The first name of the battleship. Battleship

Battleship

Battleship(abbreviated from “battleship”) - a class of armored artillery warships with a displacement of 20 to 70 thousand tons, a length of 150 to 280 m, armed with main caliber guns from 280 to 460 mm, with a crew of 1500-2800 people. Battleships were used in the 20th century to destroy enemy ships as part of a combat formation and provide artillery support for ground operations. It was an evolutionary development of armadillos of the second half of the 19th century.

origin of name

Battleship is short for "ship of the line." This is how a new type of ship was named in Russia in 1907 in memory of the ancient wooden sailing ships of the line. It was initially assumed that the new ships would revive linear tactics, but this was soon abandoned.

The English analogue of this term - battleship (literally: warship) - also originated from sailing battleships. In 1794, the term "line-of-battle ship" was abbreviated as "battle ship". Later it was used in relation to any warship. Since the late 1880s, it has most often been applied unofficially to squadron ironclads. In 1892, the reclassification of the British Navy named the class of super-heavy ships with the word “battleship”, which included several particularly heavy squadron battleships.

But the real revolution in shipbuilding, which marked a truly new class of ships, was made by the construction of the Dreadnought, completed in 1906.

Dreadnoughts. "Big Guns Only"

The authorship of a new leap in the development of large artillery ships is attributed to the English Admiral Fisher. Back in 1899, while commanding the Mediterranean squadron, he noted that firing with the main caliber could be carried out over a much greater distance if one was guided by the splashes from falling shells. However, it was necessary to unify all artillery in order to avoid confusion in determining the bursts of main-caliber and medium-caliber artillery shells. Thus was born the concept of all-big-guns (only big guns), which formed the basis of a new type of ship. The effective firing range increased from 10-15 to 90-120 cables.

Other innovations that formed the basis of the new type of ship were centralized fire control from a single ship-wide post and the spread of electric drives, which speeded up the targeting of heavy guns. The guns themselves have also seriously changed, due to the transition to smokeless powder and new high-strength steels. Now only the lead ship could carry out zeroing, and those following in its wake were guided by the splashes of its shells. Thus, building in wake columns again made it possible in Russia in 1907 to return the term battleship. In the USA, England and France, the term “battleship” was not revived, and new ships continued to be called “battleship” or “cuirassé”. In Russia, “battleship” remained the official term, but in practice the abbreviation battleship.

Battlecruiser Hood.

The naval public accepted the new class ships capital ambiguous, particular criticism was caused by weak and incomplete armor protection. However, the British Navy continued the development of this type, first building 3 Indifatiable-class cruisers. Indefatigable) - an improved version of the Invincible, and then moved on to building battlecruisers with 343 mm artillery. They were 3 Lion-class cruisers. Lion), as well as the “Tiger” built in a single copy (eng. Tiger) . These ships had already surpassed their contemporary battleships in size and were very fast, but their armor, although stronger in comparison with the Invincible, still did not meet the requirements of combat with a similarly armed enemy.

Already during the First World War, the British continued to build battlecruisers in accordance with the concept of Fisher, who returned to leadership - the highest possible speed combined with the most powerful weapons, but with weak armor. As a result, the Royal Navy received 2 battlecruisers of the Renown class, as well as 2 light battlecruisers of the Coreyes class and 1 Furies class, and the latter began to be rebuilt into a semi-aircraft carrier even before commissioning. The last British battlecruiser to be commissioned was Hood, and its design was significantly changed after the Battle of Jutland, which was unsuccessful for British battlecruisers. The ship's armor was sharply strengthened, and it actually became a battleship-cruiser.

Battlecruiser Goeben.

German shipbuilders demonstrated a noticeably different approach to the design of battlecruisers. To a certain extent, sacrificing seaworthiness, cruising range and even firepower, they paid great attention to the armor protection of their battle cruisers and ensuring their unsinkability. Already the first German battlecruiser "Von der Tann" (German. Von der Tann), inferior to the Invincible in the weight of the broadside, it was noticeably superior to its British counterparts in security.

Subsequently, developing a successful project, the Germans introduced battle cruisers of the Moltke type (German: Moltke) into their fleet. Moltke) (2 units) and their improved version - “Seydlitz” (German. Seydlitz). Then the German fleet was replenished with battlecruisers with 305 mm artillery, versus 280 mm on early ships. They became "Derflinger" (German. Derfflinger), "Lützow" (German. Lützow) and "Hindenburg" (German) Hindenburg) - according to experts, the most successful battlecruisers of the First World War.

Battlecruiser "Congo".

Already during the war, the Germans laid down 4 Mackensen-class battlecruisers (German. Mackensen) and 3 types "Ersatz York" (German. Ersatz York). The former carried 350-mm artillery, while the latter planned to install 380-mm guns. Both types were distinguished by powerful armor protection at a moderate speed, but none of the ships that were built entered service until the end of the war.

Japan and Russia also wished to have battlecruisers. In 1913-1915, the Japanese fleet received 4 units of the Kongo type (Japanese: 金剛) - powerfully armed, fast, but poorly protected. The Russian Imperial Navy built 4 units of the Izmail class, which were distinguished by very powerful weapons, decent speed and good protection, surpassing the Gangut class battleships in all respects. The first 3 ships were launched in 1915, but later, due to the difficulties of the war years, their construction slowed down sharply and was ultimately stopped.

