Sailing shipbuilding of the XIX century. History of the Russian Navy Warship early 19th century
1. Introduction.
V early XIX v. the fleets of all European maritime powers consisted of almost the same type wooden ships; The United States built large and powerful frigates. Here are some of the main types of ships.
Battleships with a displacement of 1000-2000 tons carried from 70 to 130 guns, which were mainly located on closed battery decks (decks).
The battleship "St. Paul".
Depending on the number of decks, two- and three-deck ships were distinguished. The crew of such large ships could reach 1000 people. In the Russian fleet, battleships were subdivided into four more ranks: 1st rank - 120 guns, 2nd - 110, 3rd - 84,4th - 74. In the 5th and 6th ranks there were frigates with one closed battery deck and 25 to 50 cannons.
3-deck 110-gun ship of the first quarter of the 19th century.
The frigate's crew was limited to 500 sailors. American frigates, of which the most famous ship "Constitution", to this day preserved in Boston, were larger and more powerful than the European ones.
Frigate "Constitution".
Smaller three-masted corvettes had one open battery deck with 20-30 guns. Usually corvettes were equipped with frigate sailing equipment, and with a small displacement, their mizzen masts carried only oblique sails. Sloops were a variety of corvettes with fewer artillery pieces. Their displacement was 300-900 tons. Two-masted brigs with a displacement of 200-400 tons and a length of 30-36 m, in which all the guns (up to 22) were located on the upper deck, were used for the messenger and sentry service. Despite its small size, the maneuverable brig, carrying a direct sailing armament, could withstand a battle with much larger ships.
2. The origin of the steam fleet.
At this time, steam engines are increasingly being installed on ships, and paddle wheels are used as a propulsion device.
The mechanical drive significantly increased the seaworthiness of the ship, which is due to the ability to maintain the course at an arbitrary course in any state of excitement. An effective mechanical propulsion device is capable of overcoming the onslaught of storm elements, and with a little skill at the helmsman in the dynamics of maneuvering between waves, it can save any, even the most awkward floating structure from overturning. But the first steam engines took up a lot of space, were ineffective, unreliable, and required a large amount of coal to operate. Such steamers had all the disadvantages of a rowing vessel:
- Wide deck;
- The vulnerability of the mover - in this case, the paddle wheel;
As a result, such vessels also carried full sailing equipment in case they ran out of coal, a steam engine or a paddle wheel would fail.
Nevertheless, in 1819 the American paddle steamer Savannah crossed the Atlantic from New York to Liverpool in 24 days, passing only a fraction of the way under sail.
In 1834 there was a turning point in the attitude of shipbuilders to iron as a shipbuilding material. This was facilitated by an incident: the iron ship "Carrie Owen" and several wooden ships ran aground. Most of the wooden ships crashed, and the Carrie Owen received only minor damage, which served as convincing proof of the higher strength of the iron ship. Since that time, "iron shipbuilding" has spread more and more widely, and by the middle of the 19th century. approved unconditionally.
Starting with small iron boats, the shipbuilders grew bolder. As a result, in the early fifties of the 19th century. in England on the banks of the River Thames, "a monstrous structure for those times began to grow in height and length." It was the largest paddle steamer in the history of the fleet, the Great East, built in 1860. Its dimensions were 5 times larger than the largest ship of that time: length - 210 m, width - 25 m, draft - 18 m, surface height - 8.5 m, displacement - 24,000 tons. Designed for 4000 passengers. Used 30,000 steel sheets. The first flight delivered people and goods from England to Australia. Because of the large draft, the Great East could not approach the pier anywhere, so two small "steamers" stood on its deck to deliver passengers to the shore. The operation of the vessel on the transatlantic line turned out to be unprofitable, and the Great East began to be used first as a cable layer, then as a floating circus. When the ship had served its term, it took the workers two years to take it apart.
In the field of military shipbuilding, the most far-sighted shipbuilders foresaw the development of fragmentation nuclei and prepared their response. The idea of an armored ship appeared in several countries at once after the creation of specific weapons.
To the challenge of new technologies, 19th century Britain responded with industrial transformation. The British city of Portsmouth, where the main docks of the Royal Navy were located, became the largest industrial center in the world. At Block Mills MCD, the sound of a hammer replaced the sound of a steam engine. The most time-consuming work of cutting wood and assembling blocks for rigging has been radically changed. In the 1830s, merchant ships with steam engines crossed the Atlantic. This powerplant seemed promising in terms of speed and independence from the winds. The British Navy was studying the possible benefits of switching to new technologies. But the Admiralty came to the conclusion that the transition to steam traction would make the sailing fleet, the pride of the kingdom, obsolete. But when London began to receive news that a steam engine was being developed in France, the British had no choice but to accept the challenge.
In the early 30s, the British installed steam engines and paddle wheels on all battleships. However, the experiment was unsuccessful. The wheels were easily disabled by enemy fire. The paddle wheel has become incompatible with the warship. However, the Admiralty acquired a new type of frigates and corvettes. By the 1840s, the British navy consisted of the battleships and frigates that towed them.
For decades, French admirals prepared for battles with the English fleet, and shipbuilders developed ships, each of which, as it were, was intended in advance to fight the corresponding English ship. Having engaged in steamship building almost ten years later than their rivals, the French, we must pay tribute to them, very soon made up for lost time and even began to overtake the "mistress of the seas" in some way. Thus, the Ardent, the first wooden wheeled armed steamer advice (a type similar to a sloop or clipper), was built by the French in 1830 - seven years earlier than the English Gorgon, and their wooden wheeled steam frigates Homer and Asmodeus came off from the stocks a year earlier than the British “Fireband”. Even in iron shipbuilding - the area of traditional superiority of the shipbuilders of the "foggy Albion" - the French managed to overtake their island competitors: they launched the Tenar iron wheel advice note in 1840 - three years earlier than the English "Trident".
And this still does not exhaust the priority list of shipbuilding in France. It was here that the first floating armored batteries and an armored frigate were created. It was here that barbet artillery mounts were invented, resolutely switched to breech-loading guns, and sponsons were invented - platforms that protrude beyond the ship's side and thereby increase the angles of fire. Finally, it was the French who were among the first to engage in the development of submarines and mine cruisers.
Nevertheless, the fleet of this continental power built and kept in service archaic battery cruisers longer than others, on which guns were placed along the sides, like on outdated sailing frigates. The shipbuilders of France stubbornly did not adopt tower artillery and used wood for the construction of ships longer than others.
The US Naval Department followed its own path of development of the fleet, very advanced combat ships were created - battleships. There were two types of battleships - casemate and the most progressive - tower.
Casemate battleship
The first tower-type ship was the Monitor, an artillery gunship made of metal, equipped only with a mechanical engine (without any spars and rigging), protected by reliable armor and armed with large-caliber guns housed in a rotating turret. Ships of this type will constitute the main striking force of the fleets until the middle of the twentieth century.
However, after completion Civil war(1861-1865) The United States Navy fell into deep hibernation and was in a sad state. Many ships remained from the Civil War, but their combat power was questionable. Monitors with sides that rose only 30-50 cm above the water level turned out to be dangerous ships even in peacetime. There could be no question of letting them out into the open sea. Nevertheless, in the event of external aggression, monitors armed with powerful cannons, protected by thick armor could well reflect the enemy's onslaught.
A variety of gunboats, built mainly of wood, were also intended for operations on rivers and in the coastal zone. The Wampanoag-class trade fighters, the fastest ships in the world, consumed a monstrous amount of coal, the engine unit absorbed more than 30% of their displacement, leaving even a minimum for weapons and crew, let alone defense.
The Russian fleet originates more than three hundred years ago and is inextricably linked with the name of Peter the Great. Even in his youth, having discovered in 1688 in his barn a boat donated to their family, later called the "Grandfather of the Russian Fleet", the future head of state forever connected his life with ships. In the same year, he founded a shipyard on Lake Pleshcheyevo, where, thanks to the efforts of local craftsmen, the sovereign's "amusing" fleet was built. By the summer of 1692, the flotilla consisted of several dozen ships, of which the handsome frigate Mars with thirty cannons stood out.
In fairness, I note that the first Russian ship was built before the birth of Peter in 1667. Dutch craftsmen, together with local artisans on the Oka River, managed to build a two-deck "Eagle" with three masts and the ability to travel by sea. At the same time, a pair of boats and one yacht were created. These works were supervised by the wise politician Ordin-Nashchokin from the Moscow boyars. The name, as you might guess, went to the ship in honor of the coat of arms. Peter the Great believed that this event marked the beginning of the naval business in Russia and "worthy of glorification for centuries." However, in history, the birthday of the navy of our country is associated with a completely different date ...
