By the end of the Second World War, the class of high-speed battleships had reached the limit in its development, having favorably combined the destructive power and security of dreadnoughts with the high speed of battlecruisers, these maritime models performed many amazing feats under the flags of all warring states.
It is not possible to compile any "rating" of the battleships of those years - four favorites claim the first place at once, and each of them has the most serious reasons for this. As for the other places on the honorary pedestal, it is generally impossible to make any conscious choice here. Only individual tastes and subjective preferences. Each battleship is distinguished by its unique design, a chronicle of combat use and, often, a tragic death.
Each of them was created for its specific tasks and conditions of service, for a specific enemy and in accordance with the chosen concept of using the fleet.
Different theaters of operations dictated different rules: inland seas or the open ocean, the proximity or, conversely, the extreme remoteness of the bases. Classic squadron battles with the same monsters or a bloody mess with repelling endless air attacks and shelling fortifications on the enemy coast.
Ships cannot be considered in isolation from the geopolitical situation, the state of the scientific, industrial and financial spheres of states - all this left a significant imprint on their design.
A direct comparison between any Italian "Littorio" and the American "North Caroline" is completely out of the question.
Nevertheless, the contenders for the title of the best battleship are visible to the naked eye. These are Bismarck, Tirpitz, Iowa and Yamato - ships that even those who have never been interested in the fleet have heard of.
Life According to Sun Tzu
... Her Majesty's battleships Anson and Duke of York, aircraft carriers Victorias, Furies, escort aircraft carriers Sicher, Empire, Passuer, Fancer, cruisers Belfast, Bellona , Royalist, Sheffield, Jamaica, destroyers Javelin, Virago, Meteor, Swift, Vigilent, Wakeful, Onslot ... - a total of about 20 units under the British , Canadian and Polish flags, as well as 2 naval tankers and 13 carrier-based aviation squadrons.
Only in this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Alta Fjord - where, under the gloomy vaults of the Norwegian rocks, the pride of the Kriegsmarine, the Tirpitz super-battleship, rusted.
The results of the Wolfram operation are estimated as controversial - carrier-based aircraft managed to bomb the German base and cause serious damage to the battleship's superstructures. However, the next Pearl Harbor did not work out - the British could not inflict mortal wounds on the Tirpitz.
The Germans lost 123 men killed, but the battleship still posed a threat to shipping in the North Atlantic. The main problems were caused not so much by numerous bomb hits and fires on the upper deck, but by newly opened leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.
... In total, during the stay in Norwegian waters, the Tirpitz withstood dozens of air strikes - in total, during the war years, about 700 British and Soviet aircraft took part in raids on the battleship! In vain.
Hiding behind an anti-torpedo net, the ship was invulnerable to Allied torpedo weapons. At the same time, aerial bombs proved ineffective against such a well-defended target; it was possible to smash the armored citadel of the battleship for an infinitely long time, but the destruction of the superstructures could not critically affect the combat capability of the Tirpitz.
Meanwhile, the Britons stubbornly rushed to the parking lot of the Teutonic beast: mini-submarines and man-torpedoes; deck and strategic air raids. Informant agents from the locals, regular surveillance of the base from the air ...
"Tirpitz" became a unique embodiment of the ideas of the ancient Chinese commander and thinker Sun Tzu ("The Art of War") - without firing a single shot at enemy ships, he fettered all the actions of the British in the North Atlantic for three years!
One of the most effective warships of the Second World War, the invincible Tirpitz turned into an ominous scarecrow for the British Admiralty: the planning of any operation began with the question “What to do if
Will the Tirpitz leave her anchorage and go out to sea?
It was the Tirpitz that scared away the escort of the PQ-17 convoy. All battleships and aircraft carriers of the metropolitan fleet in the Arctic latitudes hunted him. The boat K-21 fired at him. For his sake, the Lancasters from the Royal Air Force settled at the Yagodny airfield near Arkhangelsk. But everything turned out to be useless. The British were able to destroy the super-battleship only towards the end of the war with the help of the monstrous 5-ton Tallboy bombs.
Tallboy ("Big Boy")
The impressive success of the Tirpitz battleship is the legacy left over from the legendary Bismarck, a battleship of the same type, a meeting with which forever instilled fear in the hearts of the British: a funeral column of flame froze before their eyes, shooting up over the British battlecruiser HMS Hood. During the battle in the Danish Strait, the gloomy Teutonic Knight took only five volleys to deal with the British "gentleman".
"Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" in a military campaign
And then came the hour of reckoning. The Bismarck was chased by a squadron of 47 ships and 6 submarines of Her Majesty. 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 tough guy!
Hieroglyph "fidelity". Yamato-class battleships
There are three useless things in the world: the pyramid of Cheops, the Great Chinese Wall and the battleship "Yamato" ... Really?
This is what happened to the battleships Yamato and Musashi: they were undeservedly slandered. Around them there was a stable image of "losers", useless "wanderwaffles" who shamefully died at the first meeting with the enemy.
But the facts are:
The ships were designed and built on time, managed to make war, and finally accepted a heroic death in the face of numerically superior enemy forces.
What else is required of them?
Bright victories? Alas, in the situation in which Japan was in the period 1944-45, even the sea king Poseidon himself could hardly have acted better than the battleships Musashi and Yamato.
Disadvantages of super battleships?
Yes, first of all, weak air defense - neither the monstrous fireworks "Sansiki 3" (anti-aircraft shells of 460 mm caliber), nor hundreds of small-caliber magazine-fed assault rifles could replace modern anti-aircraft guns and control systems with fire adjustment according to radar data.
Weak PTZ?
I beg of you! "Musashi" and "Yamato" died after 10-11 torpedo hits - no battleship on the planet would have survived so much (for comparison, the probability of the death of the American "Iowa" from being hit by six torpedoes, according to the calculations of the Americans themselves, was estimated at 90%) .
Otherwise, the battleship "Yamato" corresponded to the phrase "most, most"
Most big battleship in history and, concurrently, the largest warship that took part in the Second World War.
70 thousand tons of full displacement.
The main caliber is 460 mm.
Armored belt - 40 centimeters of solid metal.
The walls of the conning tower - half a meter of armor.
The thickness of the frontal part of the GK tower is even greater - 65 centimeters of steel protection.
A grand spectacle!
The main miscalculation of the Japanese is the veil of extreme secrecy that shrouded everything that was connected with the battleships of the Yamato type. To date, there are only a few photographs of these monsters - mostly taken from American aircraft.
It was worth being proud of such ships and seriously frightening the enemy with them - after all, until the last moment the Yankees were sure that they were dealing with ordinary battleships, with 406 mm guns.
With a competent public relations policy, the very news of the existence of the battleships Yamato and Musashi could cause panic fear among the commanders of the US Navy and their allies - just as happened with the Tirpitz. The Yankees would rush to build similar ships with half a meter of armor and guns of 460 or even 508 mm caliber - in general, it would be fun. The strategic effect of Japanese super-battleships could be much greater.
Museum "Yamato" in Kure. The Japanese cherish the memory of their "Varyag"
How did the leviathans die?
Musashi sailed all day in the Sibuyan Sea under heavy attacks from aircraft from five American aircraft carriers. He walked all day, and in the evening he died, having received, according to various estimates, 11-19 torpedoes and 10-17 air bombs ...
What do you think, were the security and combat stability of the Japanese battleship great? And who of his peers could repeat this?
"Yamato"... death from above was his destiny. Traces of torpedoes, the sky is black from aircraft ...
Speaking frankly, the Yamato made an honorable seppuku, leaving as part of a small squadron against eight aircraft carriers of the 58th task force. The result is predictable - two hundred aircraft tore apart the battleship and its few escorts in two hours.
The era of high technology. Iowa-class battleships
What if?
What if, instead of the Yamato, a battleship identical to the American Iowa had come out towards the 58th operational formation of Admiral Mitscher? What if the Japanese industry could create air defense systems similar to those on US Navy ships at the time?
How would the battle between the battleship and the American aircraft carriers end if the Japanese sailors had systems similar to the Mk.37, Ford Mk.I Gunfire Control Computer, SK, SK-2, SP, SR, Mk.14, Mk.51, Mk.53 …?