World War I

During the First World War, the German "Hochseeflotte" - High Seas Fleet and the English "Grand Fleet" spent most of the time at their bases, since the strategic importance of the ships seemed too great to risk them in battle. The only military clash of battleship fleets in this war (the Battle of Jutland) took place on May 31, 1916. The German fleet intended to lure the English fleet out of its bases and smash it piece by piece, but the British, having figured out the plan, took their entire fleet out to sea. Faced with superior forces, the Germans were forced to retreat, escaping traps several times and losing several of their ships (11 to 14 British). However, after this, until the very end of the war, the High Seas Fleet was forced to remain off the coast of Germany.

In total, during the war, not a single battleship sank from artillery fire alone; only three British battlecruisers were lost due to weak defenses during the Battle of Jutland. The main damage (22 dead ships) to the battleships was caused by minefields and submarine torpedoes, anticipating the future importance of the submarine fleet.

Russian battleships did not participate in naval battles - in the Baltic they stood in harbors, bound by the threat of mines and torpedoes, and in the Black Sea they had no worthy rivals, and their role was reduced to artillery bombing. The exception is the battle between the battleship Empress Catherine the Great and the battle cruiser Goeben, during which the Goeben, having received damage from the fire of the Russian battleship, managed to maintain its advantage in speed and went into the Bosporus. The battleship "Empress Maria" was lost in 1916 from an explosion of ammunition in the harbor of Sevastopol for an unknown reason.

Washington Maritime Agreement

The First World War did not put an end to the naval arms race, because the European powers were replaced as the owners of the largest fleets by America and Japan, which practically did not participate in the war. After the construction of the newest super-dreadnoughts of the Ise class, the Japanese finally believed in the capabilities of their shipbuilding industry and began to prepare their fleet to establish dominance in the region. A reflection of these aspirations was the ambitious “8+8” program, which provided for the construction of 8 new battleships and 8 equally powerful battlecruisers, with 410 mm and 460 mm guns. The first pair of ships of the Nagato class had already launched, two battlecruisers (with 5x2x410 mm) were on the slipways, when the Americans, concerned about this, adopted a response program to build 10 new battleships and 6 battlecruisers, not counting smaller ships. England, devastated by the war, also did not want to lag behind and planned the construction of ships of the “G-3” and “N-3” types, although it could no longer maintain the “double standard”. However, such a burden on the budgets of world powers was extremely undesirable in the post-war situation, and everyone was ready to make concessions in order to maintain the existing situation.

To counter the ever-increasing underwater threat on ships, the size of anti-torpedo protection zones was increasingly increasing. To protect against shells coming from afar, therefore, at a large angle, as well as from aerial bombs, the thickness of the armored decks was increasingly increased (up to 160-200mm), which received a spaced design. The widespread use of electric welding made it possible to make the structure not only more durable, but also provided significant savings in weight. Mine-caliber artillery moved from the side sponsons to the towers, where it had large firing angles. The number of anti-aircraft artillery was constantly increasing, divided into large-caliber and small-caliber, to repel attacks at long and short distances, respectively. Large-caliber and then small-caliber artillery received separate guidance posts. The idea of a universal caliber was tested, which was high-speed, large-caliber guns with large aiming angles, suitable for repelling attacks by destroyers and high-altitude bombers.

All ships were equipped with onboard reconnaissance seaplanes with catapults, and in the second half of the 1930s the British began installing the first radars on their ships.

The military also had at its disposal many ships from the end of the “super-dreadnought” era, which were being modernized to meet new requirements. They received new machine installations to replace the old ones, more powerful and compact. However, their speed did not increase, and often even fell, due to the fact that the ships received large side attachments in the underwater part - boules - designed to improve resistance to underwater explosions. The main caliber turrets received new, enlarged embrasures, which made it possible to increase the firing range; thus, the firing range of the 15-inch guns of the Queen Elizabeth class ships increased from 116 to 160 cables.

In Japan, under the influence of Admiral Yamamoto, in the fight against their main supposed enemy - the United States - they relied on a general battle of all naval forces, due to the impossibility of a long-term confrontation with the United States. The main role was given to new battleships (although Yamamoto himself was against such ships), which were supposed to replace the unbuilt ships of the 8+8 program. Moreover, back in the late 20s, it was decided that within the framework of the Washington Agreement it would not be possible to create sufficiently powerful ships that would be superior to American ones. Therefore, the Japanese decided to ignore the restrictions, building ships of the highest possible power, called the "Yamato type". The world's largest ships (64 thousand tons) were equipped with record-breaking 460 mm caliber guns that fired shells weighing 1,460 kg. The thickness of the side belt reached 410 mm, however, the value of the armor was reduced by its lower quality compared to European and American ones. The huge size and cost of the ships led to the fact that only two were able to be completed - Yamato and Musashi.

Richelieu

In Europe, over the next few years, such ships as Bismarck (Germany, 2 units), King George V (Great Britain, 5 units), Littorio (Italy, 3 units), Richelieu (France, 3 units) were laid down. 2 pieces). Formally, they were bound by the restrictions of the Washington Agreement, but in reality all the ships exceeded the treaty limit (38-42 thousand tons), especially the German ones. The French ships were actually an enlarged version of the small battleships of the Dunkirk type and were of interest in that they had only two turrets, both at the bow of the ship, thus losing the ability to fire directly at the stern. But the turrets were 4-gun, and the dead angle in the stern was quite small. The ships were also interesting because of their strong anti-torpedo protection (up to 7 meters wide). Only the Yamato (up to 5 m, but the thick anti-torpedo bulkhead and large displacement of the battleship somewhat compensated for the relatively small width) and Littorio (up to 7.57 m, however, the original Pugliese system was used there) could compete with this indicator. The armor of these ships was considered one of the best among the 35-thousand-ton ships.

