More precisely, two answers. The first is Strasbourg. He, of course, is not a battleship, but a "heavy artillery ship." The main differences of which from the then cruisers are as follows: the ship cannot be drowned by dive bombers with 250-kg and even 500-kg bombs; the ship does not lose speed from one torpedo hit in the CMU zone; the ship is protected from high-explosive shells of the main linear calibers (this is much more than you might think at first).
The correct answer number two can be obtained if we remember: the best ships of World War II were designed in the USSR in the late 40s and early 50s. And battleships were no exception. Accordingly, the best WWII battleship is Project 24, this one here:
The features of this project - theoretical, yes - are that it allows you to get a ship capable of maintaining combat capability after torpedo hits;, virtually invulnerable to bomber aircraft (protection against a 1000-kg armor-piercing bomb dropped from a height of 3,000 m), having a wide zone of free maneuvering under the fire of 16 "guns (100-160 cable guns); advanced anti-aircraft and radar weapons, originally included in the project; and for all that, running at 30 knots. Let's be proud of domestic engineers and move on.
Soviet projects of the 40s are the only projects of classic ships in which the experience of the war was more or less fully taken into account. In fact, that's why they were the best. This is really important. The complex phenomenon of the "aviation and artillery fleet" did not last long. Ridiculously short - in comparison not only with the classic sailing and artillery, but even in comparison with the "steam armored". Real experience - technical and especially combat - was very limited, which does not allow us to consider it at least somewhat exhaustive, giving answers to many burning ones. That is why Soviet projects are especially interesting.
Further, in society, for some reason, it is not customary to discuss large battleships. Suspicious Japanophiles see here a conspiracy of the Anglo-Saxons who do not want to recognize the primacy of "Yamato". There is a certain consensus like "with monsters of 70 thousand tons, everything would go down the drain." This is a wrong, bad consensus. It was Japan. A country with the economy and industry of Italy, a country that has been waging a large-scale war since 1937 - and, nevertheless, built 2.7 battleships of 70 thousand tons. This alone should make one think about the fidelity of the "pipe theory". It is hardly worth assuming that a much stronger British economy would collapse when building, say, 5 "monsters".
On the other hand, the same Great Britain successfully survived a doubling of the price of a battleship in 1900-1910. At the same time, thanks to the Fisher Revolution, in 1910 the cost of the fleet was 36 million pounds - against 31 million pounds in 1901. Was there room for such maneuvers between the First and Second World Wars? Yes it was. The mass construction of "Washington" cruisers was not a cheap pleasure. The cost of maintaining such ships was approximately 0.6 of the cost of maintaining a "Washington" battleship. In the United States in the 1930s, the cost of maintaining the personnel of heavy and light cruisers was 1.5 times higher than the cost of maintaining the personnel of battleships. The total costs of maintaining 2 ... 3 cruisers of 10,000 tons over 10 years were comparable to the costs of building a battleship of 35,000 tons. In other words, timely replacement(with a certain decrease in the number) of battleships with new ones and the rejection of cruising "hyper compensation" made it possible to create a full-fledged battle fleet from large battleships.
Like this, roughly. The fight against battleships within the "Washington system" was not directly associated with the high cost of the battleships themselves. This struggle was based on the simple and understandable desires of Great Britain - to avoid a direct and obviously losing competition with the United States, to maintain a "two-power" standard in relation to Japan and Italy - which coincided with the simple and understandable desire of the United States to receive for so a fleet equal to that of the British.
05/24/2016 at 20:10 · pavlofox · 22 250
The largest battleships in the world
For the first time ships of the line appeared in the 17th century. For a while, they lost the palm to slow-moving armadillos. 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 heavy-duty 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 French giant "" opens the rating of the largest battleships in the world with a length of 247.9 meters and a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The ship is named after the famous statesman of France, Cardinal Richelieu. A battleship was built to counter the Italian navy. The battleship Richelieu did not conduct active hostilities, except for participation in the Senegal operation in 1940. In 1968, the supership was scrapped. One of his guns was erected as a monument in the port of Brest.
9. Bismarck | Length 251 m
The legendary German ship "" takes 9th place among the largest battleships in the world. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, the displacement is 51 thousand tons. The Bismarck left the shipyard in 1939. The Fuhrer of Germany, Adolf Hitler, was present at its launch. 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 English flagship, the cruiser Hood, by a German battleship.
8. Tirpitz | Ship 253.6 m
On the 8th place in 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 the "big brother", "Bismarck", the second of the most powerful German battleships practically failed 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 sea battle.
"Yamato" (in translation, the name of the ship means the ancient name of the Country 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.
The Yamato entered service in 1941. The length of the battleship was 263 meters, displacement - 72 thousand tons. Crew - 2500 people. Until October 1944, the largest ship in Japan practically did not participate in the 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.
