Coast Guard battleships in combat. Coastal defense battleship Pingyuan. Finnish coastal defense battleships
The coastal defense battleship Pingyuan can be called the first full-fledged Chinese armored vessel. In the spring of 1886, a graduate of the Fuzhou Technical School, Wei Han (1851-1929), was sent to France to purchase ship steel and other materials.
The 35-year-old engineer used his stay in Europe to expand his technical knowledge. Returning home in the fall of the same year, he enlisted the support of the head of the Fuzhou Admiralty, Pei Yinsen (1823-1895), and on December 7, 1886, he laid the keel of the new ship on the slipway.
On January 29, 1888, the battleship was launched. The ceremony was honored by the presence of the head of the Fuzhou Arsenal, who performed traditional rites in honor of the goddess Mazu - the Lady of the Sea, the spirit of the Minjiang River and the patron spirit of the ship. After this, it was time to complete the construction of the battleship afloat, which continued until the spring of 1889. Thus, the construction of the Lunwei took a little more than two years. The cost of the ship was 524,000 silver liang.
On May 15, 1889, the battleship began sea trials, in which the Admiralty authorities again took part. By forcing the speed, the mechanics managed to accelerate the Lunwei to 12.5 knots, significantly exceeding the design speed. Perhaps this load was excessive. Shortly after noon, the battleship's hull was suddenly shaken by a strong vibration, and its walking speed dropped sharply.
When a diver examined the stern, it turned out that the ship had lost its right propeller. Having barely reached the factory, Lunwei went into repairs, which lasted three whole months.
It came out for repeated testing only on September 28, 1889 - this date should be considered the beginning of the battleship’s service. The first commander of the ship was Lin Yunmo. Together with the crew (at different times - from 145 to 204 people), he constantly had to deal with problems of varying severity.
By this time, the battleship had the following weapons: one 260-mm Krupp barbette gun of the 1880 model, two 150-mm Krupp guns on the side sponsons, four 47-mm rapid-fire Hotchkiss guns and two 10-barrel Gatling mitrailleuses. The barrel length of the 260 mm gun was 22 caliber. The weight of the barrel was 21.7 tons, and the machine accounted for another 15 tons.
The gun used three types of projectiles weighing about 162.1 kg - armor-piercing, high-explosive and shrapnel. The weight of the powder charge was 48 kg. The firing range reached 7400 m with a maximum elevation angle of 16.5°; at the muzzle, an armor-piercing projectile penetrated 391 mm of iron armor. According to some reports, the Pingyuan was armed with two 450-mm mine vehicles.
This statement seems doubtful, since the Chinese fleet of that time adopted German Schwarzkopf “tubes”, which had a smaller caliber. Thus, two 350-mm devices were probably installed at the ends of the battleship.
The ship had a characteristic and not very elegant appearance: sides with a noticeable slope inward, a low forecastle and a high bridge reminiscent of a bookcase. A single mast and a tall chimney completed the picture. On April 10, 1889, the battleship moved from Fuzhou to Shanghai. From there the ship was to proceed to Tianjin.
On May 8, 1890, a detachment of ships of the Beiyang Fleet, led by the battleship Dingyuan, entered Fuzhou. When they went to sea on the 28th of the same month, the Pingyuan was already taking its place in the column. Upon the fleet's arrival in Weihaiwei, Li He, a graduate of the Fuzhou Naval School, was appointed commander of the battleship.
The main event in the battleship's career was the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The victories won by the Japanese in Korea forced the Chinese command to worry about the urgent transfer of reinforcements. For this purpose, it was decided to use chartered steamships heading to the port of Dadongou, at the mouth of the river. lu. The death of the transport "Koushing" ("Gaosheng"), shot by the Japanese cruiser "Naniwa" on July 25, 1894, forced Admiral Ding Zhuchang to use the main forces of the fleet to cover the transport.
On September 12, the fleet left Weihaiwei and arrived at the mouth of the Yalu four days later. The Pingyuan, the light cruiser Guangbing, two alphabet gunboats and a pair of destroyers entered the river to guard the landing site. The remaining ships of the squadron anchored 12 miles from the coast. At 10 a.m. on September 17, 1894, thick smoke appeared in the south. It soon became clear that the entire Japanese squadron was approaching the ship's mooring site. Twelve large ships of the Beiyang Fleet were opposed by eleven cruisers of the admiral
Ito Sukeyuki. The Japanese did not have ironclads, so Ding Zhuchang had an advantage in tonnage, armor and the number of heavy guns. Perhaps that is why the Chinese admiral was in no hurry to call the Pingyuan from the river.
At 12.30, the Japanese flagship Matsushima raised the topmast flag, signaling the start of the battle. Superior to the Chinese in rapid-fire artillery, the Japanese divided into two detachments and actively maneuvered, showering the enemy with a rain of shells. The advantage in speed was also on the side of the Mikado sailors.
