Exactly seventy years ago, the Soviet Union launched a seven-year program of "large naval shipbuilding" - one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in the history of domestic, and not only domestic, military equipment.

The main leaders of the program were considered heavy artillery ships - battleships and cruisers, which were to become the largest and most powerful in the world. Although it was not possible to complete the super-battleships, interest in them is still great, especially in light of the emerging recent times alternate history mods. So what were the projects of the "Stalinist giants" and what preceded their appearance?

Lords of the Seas

The fact that battleships are the main force of the fleet was considered an axiom for almost three centuries. From the time of the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th century until the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the outcome of the war at sea was decided by an artillery duel of two fleets lined up in wake lines (hence the origin of the term “ship of the line”, abbreviated as battleship). Faith in the omnipotence of the battleship was not undermined by either the emerging aircraft or submarines. And after the First World War, most admirals and naval theorists still measured the strength of the fleets by the number of heavy guns, the total weight of the broadside and the thickness of the armor. But it was this exceptional role of battleships, considered the undisputed rulers of the seas, that played a cruel joke with them ...

The evolution of battleships in the first decades of the twentieth century was truly rapid. If by the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 the largest representatives of this class, then called squadron battleships, had a displacement of about 15 thousand tons, then the famous Dreadnought built in England two years later (this name became a household name for his many followers) had a full the displacement was already 20,730 tons. "Dreadnought" seemed to contemporaries a giant and the height of perfection. However, by 1912, against the backdrop of the latest superdreadnoughts, it looked like a completely ordinary ship of the second line ... And four years later, the British laid the famous "Hood" with a displacement of 45 thousand tons! Incredibly, powerful and expensive ships in the conditions of an unbridled arms race became obsolete in just three to four years, and their serial construction became extremely burdensome even for the richest countries.

Why did it happen so? The fact is that any warship is a compromise of many factors, the main of which are three: weapons, protection and speed. Each of these components "ate" a significant part of the ship's displacement, since artillery, armor, and bulky power plants with numerous boilers, fuel, steam engines or turbines were very heavy. And the designers, as a rule, had to sacrifice one of the fighting qualities in favor of the other. So, the Italian shipbuilding school was characterized by high-speed and heavily armed, but poorly protected battleships. The Germans, on the contrary, prioritized survivability and built ships with very powerful armor, but moderate speed and light artillery. The desire to ensure a harmonious combination of all characteristics, taking into account the trend of a constant increase in the main caliber, led to a monstrous increase in the size of the ship.

Paradoxically, the appearance of the long-awaited "ideal" battleships - fast, heavily armed and protected by powerful armor - brought the very idea of ​​\u200b\u200bsuch ships to complete absurdity. Still: floating monsters, because of their high cost, undermined the economy of their own countries more significantly than the invasion of enemy armies! At the same time, they almost never went to sea: the admirals did not want to risk such valuable combat units, since the loss of even one of them was equated almost to a national disaster. Battleships from a means of waging war at sea have become an instrument of big politics. And the continuation of their construction was no longer determined by tactical expediency, but by completely different motives. To have such ships for the prestige of the country in the first half of the 20th century meant about the same as now to have nuclear weapons.

The need to stop the untwisted flywheel of the naval arms race was recognized by the governments of all countries, and in 1922, at an international conference convened in Washington, radical measures were taken. The delegations of the most influential states agreed to significantly reduce their naval forces and fix the total tonnage of their own fleets in a certain proportion over the next 15 years. For the same period, the construction of new battleships was almost everywhere stopped. The only exception was made for Great Britain - the country forced to scrap the largest number of brand new dreadnoughts. But those two battleships that the British could build would hardly have had an ideal combination of fighting qualities, since their displacement was to be measured in the amount of 35 thousand tons.

The Washington Conference was the first real step in history to limit offensive arms on a global scale. It has given the global economy some breathing room. But no more. Since the apotheosis of the "battleship race" was yet to come...

The dream of a "large fleet"

By 1914, the Russian Imperial Fleet ranked first in the world in terms of growth. On the stocks of the shipyards in St. Petersburg and Nikolaev, powerful dreadnoughts were laid down one after another. Russia quickly recovered from the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and again claimed the role of a leading maritime power.

However, the revolution, the Civil War and general devastation did not leave a trace of the former sea power of the empire. The Red Navy inherited from the "tsarist regime" only three battleships - "Petropavlovsk", "Gangut" and "Sevastopol", renamed respectively "Marata", "October Revolution" and "Paris Commune". By the standards of the 1920s, these ships already looked hopelessly outdated. It is not surprising that Soviet Russia was not invited to the Washington Conference: its fleet was not taken seriously at that time.

At first, the Red Fleet did not really have any special prospects. The Bolshevik government had far more urgent tasks than restoring its former sea power. In addition, the first persons of the state, Lenin and Trotsky, looked at the navy as an expensive toy and an instrument of world imperialism. Therefore, during the first one and a half decades of existence Soviet Union The ship structure of the RKKF was replenished slowly and mainly only by boats and submarines. But in the mid-1930s, the naval doctrine of the USSR changed dramatically. By that time, the "Washington battleship vacation" was over and all the world powers began to feverishly catch up. Two international treaties signed in London tried to somehow restrain the size of future battleships, but everything turned out to be futile: practically none of the countries participating in the agreements from the very beginning was going to honestly fulfill the signed conditions. France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USA and Japan have begun to create a new generation of leviathan ships. Stalin, inspired by the successes of industrialization, also did not want to stand aside. And the Soviet Union became another participant in a new round of the naval arms race.

In July 1936, the Council of Labor and Defense of the USSR, with the blessing of the Secretary General, approved the seven-year program of "large naval shipbuilding" for 1937-1943 (due to the dissonance of the official name in the literature, it is usually called the "Big Fleet" program). In accordance with it, it was supposed to build 533 ships, including 24 battleships! For the then Soviet economy, the figures are absolutely unrealistic. Everyone understood this, but no one dared to object to Stalin.

