First and second world war ships. Battleships of the USSR during the Second World War (photo)

They are armored artillery warships that have a large displacement and good weapons. The battleships of the USSR were widely used in a variety of battles, as they easily cope with the destruction of the enemy in a naval battle by delivering artillery strikes against objects located on the shore.

Peculiarities

Battleships are powerful artillery armored ships. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were a lot of them in the arsenal of the country. The battleships of the USSR had high-quality weapons in the form of various guns, which were constantly modernized. Most often, the armament consisted of torpedo tubes. These ships provided the defense of Leningrad, Sevastopol and other coastal cities.

Sevastopol class

Battleships of this class had a monitor-shaped hull, in which the freeboard area and icebreaking stem were minimized. With a small length of the hull, it was 23,000 tons, but in reality it reached about 26,000 tons. Coal was used as fuel, and if forced operation was required, then oil. These battleships of the USSR Navy were equipped with a power plant of 42,000 hp. With. at a speed of 23 knots and a cruising range of 4,000 miles.

As weapons, it was equipped with rifled guns, which were located linearly and were distinguished by a technical rate of fire of 1.8 rounds per minute. As anti-mine weapons, 16 120 mm guns were used, the rate of fire of which was 7 rounds per minute, with all the guns located on the middle deck. Such placement of artillery led to low firing efficiency, which, combined with the low seaworthiness of the battleship itself, made their control more difficult.

These battleships of the USSR were modernized even before the Second World War, which affected the improvement of the silhouette of the ships: they got a tank superstructure that tightly adhered to the hull and was covered with a solid flooring from above. The changes affected the nasal tip, power plants and improvements living conditions for the team.

"Paris Commune"

This battleship was the most recent upgrade. In the course of improvement, its displacement became larger, the engine power became higher and amounted to 61,000 hp, the ship developed a maximum speed of 23.5 knots. During the modernization, much attention was paid to strengthening anti-aircraft weapons: 6 76 mm, 16 and 14 machine guns appeared on the bow and stern. These battleships of the USSR of World War II were used in the defense of Sevastopol. For the entire period of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War, the battleship participated in 15 military campaigns, performed 10 artillery firing, repelled more than 20 enemy air raids and shot down three enemy aircraft.

During World War II, the ship defended Sevastopol and the Kerch Strait. First fighting fell on November 8, 1941, and only during the first time of the fighting was destroyed a large number of tanks, guns, military vehicles carrying certain goods.

"Marat"

These battleships of the USSR defended the approaches to Leningrad, defending the city for 8 days. During one of the enemy attacks, two bombs hit the ship at once, which destroyed the bow of the ship and led to the detonation of the shell magazines. As a result of this tragic event, 326 crew members died. Six months later, the ship was returned to partial buoyancy, the stern, which sank, surfaced. The Germans for a long time tried to destroy the damaged battleship, which was used by our military as a fort.

However, some time later, the battleship was repaired and partially restored, but even this allowed her to resist enemy artillery fire: after the ship was restored, enemy aircraft, batteries and personnel were destroyed. In 1943, this battleship of the USSR was renamed "Petropavlovsk", and even after 7 years it was completely removed from service and transferred to a training center.

"October Revolution"

This battleship was originally based in Tallinn, but with the outbreak of World War II, it was relocated to Kronstadt, as soon as the Germans began to approach the city. The "October Revolution" became a reliable artillery defense of the city, since all attempts german army to sink the battleship were unsuccessful. During the war years, this largest battleship of the USSR proved to be a reliable enemy on the water.

From "Gangut" to "Revolution"

The original name of the battleship was "Gangut". It was under this name that the ship took part in the First World War: under its cover, minefields were set up, on which more than one German cruiser was subsequently blown up. Already after the ship was given a new name, it performed during the Second World War, and all attempts by the Germans to cope with it were a failure. The battleships of the USSR of the Second World War were generally distinguished by their reliability: for example, the October Revolution was subjected to numerous air and artillery attacks, and still survived. During the war years, the battleship itself fired about 1,500 shells, repelled numerous air raids, shot down 13 aircraft and damaged a large number.

The main campaigns of the "Gangut" ("October Revolution")

An interesting fact is that the formidable ships of our army have never met in battle with enemy battleships during the two world wars - the first and second. The only battle was held by "Sevastopol" back in the Civil War, when the ship covered the destroyer "Azard" and repelled the attack of as many as seven British destroyers.

