Japanese battleships of the First World War. The best battleships of World War II
By the time the Second World War ended, the class of high-speed battleships had reached the limit of its development, advantageously combining the destructive power and security of dreadnoughts with the high speed of battlecruisers; these examples of naval weapons performed many amazing feats under the flags of all the warring states.
It is not possible to compile any “rating” of battleships of those years - four favorites are vying for first place, and each of them has the most serious reasons for this. As for the rest of the places of the honorary podium, it is generally impossible to do any conscious choice. 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 combat dictated different rules: inland seas or open ocean, proximity or, conversely, extreme remoteness of bases. Classic squadron battles with the same monsters or a bloody mess with repelling endless air attacks and shelling of fortifications on the enemy coast.
Ships cannot be considered in isolation from the geopolitical situation, the state of scientific, industrial and financial spheres states - all this left a significant imprint on their design.
A direct comparison between any Italian "Littorio" and the American "North Caroline" is completely excluded.
However, the contenders for the title of best battleship are visible to the naked eye. These are the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Iowa and Yamato - ships that even those who have never been interested in the fleet have heard of.
Living according to the teachings of Sun Tzu
...Her Majesty's battleships "Anson" and "Duke of York", aircraft carriers "Victory", "Furious", escort aircraft carriers "Seacher", "Empuere", "Pesuer", "Fanser", cruisers "Belfast", "Bellona" , “Royalist”, “Sheffield”, “Jamaica”, destroyers “Javelin”, “Virago”, “Meteor”, “Swift”, “Vigilant”, “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 with this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Altafjord - where, under the gloomy arches of the Norwegian rocks, the pride of the Kriegsmarine, the super-battleship Tirpitz, rusted.
The results of Operation Tungsten are assessed as controversial - carrier-based aircraft managed to bomb the German base and cause serious damage to the battleship's superstructure. However, another Pearl Harbor did not work out - the British were unable to 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 discovered leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.
...In total, during its 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.
Hidden behind an anti-torpedo net, the ship was invulnerable to Allied torpedo weapons. At the same time, aerial bombs turned out to be ineffective against such a well-protected target; it was possible to destroy the armored citadel of the battleship for an infinitely long time, but the destruction of the 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; raids by carrier-based and strategic aviation. Local informant agents, 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 enemy ships, it shackled all British actions 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: planning any operation began with the question “What to do if
"Tirpitz" will leave its anchorage and go to sea?
It was the Tirpitz that scared away the escort of convoy PQ-17. He was hunted by all the battleships and aircraft carriers of the metropolitan fleet in the Arctic latitudes. The K-21 boat shot at him. For his sake, 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 monstrous 5-ton Tallboy bombs.
Tallboy
The impressive success of the battleship Tirpitz is a legacy left from the legendary Bismarck, a sister battleship, the encounter with which forever instilled fear in the hearts of the British: a funeral pillar of flame soared above the British battlecruiser HMS Hood froze before our eyes. During the battle in the Denmark Strait, the gloomy Teutonic knight needed only five volleys to deal with the British “gentleman”.
"Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" on 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 main, medium and universal caliber!
What a tough guy!
Hieroglyph "loyalty". Yamato-class battleships
There are three useless things in the world: the Cheops pyramid, the Great Wall of China and the battleship Yamato...Really?
This is what happened with the battleships Yamato and Musashi: they were undeservedly slandered. A persistent image of “losers”, useless “Venderwaffles” who died shamefully at the first meeting with the enemy, developed around them.
But based on the facts, we have the following:
The ships were designed and built on time, managed to fight and finally accepted 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 Sansiki 3 fireworks (460 mm anti-aircraft shells), nor hundreds of small-caliber magazine-fed machine guns could replace modern anti-aircraft guns and control systems with fire adjustment based on radar data.
Weak PTZ?
I am begging you! "Musashi" and "Yamato" died after 10-11 torpedo hits - no battleship on the planet could have withstood so many (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, the most”
The largest battleship in history and, concurrently, the largest warship that took part in the Second World War.
70 thousand tons of total displacement.
The main caliber is 460 mm.
Armored belt - 40 centimeters of solid metal.
The walls of the conning tower are half a meter of armor.
The thickness of the front part of the main battery turret is even greater - 65 centimeters of steel protection.
A grandiose spectacle!