Japan's last pride hike
On April 6, 1945, the Yamato went on its last campaign. American troops landed on Okinawa, and the remnants of the Japanese fleet were tasked with destroying enemy forces and supply ships. The Yamato and the rest of the ships of the formation were attacked by 227 American deck ships for a two-hour period. Japan's largest battleship went out of action, having received 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" was tragic. The first campaign ended with a hole in the bow, resulting from a torpedo attack by an American submarine. In October 1944, Japan's two largest battleships finally came into serious combat. In the Sibuyan Sea, they were attacked by American aircraft. Coincidentally, the enemy's main attack was on the Musashi. The ship sank after being hit by about 30 torpedoes and bombs. Together with the ship, its captain and more than a thousand crew members died.
On March 4, 2015, 70 years after the sinking, the 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" takes 6th place in the list of the largest battleships in the world.
Incredible but Soviet Union not a single super battleship was built. In 1938, the battleship "" was laid down. The length of the ship was to be 269 meters, and the displacement - 65 thousand tons. By the beginning of World War II, the battleship was built at 19%. It was not possible to complete the ship, which could 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 55,000 tons. He entered service in 1944. During World War II, he accompanied aircraft carrier groups and supported amphibious operations. Served during the Gulf War. The Wisconsin is one of the last battleships in the US Navy Reserve. Was decommissioned in 2006. Now the ship is in the parking lot in the city of Norfolk.
3. Iowa | Length 270 m
With a length of 270 meters and a displacement of 58,000 tons, it ranks third in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. The ship entered service in 1943. During the Second World War, "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
The second place in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world is occupied by the American ship "", or "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 played the role of supporting the army. After 21 years of service, it was withdrawn from the fleet in 1991 and received the status of a museum. 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 for its impressive size (the length of the ship is 271 meters), but also for the fact that 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 war in the Persian Gulf, 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 featured in documentaries and feature films more than once.
High hopes were placed on heavy-duty ships. Characteristically, they never justified themselves. Here is a good example of the largest battleships ever built by man - the Japanese battleships "Musashi" and "Yamato". Both of them were defeated by the attack of American bombers, without having time to fire at the enemy ships from their main calibers. However, if they met in battle, the advantage would still be on the side of the American fleet, equipped by that time with ten battleships against two Japanese giants.
What else to see:
The defeat in the First World War, it would seem, finally crossed out Germany from the contenders for naval dominance. According to the Treaty of Versailles, the Germans were allowed to have in service ships with a displacement of up to 10 thousand tons with guns with a caliber of no more than 11 inches. Therefore, they had to say goodbye to the hope of keeping even their very first dreadnoughts and be content with hopelessly outdated battleships of the Deutschland and Braunschweig types. When it became possible to replace the latter with ships of new projects (and this was allowed to be done no earlier than after 20 years of their being in service), it was these "Versailles" restrictions that led to the appearance of "capital" ships of the Deutschland type, unusual in all respects.
When it was created, the Germans proceeded from the fact that the new ship would primarily be used on enemy communications as a raider. The successful actions of Emden and Koenigsberg in 1914 against British shipping at the same time clearly showed that the weak armament of light cruisers leaves them no chance when a more serious enemy appears. Therefore, the "Deutschland" must be stronger than any enemy heavy cruiser and at the same time faster than any battleship. This idea, frankly, is not new, but previous attempts to implement it rarely led to the desired result. And only the Germans finally managed to embody it in metal as close as possible to the idea. "Deutschlands" with a very limited displacement received powerful weapons, decent (by cruising standards) protection and a huge cruising range. In the German Navy, the new ships were officially classified as battleships (panzerschiffe), in fact they were heavy cruisers, but due to the excessively powerful main battery artillery, they remained in the history of world shipbuilding as "pocket battleships".
Indeed, the armament of the "Deutschland" - two three-gun 11-inch towers and another 8 six-inch as a medium caliber - looked quite "battleship". The new 283-mm cannon (the Germans officially called it "28-cm", and therefore in the literature it is often listed as 280-mm) - with a barrel length of 52 calibers and an elevation angle of 40, it could fire 300-kg shells at a range of 42.5 km. To "shove" such artillery into cruising dimensions was made possible, firstly, by the all-round lightening of the hull due to the widespread introduction of electric welding and, secondly, by the use of fundamentally new engines - four twin diesel units with hydraulic transmission. As a result, the project left room for an armor belt with a thickness of 60-80 mm, and for anti-torpedo protection about 4.5 m wide (together with boules), ending with a 40-mm longitudinal bulkhead.