The year was 1695. The need to create favorable conditions for the emergence of trade relations with other European states led our sovereign to a military conflict with the Ottoman Empire at the mouth of the Don and the lower reaches of the Dnieper. Peter the Great, who saw invincible strength in his newly-made regiments (Semenovsky, Prebrazhensky, Butyrsky and Lefortovsky) decides to march under Azov. He writes to a close friend in Arkhangelsk: "They joked about Kozhukhov, and now we will joke near Azov as well." The results of this journey, despite the valor and courage shown in battles by Russian soldiers, turned into terrible losses. It was then that Peter realized that war is not child's play at all. When preparing the next campaign, he takes into account all his past mistakes and decides to create an absolutely new military force in the country. Peter was truly a genius, thanks to his will and mind, he managed to create a whole fleet in just one winter. And he spared no expense for this. First, he asked for help from his Western allies - the King of Poland and the Emperor of Austria. They sent him knowledgeable engineers, ship craftsmen and gunners. After arriving in Moscow, Peter organized a meeting of his generals to discuss the second campaign to capture Azov. At the meetings, it was decided to build a fleet that would accommodate 23 galleys, 4 fire ships and 2 galleas ships. Franz Lefort was appointed admiral of the fleet. Generalissimo Shein Alexey Semenovich became the commander of the entire Azov army. For the two main directions of the operation - on the Don and on the Dnieper - two armies of Shein and Sheremetev were organized. Near Moscow, fire-ships and galleys were hastily built, in Voronezh, for the first time in Russia, two huge thirty-six-cannon ships were created, which received the names "Apostle Paul" and "Apostle Peter". In addition, the prudent sovereign ordered the construction of more than a thousand plows, several hundred sea boats and ordinary rafts, prepared to support the land army. They were engaged in their construction in Kozlov, Sokolsk, Voronezh. In early spring, the ship parts were brought to Voronezh for assembly, and by the end of April the ships were afloat. On April 26, the first galleas, "Apostle Peter", was launched.
The main task of the fleet was to blockade the fortress that had not surrendered from sea directions, depriving it of support in manpower and provisions. Sheremetev's army was supposed to head to the Dnieper estuary and conduct diversionary maneuvers. At the beginning of summer, all the ships of the Russian fleet were reunited near Azov, and its siege began. On June 14, a Turkish fleet of 17 galleys and 6 ships arrived, but it remained indecisive until the end of the month. On June 28, the Turks plucked up the courage to give a lift to the troops. The rowing ships headed for the shore. Then, by order of Peter, our fleet immediately weighed anchor. Only after seeing this, the Turkish captains unanimously turned the ships around and went to sea. Without receiving reinforcements, the fortress was forced to declare surrender on 18 July. The first exit of Peter's navy was crowned with complete success. A week later, the flotilla went to sea to inspect the conquered territory. The sovereign and his generals chose a place on the coast for the construction of a new naval port. Later, near the Miussky estuary, the fortresses Pavlovskaya and Cherepakhinskaya were founded. The Azov winners also received a gala reception in Moscow.
To resolve issues on the defense of the occupied territories, Peter the Great decides to convene the Boyar Duma in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. There he asks to build a "caravan of sea or fleet". On October 20, at a regular meeting, the Duma decides: "To be sea vessels!" To the subsequent question: "How many?", It was decided "to inquire at the peasant households, for the clergy and various ranks of people, to impose courts in the courtyards, to subscribe to the merchants from the customs books." This is how the Russian Imperial Navy began its existence. It was immediately decided to start building 52 ships and launch them in Voronezh before the beginning of April 1698. Moreover, the decision to build ships was made as follows: the clergy gave one ship from every eight thousand households, the nobility - from ten thousand. The merchants, townspeople and foreign merchants undertook to put 12 ships on the voyage. The rest of the ships were built by the state on taxes from the population. It was a serious matter. They were looking for carpenters all over the country, and soldiers were assigned to help them. More than fifty foreign specialists worked at shipyards, and a hundred talented young people went abroad to learn the basics of shipbuilding. Among them, Peter was also an ordinary sergeant. In addition to Voronezh, shipyards were built in Stupino, Tavrov, Chizhovka, Bryansk and Pavlovsk. Those interested took accelerated training courses for ship craftsmen and auxiliary workers. The admiralty was established in Voronezh in 1697. The first ever naval document The Russian state became "Charter for galleys", written by Peter I during the second Azov campaign on the command gallery "Principium".
At the Voronezh shipyard on April 27, 1700, the Goto Predestination, the first battleship of Russia, was completed. According to the European classification of ships at the beginning of the 17th century, it earned IV rank. Russia could rightfully be proud of its brainchild, since the construction took place without the participation of specialists from abroad. By 1700, the Azov fleet already numbered more than forty sailing ships, and by 1711 - about 215 (including rowing ones), of which forty-four ships were armed with 58 guns. Thanks to this formidable argument, it was possible to sign a peace treaty with Turkey and start a war with the Swedes. The invaluable experience gained in the construction of new ships allowed later to achieve success in the Baltic Sea and played an important (if not decisive) role in the great Northern War. The Baltic Fleet was built at the shipyards of St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Uglich and Tver. In 1712, the St. Andrew's flag was established - a white cloth with a blue cross diagonally. Many generations of seamen of the Russian fleet, who glorified our Motherland with their exploits, fought under it, won and died.
In just thirty years (from 1696 to 1725) a regular Azov, Baltic and Caspian fleet appeared in Russia. During this time, 111 battleships and 38 frigates, six dozen brigantines and even more large galleys, scampaways and bombarding ships, shmaks and fire-ships, more than three hundred transport ships and a huge number of small boats were built. And, what is especially remarkable, in terms of their military and seaworthiness, Russian ships were not at all inferior to the ships of the great naval powers, such as France or England. However, since there was an urgent need to defend the conquered coastal territories and at the same time conduct military operations, and the country did not have time to build and repair ships, they were often bought abroad.
Of course, all the main orders and decrees came from Peter I, but in matters of shipbuilding he was helped by such prominent historical figures as F. A. Golovin, K. I. Kruis, F. M. Apraksin, Franz Timmerman and S. I. Yazykov. Ship masters Richard Cosenz and Sklyaev, Saltykov and Vasily Shipilov have glorified their names over the centuries. By 1725, naval officers and shipbuilders were trained in special schools and naval academies. By this time, the center of shipbuilding and training of specialists for the domestic fleet moved from Voronezh to St. Petersburg. Our sailors won brilliant and convincing first victories in the battles at Kotlin Island, the Gangut Peninsula, the Ezel and Grengam Islands, and took the lead in the Baltic and Caspian Seas. Also, Russian sailors made many significant geographical discoveries. Chirikov and Bering founded Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1740. A year later, a new strait was discovered, which made it possible to reach the western coast of North America. Sea voyages were carried out by V.M. Golovnin, F.F. Bellingshausen, E.V. Putyatin, M.P. Lazarev.
By 1745, the majority of naval officers came from a noble family, and the sailors were recruits from the common people. Their service life was lifelong. Often, foreign citizens were hired for maritime service. An example was the commander of the Kronstadt port - Thomas Gordon.
Admiral Spiridov in 1770, during the Battle of Chesme, defeated the Turkish fleet and established Russian domination in the Aegean Sea. Also Russian empire won a victory in the war with the Turks in 1768-1774. In 1778 the port of Kherson was founded, and in 1783 the first ship of the Black Sea Fleet was launched. Our country in the number and quality of ships in the late 18th and early 19th centuries ranked third in the world after France and Great Britain.
In 1802, the Ministry of Naval Forces began to exist. For the first time in 1826 a military steamer was built, equipped with eight cannons, which was named "Izhora". And 10 years later, a steam frigate was built, nicknamed "Bogatyr". This vessel had a steam engine and paddle wheels for movement. From 1805 to 1855 Russian navigators explored the Far East. During these years, the brave sailors made forty round-the-world and long voyages.
In 1856, Russia was forced to sign the Paris Peace Treaty and eventually lost its Black Sea fleet. In 1860, the steam fleet finally took the place of the outdated and outdated sailing fleet. After Crimean War Russia was actively building steam warships. These were slow-moving ships, on which it was impossible to make long-distance military campaigns. In 1861, the first gunboat named "Experience" was launched. The battleship was equipped with armor protection and served until 1922, having been a testing ground for the first experiments of A.S. Popov by radio communication on the water.