The main miscalculation of the Japanese was the veil of extreme secrecy that shrouded everything related to the Yamato-class battleships. To date, only a few photographs of these monsters exist - mostly taken from American aircraft.
Such ships were worth being proud of 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 guns of 406 mm caliber.
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 - just as it happened with the Tirpitz. The Yankees would rush to build similar ships with half-meter armor and 460 or even 508 mm guns - in general, it would be fun. The strategic effect of Japanese super-battleships could be much greater.
Yamato Museum in Kure. The Japanese carefully preserve the memory of their "Varyag"
How did the leviathans die?
The Musashi sailed all day in the Sibuyan Sea under heavy attacks from aircraft from five American aircraft carriers. He walked all day, and by the evening he died, receiving, according to various estimates, 11-19 torpedoes and 10-17 aircraft bombs...
Do you think the Japanese battleship had great security and combat stability? And which of his peers could repeat this?
"Yamato"...death from above was his destiny. Traces of torpedoes, the sky is black from planes...
To put it bluntly, Yamato committed honorable seppuku, sailing 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 small escort in two hours.
Era high technology. Iowa-class battleships
What if?
What if, instead of the Yamato, a battleship identical to the American Iowa came out to meet Admiral Mitscher's 58th task force? What if Japanese industry had been able to create air defense systems similar to those found on US Navy ships at the time?
How would the battle between the battleship and 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 the dry indices are hidden masterpieces of technical progress - analog computers and automatic fire control systems, radars, radio altimeters and projectiles 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 belt-fed Oerlikon assault rifles... There is a considerable chance that the American air attack could drown in blood, and the damaged neo-Yamato could limp to Okinawa and run aground, turning into an invincible artillery battery (according to the Ten-Ichi-Go operation plan).
Everything could have been... alas, the Yamato went to the seabed, and the impressive complex of anti-aircraft weapons became the prerogative of the American Iowas.
It is absolutely impossible to come to terms with the idea that the Americans have the best ship again. US haters will quickly 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 fend off attacks from enemy destroyers only with universal anti-aircraft guns (5 inches, 127 mm).
Also, among the shortcomings of the Iowas are the lack of reloading compartments in the main battery towers, worse seaworthiness and “wave surfing” (compared to the same British Vanguard), the relative weakness of their PTZ compared to the Japanese “long lances”, “fraud” with declared maximum speed (at a measured mile, the battleships barely accelerated to 31 knots - instead of the declared 33!).
But perhaps the most serious of all accusations is the weakness of the armor compared to any of their peers - the Iowa's beam bulkheads especially raise many questions.
Of course, defenders of American shipbuilding will now go into overdrive, proving that all of the Iowa's listed shortcomings are just an illusion; the ship was designed for a specific situation and ideally suited the conditions of the Pacific Theater of Operations.
The lack of a medium caliber became an advantage of American battleships: universal “five-inch” guns were enough to fight surface and air targets; there was no point in taking 150 mm guns on board as “ballast”. And the presence of “advanced” fire control systems completely eliminated the factor of the lack of “medium caliber”.
Accusations of 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 a battleship in stormy weather, this myth was born in our time. More modern sailors were surprised by the habits of the armored monster: instead of calmly rocking 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 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 at all with the range of shells: the ship had a whole range of armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition and charges of varying power; after the war, “cassette” Mk.144 and Mk.146 appeared, filled with 400 and, accordingly, 666 explosive grenades. A little later, the Mk.23 special ammunition with a 1 kt nuclear warhead was developed.
As for the “shortage” of the design speed at the measured mile, the Iowa tests were carried out with limited power of the power plant - just like that, without a good reason, to boost the cars to the design 254,000 hp. the thrifty Yankees refused.
The general impression of the Iowas can only be spoiled by their relatively low security... however, this disadvantage is more than compensated for by the many other advantages of the battleship.
The Iowas have more service than all other WWII battleships combined - World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq... Battleships of this type outlived everyone - modernization in 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 return receiving 32 Tomahawk SLCMs, 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SeaSparrow air defense systems, modern radars and Phalanx close combat systems.
Off the coast of Iraq
However, the physical wear and tear of mechanisms and the end 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 became large naval museums.
Well, the favorites have been identified. Now is the time to mention a number of other armored monsters - after all, each of them is worthy of its own portion of surprise and admiration.