Dry indices hide masterpieces of technological progress - analog computers and automatic fire control systems, radars, radio altimeters and shells with a radar fuse - thanks to all these "chips", Iowa anti-aircraft fire was at least five times more accurate and effective than 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 Oerlikon belt-fed assault rifles ... There is a considerable chance that the American air attack could choke in blood, and the damaged neo-Yamato could hobble to Okinawa and run aground, turning into an invincible artillery battery (according to the Ten-Ichi-Go operation plan).
Everything could be ... alas, "Yamato" went to the seabed, and an impressive set of anti-aircraft weapons became the prerogative of the American "Iows".
It is absolutely impossible to come to terms with the idea that the best ship is again with the Americans. USA haters will instantly find a dozen reasons why the Iowa cannot be considered the most advanced battleship.
The Iowas are harshly criticized for the lack of a medium caliber (150 ... 155 mm) - unlike any German, Japanese, French or Italian battleships, American ships were forced to fight off enemy destroyer attacks only with universal anti-aircraft guns (5 inches, 127 mm).
Also, among the shortcomings of "Iowa" are the lack of reloading compartments in the towers of the Civil Code, the worst seaworthiness and "surfacing on the wave" (compared to the same British "Vanguard"), the relative weakness of their PTZ in front of the Japanese "long lances", "muhlezh" with declared maximum speed (on a measured mile, the battleships could hardly accelerate to 31 knots - instead of the declared 33!).
But perhaps the most serious of all accusations - the weakness of the reservation compared to any of their peers - the Iowa's traverse bulkheads raise a lot of questions.
Of course, the defenders of American shipbuilding will now go steam, proving that all of the listed shortcomings of the Iowa are just an illusion, the ship was designed under specific situation and ideally suited the conditions of the Pacific theater of operations.
The absence of a medium caliber became an advantage for American battleships: universal five-inch guns were enough to deal with surface and air targets - it made no sense to take on board 150 mm guns as a "ballast". And the presence of "advanced" fire control systems finally leveled the factor of the absence of a "medium caliber".
Reproaches for poor seaworthiness are a purely subjective opinion: the Iowa has always been considered an extremely stable artillery platform. As for the strong “overwhelming” of the bow of the battleship in stormy weather, this myth was already born in our time. Modern sailors were surprised by the habits of an armored monster: instead of swaying calmly on the waves, the heavy Iowa cut the waves like a knife.
The increased wear of the main gun barrels is explained by very heavy projectiles (which is not bad) - the Mk.8 armor-piercing projectile weighing 1225 kg was the heaviest ammunition of its caliber in the world.
The Iowa had no problems with the assortment of shells at all: the ship had a whole range of armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition and charges of various capacities; after the war, "cassette" Mk.144 and Mk.146 appeared, stuffed with explosive grenades in the amount of 400 and, accordingly, 666 pieces. A little later, a special Mk.23 munition was developed with a 1 kt nuclear warhead.
As for the "shortage" of the design speed per measured mile, the Iowa tests were carried out with a limited power plant - just like that, without a good reason, to boost the cars to the design 254,000 hp. the thrifty Yankees refused.
The overall impression of the Iows can only be spoiled by their relatively low security ... however, this shortcoming more than offset by many other advantages of the battleship.
The Iowas have more service than all the other WWII battleships combined - World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq ... Battleships of this type survived everyone - the modernization of the mid-1980s made it possible to extend the service life of veterans until the beginning of the 21st century - the battleships lost parts artillery weapons, in exchange for receiving 32 Tomahawk SLCMs, 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow air defense systems, modern radars and Phalanx melee systems.
Off the coast of Iraq
However, the physical deterioration of the 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 it's time to mention a number of other armored monsters - after all, each of them is worthy of its portion of surprise and admiration.
Here, for example, "Jean Bart" - one of two built battleships of the type "Richelieu". An elegant French ship with a unique silhouette: two four-gun turrets in the bow, a stylish superstructure, a famously curved chimney...
Richelieu-class battleships are considered one of the most advanced ships in their class: having a displacement of 5-10 thousand tons less than any Bismarck or Littorio, the French were practically not inferior to them in terms of armament power, and in terms of " security "- the scheme and thickness of the reservation" Richelieu "was even better than many of his larger peers. And all this was successfully combined with a speed of more than 30 knots - the "Frenchman" was the fastest of the European battleships!
The unusual fate of these battleships: the flight of unfinished ships from the shipyard to avoid capture by the Germans, the naval battle with the British and American fleets in Casablanca and Dakar, repairs in the United States, and then a long happy service under the flag of France until the second half of the 1960s.
And here is a magnificent trinity from the Apennine Peninsula - Italian battleships of the Littorio type.
These ships are usually the object of harsh criticism, but if you apply an integrated approach when evaluating them, it turns out that the Littorio battleships are not so bad compared to their British or German peers, as is commonly believed.
The project was based on the brilliant concept of the Italian fleet - to hell with great autonomy and fuel supply! - Italy is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, all the bases are nearby.
The saved load reserve was spent on armor and weapons. As a result, Littorio had 9 main battery guns in three rotating turrets - more than any of their European "colleagues".
"Roma"
The noble silhouette, high-quality contours, good seaworthiness and high speed are in the best traditions of the Italian school of shipbuilding.
Ingenious anti-torpedo protection based on the calculations of Umberto Pugliese.
At a minimum, the spaced booking scheme deserves attention. In general, in everything related to booking, Littorio-class battleships deserve the highest ratings.
And for the rest...
Otherwise, the Italian battleships turned out to be bad - it still remains a mystery why the Italians fired their guns so crookedly - despite excellent armor penetration, the 15-inch Italian shells had surprisingly low accuracy and accuracy of fire. Reforcing gun barrels? Quality of manufacture of liners and shells? Or maybe the national characteristics of the Italian character affected?
In any case, the main problem with the Littorio-class battleships was their mediocre use. The Italian sailors never managed to enter into a general battle with Her Majesty's fleet. Instead, the lead "Littorio" was sunk right at its anchorage, during a British raid on the Taranto naval base (cheerful slobs were too lazy to pull the anti-torpedo net).
The Vittorio Veneto raid against British convoys in the Mediterranean ended no better - the battered ship could barely return to base.
In general, nothing good came of the idea with the Italian battleships. The battleship "Roma" ended its battle path more brightly and tragically than anyone else, disappearing in a deafening explosion of its own artillery cellars - the result of a well-aimed hit by the German Fritz-X guided bomb (air bombs? It's an understatement. The 1360-kilogram Fritz-X ammunition was a little like regular bomb).
Epilogue.
Battleships were different. Among them were formidable and effective. There were no less formidable, but ineffective. But every time, the fact that the enemy had such ships delivered opposite side a lot of trouble and worry.
Battleships always remain battleships. Powerful and destructive ships with the highest combat stability.
According to materials:
http://wunderwaffe.narod.ru/
http://korabley.net/
http://www.navy.mil.nz/
http://navycollection.narod.ru/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://navsource.org/
First, some facts for thought.
In 1982, during the Falkland Islands conflict, two of the newest destroyers of the British Navy were sunk by Exocet anti-ship missiles, which did not even explode warheads. Relatively weak explosions, the remnants of unused fuel turned out to be quite enough to sink ships with a displacement of more than 4,500 tons, the basis of which were light, aluminum-magnesium alloys.
In the Persian Gulf in the mid-1980s, the American Oliver X. Perry-class Stark frigate was also hit by an Exocet anti-ship missile fired from an Iraqi fighter. This time, the warhead exploded, and the frigate received a huge hole in the side the size of a locomotive depot gate. Only absolute calm at sea and the fact that the missile hit the freeboard saved the frigate from death.
So, the most interesting thing is that armored or armored cruisers of the early 20th century, whose displacement and dimensions are not much larger than those of these ships, in all these cases would have gotten off with relatively small holes. And this makes us remember the ships, whose time, it would seem, has irretrievably gone. We are talking about battleships.