Closer to 14.00, the Chinese ships at the mouth of the Yalu finally saw a signal instructing them to join the squadron. Operating in tandem, the Pingyuan and Guangbing went to sea and found themselves on the right wing of the Chinese battle formation.
At 14.30, the battleship began a battle with the cruiser Matsushima at a distance of 2300 m. The Japanese flagship, which was subjected to the most intense shelling in the battle, had already had several hits. Gradually drawing closer, the ships fought an artillery duel, during which the Pingyuan gunners managed to achieve success. A 260-mm shell hit the middle part of the left side of the Matsushima and ended up in the wardroom, which was turned into a dressing station. Flying through it, it pierced the one-inch bulkhead and hit the mine compartment on the port side. Having torn off a loaded (!) mine apparatus from the machine and killed 4 sailors, the shell pierced another bulkhead and disabled the locking mechanism of the cruiser's 320-mm gun, facing the stern. At the same time, the shell broke apart, but no explosion occurred.
Only a miracle saved the Japanese from detonating their own ammunition. In total, during the battle, the cruiser Matsushima received 13 hits from heavy shells and lost about 100 crew members. A shell from the Pingyuan caused the most serious damage to it, forcing Admiral Ito to transfer his flag to the sister cruiser Hasidate. Meanwhile, the Pingyuan hit the cruiser Itsukushima at about 15.30. After that, he himself came under concentrated Japanese fire and caught fire. Its 260-mm gun was disabled and at about 16.30 the battleship left the battle, fighting numerous fires and slowly leaving in the direction of Port Arthur. Another hour later the cannonade subsided and the battle ended.
After initial repairs, the Pingyuan moved from Port Arthur to Weihaiwei, where it remained until the end of the war. On February 12, 1895, after the surrender of the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet, the battleship passed into the hands of the victors. Thanks to the identity of the hieroglyphs, the Japanese easily accepted the Chinese name of the ship, which in their mouths began to sound like “Heien”.
In addition, the battleship retained decorations in the form of massive carved dragons attached to the middle part of the hull, in the area of the chimney. They favorably distinguished the trophy and flattered the pride of the winners. On March 21, 1898, the ship was classified as a 1st class gunboat and received new weapons.
Instead of the old Krupp 150-mm guns, the Heien received 6-inch Armstrong quick-firing guns with a barrel length of 40 calibers, and in place of the 47-mm bow pair, two 120-mm guns were installed (according to some information, by the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War the latter were removed). The aft superstructure housed two 47-mm cannons with shields.
Under the command of Captain 2nd Rank K. Asabane, as part of the 7th Detachment of the Imperial Navy, he took part in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. She was destined to become the last event in the fate of the ship. On September 18, 1904, the Heien was located off Iron Island (Chinese name - Tedao), at the entrance to Pigeon Bay, west of Port Arthur.
The Japanese sailors did not know that two days earlier the Russian destroyer Skory (commander - Lieutenant P.M. Plen) secretly placed a barrage of 16 mines in the area. At 7:45 a.m. evening, a powerful explosion thundered on the starboard side of the Heyen.
There are two versions regarding its consequences. According to the first, the ship died in a matter of minutes, taking 198 people to the bottom.
According to other sources, the Heyen sank in shallow water and could have been saved if not for the storm that broke out the next morning.
Three warships of this type were the first in the navy of the dual monarchy to use turret guns: SMS Monarch And SMS Budapest were each armed with four 240 mm (9 in) naval guns with a barrel length of 40 calibers ( 24 cm Type L/40), placed two in the bow and stern towers.
In 1890, the Austro-Hungarian Navy had only two, already obsolete, battleships - “Heir to the Throne Archduke Rudolf” ( SMS Kronprinz Erzherzog Rudolf) and "Heir to the throne Archduchess Stephanie" ( SMS Kronprinzession Erzherzogin Stephanie). The Admiralty felt it was time to replace them. But the Austrian and Hungarian parliaments decided that they needed to deal with the issues of protecting their own coastline, and not plan to seize someone else’s. Therefore, the estimate was approved for the construction of three coastal defense ships - with a displacement of only 5,600 tons (5,512 "long tons"), which is half the tonnage of similar ships that other developed countries built.
The approved project included:
- Displacement - 5,878 tons (5,785 long tons)
- Dimensions:
- length - 99.22 m,
- width - 17 m
- draft - 6.6 m
- Engines: 12 coal-fired cylindrical boilers with a 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engine with a power of 8500 hp. (6338 kW)
- Speed: 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h)
- Range: 4100 km
- Weapons:
- 4 × 240 mm (9 in) L/40 guns (2x2)
- 6 × 150 mm (6 in) L/40 guns
- 10 × 47 mm (1.9 in) L/44 guns
- 4 × 47 mm (1.9 in) L/33 guns
- 1 × 8 mm machine gun
- 4 torpedo tubes
- Reservations:
- side: 270 mm
- towers: 280 mm
- cutting: 220 mm
- deck: 60 mm
- Crew:
- officers - 26
- lower ranks - 397
The first, on February 16, 1893, at the shipyard " Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino"Vienna and Budapest were laid down in Trieste. Moreover, on the second ship the propulsion system was replaced with 12 Belleville boilers, which increased the power to 9180 hp. (6846 kW). Naturally, this also affected the speed of the Budapest - it reached 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h).
