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Famous ships of the second world war. The best battleships of the second world

Battleships of World War II did not play an important role in the large-scale naval battles that shook the skies over the seas and oceans for exactly six years, from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945. They did not fulfill their function, did not justify the great hopes placed on them. But huge money was spent on their construction, considerable funds were spent on their maintenance. The fate of these imaginary "masters of the sea", instruments of failed domination, is very instructive and can serve as an example of incorrect calculation, incorrect forecasting of the future nature of strategy and tactics, and irrational use of economic resources.

The state of naval tactical thought in the interwar period

Since then, as the Anglo-Dutch naval battles thundered on the seas, and until the middle of the 20th century, the idea of ​​an ideal ship existed in the minds of the command of the fleets of the whole world and practically did not change. The main tactical technique was formed at the same time, in the 17th century, and it consisted in building up all forces in a wake column, and then opening fire from all barrels. Whoever sinks more enemy units wins. Some confusion in the minds of the naval commanders was introduced in 1916 by the Battle of Jutland, which took place according to a slightly different scenario. Performing vigorous maneuvering, the German squadron inflicted significant damage on the British forces, which possessed quantitative and qualitative superiority, suffering half the losses and "outplaying" (in sports terminology) the enemy. However, the British hastened to announce the victorious outcome of the battle, do not bother to analyze their, in general, unsuccessful actions. And he should have thought. Perhaps then the battleships of the Second World War would have turned out to be a more effective weapon in the fight against fascism, or at least there would have been fewer of them, which would free up resources for other, more important defense programs. However, the victors of Jutland, the Germans, did not draw the right conclusions either. They (at least Hitler and his immediate entourage) also considered power and size to be a priority factor in overcoming the enemy. And other countries, which faced heavy battles on the seas and oceans, adhered to similar views. They were all wrong.

What is a battleship?

The question is not superfluous, and to answer it, one should return to history, to those times when the ships (then sailing, and later steam) of the opponents lined up in wake formation (that is, one after another), and the advantage of artillery weapons was a guarantee of victory. The formation was a straight line, this was dictated by the main principle of the battle, otherwise there would be interference in the line of fire, and the power of the cannons could not be used to the fullest. The ships with the largest number of guns lined up on decks received the definition of "linear". The abbreviation "battleship", consisting of the roots of the two words "linear" and "ship", has taken root in the Russian navy.

The sails gave way to steam engines and turbines, but the principle and purpose of the large artillery floating battery, protected by armor and high-speed, remained unchanged. It was possible to combine all the required fighting qualities only on condition large sizes... For this reason, battleships of the Second World War had a monstrous displacement.

Battleships and economics

Shipbuilders of the thirties, fulfilling orders from fleets and governments, tried to provide them with the most powerful and destructive weapons in the history of mankind. Not every country could afford to have at least one ship of this class; in addition to the defense function, it also played the role of a prestigious fetish. Owning battleships, the state asserted itself in its own power and demonstrated it to its neighbors. Today owners nuclear weapons or aircraft carriers constitute a special club, access to which is allowed only to some countries with the economic potential of the corresponding level. In the thirties, ships of the line served as a symbol of military power. Such an acquisition, not only was very expensive, but also required additional funds for permanent Maintenance, maintenance and training of crews and infrastructure. The fleets included units that survived the previous global conflict, but new ones were also launched. Battleships of the Second World War, that is, built in the period from 1936 to 1945, were the focus of all the latest achievements of technical thought of their time. Their presence served as a kind of guarantee for a new worldwide massacre. It was possible to create such a powerful and expensive weapon only if it was to be used, and in the very near future. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

How many were there in total

For the entire period, called pre-war (in fact, the war was already underway, in Spain and in Far East, for example), and all the years of the "hot phase" of the world conflict, the most developed countries, striving to establish or restore their regional (or world) domination, have built twenty-seven units of ships belonging to the class of linear.

Most of all were launched by the Americans, as many as ten. This testifies to the quite serious intentions of the United States to maintain the level of its influence in the remote regions of the World Ocean, however, without the large-scale direct participation of ground forces, which at that time were quite modest.

The second place is taken by Britain with its five units. Good too.

Germany, which had just rejected the Versailles terms, launched four.

Italy, which during the reign of Duce Mussolini aspired to the role of the regional Mediterranean leader, was able to master three large-tonnage units. France managed to produce the same number of dreadnoughts.