In general, the Gangut went on three military campaigns in the Baltic, where it provided minelaying, then it received a new name in service with the Red Army and was included in the Baltic Sea Naval Forces. The battleship also took part in the Soviet-Finnish war as fire support for the ground forces. The most important task of the battleship was the defense of Leningrad.

In 1941, on September 27, a 500 kg bomb hit the ship, which pierced the decks and tore the turret apart.

"Arkhangelsk"

Not all battleships of the USSR during the Second World War were originally in service with our country. So, the battleship "Arkhangelsk" was first part of the British Navy, then was transferred Soviet Union. It is noteworthy, but this ship was converted in the United States, equipped with modern radar systems for any type of weapon. That is why Arkhangelsk is also known as HMS Royal Sovereign.

In the interwar years, the battleship was repeatedly modernized, and seriously. And the changes concerned mainly additional equipment with guns. By World War II, this battleship was already obsolete, but despite this, it was nevertheless included in the country's fleet. But his role was not as valiant as that of other battleships: the Arkhangelsk mostly stood off the coast of the Kola Bay, where it provided a fire offensive for the Soviet troops and disrupted the evacuation of the Germans. In January 1949, the ship was delivered to the UK.

USSR battleship projects

The battleships of the USSR, whose projects were developed by a variety of engineers, have always been considered among the most reliable in the world. So, engineer Bubnov proposed a project for a super-dreadnought, which attracted attention with the elaboration of details, the power of artillery, high speed and a sufficient level of armor. Design began in 1914, and the main task of the engineers was to place three four-gun turrets on a small hull, which was not enough for such weapons. It turned out that the ship in this situation was left without reliable anti-torpedo protection. The main weapons on this ship were:

• the main armor belt, which extended to 2/3 of the ship's length;
• horizontal booking at four levels;
• circular armor of towers;
• 12 guns in turrets and 24 anti-mine caliber guns, which were located in casemates.

Experts said that this battleship is a powerful combat unit, which, compared with foreign counterparts, was capable of reaching a speed of 25 knots. True, the reservation was not enough already at the time of the First World War, and there were no plans to modernize the ships ...

Project engineer Kostenko

The perfect battleships of Russia and the USSR more than once rescued the Soviet troops. One of the developments was the ship Kostenko, which is considered the latest. To his distinctive features included balanced characteristics of weapons, excellent speed and high-quality armor. The project was based on the Anglo-German experience of the Battle of Jutland, so the engineer abandoned the maximum artillery equipment of ships in advance. And the emphasis was on the balance of body armor and mobility.

This ship was developed in as many as four versions, and the first version turned out to be the fastest. As in Bubnov's version, the battleship had a main combat belt, which was supplemented by a bulkhead of two plates. Horizontal booking affected several decks, which itself acted as an armor deck. Reservation was carried out in the tower, cutting, around the vessel, in addition, the engineer was attentive to anti-torpedo protection, which used to act on battleships in the form of a simple longitudinal bulkhead.

As weapons, the engineer proposed using 406 mm main caliber guns and 130 mm guns. The first were located in the towers, which ensured a good firing range. The designs of this vessel, as already mentioned, were different, which also affected the number of guns.

Project engineer Gavrilov

Gavrilov proposed to build the most powerful, the so-called ultimate battleships of the USSR. The photo shows that such models were small in size, but in terms of technical and performance characteristics were more efficient. According to the general concept, the battleship was the ultimate ship, specifications which were on the verge of an achievable level. The project took into account only the most powerful weapon parameters:

• 16 guns of the main caliber 406 mm in four towers;
• 24 guns 152 mm anti-mine caliber in casemates.

Such weapons fully corresponded to the concept of Russian shipbuilding, when an amazing combination of the maximum possible artillery saturation with high speed was noted with damage to the armor. By the way, it was not the most successful on most Soviet battleships. But the ship's propulsion system was one of the most powerful, since its action was based on transformer turbines.

Equipment Features

The battleships of the USSR during the Second World War (the photo confirms their power), according to Gavrilov's projects, were equipped with the most advanced systems at that time. Like previous engineers, he paid attention to armor, and the thickness of the armor was somewhat greater. But experts noted that even with powerful artillery, high speed and huge size, this battleship would be quite vulnerable when meeting with the enemy.

Results

According to experts, the Second World War became a certain stage for checking the condition of the battleships of the USSR for readiness. As it turned out, the battle fleet was not ready for the destructive power and power of atomic bombs and high-precision guided weapons. That is why, towards the end of the war, battleships ceased to be considered a powerful combat force, and so much attention was no longer paid to the development of carrier-based aviation. Stalin ordered that battleships be excluded from military shipbuilding plans, as they did not meet the requirements of the time.