"Monarch" with the same engine as the "Vienna" was laid down at the shipyard of the Naval Arsenal in Pula on July 31 of the same 1893, but it was launched earlier - on May 9, 1895, which allowed the new class of battleships to give exactly his name. On May 11, 1898, it was commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. A year earlier, on May 13, 1897, the battleship Vienna was commissioned (launched on July 7, 1895), and the Budapest on May 12, 1898, the day after the Monarch, and was completed in the same Pula (launched on July 24, 1896).
It was believed that each Monarch class ship could load 300 tons of coal, but the maximum figure reached 500 tons.
The ships were armored with the most modern armor at that time - the American engineer Harvey, developed in the early 1890s. The front layer was hardened in it. This combined the elasticity and viscosity of steel - the projectile first split, and then its fragments got stuck in the armor plate, the inner layer simultaneously extinguishing the impact energy. Harvey armor was replaced by Krupp armor in the late 1890s.
After commissioning, the battleship Vienna took part in the Diamond Jubilee of the British Queen Victoria in 1897, and then, in the same year, in the international blockade of the island of Crete during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. In 1899, all three warships took part in a cruise across the Adriatic and Aegean Sea to display the flag of Austria-Hungary. Of these, the 1st armored squadron of the fleet was formed.
However, just five years after their commissioning, the Monarch class ships turned out to be obsolete, although the experience of their construction and operation was taken into account when building a new type of battleship - the Habsburg class. In January 1903, this was proven in practice when the SMS Habsburg conducted a training voyage with all three ships of the Monarch class. A year later, the exercise was repeated with the participation of SMS Arpad from the same new Habsburg class. In the same year, 1904, three Monarch-class battleships “opposed an enemy squadron” of three Habsburg-class battleships and, naturally, lost to it. Although it is worth noting that these were the first maneuvers in the history of the Austro-Hungarian Navy using so many modern battleships.
The results of the maneuvers of 1904 led to the fact that the ships of the Habsburg class formed the 1st squadron, and the Monarch class were transferred to the 2nd. Over time, more and more modern battleships entered service in the Navy of the dual monarchy (first the “Archduke Charles” class, then the “Radetzky” and “Viribus Unitis”), and the “Monarch” class “fell” lower and lower until the beginning of the First World War ended up in the 5th squadron in the role of coastal defense battleships and training ships.
With the outbreak of hostilities, Monarch-class battleships were used to bombard enemy coastlines. In August 1914 SMS Budapest was transferred from Pula to Cattaro and from there went out to shell the fortifications on. August 9 SMS Monarch fired at a French radio station in Budva in Montenegro. On August 17 - a radio station in Bar and on the 19th - in Wolowitz, where the barracks were also bombed. After this, the Monarch was entrusted with the protection of the harbor.
On December 28–29, 1915, the Budapest took part as a guard ship in the campaign of the Austro-Hungarian fleet to the port of Durazzo, from which it returned without bombing the enemy. On January 9, 1916, “Budapest” again fired at Montenegrin positions on Mount Lovcen and contributed to its capture by the ground forces of the Habsburg army.
At the end of January 1917 SMS Budapest And went to Trieste, where they fired from the sea at Italian positions that threatened shipping in the bay.
On December 10, 1917, two Italian torpedo boats managed to get into Trieste harbor, where they fired torpedoes at Budapest and Vienna. Near the first, a torpedo passed by, but the second battleship received two at once and 10 minutes later sank in the shallow waters of Trieste. In this case, 26 sailors and officers were killed.
In 1918, the Budapest suffered the same fate as the Monarch three years earlier - it was turned into a floating barracks for the crews of German submarines. In June of the same year, she underwent repairs, as a result of which the bow guns were replaced with 380-mm (15-inch) L/17. But they never fired at the enemy again...
After the war, all two remaining Monarch-class ironclads were transferred as reparations to Great Britain. In 1920, they decided to send them for scrap - one was dismantled in Italy in the same year, and the second two years later, in 1922.
Coastal defense battleships of the Admiral Ushakov class
Coastal defense battleship(BBO) - due to its specifics, it had a relatively low freeboard and was inferior in seaworthiness to squadron battleships. BBO is a warship with a shallow draft, good armor and armed with large-caliber guns. Designed for combat in shallow waters and coastal defense. Was in service with most maritime states. Coastal defense ironclads were a logical development of monitors and gunboats.
Appearance
Floating batteries
The first head of state who ordered the creation of armored ships was Emperor Napoleon III. The chief shipbuilder of the French fleet, Dupuy de Lom, tested iron plates by shooting and created floating batteries Lave ,Tonnante And Devastation. These ships were sheathed with 120 mm iron sheets and carried 18 240 mm caliber guns.