The end of the 19th century was marked by the expansion of the fleet. In those days, Tsar Nicholas II was in power. Industry developed at a high rate, but even it could not keep up with the invariably increasing needs of the fleet. Therefore, there is a tendency to order ships in Germany, USA, France and Denmark. The Russo-Japanese War was characterized by the humiliating defeat of the Russian Navy. Almost all warships were sunk, some surrendered, only a few managed to escape. After the failure in the war in the east, the Russian Imperial Navy lost its third place among the countries with the largest fleets in the world, immediately ending up in sixth.
The year 1906 is characterized by the revival of the naval forces. A decision is made to have submarines in service. On March 19, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, 10 submarines were commissioned. Therefore, this day in the country is a holiday, the Day of the Submariner. From 1906 to 1913, the Russian Empire spent $ 519 million on the needs of the navy. But this was clearly not enough, since the naval forces of other leading powers were rapidly developing.
During the First World War, the German fleet was significantly ahead of the Russian in all respects. In 1918, the entire Baltic Sea was under the absolute control of Germany. The German fleet transported troops to support independent Finland. Their troops controlled occupied Ukraine, Poland and western Russia.
The main enemy of the Russians on the Black Sea has long been Ottoman Empire... The main base of the Black Sea Fleet was in Sevastopol. The commander of all naval forces in this region was Andrei Avgustovich Eberhard. But in 1916, the tsar removed him from his post and replaced him with Admiral Kolchak. Despite successful fighting Black Sea sailors, in October 1916 the battleship "Empress Maria" exploded in the parking lot. This was the largest loss of the Black Sea Fleet. He served only a year. To this day, the cause of the explosion is unknown. But there is an opinion that this is the result of a successful sabotage.
The revolution and civil war became a complete collapse and disaster for the entire Russian fleet. In 1918, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were partially captured by the Germans, partially withdrawn and sunk in Novorossiysk. The Germans later transferred some ships to Ukraine. In December, the Entente captured ships in Sevastopol, which were given to the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (the group of white troops of General Denikin). They took part in the war against the Bolsheviks. After the destruction of the white armies, the remainder of the fleet was seen in Tunisia. The sailors of the Baltic Fleet rebelled against the Soviet government in 1921. At the end of all the above events, the Soviet government had very few ships left. These ships formed the USSR Navy.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet fleet passed a rigorous test, defending the flanks of the fronts. The flotilla helped the rest of the troops to smash the fascists. Russian sailors displayed unprecedented heroism, despite the significant numerical and technical superiority of Germany. During these years, the fleet was skillfully commanded by admirals A.G. Golovko, I.S. Isakov, V.F. Tributs, L.A. Vladimirsky.
In 1896, in parallel with the celebration of the 200th birthday of St. Petersburg, the day of the foundation of the fleet was also celebrated. He turned 200 years old. But the largest celebration took place in 1996, when the 300th anniversary was celebrated. The Navy has been and is the pride of many generations. The Russian Navy is the hard work and heroism of Russians for the glory of the country. This is the military power of Russia, which guarantees the safety of the inhabitants of the great country. But first of all, these are unbending people, strong in spirit and body. Russia will always be proud of Ushakov, Nakhimov, Kornilov and many, many other naval commanders who faithfully served their homeland. And, of course, Peter I - a truly great sovereign who managed to create a strong empire with a mighty and invincible fleet.
Any organization of naval military force has the ultimate goal of providing the fleet with a flexible structure that meets the modern level of technology development, ensuring the possibility of victory.
The active forces of the fleet in the period under review consisted of those armed with artillery battleships and cruisers, as well as from destroyers and submarines equipped with mine weapons.
The main purpose of battleships is to deliver the main blow in a battle. The battleships formed a formation, the strength of which depended on the power and concentration of their artillery fire.
The purpose of armored (battle) cruisers is to assist battleships in delivering the main blow in a squadron battle. Light cruisers, possessing great speed, conducted strategic reconnaissance and guarded the main forces. In a squadron battle, their purpose is to act against enemy destroyers and transports. Destroyers are assigned to mine attack, their characteristic element is speed. In a squadron battle, destroyers, by the threat of a mine attack, deprive the enemy of maneuverability and seek to inflict a mine strike.
The primary purpose of submarines is to fight in position. The main advantage is secrecy, which ensures the surprise of actions. By the time of World War II, they had gained greater independence of action.
The highest naval unit - the squadron - consisted of battleships, armored cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers. Organizationally, they made up brigades (line, cruising) and divisions (mine).
Depending on the degree of their combat capability, the ships of the navy were subdivided into three categories: active fleet, first and second reserves.
The operating fleet included ships that met modern combat requirements; for battleships and armored cruisers, the deadline for staying in the active fleet was considered to be ten years from the time of their full readiness, while cruisers and mine ships remained in the active fleet "as long as their elements correspond to modern conditions."
The ships of the active fleet were to always be in full combat readiness, that is, to have a completely serviceable material part, a full set of crew, full supplies and be sailing every year, leaving two months a year for personnel to rest and repair. Sailors, before getting on these ships, underwent training on reserve ships.
After serving the prescribed time in the active fleet, the ships were transferred to the first reserve, where battleships and armored cruisers remained for another ten years, and smaller ships - until they lost their combat effectiveness.
The ships of the first reserve were to be ready to go to sea and engage in battle 48 hours after receiving the order. To do this, they constantly had to have the material part in full working order, at least two-thirds of the set of lower ranks, all specialists, at least half of the junior mechanics and doctors, the commander, the senior officer and the senior mechanic.
Such a configuration was called a complete set of the first reserve. After mobilization, the equipment was brought to full on these ships as well.
Vessels that did not meet the requirements of the current fleet and the first reserve were transferred to the second reserve. They were completed by one third (the so-called complete set of the second reserve).
During the voyage, young sailors, apprentices and instructors were assigned to reserve vessels in excess of their assigned, i.e., reduced, set of crews.
In December 1907, the ships of the Russian fleet were categorized as follows.
I. Grades of ships in the Baltic Sea.
Ships of the operating fleet: battleships Tsesarevich, Slava, cruiser Bogatyr, 41 destroyer, minelayer Volga, 7 submarines (Sterlyad, Beluga, Peskar, Sig, Karp "," Kambala "," Karas "), gunboat" Khivinets ", 2 training ships.
Vessels of the first reserve: the battleship "Emperor Alexander II", the cruisers "Aurora" and "Diana", 60 destroyers, 10 torpedo boats with gas engines, the gunboat "Terrible".
Ships of the second reserve: 57 destroyers built in 1878, 16 training ships (including old-built battleships Peter the Great, Minin, Duke of Edinburgh).
Ships under construction and repair: battleships "Andrey Pervozvanny" and "Emperor Paul I", armored cruisers "Rurik", "Thunderbolt", "Russia", cruisers "Bayan", "Admiral Makarov", "Pallada", "Oleg ", 8 destroyers, minelayers" Amur "and" Yenisei ", submarines" Okun "-" Mackerel "," Cayman "," Crocodile "," Alligator "," Dragon "," Shark "and" Lamprey ", gunboats "Brave", "Gilyak", "Bobr", "Sivuch", "Koreets".
II. Discharges of ships in the Black Sea.
Ships of the operating fleet: battleships "Rostislav", "Panteleimon" (formerly "Prince Potemkin Tavrichesky", renamed on September 26, 1905), "Three Saints", cruiser "Memory of Mercury", 29 destroyers, submarines "Losos" and "Zander".
In the first reserve: battleship George the Victorious, 20 destroyers, gunboats Zaporozhets, Chernomorets, Donets, Terek, Kubanets, Uralets.
In the second reserve: the battleship "Sinop", 3 training ships.
Ships under construction and being repaired: battleships "Eustathius", "John Chrysostom", "Twelve Apostles", cruiser "Cahul", 4 destroyers, minelayer "Bug".
III. Discharges of ships in the Pacific Ocean.
Ships of the operating fleet: cruisers Askold, Zhemchug, 7 destroyers, 9 destroyers, submarines Dolphin, Kasatka, Field Marshal Count Sheremetyev, Skat, Burbot, Som, Pike "," Sturgeon "," Mullet "," Goby "," Roach "," Halibut "," Trout "," Chum ".
First reserve: 7 destroyers, gunboat Manchzhur.
Second reserve: 3 destroyers built in 1878
Ships under construction and repair: 2 destroyers, 2 destroyers, river gunboats Orochanin, Mongol, Buryat, Vogul, Sibiryak, Korel, Kirgiz, Kalmyk, Zyryanin "," Votyak ".