As a result, such ships as the October Revolution and the Paris Commune were withdrawn from the active fleet, some models were put into reserve. Subsequently, Khrushchev left literally a few heavy artillery ships in service with the country, considering them effective in battles. And on October 29, 1955, the flagship of the Black Sea squadron, the last battleship of the USSR Novorossiysk, sank in the Northern Bay of Sevastopol. After this event, our country said goodbye to the idea of ​​having battleships in its fleet.

On February 14, 1939, the German battleship Bismarck was launched at the Blom & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. This ship was named after the first chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, and is rightfully considered one of the most famous ships of the Second World War. Bismarck is famous for the fact that during her only entry into battle in May 1941, she sank the strongest British cruiser, Hood (HMS Hood). The British fleet took revenge on the Bismarck only after three days of pursuit. During her service, she was the largest battleship in the world, and the Bismarck class remains the third largest (after the Japanese Yamato and the American Iowa) class of battleships in history.

We decided to talk about other famous warships of the Second World War:

1. Battleship "Hood".

HMS "Hood" is a battlecruiser of the British Navy. Named after the English Admiral Samuel Hood. When building the battleship, it was planned to take into account the bitter experience gained after the Battle of Jutland, when the British lost three battlecruisers. True, despite all the improvements, the ship died on May 24, 1941 of the year in battle with the German battleship Bismarck.

2. Battleship "North Carolina" (USA)

The construction of this battleship was started at the US Navy shipyard in New York on October 27, 1937. The ship was launched on June 13, 1938, but entered into operation only in 1942 due to some technical malfunctions. When, finally, all the work was completed, the battleship was sent to the Pacific Ocean.

"North Carolina" was supposed to cover three aircraft carriers as part of an aircraft carrier group. On August 24, 1942, the battleship successfully defended the aircraft carrier group from Japanese Air Force raids, but on September 15, the North Carolina was attacked by the I-15 submarine and received a hole. The ship could not be repaired. In the spring of 1962, the battleship was bought by the administration of the state of North Carolina with donations from patriotic citizens, and turned into a museum of military glory.

3. Battleship "Queen Elizabeth" (UK)

The Queen Elizabeth belongs to the Royal Navy class of superdreadnoughts. The lead ship of the series of five battleships was named after Queen Elizabeth I of England. The first and last battleship of the armored era, named after a representative of the Tudor dynasty, noticeably surpassed contemporary German ships in terms of firepower, armor protection and speed.

The battleship "Queen Elizabeth" distinguished itself in the battles of the First World War, from February to May 1915 bombarded Turkish positions near the Dardanelles. In December 1941, the ship was badly damaged by Italian combat swimmers (Operation Alexandria), and was repaired until 1943. Nevertheless, even without participating in battles, the Queen Elizabeth superdreadnought became a symbol of the passing era, setting the main directions for the development of battleships.

4. Battleship "Iowa" (USA)

The Iowa entered the US Navy in 1943. The lead battleship of the series, which also included the ships New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin, became a legend due to its exceptional success in battles with the fleet of Imperial Japan. A well-thought-out combination of speed characteristics, firepower and armor made this ship an example of a "floating fortress" that eclipsed the glory of the previous dreadnoughts. It is not surprising that the ships of the Iowa series completed their combat watch only in 1990.

5. Cruiser "Tone" (Japan)

This ship is considered one of the best heavy cruisers of its time. Two Japanese Tone-class cruisers (Tone and Chikuma) entered service in 1937 and 1938. Critics of the project noted the severe congestion of these ships, and unbearable service conditions for their crews: the cramped living quarters of the cruisers could rightly be called "steel coffins". Nevertheless, the armor protection, armament of the ship and its driving performance made the Tone the most advanced cruiser on the eve of World War II.

By the end of the Second World War, the class of high-speed battleships had reached the limit in its development, having favorably combined the destructive power and security of dreadnoughts with the high speed of battlecruisers, these maritime models performed many amazing feats under the flags of all warring states.

It is not possible to compile any "rating" of the battleships of those years - four favorites claim the first place at once, and each of them has the most serious reasons for this. As for the other places on the honorary pedestal, it is generally impossible to make any conscious choice here. Only individual tastes and subjective preferences. Each battleship is distinguished by its unique design, a chronicle of combat use and, often, a tragic death.

Each of them was created for its specific tasks and conditions of service, for a specific enemy and in accordance with the chosen concept of using the fleet.