USS Massachusetts

In the United States, when building new ships, a maximum width requirement was imposed - 32.8 m - so that the ships could pass through the Panama Canal, which was owned by the United States. If for the first ships of the “North Caroline” and “South Dakota” type this did not yet play a big role, then for the last ships of the “Iowa” type, which had an increased displacement, it was necessary to use elongated, pear-shaped hull shapes. American ships were also distinguished by powerful 406 mm caliber guns with shells weighing 1225 kg, which is why all ten ships of the three new series had to sacrifice side armor (305 mm at an angle of 17 degrees on the North Caroline, 310 mm at an angle of 19 degrees -on the "South Dakota" and 307 mm at the same angle - on the "Iowa"), and on the six ships of the first two series - also at speed (27 knots). On four ships of the third series (“Iowa type”, due to the larger displacement, this drawback was partially corrected: the speed was increased (officially) to 33 knots, but the thickness of the belt was even reduced to 307 mm (although officially, for the purposes of the propaganda campaign, it was announced 457 mm), however, the thickness of the outer plating increased from 32 to 38 mm, but this did not play a significant role. The armament was somewhat strengthened, the main caliber guns became 5 calibers longer (from 45 to 50 cal.).

Operating together with the Tirpitz, the Scharnhorst in 1943 met with the English battleship Duke of York, the heavy cruiser Norfolk, the light cruiser Jamaica and destroyers and was sunk. During the breakthrough from Brest to Norway across the English Channel (Operation Cerberus), the same type of "Gneisenau" was heavily damaged by British aircraft (partial explosion of ammunition) and was not repaired until the end of the war.

The last battle in naval history directly between battleships took place on the night of October 25, 1944 in the Surigao Strait, when 6 American battleships attacked and sank the Japanese Fuso and Yamashiro. The American battleships anchored across the strait and fired broadsides with all main-caliber guns according to the radar bearing. The Japanese, who did not have ship radars, could only fire from the bow guns almost at random, focusing on the flashes of the muzzle flame of American guns.

Under changed circumstances, projects to build even larger battleships (the American Montana and the Japanese Super Yamato) were cancelled. The last battleship to enter service was the British Vanguard (1946), laid down before the war, but completed only after its end.

The impasse in the development of battleships was shown by the German projects H42 and H44, according to which a ship with a displacement of 120-140 thousand tons was supposed to have artillery with a caliber of 508 mm and deck armor of 330 mm. The deck, which had a much larger area than the armored belt, could not be protected against aerial bombs without excessive weight, while the decks of existing battleships were penetrated by bombs of 500 and 1000 kg caliber.

After World War II

After the war, most of the battleships were scrapped by 1960 - they were too expensive for war-weary economies and no longer had the same military value. Aircraft carriers and, a little later, nuclear submarines took on the role of the main carrier of nuclear weapons.

Only the United States used its latest battleships (New Jersey type) several more times for artillery support of ground operations, due to the relative, compared to airstrikes, cheapness of shelling the coast with heavy shells over areas, as well as the extreme firepower of the ships (after upgrading the system loading, in an hour of firing, the Iowa could fire about a thousand tons of shells, which is still inaccessible to any aircraft carrier). Although it must be admitted that having a very small amount of explosives (70 kg for 862 kg high-explosive and only 18 kg for 1225 kg armor-piercing) amount of explosives, the shells of American battleships were not the best suited for shelling the shore, and they never got around to developing a powerful high-explosive shell. Before the Korean War, all four Iowa-class battleships were reintroduced into service. In Vietnam, "New Jersey" was used.

Under President Reagan, these ships were removed from reserve and returned to service. They were called upon to become the core of new strike naval groups, for which they were rearmed and became capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles (8 4-charge containers) and Harpoon-type anti-ship missiles (32 missiles). "New Jersey" took part in the shelling of Lebanon in -1984, and "Missouri" and "Wisconsin" fired their main caliber at ground targets during the first Gulf War. Firing Iraqi positions and stationary objects with the main caliber of battleships with the same effectiveness turned out to be much cheaper than a rocket one. Also, well-protected and spacious battleships proved effective as headquarters ships. However, the high costs of re-equipping old battleships (300-500 million dollars each) and the high costs of their maintenance led to the fact that all four ships were again withdrawn from service in the nineties of the 20th century. The New Jersey was sent to the Camden Naval Museum, the Missouri became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, the Iowa is mothballed at the Reserve Fleet in Susan Bay, California, and the Wisconsin maintained in Class B conservation at Norfolk Maritime Museum. However, the combat service of the battleships can be resumed, since during mothballing, legislators especially insisted on maintaining combat readiness of at least two of the four battleships.

Although battleships are now absent from the operational composition of the world's navies, their ideological successor is called “arsenal ships”, carriers of a large number of cruise missiles, which should become a kind of floating missile depots located near the coast to launch missile strikes on it if necessary. There is talk about the creation of such ships in American maritime circles, but to date not a single such ship has been built.

05/24/2016 at 20:10 · Pavlofox · 22 220

The largest battleships in the world

Battleships first appeared in the 17th century. For some time they lost the palm to slow-moving battleships. But at the beginning of the 20th century, battleships became the main force of the fleet. The speed and range of artillery pieces became the main advantages in naval battles. Countries concerned about increasing the power of the navy, since the 1930s of the 20th century, began to actively build super-powerful battleships designed to enhance superiority at sea. Not everyone could afford the construction of incredibly expensive ships. The largest battleships in the world - in this article we will talk about super-powerful giant ships.