The entry into service of the lead "pocket battleship" coincided with Hitler's coming to power and resulted in a noisy propaganda campaign designed to instill in the layman that the revival of the German fleet began with the creation of "the best" ships in the world. In fact, these statements were far from the truth. For all their originality, the "Deutschland" and the "Admiral Scheer" and "Admiral Graf Spee" that followed it did not surpass all the "Washington" cruisers in terms of armor protection, and they were inferior to everyone in speed by an average of 4-5 knots. The seaworthiness of the "pocket battleships" at first turned out to be unimportant, because of which they had to urgently redo the bow of the hull. To top it all, it should be noted that their real standard displacement exceeded the declared one (10 thousand tons) by 17-25%, and the total displacement on the "Admiral Count Spee" generally reached 16020 tons!
The obvious limitations of the capabilities of "pocket battleships" in the light of the new naval doctrine announced by Hitler forced the construction of three more ships of the same type to be abandoned in favor of full-fledged battleships. In June 1935, an agreement was concluded in London, allowing Germany to have a fleet that was 35% of the British. Having won a diplomatic victory, the Germans could now build battleships quite legally.
The creation of ships went under the personal control of the Fuhrer. It is he who is considered to be the author of the new role assigned to the armored giants of the Kriegsmarine in the impending war. The fact is that, being unable to compete with the British fleet in a general battle, the Nazis intended to use their battleships as ocean raiders. It was in the actions of mighty ships against transport shipping that Hitler saw an opportunity to bring the "mistress of the seas" to her knees.
By the combination of parameters, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau are often (and quite rightly) called battlecruisers. However, their continuity with their outstanding ancestors - "Derflinger" and "Mackensen" - is very arbitrary. The Scharnhorst project is largely descended from "pocket battleships". The only thing that the designers borrowed from the Kaiser battlecruisers was the armor scheme. Otherwise, the Scharnhorst is simply a Deutschland that has grown to normal size with a third 283-mm turret and a steam turbine plant.
The armor protection of the Scharnhorst according to the scheme was old-fashioned, but at the same time very powerful. A vertical belt of 350 mm cemented armor was mounted on the outside and could withstand 1016 kg 406 mm projectiles at ranges of more than 11 km. Above was an additional 45 mm belt. There were two armored decks: 50 mm upper and 80 mm (95 mm above the cellars) lower with 105 mm bevels. The total weight of the armor has reached a record value - 44% of the normal displacement! Anti-torpedo protection had an average width of 5.4 m on each side and was separated from the hull by an inclined 45-mm bulkhead.
The 283-mm guns of the SKC-34 model were somewhat improved compared to the previous model SKC-28: the barrel length increased to 54.5 calibers, which allowed the heavier 330-kg projectile to provide the same firing range - 42.5 km. True, Hitler was dissatisfied: he considered the German ships of the First World War period clearly underarmed and demanded that 380-mm guns be installed on the Scharnhorst. Only the unwillingness to delay the entry of battleships into service for a long time (and new weapons would delay their readiness for at least a year) forced him to compromise, postponing the rearmament of the ships at the time of their future upgrades.
The mixed placement of medium artillery in two-gun turrets and deck shield installations looks very strange. But this fact is explained very easily: the latter had already been ordered for the failed 4th and 5th "pocket battleships", and the Scharnhorst designers simply "disposed" them.
Already during the construction of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, it became clear that the attempts of the international community to limit the naval arms race had failed. The leading maritime powers immediately began designing super-battleships, and the Germans, of course, did not stand aside.
In June 1936, the Bismarck and Tirpitz, the largest warships ever built in Germany, were laid down at the shipyards of Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven. Although it was officially announced that the displacement of the new battleships was 35 thousand tons, in reality this value was exceeded by almost one and a half times!
Structurally, the Bismarck largely repeated the Scharnhorst, but fundamentally differed primarily in the main caliber artillery. A 380 mm cannon with a barrel length of 52 calibers could fire 800 kg projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s. True, by reducing the maximum elevation angle to 30, the firing range, compared with the 11-inch, decreased to 35.5 km. However, this value was also considered excessive, since it seemed impossible at that time to fight at such distances.
The armor differed from the Scharnhorst mainly by increasing the height of the main belt and thickening the upper belt to 145 mm. Deck armor, as well as the width of anti-torpedo protection, remained the same. Approximately the same can be said about the power plant (12 Wagner boilers and 3 four-casing turbo-gear units). The relative weight of the armor has decreased somewhat (up to 40% of the displacement), but this cannot be called a disadvantage, since the ratio between protection and armament has become more balanced.
