the Iraqi.
Today, all three of the last US battleships of World War II are at their moorings and receiving tourist visitors.
They are armored artillery warships that have a large displacement and good weapons. The battleships of the USSR were widely used in a variety of battles, as they easily cope with the destruction of the enemy in a naval battle by delivering artillery strikes against objects located on the shore.
Peculiarities
Battleships are powerful artillery armored ships. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War there were a lot of them in the arsenal of the country. The battleships of the USSR had high-quality weapons in the form of various guns, which were constantly modernized. Most often, the armament consisted of torpedo tubes. These ships provided the defense of Leningrad, Sevastopol and other coastal cities.
Sevastopol class
Battleships of this class had a monitor-shaped hull, in which the freeboard area and icebreaking stem were minimized. With a small length of the hull, it was 23,000 tons, but in reality it reached about 26,000 tons. Coal was used as fuel, and if forced operation was required, then oil. These battleships of the Soviet Navy were equipped with power plant at 42,000 liters. With. at a speed of 23 knots and a cruising range of 4,000 miles.
As weapons, it was equipped with rifled guns, which were located linearly and were distinguished by a technical rate of fire of 1.8 rounds per minute. As anti-mine weapons, 16 120 mm guns were used, the rate of fire of which was 7 rounds per minute, with all the guns located on the middle deck. Such placement of artillery led to low firing efficiency, which, combined with the low seaworthiness of the battleship itself, made their control more difficult.
These battleships of the USSR were modernized even before the Second World War, which affected the improvement of the silhouette of the ships: they got a tank superstructure that tightly adhered to the hull and was covered with a solid flooring from above. The changes affected the bow, power plants and improved living conditions for the team.
"Paris Commune"
This battleship was the most recent upgrade. In the course of improvement, its displacement became larger, the engine power became higher and amounted to 61,000 hp, the ship developed a maximum speed of 23.5 knots. During the modernization, much attention was paid to strengthening anti-aircraft weapons: 6 76 mm, 16 and 14 machine guns appeared on the bow and stern. These battleships of the USSR of World War II were used in the defense of Sevastopol. For the entire period of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War, the battleship participated in 15 military campaigns, performed 10 artillery firing, repelled more than 20 enemy air raids and shot down three enemy aircraft.
During World War II, the ship defended Sevastopol and the Kerch Strait. First fighting fell on November 8, 1941, and only during the first period of the fighting was destroyed a large number of tanks, guns, military vehicles carrying certain goods.
"Marat"
These battleships of the USSR defended the approaches to Leningrad, defending the city for 8 days. During one of the enemy attacks, two bombs hit the ship at once, which destroyed the bow of the ship and led to the detonation of the shell magazines. As a result of this tragic event, 326 crew members died. Six months later, the ship was returned to partial buoyancy, the stern, which sank, surfaced. The Germans for a long time tried to destroy the damaged battleship, which was used by our military as a fort.
However, some time later, the battleship was repaired and partially restored, but even this allowed her to resist enemy artillery fire: after the ship was restored, enemy aircraft, batteries and personnel were destroyed. In 1943, this battleship of the USSR was renamed "Petropavlovsk", and even after 7 years it was completely removed from service and transferred to a training center.
"October Revolution"
This battleship was originally based in Tallinn, but with the outbreak of World War II, it was relocated to Kronstadt, as soon as the Germans began to approach the city. The "October Revolution" became a reliable artillery defense of the city, since all attempts german army to sink the battleship were unsuccessful. During the war years, this largest battleship of the USSR proved to be a reliable enemy on the water.
From "Gangut" to "Revolution"
The original name of the battleship was "Gangut". It was under this name that the ship took part in the First World War: under its cover, minefields were set up, on which more than one German cruiser was subsequently blown up. Already after the ship was given a new name, it performed during the Second World War, and all attempts by the Germans to cope with it were a failure. The battleships of the USSR of the Second World War were generally distinguished by their reliability: for example, the October Revolution was subjected to numerous air and artillery attacks, and still survived. During the war years, the battleship itself fired about 1,500 shells, repelled numerous air raids, shot down 13 aircraft and damaged a large number.