Evolution of the class
Death of USS Monitor
It was precisely because of the low seaworthiness of the monitors that Vice Admiral Popov proposed his ship design, later called “Popovki”. They were named that way because of their round shape, but despite this, they had good seaworthiness. In 1873, the barbette battleship Novgorod was launched. In 1875, the barbette battleship “Vice Admiral Popov” was launched (when “Kyiv” was laid down in 1874).
The death of the coastal defense battleship "Admiral Ushakov"
The situation in the Baltic Sea required the construction of a new type of coastal defense battleships. They turned out to be ships of the Admiral Ushakov type. Armed with four 254 mm guns, the battleships of this series, not inferior to the German and Swedish battleships, were supposed to dominate the Baltic, but their fate was different. All three ships of this series were lost in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Germany
Gerania started building battleships later than all European countries. Fearing an attack by the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Empire, 8 coastal defense battleships of the type were laid down in 1888 Siegfried The armament consisted of three 240 mm caliber guns in barbette mounts. As a result of the Sino-Japanese and Spanish-American wars, wooden parts of ships were replaced with metal wherever possible. After the construction of ships of the type Siegfried, Germany switched to the construction of squadron battleships.
For actions in the Adriatic, Austria-Hungary in 1893. three ships of the type were laid down Monarch, entered service in 1898. Ships of this type were similar to the German Kaiser-class battleships, carried four main caliber 240 mm guns and had a high rate of fire. Compared to other coastal defense battleships, they were the best in their class.
Sweden
Coastal defense battleship Sverige
The Swedish Navy attached particular importance to coastal defense battleships, since they had limited resources, and the theater of operations corresponded to the purpose of these ships. In 1865-1867 three type monitors come into operation John Ericsson. These are single-turret monitors with two 240 mm guns. In 1881 the type monitor came into operation Loke armed with two 381 mm guns. Although all four monitors were slow (7 knots), the Swedish command believed that it was suitable for solving coastal defense problems.
In 1886, the first of three battleships of the type entered service. Svea. These were ships with a shallow draft and carried two 254 mm main caliber guns located in the bow turret and four 152 mm auxiliary caliber guns in the casemate. In 1897, a battleship of the type Oden. There were also three of these ships. The concept of building these battleships took into account the fight against light enemy forces (destroyers, light cruisers); in accordance with it, the main caliber was reduced to six 120 mm guns. Also on them, as on ships of the Svea type, searchlights were installed. As a continuation of this concept, a battleship of the type was built Dristigheten(1901). Two 210 mm main caliber guns and six 152 mm auxiliary caliber guns constituted the main firepower of the ship. This combination of guns remained on Swedish ships for a long time. Dristigheten served as a prototype for the next series of ships of the type Aran of four ships. The difference was that these battleships were less armored and therefore faster, and also that the 152 mm guns were installed in the turrets. This stage of construction was completed by the battleship Oscar II The only ship in its class with three funnels, the artillery was located in the towers and consisted of two 210 mm cannons and eight 152 mm guns. In 1915, the strongest coastal defense battleship of the type Sverige. It is considered the pinnacle of development of this type of ship. Its armament consisted of four 283 mm main caliber guns and eight 152 mm auxiliary caliber guns. In 1939, the Swedish naval command doubted the concept of coastal defense battleships and began building light cruisers instead.
Norway
The Norwegian Navy developed along the same lines as the Swedish Navy. This was explained not only by the similar theater of operations, but also by the fact that the two countries were bound by a treaty and coordinated their military programs. In 1866-1872. four type monitors come into operation Scorpionen armed with one 270 mm gun. They formed the basis of coastal defense until 1897, when the British built two coastal defense battleships of the type Harald Haarfagre The main caliber of this type of ship consisted of two 210 mm guns and six auxiliary 120 mm guns. The Norwegians were satisfied with ships of this type and therefore ordered two more ships of the type Norge. Armadillos of this type are a development of the project Harald Haarfagre. Due to some lightening of the armor and increased displacement, the artillery armament was strengthened. The 120 mm auxiliary caliber guns were replaced with 152 mm guns. Quite modest in combat characteristics, these ships by the beginning of the First World War were the largest and most powerful in the Norwegian fleet.
Denmark
Until the middle of the 19th century, Denmark had a fairly powerful fleet, consisting of dozens of sailing battleships, frigates, corvettes, sloops, and gunboats. However, in the era of steam-powered armored ships, the basis of its fleet was made up of coastal defense battleships.
Battleship Rolf Krake
The Danes took a different route, abandoning the monitors, and ordered an armadillo from Cowper Coles in England to protect the coast. Rolf Krake. It was a ship equipped with a 700 hp engine and schooner sails and armed with four 203 mm guns mounted in two Kolz turrets. Kohls managed to design a tower, the design of which turned out to be more successful than Erickson's. Erikson's tower rested on the upper deck. To rotate, it was necessary to lift it on the central support column, rotate it along with the column and lower it again. The Kolza tower lay on rollers located around the perimeter of the tower, and on the central pin located under the upper deck; as a result, the rotation of the tower did not require any preliminary operations. In 1868, improving Rolf Krake, the Danes developed their own battleship Lindormen armed with two 229 mm caliber guns. A further development of this direction was Gorm. This battleship's main caliber was increased to 254 mm. The development of this direction is completed by the battleship Odin whose armament increased to four 254 mm guns.