10. Richelieu | Length 247.9 m

The ranking of the largest battleships in the world opens with the French giant "" with a length of 247.9 meters and a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The ship was named in honor of the famous French statesman Cardinal Richelieu. A battleship was built to counter the Italian navy. The battleship Richelieu did not conduct active combat operations, except for participation in the Senegalese operation in 1940. In 1968, the supership was scrapped. One of his guns is installed as a monument in the port of Brest.

9. Bismarck | Length 251 m

The legendary German ship "" ranks 9th among the largest battleships in the world. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, displacement – 51 thousand tons. Bismarck left the shipyard in 1939. German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler was present at its launching. One of the most famous ships of the Second World War was sunk in May 1941 after prolonged fighting by British ships and torpedo bombers in retaliation for the destruction of the British flagship, the cruiser Hood, by a German battleship.

8. Tirpitz | Ship 253.6 m

In 8th place on the list of the largest battleships is the German "". The length of the vessel was 253.6 meters, displacement - 53 thousand tons. After the death of her “elder brother,” Bismarck, the second of the most powerful German battleships practically did not manage to take part in naval battles. Launched in 1939, the Tirpitz was destroyed in 1944 by torpedo bombers.

7. Yamato | Length 263 m

" - one of the largest battleships in the world and the largest warship in history ever sunk in a naval battle.

"Yamato" (in translation the name of the ship means the ancient name of the Land of the Rising Sun) was the pride of the Japanese Navy, although due to the fact that the huge ship was taken care of, the attitude of ordinary sailors towards it was ambiguous.

Yamato entered service in 1941. The length of the battleship was 263 meters, displacement - 72 thousand tons. Crew – 2500 people. Until October 1944, Japan's largest ship practically did not participate in battles. In Leyte Gulf, the Yamato opened fire on American ships for the first time. As it turned out later, none of the main calibers hit the target.

The Last March of Japan's Pride

On April 6, 1945, the Yamato set out on its last voyage. American troops landed on Okinawa, and the remnants of the Japanese fleet were given the task of destroying enemy forces and supply ships. The Yamato and the rest of the formation's vessels came under a two-hour attack by 227 American deck ships. Japan's largest battleship went out of action, receiving about 23 hits from aerial bombs and torpedoes. As a result of the explosion of the bow compartment, the ship sank. Of the crew, 269 people survived, 3 thousand sailors died.

6. Musashi | Length 263 m

The largest battleships in the world include "" with a hull length of 263 meters and a displacement of 72 thousand tons. This is the second giant battleship built by Japan during World War II. The ship entered service in 1942. The fate of "Musashi" turned out to be tragic. The first trip ended with a hole in the bow caused by a torpedo attack by an American submarine. In October 1944, Japan's two largest battleships finally engaged in serious combat. In the Sibuyan Sea they were attacked by American aircraft. By chance, the enemy's main blow was delivered to Musashi. The ship sank after being hit by about 30 torpedoes and aerial bombs. Along with the ship, its captain and more than a thousand crew members died.

On March 4, 2015, 70 years after the sinking, the sunken Musashi was discovered by American millionaire Paul Allen. It is located in the Sibuyan Sea at a depth of one and a half kilometers. Musashi ranks 6th on the list of the largest battleships in the world.

Incredibly, the Soviet Union never built a single super battleship. In 1938, the battleship "" was laid down. The length of the ship was supposed to be 269 meters, and the displacement was 65 thousand tons. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the battleship was 19% complete. It was never possible to complete the ship, which could have become one of the largest battleships in the world.

4. Wisconsin | Length 270 m

The American battleship "" is ranked 4th in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. It was 270 meters long and had a displacement of 55 thousand tons. It went into operation in 1944. During World War II, he accompanied aircraft carrier groups and supported landing operations. Was deployed during the Gulf War. Wisconsin is one of the last battleships in the US Navy Reserve. Was decommissioned in 2006. The ship is now docked in Norfolk.

3. Iowa | Length 270 m

"with a length of 270 meters and a displacement of 58 thousand tons, it ranks 3rd in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. The ship entered service in 1943. During World War II, Iowa actively participated in combat operations. In 2012, the battleship was withdrawn from the fleet. Now the ship is in the port of Los Angeles as a museum.

2. New Jersey | Length 270.53 m

Second place in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world is occupied by the American ship "Black Dragon". Its length is 270.53 meters. Refers to the Iowa-class battleships. Left the shipyard in 1942. The New Jersey is a true veteran of naval battles and the only ship that took part in the Vietnam War. Here he performed the role of supporting the army. After 21 years of service, it was withdrawn from the fleet in 1991 and received museum status. Now the ship is parked in the city of Camden.

1. Missouri | Length 271 m

The American battleship "" tops the list of the largest battleships in the world. It is interesting not only because of its impressive size (the length of the ship is 271 meters), but also because it is the last American battleship. In addition, the Missouri went down in history due to the fact that the surrender of Japan was signed on board in September 1945.

The supership was launched in 1944. Its main task was to escort Pacific aircraft carrier formations. Participated in the Gulf War, where he opened fire for the last time. In 1992, he was withdrawn from the US Navy. Since 1998, the Missouri has had the status of a museum ship. The parking lot of the legendary ship is located in Pearl Harbor. Being one of the most famous warships in the world, it has been shown more than once in documentaries and feature films.

High hopes were placed on super-powerful ships. It is characteristic that they never justified themselves. Here is an illustrative example of the largest battleships ever built by man - the Japanese battleships Musashi and Yamato. They were both defeated by an attack by American bombers, without having time to fire at enemy ships from their main calibers. However, if they met in battle, the advantage would still be on the side of the American fleet, which by that time was equipped with ten battleships against two Japanese giants.