But even such giants as Bismarck and Tirpitz could not satisfy the Fuhrer's growing ambitions. At the beginning of 1939, he approved the design of the "H" type battleship with a total displacement of over 62 thousand tons, armed with eight 406-mm guns. In total, it was supposed to have 6 such ships; two of them managed to lay in July-August. However, the outbreak of war crossed out the plans of the Nazis. Surface ship construction programs had to be curtailed, and in September 1939 Hitler could only oppose 22 English and French battleships and battlecruisers with the "11-inch" Scharnhorst and Gneisenau ("pocket battleships" do not count). The Germans had to rely only on new raider tactics.
The first joint corsair operation "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" was carried out in November 1939. It resulted in the sinking of the English auxiliary cruiser Rawalpindi, a former passenger liner armed with old cannons. The success was, to put it mildly, modest, although Goebbels propaganda inflated this unequal duel to the scale of a major naval victory, and in the German Youth Library series they even published a separate book called The End of Rawalpindi.
In April 1940, both sisterships provided cover for the German invasion of Norway and for the first time engaged in battle with a worthy enemy - the battlecruiser Rinaun. The duel proceeded in conditions of poor visibility and continued intermittently for more than two hours. The Gneisenau scored two hits on the British, but also received two 381-mm shells, one of which silenced the rear turret. The Scharnhorst was not hit, but her forward turret was also out of action due to damage caused by the storm.
Soon another battle took place in Norwegian waters, which received a huge response in the navies of the whole world. On June 8, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau stumbled upon the British aircraft carrier Glories, escorted by the destroyers Ardent and Ekasta. Using radar, the Germans opened fire from a range of 25 km and quickly achieved hits that damaged the flight deck and prevented the aircraft from being lifted into the air. Glories caught fire, capsized and sank. Trying to save the aircraft carrier, the destroyers bravely rushed into a suicidal attack. Both were shot, but still one torpedo from the Ecasta hit the Scharnhorst. The battleship took in more than 2500 tons of water and received a roll of 5 to starboard; two artillery turrets - aft 283 mm and one 150 mm - were out of action; speed has dropped drastically. All this somewhat blurred the undoubted success of the operation.
The results of the first battle of battleships with an aircraft carrier inspired admirals with conservative views on naval warfare, but, alas, not for long. It soon became clear that the shooting of the Glories was just a tragic coincidence, an exception to the rule...
Finest hour "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" - their joint "ocean voyage" in January - March 1941. During two months of piracy in the Atlantic, they captured and sank 22 allied steamships with a total tonnage of over 115,000 tons and returned to Brest with impunity.
But then fortune turned away from the Germans. While in French ports, the battleships began to be subjected to massive air attacks. It was hardly possible to complete the repair of some damage, as the English bombs caused new ones. I had to take my feet. The breakthrough across the English Channel to Germany in February 1942 was the last joint operation of the Nazi super raiders.
On the night of February 27, the Gneisenau, which had just arrived in Kiel, was hit by a British 454-kg armor-piercing bomb in the area of \u200b\u200bthe first tower. The explosion caused huge destruction and a fire (230 powder charges of the main caliber flared up at once). 112 sailors were killed and 21 wounded. The battleship was towed to Gotenhafen (Gdynia) for repairs. During the latter, by the way, it was planned to replace the main artillery with six 380-mm guns. Alas, these plans remained on paper. In January 1943, all work was stopped, and on March 27, 1945, the skeleton of the Gneisenau was flooded in order to block the entrance fairway.
The Scharnhorst, after a lengthy repair (and it was blown up by two mines during the English Channel breakthrough), moved to Norway, where it then mainly settled in the fjords. On December 26, 1943, under the flag of Admiral Erich Bey, while trying to attack the allied convoy JW-55B, he was intercepted by British cruisers. The very first hit from the Norfolk cruiser disabled the German radar, which in the conditions of the polar night led to fatal consequences. Soon the battleship Duke of York joined the cruisers, and the Scharnhorst's position became hopeless. After stubborn resistance, the raider, mutilated by heavy shells, was finished off by torpedoes from British destroyers. The British picked up 36 people from the water - the remaining 1932 crew members of the fascist battleship died.
Bismarck and Tirpitz entered service with the Kriegsmarine already during the war. The first combat campaign for the lead ship was the last. The beginning of the operation, it would seem, was going well: the unexpected death of the Hood in the eighth minute of the battle on May 24, 1941 shocked the British admirals. However, the Bismarck also received a fatal hit from a 356-mm projectile that dived under the armor belt. The ship received about 2 thousand tons of water, two steam boilers failed, the speed decreased by 3 knots. What follows is well known. Three days later, the Nazi battleship sank. Of the 2092 people on board, 115 escaped. Among the dead was Admiral Lutyens, a former hero of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau Atlantic raid.