IV. On the Caspian Sea - a special-purpose detachment of two destroyers.
On the eve of the war, the Baltic squadron consisted of a brigade of nine battleships, a brigade of seven armored cruisers, two mine divisions (85 destroyers, destroyers, destroyers), a brigade of 29 submarines, a detachment of six minelayers, minesweepers and auxiliary vessels. The first reserve included a brigade of four cruisers, the second - training detachments, a diving party, a consolidated reserve destroyer battalion, gunboats and auxiliary vessels. The Black Sea operating fleet had a brigade of battleships, four cruisers, a mine division, a submarine division, minelayers and transport ships. The first reserve included a battleship, gunboats and messenger ships. To the second - a training detachment and a party of minesweepers.
The naval forces did not exist in the northern naval theater.
The coast was monitored by the "Bakan" messenger ship, and the protection of the communications, along which the delivery of weapons and ammunition to the Arkhangelsk port, was carried by British and French cruisers and auxiliary ships.
In connection with the development of mine weapons, submarines and on the basis of the experience of the Russian-Japanese war on October 10, 1907, the classification of ships was changed. Instead of battleships, the first two classes of ships were now called battleships and armored cruisers, the class of destroyers was eliminated, and a new class appeared - minesweepers.
When drawing up the shipbuilding programs in 1911 and 1912. The Naval General Staff also developed a new classification, approved in June 1915:
1) battleships,
2) battle cruisers,
3) cruisers,
4) destroyers,
5) destroyers,
6) submarines,
7) minelayers,
8) minesweepers,
9) gunboats, ships,
10) river gunboats,
11) training ships,
12) transports,
13) messenger ships,
15) hydrographic vessels,
16) port and serfs,
17) blockchairs.
Then the classification was supplemented by the 18th class (sea and port icebreakers) and the 19th (network barriers).
In 1917, patrol ships and patrol boats-minesweepers were allocated to a special class. Each new classification reflected the process of technical development of the navy.
Stable classification of combat and auxiliary vessels and units.
The full squadron consisted of a battleship division (8 ships), a brigade of armored cruisers (4 cruisers), a cruiser division (8 cruisers), a destroyer division (36 destroyers and one cruiser) and auxiliary ships.
Smaller units were brigades: brigades of battleships (4), armored cruisers (4), cruisers (4). Nine destroyers made up a division, two divisions - a brigade, two brigades - a division, which consisted of a cruiser for its chief.
The smallest squadron consisted of one brigade of battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Smaller formations of ships were called detachments.
In December 1913, the Regulations on Submarine Navigation were announced, which established the organization of the submarine fleet: a division included two submarines with a displacement of 300 tons or more, or three boats of a smaller displacement, a division - two to four divisions, a brigade - two divisions (if either in the other sea, there were three or more divisions, then they combined into a division).
An increase in travel speed, an increase in the power of vehicles was bought at the cost of weakening the armor protection, reducing the caliber of the main artillery from 305 to 254 mm and reducing the total number of guns.
At the beginning of the XX century. It was considered necessary to increase the displacement of the ships and the power of the engines in order to ensure a speed of up to 18 knots, as well as to restore the power of the main artillery by equipping the ship with 305-mm guns.
From the defeats of the Russian fleet to Far East all naval powers drew conclusions, and before all England. Built in 1906, the English battleship "Dreadnought" had an unprecedented displacement of 20 thousand tons, its steam turbines had a capacity of 23-24 thousand forces and provided a speed of 21 knots. The main thing was that ten 305-mm guns were installed on the ship, located in five towers, and twenty-four - 76-mm, located in the form of open deck installations. The armor protection was also strengthened (280 mm along the sides, up to 150 mm at the bow). The Vickers firm offered the Russian naval department a project of a ship with a displacement of 23 thousand tons, but the Technical Committee did not accept it: Russian designers independently designed a type of ship that had higher combat qualities than the Dreadnought. In 1908, under the leadership of A. N. Krylov, the Baltic Plant developed a project, which was taken as a basis. From 1909 to 1917, seven completely modern ships were built: four for the Baltic Fleet and three for the Black Sea (one battleship remained unfinished).
The new ships differed not only in their large displacement, but also in the type of vehicles. These were turbines that allowed the ship to reach speeds of up to 23 knots. The news was the introduction of three-gun turrets, the number of which was increased to four. The linear arrangement of the towers ensured the most advantageous use of all artillery from one side. A two-layer reservation system and a triple bottom ensured high survivability of the ships. "The appearance of Russian battleships of the Sevastopol type," Rear Admiral A.I.Balkashin rightly writes, "really made a revolution in shipbuilding." significant displacement and very powerful turbine-type mechanisms ”.
Thus, in the Russian fleet at the beginning of the twentieth century. there were 23 battleships and 8 battleships in operation. 13 battleships and 7 battleships were built at Russian factories (one remained unfinished). Two battleships were built abroad according to Russian drawings.
Cruisers
Cruisers have come a long way in their development. They were descendants of wooden frigates, corvettes and sloops. At first they were divided into armored and armored decks. A little later, the armored ones were divided into rank I cruisers of 5000-8000t. displacement, II rank 2000-4,500 tons of displacement and III rank 800-2000 tons. displacement. V different countries these numbers varied slightly. Also, in some countries, cruisers of the so-called IV rank, or mine, with a displacement of 500-1000 tons and enhanced mine armament, appeared. In particular, there were such cruisers in Russia and France, as well as in some other countries. After the First World War, when the armored cruisers were almost completely gone, the cruisers began to be divided into heavy and light. Due to the threat of submarines, an anti-submarine cruiser also appeared.
By the beginning of the XX century. in the Russian fleet there were three types of cruisers, differing in technical and tactical properties. The most powerful, armored cruisers were intended for operations on long-distance communications. These ships had a displacement of up to 13 thousand tons, and possessed machines up to 15 thousand ind. forces, providing a speed of 19-20 knots. In their armament, the main caliber artillery was 203-mm guns. For operations on short routes, other cruisers were built - with a displacement of up to 8 thousand tons, equipped with machines up to 12-20 thousand ind. forces and armed with guns up to 6 dm.
The reconnaissance and guard service was carried by light cruisers with a displacement of 3-5 thousand tons. Their machines with a capacity of 15-16 thousand forces allowed them to reach speeds of up to 20 knots. They were armed with medium and rapid-fire artillery.
1st class cruisers
After the war with Japan, during which the important role of cruisers in a squadron battle was outlined, special attention was paid to this class of ships. The shipbuilders sought to increase the speed and maneuverability of these ships. This affected the tactical and technical data of the cruisers that entered service in 1908 and 1911.
However, in essence, these were only slightly improved previous designs that no longer met the new requirements.
The battle cruisers, laid down at the end of 1912 at the Admiralty and Baltic plants, were more modern. They had more displacement than even those of battleships, and in terms of artillery power they were not inferior to battleships. The main distinguishing feature of these battle cruisers was the speed achieved by reducing the armor, which was higher than that of battleships, which made it possible to use them for reconnaissance and combat against enemy cruisers. Battlecruisers (as they became known since 1915) could perform maneuvers, covering the head of the enemy's battle formation and not allowing the enemy to evade meeting the main forces.
2nd class cruisers
In addition to these ships, before the Russo-Japanese War, the steamships Kuban, Don, Ural, Terek, Dnepr, Rion, and Rus purchased in England and Germany were converted for cruising service with a displacement of 9 , 5 thousand to 12 thousand tons, with machines in 10-17 thousand ind. forces. They had a speed of 18.5-20 knots, and were armed with rapid-fire artillery and machine guns.
The experience of the war of 1904-1905. suggested the need for cruisers capable of operating away from bases. The construction of ships began, with relatively weak armor protection, armed with medium (rapid-fire) artillery, but capable of moving at high speed. Russia has built four cruisers for the Baltic Fleet and three for the Black Sea. They constituted a special subclass.
The light cruisers "Admiral Nevelskoy" and "Muravyov Amursky" with a displacement of up to 4,500 tons were also allocated to a special subclass, intended for the commanders of destroyer battalions and fire support for their attacks. They were supposed to have a speed of up to 30 knots (like destroyers) and be armed with eight 127-mm, four 63-mm guns and five mine vehicles. The order for their construction was received by the Schihau company in 1913. They remained unfinished by the beginning of World War II and were confiscated by the German government.
Thus, of the cruisers that were part of the Russian fleet, 9 were built in Russia at the end of the 19th century. and 8 - in the XX century. (12 more, including 4 linear ones, remained unfinished). In addition, 9 cruisers were built at foreign enterprises (not counting those confiscated by Germany) and 7 steamships were purchased, converted into cruisers.