For example, Jean Bart is one of two Richelieu-class battleships built. An elegant French ship with a unique silhouette: two four-gun turrets in the bow, a stylish superstructure, a dashingly curved back 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 layout and thickness of the Richelieu armor was even better than many of its larger peers. And all this was successfully combined with a speed of more than 30 knots - the “French” 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, a naval battle with the British and American fleets in Casablanca and Dakar, repairs in the USA, and then a long happy service under the flag of France until the second half of the 1960s.
But here is a magnificent trinity from the Apennine Peninsula - Italian battleships of the Littorio class.
These ships are usually the object of severe criticism, but if applied A complex 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 ingenious concept of the Italian fleet - to hell with greater autonomy and fuel reserves! - Italy is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, all bases are nearby.
The saved load reserve was spent on armor and weapons. As a result, Littorio had 9 main caliber guns in three rotating turrets - more than any of their European counterparts.
"Roma"
A noble silhouette, high-quality lines, good seaworthiness and high speed are in the best traditions of the Italian school of shipbuilding.
Ingenious anti-torpedo protection based on calculations by Umberto Pugliese.
At a minimum, the staggered reservation scheme deserves attention. In general, when it comes to armor, Littorio-class battleships deserve the highest marks.
As for the rest...
As for the rest, the Italian battleships turned out to be bad - it is still a mystery why the Italians’ guns fired so crookedly - despite excellent armor penetration, the 15-inch Italian shells had surprisingly low accuracy and accuracy of fire. Rebooting gun barrels? The quality of the liners and shells? Or maybe the national characteristics of the Italian character had an impact?
In any case, the main problem of the Littorio-class battleships was their incompetent use. The Italian sailors never managed to engage in a general battle with Her Majesty's fleet. Instead, the lead “Litttorio” was sunk right at its anchorage during a British raid on the Taranto naval base (the cheerful slobs 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 out of the idea with the Italian battleships. The battleship Roma ended its combat journey brighter and more tragically than anyone else, disappearing in a deafening explosion of its own artillery magazines - the result of a well-aimed hit by a German guided air bomb "Fritz-X" (air bombs? That's an understatement. The 1360-kilogram ammunition "Fritz-X" was little like regular bomb).
Epilogue.
There were different battleships. Some of them were formidable and effective. There were no less formidable ones, but ineffective ones. But every time, the fact that the enemy had such ships caused the opposite side a lot of trouble and anxiety.
Battleships always remain battleships. Powerful and destructive ships with the highest combat stability.
For a certain time, they were significantly inferior in terms of technology and armament to slow-moving battleships. But already in the 20th century, countries wishing to strengthen their fleets began to create battleships that would have no equal in firepower. But not all states could afford to build such a ship. Superships had enormous costs. Let's take a look at the world's largest battleship, its features and other important details.
"Richelieu" and "Bismarck"
The French ship called Richelieu boasts a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The length of the vessel is about 247 meters. The main purpose of the ship was to contain the Italian fleet, but this battleship never saw active combat operations. The only exception is the Senegalese operation of 1940. In 1968, Richelieu, named after the French cardinal, was scrapped. One of the main weapons is installed in Brest as a monument.
"Bismarck" is one of the legendary ships of the German fleet. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, and the displacement is 51 thousand tons. The battleship was launched in 1938, with Adolf Hitler himself present. In 1941 the ship was sunk by forces resulting in the death of many people. But this is far from the world’s largest battleship, so let’s move on.
German "Tirpitz" and Japanese "Yamato"
Of course, the Tirpitz is not the largest battleship in the world, but during the war it had outstanding specifications. However, after the destruction of the Bismarck, he never took an active part in the hostilities. It was launched in 1939, and already in 1944 it was destroyed by torpedo bombers.
But the Japanese "Yamato" is the world's largest battleship, which was sunk as a result of battles. The Japanese treated this ship very carefully, so it did not take part in hostilities until 1944, although such an opportunity arose more than once. It was launched in 1941. The length of the vessel is 263 meters. There were 2.5 thousand crew members on board at all times. In April 1945, as a result of an attack from the American fleet, it received 23 direct hits from torpedoes. As a result, the bow compartment exploded and the ship sank to the bottom. According to approximate data, more than 3,000 people died and only 268 managed to escape as a result of the shipwreck.