"Tirpitz" after the death of the sistership, the Germans used extremely carefully. As a matter of fact, he also had only one combat operation on his account - an almost fruitless campaign to Svalbard in September 1942. The rest of the time, the super-linker hid in the Norwegian fjords and was methodically "beaten" by British aircraft. In addition, on September 11, 1943, he received a severe blow from under the water: the British midget submarines X-6 and X-7 blew up 4 two-ton mines under its bottom. The last Nazi battleship was no longer able to go out to sea under its own power:
It should be noted that in the maritime historical literature, Bismarck and Tirpitz are often referred to as almost the most powerful battleships in the world. There are several reasons for this. First, the Nazi propaganda said so. Secondly, the British played along with her in order to justify the not always successful actions of their fleet, which was many times superior in strength. Thirdly, Bismarck's rating was greatly increased, in general, by the accidental death of Hood. But in reality, against the background of their counterparts, the German super-battleships did not stand out for the better. In terms of armor, armament and anti-torpedo protection, they were inferior to the Richelieu, Littorio, and South Dakota, not to mention the Yamato. The weak points of the "Germans" were capricious energy, the "non-universality" of 150-mm artillery, and imperfect radar equipment.
As for Scharnhorst, it is usually criticized, which again is not entirely fair. Although it had the same disadvantages as the Bismarck (to which, at first, poor seaworthiness was added, which forced the bow of the hull to be rebuilt), it deserves a good rating due to its smaller size in accordance with the cost-effectiveness criterion. In addition, it should be borne in mind that it was the second in the world (after the Dunkirk) completed project of a high-speed battleship, which was ahead of its more powerful "class brothers" in time. And if the Scharnhorst could be re-equipped with six 380-mm guns, then it could generally be considered a very successful battlecruiser, surpassing the British Repulse in almost all respects.
From the moment guns are installed on ships, the eternal rivalry between shell and armor begins. After realizing the vulnerability of the majestic sailing fleet to gunfire, engineers and shipbuilders begin to install armor on warships. In the 19th century, the first battleships appeared, which completed their development by the beginning of the 20th century and became the main striking and most powerful force of the fleet. They are being replaced by dreadnought battleships, even larger, more powerful and heavily armored. The peak of the development of battleships came in World War II, when the rivalry between projectile and armor reached its climax, giving rise to the most powerful and majestic ships ever created by man. They will be discussed in our article.
6. Battleships of the type "King George V"
Before World War II, the navies of the leading maritime powers were intensively armed with modern battleships. Great Britain was considered a trendsetter in the field of military shipbuilding and the most powerful maritime power for several centuries, but after the First World War, its leadership began to gradually fade. As a result, the Lady of the Seas approached the war with the least powerful "main" battleship.
The British began designing battleships of the "King George V" type in the late 20s of the 20th century to replace superdreadnoughts. For several years, the initial project has undergone significant changes, and by 1935 the final version was approved with a length of about 230 meters and a displacement of about 35 thousand tons. The main caliber of the new battleship was to be ten 356-millimeter guns. The location of the main caliber artillery was original. Instead of the classic four 2-gun or three 3-gun turrets, they chose a variant with two turrets of four guns at the bow and stern, and one turret with two guns at the bow. The caliber of 356 mm by the beginning of World War II was considered insufficient and was the smallest among the other battleships of the leading powers. Armor-piercing projectile "King George" weighed a modest 721 kg. The initial speed was low - 757 m / s. English guns did not shine with rate of fire. Only traditionally high-quality gun barrels and armor-piercing shells, coupled with the reliability of the system as a whole, can be added to the pluses.
The average caliber of the battleship was represented by sixteen 133 mm guns in 2-gun turrets. These guns were supposed to become universal, conducting both anti-aircraft fire and performing the function of fighting enemy destroyers. If such guns coped well with the second task, then they turned out to be ineffective against aircraft due to the low rate of fire and the imperfection of guidance systems. Also, the King George battleships were equipped with two reconnaissance seaplanes with one catapult.
The armor of British ships was built according to the classic “all or nothing” principle, when the main and most important components of the ship were covered with the thickest armor, and the ends of the hull and deck remained practically unarmored. The thickness of the main armor belt reached an impressive 381 mm. In general, the booking was quite good and balanced. The quality of the English armor itself was still excellent. Only frankly weak anti-mine and anti-torpedo protection caused complaints.
The main power plant developed 110 thousand horsepower and allowed the battleship to accelerate to 28 knots. The estimated cruising range with an economical 10-knot course reached 14 thousand miles, but in reality everything turned out to be much more modest.
In total, the British managed to build five ships of this type. Battleships were created to resist the German fleet in the Atlantic, but they had to serve in many parts of the world. The most belligerent of the British battleships were the King George V, which was the flagship of the British Royal Navy for a long time, and the Prince of Wales, which took the battle along with the ill-fated Hood against the legendary Bismarck. At the end of 1941, the Prince of Wales was sunk by Japanese aircraft, while the rest of her brethren survived the war and were safely scrapped in 1957.