Japanese battleships of World War II are represented by two units of the Yamato series. Relatively in comparison with other members of the "club", the imperial fleet was going to compensate for a small number of the Cyclopean size of the ships.

The figures shown are actual figures. The plans were much broader.

Soviet battleships of World War II were laid down in tsarist Russia. Before the World War, the Russian fleet developed rapidly, the modernization program launched then became the basis for growth for many years, after the revolution.

There were three battleships: "Paris Commune" ("Sevastopol"), "Marat" ("Petropavlovsk") and "October Revolution" ("Gangut"), all of one project. They survived the hard times, albeit with damage, and served for some time after 1945. Thirty years old for a warship is not considered old, and in 1941 they turned just that old. Thus, at the time of its entry into the war, after the German attack, the USSR possessed three fairly modern units of ships of the linear class, inherited "by inheritance" from the tsarist regime. But this does not mean that the Soviet leadership had no plans to strengthen the Navy. They were, and not only plans, but also very specific actions. Stalin was preparing the most ambitious project in the history of Russian shipbuilding.

USSR plans

According to the government shipbuilding program adopted in 1936, over the next seven years, Soviet shipyards were to launch no less than 533 naval units. Of these battleships - 24. Maybe they were going to be built in accordance with the capabilities, smaller and more modest, so to speak, in the "economy version"? No, the planned displacement is 58.5 thousand tons. Reservation - from 375 mm (belt) to 420 (base of gun turrets). Project "A" (No. 23) was calculated with the help of American engineers invited to the USSR in 1936 with the appropriate wages. From the Italian specialists, with whom they tried to cooperate at the beginning, they refused, and not because the Nazis (this circumstance did not prevent the purchase of the "blue cruiser"), they simply "did not pull" the scale of the plan. The guns were ordered from the Barricades plant (Stalingrad). Nine giant cannons of the main caliber 406 mm were supposed to fire shells of 11 centners each. Three armored decks. Only the newest battleships of Japan during the Second World War could argue with such power, but no one knew about them then, they were deeply classified, and became an unpleasant surprise for the American Navy in December 1941.

Why didn't the plans come true?

The battleship "Soviet Union" of project "A" was laid down in Leningrad by plant number 15 in the summer of 1938, two units ("Soviet Belarus", "Soviet Russia") began to be built in Molotovsk (today this city is called Severodvinsk), another one - in Nikolaev ("Soviet Ukraine"). So it is impossible to reproach JV Stalin for the projection and manilovism, the plans set by the party were unswervingly carried out. Another question is that there were objective difficulties, for which, quite possibly, some comrades who did not cope with the task subjectively answered before the law. At the time of the German attack, the ships under construction were in varying degrees of readiness, but no more than a fifth of the total volume of work. The most modern battleships of the USSR of World War II never entered combat formation, serving as donors for other important defense programs. They used their guns, armor plates, but they themselves never went out to sea. There was not enough time and experience, the development of technologies took too long a period.

And if you had time?

JV Stalin was often reproached (and continue to do so) for not preparing the country for repelling the German invasion. In some ways, these claims can be considered justified. However, given the situation that developed in the first months of Hitler's aggression, today we can conclude that even the most modern and large Soviet battleships of World War II could not influence the course of hostilities, which took place mainly on the land front. Already in the summer of 1941, the operational area of ​​the Baltic Sea, due to its geographic features(closed), was covered by minefields and blocked by the Kriegsmarine submarine forces. The battleships of the USSR that were in service during the Second World War were used as stationary batteries, similar to coastal ones. With their heavy main-caliber guns, they inflicted damage on the advancing enemy, but aviation and long-range artillery succeeded more in this. In addition, going to sea for such a huge ship is fraught with great risk. He, like a magnet, attracts all the forces of the enemy, who calms down only by letting him go to the bottom. Many battleships of the Second World War, which became a steel grave for their crews, can serve as a mournful example.

Germans and their ships of the line

Not only Stalin suffered from gigantomania, but also his main opponent, the German Chancellor. He pinned great hopes on the German battleships of World War II, their construction was too expensive, but they were the ones who were supposed to crush the naval power of haughty Britain. This, however, did not happen. After the loss of the Bismarck in 1941, shot by a superior enemy, the Führer treated the Tirpitz as an expensive and thoroughbred fighting dog, which is a pity to run into an ordinary dog ​​dump, but you have to feed it anyway, and is used as a deterrent. For a long time, the second battleship annoyed the British, until they dealt with it, bombing the beauty and pride of the Kriegsmarine in an unknown Norwegian fjord.