ABOUT THE SURVIVABILITY OF BATTLESHIPS
Someone will say that aviation during the Second World War and the subsequent appearance of nuclear weapons delivered a "sentence" to the battleships. However, not everything is as simple as it seemed twenty years ago.
Firstly, nuclear weapons tests showed that battleships turned out to be very resistant to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion and are guaranteed to be destroyed only when they are at a minimum distance from the epicenter. Moreover, there was no struggle for survivability on the "experimental" ships.
Secondly, in their time, even when they died, battleships demonstrated amazing resistance to combat damage.
Let's just give some examples. In May 1941, in the Atlantic, an English squadron led by the battleships King George V and Rodney met with the German battleship Bismarck. The artillery battle resulted in a genuine beating of the Bismarck, since the latter's fire control system was disabled by one of the very first volleys. Nevertheless, the British were only able to succeed when the Germans ran out of 381-mm ammunition and the Rodney began to shoot the German battleship almost point-blank, while at the same time the Bismarck was hit by cruisers and destroyers with torpedoes. But the battleship went under water only after the Germans themselves opened the kingstones and blew up explosive charges.
The Japanese battlecruiser "Hiei" in 1942 near the island of Guadalcanal, already abandoned by the crew, withstood several raids by carrier-based and base coastal aviation of the Americans. Having received four hits from heavy bombs and four torpedoes, she remained afloat and was flooded only by an emergency team that landed on her from Japanese destroyers.
In October 1944, the Musashi battleship was subjected to continuous attacks by many dozens of American carrier-based aircraft for several hours and sank, only getting hit by 20 (!) torpedoes and 17 (!) Air bombs weighing 454 and 908 kg.
And one more example. To sink the battleship Yamato, the Americans launched 226 (!) Bombers and torpedo bombers into the air. This is more than all aircraft of these types attacked all American battleships in Pearl Harbor!
Finally, thirdly, almost all known facts the destruction of battleships by aviation refers either to cases of a surprise attack (Pearl Harbor), or to a situation where the sunken battleship did not have sufficient air defense systems, and one of the parties had overwhelming air superiority.
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For example, the Japanese battleships "Yamato", "Musashi", "Hie" had a clearly unbalanced anti-aircraft artillery, since the relatively few 127 and 100 mm anti-aircraft guns were supplemented only with 25 mm machine guns, and there was no 37 or 40 mm artillery on these ships. There were also no naval anti-aircraft fire control systems associated with the radar.
The British battleship Prince of Wells and the battlecruiser Repulse, sunk in December 1941 in the South China Sea by Japanese base aircraft, also had unbalanced anti-aircraft weapons. On both ships, universal installations of 102 and 133 mm calibers were not sufficiently supplemented with small-caliber automatic anti-aircraft artillery (only two or three eight-barreled 40-mm pom-pons on each). As a consequence, both the Japanese battleships and the British ships were unable to repel the star-shaped raids by carrier-based or base coastal aviation.
In addition, the fate of the Prince of Wells battleship was affected by a tragic combination of circumstances - the explosion of a not very powerful aircraft torpedo tore off the propeller shaft from the mounts, which turned the side of the ship. Emergency diesel generators were flooded, which, due to a design error, were placed in one compartment in the aft. Therefore, the ship was left without bilge equipment, and also left without the energy of the installation of a universal 133-mm caliber.
BATTLESHIPS AGAINST AVIATION
On the other hand, if the battleship was properly armed, it could successfully stand up for itself in single combat with enemy aircraft. Striking results were demonstrated in the fall of 1942 by the American battleship South Dakota in the battles off the Santa Cruz Islands. The ship had ten 127-mm twin-gun universal installations, sixteen quad installations of 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (64 barrels in total) and forty-nine 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. The ammunition load of 127-mm guns included shells with radio fuses. In the battle, the battleship was attacked by a total of over 50 Japanese dive bombers and torpedo bombers. The ship shot down 26 enemy planes with anti-aircraft artillery fire. At the same time, the enemy managed to drop only one (!) bomb on him. "South Dakota" not only did not allow itself to be seriously damaged, but moreover, it covered the aircraft carrier "Enterprise" with itself, so that it did not receive serious damage. But the aircraft carrier Hornet, next to which there was no battleship, was sunk.
In total, the Japanese lost 100 aircraft in this battle. And in the air there were 233 Japanese aircraft and 171 American ones. That is, one battleship "South Dakota" destroyed 26 percent of all aircraft lost by the Japanese in this battle!
In the same way, during the landing operations of 1944-1945, when the Americans were faced with numerous Japanese base aircraft, the massive anti-aircraft artillery fire of their battleships thwarted all air attacks on these ships. Not one of the American ships received any serious damage, even if it turned out to be without carrier-based aviation cover. At the same time, two or three air bombs or one or two kamikaze hits on aircraft carriers put these ships out of action for a long time.
The experience of the war unambiguously showed that if there were numerous anti-aircraft and universal artillery on board the battleship with fire control systems associated with the radar, its sinking by aviation forces required the involvement of tens and hundreds, namely tens and hundreds, of aircraft. And it became possible only in conditions of absolute air supremacy of one of the parties. It is absolute dominance in the air!
REASONS FOR THE "SUNSET" OF THE BATTLESHIP CLASS
In fact, the era of battleships was considered gone when jet aircraft appeared. During the Second World War, only the Soviet Tu-2 dive bomber was capable of lifting two or three 1,000-kg bombs at once. All other deck and coastal dive bombers could lift one such bomb at most.
Jet fighter-bombers immediately began to carry as many large-caliber bombs as a World War II heavy bomber or even a flight of such aircraft carried. Four - six bombs up to 1,000 kg on the hardpoints of one aircraft became standard equipment for heavy jet attack aircraft and fighter-bombers. A link of four jet aircraft of these classes could bring down about 16-24 such bombs on a ship (for comparison, during the Second World War, such a number of bombs could be carried by the entire air group of a heavy aircraft carrier or coastal aviation regiment). The absence of automatic fire control systems on the battleships of that time did not allow them to successfully respond to the speeds of jet aircraft. Information about air targets was taken from the radar screens visually, then transmitted by voice via telephone or radio to the fire control post of anti-aircraft artillery, manually entered into anti-aircraft fire control devices, then transmitted via communication lines to the guns, and there the gunners manually worked out these settings on anti-aircraft guns. tools. Naturally, the reaction time to the movement of air targets was huge, anti-aircraft artillery was late, did not have time to track targets. At best, she led a barrage.
The appearance of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) did not immediately solve the problem. The control systems of the air defense systems of the first and second generations made it possible to fire only one target from each launcher. At the same time, the launchers of the air defense system on the battleship, even considering its size, could have four to six, no more. The ship could be attacked by not one, not two or three, but ten or more aircraft and missiles at the same time. Even quite numerous air defense systems of the first or second generations were not able to cope with such an attack. And everyone decided that the time of armored giants was gone. Nevertheless, in the opinion of the author of these lines, such ships were clearly in a hurry to “write off”, which we will discuss in more detail later.
In the same way, in my opinion, the idea that battleships are very vulnerable to strikes from under water is untenable. Let's look again at examples from World War II. German submarines managed to sink two British battleships - Royal Oak and Barham, but five aircraft carriers were sunk by Nazi submarines, including two large British ones - Eagle and Coreijers. The loss ratio speaks for itself.
It's a paradox, but modern realities have saved battleships from their most terrible enemies in the air - dive bombers and torpedo bombers. The main weapon of modern aviation - anti-ship missiles - again brought to the fore the issues of ship security.
Let's look at the main components of the possible combat power of modern battleships: security, weapons, energy.
WHAT CAN BE THE LOOK OF A MODERN BATTLESHIP
Modern achievements in metallurgy in the field of high-alloy steels and titanium alloys will allow the battleship to have armor equivalent in terms of protection to 356 - 380-mm armor of the past, but with a smaller thickness and mass, which will make it possible to redistribute the released mass and volumes for armament. As a result, anti-ship missiles, deadly dangerous for ships made of light alloys, will no longer carry a deadly threat for a modern battleship, encased in a shell equivalent to 356-380 mm armor.