The number of battleships, battleships and cruisers in 1900-1917 changed quite a lot. Most of all, these changes affected the Baltic Fleet, from where three squadrons were sent to the Far Eastern theater. Of these, only the ships of the 1st squadron met the requirements of the time, and the 2nd and 3rd squadrons were equipped with obsolete ships, which was one of the main reasons for the crushing defeat at Tsushima.
At the beginning of the XX century. gunboats have not yet lost their importance - cruising ships intended for coastal defense. The fleets included 14 boats built in the 80-90s of the XIX century. and 7 newer boats.
Destroyers, destroyers
Destroyers became a special class of ships during the Russian-Turkish war in 1877-1878. The construction of 40 destroyers began in 1877, when the threat of an attack by the British fleet on the cities of Russia arose.
Since the end of the 90s, at the Nevsky, Putilovsky, Izhora plants and at the Creighton plant, they began to build new ships, similar in type to the destroyers Anakria (bought in Germany) and Pernov (bought in France). With a slightly lower displacement, they had a higher speed (up to 21 knots). By the mid-90s, 30 such destroyers were built.
Built at the end of the 19th century. the steel destroyer "Falcon" with a displacement of 220 tons had a vehicle of 3800 ind. forces, moved at a speed of 29 knots. Its armament consisted of one 75-mm and three 47-mm guns, as well as two torpedo tubes. A series of similar ships were built by the Nevsky, Izhora and Nikolaevsky factories; in addition, a shipyard was built at the Okhtensky plant for their construction.
By 1905, 66 destroyers-fighters for the Baltic, 20 for the Black Sea Fleet, 18 for The Pacific and 2 for the Caspian flotilla.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 convincingly showed that ships with torpedo weapons represent a formidable force. However, for operations as part of a squadron on the high seas, the destroyers turned out to be of little use due to insufficient seaworthiness, low speeds and cruising range. All the naval powers took this into account: at the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the construction of ships with torpedo weapons began, the displacement of which was two to three times the tonnage of the old destroyers. The sharp increase in size significantly improved their seaworthiness and significantly increased the cruising range, and the use of turbines made it possible to "step over" the speed limit of 30 knots. The fighting qualities of the torpedoes themselves were also improved. In artillery armament, there was a tendency towards a decrease in the number of guns due to an increase in their caliber.
After the war with Japan, large destroyers of the General Kondratenko and Ukraine type were built with a displacement of 600-800 tons, with vehicles with a capacity of 6.7-8.5 thousand ind. forces, possessing a speed of up to 27.5 knots and armed with two - 76-mm, four or six - 57-mm guns and two torpedo tubes. By 1910, there were 50 such destroyers on the Baltic Sea, 13 on the Black Sea, and 10 on the Pacific Ocean.
The German destroyers, which entered service by the beginning of the First World War, had a displacement of 570 to 650 tons and could reach speeds of up to 32 knots. Their armament consisted of two 88-mm cannons and two twin-tube torpedo tubes for torpedoes of 500 mm caliber. A series of Tribal-class destroyers (11) were built in England before the First World War. They had a displacement of 870 tons, a length of 82.5 m, a width of 7.9, a draft of 2.5 m and a speed of 33 knots. They were armed with five 76-mm guns and two single-tube torpedo tubes for 533 mm torpedoes.
Unlike foreign builders, Russian engineers and sailors did not confine themselves to an increase in tonnage and some increase in armament, but created a fundamentally new type of destroyers. Outstanding shipbuilding scientists - A. N. Krylov (later an academician), I. G. Bubnov and others - took part in the development of the project.
The design took into account the latest achievements of science and technology. So, to improve seaworthiness, the ship was equipped with a forecastle - a high side superstructure in the bow, providing good germination on a wave. To reduce the resistance of the water to the movement of the ship, the ratio of the length of the hull to its width was increased to 10, before it was equal to 7-8. The boilers ran on oil (most foreign destroyers were powered by coal or mixed boilers). The project provided for equipping the ship with artillery and torpedo fire control devices (in other fleets, such devices were not on the destroyers). In addition, it was decided to equip the ship with devices for placing and laying mines in the middle of the First World War.
In August 1910, the first destroyer of a new type, Novik, was laid down on the slipway of the Putilov plant in St. Petersburg (12)
Russian factories at that time did not yet have experience in the manufacture of turbines. Therefore, the drawings created by domestic engineers. Were transferred to Germany. There, the cars were manufactured with deviations from the standards and, as it is believed, not without intent, which, of course, somewhat reduced their characteristics. In July 1911 the destroyer "Novik" ball was launched, and in September 1913. he joined the Baltic Fleet. On sea trials, he developed (despite the fact that the turbines were different from the project) a speed of 37.3 knots. Not one ship in the world sailed so fast at that time! The destroyer had three propellers driven by three turbines with a total capacity of 40,000 hp. (The Germans subsequently made turbines for themselves exactly according to the drawings and received a total power of 42,475 hp) Cruising range at an economic speed of 1764 miles. The main dimensions of the Novik were as follows: displacement of 1260 tons, length 102.4, width 9.5, draft 3.0 m. Crew -130 people. Armament (at that time): four 102-mm cannons, four machine guns and four two-pipe deck guided torpedo tubes. In addition, he could take on the deck 50 mines of the barrage. By the beginning of the First World War, the destroyer Novik was not only the fastest, but also the most powerful ship of its class.
The naval department of Russia, striving to quickly build a series of Novik-class destroyers, placed part of the orders at German factories. By the beginning of the war they did not have time to complete them, and, completed later, these destroyers became part of the German fleet, receiving the designations B-97, B-98, V-99 (13), V-100, B-109, B-110, B-111 and B-112. These were the best German ships of their class. Due to the fact that the destroyers were built at different factories, the tactical and technical data have minor discrepancies. For V-99 and V-100 they are as follows: displacement 1313 tons, length 99 m, width 9.36, draft 2.81 m, total turbine power 42 475 ps, maximum speed 35.5 knots, cruising range 2,250 miles. Armament - four 105-mm cannons, eight machine guns, two twin-tube and two single-tube torpedo tubes for torpedoes of 500 mm caliber.
According to this type, 36 destroyers were built for the Baltic Fleet, 16 for the Black Sea and 11 for the Pacific Ocean. They were built at the Putilovsky, Petrograd metal, Izhora plants, the Mühlgraben shipyard and at the Naval plant.
A characteristic feature of the development of destroyers was the strengthening of torpedo and artillery armament, an increase in speed and cruising range, and their adaptation to laying mines.
Destroyers, 11 were being completed and 30 more were under construction. In addition, there were 45 destroyers. In 1917, there were 118 destroyers and 28 destroyers.
On August 17, 1915, the Novik, which was on patrol in the Gulf of Riga, on the approaches to the Irbensky Strait, met the destroyers V-99 and V-100. In a short battle with artillery fire, he inflicted heavy damage on the destroyer V-99, forced it to retreat into a Russian minefield, where it was blown up and then washed ashore. The destroyer V-100 also received significant damage. On the night of May 18, 1916, "Novik" and the same type of "Thunder" and "Pobeditel" attacked a German convoy in the Korcheping Bay, for the first time in history, using salvo firing torpedoes on the area, sank the auxiliary cruiser "Germand" with a displacement of 4000 tons and two patrol ship.
The destroyer "Novik", renamed "Yakov Sverdlov" in 1920, took an active part in hostilities in the Baltic during the Great Patriotic War, escorting transports, laying mines and supporting our ground units with fire.
Due to the fact that the naval department underestimated the importance of mine weapons, it was decided not to build new minelayers and minesweepers, and these types of ships did not receive proper development; minelayers of the Yenisei and Amur types remained in service, and old destroyers and merchant ships were used for trawling.
At the beginning of the XX century. the fleet also had mine cruisers built in the 80s and 90s: four in the Baltic Fleet, three in the Black and two in the Pacific. All these were vessels of different data with a displacement of 393-742 tons, a speed of 18.3-22.5 knots, armed with 6-15 guns with a caliber of 47 and 37 mm and 2-5-mine vehicles 15.
Submarines
This class of ships is the brainchild of the 20th century. Not a single state had practically no combat submarines by 1900, only experiments were carried out. In Russia, the most successful experimental designs were the boats of I. F. Aleksandrovsky and S. K. Dzhevetsky. They tried to use the Dzhevetsky boat "Postal", built in 1897, for laying mines.
In 1900 she was sent to Vladivostok for testing.