In fact, Soviet designers began to develop a project for a new battleship back in 1934. The case progressed with difficulty: the experience of creating big ships they were completely absent. I had to attract foreign specialists - first Italian, then American. In August 1936, after analyzing various options, the terms of reference for the design of battleships of type "A" (project 23) and "B" (project 25) were approved. The latter was soon abandoned in favor of the Project 69 heavy cruiser, but Type A gradually turned into an armored monster, leaving all its foreign counterparts far behind. Stalin, who had a weakness for giant ships, could be pleased.

First of all, we decided not to limit the displacement. The USSR was not bound by any international agreements, and therefore, already at the stage of the technical project, the standard displacement of the battleship reached 58,500 tons. The thickness of the armor belt was 375 millimeters, and in the area of ​​​​the bow towers - 420! There were three armored decks: 25 mm upper, 155 mm main and 50 mm lower anti-fragmentation. The hull was equipped with solid anti-torpedo protection: in the central part of the Italian type, and in the extremities - of the American type.

The artillery armament of the Project 23 battleship included nine 406-mm B-37 guns with a barrel length of 50 calibers, developed by the Stalingrad plant "Barrikada". The Soviet gun could fire 1,105 kg projectiles at a range of 45.6 kilometers. In terms of its characteristics, it surpassed all foreign guns of this class - with the exception of the 18-inch Japanese super battleship Yamato. However, the latter, having larger shells, were inferior to the B-37 in terms of firing range and rate of fire. In addition, the Japanese kept their ships so secret that until 1945 no one knew anything about them at all. In particular, the Europeans and Americans were sure that the caliber of the Yamato artillery did not exceed 16 inches, that is, 406 millimeters.

Japanese battleship "Yamato" - the largest warship of World War II. Laid down in 1937, commissioned in 1941. Total displacement - 72,810 tons. Length - 263 m, width - 36.9 m, draft - 10.4 m. Armament: 9 - 460 mm and 12 - 155 -mm guns, 12 - 127mm anti-aircraft guns, 24 - 25mm machine guns, 7 seaplanes

The main power plant of the Soviet battleship is three turbo-gear units with a capacity of 67 thousand liters each. With. For the lead ship, the mechanisms were bought from the Swiss branch of the English company Brown Boveri, for the rest the power plant was to be manufactured under license by the Kharkov Turbine Plant. It was assumed that the speed of the battleship would be 28 knots and the cruising range of a 14-knot course - over 5,500 miles.

In the meantime, the "large offshore shipbuilding" program was revised. In the new "Large Shipbuilding Program", approved by Stalin in February 1938, "small" type "B" battleships were no longer listed, but the number of "large" project 23 increased from 8 to 15 units. True, none of the experts doubted that this number, as well as the previous plan, belonged to the realm of pure fantasy. After all, even the “mistress of the seas” Great Britain and the ambitious Nazi Germany expected to build only 6 to 9 new battleships. Having realistically assessed the possibilities of industry, the top leadership of our country had to limit itself to four ships. Yes, and it turned out to be beyond the power: the construction of one of the ships was stopped almost immediately after the laying.

The lead battleship ("Soviet Union") was laid down at the Leningrad Baltic Shipyard on July 15, 1938. It was followed by "Soviet Ukraine" (Nikolaev), " Soviet Russia"and" Soviet Belarus "(Molotovsk, now Severodvinsk). Despite the mobilization of all forces, construction lagged behind schedule. By June 22, 1941, the first two ships had the highest degree of readiness, respectively 21% and 17.5%. At the new plant in Molotovsk, things were going much worse. Although in 1940, instead of two battleships, they decided to build one there, anyway, by the beginning of World War II, its readiness reached only 5%.

The timing of the manufacture of artillery and armor was not kept. Although tests of an experimental 406-mm gun were successfully completed in October 1940, and before the start of the war, the Barrikady plant managed to hand over 12 barrels of naval superguns, not a single turret was assembled. Even more problems were with the release of the armor. Due to the loss of experience in the manufacture of thick armor plates, up to 40% of them went to waste. And negotiations on ordering armor from Krupp ended in nothing.

The attack of Nazi Germany crossed out the plans for the creation of the "Big Fleet". By a government decree of July 10, 1941, the construction of battleships was stopped. Later, the armor plates of the "Soviet Union" were used in the construction of pillboxes near Leningrad, and the B-37 experimental gun also fired at the enemy there. "Soviet Ukraine" was captured by the Germans, but they did not find any use for the giant corps. After the war, the issue of completing the construction of battleships according to one of the improved projects was discussed, but in the end they were dismantled for metal, and the section of the hull of the lead "Soviet Union" was even launched in 1949 - it was planned to be used for full-scale tests of the anti-torpedo protection system. The turbines received from Switzerland were at first wanted to be installed on one of the new light cruisers of Project 68 bis, then they abandoned this: too many alterations were required.

Good cruisers or bad battleships?

Project 69 heavy cruisers appeared in the “Large Shipbuilding Program”, which, like the “A” type battleships, were planned to be built 15 units. But these were not just heavy cruisers. Since the Soviet Union was not bound by any international treaties, the restrictions of the Washington and London conferences for ships of this class (standard displacement up to 10 thousand tons, artillery caliber no more than 203 millimeters) were immediately discarded by Soviet designers. Project 69 was conceived as a fighter for any foreign cruisers, including the formidable German "pocket battleships" (with a displacement of 12,100 tons). Therefore, at first its main armament was to include nine 254-mm guns, but then the caliber was increased to 305 mm. At the same time, it was necessary to strengthen armor protection, increase the power of the power plant ... As a result, the total displacement of the ship exceeded 41 thousand tons, and the heavy cruiser turned into a typical battleship, even larger than the planned project 25. Of course, the number of such ships had to be reduced. In reality, in 1939, only two “super cruisers” were laid down in Leningrad and Nikolaev - Kronstadt and Sevastopol.