So the battleships of Germany rested at the bottom. In World War II, they were given the role of huge beasts, hunted down by a pack of smaller, but more agile predators. A similar fate awaited many other ships of this class. Their loss entailed enormous human casualties; they often perished along with their full crews.

Japan

Who built the largest and most advanced battleships of World War II? Japan. "Yamato" and the second ship of the series, which became the last, "Musashi", had a titanic displacement (full) exceeding 70 thousand tons. These giants were armed with the most powerful main-caliber guns of 460 mm. The armor also knew no equal - from 400 to 650 mm. To destroy such a monster required dozens of direct hits from torpedoes, aerial bombs or artillery shells. The Americans had all these deadly weapons in sufficient quantities, and the circumstances were such that they were able to use them. They were angry with the Japanese for Pearl Harbor and knew no pity.

USA

Battleships of the United States of the Second World War are represented by ships of various projects, including the latest ones, launched in the period from 1941 to 1943. These primarily include the Iowa class, represented, in addition to the head unit, by three more (New Jersey, Wisconsin and Missouri). On the deck of one of them, the Missouri, was the final stop in the six-year world war. The displacement of these giant ships is 57.5 thousand tons, they had excellent seaworthiness, but for modern naval combat, after the appearance of rocket weapons, they were practically unusable, which did not prevent the use of their artillery power for punitive purposes against countries that did not have the opportunity to effectively confront them. They served for a long time, and fought along different coasts:

- "New Jersey" - from the Vietnamese and Lebanese.

- "Missouri" and "Wisconsin" - at the Iraqi.

Today, all three of the last US battleships of World War II dock and host tourist visitors.

World War II was the golden age of battleships. In the pre-war years and the first few war years, the powers that lay claim to dominance at sea laid down on the stocks several dozen gigantic armored ships with powerful main-caliber guns. As the practice of the combat use of "steel monsters" has shown, battleships acted very effectively against formations of enemy warships, even being in a numerical minority, capable of terrifying convoys of cargo ships, but practically nothing can be opposed to aircraft, which with several torpedo hits and bombs can let multi-ton giants to the bottom. During World War II, the Germans and Japanese preferred not to risk battleships, keeping them away from the main naval battles, throwing them into battle at only critical moments, using them very ineffectively. In turn, the Americans mainly used battleships to cover aircraft carrier groups and land assault forces in Pacific... Meet the ten largest battleships of World War II.

10. Richelieu, France

The battleship "Richelieu" of the same class, has a weight of 47.500 tons and a length of 247 meters, eight main-caliber guns of 380 mm caliber placed in two turrets. Ships of this class were created by the French to counter the Italian fleet in the Mediterranean. The vessel was launched in 1939 and was adopted by the French naval forces a year later. Richelieu did not actually take part in the Second World War, except for the collision with the British aircraft carrier group in 1941, during the American operation against the Vichy forces in Africa. In the post-war period, the battleship was involved in the war in Indochina, covering sea convoys and supporting French troops with fire during amphibious operations. The battleship was decommissioned and decommissioned in 1967.

9. Jean Bar, France

The French battleship Jean Bar, Richelieu class, was launched in 1940, but by the beginning of the Second World War, it was never entered into the fleet. At the time of the German attack on France, the ship was 75% ready (only one main battery turret was installed), the battleship was able to get from Europe to the Moroccan port of Casablanca on its own. Despite the absence of some of the weapons, "Jean Bar" managed to take part in hostilities on the side of the Axis countries, repelling the attacks of the US-British forces during the Allied landing in Morocco. After several hits from the main battery of American battleships and aerial bombs, the ship went to the bottom on November 10, 1942. In 1944, the Jean Bar was raised and sent to the shipyard for repair and additional equipment. The ship became part of the French Navy only in 1949, never took part in any military operation. In 1961, the battleship was decommissioned and scrapped.

8. Tirpitz, Germany

The German Bismarck-class battleship Tirpitz, launched in 1939, entered service in 1940, had a displacement of 40,153 tons and a length of 251 meters. Eight main guns with a caliber of 380 millimeters were housed in four turrets. Ships of this class were intended for raider operations against the enemy's merchant fleet. During the Second World War, after the loss of the battleship Bismarck, the German command preferred not to use heavy ships in the naval theater of operations, in order to avoid their loss. "Tirpitz" for almost the entire war stood in the fortified Norwegian fjords, taking part in only three operations to intercept convoys and support the landing of troops on the islands. The battleship sank to the bottom on November 14, 1944, during a raid by British bombers, after being hit by three aerial bombs.