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One of the most common anti-ship missiles in the West is the American Harpoon. It carries a warhead weighing 225 kg. In addition, this warhead is high-explosive, not suitable for penetrating thick armor. Thus, this missile is not able to penetrate inside the armored citadel of the ship, where the magazines of ammunition, below-deck missile launchers, boiler room and engine room are located, and, having exploded there, cause irreparable damage to it. On approaching a target at a distance of about 100 km, this missile is equivalent in mass to a 305-mm high-explosive projectile, and its approach speed is two times less than that of the same projectile at the end.
Most anti-ship missiles (ASMs) carry a combined inertial and active radar guidance system. The missile is guided by the reflected radio signal at the largest object or at the target captured first. Therefore, target selection by the point of impact on the target is not carried out. Therefore, from the point of view of probability theory, the most probable point of hit of anti-ship missiles is middle part hulls and superstructures. Namely, this part of the design is most protected in battleships.
In the case of using the "French" booking system, when the armor belt extends from bow to stern, the thickness of the armor can vary from the equivalent of armor protection 102 - 127 mm at the extremities to 356 - 380 mm in the "citadel" area. That is, the freeboard over all or more of its length will provide enough reliable protection from RCC.
And even the use of the “all or nothing” reservation scheme, when the “citadel” is armored to the maximum, and the extremities are covered with only minimal protection, provides a high degree of security in the case of anti-ship missiles. Since, we recall, the most likely point of impact - the middle part of the ship - is protected to the maximum.
Moreover, even if a missile makes a “hill” before hitting the target and hits the ship on the deck, not everything is as tragic for a battleship as it is for other types of ships. The fact is that it has an armored deck or even several decks with a total thickness of 127-180 mm, which makes them practically impervious to high-explosive anti-ship missile warheads.
Thus, to reliably destroy a battleship, it will be necessary to urgently develop missiles with a flight speed of the order of 650-700 m / s or more, with an armor-piercing warhead weighing 750-800 kg, which will entail (while maintaining a flight range of 120-180 km) a sharp an increase in the mass of anti-ship missiles (up to about 3-5 tons) and, accordingly, a decrease in the number of these missiles lifted by one carrier aircraft. It will also require serious improvements to the carriers of such anti-ship missiles. And if now, in order to hit a large surface target, it is enough to bring one or two carrier aircraft with two to four missiles on each of them to the launch line of anti-ship missiles, then to attack a battleship, you will have to lift an entire aviation group into the air, including heavy aircraft capable of carry 3 - 5-ton heavy rockets.
As for guided bombs or air-to-surface missiles with laser or television guidance, when it is possible to aim a missile or bomb at a vulnerable spot, in these cases, the carrier aircraft themselves find themselves in the battleship’s air defense zone and can be neutralized.
As a result, we come to a situation where a modern battleship needs to be attacked directly by aircraft in order to hit the deck with an armor-piercing bomb from a dive or hit it with a torpedo.
However, there remains a risk of failure of fire control systems, weapon guidance and detection of surface and air targets as a result of the destruction of superstructures. This problem can be solved on a battleship due to its size: it is possible to duplicate and triple control and detection systems, create both centralized and local decentralized fire and weapon control systems.
WEAPONS COMPLEX FOR A MODERN BATTLESHIP
A modern battleship with a displacement of 55-57 thousand tons will be able to carry the entire range of weapons: strike, air defense and anti-aircraft defense (anti-aircraft and anti-submarine),
IMPACT WEAPONS
If you deviate from domestic standards, then the strike armament of modern battleships can be represented by main caliber artillery (14-16 inches), universal caliber (130-mm mounts), anti-ship missile systems (SCRM) of long and medium range (BD and SRD), long-range cruise missiles (CRBD ). For example:
- 3 (with 16-inch guns) or 4 (with 14-inch guns) main battery turrets;
- up to 8 twin 130-mm gun mounts (4 mounts per board);
- below-deck vertical launch units (UVP) of the PKRK BD, armored launchers (PU) of the PKR SrD and KRBD on the deck and superstructures (or below-deck UVP for the PKR SrD and KRBD).
The modern development of information technologies provides high automation of fire control of the artillery of the main caliber of the battleship. In the same way, the modern development of mechanization and automation tools makes it possible to automate loading processes as much as possible. Cooling the barrels with outboard water will provide much more high pace firing of main caliber guns in comparison with the predecessors of previous years. The 356-406-mm artillery caliber will make it possible to have guided projectiles in the ammunition load, which will provide a sharp increase in firing accuracy. Thus, it will be possible to achieve a significant reduction in the consumption of ammunition when performing fire missions to support landings on the coast occupied by the enemy.
As a result, a modern battleship will be able to perform the following tasks:
- strike with the main and universal artillery calibers at the enemy's defensive positions on the coast with the support of landings;
- to attack with cruise missiles objects in the depths of the mainland;
- strike at enemy ship formations with long and medium range SCRC, and when approaching - with artillery.
ANTI-AIR WEAPONS
Air defense systems can be represented by the following elements:
- anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) long-range (BD) and short-range (MD) located in the under-deck UVP;
- anti-aircraft missile and gun mounts (ZRPK), anti-aircraft artillery systems (ZAK), as well as a universal artillery caliber used to solve air defense tasks.
multifunctional automated system control of anti-aircraft weapons based on high-performance computers will ensure the control of airspace, tracking and simultaneous destruction of a large number of targets - from ranges of hundreds of kilometers and to the immediate vicinity of the ship. BUT big sizes battleships will make it possible to have a significant ammunition load for air defense systems.
Thus, the battleship will be able to solve the following air defense tasks:
- form the basis of the air defense orders of warships;
- to hit carriers of anti-ship missiles and high-precision weapons (HTO) at extreme ranges by means of air defense systems of the database or to prohibit their attacks;
- to directly hit the anti-ship missiles and weapons of the WTO when they approach the ship with the means of the MD, ZPRK and ZAK air defense systems;
- to hit attacking aircraft carrying free-falling bombs by means of air defense systems outside the zone of dropping their bomb load.
At the same time, air defense is echeloned. Having broken through the zone of destruction of long-range air defense systems, attacking aircraft and weapons find themselves in the zone of fire of 130-mm guns and air defense systems MD. Finally, the last frontier is the 30-mm ZAK and ZPRK. A breakthrough through such a layered air defense will be associated with significant losses.
ANTI-SUB WEAPON
A modern battleship can be equipped with enough effective means PLO, primarily by helicopter, as well as anti-submarine guided missiles (PLUR) and torpedoes in universal rocket-torpedo launchers (URTPU), rocket launchers (RBU). This will make it possible to hit enemy submarines (submarines) both at a great distance and if they are detected in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The presence of a significant ammunition load of PLURs, anti-submarine torpedoes and reactive depth charges will make it possible to fight enemy submarines actively, offensively, until the enemy is destroyed, and not be satisfied with just disrupting an attack by an enemy submarine.
IN A nutshell - ABOUT ENERGY
The experience of operating nuclear surface and submarine ships unambiguously indicates that the most promising for a modern battleship is a nuclear power plant. It will not only reduce the cost of maintaining the daily activities of the ship, but also provide an unlimited range.
However, if the battleship will be created for operations not so much in the ocean as in coastal waters, which implies frequent calls to ports, then, of course, it would be more appropriate to use a conventional power plant.
ON THE ADVANTAGE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF MODERN BATTLESHIPS
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First of all, together with the escort ships, the battleship forms a powerful naval strike group capable of solving a wide range of tasks. The high combat stability of the battleship will make it necessary to attract large forces not only of ships and carrier-based aircraft, but also coastal-based aircraft to counter it. This will weaken the influence of the latter on other forces of the fleet, and this will ensure greater freedom of action.
But even in ocean theaters, the presence of battleships can significantly increase the combat potential, especially of airborne landing formations. Thus, during the first Iraqi war (early 1990s), there was a huge psychological impact on Iraqi soldiers artillery fire of 16-inch guns of the main caliber of American battleships. The introduction of guided projectiles into the ammunition load of the main caliber made it possible to achieve the highest firing accuracy.