The heavy cruiser Kronstadt was laid down in 1939 but not completed. The total displacement is 41,540 tons. The maximum length is 250.5 m, the width is 31.6 m, the draft is 9.5 m. The power of the turbines is 201,000 l. s., speed - 33 knots (61 km / h). The thickness of the side armor - up to 230 mm, towers - up to 330 mm. Armament: 9 305 mm and 8 - 152 mm guns, 8 - 100 mm anti-aircraft guns, 28 - 37 mm machine guns, 2 seaplanes

There were many interesting innovations in the design of the Project 69 ships, but in general, according to the cost-effectiveness criterion, they did not stand up to criticism. Conceived as good cruisers, Kronstadt and Sevastopol, in the process of "improving" the project, turned into bad battleships, too expensive and too difficult to build. In addition, the industry clearly did not have time to manufacture the main artillery for them. Out of desperation, the idea arose to arm the ships instead of nine 305-mm guns with six German 380-mm guns, similar to those installed on the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz. This gave an increase in displacement by more than a thousand tons. However, the Germans were in no hurry to fulfill the order, of course, and by the beginning of the war, not a single gun had arrived from Germany in the USSR.

The fate of "Kronstadt" and "Sevastopol" developed similarly to their counterparts of the "Soviet Union" type. By June 22, 1941, their technical readiness was estimated at 12-13%. In September of the same year, the construction of Kronstadt was stopped, and Sevastopol, located in Nikolaev, was captured by the Germans even earlier. After the war, the hulls of both "super cruisers" were dismantled for metal.

Battleship "Bismarck" - the strongest ship of the Nazi fleet. Laid down in 1936, commissioned in 1940. Total displacement - 50,900 tons. Length - 250.5 m, width - 36 m, draft - 10.6 m. Side armor thickness - up to 320 mm, towers - up to 360 mm. Armament: 8 - 380 mm and 12 - 150 mm guns, 16 - 105 mm anti-aircraft guns, 16 - 37 mm and 12 - 20 mm machine guns, 4 seaplanes

Last attempts

In total, 27 battleships of the latest generation were built in the world in 1936-1945: 10 in the USA, 5 in Great Britain, 4 in Germany, 3 each in France and Italy, 2 in Japan. And in none of the fleets did they justify the hopes placed on them. The experience of the Second World War clearly showed that the time of battleships is gone. Aircraft carriers became the new masters of the oceans: carrier-based aircraft, of course, surpassed naval artillery both in range and in the ability to hit targets in the most vulnerable places. So it is safe to say that the Stalinist battleships, even if they were built by June 1941, would not have played any significant role in the war.

But here's the paradox: the Soviet Union, which, compared to other states, spent somewhat less money on unnecessary ships, decided to make up for lost time and became the only country in the world that continued to design battleships after the Second World War! Contrary to common sense, designers have been working tirelessly for several years on the drawings of the floating fortresses of yesterday. The successor of the "Soviet Union" was the battleship of project 24 with a total displacement of 81,150 tons (!), The successor of "Kronstadt" was the 42,000-ton heavy cruiser of project 82. mm artillery of the main caliber. Note that the latter, although it was called medium, but in terms of displacement (30,750 tons) left all foreign heavy cruisers far behind and approached battleships.

Battleship "Soviet Union", project 23 (USSR, laid down in 1938). Standard displacement - 59,150 tons, full - 65,150 tons. Maximum length - 269.4 m, width - 38.9 m, draft - 10.4 m. Turbine power - 201,000 l. s., speed - 28 knots (when boosting, respectively, 231,000 hp and 29 knots). Armament: 9 - 406 mm and 12 - 152 mm guns, 12 - 100 mm anti-aircraft guns, 40 - 37 mm machine guns, 4 seaplanes

The reasons for the fact that domestic shipbuilding in the post-war years went clearly against the tide are mostly subjective. And in the first place here are the personal preferences of the "leader of the peoples." Stalin was very impressed with large artillery ships, especially fast ones, and at the same time he clearly underestimated aircraft carriers. During a discussion of the Project 82 heavy cruiser in March 1950, the Secretary General demanded that the designers increase the speed of the ship to 35 knots, “so that he would panic the enemy’s light cruisers, disperse them and smash them. This cruiser should fly like a swallow, be a pirate, a real bandit.” Alas, on the threshold of the nuclear missile era, the views of the Soviet leader on issues of naval tactics lagged behind their time by one and a half to two decades.

If projects 24 and 66 remained on paper, then under project 82 in 1951-1952, three “bandit cruisers” were laid down - “Stalingrad”, “Moscow” and the third, which remained unnamed. But they did not have to enter service: on April 18, 1953, a month after Stalin's death, the construction of ships was stopped due to their high cost and the complete ambiguity of tactical use. A section of the hull of the lead "Stalingrad" was launched and for several years was used to test various types of naval weapons, including torpedoes and cruise missiles. It is very symbolic: the world's last heavy artillery ship turned out to be in demand only as a target for new weapons ...

Heavy cruiser Stalingrad. Laid down in 1951, but not completed. Full displacement - 42,300 tons. Maximum length - 273.6 m, width - 32 m, draft - 9.2 m. Turbine power - 280,000 l. s., speed - 35.2 knots (65 km / h). The thickness of the side armor - up to 180 mm, towers - up to 240 mm. Armament: 9 - 305 mm and 12 - 130 mm guns, 24 - 45 mm and 40 - 25 mm machine guns

The obsession of the "supership"

In conclusion, it should be noted that the desire to create a "supership", stronger than any potential opponent of its class, in different time puzzled designers and shipbuilders of different countries. And here there is a pattern: the weaker the economy and industry of the state, the more active this desire; for developed countries, on the contrary, it is less typical. So, in the interwar period, the British Admiralty preferred to build ships that were very modest in terms of combat capabilities, but in large numbers, which ultimately made it possible to have a well-balanced fleet. Japan, on the contrary, sought to create ships stronger than the British and American ones - in this way she expected to compensate for the difference in economic development with her future rivals.