Having established the real possibility of using such boats, the naval department proposed to its technical committee to design a boat with a displacement of 113 tons (in the submerged position - 123 tons) with two motors for working in the surface (gasoline) and underwater (electric) positions. The new boat was supposed to move at a speed of 11 knots on the surface and 5 knots under water and dive to a depth of 50 m. For this purpose, the Marine Technical Committee formed a special commission chaired by prof. I. G. Bubnova.
By the spring of 1901, Bubnov and Beklemishev presented a project that met the requirements of the ministry. The Baltic shipyard was commissioned to build it. The construction of the boat continued during 1901-1903. After testing, the boat, armed with two torpedo tubes, entered service in 1904 and was named "Dolphin". At the beginning of 1904, the Maritime Ministry proposed that the Baltic Shipyard build a second boat ("Kasatka"), also according to the project of Bubnov and Beklemishev. She had a displacement of 140 tons (under water - 177 tons), motors with a capacity of 120 and 100 ind. forces, the speed of 8.5 knots on the surface and 5.5 knots in the submerged position and was armed with 4 torpedo tubes and a machine gun. Like the first boat, "Kasatka" could submerge to 50 m. In total, it was planned to build 10 such boats by 1914. But then changes were made to the design of the boat, and the Baltic Shipyard built only 4 such boats.
With the advent of the design of I. G. Bubnov, the type of the Russian submarine was established. The construction of four boats was completed by 1905, and they were sent by rail to Vladivostok.
However, submarines did not take a direct part in hostilities.
In an effort to get acquainted with foreign experience, the maritime department acquired the Fulton boat from the American company Goland. She had a displacement of 105 tons (under water - 122 tons), engines of 160 and 70 ind. forces, speed - 6-8.5 knots, immersion depth 30 m and was armed with a torpedo tube. It was decided to build several boats of this type at the Nevsky Shipyard.
During the siege of Port Arthur, technician M.P. Naletov built a boat of his own design. It had good indicators, but they did not have time to use it. During the surrender of the fortress to the Japanese, the inventor blew it up. In his report, Naletov pointed to the great future of the submarine fleet. He called for the construction of "submarine destroyers and mine layers of a large area of action."
Although submarines were not used in hostilities due to the unpreparedness of the personnel, their appearance contributed to the development of design ideas.
During the Russo-Japanese War, the creation of means to combat them began. The deep-sea captain Roozen invented anti-submarine nets, which later played an important role.
After the end of the war, the improvement of submarine designs continued. MP Naletov proposed the design of an underwater minelayer, which was built in Nikolaev and received the name "Crab", a displacement of 560 tons on the surface, 740 tons underwater, a speed of 7.07 knots under water and 11.8 on the surface, the maximum depth dives 36.6 m.
At the same time in St. Petersburg Bubnov created new designs of boats "Lamprey" and "Shark". The first boat had a displacement of 117 tons (142 tons under water), for the first time on the boat were used 2 domestic-made diesel engines, 120 ind. forces, its armament consisted of 2 bow torpedo tubes, the surface speed was 11 knots, the underwater - up to 5, the immersion depth - 30 m. The second, larger boat had a surface displacement of 370 tons, an underwater one - 478 tons; three of its diesels with a capacity of 300 ind. forces provided a speed on the surface of 12.5, an electric motor of the same power - a speed under water of 6.5 knots; she was armed with a 47-mm gun, 2 machine guns, 8 torpedo tubes.
The dimensions of the boats built at that time did not provide a large radius of action; they could serve mainly for defensive purposes. However, in 1911-1915. construction of larger vessels began according to the designs of prof. I. G. Bubnova.
They were "Walrus" and "Bars". According to the project, the "Walrus" had a displacement of 630 tons (while diving - 758 tons), two diesel engines of 1320 ind. forces 20 and two electric motors of 450 ind. forces, speed 18 knots (under water -10), armament: 2 bow, 2 stern and 8 onboard torpedo tubes, 57-mm and 37-mm guns, machine gun. Operating range up to 1200 km (while diving 20.5 km). The design of the "Bars" was distinguished by a slightly larger displacement. In addition, he was armed with two guns and one machine gun. Range: reached 2500 miles, submerged 30 miles. Diving depth up to 100 m.
Under the submarine construction program, it was planned to build 18 such boats for the Baltic Sea and 12 for the Black Sea. But by the beginning of the war, these boats were not included in service due to the fact that the motors ordered in Germany for them at the beginning of the war were confiscated. I had to expand the production of diesel engines at domestic enterprises.
In the Black Sea, boats of the "Holland" type were built with a displacement of 360 tons (in the submerged position - 470 tons) with 2 diesels 480 ind. forces and 2 electric motors of 320 ind. forces, their armament consisted of one 47-mm gun and 4 bow torpedo tubes.
In 1916, the Naval Ministry announced a competition for even more powerful submarines. According to the terms of the competition, the boats of the new type were supposed to have a displacement of 970 tons (1264 tons during diving), develop a speed of 17 knots (9 under water), and have a range of up to 1300 miles. Bubnov's design turned out to be the best, but they did not start building new boats. In the future, it was planned to bring the displacement of the boats up to 1300 tons, the speed up to 20 knots on the surface and 14 under water, the radius of action - up to 1500 km. It was about the creation of boats capable of long-term autonomous navigation.
By the beginning of the World War, all fleets had 48 operating boats, 23 were under construction. In 1917, all fleets had 57 submarines.
Thus, Russian technical thought has shown its ability to independently resolve issues related to the creation of submarines.
The Russian type of submarines was distinguished by high tactical and technical data.
The development of the submarine fleet followed the path of increasing speed, autonomy, and strengthening weapons.
Aircraft carriers
The development of naval aviation led to the development of the issue of aircraft carriers. In Russia, the justification of their construction was made in 1909 by the captain of the corps of ship engineers L. M. Matsievich.
In 1910, Lieutenant Colonel MM Konokotin proposed to the naval department to build a special ship for transporting airplanes. The project of the world's first aircraft carrier, presented by him, was accepted. In 1913, engineer Shishkov presented another design for an aircraft carrier with a speed of up to 30 knots.
But while the debate about the release of funds was going on, it was decided to convert the Empress Alexandra steamship with a displacement of 3800 tons into a hydro-cruiser (air transport). After re-equipment, it was included in 1915 in the Baltic Fleet under the name Orlitsa. In the fall of 1914. the command of the Russian fleet was ordered to intensify its actions, extending them to the middle and southern regions of the Baltic Sea. In these conditions, the combat missions of the naval aviation steadily expanded, aircraft-carrying ships were required, and in a short time the Empress Alexandra steamer was converted into a seaplane transport. It was armed with four seaplanes, eight 75-mm guns and two machine guns.
The ship did not have armor protection; a mesh was stretched over it from bombs to protect the engine room and the upper deck, where the aircraft were located. In addition, the auxiliary ship "Sagittarius" was used.
Unlike the Baltic, the Black Sea Fleet was significantly superior to the enemy's fleet. However, the breakthrough of the German battle cruiser Goeben into Constantinople changed the situation at the theater in favor of the Turks. Therefore, the top priority task for the Russian command was the blockade of the Bosphorus, preventing the exit of "Geben" into the Black Sea. Naval pilots played an important role in solving this problem. After the outbreak of the war, the Black Sea residents began to urgently re-equip two steamers into air transport - "Emperor Alexander I" and "Emperor Nicholas I", which entered service in late 1914 and early 1915. In the fall of 1916. they were joined by the Rumania-class hydro-cruisers, equipped with Romanian passenger steamers handed over to Russia. For reconnaissance and adjustment of artillery fire, the cruiser of the 2nd rank "Almaz" was armed with hydroplanes
All these ships, together with shore-based aircraft, made up the available forces of the Russian naval aviation in the First World War. The experience of their combat use has shown that even primitive air transport can provide significant assistance to the main forces of the fleet. So, it became clear that the plane is a formidable enemy for submarines. July 25, 1916 in the Round Bay near Sevastopol, an anti-submarine bomb designed by Senior Lieutenant Boshnyak was tested. Two such bombs were dropped from a seaplane from a height of 250-300 meters. The remote tube with an 18-second delay worked reliably: the bomb exploded underwater at a given depth. After that, the Black Sea Aviation Committee decided to supply the seaplanes with such bombs, since "until now, the fight against submarines going at a depth using ordinary bombs is completely impossible."
By the end of 1917. Russian naval aviation consisted of the Black Sea and Baltic divisions, which numbered 152 and 88 aircraft, respectively. Then it all disappeared in a bloody whirlwind of revolution and civil war.
Most big ship 19th century. Great Eastern or Leviathan.