7. Bismarck, Germany

Battleship Bismarck, which entered service in 1940, is the only ship on this list to take part in a truly epic naval battle. For three days, the Bismarck, in the North Sea and Atlantic, confronted virtually the entire British fleet alone. The battleship was able to sink the pride of the British fleet, the cruiser Hood, in battle, and seriously damaged several ships. After numerous hits from shells and torpedoes, the battleship went under water on May 27, 1941.

6. Wisconsin, USA

American battleship "Wisconsin", class "Iowa", with a displacement of 55,710 tons, has a length of 270 meters, on board which are three towers with nine 406 mm main guns. The ship was launched in 1943 and entered service in 1944. In 1991, the ship was withdrawn from the fleet, but remained in the US Navy reserve until 2006, becoming last battleship standing in the reserve of the US naval forces. During World War II, the ship was involved in escorting aircraft carrier groups, supporting amphibious operations and shelling the coastal fortifications of the Japanese army. In the post-war period he took part in the Persian Gulf War.

5. New Jersey, USA

The Iowa-class battleship New Jersey was launched in 1942 and entered service in 1943. The vessel underwent several serious upgrades, and was eventually decommissioned from the fleet in 1991. During World War II, it was used to escort aircraft carrier groups, but did not really participate in a single serious naval battle. For the next 46 years she participated in the Korean, Vietnamese and Libyan wars as a support ship.

4. Missouri, USA

The Iowa-class battleship Missouri was launched in 1944 and joined the Pacific Fleet the same year. The ship was withdrawn from the fleet in 1992, and turned into a floating museum ship, which is now available for anyone to visit. During the Second World War, the battleship was used to escort aircraft carrier groups and support the landing, and did not participate in any serious naval battle. It was on board the Missouri that the Japanese surrender pact was signed, which put an end to the Second World War. In the post-war period, the battleship participated in only one major military operation, namely the Gulf War, during which the Missouri provided fire support to the multinational forces from the sea.

3. Iowa, USA

The Iowa battleship, of the class of the same name, was launched in 1942 and entered service a year later, and fought on all oceanic fronts of World War II. Initially, he patrolled the northern latitudes of the Atlantic coast of the United States, after which he was transferred to the Pacific Ocean, where he covered aircraft carrier groups, provided support for the landing, struck enemy coastal fortifications and participated in several naval operations to intercept the strike groups of the Japanese fleet. During the Korean War, provided support with artillery fire for ground forces from the sea. In 1990, the Iowa was decommissioned and turned into a museum ship.

2. Yamato, Japan

The pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy, the battleship Yamato was 247 meters long, weighed 47,500 tons, and had three towers on board with 9 460 mm main guns. The ship was launched in 1939, but was ready to go to sea on a military campaign only in 1942. During the entire war, the battleship took part in only three real battles, of which only one was able to fire at enemy ships from main battery guns. Yamato was sunk on April 7, 1945 by enemy aircraft, after being hit by 13 torpedoes and 13 bombs. Today, Yamato-class ships are considered the largest battleships in the world.

1. Musashi, Japan

"Musashi" is the younger brother of the battleship "Yamato", has similar specifications and weapons. The ship was launched in 1940, was put into service in 1942, but was ready to go on a military campaign only in 1943. The battleship participated in only one serious naval battle, trying to prevent the Allies from landing troops in the Philippines. On October 24, 1944, after a 16-hour battle, Musashi sank in the Sibuyan Sea after being hit by several torpedoes and aerial bombs. Musashi, along with her brother Yamato, is considered the largest battleship in the world.

By the time the Second World class of fast battleships ended, it reached the limit in its development, advantageously combining the destructive power and protection of dreadnoughts with the high speed of battle cruisers, these samples of naval weapons performed many amazing feats under the flags of all the warring states.

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

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

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

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

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 of which even those who have never been interested in the fleet have heard.