In this regard, the shipbuilding policy of the then USSR occupies a special place. Here, after the decision of the party and the government to build the "Big Fleet", the obsession with "superships" was actually brought to the point of absurdity. On the one hand, Stalin, inspired by the successes in the aviation industry and tank building, considered too hastily that all problems in the shipbuilding industries could be solved just as quickly. On the other hand, the atmosphere in society was such that the project of any ship proposed by industry and not superior in its capabilities to foreign counterparts could easily be considered "wrecking" with all the ensuing consequences. The designers and shipbuilders simply had no choice: they were forced to design the “most powerful” and “fastest” ships armed with the “world’s longest-range” artillery ... In practice, this resulted in the following: ships with the size and armament of battleships began to be called heavy cruisers (but the most powerful in the world!), heavy cruisers - light, and the latter - "destroyer leaders". Such a substitution of some classes for others would still make sense if domestic factories could build battleships in the quantities in which other countries built heavy cruisers. But since this was, to put it mildly, not at all the case, the reports about the outstanding successes of the designers that went up often looked like banal eyewash.

It is characteristic that almost all the "superships" ever embodied in metal did not justify themselves. Suffice it to cite the Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi as an example. They died under the bombs of American aircraft, without firing a single salvo with their main caliber at their American "classmates". But even if they happened to meet with the US fleet in a linear battle, they could hardly count on success. After all, Japan was able to build only two battleships of the latest generation, and the United States - ten. With such a balance of power, the individual superiority of the Yamato over the individual "American" no longer plays any role.

World experience shows that several well-balanced ships are much better than one giant with hypertrophied combat characteristics. And yet, in the USSR, the idea of ​​a "supership" did not die. A quarter of a century later, Stalin's leviathans had distant relatives - nuclear missile cruisers of the Kirov type, followers of Kronstadt and Stalingrad. However, that's a completely different story...

Battleships dominated the seas for over three hundred years, reaching their height of sophistication during World War II. The presence of battleships in the 20th century was akin to the possession of nuclear weapons in the 21st. The most advanced design ideas were embodied in these sea leviathans. Powerful and expensive ships in the conditions of an unbridled arms race became obsolete literally in three or four years, and their serial construction became extremely burdensome even for the richest countries.

But, contrary to all expectations, their life is too short. The steel giants could not resist the aviation, which was superior to naval artillery both in range and in the ability to hit battleships in the most vulnerable places. But before retiring to the back of history, these giants were able to slam the door loudly, inscribing their names in the pantheon of maritime glory.

"Admiral Graf Spee" (12,100 tons)

This ship has become Britain's number one enemy and the target of the most powerful navy in the world. After the First World War, the German navy became a victim of restrictions on the tonnage and armament of its ships under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. However, thanks to the genius of German engineers, it was possible to turn the victim into a hunter by creating a new class of ships - "pocket battleships" of the Deutschland type, armed like a battleship, but with speed like a cruiser.
In total, three such ships were built, the Admiral Graf Spee was the last in the series and the most technically advanced. Hitler liked the ship so much that he personally created a sketch of a bronze eagle, which became the emblem of the battleship (before becoming a dictator, Hitler was an artist).

"Admiral Graf Spee" was well protected - taking into account the internal bulkhead, the thickness of the vertical protection reached 140 mm (100 + 40), which was supposed to protect the cruiser from 152 mm, and at certain distances - from 203 mm shells. The horizontal protection was also strengthened, the area of ​​​​the armored deck became larger, and above the ammunition cellars it reached a thickness of 70 mm. The total weight of the ship's armor was 3,000 tons - 25% of the standard displacement (12,100 tons). Another trump card of the German count was a unique power plant for that time. For the first time, diesel engines were installed on such large ships as the only type of engine. There were 8 diesel engines, models M-9Zu42 / 58, 9-cylinder, with a maximum power of 7100 hp. at 450 rpm (maximum continuous power 6655 hp), and 4 auxiliary, models M-5Z42 / 58, 5-cylinder, with a maximum power of 1450 hp. With. at 425 rpm The disadvantages of these engines, such as noise and vibration, were more than offset by a huge cruising range. Also, such a propulsion system made it possible to gain full speed in a matter of minutes. The steam turbine ships of the enemy needed from 30 minutes to an hour to do this.

The fire control system of the "Admiral Graf Spee" was one of the most advanced at that time and made it possible to fire with exceptional accuracy. The new 283 mm cannon (the Germans officially called it "28 cm", and therefore in the literature it is often listed as 280 mm) with a barrel length of 52 calibers and an elevation angle of 40 could fire 300-kilogram projectiles at a distance of 42.5 km . In total, the "pocket battleship" had six such guns, which were assisted by 6 - 150 mm, 8 - 37 mm and 12 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and 8 torpedo launchers of 533 mm caliber. The ship also carried two Arado 96 seaplanes.

Death: December 13, 1939 at about 6 o'clock in the morning, "Admiral Count Spee" collided with a squadron of English cruisers - heavy "Exeter", light cruisers "Ajax" and "Achilles". During the battle, "Admiral Graf Spee" practically destroyed the "Exeter" and seriously damaged two other cruisers. Although the damage to the "Admiral Count Spee" was not very great, the ship entered the port of Montevideo for repairs, but the government of Uruguay, dependent on the British, gave only three days to repair the ship. This was not enough, and the captain decided to sink the battleship, although he had every chance of winning. The commander of the "pocket battleship" Hans Langsdorff took full responsibility for the loss of the ship, and South American newspapers called him a coward. The Germans were of the same opinion.