We have already talked about the unusual Russian wooden giant boats used for only one season. Detailed information about them And now we want to tell you about the largest ship of the 19th century "Great Eastern" or Leviathan.
The British steamship Great Eastern (known as Leviathan before launch) was the largest steamer of the 19th century until 1899. Designed by Isambard Brunel. Launched in 1858. The ship was huge at that time: 211 meters long, 25 meters wide, 17 meters high, staff 418 people, 4000 passengers.
Izambard Kingdom Brunel (9.04.1806 - 15.09.1859) 
The largest ship of the 19th century. Construction and launching.
The Leviathan hull was completely metal, for the first time in the history of shipbuilding, the bottom and sides became double, sewn from 19mm iron plates.
Steam engines were installed on the Leviathan, which propelled a propeller or huge paddle wheels.
Scheme of the structure of "Great Eastern" Also, the largest steamer of the 19th century could sail under sail. The Great Eastern was five times the size of any ship at the time. Such a monster ate about 380 tons of coal per day, and the steamer's coal storage could hold 10,000 tons of coal.
The Leviathan was built for the purpose of transporting emigrants to Australia, but did not make a single flight there. But from the very beginning of the construction (during the construction of the ship, two workers who could not be found disappeared) and the launching of the Great Eastern steamer were pursued by setbacks, thanks to which the infamous engineer before a heart attack. It is not for nothing to say “how name the ship so it will float. " After all, before the steamer acquired the name "Great Eastern" his name was Leviathan - a huge sea monster from the Old Testament, unfriendly to people and sometimes associated with Satan. So it’s not surprising that people will become victims of this ship in the future.
In 1857, the launch of the Leviathan began. Since they were building this whopper in the port on the Thames, the longitudinal descent of the ship did not fit, with such a descent the ship stuck to the opposite bank. For the first time, side descent was used for ships of large displacement. The launching ceremony was attended by Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, King Leopold of Belgium, writers Robert Stephenson and Jules Verne. In the future, Jules Verne will make a trip to the Great Eastern and it is this ship that will become the prototype of the giant in the novel The Floating City.
In total, about one hundred thousand people came to see this spectacle. Brunel, leading the descent, came up with a system of conditioned signals using flags, since it was simply not possible to give commands by voice on such a huge ship. Maintaining an upright position thanks to the design of the launching carts, the ship slowly descended into the water. But suddenly there was a bias in relation to the direction of travel. This happened due to the fact that it was impossible to synchronize the operation of the extreme winches with the help of flags. The drum of one winch began to spin, knocking down the workers. As a result, five people became disabled. This was the end of the launching.
The largest ship of the 19th century. Great Eastern or Leviathan At that time, the shipbuilder spent all the money on the construction of the steamer and had to take a loan from the bank in order to launch the Leviathan. Brunel was fired, he was so worried about the failure with the ship that he earned himself big heart problems. There was also an attempt to launch the ship into the water, it cost the shipbuilder 120,000 pounds, but again ended in failure. And only on January 31, 1958, when there was a high tide, together with a hurricane wind, the water reached the ship and it was finally launched.
Until August 1859, the ship was being completed right on the water, boilers and cars were installed, salons and cabins were trimmed.
It would seem that all the troubles are left behind only to experience the ship on the water. On September 7, 1859, the Leviathan, renamed Great Eastern, embarked on a test flight from London to Holyhead in the west of England. Engineer Brunel was not present at the wires, as he was still very sick. On September 9, after two days of sailing on the ship, a boiler exploded, causing the first pipe to fly into the air like a rocket. 6 people died, 9 were seriously injured and burned. Upon learning of this tragedy, Brunel could not stand the excitement and died on September 15 of a heart attack.
But setbacks continued to haunt the ship. On the same roadstead, Holyhead, during the passage by boat from the ship to the port, the captain of the ship and two passengers drowned.
Passenger ship.
Only in the middle of the summer of 1860, the Great Eastern set off on its first transatlantic voyage. The vessel, which at that time cost the shipowner already 800,000 sterling, went to New York. But either the ship owner, hoping to repay huge debts, raised the price of the ticket, or the infamy of the ship made itself felt, but only 43 passengers boarded the ship. After 11 days and 14 hours, the ship arrived in New York.
To make money in the richest city in the United States, boat excursions were organized, thanks to which they managed to raise about $ 80,000. And also organized a two-day boat trip - this flight was attended by about 2 thousand passengers. And in August 1860, the ship returned to England with 100 passengers. In 1861, the Great Eastern made a couple more transatlantic flights and even set his personal record - 8 days and 6 hours the time during which it crossed the North Atlantic.
At the end of 1861, he was caught in a storm, which disabled the steering wheel and paddle wheels, damaged part of the passenger compartment, but fortunately no one was hurt. After refurbishment, which cost £ 60,000, the ship was afloat again and from the beginning of 1862 again began to make transatlantic voyages. With each flight the number of passengers increased and on August 27, when, in addition to the personnel, there were 800 passengers on board, the ship collided with an underwater rock and received a hole 3 meters wide and 25 meters long. The ship was saved from death only by the second bottom, which Brunel invented. The renovation took five months and cost £ 70,000. After the collision and repairs, the Great Eastern made a couple more transatlantic voyages, but the colossal fuel costs and notoriety, because of which no one wanted to sail on it, led to the fact that the ship was considered unprofitable as a passenger ship.
Cable Layer and Recent Years.
Now the Great Eastern is no longer a passenger ship, but a cable-laying vessel. He coped with the task of laying the transatlantic telegraph cable brilliantly. During the period 1865-1874 Great Eastern laid 5 transatlantic cables and one from Bombay to Aden with a total length of more than 50,000 km. And oddly enough, but with the ship as a cable-laying vessel, there have never been any tragic incidents, unlike the time when it was a passenger ship.
In 1874, the ship became completely decrepit, was removed from service and stood idle for more than 10 years, until in 1885 it was purchased for 26,000 pounds for use in Liverpool as a floating circus, and then an advertising board glorifying Lewis department store in Liverpool ... It was then used as a coal depot until 1888, when it was auctioned off for £ 16,000 for scrap.
Disassembly began in 1889. It took a lot of effort to disassemble the riveted sheets, sometimes it was necessary to use a ram-core, which is used to destroy buildings.
The disassembly lasted two years, which is twice as long as it was supposed. During disassembly, between two layers of the hull, the gap between which reached 1 meter, two decayed bodies were found: a riveter worker and his assistant, an apprentice boy. They went missing back in the 50s during the construction of the ship. There is an opinion that the reason for the unfortunate fate of the giant ship was precisely the fact that "wherever he sailed, he carried 2 corpses with him."
The material is specially prepared |
author
Basil
Artist, architect of consciousness, thinker comprehending new horizons of the information space
As you know, during the American Civil War, a new class of ships appeared. It is about the so-called monitors, all the weapons of which were housed in swivel towers.
However, the lightweight design of the tower of engineer Erickson did not allow the installation of heavy weapons in it for serious sea battle... The fact is that the monitor towers were very imperfect. On the hike, they just lay on the deck. And during the battle, the tower was raised on the central axis and rotated, leaning on special wheels.
And so, the English designer and shipbuilder Cooper Coles proposed his own version of the tower, which rested not on a central pin, but on several dozen rollers rolling along a circular steel chute - a shoulder strap. In such a tower it was possible to place the heaviest cannons in service at that time.
In 1866, four towers of the Coles design with 267-mm muzzle-loading cannons were installed on the hull of the wooden battleship Royal Sovereign, cut off along the lower deck. The result is a very low, relatively narrow, well-armed and protected by 140-mm armor.
Tower battleship "Monarch"
The British set up a risky experiment, firing at one of the Royal Sovereign towers from a 229-mm cannon from a distance of about 200 meters. The turret gun sustained no damage, and the turret continued to rotate normally. The problem of the Royal Sovereign was different - because of the low side, it could not be in a stormy sea without the risk of being flooded with waves.
Tower battleship "Captain"
Coles was able to convince the admirals of the promise of a turret battleship, and in the same 1866, he received consent to build two ships at once, equipped with artillery systems of a new type. The first of them was built at the state shipyard and named "Monarch", the second, laid down a year later, was built at the private shipyard "Cammell Laird" and received, rather unusual for a ship, the name "Captain" ("Captain").
Both ships had a lot in common. Their main armament - four huge 305-mm muzzle-loading guns according to the Armstrong system - was housed in two cylindrical towers installed in the middle of the hull. The guns did not have the ability to shoot at the stern and in the bow. This was hampered by high superstructures and masts. The shelling sectors were "cut" only in the sides, as in the old battery battleships.