Readers' Choice:

Navy historians agree that the first battleship (drawings and design by D. Baker) was built in England in 1514. It was a four-masted nave (high-sided wooden ship), equipped with two decks - covered gun decks.

Of karakkas and galleons

Linear tactics of naval battles began to be used by the fleets of European countries following the initiators of the innovation - England and Spain - at the beginning of the 17th century. Boarding duels were replaced by artillery duels. According to this strategy, the maximum damage to the enemy fleet was inflicted by ships lined up in a line and firing aimed salvo fire with their onboard guns. There was a need for ships that were maximally adapted to such battles. At first, large sailing ships - karakki - were rebuilt for these purposes. The decks were equipped for mounting guns and holes were cut in the sides - gun ports.

The first battleships

The creation of ships capable of carrying powerful, functional artillery weapons required the revision and modification of many established shipbuilding technologies and the creation of new calculation methods. For example, the flagship sailing battleship "Mary Rose", converted from a carrack, sank in 1545 in the naval battle of the Solent not under fire from enemy guns, but due to waves overwhelming incorrectly calculated gun ports.

A new method for determining the waterline level and calculating displacement, proposed by the Englishman E. Dean, made it possible to calculate the height of the lower ports (and, accordingly, the gun deck) from the sea surface without launching the ship. The first true cannon battleships were three-deckers. The number of installed large-caliber guns increased. Created in 1637 at the shipyards of England, the "Lord of the Seas" was armed with one hundred cannons and for a long time was considered the largest and most expensive warship. By the middle of the century, battleships had from 2 to 4 decks with 50 to 150 large-caliber guns placed on them. Further improvement boiled down to increasing the power of artillery and improving the seaworthiness of ships.

According to the project of Peter I

In Russia, the first ship (linear) was launched under Peter I, in the spring of 1700. The double-deck ship "God's Omen", which became the flagship of the Azov flotilla, was armed with 58 guns, cast at the factories of the industrialist Demidov, with a caliber of 16 and 8 feet. The model of the battleship, classified, according to the European classification, as a vessel of rank 4, was developed personally by the Russian emperor. Moreover, Peter took a direct active part in the construction of the Omen at the shipyards of the Voronezh Admiralty.

In connection with the threat of a Swedish naval invasion, according to the shipbuilding development program approved by the emperor, the composition of the Baltic Fleet in the next decade should be strengthened by battleships like the Azov flagship. Full-scale construction of ships was established in Novaya Ladoga, and by mid-1712 several fifty-gun battleships were launched - Riga, Vyborg, Pernov and the pride of the imperial fleet - Poltava.

To replace the sails

The beginning of the 19th century was marked by a number of inventions that put an end to the glorious history of the combat sailing fleet. Among them are a high-explosive fragmentation shell (invented by the French artillery officer Henri-Joseph Pecsan, 1819) and a ship's steam engine, first adapted to rotate a ship's propeller by the American engineer R. Fulton in 1807. It was difficult for the wooden sides to withstand the new type of projectiles. To increase the puncture resistance, the wood began to be covered with metal sheets. Since 1855, after the development of mass production of a powerful ship steam engine, sailing ships began to quickly lose ground. Some of them were converted - equipped with a power plant and lined with armor plating. Rotating machines began to be used as platforms for installing large-caliber guns, which made it possible to make the firing sector circular. The installations began to be protected with barbettes - armored caps, which were later transformed into artillery towers.

Symbol of absolute power

By the end of the century, the power of steam engines had increased significantly, which made it possible to build much larger ships. An ordinary battleship of that time had a displacement from 9 to 16 thousand tons. Cruising speed reached 18 knots. The ship's hull, divided by bulkheads into sealed compartments, was protected by armor at least 200 mm thick (at the waterline). The artillery armament consisted of two turrets with four 305 mm guns.

The development of the rate of fire and range of naval artillery, the improvement of gun guidance techniques and centralized fire control through electric drives and radio communications forced military specialists from the leading naval powers to think about creating a new type of battleship. The first such ship was built in record time by England in 1906. Its name - HMC Dreadnought - has become a household name for all ships of this class.

Russian dreadnoughts

Naval officials made the wrong conclusions based on the results of the Russo-Japanese War, and the battleship Apostle Andrew the First-Called, laid down at the end of 1905, without taking into account the development trends of world shipbuilding, became obsolete even before launching.

Unfortunately, the design of subsequent Russian dreadnoughts cannot be called perfect. While domestic ships were not inferior to English and German ships in terms of the power and quality of artillery and armored surface area, the thickness of the armor was clearly insufficient. The battleship Sevastopol, created for the Baltic Fleet, turned out to be fast, well armed (12 305-caliber guns), but too vulnerable to enemy shells. Four vessels of this class were launched in 1911, but became part of the Navy only during the First World War (1914).

The Black Sea battleships Empress Maria and Catherine the Great had even more powerful weapons and an improved armor plate fastening system. The most advanced battleship could have been the Emperor Nicholas I, which received 262 mm monolithic armor, but the October Revolution did not allow construction to be completed, and in 1928 the ship, renamed Democracy, was dismantled for metal.

The end of the battleship era

According to the Washington Agreement of 1922, the maximum displacement of battleships should not exceed 35,560 tons, and the caliber of guns should not exceed 406 mm. These conditions were met by the naval powers until 1936, after which the struggle for military naval supremacy resumed.