Living according to the precepts of Sun Tzu

... The battleships of Her Majesty "Anson" and "Duke of York", aircraft carriers "Victories", "Furies", escort aircraft carriers "Sicher", "Empuer", "Pesyuer", "Fanser", the cruisers "Belfast", "Bellona" , "Royalist", "Sheffield", "Jamaica", destroyers "Javelin", "Virago", "Meteor", "Swift", "Vigilent", "Wakeful", "Onslot" ... - only about 20 units under the British , Canadian and Polish flags, as well as 2 naval tankers and 13 squadrons of carrier-based aircraft.

Only in this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Alta Fjord - where the pride of the Kriegsmarine rusted under the gloomy arches of the Norwegian cliffs, the super-battleship Tirpitz.
The results of Operation Wolfram are assessed 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 people killed, but the battleship continued to pose a threat to shipping in the North Atlantic. The main problems were caused not so much by the numerous hits of bombs and fires on the upper deck, as by newly discovered leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.

... In total, during her stay in Norwegian waters, the Tirpitz withstood dozens of air strikes - in total, during the war years, about 700 aircraft of British and Soviet aviation 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 were 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 superstructures could not critically affect the combat effectiveness of the Tirpitz.

Meanwhile, the Britons stubbornly rushed to the site of the Teutonic beast: mini-submarines and human-torpedoes; carrier-based and strategic aviation raids. Local informants, regular air surveillance of the base ...

"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 the enemy ships, for three years he fettered all the actions of the British in the North Atlantic!

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

It was the Tirpitz that scared the escort of the PQ-17 convoy. He was hunted by all battleships and aircraft carriers of the metropolitan fleet in the Arctic latitudes. The boat K-21 shot 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

The impressive success of the battleship "Tirpitz" is a legacy left over from the legendary "Bismarck" - the same type of battleship, meeting with which forever instilled fear in the hearts of the British: a burial pillar of flame froze before their eyes, soaring over the British battle cruiser HMS Hood. During the battle in the Danish Strait, it took the gloomy Teutonic knight only five volleys to deal with the British "gentleman".

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

And then the hour of reckoning came. A squadron of 47 ships and 6 submarines of Her Majesty pursued the Bismarck. After the battle, the British calculated: in order to sink the beast, they had to fire 8 torpedoes and 2876 shells of the main, medium and universal caliber!

What a sturdy man!

Hieroglyph "fidelity". Battleships of the Yamato class

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

The following story happened to the battleships Yamato and Musashi: they were undeservedly slandered. Around them there was a stable image of "losers", useless "venderwaffle" shamefully killed at the first meeting with the enemy.

But in fact, we have the following:

The ships were designed and built on time, managed to fight and, finally, took a heroic death in the face of the 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 would hardly have been able to act better than the battleships Musashi and Yamato.

Disadvantages of Super Battleships?

Yes, first of all, weak air defense - neither the monstrous Sansiki 3 fireworks (anti-aircraft shells of 460 mm caliber), nor hundreds of small-caliber machine guns with magazine power 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 could withstand 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 "the 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.
Armor belt - 40 centimeters of solid metal.
The conning tower walls - half a meter of armor.
The thickness of the frontal part of the main battery turret is even greater - 65 centimeters of steel protection.

A tremendous sight!

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

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

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

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

How did the leviathans die?

The Musashi sailed all day in the Sibuyan Sea under heavy attacks from five American aircraft carriers. He walked all day, and by the evening he died, having received, according to various estimates, 11-19 torpedoes and 10-17 aerial bombs ...
In your opinion, were the Japanese battleship's security and combat stability great? And which of his peers could do this?

"Yamato" ... death from above was his destiny. Torpedo tracks, the sky is black from aircraft ...
Quite frankly, the Yamato performed an honorable seppuku, leaving with a small squadron against eight aircraft carriers of the 58th Task Force. The result is predictable - two hundred planes 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 came out to meet the 58th Task Force of Admiral Mitscher? What if the Japanese industry were able to create air defense systems similar to those of the US Navy at the time?

How would the battle between the battleship and the American aircraft carriers have ended 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 ...?

Behind dry indices are masterpieces of technical progress - analog computers and automatic fire control systems, radars, radio altimeters and shells with a radar fuse - thanks to all these "chips", the Iowa anti-aircraft fire was at least five times more accurate and effective than the shots of 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 the belt-fed Oerlikon assault rifles ... There is a good chance that an American air attack could drown in blood, and the damaged Neo-Yamato could limp all the way to Okinawa and run aground, turning into an invincible artillery battery (according to the Ten-Ichi-Go operation plan).