"Bismarck" (50,900 tons)

The next battleship, which cannot be ignored, is, of course, the Bismarck. During its construction, the Germans decided to ignore the Versailles agreements. And they made a really great ship, the best battleship in the world, according to some experts. It had a feeling of incredible power - the designers were able to fit an incredible amount of weapons on the Bismarck. The ship was armed with eight 380-mm and twelve 150-mm guns, sixteen 105-mm anti-aircraft guns, sixteen 37-mm and twelve 20-mm machine guns, and 2 torpedo tubes.

Protection was also to match the armament - the armor of the main belt was 320 mm, the upper belt was 145 mm, the bow and stern were 80 mm, the main caliber turret was from 180 to 360 mm, the conning tower was 350 mm. The design of the bottom was specially designed and provided high anti-torpedo protection, and powerful armored decks protected from artillery fire and bombing. With the selected thickness, the armor could withstand a direct hit by a 380-mm caliber projectile from a distance of 20-30 km, and a torpedo explosion with a charge weight of 250 kg of TNT (trinitrotoluene). However, such a giant was not clumsy - it could reach speeds of 30.1 knots, which was one of the best indicators in the world for such ships. Also, 6 reconnaissance seaplanes were based on the battleship, which were launched by a special catapult.

The Bismarck was a formidable adversary and was able to prove it at sea when the battleships of the Royal British Navy Hood (41,600 tons) and Prince of Wales (43,786 tons) came to intercept her. Hood fired six volleys at the Bismarck, after which the German battleship covered the Englishman with a return salvo of the main caliber from a distance of 18 km. After being hit by 800 kg of shells, a powerful explosion tore the Hood in half. The British were in shock, they did not believe that the pride of their fleet could sink. It was not the loss of one warship - as if the whole empire had been defeated. "Prince of Wales" hastened to withdraw from the battle under a smokescreen, receiving seven hits.

Death: Churchill was furious and ordered four battleships and two aircraft carriers sent to sink the Bismarck. The latter could easily get away from the enemy, but a "case" got involved in the fate of the German giant. After being attacked by torpedo bombers, one of the torpedoes damaged the propellers and jammed the rudder. "Bismarck" not only lost speed, but also control. He could not conduct accurate fire at the enemy, so the English battleships, without fear, approached the uncontrollable German and shot him almost point-blank. "Bismarck" died, but never gave up - the battleship went under water with a raised flag.

"Yamato" (72,810 tons)

This ship can be called a super-battleship. The dimensions of "Yamato" are amazing: length - 263 meters! Width about 37 meters, height - 39 m. Displacement - 72,810 tons. Each of its nine guns of the main 460-mm caliber weighed 2820 tons and was capable of sending almost one and a half ton shells over a distance of 45 kilometers. The firepower was supplemented by six 155 mm, eighteen 127 mm and fifteen 25 mm guns.

The ship had a very advanced fire control system of the main caliber type 98, which consisted of two electromechanical computers. The ship was better protected than all other battleships in the history of shipbuilding. The thickness of the side armor belt was 410 mm. The conning tower was most powerfully protected. The thickness of its walls was 500 mm, the roof - 200 mm, the floor - 75 mm, and the cylindrical shaft going to it from the main deck had a wall thickness of 300 mm. The main fire control post was protected by 150-mm plates. True, it should be noted that with the exception of the tiller compartments and deck armor at the extremities, armor protection was limited to the citadel, which occupied only 54% of the length of the ship along the waterline.

The Japanese command cherished the Yamato and the Musashi of the same type so much that during the entire war they never managed to meet enemy battleships at sea. Japanese sailors sadly joked about this: “There are three biggest and most useless things in the world - this is the Cheops pyramid, the Great Wall of China and the Yamato battleship.
Death: on April 7, starting at noon, the Yamato was attacked by American aircraft from the decks of five aircraft carriers at the same time (227 vehicles in total).

The battleship survived, but the Japanese aircraft could not stand it, leaving the Leviathan without air cover. The second wave of American aircraft finished off the giant - five torpedoes and six air bombs hit the Yamato. After that, at 14.23, the bow cellar (500 tons of explosives) exploded, the flame rose into the air by 2 km. The smoke from the explosion looked like a nuclear mushroom 6 km high. Losses of Americans - 10 planes and 12 pilots.

"Missouri" (57,000 tons)

This ship can be called the last battleship of the 20th century. Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944 and for fifty years was a symbol of US naval power. On September 2, 1945, at 9:02 Tokyo time, the Japanese Surrender Act was signed on board.

During the construction of the Missouri, special attention was paid to the protection of her turret guns and ammunition magazines. The thickest armor was 15 cm thick, and two huge belts along the sides of the battleship were angled into the ship, which provided protection equal to 34 cm of steel. Sheathing sheets, which were closed together, weighed up to 50 tons each.

The American was more than enough armed - each gun turret of the battleship Missouri (2 bow, 1 stern) had three 406-mm guns, the most powerful of all that have ever been installed on US Navy warships. The 406-mm projectile had a low initial speed - only 700 m / s, but a huge weight - 1220 kg! With such ballistic characteristics, hits from above through the deck of an enemy ship at long distances could become fatal: only 10-inch armor protected them, which is only permissible for Japanese supergiants of the Yamato type.

The last time the main caliber of the battleship "Missouri" had its say in the Persian Gulf was in 1991, when it supplemented the coalition's combat arsenal during the Kuwait operation "Desert Storm". And before that, the ship underwent modernization in the 1980s, having received strategic weapons - Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Vulcan-Phalanx automated anti-aircraft artillery systems, modern electronic equipment and electronic warfare. And yet, the operation of such a giant was an unaffordable luxury for the Americans.

Therefore, on March 21, 1992, the battleship Missouri headed for her native port. Soon the days of the ship were numbered, but she made another symbolic ceremonial voyage. The battleship returned to Pearl Harbor to visit the site where Japan dragged the US into World War II. For the powerful warship USS Missouri - the symbol of all battleships of World War II - it was a trip back in time.