Coastal defense battleship Niels Juel
The consistent development of previous projects led Danish designers to the creation of a completely seaworthy coastal defense battleship Helgoland with a freeboard height of 3 meters. The 260 mm guns were located in a casemate located in the middle part of the ship (two guns on each side). The turret with one 305 mm gun was located on the forecastle. Rapid-firing 120-mm cannons were placed one at a time on the forecastle and stern. Two masts could carry, if necessary, the schooner's sailing rig. For many years she remained the largest and most powerful Danish warship. The next battleship Tordenskjold was unsuccessful, since the Danes wanted to combine a high-speed ram and a stable firing platform in one ship. Reservation was limited to a 114 mm armored deck, and the armament consisted of one 305 mm main caliber gun and four 120 mm caliber guns. In 1886, a coastal defense battleship was launched Iver Hvitfeldt. The armament consisted of two 260 mm main caliber guns housed in single-gun barbettes and four 120 mm auxiliary caliber guns. After 10 years, the Danes launch Skjold. In an attempt to create a ship with a draft of 4 meters, the Danes reduce the armor and artillery and as a result get a coastal ship, similar in design to monitors. During the First World War, it was listed as an armored floating battery. Armed with one 240 mm gun and three 120 mm guns. In 1897, a series of coastal defense battleships of the type Herluf Trolle. Armed with two 240 mm and four 152 mm guns. The last Danish coastal defense battleship Niels Juel was laid down in 1914 and entered service in 1923. As a result of the First World War, the original armament of two 305 mm and ten 120 mm guns was abandoned and ten 152 mm guns were installed.
Finland
Latest European type coastal defense ironclads Vainamoinen were built in Finland. They were intended to protect the flank of the Finnish army overlooking the Gulf of Finland. They were supposed to be used as heavy batteries in attack or defense. Armed with four 254 mm guns and eight 105 mm guns. Prototype to create Vainamoinen German ships of the Deutschland type served. In 1947 Vainamoinen sold to the USSR and joined the Baltic Fleet under the name "Vyborg".
Sunset of class
Coastal defense battleship Henri IV
The very idea of the appearance of coastal defense battleships was that in order to attack the coast, a large seaworthy enemy battleship would be forced to enter coastal waters, where a smaller coastal defense battleship could fight it on an equal footing. But the increase in firing range led to the fact that the coastal defense battleship had to go further out to sea, where it lost its advantages. In addition, due to the increase in the range of naval artillery, the trajectories of shells became more and more vertical and the frequency of hits was not on board , and the deck has increased significantly. Low-sided ships thus lost their main advantage - a small silhouette and a large area of the side protected by armor - and were no longer so profitable. Their shortcomings became too relevant in the new conditions of war at sea. The latest attempt to revive the French battleship class Henri IV turned out to be not entirely successful and was never repeated.
In this regard, by the beginning of the 20th century, coastal defense battleships were built almost exclusively for the fleets of the Scandinavian powers, whose coasts were replete with small bays, bays and skerries, and visibility conditions in northern waters most often left much to be desired. Scandinavian engineers believed that in such conditions, large enemy ships would not be able to realize their advantage in long-range artillery, and would be forced to enter shallow coastal waters and fight in narrow straits at a very short distance. In such a situation, small, well-protected coastal defense battleships with not too powerful, but fast-firing heavy artillery (caliber from 203 to 280 millimeters) could still be effective.
However, if this rule still worked against squadron battleships and early dreadnoughts, then the rapid naval arms race at the beginning of the 20th century finally put an end to coastal defense battleships. The appearance of super-dreadnoughts with 320-406 mm artillery meant that any coastal defense battleships of reasonable size were in a losing position; the development of aviation, torpedo boats and destroyers meant that the enemy, most likely, simply would not send his heavy battleships and cruisers into shallow coastal waters. This was confirmed with the latest coastal defense battleships of the type Sri Ayuthia built for the Thai Navy.
Combat use
October 17, 1855 floating batteries Lave ,Tonnante And Devastation approached the Russian fortification of Kinburn at the mouth of the Dnieper. After a three-hour shelling on the Russian forts, 29 out of 62 guns were destroyed, parapets and casemates were damaged. The fortification had to be surrendered. Each battery received more than 60 hits, but the armor was not penetrated.During the American Civil War, on March 9, 1862, a battle took place on the Hampton roadstead between the founder of this class USS Monitor and casemate battleship CSS Virginia. Formally, the fight ended in a draw, although each side declared the fight a victory. The “southerners” argued that they sank two enemy ships and the USS Monitor left the battlefield, the “northerners” replied that the blockade had not been lifted, so the goal was not achieved. But experts argued that the armor won.