Another tragic story
Japanese battleships had bad luck on the battlefield during World War II. It is difficult to name the exact reason. Whether it was a technical issue or whether the command was to blame will remain a mystery. Nevertheless, after Yamato, another giant was built - Musashi. It was 263 meters long with a displacement of 72 thousand tons. First launched in 1942. But this ship also faced the tragic fate of its predecessor. The first one was, one might say, successful. After an attack by an American submarine, the Musashi received a serious hole in the bow, but safely left the battlefield. But after some time in the Sibuyan Sea, the ship was attacked by American aircraft. The main blow fell on this battleship.
As a result of 30 direct hits from bombs, the ship sank. More than 1,000 crew members and the ship's captain died then. In 2015, Musashi was discovered by an American millionaire at a depth of 1.5 kilometers.
Who had dominance in the ocean?
Here we can definitely say - America. The fact is that the largest battleship in the world was built there. Moreover, during the war the USA had more than 10 combat-ready superships, while Germany had only about 5. The USSR had none at all. Although today we know about a project called " Soviet Union". It was developed during the war, and the ship was already 20% built, but nothing more.
The world's largest battleship of the war, which was decommissioned later than all others, was the USS Wisconsin. It went to port in Norfolk in 2006, where it remains today as a museum exhibit. This giant was 270 meters long with a displacement of 55 thousand tons. During the war, he actively took part in various special operations and accompanied aircraft carrier groups. Last time was deployed during the fighting in the Persian Gulf.
Top 3 giants from America
"Iowa" is an American battleship 270 meters long with a displacement of 58 thousand tons. This is one of the most outstanding US ships, even if it is not the largest ship in the world. was first launched in 1943 and took part in many naval battles. Actively used as an escort for aircraft carriers, also used for support ground forces. In 2012 it was sent to Los Angeles, where it is now located as a museum.
But almost every American knows about the “black dragon”. "New Jersey" was so nicknamed because it terrified with its mere presence on the battlefield. This is the world's largest battleship in history, which took part in the Vietnam War. It was launched in 1943 and was similar in type to the Iowa ship. The length of the vessel was 270.5 meters. This is a real veteran of naval battles, who in 1991 was sent to the port of Camden. It is still there and serves as a tourist attraction.
The world's largest battleship of World War II
The honorable first place is occupied by the ship "Missouri". She was not only the largest representative (271 meters in length), but was also the last American battleship. This ship is known mostly because it was on board that the Japanese surrender pact was signed. But at the same time, the Missouri took an active part in the hostilities. It was launched from the shipyard back in 1944 and was used to escort aircraft carrier groups and support various special operations. He fired his last shot in the Persian Gulf. In 1992, it was decommissioned from US reserves and went to storage at Pearl Harbor.
This is one of the most famous ships in America and the whole world. More than one documentary film has been made about him. By the way, millions of dollars are spent annually in the United States to maintain the operating condition of already decommissioned battleships, because this is of historical value.
Hopes were not justified
Even the world's largest battleship of war did not live up to the expectations placed on it. A striking example of this is the Japanese giants, which were destroyed by American bombers without having time to respond with their main calibers. All this indicated low effectiveness against aviation.
Nevertheless, the firepower of the battleships was simply amazing. For example, the Yamato was equipped with 460 mm artillery guns weighing almost 3 tons each. In total there were about 9 such guns on board. True, the designers introduced a ban on simultaneous salvos, as this would inevitably lead to mechanical damage to the ship.
Protection was also an important aspect. Armor plates of varying thickness protected the most important components and assemblies of the ship and were supposed to provide it with buoyancy in any situation. The main gun had a 630 mm mantlet. Not a single gun in the world could penetrate it, even when fired almost point-blank. But still this did not save the battleship from destruction.
He was attacked by American attack aircraft almost the whole day. Total aircraft that took part in the special operation reached 150 aircraft. After the first breakdowns in the hull, the situation was not yet critical, when another 5 torpedoes hit, a list of 15 degrees appeared, it was reduced to 5 degrees with the help of anti-flooding. But already at this time there were huge losses of personnel. When the roll reached 60 degrees, a monstrous explosion occurred. These were the main caliber cellar reserves, approximately 500 tons of explosives. So the world's largest battleship, a photo of which you can see in this article, was sunk.