Different theaters of operations dictated different rules: inland seas or the open ocean, the proximity or, conversely, the extreme remoteness of the bases. Classic squadron battles with the same monsters or a bloody mess with repelling endless air attacks and shelling fortifications on the enemy coast.

Ships cannot be considered in isolation from the geopolitical situation, the state of the scientific, industrial and financial spheres of states - all this left a significant imprint on their design.

A direct comparison between any Italian "Littorio" and the American "North Caroline" is completely out of the question.

Nevertheless, the contenders for the title of the best battleship are visible to the naked eye. These are Bismarck, Tirpitz, Iowa and Yamato - ships that even those who have never been interested in the fleet have heard of.

Life According to Sun Tzu

... Her Majesty's battleships Anson and Duke of York, aircraft carriers Victorias, Furies, escort aircraft carriers Sicher, Empire, Passuer, Fancer, cruisers Belfast, Bellona , Royalist, Sheffield, Jamaica, destroyers Javelin, Virago, Meteor, Swift, Vigilent, Wakeful, Onslot ... - a total of about 20 units under the British , Canadian and Polish flags, as well as 2 naval tankers and 13 carrier-based aviation squadrons.

Only in this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Alta Fjord - where, under the gloomy vaults of the Norwegian rocks, the pride of the Kriegsmarine, the Tirpitz super-battleship, rusted.
The results of the Wolfram operation are estimated as controversial - carrier-based aircraft managed to bomb the German base and cause serious damage to the battleship's superstructures. However, the next Pearl Harbor did not work out - the British could not inflict mortal wounds on the Tirpitz.

The Germans lost 123 men killed, but the battleship still posed a threat to shipping in the North Atlantic. The main problems were caused not so much by numerous bomb hits and fires on the upper deck, but by newly opened leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.

... In total, during the stay in Norwegian waters, the Tirpitz withstood dozens of air strikes - in total, during the war years, about 700 British and Soviet aircraft took part in raids on the battleship! In vain.

Hiding behind an anti-torpedo net, the ship was invulnerable to Allied torpedo weapons. At the same time, aerial bombs proved ineffective against such a well-defended target; it was possible to smash the armored citadel of the battleship for an infinitely long time, but the destruction of the superstructures could not critically affect the combat capability of the Tirpitz.

Meanwhile, the Britons stubbornly rushed to the parking lot of the Teutonic beast: mini-submarines and man-torpedoes; deck and strategic air raids. Informant agents from the locals, regular surveillance of the base from the air ...

"Tirpitz" became a unique embodiment of the ideas of the ancient Chinese commander and thinker Sun Tzu ("The Art of War") - without firing a single shot at enemy ships, he fettered all the actions of the British in the North Atlantic for three years!

One of the most effective warships of the Second World War, the invincible Tirpitz turned into an ominous scarecrow for the British Admiralty: the planning of any operation began with the question “What to do if
Will the Tirpitz leave her anchorage and go out to sea?

It was the Tirpitz that scared away the escort of the PQ-17 convoy. All battleships and aircraft carriers of the metropolitan fleet in the Arctic latitudes hunted him. The boat K-21 fired at him. For his sake, the Lancasters from the Royal Air Force settled at the Yagodny airfield near Arkhangelsk. But everything turned out to be useless. The British were able to destroy the super-battleship only towards the end of the war with the help of the monstrous 5-ton Tallboy bombs.

Tallboy ("Big Boy")

"Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" in a military campaign

What a tough guy!

Hieroglyph "fidelity". Yamato-class battleships

There are three useless things in the world: the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Great Wall of China and the battleship "Yamato" ... Really?

This is what happened to the battleships Yamato and Musashi: they were undeservedly slandered. Around them there was a stable image of "losers", useless "wanderwaffles" who shamefully died at the first meeting with the enemy.

But the facts are:

The ships were designed and built on time, managed to make war, and finally accepted a heroic death in the face of numerically superior enemy forces.

What else is required of them?

Bright victories? Alas, in the situation in which Japan was in the period 1944-45, even the sea king Poseidon himself could hardly have acted better than the battleships Musashi and Yamato.

Disadvantages of super battleships?

Yes, first of all, weak air defense - neither the monstrous Sanshiki 3 fireworks (460 mm anti-aircraft shells), nor hundreds of small-caliber magazine-fed assault rifles could replace modern anti-aircraft guns and control systems with fire adjustment according to radar data.

Weak PTZ?
I beg of you! "Musashi" and "Yamato" died after 10-11 torpedo hits - no battleship on the planet would have survived so much (for comparison, the probability of the death of the American "Iowa" from being hit by six torpedoes, according to the calculations of the Americans themselves, was estimated at 90%) .