February 18, 1864 Rolf Krake in a duel with Prussian field batteries, he successfully withstood over 100 hits from 152 mm rifled guns!
On May 15, 1905, the coastal defense battleship Admiral Ushakov was discovered by Japanese armored cruisers Iwate And Yakumo After the previous battle, it was damaged and reached a speed of no more than ten knots. The battleship responded with fire to the offer to surrender. After several hits, the Japanese cruisers moved out of range of the Russian guns and shot the ship from a long distance. According to Japanese data, the last battle of the battleship Admiral Ushakov took place 60 miles west of Oki Island. The ship disappeared under water at about 10:50 am. May 15, 1905. Coordinates of death: 37°02’23″ N. latitude, 133°16" E.
At the end of 1917, two battleships of the type Monarch Wien And Budapest moved to Trieste, from where they went out to bombard Italian troops on the Piava River. But on the night of December 10, two Italian torpedo boats quietly overcame the booms and attacked the Austrian battleships right at the anchorage. One torpedo hit Wien and it quickly sank.
On April 9, 1940, a detachment of destroyers under the command of Captain 1st Rank Bonte set out to capture Narvik. Two Norwegian Navy type battleships Norge were expecting an attack. Therefore, the battleship Norge took a position in the fiord, which allowed him to keep the entrance to the port at gunpoint. Meanwhile, the same Eidsvold stood at the roadstead in combat readiness. The Germans failed to take the Norwegians by surprise and therefore sent the envoy on a boat. After refusing to surrender, the German officer, moving to a safe distance, gave a sign, and the destroyer fired a salvo from torpedo tubes. Two torpedoes hit the target and Eidsvold exploded. An attack immediately followed Norge. Of the six torpedoes, two hit the target, after which the battleship sank very quickly.
Types of coastal defense battleships of different countries
All performance characteristics in this table are presented for the lead ships of the series.
| Type name | Quantity, pcs | Years in service | Total displacement, t | Speed, knots | Artillery, quantity, caliber | Armor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Glatton | 1 | 1871 - 1903 | 4990 | 12 | 2x305 | 245-304 / / 355 / 305-355 |
| HMS Cyclops | 4 | 1874 - 1903 | 3560 | 11 | 4x254 | 152-203 / 38 / 203-228 / 228-254 |
| Type name | Quantity, pcs | Years in service | Total displacement, t | Speed, knots | Artillery, quantity, caliber | Armor (belt/deck/barbettes/forehead of main gun turret), mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerberus | 4 | 1868 - 1900 | 3344 | 10 | 4x254 | 152-203/ / 178-203 / 203-254 |
| Tonnerre | 2 | 1879 - 1905 | 5765 | 14 | 2x270 | 254-330 / 51 / 330 / 305-330 |
| Tonnant | 1 | 1884 - 1903 | 5010 | 11,6 | 2x340 | 343-477 / 51 / 368 / 368 |
| Henri IV | 1 | 1888 - 1908 | 8949 | 17 | 2x274, 7x140 | 75-280 / 30-75 / 240 / 305 |
| Type name | Quantity, pcs | Years in service | Total displacement, t | Speed, knots | Artillery, quantity, caliber | Armor (belt/deck/barbettes/forehead of main gun turret), mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Hurricane " | 10 | 1865 - 1900 | 1655 | 7,7 | 2x229 | 127/25-37 / / 279 |
| "Tornado" | 1 | 1865 - 1959 | 1402 | 9 | 4x196 | 102-114/25-37 / / 114 |
| "Mermaid" | 2 | 1868 - 1911 | 1880 | 9 | 2x381, 2x229 | 83-114/25-37 / / 114 |
| "Novgorod" | 2 | 1872 - 1892 | 2491 | 6,5 | 2x280, 1x87 | 229/53-76 / 356 / |
| "Admiral Ushakov" | 3 | 1897 - 1905 | 4700 | 16 | 4x254, 4x120 | 203-254/38-63 / /152-254 |
List of types of BBO of Austria-Hungary
Russian coastal defense battleships
Coastal defense battleship Admiral Senyavin.
Development of coastal armadillos Russian fleet started in 1861 from the order in Great Britain of an armored battery "Firstborn"- the first Russian battleship. Two more ships were built according to this model in Russia. After news of the successful operations of the Monitor arrived from the United States in 1862, the Russian naval department became interested in the construction of this type of ship, called in Russia turret armored boats. IN - 1865 The fleet received ten turret-type armored boats of the Uragan type, equipped with one two-gun turret. In addition, the fleet was supplied with two-turret armored boats of the types "Tornado" And "Mermaid". All these ships had powerful armor for their size, but they seaworthiness turned out to be unsatisfactory. A very unusual coastal battleship project was implemented in - 1876 For Black Sea Fleet, built according to the project vice admiral A. A. Popova two battleships: "Novgorod" and "Vice Admiral Popov", nicknamed "priests".