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

It is absolutely impossible to come to terms with the idea that the best ship is again in the hands of the Americans. Haters of the United States will instantly find a dozen reasons why Iowa cannot be considered the most perfect battleship.

Iowa is 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 attacks from enemy destroyers only with universal anti-aircraft guns (5 inches, 127 mm).

Also, among the shortcomings of "Iowa" is the lack of reloading compartments in the main turret towers, worse seaworthiness and "wave pick-up" (compared to the same British "Vanguard"), the relative weakness of their PTZ in front of the Japanese "Long Lance", "muhlezh" with the declared maximum speed (on a measured mile, battleships hardly accelerated to 31 knots - instead of the declared 33!).

But perhaps the most serious of all the accusations - the weakness of the booking in comparison with any of their peers - is especially a lot of questions raised by the Iowa's traverse bulkheads.

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

The absence of a medium caliber became an advantage of the American battleships: universal "five-inch guns" were enough to combat surface and air targets - it made no sense to take on board 150 mm guns as "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: 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 born in our time. More modern sailors were surprised by the manners of an armored monster: instead of calmly swaying on the waves, the heavy Iowa cut the waves like a knife.

The increased wear of the main battery barrels is explained by very heavy shells (which is not bad) - the Mk.8 armor-piercing shell with a mass of 1225 kg was the world's heaviest ammunition of its caliber.

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

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

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

"Iowa" have more seniority than all other battleships of the WWII 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 XXI century - battleships lost parts artillery weapons, in return having received 32 SLCM "Tomahawk", 16 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon", SAM "SeaSparrow", modern radars and melee systems "Falanx".

Off the coast of Iraq

However, the physical wear of mechanisms and the end of the Cold War played an important role in the fate of the most famous American battleships - all four monsters left the US Navy ahead of schedule and turned into large naval museums.

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

For example, "Jean Bart" - one of the two built battleships of the "Richelieu" class. An elegant French ship with a unique silhouette: two four-gun turrets in the bow, a stylish superstructure, a chimney dashingly bent back ...

Battleships of the "Richelieu" class 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 Richelieu's armor was even better than that of many of its larger peers. And all this was successfully combined with a speed of over 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, in order to avoid capture by the Germans, sea ​​battle with British and American fleets in Casablanca and Dakar, refurbishment in the USA, and then a long and happy service under the French flag until the second half of the 1960s.

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

These ships are usually the object of severe criticism, but if you apply an integrated approach to their assessment, it turns out that the battleships "Littorio" are not so bad against the background of their British or German peers, as is commonly believed.

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

"Roma"

A noble silhouette, high-quality lines, good seaworthiness and high speed - in the best traditions of the Italian school of shipbuilding.

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

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

For the rest ...
Otherwise, the Italian battleships turned out to be bad - it still remains a mystery why the Italians fired so crookedly guns - despite their excellent armor penetration, the 15-inch Italian shells had surprisingly low accuracy and accuracy of fire. Overdrive the barrels of the guns? Manufacturing quality of liners and shells? Or maybe the national peculiarities of the Italian character affected?

In any case, the main problem with the Littorio-class battleships was their inept use. The Italian sailors did not manage to enter into a general battle with Her Majesty's fleet. Instead, the lead Litttorio was sunk right at its anchorage during the British raid on the Taranto naval base (the cheerful slovens were too lazy to pull up the anti-torpedo net).

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

In general, nothing good came of the venture with the Italian battleships. The battleship "Roma" completed its combat path brightest and most tragically of all, disappearing in a deafening explosion of its own artillery cellars - the result of a well-aimed hit by the German guided aerial bomb "Fritz-X" (aerial bomb? conventional 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 are always battleships. Powerful and destructive ships with the highest combat resistance.

World War II ships

The five strongest maritime powers - Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, the United States - have been sharing their influence on the sea for a long time. By the end of the 30s of the XX century, all European states felt the approach of great bloody events. The government of each of the countries tried to increase the combat power not only of the ground forces, but also of the fleet.

States such as Great Britain, Germany, France and the United States preferred the construction of heavy surface ships. Special squadron submarines were created to escort ships, protect them and conduct reconnaissance work.

In 1934, France built the submarine "Surku". The cruiser had the ability to strike at the enemy using 14 torpedo tubes and 2 203 mm cannons. The armor, which covered the deck and deckhouse, served as protection.