The outbreak of the Second World War marked the beginning of the decline of battleships. The best battleships - the German Bismarck and Tirpitz, the American Prince of Wales, the Japanese Musashi and Yamato - despite powerful anti-aircraft weapons, were sunk by enemy aircraft, the strength of which increased every year. By the middle of the 20th century, the construction of battleships ceased in almost all countries, and the remaining ones were put into reserve. The only power that kept battleships in service until the end of the century was the United States.

A few facts

The legendary battleship Bismarck needed only five salvos to destroy the pride of the British fleet - the battlecruiser HMS Hood. To sink the German ship, the British used a squadron of 47 ships and 6 submarines. To achieve the result, 8 torpedoes and 2876 artillery shells were fired.

The largest ship of World War II - the battleship "Yamato" (Japan) - had a displacement of 70 thousand tons, an armor belt of 400 mm (frontal armor of gun turrets - 650 mm, conning tower - half a meter) and a main caliber of 460 mm.

As part of "Project 23", in the 40s of the last century, three super-battleships of the "Soviet Union" class were built in the USSR, with technical characteristics slightly inferior to the Japanese "giant".

The most famous American battleships of the Iowa class were last modernized in 1980, receiving 32 Tomahawk ballistic missiles and modern electronic equipment. The last ship was put into reserve in 2012. Today, all four ships operate US naval museums.

For many years, battleships were considered the most powerful combat units of the world fleet of their time. They were called "sea monsters." And this is no coincidence. Huge, fearless, with a large number of weapons on board - they carried out attack maneuvers and defended their sea borders. Dreadnoughts represented the highest level of battleship development. And she only managed to show her superiority over them. These rulers of the oceans were powerless against airplanes. They were replaced. Nevertheless, battleships have left a big mark on history, participating in important battles for hundreds of years. Let us consider the stages of development of the vessels described, starting with the first wooden sailing model and ending with the steel armored dreadnought of the latest generation.

In order not to get confused in the terminology, let’s clarify.

Battleships were called warships whose guns could fire a one-time salvo from one side;

Dreadnought - the first super battleship in its class, released in 1906, it was distinguished by an all-metal hull and large-caliber rotating turrets; this name became a household name for all ships of this type;

Battleship is the name of all super-armadillos with a metal hull.

Prerequisites for the creation of battleships

The seizure of territories and the expansion of trade zones became the basis for the financial development of many European powers. In the mid-16th century, Spain and Great Britain increasingly clashed off the coast of the New World - the struggle for territory forced them to improve the fleet, which had to not only transport valuable cargo, but also be able to protect its property. The turning point for England was the victory over the Armada in 1588. With the development of trade relations and colonization, it became clear that the sea was the source of the future wealth and power of the country, which must be protected.

Some merchant ships were converted into combat ships - guns and other weapons were installed on them. At this point, no one was holding to the same standards. Such heterogeneity had a negative effect during collisions on the high seas. The battle was won due to fortunate coincidences, and not as a result of planned tactical maneuvers. For unconditional victories it was necessary to improve naval forces.

The understanding that a warship can be more effective in conjunction with others led to more than just the creation of new tactics for conducting naval battles. But the ships themselves also changed, namely the location of the guns on them. Also a system of communication between ships, without which wake tactics are impossible.

Linear tactics at the Battle of Gabbard (1653)

The first positive experience of conducting linear combat was recorded in 1653. The wake arrangement of the English ships, one after the other, easily made it possible to repulse the first attack of the Netherlands, which also lost two ships. The next day, Dutch Admiral Maarten Tromp again gave the order to advance. This became his fatal mistake; the fleet was destroyed. 6 ships were sunk, 11 were captured. England did not lose a single ship, and also gained control of the English Channel.

Wake column is a type of battle formation of ships in which the bow of the next ship looks exactly into the plane of the ship in front.

Battle of Beachy Head (1690)

In July 1690, a collision occurred between French and allied (England, Holland) ships. French Admiral Tourville led 70 battleships, which he placed in three rows:

The first line - the vanguard, consisted of 22 battleships;
The second is a corps de battle, 28 vessels;
Third - rearguard, 20 battleships.

The enemy also lined up his weapons in three rows. It consisted of 57 battleships, which were many times greater than the French in terms of artillery. However, Tourville's tactics managed to achieve an undisputed victory without losing a single ship. The Allies lost 16 battleships, and another 28 were seriously damaged.

This battle allowed the French to take control of the English Channel, which threw the English fleet into confusion. A few days later they regained their maritime borders. The Battle of Beachy Head went down in history as one of the largest battles of sailing battleships.

Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

During Napoleon's reign, the French-Spanish fleet met fierce resistance from the British naval forces. Not far from Cape Trafalgar in the Atlantic Ocean, the Allies lined up ships in a linear pattern - in three rows. However, bad weather conditions and the onset of a storm did not allow for long-distance combat. Having analyzed the situation, the English Admiral Nelson, who was on board the battleship Victoria, ordered the ships to be grouped into two columns.

Further battle tactics of the British Royal Navy turned out to be more successful. None of the ships were sunk, although many were seriously damaged. The Allies lost 18 sailing ships, 17 of which were captured. The commander of the English fleet was wounded. On the first day of the battle, a French gunner on the battleship Redoutable fired a musket. The bullet hit him in the shoulder. Nelson was taken to the infirmary, but he could not be cured.

The advantages of this tactic became obvious. All ships form a living wall with high fire potential. When approaching the enemy, the first ship in the column attacks the target, as does each subsequent battleship. Thus, the enemy comes under a strong onslaught, which is no longer interrupted by reloading the guns as was the case before.