Despite the “large fleet” construction program, the Russian Navy Ministry retained interest in coastal battleships. This was explained by the special conditions of the Baltic Sea, the presence of coastal defense battleships in the fleets of Germany and Sweden, and especially the constant desire to save money, which aroused the desire to build as cheaply as possible, and therefore small ships. The impetus for the development of a new project for a small battleship was the development in France for the Greek fleet of the battleship Hydra, which had solid armament and armor with a displacement of less than 5,000 tons. Based on these limitations, designer E. N. Gulyaev prepared a design for a small battleship with a shallow draft, armed with four 229 mm guns as the main caliber. The project was approved in 1891, after its approval, the weapons were changed to the latest 254 mm guns. Head type armadillo "Admiral Senyavin" was laid down in 1892, in the same year they began construction of the same type "Admiral Ushakov". IN 1894 laid down the third battleship of this type - "Admiral General Apraksin". The overload revealed during the construction of the first two battleships forced the Apraksin's armament to be reduced to three 254 mm guns. The average caliber on all battleships was the same and consisted of four 120 mm guns.
Dutch coastal defense battleships
Coastal defense battleship Konegen Regentes.
This successful type was developed in the battleship "Marten Harpertzon Tromp", launched in 1904. The main difference was the placement of 150 mm guns in turrets instead of casemates. Almost the same type was “Jacob van Heemswerk”, lowered into 1906. With a slightly smaller displacement, it carried six medium-caliber guns instead of four. All small battleships of the Netherlands were built with high quality in domestic shipyards, had a high side and were distinguished by good seaworthiness.
Swedish Coastal Defense Ironclads
Coastal defense battleship "Svea".
Coastal defense battleships were given particular importance in Sweden, whose small fleet developed with an eye on Russia's capabilities. Lacking the resources for full-scale competition at sea, the Swedish naval leadership relied on the development of small, but well-armed and protected coastal artillery ships, believing that in the special conditions of the Swedish coast, abundant skerries And shoals, such combat units will be very effective even against full-fledged battleships.
The development of armored coastal defense ships in Sweden, as in a number of other countries, began with monitors. IN 1864 At the Swedish shipyards, three ships of the John Ericsson type were laid down at once, modeled on the famous "Monitor" J. Ericsson. These were small monitors with a very low freeboard, armed with two 240 mm guns in a single turret, and capable of reaching a speed of only 7 knots. The displacement of these monitors did not even reach 1500 tons. IN 1867 The Swedes laid down another monitor - "Loke", a little larger and a little better armed. Although all these ships were criticized for their low seaworthiness and slow speed, the Swedish naval command considered them very useful in the coastal defense system.
Coastal defense battleship Oscar II.
The first real coastal defense battleships were ships of the Svea class. The lead battleship was laid in 1884, the next two in and 1891, they entered service in - 1893. With a displacement of just over 3,000 tons, they were well protected, developed a very decent speed for their time of 15-16 knots, and carried two 254-mm guns in the bow turret as their main armament. The medium caliber was represented by four 152 mm guns. The shallow draft allowed these combat units to operate in areas inaccessible to larger ships. At the beginning of the 20th century they were re-equipped with rapid-fire artillery.
The next series of coastal defense battleships also consisted of three ships and were known as the Oden class. They were a development of their predecessors, with slightly improved characteristics. The main caliber was now located in two single-gun turrets at the bow and stern. The entire trio entered into service in - 1899. IN 1901 The fleet was replenished with another small battleship, the Dristigeten. Its main feature was the first use of a new main caliber - a 210 mm gun, the middle caliber became 150 mm. This combination stuck with Swedish battleships for a long time.
Coastal defense battleship "Svarie".
Based on Dristigeten, the Swedes developed a new project, which was reproduced in four copies. These were Eran-class battleships, which entered service in - 1904. They carried lighter armor than the prototype, but turned out to be somewhat faster, and their medium caliber was now located in turrets instead of casemates. Completed the line of development of the early battleships of the Swedish fleet "Oscar II", built to 1907. Its displacement exceeded 4,000 tons, its speed reached 18 knots, and all medium-caliber artillery was now housed in two-gun turrets. Thus, in 20 years the Swedes built 12 coastal defense battleships and for some time became one of the ten strongest naval powers.
After this, the Swedes paused in the construction of ships of this class, returning to the creation of coastal defense battleships after the start First World War. IN 1915 The lead ship of the Svariye type was laid down, then two more. All of them entered service in - 1922. It should be noted that most of the funds for their construction were collected by subscription from the population. The project really became a new word in the development of the class. The displacement doubled and approached 8,000 tons; the main caliber was now represented by powerful 283-mm cannons in two-gun turrets. Steam turbine plant allowed these battleships to reach speeds of more than 22 knots. The armor was also quite solid for ships of this size.
The Swedish naval command considered this type to be ideal coastal defense ships. When the question arose about replacing the outdated Oscar II, a new project was developed on the basis of Svariye. The main difference from the prototype was supposed to be a powerful universal and anti-aircraft artillery. But they refused to implement the project, instead modernizing it in 1930s years, all ships are of the Svariye type.