The battleship, like no other ship, is suitable for displaying the flag. An aircraft carrier, for all its impressiveness, does not have the opportunity to anchor in view of the coast of the state where undesirable processes are taking place, since even one battery of six-inch howitzers, secretly exposed to direct fire, can cause irreparable damage to the “master of the seas”. And not only six-inch howitzers - even a single tank with a 100-mm cannon, with a good combination of circumstances, can deliver a fatal blow to an aircraft carrier. Similarly, modern cruisers and destroyers close to shore are highly vulnerable to artillery fire.
The armored giant, on the other hand, is able not only to withstand shelling with artillery up to and including 203.2 mm caliber without much damage, but also to give a crushing rebuff almost instantly. And the impressive size of the ship and the caliber of its guns can make many hotheads cool down and not take things to extremes.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Of course, the opponent may object to all these arguments, taking as an example the same United States, where they refuse their Iowa-class battleships.
However, the fact is that, firstly, these battleships were built during the Second World War and they could not be adapted to modern weapons systems, primarily air defense systems. In addition, it was not possible to replace 127-mm twin gun mounts with Mk38 guns with modern 127-mm automatic mounts with water-cooled barrels without serious and costly design improvements. Secondly, after the collapse of the USSR, the Americans adopted the concept of the so-called "non-contact war" as the basis of their strategy. This strategy is based on the defeat of the enemy by the forces of the Air Force, carrier-based aircraft and cruise missiles in conditions of absolute superiority in forces and absolute air supremacy. Landing from the sea is supposed only after the complete suppression of enemy defenses on the coast.
The examples of Iraq and Yugoslavia are just such cases, the war was waged against states exhausted by the blockade. In recent years, it has not been necessary to face an adversary more or less equivalent to the United States. But if such a collision is simulated, it will immediately become clear that relying only on air and missile strikes is futile. It is no coincidence that the United States is by no means in a hurry to launch a war against Iran or North Korea, since it is not sure that it will not receive an adequate rebuff. As well as in the fact that it will be possible to avoid the destruction of their ships by means of enemy weapons, primarily anti-ship missiles. That is, their ship groups can be inflicted with the so-called "unacceptable damage."
In addition, it is worth looking closely at the cost-effectiveness criterion. Which option is more effective: to make two hundred - two hundred and fifty sorties of carrier-based aircraft, or to fire 800-900 shells from 356-mm or 406-mm guns, including 200-300 guided ones, with the same effectiveness of hitting targets? The answer suggests itself.
In addition, exploratory R&D is being carried out in the United States to create the so-called "ships - carriers of weapons." These are ships of large displacement, with powerful protection, carrying a large number of a variety of weapons - artillery and rocket. So far, due to the lack of an urgent need, their creation has not been translated into a practical plane. However, in case of threats, preliminary developments can be quickly transferred to the stage of direct implementation.
Therefore, do not rush to reject the idea of reviving the class of battleships on the move. It is possible that the renaissance of this class of ships is yet to come.
(A. Lobanov, "Soldier of Fortune")
For many years, battleships were considered the most powerful combat units of the world fleet. They were called "sea monsters". And this is no coincidence. Huge, fearless, with a large number of weapons on board - they carried out attacking maneuvers and defended their maritime possessions. The popular dreadnoughts represented the pinnacle of battleship development. And only naval aviation was able to show its superiority over them. Against aircraft, these rulers of the oceans were powerless. They were replaced by aircraft carriers. Nevertheless, battleships left a big mark on history, participating in important battles for hundreds of years. Consider the stages of development of the described ships, starting with the first wooden sailing model and ending with the steel armored dreadnought of the latest generation.
Prerequisites for the creation of sailing ships of the line
The seizure of territories and the expansion of the trade zone became the basis for the financial development of many European powers. In the middle of the 16th century, Spain and Great Britain increasingly clashed off the coast of the New World - the struggle for territory forced them to improve the fleet, which had to not only transport valuable cargo, but also be able to protect its property. The turning point for England was the victory over the Armada in 1588. With the development of trade relations and colonization, it became clear that the sea is the source of the future wealth and power of the country, which must be protected.
Some merchant ships were converted into combat ships - guns and other weapons were installed on them. At this point no one adhered common standards. This heterogeneity had a negative effect in clashes on the high seas. The battle was won by luck, and not as a result of planned tactical maneuvers. For unconditional victories, it was necessary to improve the naval forces.
The first ships of the line
The forerunners of battleships were galleons - large multi-deck merchant ships with artillery on board. In 1510, England built the first artillery ship, named "". Despite the large number of guns, boarding was still considered the main form of combat. The Mary Rose was equipped with special nets to prevent the enemy from entering the deck. This was a period when, at the time of the sea battle, the ships were located haphazardly, as a result of which the artillery could not fully demonstrate its abilities. Cannons from distant ships could even hit their own ships. Often the main weapon against a similar pile of enemy naval forces was a fireship - an old ship that was filled with explosives, set on fire and sent towards the enemy.
At the end of the 16th century, during the next battle, the ships lined up in a wake column for the first time - one after another. It took about 100 years for the world fleet to recognize such an arrangement of warships as the most optimal. Each combat unit at that moment could use its artillery for its intended purpose. However, the variety of ships, most converted from merchant ships, made it impossible to create an ideal line. There were always vulnerable ships in the row, as a result of which the battle could be lost.
HMS Prince Royal 1610
In 1610, the first three-deck ship of the line, HMS Prince Royal, was built in Great Britain, which had 55 guns on board. A few decades later, another similar combat vehicle appeared in service with England, already including 100 pieces of artillery. In 1636, France commissioned "" with 72 guns. The race of military naval weapons between European countries began. The main indicators of combat readiness were considered the number of weapons, speed and the ability of operational maneuvering.
"La Couronne" 1636
The new ships were shorter than their galleon predecessors and lighter. This means that they could quickly get into line, turning sideways to the enemy to launch an attack. Such tactics created an advantage against the background of haphazard shooting from the enemy. With the development of military shipbuilding, the firepower of a warship also increased. Artillery increased its number and impact force.
Wake column during the review 1849
Over time, new combat units began to be divided into classes that differed in the number of weapons:
- Vessels with up to 50 pieces of artillery located on two closed gun decks were not included in combat squadrons for conducting linear battles. They acted as an escort for the convoy.
- Double-deck ships with up to 90 pieces of fire equipment on board formed the basis of most of the military forces of maritime powers.
- Three- and four-deck ships, including from 98 to 144 guns, served as flagships.
The first Russian battleship
Tsar Peter I made a great contribution to the development of Russia, especially in the field of naval forces. Under him, the construction of the first Russian warships began. After studying shipbuilding in Europe, he went to the Voronezh shipyard and began building a ship of the line, later called the Goto Predestination. The sailing ship was equipped with 58 guns and was similar in design to the British brethren. A distinctive feature was a slightly shorter hull and reduced draft. This was due to the fact that "Goto Predestination" was intended for service in the Azov shallow sea.
In 2014, an exact copy of the battleship from the time of Peter the Great was built in Voronezh, today it is used as a floating museum.
Arms race
Along with the development of shipbuilding, smoothbore artillery also evolved. It was necessary to increase the size of the nuclei, to create new types of exploding projectiles. The increase in flight range helped to position their ships at a safe distance. Accuracy and rate of fire contributed to a faster and more successful end to the battle.
The 17th century was marked by the birth of the standardization of naval weapons in terms of caliber and barrel length. Gun ports - special holes in the sides, made it possible to use powerful guns, which, if properly located, did not interfere with the stability of the ship. The main task of such equipment was to cause maximum damage to the crew. After that, the ship was boarded. It was almost impossible to sink the wooden ship itself. Only in the 19th century did the production of new heavy shells begin, carrying a large amount of explosives. These innovations have changed the tactics of warfare. Now the target was not people, but the ship itself. There was a possibility of its sinking. At the same time, the wear of equipment (artillery) was still very fast, and repairs were expensive. The need to create more modern weapons increased.
The production of rifled artillery in the 19th century marked another leap in the field of naval weapons. She had the following advantages:
- Improved shooting accuracy;
- The range of the projectiles was increased, which marked the prospect of combat at long distances;
- It became possible to use heavier shells, inside of which there were explosives.