On March 31, 1992, the battleship's equipment was dismantled at the shipyard in the port of Long Beach. The last battleship of the 20th century was put out of action. And on May 4, 1998, it was transferred to the Pearl Harbor Museum.

One day I came across a rating of the 10 best ships of the twentieth century, compiled by the Military Channel. On many points, it is difficult to disagree with the conclusions of American experts, but what was unpleasantly surprising was that there was not a single Russian (Soviet) ship in the rating.
What is the meaning of such a rating, you ask. What practical significance does it have for a real Navy? A colorful show with boats for the layman, nothing more.

No, everything is much more serious. Firstly, the creators of those very “boats” will not agree with you. The fact that their ships were chosen among thousands of other designs is recognition of the work of their team, and often the main achievement of their whole life. Secondly, these unique standards show in which direction progress is moving, which forces of the navy are the most effective. And thirdly, such a rating is a hymn to the achievements of Mankind, because many of the warships presented in the list are masterpieces of marine engineering. In today's article, I will try to correct some, in my opinion, erroneous conclusions of the Military Channel experts, but rather, let's discuss together in the form of such a somewhat informational and entertaining dispute on the topic of the 10 best warships of the twentieth century.

Now the most important point - the evaluation criteria. As you can see, I deliberately do not use the phrases “largest”, “fastest” or “most powerful” ... Only the type of ship that brought the maximum benefit to its country, while remaining interesting from a technical point of view, is recognized as the best. Combat experience is highly valued. Great importance tactical and technical characteristics, as well as such imperceptible, at first glance, parameters as the number of units of the series and the period of active service in the combat composition of the fleet play. Plus a dash of common sense. For example, the Yamato is the largest battleship ever built by man, the most powerful battleship of its time. Was he the best? Of course no. The creation of the Yamato-class battleships was a huge failure of the Imperial Navy in terms of cost / effectiveness, with its presence it did more harm than good. "Yamato" was late, the time of the dreadnoughts was over.
Well, now, in fact, the list itself:

10th place - a series of frigates "Oliver Hazard Perry".

One of the most common types of modern warships. The number of built units of the series is 71 frigates. For 35 years they have been in service with the naval forces of 8 countries of the world.
Full displacement - 4200 tons
The main armament is the Mk13 launcher for launching the Standard missile defense system and the Harpoon anti-ship missile (ammunition load - 40 missiles).
There is a hangar for 2 LAMPS helicopters and 76-mm artillery.
The main goal of the Oliver H. Perry program was to create low-cost URO escort frigates, hence the transoceanic range: 4500 nautical miles at 20 knots.

Why such a wonderful frigate on last place? The answer is simple: little combat experience. The combat clash with Iraqi aircraft turned out not in favor of the frigate - the USS "Stark" barely alive crawled out of the Gulf of Hormuz, having received two "Exocets" on board. But, in general, the Olivers Perry have been continuously on duty for many years in the most tense points on Earth - in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Korea, in the Taiwan Strait ...

9th place - Nuclear cruiser "Long Beach"

USS "Long Beach" (CGN-9) became the world's first missile cruiser, as well as the first cruiser with a nuclear power plant. The quintessence of advanced technical solutions of the 60s: phased array radars, digital CIUS and 3 latest missile systems. It was created for joint operations with the first nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise. By appointment - a classic escort cruiser (which did not prevent it from being equipped with Tomahawks during the modernization).

For several years (launched in 1960) he honestly "cut circles" around the Earth, setting records and amusing the audience. Then he took up more serious things - until 1995 he went through all the wars from Vietnam to Desert Storm. For several years he was on the front line in the Gulf of Tonkin, controlling the airspace over North Vietnam, shot down 2 MiGs. Conducted electronic reconnaissance, covered ships from air raids of the DRV, rescued downed pilots from the water.
The ship from which the new nuclear-missile era of the fleet began has the right to be on this list.

8th place - Bismarck

Pride of the Kriegsmarine. The most advanced battleship at the time of launching. He distinguished himself in the very first military campaign, sending the flagship of the Royal Navy "Hood" to the bottom. He took the fight with the entire British squadron and died without lowering the flag. Of the 2,200 team members, only 115 survived.
The second ship of the series, the Tirpitz, did not fire a single salvo during the war years, but with its mere presence it fettered the huge forces of the allies in the North Atlantic. English pilots and sailors made dozens of attempts to destroy the battleship, losing great amount people and technology.

7th place - Battleship "Marat"

The only dreadnoughts of the Russian Empire - 4 battleships of the "Sevastopol" type - became the cradle October revolution. They passed with dignity through the whirlwinds of the First World War and civil war, and then played a role in the Great Patriotic War. Especially distinguished "Marat" (former "Petropavlovsk", launched in 1911) - the only Soviet battleship that participated in a naval battle. Member of the Ice Campaign. In the summer of 1919, he suppressed an uprising in the Kronstadt fortified area with his fire. The first ship in the world, on which the system of protection against magnetic mines was tested. Took part in the Finnish war.

September 23, 1941 was fatal for the "Marat" - having come under attack from German aircraft, the battleship lost its entire bow and lay on the ground. Seriously wounded, but not laid down, the battleship continued to defend Leningrad. In total, during the war years, the Marat conducted 264 firings with its main caliber, firing 1371 305-mm shells, which made it one of the most "shooting" battleships in the world.

6 - type "Fletcher"

The best destroyers of the Second World War. Due to their manufacturability and simplicity of design, they were built in a huge series - 175 units (!)
Despite the relatively low speed, the Fletchers had an oceanic range (6,500 nautical miles at 15 knots) and solid armament, which included five 127-mm guns and several dozen anti-aircraft artillery barrels.
During the fighting, 23 ships were lost. In turn, the Fletchers shot down 1,500 Japanese aircraft.
Having undergone post-war modernization, they remained combat-ready for a long time, serving under the flags of 15 states. The last Fletcher was decommissioned in Mexico in 2006.