The main campaigns of the "Gangut" ("October Revolution")
An interesting fact is that the formidable ships of our army have never met in battle with enemy battleships during the two world wars - the first and second. The only fight was held by "Sevastopol" back in civil war, when the ship covered the destroyer "Azard" and repelled the attack of as many as seven British destroyers.
In general, the Gangut went on three military campaigns in the Baltic, where it provided minelaying, then it received a new name in service with the Red Army and was included in the Naval Forces Baltic Sea. The battleship also took part in the Soviet-Finnish war as fire support for the ground forces. The most important task of the battleship was the defense of Leningrad.
In 1941, on September 27, a 500 kg bomb hit the ship, which pierced the decks and tore the turret apart.
"Arkhangelsk"
Not all battleships of the USSR during the Second World War were originally in service with our country. So, the battleship "Arkhangelsk" was first part of the British Navy, then was transferred Soviet Union. It is noteworthy, but this ship was converted in the United States, equipped with modern radar systems for any type of weapon. That is why Arkhangelsk is also known as HMS Royal Sovereign.
In the interwar years, the battleship was repeatedly modernized, and seriously. And the changes concerned mainly additional equipment with guns. By World War II, this battleship was already obsolete, but despite this, it was nevertheless included in the country's fleet. But his role was not as valiant as that of other battleships: the Arkhangelsk mostly stood off the coast of the Kola Bay, where it provided a fire offensive for the Soviet troops and disrupted the evacuation of the Germans. In January 1949, the ship was delivered to the UK.
USSR battleship projects
The battleships of the USSR, whose projects were developed by a variety of engineers, have always been considered among the most reliable in the world. So, engineer Bubnov proposed a project for a super-dreadnought, which attracted attention with the elaboration of details, the power of artillery, high speed and a sufficient level of armor. Design began in 1914, and the main task of the engineers was to place three four-gun turrets on a small hull, which was not enough for such weapons. It turned out that the ship in this situation was left without reliable anti-torpedo protection. The main weapons on this ship were:
- the main armor belt, which extended to 2/3 of the ship's length;
- horizontal booking at four levels;
- circular armor of towers;
- 12 guns in turrets and 24 anti-mine caliber guns, which were located in casemates.
Experts said that this battleship is a powerful combat unit, which, compared with foreign counterparts, was capable of reaching a speed of 25 knots. True, the reservation was not enough already at the time of the First World War, and there were no plans to modernize the ships ...
Project engineer Kostenko
The perfect battleships of Russia and the USSR more than once rescued the Soviet troops. One of the developments was the ship Kostenko, which is considered the latest. To his distinctive features included balanced characteristics of weapons, excellent speed and high-quality armor. The project was based on the Anglo-German experience of the Battle of Jutland, so the engineer had previously abandoned the ultimate artillery equipment for ships. And the emphasis was on the balance of body armor and mobility.
This ship was developed in as many as four versions, and the first version turned out to be the fastest. As in Bubnov's version, the battleship had a main combat belt, which was supplemented by a bulkhead of two plates. Horizontal booking affected several decks, which itself acted as an armor deck. Reservation was carried out in the tower, cutting, around the vessel, in addition, the engineer was attentive to anti-torpedo protection, which used to act on battleships in the form of a simple longitudinal bulkhead.
As weapons, the engineer proposed using 406 mm main caliber guns and 130 mm guns. The first were located in the towers, which ensured a good firing range. The designs of this vessel, as already mentioned, were different, which also affected the number of guns.
Project engineer Gavrilov
Gavrilov proposed to build the most powerful, the so-called ultimate battleships of the USSR. The photo shows that such models were small in size, but in terms of technical and operational characteristics they were more efficient. According to the general concept, the battleship was the ultimate ship, specifications which were on the verge of an achievable level. The project took into account only the most powerful weapon parameters:
- 16 guns of the main caliber 406 mm in four towers;
- 24 guns of 152 mm anti-mine caliber in casemates.
Such weapons fully corresponded to the concept of Russian shipbuilding, when an amazing combination of the maximum possible artillery saturation with high speed was noted with damage to the armor. By the way, it was not the most successful on most Soviet battleships. But the ship's propulsion system was one of the most powerful, since its action was based on transformer turbines.