Battleship Vanguard
In addition to ships of the King George V type, the British managed to lay down the new Vanguard during the war - a larger and more powerful battleship, devoid of many of the shortcomings of previous battleships. In terms of displacement and armament (50 thousand tons and eight 381 mm guns), it resembled the German Bismarck. But the British were able to complete this ship only in 1946.
5. Battleships of the type "Littorio / Vittorio Veneto"
After the First World War, Italy was going through hard times. There was not enough money to build new battleships. Therefore, the release of new ships was postponed in every possible way for financial reasons. Italy began to develop a modern battleship only after the laying in France, the main rival in the Mediterranean, of powerful and high-speed battlecruisers of the Dunkirk type, which completely depreciated the old Italian battleships.
The main theater of operations for the Italians was the Mediterranean Sea, historically considered "their own". This left its mark on the appearance of the new battleship. If for the British autonomy and a long cruising range were a key factor in the development of their own battleships, then the Italian designers could sacrifice it for the sake of increased firepower and armor. The lead "Littorio" and "Vittorio Veneto" were larger than the "King George" - their total displacement was about 45 thousand tons with a length of about 240 meters. The battleships entered service in the spring of 1940.
The armament of the main caliber consisted of nine powerful 15-inch (381 mm) guns in three 3-gun turrets. The Italians took the path of maximum forcing of old guns of a similar caliber, increasing the length of the barrels from 40 to 50 calibers. As a result, the Italian guns turned out to be champions among 15-inch guns in Europe in terms of muzzle energy and projectile power, yielding in armor penetration only to the larger-caliber guns of the American Iowa and Japanese Yamato.
The weight of the armor-piercing projectile reached 885 kg at a high initial velocity of 870 m/s. This came at the cost of extremely low grouping and firing accuracy, which is considered the main disadvantage of this type of battleship. Unlike the British, the Italians divided the medium artillery into anti-mine and anti-aircraft. Twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four 3-gun turrets were used to counter the attacking destroyers. For firing at aircraft, there were twelve 90-mm guns, which were supplemented by 37-mm machine guns. The experience of the war showed the complete insufficiency of the anti-aircraft artillery of the Italian battleships, as well as most similar ships of other countries.
The Littorio-class battleship air group consisted of three seaplanes and one catapult to launch them. The main armor belt was spaced apart and, with a not too impressive thickness, provided protection against 380-mm projectiles.
Battleship Vittorio Veneto
The main power plant produced 130,000 horsepower and accelerated the Italian battleship to 30 knots. Such a high speed was a great advantage and made it possible to choose the optimal battle distance or even evade the fire of a stronger enemy. The cruising range was rather modest (4.5-5 thousand miles), but quite sufficient for the Mediterranean.
Battleship Roma
In total, the Italians managed to launch three battleships of this type, the fourth ship remained unfinished. Throughout the Second World War, the ships fought and were periodically damaged by British and American aircraft, after which they were repaired and put back into service. As a result, "Vittorio Veneto" and "Littorio" were transferred after the war to the UK and the USA, respectively, where they were sawn up in the mid-1950s. The third battleship - "Roma" - was awarded a sadder fate. After the capitulation of Italy, the Germans sank it with Fritz-X guided bombs so that the ship would not go to the Allies. Thus, the beautiful and graceful Italian battleships never managed to acquire military glory.
4. Battleships of the type "Richelieu"
After the First World War, France found itself in a position similar to Italy regarding the state and further development of the navy.
After the laying of "pocket battleships" of the Scharnhorst type in Germany, the French were forced to urgently design ships to deal with them. The resulting Dunkirk turned out to be so successful that it served as the basis for the creation of full-fledged battleships of the Richelieu type.
The total displacement of the Richelieu was almost 45 thousand tons, and the maximum length was about 250 meters. In order to fit the maximum possible weapons and heavy armor into a limited displacement, the French again applied the original layout of the main caliber weapons, tested on the Dunkirk.
"Richelieu" carried eight 380-mm guns with a length of 45 calibers in two 4-gun turrets. The weight of the armor-piercing projectile was 890 kg at an initial velocity of 830 m/s. This arrangement made it possible to save the total weight of each gun compared to 3- and especially 2-gun turrets. In addition, only two main turrets instead of three or four required a shorter main armor belt to protect guns and artillery magazines, simplified the system for storing and supplying ammunition, and fire control.
But such a bold scheme had its drawbacks. Damage to any of the towers led to the failure of half of the ship's artillery, so the French separated each of the towers with an armored partition. Each pair of guns had independent guidance and supply of ammunition. In practice, the 2-tower scheme turned out to be unreliable. French sailors used to say that the turret rotation system could fail at any moment. In addition, the stern sector of the ship was not protected by the main battery guns, which was partly offset by the large angles of rotation of the forward turrets.