5th place - Essex-class aircraft carriers

24 strike aircraft carriers of this type became the backbone of the US Navy during the war years. They actively participated in all military operations in the Pacific theater of operations, traveled millions of miles, were a tasty target for kamikaze, but, nevertheless, not one of the Essexes was lost in battle.
The ships, huge for their time (total displacement - 36,000 tons), had a powerful air wing on their decks, which made them the dominant force in the Pacific Ocean.
After the war, many of them underwent modernization, received a corner deck (Oriskani type) and remained in the fleet until the mid-70s.

4th place - "Dreadnought"

Built in just 1 year, a huge ship with a total displacement of 21,000 tons revolutionized world shipbuilding. One volley of the HMS "Deadnought" was equal to the volley of the entire squadron of battleships during the Russo-Japanese War. piston Steam engine was first replaced by a turbine.
The Dreadnought won its only victory on March 18, 1915, returning with a squadron of battleships to the base. Having received a message from the battleship Marlboro about a submarine in sight, he rammed it. For this victory, the captain of the Dreadnought, who allowed himself to fall out of the wake formation, received from the flagship the highest approval that an HMS captain in the English fleet can receive: "Well done."
The Dreadnought has become a household name, which allows us to talk about all ships of this class in this paragraph. It was the Dreadnoughts that became the basis of the fleets of the advanced countries of the world, lit up in all the naval battles of the First World War.

3rd place - Orly Burke-class destroyers

For 2012, the US Navy has 61 Aegis destroyers, each year the fleet receives another 2-3 new units. Together with its clones - the Japanese destroyers URO of the Atago and Kongo types, the Orly Burke is the most massive warship in the warship with a displacement of over 5,000 tons.
The most advanced destroyers to date are capable of striking any ground and surface targets, fighting submarines, aircraft and cruise missiles, and even firing at space satellites.
The destroyer's weapons system includes 90 vertical launchers, of which 7 are "long" modules, which can accommodate up to 56 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

2nd place - Iowa-class battleships

Standard ship of the line. The creators of "Iowa" managed to find the optimal combination of firepower, speed and security.
9 406 mm guns
Main armor belt - 310 mm
Travel speed - over 33 knots
4 battleships of this type managed to take part in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War. Then came a long pause. At that time, there was an active modernization of the ships, modern air defense systems were installed, 32 Tomahawks further strengthened the strike potential of the battleships. A complete set of artillery barrels and armor was left unchanged.
In 1980, off the coast of Lebanon, the giant New Jersey guns spoke again. And then there was Desert Storm, which finally put an end to the more than 50-year history of ships of this type.

Now the Iowas have been withdrawn from the combat strength of the fleet. Their repair and modernization were deemed inexpedient, battleships have completely exhausted their resource for half a century. Three of them have been turned into museums, the fourth, Wisconsin, is still quietly rusting as part of the Reserve Fleet.

1st place - Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

A series of 10 nuclear aircraft carriers, with a total displacement of 100,000 tons. The largest warships in the history of mankind. Recent events in Yugoslavia and Iraq they showed that ships of this type are capable of wiping out not the smallest countries in a matter of days, while the Nimitzes themselves will remain immune to any anti-ship weapons, with the exception of nuclear charges.

Only the Navy of the Soviet Union, at the cost of enormous effort and expense, could withstand aircraft carrier strike groups using supersonic missiles with nuclear warheads and orbital constellations reconnaissance satellites. But even the most modern technologies did not guarantee the accurate detection and defeat of such targets.
At the moment, the "Nimitz" are the full owners of the oceans. Regularly undergoing modernization, they will remain in the fleet until the middle of the 21st century.

Battleship - Battleship:

in a broad sense, a ship intended for combat operations as part of a squadron;

in the traditional sense (also abbreviated battleship) - a class of heavy armored artillery warships with a displacement of 20 to 70 thousand tons, a length of 150 to 280 m, with a caliber of main battery guns of 280-460 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. They were the evolutionary development of battleships of the second half of the nineteenth century.

origin of name

Battleship is a common abbreviation for the term "ship of the line". So in Russia in 1907 they named a new type of ships in memory of the old wooden sailing battleships. Initially, it was assumed that the new ships would revive linear tactics, but this was soon abandoned.

The English-language incomplete analogue of the Russian term "battleship" - battleship (literally: warship) originated in a similar way - the English term for a sailing battleship. In 1794, the term line-of-battle ship - the ship of the battle line - was abbreviated as battle ship. Later it was used in relation to any warship. Since the late 1880s, unofficially in the Royal British Navy, it has most often been 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.

Dreadnoughts. "Only big guns»

The founder of a new breakthrough in the development of large artillery ships is the British Admiral John Arbuthnot 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. But the requirement made it 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 "only big guns" (orig. "all-big-guns"), which formed the basis of a new type of ship. The effective firing range increased from 10-15 to 90-120 cables (that is, almost an order of magnitude!).

Other innovations that formed the basis of the new type of ships were centralized fire control from a single general ship post and the massive use of electric drives and ship telecommunications (in particular telephone), which increased the speed and accuracy of aiming heavy guns. The guns themselves were greatly improved as a result of the transition to smokeless powder and the manufacture of guns from high-strength steels. Now, only the lead ship was enough for sighting, and those following it in the wake were guided by bursts from its shells. Thus, building in wake columns again allowed in Russia in 1907 to return the term ship of the line. 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 battleship was established.

The Russo-Japanese War finally established the superiority in speed and range of artillery as the main advantages in naval combat. Discussions about a new type of ships were held in many countries. For example, in Italy, Vittorio Cuniberti came up with the idea of ​​a new battleship, and in the USA, the construction of ships of the Michigan type was planned, but the British managed to get ahead of everyone due to industrial and technological superiority.