Otherwise, the battleship "Yamato" corresponded to the phrase "most, most"

The largest battleship in history and, concurrently, the largest warship that took part in World War II.
70 thousand tons of full displacement.
The main caliber is 460 mm.
Armored belt - 40 centimeters of solid metal.
The walls of the conning tower - half a meter of armor.
The thickness of the frontal part of the GK tower is even greater - 65 centimeters of steel protection.

A grand spectacle!

The main miscalculation of the Japanese is the veil of extreme secrecy that shrouded everything that was connected with the battleships of the Yamato type. To date, there are only a few photographs of these monsters - mostly taken from American aircraft.

It was worth being proud of such ships and seriously frightening the enemy with them - after all, until the last moment the Yankees were sure that they were dealing with ordinary battleships, with 406 mm guns.

With a competent public relations policy, the very news of the existence of the battleships Yamato and Musashi could cause panic fear among the commanders of the US Navy and their allies - just as happened with the Tirpitz. The Yankees would rush to build similar ships with half a meter of armor and guns of 460 or even 508 mm caliber - in general, it would be fun. The strategic effect of the Japanese super-battleships could be much greater.

Museum "Yamato" in Kure. The Japanese cherish the memory of their "Varyag"

How did the leviathans die?

Musashi sailed all day in the Sibuyan Sea under heavy attacks from aircraft from five American aircraft carriers. He walked all day, and in the evening he died, having received, according to various estimates, 11-19 torpedoes and 10-17 air bombs ...
What do you think, were the security and combat stability of the Japanese battleship great? And who of his peers could repeat this?

"Yamato"... death from above was his destiny. Traces of torpedoes, the sky is black from aircraft ...
Speaking frankly, the Yamato made an honorable seppuku, leaving as part of a small squadron against eight aircraft carriers of the 58th task force. The result is predictable - two hundred aircraft tore apart the battleship and its few escorts in two hours.

The era of high technology. Iowa-class battleships

What if?
What if, instead of the Yamato, a battleship identical to the American Iowa had come out towards the 58th operational formation of Admiral Mitscher? What if the Japanese industry could create air defense systems similar to those on US Navy ships at the time?

How would the battle between the battleship and the American aircraft carriers end if the Japanese sailors had systems similar to the Mk.37, Ford Mk.I Gunfire Control Computer, SK, SK-2, SP, SR, Mk.14, Mk.51, Mk.53 …?

Dry indices hide masterpieces of technological progress - analog computers and automatic systems fire control, radar, radio altimeters and radar fuse shells - thanks to all these “chips”, Iowa anti-aircraft fire was at least five times more accurate and effective than Japanese anti-aircraft gunners.

And if you take into account the terrifying rate of fire of the Mk.12 anti-aircraft guns, the extremely effective 40 mm Bofors and Oerlikon belt-fed assault rifles ... There is a considerable chance that the American air attack could choke in blood, and the damaged neo-Yamato could hobble to Okinawa and run aground, turning into an invincible artillery battery (according to the Ten-Ichi-Go operation plan).

Everything could be ... alas, the Yamato went to the seabed, and the impressive anti-aircraft weapons complex became the prerogative of the American Iows.

It is absolutely impossible to come to terms with the idea that the best ship is again with the Americans. USA haters will instantly find a dozen reasons why the Iowa cannot be considered the most advanced battleship.

The Iowas are harshly criticized for the lack of a medium caliber (150 ... 155 mm) - unlike any German, Japanese, French or Italian battleships, American ships were forced to fight off enemy destroyer attacks only with universal anti-aircraft guns (5 inches, 127 mm).

Also, among the shortcomings of the Iowa, they name the lack of reloading compartments in the GK towers, the worst seaworthiness and “surfacing on the wave” (compared to the same British Vanguard), the relative weakness of their PTZ in front of the Japanese “long lances”, “mukhlezh” with declared maximum speed (on a measured mile, the battleships could hardly accelerate to 31 knots - instead of the declared 33!).

But perhaps the most serious of all accusations - the weakness of the armor compared to any of their peers - the Iowa's traverse bulkheads raise a lot of questions.

Of course, the defenders of American shipbuilding will now go off steam, proving that all the listed shortcomings of the Iowa are just an illusion, the ship was designed for a specific situation and ideally suited the conditions of the Pacific theater of operations.