Let's sum it up
Today, any ship, even the world's largest battleship, is significantly behind from a technical point of view. The guns do not allow effective aimed fire due to insufficient vertical and horizontal aiming angles. The huge mass does not allow it to gain high speed. All this, along with their large dimensions, makes battleships easy prey for aviation, especially if there is no air support and destroyer cover.
Battleships of World War II did not play important role during 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 live up to the expectations placed on them great hopes. But huge amounts of money were spent on their construction, and considerable funds were also 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 calculations, incorrect predictions of the future nature of strategy and tactics, and irrational expenditure of economic resources.
The state of naval tactical thought in the interwar period
Since the Anglo-Dutch naval battles raged on the seas until the middle of the 20th century, the idea of an ideal ship existed and practically did not change in the minds of the command of fleets around the world. The main tactical technique was formed at the same time, in the 17th century, and it consisted of lining up all forces in a wake column, and then opening fire from all barrels. Whoever sinks the most enemy units wins. The Battle of Jutland in 1916, which took place according to a slightly different scenario, brought some confusion into the minds of naval commanders. Carrying out vigorous maneuvering, the German squadron inflicted significant damage on the British forces, which had quantitative and qualitative superiority, suffering half as many losses and “beating on points” (in sports terminology) the enemy. However, the British also hastened to announce the victorious outcome of the battle, without bothering to analyze their generally unsuccessful actions. But you should have thought about it. Perhaps then the battleships of World War II would have been a more effective weapon in the fight against fascism, or at least there would have been fewer of them, freeing up resources for other, more important defense programs. However, the winners of Jutland, the Germans, did not draw the right conclusions either. They (at least Hitler and his immediate circle) also considered power and size to be a priority factor in defeating the enemy. And other countries that faced heavy battles on the seas and oceans held similar views. They were all wrong.
What is a battleship?
The question is not superfluous, and to answer it we should return to history, to those times when ships (then still sailing, and later steam) of opponents lined up in wake formations (that is, one after another), and the guarantee of victory was the advantage of artillery weapons. The formation was a straight line, this was dictated by the main principle of battle, otherwise there would be interference in the line of fire, and the power of the guns could not be fully used. The ships that had the largest number of guns lined up on their decks were defined as “linear.” In the Russian fleet, the abbreviation “battleship” has taken root, consisting of the roots of two words “linear” and “ship”.
Sails gave way to steam engines and turbines, but the principle and purpose of a large floating artillery battery, armored and fast, remained unchanged. It was possible to combine all the required fighting qualities only if it was large in size. For this reason, the battleships of World War II had a monstrous displacement.
Battleships and the economy
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 its defense function, it also played the role of a prestigious fetish. By owning battleships, the state asserted its own power and demonstrated it to its neighbors. Today, owners of nuclear weapons or aircraft carriers constitute a kind of special club, access to which is allowed only to certain countries with the economic potential of the corresponding level. In the thirties, battleships served as a symbol of military power. Such an acquisition, not only was very expensive, but also required additional funds for constant maintenance, maintenance and training of crews and infrastructure. The fleets included units that survived the previous global conflict, but new ones were also launched. The battleships of the Second World War, that is, those built between 1936 and 1945, were the focus of all the latest achievements of technical thought of their time. Their presence served as a kind of guarantee of a new worldwide massacre. It was possible to create such a powerful and expensive weapon only if it had to be used, and in the very near future. Otherwise there is no point in it.
How many were there in total?
Over the entire period called pre-war (in fact, the war was already underway, in Spain and the Far East, for example), and all the years of the “hot phase” of the world conflict, the most developed countries, seeking to establish or restore their regional (or world) dominance, built twenty seven units of ships belonging to the class of battleships.
The Americans launched the most, as many as ten. This testifies to the very serious intentions of the United States to maintain the level of its influence in remote areas of the World Ocean, however, without large-scale direct participation of ground forces, which at that time were quite modest.
Britain takes second place with its five units. Good too.
Germany, having just rejected the terms of Versailles, launched four.
Italy, which during the reign of Duce Mussolini claimed the role of a regional Mediterranean leader, was able to master three large-tonnage units. France managed to produce the same number of dreadnoughts.