It should be noted that before the advent of electronic guidance systems, artillery still had low accuracy, since mechanical devices had many errors and inaccuracies.
Armament was used not only for shelling enemy ships. Before the start of the assault on the enemy coast, the battleships carried out artillery preparation - this is how they ensured the safe exit of their soldiers to foreign land.
Metal plating of the hull
An increase in the firing power of naval artillery forced shipbuilders to strengthen the hull of a warship. For production, high quality wood was used, usually oak. Before use, it was dried and stood for several years. To ensure strength, the skin of the ship consisted of two layers - external and internal. The underwater part of the hull was additionally covered with a soft layer of wood that protected the main structure from decay. This layer was updated periodically. Subsequently, the bottoms of wooden ships began to be sheathed with copper.
HMS « Victory » 1765
A striking representative of the battleship of the 18th century with a metal sheathing of the underwater part is the British battleship Victoria (HMS). In connection with the participation of England in the Seven Years' War, its construction was delayed for many years. But this period contributed to obtaining high-quality raw materials for construction - wood began to have excellent characteristics. The underwater part of the ship was sheathed with copper plates attached to the tree with iron nails.
Any ship of that period had a significant drawback - no matter how well the bottom of the ship was made, water still seeped inside, decay occurred, which exuded an unpleasant odor. Therefore, periodically the captain of the Victoria sent sailors to the lower part of the hull to pump out water.
Over the years of service, weapons have changed their number and size several times. At the beginning of the 19th century, it included 104 guns of various calibers. For each gun, 7 people were assigned to ensure the operation of the equipment.
"Victoria" participated in the majority naval battles during the years of her service. One of the most striking was the Battle of Trafalgar. It was on this ship that the commander of the British fleet, Vice Admiral Nelson, was mortally wounded.
It is noteworthy that you can see this ship today. In 1922 it was restored and installed in Portsmouth as a museum.
steam propulsion
Further development of battleships required improved seaworthiness. Sailing ships gradually became obsolete, because they could only move with a good wind. In addition, the strengthening of artillery power made sailing equipment more vulnerable. The period of steam engines powered by coal began. The first samples were equipped with paddle wheels, which, although they ensured the movement of the vessel, but their speed was very low and suitable for river navigation or at sea in absolute calm. However, the new installation interested the military forces of many countries. Testing of steam engines began.
Replacing paddle wheels with propellers helped increase the speed of steamboats. Now even a steam-powered vessel, small in size and armament, was superior to a huge sailing ship of the line. The first one could swim up from any side, regardless of the strength and direction of the wind, and launch an attack. At this time, the second continued to struggle intensely with natural phenomena.
Ships built after the 40s of the 19th century were tried to be equipped with steam engines. Among the first countries to start building military ships with heavy artillery on board were the United States, Great Britain and France.
In 1852, France built its first propeller-driven ship of the line, while retaining the sailing system. Equipping with a steam engine forced to reduce the number of artillery to 90 guns. But this was justified by improving seaworthiness - the speed reached 13.5 knots, which was considered very high rate. Over the next 10 years, about 100 such ships were built in the world.
The appearance of armadillos
The appearance of shells filled with explosives required an urgent renewal of the ship's composition. There was a risk of great damage and burnout of a significant part of the wooden case. After a couple of dozen successful hits, the ship went under water. In addition, the installation of steam engines on the ship increased the risk of immobilization and subsequent flooding if at least one enemy projectile hit the engine room. It was necessary to protect the most vulnerable parts of the hull with steel sheets. Later, the entire ship began to be made of metal, which required a complete redesign. Booking occupied a significant part of the ship's displacement. In order to keep the same amount of artillery, it was necessary to increase the size of the battleship.
A further development of battleships was squadron battleships with an all-metal hull, which became widespread at the end of the 19th century. They had a powerful armor belt that protected against enemy projectiles. Armament included 305 mm, 234 mm and 152 mm artillery. It was assumed that such a variety of equipment would have a positive effect during the battle. Experience has shown that this assertion was erroneous. The simultaneous control of different-caliber guns caused many difficulties, especially at the time of adjusting the fire.
First Giants - Dreadnoughts
The superbattleship Dreadnought, built by Great Britain in 1906, became the crowning achievement of all previous types of battleships. He became the founder of a new class of battleships. It was the first ship in the world to carry a large amount of heavy weapons. The “all-big-gun” rule was followed - “only big guns”.
On board were 10 units of 305-mm artillery. The steam turbine system, first installed on the battleship, made it possible to increase the speed to 21 knots - incredible figures in those years. Hull protection was inferior to the battleships of the Lord Nelson type that preceded it, but all other innovations made a real sensation.
Battleships built after 1906 on the all-big-gun principle became known as dreadnoughts. They played an important role during the First World War. Each maritime power sought to have at least one dreadnought-type ship in service. The United States and Great Britain have become the undisputed leaders in the number of such vessels. However, the 40s of the 20th century and naval battles involving aviation showed the vulnerability of sea giants.
Battle of Gabbard (1653)
The first positive experience of linear combat was recorded in 1653. The wake position of the English ships, one behind the other, easily repelled the first attack of the Netherlands, which also lost two ships. The next day, Dutch Admiral Marten Tromp again gave the order to advance. This was his fatal mistake, the fleet was defeated. 6 ships were sunk, 11 captured. England did not lose a single ship, and besides, she gained control of the English Channel.
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
In July 1690, there was a collision between French and allied (England, Holland) ships. Admiral of France Tourville led 70 ships of the line, which he put up in three rows:
- The first line - the vanguard, consisted of 22 battleships;
- The second is a corps debatalia, 28 vessels;
- The third is the rearguard, 20 battleships.
The enemy also lined up his weapons in three rows. It consisted of 57 battleships, which at times surpassed the French in terms of the number of artillery. However, Tourville's tactics managed to win an undeniable victory without losing a single ship. The Allies lost 16 battleships, another 28 were seriously damaged.
This battle allowed the French to seize control of the English Channel, which led the English fleet into disarray. A few days later they regained their maritime borders. The Battle of Beachy Head went down in history as one of the largest battles of sailing ships of the line.
Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
During the years of Napoleon's reign, the French-Spanish fleet met with fierce resistance from the British naval forces. Not far from Cape Trafalgar in Atlantic Ocean the allies lined up the ships in a linear pattern - in three rows. However, bad weather conditions and the beginning of a storm did not allow fighting at a long distance. After analyzing the situation, the English Admiral Nelson, on board the battleship Victoria, ordered the ships to group in two columns.
Further battle tactics of the British Royal Navy proved to be more successful. None of the ships were sunk, although many were seriously damaged. The Allies lost 18 sailboats, 17 of which were captured. The commander of the English fleet was wounded. On the first day of the battle, a French gunner aboard the ironclad Redoutable fired his musket. The bullet hit the shoulder. Nelson was taken to the infirmary, but he was never cured.
Battle of Jutland (1916)
The most famous battle with the use of dreadnoughts took place off the coast of the Jutland Peninsula. For two days, the German and British battleships tested their strength and capabilities. As a result, each side declared its victory. Germany claimed that the loser was the one with the most big losses. The Royal Navy believed that the winner is the country that did not move away from the battlefield.
Regardless of the outcome, this battle was a huge experience, which was later studied in detail. The construction of all subsequent world dreadnoughts was based on it. All shortcomings were taken into account, the most vulnerable places on the ship were fixed, in which armor should be strengthened. Also, the knowledge gained forced the designers to change the location of the main caliber towers. Despite the fact that a large number of weapons were involved in the battle, this clash did not affect the outcome of the First World War in any way.
End of the battleship era
The attack of the Japanese Imperial Navy on the American base of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 showed the unviability of the battleships. Enormous, clumsy and vulnerable to air attack, their heavy weapons, hitting for tens of kilometers, became useless. The sinking of several pieces of equipment blocked the possibility of going to sea for the rest of the warships. As a result, they lost a significant part of modern battleships.
The end of World War II marked the final end of the battleship era. Last years battles showed that these ships cannot defend themselves against submarines. They were replaced by even more powerful and gigantic ones, carrying dozens of aircraft.