Tower battleship "Royal Soverin", England, 1864
The guns had an extremely low rate of fire - on the order of one shot per three minutes. This is understandable. The process of reloading the turret guns was a very complicated process, especially given the enormous weight of the guns, shells and charges.
After the volley, the tower was placed in a neutral position - with the embrasures of the guns forward. The platform with both guns rolled completely inside the turret, turned with its barrels in the direction opposite to the embrasures, after which the barrels of the guns went down. To their muzzles, propelling charges were supplied by lifters, which consisted of several tens of kilograms of smoky (black) gunpowder, sewn into special silk bags called caps.
Tower battleship "Monarch", England, 1869
In each barrel it was necessary to push two caps with gunpowder to the very end (to the breech). This was done using long poles with thickening at the ends (rammers). Then, from the shell cellar to the muzzle of each barrel, a two-hundred-kilogram cast-iron projectile was fed - a cylindrical bomb filled with explosives.
On its sides were applied helical grooves, with which the projectile was screwed into the rifling of the gun. After sending the shells into the breeches of the guns, the platform with the guns again turned with their trunks to the embrasures and rolled forward, the cannon vents again protruded out of the tower. Then the guns should be aimed at the target and fire a volley.
At the same time, the work of the tower servants in battle turned into a living hell, because let's not forget that the towers were turned by muscular force, and the multi-ton guns were guided vertically with the help of awkward gates, which also had to be turned manually. Suffice it to say that it took the effort of forty sailors to turn the tower alone! And after the shot, the gun servant had to recover from the terrible roar and gunpowder smoke.
Tower battleship "Captain", England, 1870
So, "Monarch" was launched in 1868, and "Captain" - a year later. Both ships had practically the same architecture and sailing armament of three-masted frigates, but there were also serious differences.
The construction of the "Monarch" was closely followed by military specialists and officials of the Admiralty, including the chief engineer-shipbuilder of England E. Reed. Therefore, the battleship was built in strict accordance with the project, was not overweight, had a high hull, on the upper deck of which the towers were located. Moreover, during a storm, the towers were additionally covered with special lifting parts of the sides.
"Captain" had the same towers, but located one deck lower than the "Monarch", in the so-called "wells" between the superstructures. The towers were only two meters above the water. It was believed that heavy towers should be located as low as possible so that the ship does not lose stability. True, this also made the ship non-seaworthy. Indeed, during a strong storm, water could flood the towers. The situation was aggravated by the presence of three heavy masts, each of which also had two supports.
To work with the sails, a narrow hinged deck was laid above the towers. Add to this a strong constructive overload of the ship, made possible due to the lack of control over the activities of a private shipyard by the Admiralty. But experts warned that with a roll of 21 degrees, the shoulder straps of the Captain's towers would begin to sink, leaks would appear and the ship would capsize in a matter of minutes.
However, the viciously constructed battleship was taken over by the Royal Navy in the summer of 1870. And then what happened was what should have happened.
In early September, "Captain" went to shoot in the English Channel. This was his first trip. On board was designer Coles, who decided to personally check the operation of the towers. In 1870, on September 6, the battleship was caught in a storm. The Captain's commander ordered the sails to be removed, but the sailors were unable to do this: it was simply impossible to work on the narrow hinged deck with strong rolling.
At night, the storm intensified, the battleship began to heel strongly. Water began to penetrate into the hull through the shoulder straps and embrasures of the towers. Soon, the Captain rolled over and sank. Together with a significant part of the team, Cooper Coles himself died.
Battleship "Hercules", 1869.
According to the results of the trial, all responsibility for the death of the newest battleship in the first campaign was divided equally between the company - the builder Cammell Laird and the designer - the late Coles.
The ranks of the Admiralty, who imposed on him a number of "changes and improvements" of the project, which led to a sad ending, in particular, the too low arrangement of the towers and heavy tripod masts, came out dry from the water. The deceased doesn't care what undeserved sins are being hanged on him.
The death of the Captain dealt a serious blow to the reputation of the tower battleships. It seemed that oblivion awaits them. But the impeccable service of the "Monarch", at one time became the fastest battleship in the British fleet, saved the day.
The criticism of the opponents of the sailing equipment of warships was also taken into account. Only now the conservatives from the Admiralty decided to completely abandon sailing equipment. As a result, the project of a warship was born, which for the next several decades became the standard for all fleets of the world. Its creator was the chief designer of the English ships, Edward Read.
"Devastation" General view and longitudinal section
The new battleship had a low side and two towers located in front and behind the central superstructure. Their guns had huge unobstructed firing sectors. One small mast served only to accommodate observers in the "crow's nest" and send flag signals. She did not carry any sails.
However, even outdated steam engines allowed the ship to reach a speed of 13.4 knots. The underwater bow of the ship's hull was made in the form of a huge three-meter ram.
The bow tower of the battleship "Dewanstation"
The towers were heavily armored, the thick armored citadel also covered the turret squads and everything in between - vehicles and boilers. Interestingly, the armor on the ship was double-layered. Between the armor plates 15 and 18 centimeters thick, there was a thick teak spacer.
Only the ends of the ship and its superstructure, in which the living quarters were located, remained unarmored. Due to the fact that both towers were closely adjacent to the central superstructure, ships built according to this scheme were subsequently named citadel battleships.
Turret guns
Skeptical about Reed's ideas, the Admiralty still issued an order for two experimental citadel battleships, limiting their displacement to 9000 tons. To "fit" into the allotted weight limit, Reed had to make the bow and stern of his brainchildren one deck lower. To save the towers from flooding into the storm, the front and rear bulkheads that closed the citadel had to be made high enough and strong enough so that the waves crashed against them before reaching the towers.
Muzzle-loading weapon
Both innovative ships were laid down even before the sinking of the Captain, in 1869, and their designs were repeatedly adjusted during construction. After Reed was fired from his post as chief shipbuilder, his successor, William White, insisted on increasing the volume of the central superstructure in order to improve the living conditions for the crew.
Two "floating experiments" entered service in 1872 and were named Devastation (Destruction) and Tanderer (Thunderbolt). "Devastation" at the time of its entry into service was criticized by the press - the memory of the death of the equally low-sided "Captain" was too fresh. But at the same time, the fact was ignored that the cause of the death of the unfortunate battleship was the masts with sails, which the "Devastation" did not have.
As one British creator of battleships later wrote, “Of course, no ship has ever left base under the cover of such a cloud of pessimism and bad predictions as the Devastation, and at the same time, none of the ships of such an innovative design has met the hopes of its creators as fully as he is. "
The Devastation carried 1,722 tons of coal, which provided the ship with a cruising range of 4,578 nautical miles - an unheard-of figure in those days. The ship was spoken of as "a miracle of fortification technology built on a floating coal mine."
She was the first iron ship built at the Royal Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. It was built in 1871 and handed over to the navy on April 19, 1873 after trials ended in January of that year.
Battleship "Dreadnought"
The third battleship of the series, "Dreadnought" ("Undaunted"), was built according to an improved design, with a "normal" side height at the ends, so that it turned out to be smooth-deck.
Another country that decided to build a citadel tower battleship was Russia. Back in 1869, on Galerny Island, at a private shipyard in St. Petersburg, they began to build a rangout battleship "Cruiser". In 1872 it was launched and renamed "Peter the Great".
Battleship “Peter the Great!
In terms of the perfection of the layout scheme, it was even ahead of the British Devastation, which was laid down at the same time, and most of all resembled the later Dreadnought with its high seaworthy sides. True, the equipping of the new Russian ship dragged on for another eight years, and the construction of other powerful battleships of this type in Russia did not continue.
At the same time, it should be noted that the English "Dreadnought" was also completed for a very long time and became part of the British fleet four years later than "Peter the Great".
Peter the Great
For a whole decade, "Peter the Great" remained the only Russian warship of the "first line". But by the end of the 20th century, it was already hopelessly outdated. After 1917, the battleship was renamed "Republican" and for several years served as an artillery training ship in the Baltic Fleet. The ship was finally decommissioned and was melted down only in 1959 - almost 90 years after its construction!
Speaking about the battleship "Peter the Great", it should be noted that this ship played an incomplete role in the history of world shipbuilding. When the tower battleship Captain sank in 1870, the British admirals thought to part with the towers. But their opinion changed not only due to the fact that the battleship "Monarch" proved to be very worthy.
Peter the Great 1881, England
The main factor was the information that reached the British that a new generation of battleship was being created in Russia, armed with high-power cannons in rotating turrets, in no way inferior to the newly laid Devastation-class battleships.