England also prepared for battles. Since the 40s of the XX century, underwater monitors "M-1", "M-2", "M-3" have appeared in the British fleet. A little later, one of them was converted into a submarine aircraft carrier. At the same time, the gun turret was replaced by a spacious hangar where the seaplane was located.

Over time, the power of the British ships increased. The ships were distinguished by their high speed, hull immersion depth, cruising range, as well as characteristics and composition of general armament. And the X-1 squadron submarine was equipped and powered by a diesel engine that made the ship move at a speed of 20 knots.

Each of the maritime powers of the world strove to improve the design of warships and to get ahead in terms of the combat capability of its fleet.

States sought to surpass each other with technical improvements and new developments. Holland and America provided the sailors of their ships with air conditioning to cool the air. The British installed Asdik sonars on their submarines, with the help of which it became possible to measure the distance to an enemy object in the water and, moreover, greatly facilitated the search for anchor mines.

The states did not spare Money and installed on submarines devices that reduce the number of bubbles during torpedo shots. And on the submarines, 20-mm anti-aircraft guns appeared, which made it possible to shoot down enemy aircraft. Submarines, forced to spend a long time at sea, required a constant supply of fuel. The sailors were in need of replenishment of water and food supplies. It was for the purpose of supplying submarines in the open ocean that submarine tankers were created.

The installation of powerful electric motors and storage batteries made it possible to increase the speed of movement of boats in the surface position. A special system of diesel engines working under water, called "snorkel", extended the time the vessel was in a submerged position and thus increased the possibility of covert combat operations. The submarine, originally conceived as a short-term diving ship, has evolved into a submarine.

The means of tracking the enemy also continued to improve. Sailors sailing on American submarines began to use night periscopes with radar antennas. And high-frequency radiotelephones helped to establish good communication between submarines going on the surface.

Germany was mainly concerned with improving the combat capabilities of its ships, placing an increasing number of weapons on board. As a result, the free space intended for the crew became less and less. Therefore, the conditions for the stay of sailors on board the submarine were often difficult.

Experimental developments were brought to life without careful preliminary verification, and therefore the ships, being unsuitable for attack and repelling enemy attacks, did not take part in serious battles.

Almost before the outbreak of World War II, a project for a new submarine "U-1407", equipped with three steam-gas turbines, was developed in Germany. The submarine was supposed to develop a fairly high speed, reaching 24 knots, and was intended for long voyages, up to 230 miles. However, "U-1407", unfortunately, did not meet the expectations of engineers and designers, and remained just a good project.

Japanese submarines, created in the early 40s of the XX century, were distinguished by a large displacement. In the design of Japanese ships, the main drawback was the difficulty in control and the large vibration of the ship's hull when moving. It was said that the rumble of numerous mechanisms could be heard even from a short distance.

Aircraft carriers have become the new striking force of the world fleet. The first to design and use aircraft carriers were the Japanese. The aircraft carrier "Hosho" had good fighting qualities, but due to the low speed it could not act in concert with the squadron. The aircraft carrier was surrounded by cruisers and destroyers. Therefore, there was no need to take care of the armor protection of the ship. At the same time, the absence of heavy armor made it possible to place a large number of aircraft and anti-aircraft guns on the decks.

England entered the Second world war modern aircraft carrier "Ark Royal". The ship reached a speed of 30 knots and at the same time could accommodate up to 72 aircraft on the platforms. The Arc Royal was the first aircraft carrier to build two-story hangars connected to the flight deck by mechanical lifts. In the bow of the ship there were two large catapults, which made it possible to launch aircraft into the air even if the ship turned out to be deployed against the wind. In addition, a special strong net was installed on board, with the help of which it was possible to catch aircraft that missed when landing on the deck of the ship.

A technical innovation of the British designers of the "Ark Royal" was the inclusion in its design of a special stern overhang, which allowed to increase the length of the flight deck to 244 m. Engineers of any sea power in the world could not achieve a greater lengthening of the landing strip on the ship.

The Japanese were eager to follow suit European countries who have improved military equipment, and therefore, following the British, they decided to reconstruct old ships. After some time, construction factories in Japan produced powerful aircraft carriers, named "Hiryu" and "Soryu". In addition, before the outbreak of World War II, Japan created two gigantic aircraft carriers named Zuikaku and Shokaku. The ships were capable of accommodating up to 92 combat aircraft.