Equipment Features
The battleships of the USSR during the Second World War (the photo confirms their power), according to Gavrilov's projects, were equipped with the most advanced systems at that time. Like previous engineers, he paid attention to armor, and the thickness of the armor was somewhat greater. But experts noted that even with powerful artillery, high speed and huge size, this battleship would be quite vulnerable when meeting with the enemy.
Results
According to experts, the Second World War became a certain stage for checking the condition of the battleships of the USSR for readiness. As it turned out, the battle fleet was not ready for the destructive power and power of atomic bombs and high-precision guided weapons. That is why, towards the end of the war, battleships ceased to be considered a powerful combat force, and so much attention was no longer paid to the development of carrier-based aviation. Stalin ordered that battleships be excluded from military shipbuilding plans, as they did not meet the requirements of the time.
As a result, such ships as the October Revolution and the Paris Commune were withdrawn from the active fleet, some models were put into reserve. Subsequently, Khrushchev left literally a few heavy artillery ships in service with the country, considering them effective in battles. And on October 29, 1955, the flagship of the Black Sea squadron, the last battleship of the USSR Novorossiysk, sank in the Northern Bay of Sevastopol. After this event, our country said goodbye to the idea of having battleships in its fleet.
By the end of the Second World War, the class of high-speed battleships had reached the limit in its development, having favorably combined the destructive power and security of dreadnoughts with the high speed of battlecruisers, these maritime models performed many amazing feats under the flags of all warring states.
It is not possible to compile any "rating" of the battleships of those years - four favorites claim the first place at once, and each of them has the most serious reasons for this. As for the other places on the honorary pedestal, it is generally impossible to make any conscious choice here. Only individual tastes and subjective preferences. Each battleship is distinguished by its unique design, chronicle combat use and often tragic deaths.
Each of them was created for its specific tasks and conditions of service, for a specific enemy and in accordance with the chosen concept of using the fleet.
Different theaters of operations dictated different rules: inland seas or the open ocean, the proximity or, conversely, the extreme remoteness of the bases. Classic squadron battles with the same monsters or a bloody mess with repelling endless air attacks and shelling fortifications on the enemy coast.
Ships cannot be considered in isolation from the geopolitical situation, the state of the scientific, industrial and financial spheres of states - all this left a significant imprint on their design.
A direct comparison between any Italian "Littorio" and the American "North Caroline" is completely out of the question.
However, contenders for the title best battleship visible to the naked eye. These are Bismarck, Tirpitz, Iowa and Yamato - ships that even those who have never been interested in the fleet have heard of.
Life According to Sun Tzu
... Her Majesty's battleships Anson and Duke of York, aircraft carriers Victorias, Furies, escort aircraft carriers Sicher, Empire, Passuer, Fancer, cruisers Belfast, Bellona , Royalist, Sheffield, Jamaica, destroyers Javelin, Virago, Meteor, Swift, Vigilent, Wakeful, Onslot ... - a total of about 20 units under the British , Canadian and Polish flags, as well as 2 naval tankers and 13 carrier-based aviation squadrons.
Only in this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Alta Fjord - where, under the gloomy vaults of the Norwegian rocks, the pride of the Kriegsmarine, the Tirpitz super-battleship, rusted.
The results of the Wolfram operation are estimated as controversial - carrier-based aircraft managed to bomb the German base and cause serious damage to the battleship's superstructures. However, the next Pearl Harbor did not work out - the British could not inflict mortal wounds on the Tirpitz.
The Germans lost 123 men killed, but the battleship still posed a threat to shipping in the North Atlantic. The main problems were caused not so much by numerous bomb hits and fires on the upper deck, but by newly opened leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.
... In total, during the stay in Norwegian waters, the Tirpitz withstood dozens of air strikes - in total, during the war years, about 700 British and Soviet aircraft took part in raids on the battleship! In vain.
Hiding behind an anti-torpedo net, the ship was invulnerable to torpedo weapons allies. At the same time, aerial bombs proved ineffective against such a well-defended target; it was possible to smash the armored citadel of the battleship for an infinitely long time, but the destruction of the superstructures could not critically affect the combat capability of the Tirpitz.
Meanwhile, the Britons stubbornly rushed to the parking lot of the Teutonic beast: mini-submarines and man-torpedoes; deck raids and strategic aviation. Informant agents from the locals, regular surveillance of the base from the air ...