The last battleships of the Swedish fleet were planned to be ordered in 1939, but the course of hostilities at sea in the beginning World War II made the command doubt the compliance of the concepts coastal defense battleship to new realities. As a result, the Swedes chose to build light cruisers type "Tre Krunur".
Norwegian coastal defense battleships
Coastal defense battleship Norge.
The customer was completely satisfied with the ships received and therefore had a positive attitude towards what was received at the end 1898 Armstrong's proposal to build two more battleships for the Norwegian fleet, which were an improved version of the Harald Haarfagrfe. F. Watts developed six options for the future ship and in the spring 1899 both Norge-class battleships were laid down at Elswick. They differed from the previous type in their slightly larger sizes and less thick armor, but the medium caliber was now represented by 152 mm guns. "Norge" and "Eidsvold" were transferred to the fleet in 1901. Over the next 40 years, the four coastal defense battleships remained the most powerful ships of the Norwegian Navy and were maintained in very good technical condition.
Danish Coastal Defense Ironclads
Coastal defense battleship Herluf Trolle.
Development of armored ships Danish fleet in the 1860-1880s things went unevenly, since the naval command for a long time could not develop the most suitable Denmark type of small armadillo. As a result, the displacement of ships of this class ranged from just over 1,300 tons for the Rolf Krake to more than 5,000 tons for the Helgoland. The first ship fully corresponding to the class of coastal defense battleships left the slipway in 1886 called "Iver Hvitfeld". With a displacement of 3,300 tons, the ship carried two 260 mm guns in barbette mounts, as well as 120 mm and small-caliber guns.
Ten years later, the Danish Navy attempted to create a battleship with the smallest possible draft for operations in the shallow waters of the Danish Straits. IN 1897 Skjold, one of the smallest battleships in the world, entered service. Due to the displacement, which only slightly exceeded 2000 tons, it was possible to achieve a draft of about 4 m. The armament of such a small ship naturally turned out to be weak. Skjold had one 240 mm gun in the bow turret and three 120 mm guns in single turrets in the stern.
Subsequently, the Danish fleet preferred to build battleships similar in their characteristics to the Swedish ones. IN 1897 Construction of a series of ships of the Herluf Trolle type begins. The lead battleship entered service in 1901. Each of the three ships was carefully tested, changes were made to the construction of subsequent ones, so the last ship of the series joined the fleet only in 1909.. Varying in detail, all battleships of this type carried two 240 mm guns in single turrets and four 150 mm guns as medium-caliber artillery.
Construction of the last Danish battleship took nine years. The decision to build the Nils Juel was made in 1914. It was planned to create a battleship with a main caliber of two 305 mm guns. But the outbreak of the First World War showed that the main opponent of coastal defense battleships would be light forces and aviation. Therefore, the project was thoroughly reworked and 1923"Nils Juel" entered service with ten 150-mm guns as its main armament, which were later supplemented anti-aircraft guns. The displacement exceeded 4,000 tons, but the speed of the battleship remained very modest and did not exceed its predecessors.
Finnish coastal defense battleships
Coastal defense battleship Väinämöinen.
The last coastal defense battleships in history were built in Finland. The decision to build these ships for Finnish Navy was accepted in 1927, and the direct development of the project was carried out by a German-Dutch company. The task was to combine the size of the Danish battleship Nils Juel with the armament of the Swedish Svarie, which had twice the displacement. As a result, the battleships were able to install powerful weapons of four 254 mm guns in two-gun turrets, as well as 105 mm universal guns and anti-aircraft guns. All this managed to fit into a displacement of about 4000 tons. The price for this achievement was weakened armor, and the side armor could only protect the ship from small-caliber shells and shrapnel.
The power plant turned out to be original. For the first time, a surface combat ship was equipped with diesel-electric units. This provided the battleships with exceptional maneuverability, necessary in skerries. Particular attention was paid to the hull design, which made it possible to operate even in difficult ice conditions typical for Gulf of Finland. Head armadillo "Väinämöinen" laid in 1929, construction began that same year "Ilmarinen", and both were built at domestic shipyards. Both battleships entered the fleet in 1932 and became his most powerful ships.
Notes
- Naval Dictionary. - M: Voenizdat, 1990. - P. 61. - ISBN 5-203-00174-X
- Katorin Yu.F. Armadillos. - St. Petersburg: Galeya-Print, 2008. - P. 109. - ISBN 978-5-8172-0116-1
- Katorin Yu.F. Armadillos. - P. 114.
- Katorin Yu.F. Armadillos. - P. 46.
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905. - London: Conway Maritime Press, 1979. - P. 360. - ISBN 0-85177-133-5
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905. - P. 361.
- Taras A. E. Encyclopedia of armadillos and battleships. - M.: Harvest, AST, 2002. - P. 374. - ISBN 985-13-1009-3
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