Japanese battleships of the Second World War are represented by two units of the Yamato series. Relatively compared to other members of the “club,” the imperial fleet was going to compensate for the small number with the cyclopean size of the ships.
The figures given are actual. The plans were much more extensive.
Soviet battleships of World War II were laid down in Tsarist Russia. Before the World War, the domestic fleet was developing 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 the same design. They survived the hard times, albeit with damage, and served for some time after 1945. Thirty years of age is not considered old for a warship, and in 1941 they turned that age. Thus, at the time of entry into the war, after the attack by Germany, the USSR possessed three fairly modern units of battle-class ships, “inherited” from the tsarist regime. But this does not mean that the leadership of the USSR 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 entire history of domestic shipbuilding.
USSR plans
According to the government shipbuilding program adopted in 1936, over the next seven years, Soviet shipyards were supposed to launch no less than 533 naval units. Of these, there are 24 battleships. Perhaps they were going to be built in accordance with 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 appropriate remuneration. The Italian specialists with whom they tried to cooperate at the beginning were rejected, and not because the Nazis (this circumstance did not prevent the purchase of the “blue cruiser”), they simply “couldn’t cope” with the scale of the plan. The guns were ordered from the Barricades plant (Stalingrad). Nine giant main caliber 406 mm cannons were supposed to fire 11 quintal shells each. Three armored decks. Only the newest battleships of Japan during the Second World War could compete 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 No. 15 in the summer of 1938, two units ("Sovetskaya Belorussia", " 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 blame I.V. Stalin for projectism and manilovism; the plans set by the party were carried out steadily. Another question is that there were objective difficulties, for which, quite possibly, some comrades who failed to complete the task were subjectively responsible before the law. At the time of the German attack, the ships under construction were in varying degrees readiness, but no more than a fifth of the total amount of work. The most modern battleships of the USSR of the Second World War never entered combat service, serving as donors for other important defense programs. Their guns and armor plates were used, but they themselves never went to sea. There was not enough time and experience; developing the technology took too long.
What if we had time?
JV Stalin was often reproached (and continues to do so) for not preparing the country to repel the German invasion. To some extent, these claims can be considered justified. However, taking into account 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 have influenced the course of hostilities that took place primarily on the land front. Already in the summer of 1941, the operational area of the Baltic Sea, due to its geographical features (closedness), was closed with minefields and blocked by Kriegsmarine submarine forces. USSR battleships from the Second World War that were in service 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 were more successful in this. In addition, putting such a huge ship to sea is associated with enormous risk. He, like a magnet, attracts to himself all the forces of the enemy, who calms down only by letting him sink. A sad example is the many battleships of the Second World War, which became a steel grave for their crews.
The Germans and their battleships
Not only Stalin suffered from gigantomania, but also his main opponent, the Chancellor of Germany. He had great hopes for 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 arrogant Britain. This, however, did not happen. After the loss of the Bismarck in 1941, shot by a superior enemy, the Fuhrer treated the Tirpitz as an expensive and thoroughbred fighting dog, which it would be a pity to let into an ordinary dog dump, but you still have to feed it, and it is used as a means of intimidation. 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.
Thus the battleships of Germany rested at the bottom. In World War II, they played the role of huge beasts, hunted by a pack of smaller, but more agile predators. A similar fate awaited many other ships of this class. Their loss entailed enormous casualties; they often died along with their entire crews.
Japan
Who built the largest and most modern 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 and were armed with the most powerful main caliber guns of 460 mm. The armor also had no equal - from 400 to 650 mm. To destroy such a monster, dozens of direct hits from torpedoes, aerial bombs or artillery shells were required. The Americans found all these lethal weapons in sufficient quantities, and the circumstances were such that they were able to use them. They were angry at the Japanese for Pearl Harbor and had no pity.
USA
US battleships of the Second World War are represented by ships of various designs, including the newest ones, launched between 1941 and 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, namely the Missouri, the last point in the six-year world war was put. The displacement of these giant ships was 57.5 thousand tons, they had excellent seaworthiness, but for modern naval combat they were, after the advent of missile weapons, practically unsuitable, which did not prevent them from using their artillery power for punitive purposes against countries that did not have the ability to effectively resist them. They served for a long time and fought on different coasts:
- “New Jersey” - from Vietnamese and Lebanese.