The absence of a medium caliber became an advantage for American battleships: universal five-inch guns were enough to deal with surface and air targets - it made no sense to take on board 150 mm guns as a "ballast". And the presence of "advanced" fire control systems finally leveled the factor of the absence of a "medium caliber".

Reproaches for poor seaworthiness are a purely subjective opinion: the Iowa has always been considered an extremely stable artillery platform. As for the strong “overwhelming” of the bow of the battleship in stormy weather, this myth was already born in our time. Modern sailors were surprised by the habits of an armored monster: instead of swaying calmly on the waves, the heavy Iowa cut the waves like a knife.

The increased wear of the main gun barrels is explained by very heavy projectiles (which is not bad) - the Mk.8 armor-piercing projectile weighing 1225 kg was the heaviest ammunition of its caliber in the world.

The Iowa had no problems with the range of shells at all: the ship had a whole range of armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition and charges of various capacities; after the war, "cassette" Mk.144 and Mk.146 appeared, stuffed with explosive grenades in the amount of 400 and, accordingly, 666 pieces. A little later, a special Mk.23 munition was developed with a 1 kt nuclear warhead.

As for the "shortage" of the design speed per measured mile, the Iowa tests were carried out with a limited power plant - just like that, without a good reason, to boost the cars to the design 254,000 hp. the thrifty Yankees refused.

The overall impression of the "Iowa" can only be spoiled by their relatively low security ... however, this disadvantage is more than compensated by the many other advantages of the battleship.

The Iowas have more service than all the other WWII battleships combined - World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq ... Battleships of this type survived everyone - the modernization of the mid-1980s made it possible to extend the service life of veterans until the beginning of the 21st century - the battleships lost parts artillery weapons, in exchange for receiving 32 Tomahawk SLCMs, 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow air defense systems, modern radars and Phalanx melee systems.

Off the coast of Iraq

Well, the favorites are determined. Now it's time to mention a number of other armored monsters - after all, each of them is worthy of its portion of surprise and admiration.

Here, for example, "Jean Bart" - one of two built battleships of the type "Richelieu". An elegant French ship with a unique silhouette: two four-gun turrets in the bow, a stylish superstructure, a famously curved chimney...

Richelieu-class battleships are considered one of the most advanced ships in their class: having a displacement of 5-10 thousand tons less than any Bismarck or Littorio, the French were practically not inferior to them in terms of armament power, and in terms of " security "- the scheme and thickness of the reservation" Richelieu "was even better than many of his larger peers. And all this was successfully combined with a speed of more than 30 knots - the "Frenchman" was the fastest of the European battleships!

The unusual fate of these battleships: the flight of unfinished ships from the shipyard to avoid capture by the Germans, naval battles with the British and American fleets in Casablanca and Dakar, repairs in the United States, and then a long happy service under the flag of France until the second half of the 1960s.

And here is a magnificent trinity from the Apennine Peninsula - Italian battleships of the Littorio type.

These ships are usually the object of harsh criticism, but if you apply an integrated approach when evaluating them, it turns out that the Littorio battleships are not so bad compared to their British or German peers, as is commonly believed.

The project was based on the brilliant concept of the Italian fleet - to hell with great autonomy and fuel supply! - Italy is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, all the bases are nearby.
The saved load reserve was spent on armor and weapons. As a result, Littorio had 9 main battery guns in three rotating turrets - more than any of their European "colleagues".

"Roma"

Ingenious anti-torpedo protection based on the calculations of Umberto Pugliese.

At a minimum, the spaced booking scheme deserves attention. In general, in everything related to booking, Littorio-class battleships deserve the most high marks.

And for the rest...
Otherwise, the Italian battleships turned out to be bad - it still remains a mystery why the Italians fired guns so crookedly - despite excellent armor penetration, 15-inch Italian shells had surprisingly low accuracy and accuracy of fire. Reforcing gun barrels? Quality of manufacture of liners and shells? Or maybe the national characteristics of the Italian character affected?

In any case, the main problem with the Littorio-class battleships was their mediocre use. The Italian sailors never managed to enter into a general battle with Her Majesty's fleet. Instead, the lead "Littorio" was sunk right at its anchorage, during a British raid on the Taranto naval base (cheerful slobs were too lazy to pull the anti-torpedo net).

The Vittorio Veneto raid against British convoys in the Mediterranean ended no better - the battered ship could barely return to base.

In general, nothing good came of the idea with the Italian battleships. The brightest and most tragic battleship Roma completed its battle path, disappearing in a deafening explosion of its own artillery cellars - the result of a well-aimed hit by the German Fritz-X guided bomb (air bombs? It’s an understatement. The 1360-kilogram Fritz-X ammunition was little like regular bomb).