Battleship Jean Bart
The pride of French shipbuilders was booking and protection in general. In terms of survivability, the Richelieu surpassed its competitors from England and Italy, was approximately equal to the larger Bismarck and Iowa, and was inferior only to the much heavier Yamato. The main armor belt had a thickness of 330 mm and an 18 mm lining. The belt inclined at 18 degrees resulted in almost half a meter of armor. The unfinished "Jean Bar" happened to receive about five heavy 406-mm American shells of the main caliber. The ship survived.
The Richelieu power plant produced 150 thousand horsepower, and the speed of more than 31 knots was one of the best in the class, formally second only to the Iowa. The maximum cruising range was about 10 thousand miles with an economical course.
In total, the French planned to build three battleships of this type. It was possible to put into operation only two - "Richelieu" and "Jean Bar", which, not without incident, survived the war. These ships have become one of the most balanced and successful ships of this class. Many experts give them the palm in battleship building. They combined fairly powerful weapons, excellent armor and high speed. At the same time, they had an average size and displacement. Nevertheless, many positive aspects were good only on paper. Like the Italian battleships, the French "Richelieu" and "Jean Bar" did not cover their history with immortal feats. They managed to survive the war and even serve after it, having undergone modernization. As for the aesthetic side, the author of the article puts them in the first place. The French battleships turned out to be truly beautiful and elegant.
3. Bismarck-class battleships
After the First World War, Germany was one of the first to start designing new modern battleships. As a country that lost the war, it was forbidden to build large warships. Therefore, the starting "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" could only be called battleships with a stretch. Nevertheless, serious experience was gained by German engineers. And after the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935, which actually abolished the Versailles restrictions, Germany began the development and construction of the largest and most powerful ships ever in service with the German fleet.
The Bismarck-class battleships had a total displacement of about 50 thousand tons, a length of 250 meters and a width of 36 meters, surpassing their European counterparts in size. The main artillery, as on the Richelieu and Vittorio Veneto, was represented by 380 mm guns. Bismarck carried eight guns in four 2-gun turrets, two each at the bow and stern. This was a step back against the background of 3- and 4-gun turrets of competitors.
Artillery of the main caliber came out more tenacious, but required more space, armor and, accordingly, weight to accommodate it. The Bismarck guns were nothing special except for the traditional German quality compared to the fifteen-inch guns of the French and Italians. Unless, unlike the latter, the pragmatic Germans relied on shooting accuracy to the detriment of the power and weight of the projectile (800 kg). As time has shown - not in vain.
Booking "Bismarck" can be called moderate and not quite ordinary. Using a scheme with four main battery turrets, the Germans had to armor up to 70% of the hull length. The thickness of the main armored belt reached 320 mm in its lower part and up to 170 mm in its upper part. Unlike many battleships of the period, the armor of the German battleships was not sharply differentiated, with outstanding maximum thicknesses, but the overall armor area was higher than that of any of the competitors. Perhaps it was precisely this booking scheme that allowed the Bismarck to withstand numerous volleys of the British for a long time, while remaining afloat.
The main power plant was the weak point of the project. She developed about 150 thousand "horses", accelerating the Tirpitz and Bismarck to 30 knots, which was a very good result. At the same time, it did not differ in reliability and, in particular, in economy. The actual cruising range was almost 20% lower than the declared 8.5-8.8 thousand miles.
German shipbuilders were unable to create a vessel that is qualitatively superior to competitors. The combat characteristics of the Bismarck were at the level of the Richelieu and Littorio, but the combat fate of the German battleships made them the most recognizable and famous ships of the Second World War.
In total, the Germans managed to put into operation two ships of this type. The Bismarck in 1941 had to take the battle, which became the most famous naval battle of the Second World War. A German detachment from the battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen collided with the British ships. And although the British had an advantage in the form of the battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood, the Bismarck salvos sent the beauty and pride of the Royal Navy to the bottom in a matter of minutes - the flagship cruiser Hood along with the entire crew. As a result of the duel, German ships were also damaged. Shocked and furious, the British sent an entire squadron to capture the Bismarck. The German battleship practically managed to get away from the chase, but the British planes damaged the steering of the ship, and then for a long time they shot the immobilized ship from all guns. As a result, the Bismarck team opened the kingstones and sank their ship.
Model of the battleship "Tirpitz"
After the loss of one of the two battleships, the Germans hid the remaining Tirpitz in the Norwegian fjords. Even inactive and hidden, this ship remained a constant headache for the British throughout the war, drawing on huge forces. In the end, the Tirpitz was only sunk from the air with specially designed huge 5-ton bombs.