Wake column during a review on the Black Sea, 1849

The first battleships

The predecessors of battleships were galleons - large multi-deck merchant ships with artillery on board. In 1510, England built the first artillery ship, called "". Despite the large number of guns, it was still considered the main type of fighting. The Mary Rose was equipped with special nets that prevented enemy penetration on deck. This was a period when, at the time of a naval battle, ships were positioned haphazardly, as a result of which the artillery could not fully demonstrate its capabilities. Cannons from distant ships could even hit their own ships. Often the main weapon against a similar heap of enemy naval forces became an old ship, which was filled with explosive substances, set on fire and sent towards the enemy.

At the end of the 16th century, during another battle, the ships first lined up in a wake column - one after another. It took about 100 years for the world fleet to recognize this arrangement of warships as the most optimal. Each combat unit at this moment could use its artillery for its intended purpose. However, the variety of ships, most of them converted from merchant ships, did not make it possible to create an ideal line. There were always vulnerable ships in the row, as a result of which the battle could be lost.

HMS Prince Royal 1610

In 1610, the first three-decker battleship, HMS Prince Royal, was built in Great Britain, which had 55 guns on board. A few decades later, another similar combat vehicle appeared in England's arsenal, already including 100 pieces of artillery. In 1636, France commissioned the "" with 72 guns. A naval arms race has begun between European countries. The main indicators of combat effectiveness were the number of weapons, speed and ability to maneuver operationally.

"La Couronne" 1636

The new ships were shorter than their galleon predecessors and lighter. This means that they could quickly get into line, turning sideways towards the enemy to launch an attack. Such tactics created an advantage against the backdrop of random firing from the enemy. With the development of military shipbuilding, the firepower of a combat vessel also increased. The artillery increased its number and impact force.

Over time, new combat units began to be divided into classes that differed in the number of weapons:

Vessels with up to 50 pieces of artillery located on two closed gun decks were not included in combat squadrons for conducting linear battles. They served as an escort during the convoy.
Double-decker ships, with up to 90 units of fire equipment on board, formed the basis of the majority of the military forces of maritime powers.
Three- and four-decker ships, including from 98 to 144 guns, served as flagships.

The first Russian battleship

Tsar Peter I made a great contribution to the development of Russia, especially in the field of naval forces. Under him, the construction of the first Russian warships began. After studying shipbuilding in Europe, he went to the Voronezh shipyard and began building a battleship, later named Goto Predestination. The sailing ship was equipped with 58 cannons and was similar in design to its British counterparts. A distinctive feature was a slightly shorter hull and a reduced draft. This was due to the fact that “Goto Predestination” was intended for service in the shallow Azov Sea.

In 2014, an exact copy of a battleship from the time of Peter I was built in Voronezh; today it is used as a floating museum.

Arms race

Along with the development of shipbuilding, smooth-bore artillery also evolved. It was necessary to increase the size of the cores and create new types of exploding projectiles. Increasing the flight range helped position their ships at a safe distance. Accuracy and rate of fire contributed to a faster and more successful completion of the battle.

The 17th century was marked by the emergence of standardization of naval weapons in caliber and barrel length. Gun ports - special holes in the sides, allowed the use of powerful guns, which, if positioned correctly, did not interfere with the stability of the ship. The main task of such equipment was to inflict maximum damage on the crew. After this, the ship was boarded.

It was almost impossible to sink a wooden ship. Only in the 19th century did the production of new heavy shells begin, carrying large amounts of explosives. These innovations changed battle tactics. Now the target was not people, but the ship itself. There was a possibility of its sinking. At the same time, wear and tear on equipment (artillery) was still very rapid, and repairs were expensive. The need to create more modern weapons increased.

The production of rifled artillery in the 19th century marked another leap in the field of naval armament. It had the following advantages:

Shooting accuracy has improved;
The range of the projectiles increased, which marked the prospect of combat over long distances;
It became possible to use heavier projectiles that contained explosives inside.

It should be noted that before the advent of electronic guidance systems, artillery still had low accuracy, since mechanical devices had many errors and inaccuracies.

The weapons were used not only for firing at enemy ships. Before launching an assault on the enemy coast, the battleships carried out artillery preparation - this is how they ensured the safe exit of their soldiers to foreign soil.

The first battleship - metal hull plating

An increase in the firing power of naval artillery forced shipbuilders to strengthen the hull of a combat vessel. High quality wood, usually oak, was used for production. Before use, it was dried and stood for several years. To ensure strength, the ship's plating consisted of two layers - external and internal. The underwater part of the hull was additionally covered with a soft layer of wood, protecting the main structure from rotting. This layer was updated periodically. Subsequently, the bottoms of wooden ships began to be lined with copper.

H.M.S. « Victory » 1765

A striking representative of an 18th century battleship with a metal sheathed underwater part is the British battleship Victoria (HMS). Due to England's participation in the Seven Years' War, its construction was delayed for many years. But this period contributed to the production of high-quality raw materials for construction - wood began to have excellent characteristics. The underwater part of the ship was lined with copper plates attached to wood with iron nails.

Any ship of that period had a significant drawback - no matter how well the bottom of the ship was made, water still seeped inside, rotting occurred, which gave off an unpleasant odor. Therefore, from time to time the captain of the Victoria sent sailors to the lower part of the hull to pump out water.

Over the years of service, weapons changed their number and size several times. At the beginning of the 19th century it included 104 guns of various calibers. Each gun was assigned 7 people to ensure the operation of the equipment.