"Tirpitz" became a unique embodiment of the ideas of the ancient Chinese commander and thinker Sun Tzu ("The Art of War") - without firing a single shot at enemy ships, he fettered all the actions of the British in the North Atlantic for three years!
One of the most effective warships of the Second World War, the invincible Tirpitz turned into an ominous scarecrow for the British Admiralty: the planning of any operation began with the question “What to do if
Will the Tirpitz leave her anchorage and go out to sea?
It was the Tirpitz that scared away the escort of the PQ-17 convoy. All battleships and aircraft carriers of the metropolitan fleet in the Arctic latitudes hunted him. The boat K-21 fired at him. For his sake, the Lancasters from the Royal Air Force settled at the Yagodny airfield near Arkhangelsk. But everything turned out to be useless. The British were able to destroy the super-battleship only towards the end of the war with the help of the monstrous 5-ton Tallboy bombs.
Tallboy ("Big Boy")
The impressive success of the Tirpitz battleship is the legacy left over from the legendary Bismarck, a battleship of the same type, a meeting with which forever instilled fear in the hearts of the British: a funeral column of flame froze before their eyes, shooting up over the British battlecruiser HMS Hood. During the battle in the Danish Strait, the gloomy Teutonic Knight took only five volleys to deal with the British "gentleman".
"Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" in a military campaign
And then came the hour of reckoning. The Bismarck was chased by a squadron of 47 ships and 6 submarines of Her Majesty. After the battle, the British calculated: in order to sink the beast, they had to fire 8 torpedoes and 2876 shells of the main, medium and universal caliber!
What a tough guy!
Hieroglyph "fidelity". Yamato-class battleships
There are three useless things in the world: the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Great Wall of China and the battleship "Yamato" ... Really?
This is what happened to the battleships Yamato and Musashi: they were undeservedly slandered. Around them there was a stable image of "losers", useless "wanderwaffles" who shamefully died at the first meeting with the enemy.
But the facts are:
The ships were designed and built on time, managed to make war, and finally accepted a heroic death in the face of numerically superior enemy forces.
What else is required of them?
Bright victories? Alas, in the situation in which Japan was in the period 1944-45, even the sea king Poseidon himself could hardly have acted better than the battleships Musashi and Yamato.
Disadvantages of super battleships?
Yes, first of all, weak air defense - neither the monstrous fireworks "Sansiki 3" (anti-aircraft shells of 460 mm caliber), nor hundreds of small-caliber magazine-fed assault rifles could replace modern anti-aircraft guns and control systems with fire adjustment according to radar data.
Weak PTZ?
I am begging you! "Musashi" and "Yamato" died after 10-11 torpedo hits - no battleship on the planet would have survived so much (for comparison, the probability of the death of the American "Iowa" from being hit by six torpedoes, according to the calculations of the Americans themselves, was estimated at 90%) .
Otherwise, the battleship "Yamato" corresponded to the phrase "most, most"
The largest battleship in history and, concurrently, the largest warship that took part in World War II.
70 thousand tons of full displacement.
The main caliber is 460 mm.
Armored belt - 40 centimeters of solid metal.
The walls of the conning tower - half a meter of armor.
The thickness of the frontal part of the GK tower is even greater - 65 centimeters of steel protection.
A grand spectacle!
The main miscalculation of the Japanese is the veil of extreme secrecy that shrouded everything that was connected with the battleships of the Yamato type. To date, there are only a few photographs of these monsters - mostly taken from American aircraft.
It was worth being proud of such ships and seriously frightening the enemy with them - after all, until the last moment the Yankees were sure that they were dealing with ordinary battleships, with 406 mm guns.
With a competent public relations policy, the very news of the existence of the battleships Yamato and Musashi could cause panic fear among the commanders of the US Navy and their allies - just as happened with the Tirpitz. The Yankees would rush to build similar ships with half a meter of armor and guns of 460 or even 508 mm caliber - in general, it would be fun. The strategic effect of Japanese super-battleships could be much greater.
Museum "Yamato" in Kure. The Japanese cherish the memory of their "Varyag"
How did the leviathans die?
Musashi sailed all day in the Sibuyan Sea under heavy attacks from aircraft from five American aircraft carriers. He walked all day, and in the evening he died, having received, according to various estimates, 11-19 torpedoes and 10-17 air bombs ...