- “Missouri” and “Wisconsin” - from Iraqi.
Today, all three of the last US battleships of World War II are berthed and welcoming tourist visitors.
On February 14, 1939, the German battleship Bismarck was launched at the Blom & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. This ship was named after the first Chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, and is rightfully considered one of the most famous ships of the Second World War. "Bismarck" is famous for the fact that during its the only way out In battle in May 1941, she sank the strongest British cruiser HMS Hood. The British fleet took revenge on the Bismarck only after three days of pursuit. During her service, she was the largest battleship in the world, and the Bismarck class remains the third largest (after the Japanese Yamato and the American Iowa) class of battleships in history.
We decided to talk about other famous warships of the Second World War:
1.Battleship Hood.
HMS "Hood" is a battlecruiser of the British fleet. Named in honor of the English admiral Samuel Hood. During the construction of the battleship, it was planned to take into account the bitter experience gained after the Battle of Jutland, when the British lost three battlecruisers. However, despite all the improvements, the ship was lost on May 24, 1941 years in battle with the German battleship Bismarck.
2. Battleship North Carolina (USA)
Construction of this battleship began at the US Navy Yard in New York on October 27, 1937. The ship was launched on June 13, 1938, but entered service only in 1942 due to some technical malfunctions. When finally all the work was completed, the battleship was sent to the Pacific Ocean.
North Carolina was supposed to cover three aircraft carriers as part of an aircraft carrier group. On August 24, 1942, the battleship successfully defended the carrier group from attacks by the Japanese Air Force, but on September 15, North Carolina was attacked by the submarine I-15 and received a hole. The ship could not be repaired. In the spring of 1962, the battleship was purchased by the administration of North Carolina with donations from patriotic citizens and turned into a museum of military glory.
3. Battleship "Queen Elizabeth" (Great Britain)
Queen Elizabeth belongs to the Royal Navy class of super-dreadnoughts. The lead ship of a series of five battleships was named after Queen of England Elizabeth I. The first and last battleship of the armored era, named after a representative of the Tudor dynasty, was noticeably superior to its contemporary German ships in firepower, armor protection and speed.
The battleship Queen Elizabeth distinguished herself in the battles of the First World War, from February to May 1915 she bombarded Turkish positions near the Dardanelles. In December 1941, the ship was heavily damaged by Italian combat swimmers (Operation Alexandria), and was repaired until 1943. However, even without participating in battles, the super-dreadnought Queen Elizabeth became a symbol of a bygone era, setting the main directions for the development of battleships.
4. Battleship Iowa (USA)
Iowa entered service with the US Navy in 1943. The lead battleship of the series, which also included the New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin, became a legend due to its exceptional success in battles with the fleet of Imperial Japan. A thoughtful combination of speed characteristics, firepower and armor made these ships an example of a “floating fortress” that eclipsed the glory of previous dreadnoughts. It is not surprising that the Iowa series ships completed their combat watch only in 1990.
5. Cruiser "Tone" (Japan)
This ship is considered perhaps the best heavy cruiser of its time. Two Japanese Tone-class cruisers (Tone and Chikuma) entered service in 1937 and 1938. Critics of the project noted the severe overloading of these ships, and the unbearable working conditions for their crews: the cramped living quarters of the cruisers could rightfully be called “steel coffins.” Nevertheless, the armor protection, armament of the ship and its performance made the Tone the most advanced cruiser on the eve of World War II.
Small ones had a displacement of 250-550 tons. Their armament consisted of two to four torpedo tubes, one 45-105 mm gun, and one or two machine guns. The boats could dive to a depth of 80-90 m, and their autonomy was 10-20 days. Small boats operated mainly on coastal sea lanes.
Medium submarines, like the one, had a displacement of 500-1000 tons. They were armed with 6-8 torpedo tubes, one or two 45-105 mm guns, an anti-aircraft gun, and machine guns. The immersion depth reached 100 m, autonomy - 20-30 days. The full speed on the surface under diesel engines was 14-17 knots, and under water, when the electric motors were running, up to 10 knots. Their cruising range was estimated at 3000-5000 miles. The famous German submarine VII series could travel 6,100 miles.
The Treaty of Versailles prohibited Germany from having a submarine fleet. This is what explains such a small number of boats. But the Germans, of course, did not forget about the impressive results of their submariners in the First World War. They sank 5,861 ships with a total tonnage of 13.2 million tons, which was 22 times greater than the effect of the actions of German cruisers.