However, American aircraft carriers were considered the most advanced. The ships carried 81 aircraft. The flight deck had an overhang extending the take-off area. Chimneys from steam boilers were combined into a single chimney, which was led out through an island-type superstructure. The artillery was used only to repel air attacks, since the aircraft carriers moved, as usual, accompanied by cruisers and destroyers, capable of repelling attacks from enemy ships and submarines.

The Japanese navy lost six aircraft carriers in the first months of the war, while America's losses totaled four ships. However, in terms of the total size of the fleet, America clearly lagged behind the leading maritime powers, and therefore the British engineers directed all their forces to build new ships and re-equip old ones.

The new light aircraft carriers, converted from cruisers, carried only 45 aircraft on their sides. Open hangars and flight decks were installed over the hulls of the cruisers. To improve stability, onboard bullets were installed on the ships. Additional island superstructures appeared in the bow of the deck. Two catapults were used to launch the aircraft. From the old model of the cruiser, only an armored hull and engine engines remained.

Such ships of the American fleet were named "Independent" and began to take part in hostilities since 1943.

The largest American aircraft carriers were ships of the Midway class. The powerful aircraft carriers were ready to take on their wide flight decks up to 137 aircraft, while maintaining a high speed. However, the construction of aircraft carriers dragged on for many years, and none of the six ships under construction took part in sea battles.

In America, the rate of construction of aircraft carriers during the Second World War was several times higher than the rate of their production in peacetime. For 20 years of peace, America released 7 aircraft carriers, while the development of military events forced to provide the fleet with 36 heavy aircraft carriers and 124 escort, previously converted from merchant ships.

After the end of World War II, the US military industry switched to the production of multipurpose aircraft carriers, whose tasks included air cover for warships, assault forces and convoys at sea, air strikes against land and sea targets, and blockade of ports and straits. Multipurpose aircraft carriers, possessing a new type of weapon - nuclear, could strike at targets within a radius of about 1,500 km. Such aircraft carriers could cover up to 1,100 miles per day. However, the large size made the ships very vulnerable to enemy attacks.

The main problem of the introduction of multipurpose aircraft carriers was the huge monetary costs spent on the construction, maintenance and use of ships. The cost of one such aircraft carrier could reach $ 250 million.

The calculations of American engineers have shown that the use of multipurpose aircraft carriers is economically unprofitable. In 1980, the US Congress denied funding for the creation of multipurpose aircraft-carrying ships.

By the early 1980s, the Americans had transferred most of their nuclear missiles to ships in the navy. Thus, the aircraft on the aircraft carriers were replaced by missiles.

In response to the improvement of the armament of American ships, the Soviet Union also began to create a nuclear missile ocean-going fleet. The Soviet fleet did not have a sufficient number of military bases located on the territories of other countries. The ships had to overcome large areas in the territory of neighboring states before they reached the ocean expanses.

It was the need for long transitions that determined the choice of the design of new Russian ships. Such ships possessed high seaworthiness, good combat stability, reliability and powerful motor engines. In addition, cruise and ballistic missiles began to be placed on ships.

The nuclear submarine Leninsky Komsomol, created at that time, reached the North Pole thanks to its solid construction and high endurance. After some time, a group of nuclear submarines made a trip around the world without a single ascent to the surface. This was a unique event in the history of the submarine fleet.

A feature of the development of the domestic navy in comparison with the fleets of other world powers was the use of multipurpose submarines, on which cruise missiles and long-range torpedoes were located.

The domestic surface fleet also developed in a different way from other states. Soviet engineers paid the greatest attention to the use of missile boats, air-cushion landing ships, hydrofoil torpedo boats, Varyag-type missile cruisers with anti-aircraft missile and artillery weapons, and Kirov-type nuclear missile cruisers.

The first Soviet aircraft carrier "Moskva" first appeared in the 5th (Mediterranean) Squadron of the Navy. On board were powerful military helicopters. Our designers were several years ahead of the British, later creating an aircraft-carrying cruiser of the "Kiev" type, on which, in addition to helicopters, there were also vertical and short take-off and landing aircraft.

Until now, the Russian Navy is constantly being updated and improved. Twelve seas wash the shores of Russia. The population of Russia since ancient times is associated with the sea, shipping and military campaigns. For 33 wars that took place on the territory of Russia, only two of them did not involve the navy.

The English historian F. Jen expressed his attitude towards Russia as a mighty sea power in the following words: "The Russians fought in fierce battles and were considered the best sailors of their time a thousand years ago."