What do you think, were the security and combat stability of the Japanese battleship great? And who of his peers could repeat this?
"Yamato"... death from above was his destiny. Traces of torpedoes, the sky is black from aircraft ...
Speaking frankly, the Yamato made an honorable seppuku, leaving as part of a small squadron against eight aircraft carriers of the 58th task force. The result is predictable - two hundred aircraft tore apart the battleship and its few escorts in two hours.
The era of high technology. Iowa-class battleships
What if?
What if, instead of the Yamato, a battleship identical to the American Iowa had come out towards the 58th operational formation of Admiral Mitscher? What if the Japanese industry could create air defense systems similar to those on US Navy ships at the time?
How would the battle between the battleship and the American aircraft carriers end if the Japanese sailors had systems similar to the Mk.37, Ford Mk.I Gunfire Control Computer, SK, SK-2, SP, SR, Mk.14, Mk.51, Mk.53 …?
Dry indices hide masterpieces of technological progress - analog computers and automatic fire control systems, radars, radio altimeters and shells with a radar fuse - thanks to all these "chips", Iowa anti-aircraft fire was at least five times more accurate and effective than shots of Japanese anti-aircraft gunners .
And if you take into account the terrifying rate of fire of the Mk.12 anti-aircraft guns, the extremely effective 40 mm Bofors and Oerlikon belt-fed assault rifles ... There is a considerable chance that the American air attack could choke in blood, and the damaged neo-Yamato could hobble to Okinawa and run aground, turning into an invincible artillery battery (according to the Ten-Ichi-Go operation plan).
Everything could be ... alas, "Yamato" went to the seabed, and an impressive set of anti-aircraft weapons became the prerogative of the American "Iows".
It is absolutely impossible to come to terms with the idea that the best ship is again with the Americans. USA haters will instantly find a dozen reasons why the Iowa cannot be considered the most advanced battleship.
The Iowas are harshly criticized for the lack of a medium caliber (150 ... 155 mm) - unlike any German, Japanese, French or Italian battleships, American ships were forced to fight off enemy destroyer attacks only with universal anti-aircraft guns (5 inches, 127 mm).
Also, among the shortcomings of "Iowa" are the lack of reloading compartments in the towers of the Civil Code, the worst seaworthiness and "surfacing on the wave" (compared to the same British "Vanguard"), the relative weakness of their PTZ in front of the Japanese "long lances", "muhlezh" with declared maximum speed (on a measured mile, the battleships could hardly accelerate to 31 knots - instead of the declared 33!).
But perhaps the most serious of all accusations - the weakness of the reservation compared to any of their peers - the Iowa's traverse bulkheads raise a lot of questions.
Of course, the defenders of American shipbuilding will now go off steam, proving that all the listed shortcomings of the Iowa are just an illusion, the ship was designed for a specific situation and ideally suited the conditions of the Pacific theater of operations.
The absence of a medium caliber became an advantage for American battleships: universal five-inch guns were enough to deal with surface and air targets - it made no sense to take on board 150 mm guns as a "ballast". And the presence of "advanced" fire control systems finally leveled the factor of the absence of a "medium caliber".
Reproaches for poor seaworthiness are a purely subjective opinion: the Iowa has always been considered an extremely stable artillery platform. As for the strong “overwhelming” of the bow of the battleship in stormy weather, this myth was already born in our time. Modern sailors were surprised by the habits of an armored monster: instead of swaying calmly on the waves, the heavy Iowa cut the waves like a knife.
The increased wear of the main gun barrels is explained by very heavy projectiles (which is not bad) - the Mk.8 armor-piercing projectile weighing 1225 kg was the heaviest ammunition of its caliber in the world.
The Iowa had no problems with the assortment of shells at all: the ship had a whole range of armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition and charges of various capacities; after the war, "cassette" Mk.144 and Mk.146 appeared, stuffed with explosive grenades in the amount of 400 and, accordingly, 666 pieces. A little later, a special Mk.23 munition was developed with a 1 kt nuclear warhead.
As for the "shortage" of the design speed per measured mile, the Iowa tests were carried out with a limited power plant - just like that, without a good reason, to boost the cars to the design 254,000 hp. the thrifty Yankees refused.