"Victoria" took part in most of the naval battles that took place during her years of service. One of the most striking was the Battle of Trafalgar. It was on this ship that the commander of the British fleet, Vice Admiral Nelson, was mortally wounded.

It is noteworthy that this ship can still be seen today. In 1922 it was restored and installed in Portsmouth as a museum.

Steam propulsion

Further development of battleships required improved seaworthiness. Sailing ships gradually became obsolete, because they could only move with a good wind. In addition, increased artillery power made sailing equipment more vulnerable. The period of steam engines powered by coal began. The first samples were equipped with paddle wheels, which, although they provided the movement of the vessel, their speed was very low and was suitable for river navigation or at sea in absolute calm. However, the new installation attracted the interest of the military forces of many countries. Testing of steam engines began.

Replacing paddle wheels with propellers helped increase the speed of steamships. Now even a ship with a steam engine, small in size and armament, was superior to a huge sailing ship of the line. The first one could swim up from any direction, regardless of the strength and direction of the wind, and launch an attack. At this time, the second continued to intensively fight natural phenomena.

They tried to equip ships built after the 40s of the 19th century with steam engines. Among the first countries to begin building military ships with heavy artillery on board were the USA, Great Britain and France.

In 1852, France built its first screw-driven ship of the line, but retained the sailing system. Equipping with a steam engine forced the number of artillery to be reduced to 90 guns. But this was justified due to improved seaworthiness - the speed reached 13.5 knots, which was considered a very high figure. Over the next 10 years, about 100 similar ships were built around the world.

Armadillos

The appearance of shells filled with explosives required an urgent renewal of the ship's personnel. There was a risk of major damage and burnout of a significant part of the wooden body. After a couple of dozen successful hits, the ship sank under the water. In addition, the installation of steam engines on the ship increased the risk of immobilization and subsequent flooding if at least one enemy shell hit the engine room. It was necessary to protect the most vulnerable parts of the hull with steel sheets. Later, the entire ship began to be made of metal, which required a complete redesign. The armor took up a significant portion of the vessel's displacement. In order to maintain the same amount of artillery, it was necessary to increase the size of the battleship.

A further development of battleships were squadron battleships with an all-metal hull, which became widespread at the end of the 19th century. They had a powerful armor belt that protected them from enemy shells. Armament included 305 mm, 234 mm and 152 mm artillery. It was assumed that such a variety of equipment would have a positive effect during combat. Experience has shown that such a statement was erroneous. Simultaneous control of guns of different calibers caused many difficulties, especially when adjusting the fire.

First battleship - Dreadnought

The crown of all previous types of battleships was the super-battleship Dreadnought, built by Great Britain in 1906. He became the founder of a new class of battleships. It was the first ship in the world to carry a large number of heavy weapons. The rule “all-big-gun” was followed - “only big guns”.

There were 10 units of 305 mm artillery on board. The steam turbine system, installed for the first time on a battleship, made it possible to increase the speed to 21 knots - incredible figures in those years. The hull's protection was inferior to that of the Lord Nelson-class battleships that preceded it, but all other innovations created a real sensation.

Battleships built after 1906 on the “all-big-gun” principle began to be called dreadnoughts. They played an important role during the First World War. Each maritime power sought to have at least one dreadnought-type ship in service. The USA and Great Britain have become the undisputed leaders in the number of such vessels. However, the 40s of the 20th century and naval battles involving aviation showed the vulnerability of sea giants.

Battle of Jutland (1916)

The most famous battle involving dreadnoughts took place off the coast of the Jutland Peninsula. For two days, German and British battleships tested their strength and capabilities. As a result, each side declared victory. Germany argued that whoever had the heaviest losses lost. The Royal Navy believed that the winner was the country that did not withdraw from the battlefield.

Regardless of the outcome, this battle became a huge experience, which was later studied in detail. The construction of all subsequent world dreadnoughts was based on it. All shortcomings were taken into account, the most vulnerable places on the ship were recorded, in which the reservation should be strengthened. Also, the knowledge gained forced the designers to change the location of the main caliber turrets. Despite the fact that a large number of weapons were involved in the battle, this clash did not in any way affect the outcome of the First World War.

The end of the battleship era

The attack of the Imperial Japanese Navy on the American base of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 showed the unviability of battleships. Huge, clumsy and vulnerable to attack from the air - their heavy weapons, which hit tens of kilometers, became useless. The sinking of several pieces of equipment blocked the possibility of other warships going to sea. As a result of this, a significant part of modern battleships was lost.

The end of World War II marked the final end of the era of battleships. Recent years of battles have shown that these ships cannot defend themselves against submarines. They were replaced by even more powerful and gigantic ones, carrying dozens of aircraft.

At the same time, the dreadnoughts were not immediately written off; their gradual replacement was necessary. Thus, in 1991, the last American battleships Missouri and Wisconsin, built during the Second World War, made a trip to the Persian Gulf, where they fired Tomahawk cruise missiles. In 1992, the Missouri was withdrawn from service. In 2006, the last dreadnought in the world, the Wisconsin, also left service.

Battleship

origin of name

But the real revolution in shipbuilding, which marked a truly new class of ships, was made by the construction of the Dreadnought, completed in 1906.

Dreadnoughts. "Big Guns Only"

Battlecruiser Hood.

Battlecruiser Goeben.

Battlecruiser "Congo".

World War I

Washington Maritime Agreement

All ships were equipped with onboard reconnaissance seaplanes with catapults, and in the second half of the 1930s the British began installing the first radars on their ships.

Richelieu

USS Massachusetts