Epilogue.

Battleships were different. Among them were formidable and effective. There were no less formidable, but ineffective. But every time, the fact that the enemy had such ships gave the opposite side a lot of trouble and anxiety.
Battleships always remain battleships. Powerful and destructive ships with the highest combat stability.

According to materials:
http://wunderwaffe.narod.ru/
http://korabley.net/
http://www.navy.mil.nz/
http://navycollection.narod.ru/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://navsource.org/

A cruiser is a class of multi-purpose large high-speed surface artillery ships capable of performing various tasks of defense and attack, both independently and as part of ship formations. The variety of tasks performed by cruisers gave rise to a number of subclasses - specialized ships. So during the war they distinguished: battlecruisers, heavy and light, armored and armored, mine and anti-aircraft, aircraft carrier and training. Less than a third of cruisers of all types were built during the war, a third were pre-war construction, and the rest took part in the First World War.

Estimated number of cruisers used in the war by countries and types of ships (without captured and transferred / received)

1) Armored and armored

In addition to the data given, it should be noted that 3 light cruisers were sold by Great Britain to Australia, 1 was transferred to Canada.

The above classification of cruisers should be understood as follows.

Battle cruiser— a class of artillery ships with armament similar to battleships, but with higher speed and lighter armor. They appeared as a development of armored cruisers and were supposed to form the vanguard of the main forces of the fleet, and in battle play the role of its high-speed wing. In fact, battlecruisers occupied an intermediate position between battleships and heavy cruisers. The following tasks were assigned to them: reconnaissance in force; support and assistance to smaller scout cruisers; independent expeditions to surround enemy raiders; pursuit of the retreating fleet of the enemy and, if possible, placing it in a hopeless situation by concentrating fire on the lagging ships; rapid encirclement of the enemy during combat operations. All ships were of pre-war construction, were unbalanced in terms of performance characteristics and, due to their intermediate position between classes, became unnecessary for the fleets. As a result, the "endangered" ships did not achieve any significant results during the war.

heavy cruiser- a combat surface ship, a subclass of heavily armed artillery high-speed cruisers, designed to operate at long distances in order to disrupt sea communications, conduct naval battles as part of formations, protect their sea lanes, ensure amphibious landings, lay minefields and other tasks. In the system of naval weapons, she occupied an intermediate position between a light cruiser and a battle cruiser. The ship had advanced armor protection, designed to counter enemy cruiser artillery. The displacement of the cruisers was in the range of 10-28 thousand tons, the armament consisted of 6-9 guns of 203-305 mm caliber, 8-12 guns of medium caliber (100-127 mm), 80-90 anti-aircraft guns and machine guns.

By the beginning of the war, the fleets of the leading maritime countries had the following number of heavy cruisers: 18 each in England, the USA and Japan, 7 each in Italy and France, 5 in Germany.

Being an important force in all major fleets, heavy cruisers were used very intensively, but the results of their activities were mixed. British cruisers performed well in the role of defenders of communications. Their autonomy ensured long-term operations in the ocean and made it possible to cause serious damage to enemy shipping and intercept a number of raiders. These ships were also very useful in escorting polar convoys. However, when faced with an adequate enemy, weak protection and a primitive fire control system extremely limited them. combat capabilities. They were also extremely vulnerable to air attacks due to a weak air defense system.

The American cruisers suffered heavy losses from their Japanese classmates and destroyers. They turned out to be most useful as fire support ships for amphibious operations, and the latest cruisers and as air defense ships.

High-speed Italian heavy cruisers were unable to succeed in combat at long distances, and they were afraid to approach due to poor armor. They rarely went to sea, including due to lack of fuel, and did not achieve any success. At the same time, they were seriously damaged by enemy aircraft and submarines, as well as British man-torpedoes.

German heavy cruisers also in the best way took to the battlefield. Pocket battleships were used for their raider purposes only in the first period of the war, when each of them made one ocean campaign. In the future, their performance was low, and the death came from British aircraft. The heavier cruisers of Germany also did not justify the cost of their construction.