The overall impression of the "Iowa" can only be spoiled by their relatively low security ... however, this disadvantage is more than compensated by the many other advantages of the battleship.
The Iowas have more service than all the other WWII battleships combined - World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq ... Battleships of this type survived everyone - the modernization of the mid-1980s made it possible to extend the service life of veterans until the beginning of the 21st century - the battleships lost parts artillery weapons, in exchange for receiving 32 Tomahawk SLCMs, 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow air defense systems, modern radars and Phalanx melee systems.
Off the coast of Iraq
However, the physical deterioration of the mechanisms and the end of the Cold War played an important role in the fate of the most famous American battleships - all four monsters left the US Navy ahead of schedule and turned into large naval museums.
Well, the favorites are determined. Now it's time to mention a number of other armored monsters - after all, each of them is worthy of its portion of surprise and admiration.
Here, for example, "Jean Bart" - one of two built battleships of the type "Richelieu". An elegant French ship with a unique silhouette: two four-gun turrets in the bow, a stylish superstructure, a famously curved chimney...
Richelieu-class battleships are considered one of the most advanced ships in their class: having a displacement of 5-10 thousand tons less than any Bismarck or Littorio, the French were practically not inferior to them in terms of armament power, and in terms of " security "- the scheme and thickness of the reservation" Richelieu "was even better than many of his larger peers. And all this was successfully combined with a speed of more than 30 knots - the "Frenchman" was the fastest of the European battleships!
The unusual fate of these battleships: the flight of unfinished ships from the shipyard to avoid capture by the Germans, the naval battle with the British and American fleets in Casablanca and Dakar, repairs in the United States, and then a long happy service under the flag of France until the second half of the 1960s.
And here is a magnificent trinity from the Apennine Peninsula - Italian battleships of the Littorio type.
These ships are usually the object of harsh criticism, but if you apply an integrated approach when evaluating them, it turns out that the Littorio battleships are not so bad compared to their British or German peers, as is commonly believed.
The project was based on the brilliant concept of the Italian fleet - to hell with great autonomy and fuel supply! Italy is located in the middle mediterranean sea, all bases at hand.
The saved load reserve was spent on armor and weapons. As a result, Littorio had 9 main battery guns in three rotating turrets - more than any of their European "colleagues".
"Roma"
The noble silhouette, high-quality contours, good seaworthiness and high speed are in the best traditions of the Italian school of shipbuilding.
Ingenious anti-torpedo protection based on the calculations of Umberto Pugliese.
At a minimum, the spaced booking scheme deserves attention. In general, in everything related to booking, Littorio-class battleships deserve the highest ratings.
And for the rest...
Otherwise, the Italian battleships turned out to be bad - it still remains a mystery why the Italians fired their guns so crookedly - despite excellent armor penetration, the 15-inch Italian shells had surprisingly low accuracy and accuracy of fire. Reforcing gun barrels? Quality of manufacture of liners and shells? Or maybe the national characteristics of the Italian character affected?
Anyway, the main problem battleships of the "Littorio" type was in their mediocre use. The Italian sailors never managed to enter into a general battle with Her Majesty's fleet. Instead, the lead "Littorio" was sunk right at its anchorage, during a British raid on the Taranto naval base (cheerful slobs were too lazy to pull the anti-torpedo net).
The Vittorio Veneto raid against British convoys in the Mediterranean ended no better - the battered ship could barely return to base.
In general, nothing good came of the idea with the Italian battleships. The battleship "Roma" ended its battle path more brightly and tragically than anyone else, disappearing in a deafening explosion of its own artillery cellars - the result of a well-aimed hit by the German Fritz-X guided bomb (air bombs? It's an understatement. The 1360-kilogram Fritz-X ammunition was a little like regular bomb).
Epilogue.
Battleships were different. Among them were formidable and effective. There were no less formidable, but ineffective. But every time, the fact that the enemy had such ships gave the opposite side a lot of trouble and anxiety.
Battleships always remain battleships. Powerful and destructive ships with the highest combat stability.
According to materials:
http://wunderwaffe.narod.ru/
http://korabley.net/
http://www.navy.mil.nz/
http://navycollection.narod.ru/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://navsource.org/