Without passing until the mid-30s. Before the open construction of submarines, the Germans did not stop working on improving the types of weapons and mechanisms with which they intended to equip their boats in the future. Traceless torpedoes, effective hydroacoustic technology are being created, and engines are being improved. A cadre of submarine officers and submarine shipbuilding specialists is being trained. The new one will soon be in demand.
One incident helped the British develop means of combating magnetic mines. Due to an inaccuracy made by German pilots when dropping mines, two of them ended up on the sandbanks during low tide and then fell into the hands of British engineers. The secret of the mines was revealed, and the British managed to find a method of trawling magnetic mines and find a fairly effective way to demagnetize ships. Therefore, they already felt relatively more confident on the open sea.
The Soviet fleet suffered its first losses from magnetic mines laid by the Germans in the Baltic and Sevastopol Bay in June 1941. The mines were laid from aircraft, surface ships and submarines.
Civilian ships and boats, mobilized under wartime laws, were involved in anti-submarine defense and patrol service. In Germany, militarized fishing boats were specially built and used as patrol boats and submarine hunters. They were armed with anti-aircraft guns and depth charges. Many of them were equipped with hydroacoustic equipment.
The convoy service of destroyers, which solved the tasks of not only anti-submarine, but also air defense, demanded that the main artillery of these ships be made universal, capable of firing not only at sea, but also at air targets. During the course of the war, the British fleet began to be replenished with a series of Zambezi-class destroyers equipped with four 114 mm universal guns. Most American destroyers were also armed with universal main caliber artillery (127 mm). The new German destroyers designed during the war also had twin universal 128-mm guns.
The lead destroyer "Ognevoy" of the new Project 30, equipped with more advanced technology, became part of the Soviet fleet only in 1945.
The displacement of destroyers increases from 500-1000 to 1500-2500 tons. To launch destroyers into an attack (leading) in the face of enemy fire as flagships, the fleets included a special type (subclass) of these ships - large destroyers, or leaders (Table 6) . Unlike destroyers, the leaders were armed with a slightly larger number of guns, had an advantage in speed, and had a larger displacement. Certain types of leaders in terms of tactical and technical elements approached light cruisers. For example, the French leader Mogador was not inferior in firepower to the Italian light cruiser Attilio Regolo. Both ships had eight 135-138 mm caliber guns. German large destroyers, laid down in 1938, had an almost “cruising” set of artillery (four 150 mm guns). The French destroyer Fantask developed a speed of up to 40 knots, and the Soviet leader Leningrad - up to 42 knots.
Under enemy cannon fire, cruisers usually retained sufficient survivability. Ships damaged by artillery were often lost as a result of the first attacks by aircraft and submarines. The loss of speed made the stricken ship an easy target.
As a rule, aircraft carriers were based on aircraft for various tactical purposes (fighters, bombers, torpedo bombers, anti-submarine aircraft).
An important problem was ensuring the combat survivability of aircraft carriers. After all, these ships became the targets of priority attacks for the enemy. Therefore, shipbuilders paid great attention means of protecting aircraft carriers from fires and explosions as a result of bombs, torpedoes, shells and mines, as well as equipping them with powerful anti-aircraft artillery. An aircraft carrier was used as active protection. fighter aircraft. Aircraft carriers hold first place among large warships destroyed and damaged.
A ship that had a special flight deck, which allowed planes to take off and land without touching the surface of the water, became a real aircraft carrier. The first such aircraft carrier was the British Argus, originally built as a passenger liner. It entered the fleet in 1918. Its displacement was 14,450 tons, and it carried 15 aircraft. In England, the Hermes was designed and built as an aircraft carrier (1922), also carrying 15 aircraft.
And yet, the traditional importance of battleships as the most powerful warships was still taken into account in operational plans and reports, and influenced naval strategy. Notification of the appearance of an enemy battleship in any area added worries and anxieties to fleet headquarters. Thus, despite the fact that the German battleship Tirpitz actually used its impressive artillery only once during the entire war (shelling of Spitsbergen), information about its location and movement in the ocean always attracted the attention of the British Admiralty and made significant adjustments to the plans for its use. naval forces and aviation.