At the same time, the dreadnoughts did not immediately write off, their phased replacement was necessary. So, in 1991, the last American battleships Missouri and Wisconsin, built during the Second World War, made a trip to the Persian Gulf, where they fired Tomahawk cruise missiles. In 1992, the Missouri was withdrawn from service. In 2006, the last dreadnought in the world, the Wisconsin, also left service.
Battleship
Battleship(abbreviated from "ship of the line") - a class of armored artillery warships with a displacement of 20 to 70 thousand tons, a length of 150 to 280 m, armed with main caliber guns from 280 to 460 mm, with a crew of 1500-2800 people. Battleships were used in the 20th century to destroy enemy ships as part of a combat formation and artillery support for land operations. It was an evolutionary development of armadillos in the second half of the 19th century.
origin of name
Battleship - short for "battleship". So in Russia in 1907 they named a new type of ships in memory of the old wooden sailing ships of the line. Initially, the new ships were supposed to revive linear tactics, but this was soon abandoned.
The English analogue of this term - battleship (literally: warship) - also came from sailing ships of the line. In 1794, the term "line-of-battle ship" (ship of the battle line) was abbreviated as "battle ship". In the future, it was used in relation to any warship. From the late 1880s, unofficially, it was most often applied to squadron ironclads. In 1892, the reclassification of the British Navy called the word "battleship" a class of super-heavy ships, which included several especially heavy squadron ironclads.
But the real revolution in shipbuilding, which really marked new class ships, built the Dreadnought, completed in 1906.
Dreadnoughts. "Only Big Guns"
The authorship of a new leap in the development of large artillery ships is attributed to the English Admiral Fisher. Back in 1899, commanding the Mediterranean squadron, he noted that firing with the main caliber can be carried out at a much greater distance if guided by splashes from falling shells. However, at the same time, it was necessary to unify all artillery in order to avoid confusion in determining the bursts of shells of the main caliber and medium-caliber artillery. Thus was born the concept of all-big-guns (only big guns), which formed the basis of a new type of ship. The effective firing range increased from 10-15 to 90-120 cables.
Other innovations that formed the basis of the new type of ships were centralized fire control from a single general ship post and the spread of electric drives, which accelerated the guidance of heavy guns. The guns themselves have also changed significantly, due to the transition to smokeless powder and new high-strength steels. Now only the lead ship could carry out sighting, and those following in the wake were guided by bursts of its shells. Thus, building in wake columns again allowed in Russia in 1907 to return the term battleship. In the USA, England and France, the term "battleship" was not revived, and new ships continued to be called "battleship" or "cuirassé". In Russia, the "battleship" remained the official term, but in practice the abbreviation was established battleship.
Battlecruiser Hood.
The naval community adopted the new class capital ships ambiguously, weak and incomplete armor protection caused particular criticism. However, the British Navy continued to develop this type, first building 3 cruisers of the Indifatigeble class (Eng. Indefatigable) - an improved version of the Invincible, and then moved on to the construction of battlecruisers with 343 mm artillery. They were 3 Lion-class cruisers (Eng. Leon), as well as built in a single copy of the "Tiger" (Eng. Tiger) . These ships had already surpassed their contemporary battleships in size, were very fast, but their armor, although increased in comparison with the Invincible, still did not meet the requirements of a battle with a similarly armed enemy.
Already during the First World War, the British continued to build battlecruisers in accordance with the concept of Fisher, who returned to leadership - the highest possible speed combined with the strongest weapons, but with weak armor. As a result, the Royal Navy received 2 Rinaun-class battlecruisers, as well as 2 Koreages-class light battlecruisers and 1 Furies-class, the latter being rebuilt into a semi-aircraft carrier even before commissioning. The last British battlecruiser commissioned was the Hood, and its design was significantly changed after the battle of Jutland, which was unsuccessful for the British battlecruisers. The ship's armor was sharply increased, and it actually became a cruiser battleship.
Battlecruiser Goeben.
A noticeably different approach to the design of battlecruisers was demonstrated by German shipbuilders. To a certain extent, sacrificing seaworthiness, cruising range and even firepower, they paid great attention to the armor protection of their battlecruisers and ensuring their unsinkability. Already the first German battlecruiser "Von der Tann" (German. Von der Tann), yielding to the Invincible in the weight of an airborne salvo, it noticeably surpassed its British counterparts in security.
In the future, developing a successful project, the Germans introduced into their fleet battlecruisers of the Moltke type (German. Moltke) (2 units) and their improved version - "Seidlitz" (it. Seydlitz). Then the German fleet was replenished with battlecruisers with 305-mm artillery, against 280-mm on early ships. They became "Derflinger" (German. Derfflinger), "Lützow" (German. Lutzow) and "Hindenburg" (German. Hindenburg) - according to experts, the most successful battlecruisers of the First World War.
Battlecruiser Kongo.
Already during the war, the Germans laid down 4 Mackensen-class battlecruisers (German. Mackensen) and 3 types "Ersatz-York" (it. Ersatz Yorck). The former carried 350 mm artillery, while the latter were planned to mount 380 mm guns. Both types were distinguished by powerful armor protection at a moderate speed, but by the end of the war, none of the ships under construction entered service.
Battlecruisers also wished to have Japan and Russia. The Japanese fleet received in 1913-1915 4 units of the Kongo type (jap. 金剛) - powerfully armed, fast, but poorly protected. The Russian Imperial Navy built 4 units of the Izmail type, which were distinguished by very powerful weapons, decent speed and good protection, surpassing the battleships of the Gangut type in all respects. The first 3 ships were launched in 1915, but later, due to the difficulties of the war years, their construction slowed down sharply and was eventually stopped.
World War I
During World War I, the German Hochseeflotte - High Seas Fleet and the English Grand Fleet spent most of their time at their bases, as the strategic importance of the ships seemed too great to risk in battle. The only clash of battleship fleets in this war (Battle of Jutland) took place on May 31, 1916. The German fleet intended to lure the English fleet out of the bases and break it up in parts, but the British, having guessed the plan, put their entire fleet into the sea. Faced with superior forces, the Germans were forced to retreat, avoiding being trapped several times and losing several of their ships (11 to 14 of the British). However, after that, until the very end of the war, the High Seas Fleet was forced to remain off the coast of Germany.
In total, during the war, not a single battleship went to the bottom only from artillery fire, only three English battlecruisers died due to weak defenses during the battle of Jutland. The main damage (22 dead ships) to the battleships was caused by minefields and submarine torpedoes, anticipating the future importance of the submarine fleet.
Russian battleships did not participate in naval battles - in the Baltic they stood in the harbors, connected by a mine and torpedo threat, and on the Black Sea they had no worthy rivals, and their role was reduced to artillery bombardments. The exception is the battle of the battleship "Empress Catherine the Great" with the battlecruiser "Goeben", during which the "Goeben", having received damage from the fire of the Russian battleship, managed to maintain an advantage in speed and went to the Bosphorus. The battleship "Empress Maria" died in 1916 from an explosion of ammunition in the harbor of Sevastopol for an unspecified reason.
Washington Maritime Agreement
First World War did not put an end to the naval arms race, for the place of the European powers as owners of the largest fleets was taken by America and Japan, who practically did not participate in the war. After the construction of the newest superdreadnoughts of the Ise type, the Japanese finally believed in the possibilities of their shipbuilding industry and began to prepare their fleet to establish dominance in the region. These aspirations were reflected in the ambitious 8 + 8 program, which provided for the construction of 8 newest battleships and 8 equally powerful battlecruisers, with 410 mm and 460 mm guns. The first pair of Nagato-class ships had already launched, two battlecruisers (with 5 × 2 × 410 mm) were on the stocks, when the Americans, concerned about this, adopted a response program for the construction of 10 new battleships and 6 battlecruisers, not counting smaller ships. War-ravaged England also did not want to lag behind and planned the construction of ships of the G-3 and N-3 type, although it could no longer maintain the "double standard". However, such a burden on the budgets of the world powers was extremely undesirable in the post-war situation, and everyone was ready to make concessions in order to maintain the existing position.