2. Iowa-class battleships
The United States approached the Second World War as a leader in terms of economic and industrial potential. The owner of the most powerful navy was no longer Great Britain, but its partner overseas. By the end of the 1930s, the Americans managed to develop a battleship project under the Washington Agreement. At first, these were ships of the South Dakota type, which generally corresponded to European competitors. Then came the time for even larger and more powerful Iowa-class battleships, called by many experts the best ships of this class.
The length of such battleships reached a record 270 meters, and the total displacement exceeded 55 thousand tons. "Iowa" was supposed to resist the Japanese battleships of the "Yamato" type. Nevertheless, American shipbuilders retained the 16-inch (406 mm) main artillery caliber used on the South Dakota. But the main caliber guns were lengthened from 45 to 50 calibers, increasing the power of the gun and the weight of the armor-piercing projectile from 1016 to 1225 kg. In addition to the guns themselves, when assessing the firepower of the Iowa-class ships, one should note the most advanced artillery fire control system among the battleships of that period. In addition to ballistic computers and optical rangefinders, it used a radar, which significantly increased the accuracy of shooting, especially in bad weather conditions.
In addition, given the perfection of guidance systems and the quality of ammunition, American battleships were the absolute leaders in anti-aircraft weapons.
But booking was not a strong point of Iowa. The citadel in the central part of the ship was covered by a modest 307 mm main armor belt. In general, the battleship was armored at the level of the South Dakota and European battleships with a smaller displacement, and the Richelieu was even inferior. Not relying too much on their armor protection, the Americans took a different path.
Battleships of the Iowa type received the most powerful power plant of 212,000 horsepower among similar ships. For comparison, on the predecessor, the power of the turbines reached only 130 thousand "horses". The Iowa could theoretically accelerate to a record 33 knots, surpassing absolutely all the battleships of the Second World War in speed. Thus, American battleships had an advantage in maneuver, being able to choose the optimal distance and conditions for artillery combat, partially compensating for not the strongest armor.
In total, the Americans planned to build six ships of this type. But taking into account the already built four South Dakota-class battleships and the ever-increasing role of aircraft carriers, the United States limited itself to a series of four ships - Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin. All battleships took an active part in the Pacific War. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese Surrender Act was signed aboard the Missouri.
The post-war fate of the Iowa-class battleships, unlike most ships of this class, was not quite usual. The ships were not scrapped, but continued their service. The Americans actively used their battleships during the war in Korea and Vietnam. In the mid-1980s, the ships, already old by that time, underwent modernization, having received modern electronic filling and guided cruise missiles. The last conflict in which the battleships took part was the war in the Persian Gulf.
The main battery artillery was represented by nine 18-inch guns in three 3-gun turrets, located classically, as on the Vittorio Veneto and Iowa. Not a single battleship in the world had such artillery. Armor-piercing projectile weighed nearly one and a half tons. And in terms of the total weight of the salvo, the Yamato was almost twice as superior to the European battleships with 15-inch guns. The artillery fire control system was perfect for its time. And if the Yamato did not have such innovations as radars (they were installed on the Iowa), then the optical rangefinders and ballistic computers were not inferior to their world counterparts. Simply put, it was better not to show up to any battleship of that time within the firing range of the Japanese monster’s guns of more than 40 kilometers.
The anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese, not inferior in quality to European ones, lagged behind the American ones in terms of firing accuracy and pointing speed. Small-caliber automatic anti-aircraft guns, the number of which during the war increased from eight built-in machine guns to fifty, were still qualitatively inferior to the Bofors and Oerlikons of the Americans.
Booking battleships of the "Yamato" type, as well as the main artillery, was "the best". Moreover, in an effort to install armor of maximum thickness on their ships, the Japanese tried to reduce the length of the citadel. As a result, the main armor belt covered only about half of the vessel in the central part. But its thickness was impressive - 410 mm. It should be noted that Japanese armor was inferior in quality to the best English and German armor at that time due to the denial of access to Japan for the most modern technologies for the production of armor steel and the lack of supplies of a number of rare alloying elements. But still, the Yamato remained the most heavily armored ship in the world.
Battleship "Musashi"
The main power plant of the Japanese super battleship was quite modest and produced about 150 thousand horsepower, accelerating the huge ship to 27.5 knots. "Yamato" was the slowest among the battleships of World War II. But the ship carried the largest air group of reconnaissance aircraft - as many as seven pieces on two catapults.
The Japanese planned to put into operation three battleships of this type, but they were able to complete only two - Yamato and Musashi. The third, "Shinano", was converted into an aircraft carrier. The fate of the ships was sad. Japanese sailors joked that the Yamato-class battleships were bigger and more useless than even such huge and useless things as the Chinese Wall and the Egyptian pyramids.