Japanese heavy cruisers performed admirably in the first phase of the war, easily dealing with a comparable enemy. During the entire war, the Japanese lost only one heavy cruiser from artillery fire, and that was outdated. In the future, their main opponents were aviation and submarines, which they could not resist. In general, Japanese heavy cruisers sank 6 heavy and 3 light cruisers, an escort aircraft carrier, 8 destroyers and two dozen Allied auxiliary ships and transports.

armored cruiser- a ship, the protection of mechanisms and gun magazines of which consisted of an armored deck, flat or convex. An armored cruiser is a ship equipped with an armor belt along the waterline. The ships of these subclasses were obsolete ships of the First World War. Their remains were used in World War II as auxiliary ships.

light cruiser- a combat surface artillery ship with advanced armor protection, a displacement of up to 15 thousand tons and armed with medium-caliber artillery (up to 152 mm). By the beginning of the war, the fleets of the leading maritime countries had the following number of light cruisers: Great Britain had 47 ships, Japan - 20, USA - 19, Italy - 13, France - 12, USSR - 7, Germany - 6 and the Netherlands - 4. Mass construction cruisers during the war could afford only the United States (38) and Great Britain (13). A small number of ships of this class were built in Italy (3), the USSR (2) and Japan (4).

Light cruisers different countries during the war they took part in almost all operations, but their effectiveness turned out to be different. German light cruisers showed extremely low seaworthiness and the command was forced to transfer them to the Baltic, where they operated without much success until the end of the war.

The Italian light cruisers were unable to use their high speed in practice, the armor protection was clearly insufficient, and the artillery was imperfect. As a result, after the first defeats, the Italian cruisers acted extremely cautiously, but even in these cases they suffered losses, and the British destroyers also turned out to be dangerous for them.

The general obsolescence of most Japanese light cruisers did not allow them to count on success in open combat with the same type of American ships. However, acting as part of formations with larger ships, they achieved success. Often light cruisers were used to escort detachments of landing ships and transports. The main losses of the Japanese ships of this class suffered from attacks by submarines and aircraft.

The light cruisers of Great Britain successfully fought even with a stronger enemy. Moreover, these ships have proven that under certain circumstances they can be dangerous even for ships of a formally more powerful class. According to a number of authors, British ships of the Fiji type can be considered an ideal light cruiser of the Second World War in terms of cost / efficiency. The main losses during the war, the British ships of this class suffered from the actions of aviation.

The newest US light cruisers with 12-15 152-mm guns entered into night artillery duels with heavy Japanese cruisers and often came out victorious due to fire performance.

Light cruisers also achieved high efficiency as air defense ships.

During the war, Soviet light cruisers were not used in the way that was supposed during their construction. The cruisers of the Baltic Fleet spent almost the entire war as floating batteries supporting the defenders of Leningrad. Black Sea cruisers were actively used to solve a wide variety of tasks, including even direct landings. German aviation became the main threat to them, and since 1943 the large ships of the Black Sea Fleet did not participate in combat operations, fearing losses.

In the navies of Great Britain and France, a class of cruisers - minelayers - has received some development. For example, British ships were armed only with universal artillery, but they took on board up to 156 mines and were distinguished by an unusual rate for British ships at the maximum possible speed - more than 39 knots. The lightly armored French ship, capable of taking up to 200 mines, had a full-fledged cruiser armament of nine 152-mm guns and developed a speed of more than 30 knots during trials. The fleets of other countries did not build specialized cruisers-minelayers, but often provided for the possibility of placing mines on ships of conventional types.

In the 1930s, specialized cruisers appeared in a number of fleets, later called air defense cruisers. They were built on the basis of small but armored cruisers with universal main-caliber artillery, capable of both fighting an air enemy and acting as destroyer leaders. In the British Navy, such ships were the Dido-class cruisers. The American fleet was replenished with Atlanta-class cruisers. However, in general, the new class did not justify itself. Too weak for a naval battle with a serious surface enemy, these cruisers, at the same time, did not show themselves as a stronghold of naval air defense. The British cruisers lacked firepower and aiming speeds, the American ones had problems with the number of control systems.

The performance characteristics of the main types of cruisers by country are set out below.

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 unarmoured. 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 had long been the flagship of the English Royal Navy, and the Prince of Wales, which took the battle 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 experienced not the most better 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 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 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 towers of the main caliber 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 divided each of the towers with an armored partition. Each pair of guns had independent guidance and supply of ammunition. In practice, the 2-turret 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 effectively 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.

The artillery of the main caliber came out more tenacious, but required more space, armor and, accordingly, the weight for its placement. Bismarck guns are nothing special but traditional German quality against the background of the "fifteen-inch" French and Italians did not stand out. 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 such a 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. Bismarck in 1941 had to take the battle, which became the most famous naval battle of World War II. 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 there was no booking. strong point"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 battleships of the South Dakota type 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 closure of access to Japan for the most modern technologies 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.