To counter the ever-increasing underwater threat, the size of anti-torpedo protection zones on ships increased more and more. To protect against projectiles coming from afar, therefore, at a large angle, as well as from aerial bombs, the thickness of the armored decks (up to 160-200mm), which received a spaced structure, was increasingly increased. Wide application electric welding made it possible to make the structure not only more durable, but also gave significant savings in weight. Anti-mine caliber artillery moved from the side sponsons to the towers, where it had large angles of fire. The number of anti-aircraft artillery was constantly increasing, divided into large-caliber and small-caliber, to repel attacks, respectively, at large and small distances. Large-caliber, and then small-caliber artillery received separate guidance posts. The idea of a universal caliber was tested, which was a rapid-fire large-caliber guns with large pointing angles, suitable for repelling attacks by destroyers and high-altitude bombers.
All ships were equipped with airborne reconnaissance seaplanes with catapults, and in the second half of the 30s, the British began to install the first radars on their ships.
The military also had at its disposal a lot of ships from the end of the “superdreadnought” era, which were being upgraded to meet the new requirements. They received new machine installations to replace the old ones, more powerful and compact. However, their speed did not increase at the same time, and often even fell, due to the fact that the ships received large side fittings in the underwater part - boules - designed to improve resistance to underwater explosions. The main caliber towers received new, enlarged embrasures, which made it possible to increase the firing range, for example, the firing range of the 15-inch guns of the Queen Elizabeth ships increased from 116 to 160 cable guns.
In Japan, under the influence of Admiral Yamamoto, in the fight against their main intended enemy - the United States - they relied on a general battle of all naval forces, due to the impossibility of a long confrontation with the United States. The main role in this was assigned to new battleships (although Yamamoto himself was against such ships), which were supposed to replace the unbuilt ships of the 8 + 8 program. Moreover, back in the late 1920s, it was decided that within the framework of the Washington Agreement it would not be possible to create sufficiently powerful ships that would have superiority over the American ones. Therefore, the Japanese decided to ignore the restrictions by building ships of the greatest possible power, dubbed the "Yamato type". The largest ships in the world (64,000 tons) were equipped with record-breaking 460 mm caliber guns that fired 1,460 kg shells. The thickness of the side belt reached 410 mm, however, the value of the armor was reduced by its lower quality compared to European and American. The huge size and cost of the ships led to the fact that only two were completed - the Yamato and Musashi.
Richelieu
In Europe, over the next few years, ships such as Bismarck" (Germany, 2 units), "King George V"" (Great Britain, 5 units), "Littorio" (Italy, 3 units), "Richelieu" (France, 2 pieces). Formally, they were bound by the limitations of the Washington Agreement, but in reality all the ships exceeded the contractual limit (38-42 thousand tons), especially the German ones. The French ships were actually enlarged versions of the small Dunkirk-class battleships and were of interest because they had only two turrets, both in the bow of the ship, thus losing the ability to shoot directly at the stern. But the towers were 4-gun, and the dead angle in the stern was rather small. The ships were also interested in strong anti-torpedo protection (up to 7 meters wide). Only Yamato (up to 5 m, but the thick anti-torpedo bulkhead and large displacement of the battleship somewhat compensated for the relatively small width) and Littorio (up to 7.57 m, however, the original Pugliese system) could compete with this indicator. Booking of these ships was considered one of the best among the "35-thousand-ton".
USS Massachusetts
In the United States, when building new ships, a requirement was made for a maximum width of 32.8 m so that the ships could pass through the Panama Canal, which was owned by the United States. If for the first ships of the North Caroline and South Dakota type this did not yet play a big role, then for the last ships of the Iowa type, which had an increased displacement, it was necessary to use elongated pear-shaped hull shapes. Also, American ships were distinguished by powerful 406 mm caliber guns with shells weighing 1225 kg, which is why all ten ships of the three new series had to sacrifice side armor (305 mm at an angle of 17 degrees on the North Caroline, 310 mm at an angle of 19 degrees - on the South Dakota and 307 mm at the same angle on the Iowa), and on the six ships of the first two series, also the speed (27 knots). On four ships of the third series (“Iowa type”, due to the larger displacement, this drawback was partially corrected: the speed was increased (officially) to 33 knots, but the thickness of the belt even decreased to 307 mm (although officially, for the purposes of the propaganda campaign, it was announced 457 mm), however, the thickness of the outer skin increased from 32 to 38 mm, but this did not play a significant role.The armament increased somewhat, the main caliber guns became 5 calibers longer (from 45 to 50 cal.).
Operating with the Tirpitz Scharnhorst in 1943 met with the English battleship Duke of York, heavy cruiser Norfolk, light cruiser Jamaica and destroyers and was sunk. The Gneisenau of the same type during the breakthrough from Brest to Norway across the English Channel (Operation Cerberus) was heavily damaged by British aircraft (partial explosion of ammunition) and did not go out of repair until the end of the war.
The last battle in naval history directly between battleships took place on the night of October 25, 1944 in the Surigao Strait, when 6 American battleships attacked and sank the Japanese Fuso and Yamashiro. The American battleships anchored across the strait and fired broadside salvos with all their main battery guns along the radar bearing. The Japanese, who did not have shipborne radars, could only fire from the bow guns almost at random, focusing on the muzzle flashes of the American guns.
In the changed circumstances, projects to build even larger battleships (the American "Montana" and the Japanese "Super Yamato") were canceled. The last battleship to enter service was the British Vanguard (1946), laid down before the war, but completed only after it ended.
The impasse in the development of battleships was shown by the German projects H42 and H44, according to which a ship with a displacement of 120-140 thousand tons was supposed to have 508 mm artillery and 330 mm deck armor. The deck, which had a much larger area than the armored belt, could not be protected against aerial bombs without excessive weighting, while the decks of the available battleships were pierced by 500 and 1000 kg bombs.
After World War II
After the war, most of the battleships were scrapped by 1960 - they were too expensive for war-weary economies and no longer had their former military value. Aircraft carriers and, a little later, nuclear submarines took on the role of the main carrier of nuclear weapons.
Only the United States used its last battleships (of the New Jersey type) for artillery support of ground operations several more times, due to the relative cheapness of shelling the coast with heavy shells in areas, as well as the extraordinary firepower of ships (after upgrading the system loading, for an hour of firing, Iowa could fire about a thousand tons of shells, which is still not available to any of the aircraft carriers). Although it must be admitted that having a very small (70 kg for 862 kg high-explosive and only 18 kg for 1225 kg armor-piercing) explosive shells of American battleships were not the best suited for shelling the coast, and they did not gather to develop a powerful high-explosive projectile. Before the Korean War, all four Iowa-class battleships were recommissioned. In Vietnam, "New Jersey" was used.
Under President Reagan, these ships were decommissioned and recommissioned. They were called upon to become the core of new strike ship groups, for which they were re-equipped and became capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles (8 4-charge containers) and Harpoon-type anti-ship missiles (32 missiles). "New Jersey" participated in the shelling of Lebanon in -1984, and "Missouri" and "Wisconsin" fired the main caliber at ground targets during the first Gulf War g. The shelling of Iraqi positions and stationary objects with the main caliber of battleships with the same effectiveness turned out to be much cheaper than a rocket. The well-protected and spacious battleships also proved to be effective as headquarters ships. However, high costs for the re-equipment of old battleships (300-500 million dollars each) and the high cost of their maintenance led to the fact that all four ships were again decommissioned in the nineties of the XX century. The New Jersey was sent to the Naval Museum in Camden, the Missouri became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, the Iowa is mothballed at the Reserve Fleet in Susan Bay, California, and the Wisconsin maintained in B-class conservation at the Norfolk Maritime Museum. Nevertheless, the combat service of the battleships can be resumed, since during the conservation, the legislators especially insisted on maintaining the combat readiness of at least two of the four battleships.
Although now battleships are absent in the combat composition of the fleets of the world, their ideological successor is called "arsenal ships", carriers a large number cruise missiles, which should become a kind of floating missile depots, located near the coast for launching missile strikes on it if necessary. There are talks about the creation of such ships in American maritime circles, but to date, not a single such ship has been built.