The first such ship was the English Dreadnought, whose name has become a household name for all ships of this class. The ship was built in record time, going on sea trials on September 2, 1906, a year and one day after the official laying. The Dreadnought, with a displacement of 22,500 tons, thanks to the new type of power plant used for the first time on such a large ship - a steam turbine - could reach speeds of up to 22 knots. The Dreadnought was equipped with 10 305 mm caliber guns (due to the haste, the ship was equipped with two-gun turrets of the 1904 squadron battleships being completed). The second caliber of the Dreadnought was anti-mine - 27 guns of 76 mm caliber. There was no medium caliber artillery. The main side armor of the Dreadnought included two separate armored belts: the waterline was protected by 279-mm plates above which 203-mm armor went up to the level of the middle deck. Horizontal booking consisted of two armored decks, overlapping the upper and lower edges of the side armor belt. The upper armored deck of the Dreadnought, located at the level of its middle deck, extended from the stem to the aft beam and was a flooring of 18 mm soft steel plates. Under it, at the level of the lower deck, between the bow and stern barbettes, the main armored deck passed, consisting of two layers (25 + 18 mm) of mild armor steel. At a distance of about 3 m from the outer side, it smoothly descended in the form of a bevel to the lower edge of the main armor belt. The turrets of the 12-inch guns were protected by 279 mm armor in front and from the sides, had a 76 mm roof and a 330 mm rear. There was no integral armored longitudinal bulkhead. Its function was performed by protective 51-mm armor screens located in the area of ​​​​artillery cellars.

The appearance of the Dreadnought made all other large armored ships obsolete. This played into the hands of Germany, which began the construction of a large navy, because now it could immediately begin building new ships.

For the first time ships of the line appeared in the 17th century. For a while, they lost the palm to slow-moving armadillos. But at the beginning of the 20th century, battleships became the main force of the fleet. The speed and range of artillery pieces became the main advantages in naval battles. Countries concerned about increasing the power of the navy, since the 1930s of the 20th century, began to actively build heavy-duty battleships designed to enhance superiority at sea. Not everyone could afford the construction of incredibly expensive ships. The largest battleships in the world - in this article we will talk about super-powerful giant ships.

10 Richelieu Length 247.9 m

The rating of the largest battleships in the world is opened by the French giant "Richelieu" with a length of 247.9 meters and a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The ship is named after the famous statesman of France, Cardinal Richelieu. A battleship was built to counter the Italian navy. The battleship Richelieu did not conduct active hostilities, except for participation in the Senegal operation in 1940. In 1968, the supership was scrapped. One of his guns was erected as a monument in the port of Brest.

9 Bismarck Length 251 m

The legendary German ship "Bismarck" takes 9th place among the largest battleships in the world. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, the displacement is 51 thousand tons. The Bismarck left the shipyard in 1939. The Fuhrer of Germany, Adolf Hitler, was present at its launch. One of the most famous ships of the Second World War was sunk in May 1941 after prolonged fighting by British ships and torpedo bombers in retaliation for the destruction of the British flagship, the cruiser Hood, by a German battleship.

8 Tirpitz Ship 253.6 m

On the 8th place in the list of the largest battleships is the German Tirpitz. The length of the vessel was 253.6 meters, displacement - 53 thousand tons. After the death of the "big brother", "Bismarck", the second of the most powerful German battleships practically failed to take part in naval battles. Launched in 1939, the Tirpitz was destroyed in 1944 by torpedo bombers.

7 Yamato Length 263 m

The Yamato is one of the largest battleships in the world and the largest warship in history ever sunk in a naval battle. "Yamato" (in translation, the name of the ship means ancient name Land of the Rising Sun) was the pride of the Japanese navy, although due to the fact that the huge ship was taken care of, the attitude of ordinary sailors towards it was ambiguous. The Yamato entered service in 1941. The length of the battleship was 263 meters, displacement - 72 thousand tons. Crew - 2500 people. Until October 1944, the largest ship in Japan practically did not participate in the battles. In Leyte Gulf, the Yamato opened fire on American ships for the first time. As it turned out later, none of the main calibers hit the target. The last campaign of Japan's pride On April 6, 1945, the Yamato went on its last campaign. American troops landed on Okinawa, and the remnants of the Japanese fleet were given the task of destroying enemy forces and supply ships. The Yamato and the rest of the ships of the formation were attacked by 227 American deck ships for a two-hour period. Japan's largest battleship went out of action, having received about 23 hits from aerial bombs and torpedoes. As a result of the explosion of the bow compartment, the ship sank. Of the crew, 269 people survived, 3 thousand sailors died.

6 Musashi Length 263 m

The largest battleships in the world include Musashi with a hull length of 263 meters and a displacement of 72,000 tons. This is the second giant battleship built by Japan during World War II. The ship entered service in 1942. The fate of "Musashi" was tragic. The first campaign ended with a hole in the bow, resulting from a torpedo attack by an American submarine. In October 1944, Japan's two largest battleships finally came into serious combat. In the Sibuyan Sea, they were attacked by American aircraft. Coincidentally, the enemy's main attack was on the Musashi. The ship sank after being hit by about 30 torpedoes and bombs. Together with the ship, its captain and more than a thousand crew members died. On March 4, 2015, 70 years after the sinking, the Musashi was discovered by American millionaire Paul Allen. It is located in the Sibuyan Sea at a depth of one and a half kilometers. "Musashi" takes 6th place in the list of the largest battleships in the world.

5 Soviet Union Length 269 m

Incredibly, not a single super battleship was built by the Soviet Union. In 1938, the battleship "Soviet Union" was laid down. The length of the ship was to be 269 meters, and the displacement - 65 thousand tons. By the beginning of World War II, the battleship was built at 19%. It was not possible to complete the ship, which could become one of the largest battleships in the world.

4 Wisconsin Length 270 m

The American battleship Wisconsin is ranked 4th in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. It was 270 meters long and had a displacement of 55,000 tons. He entered service in 1944. During World War II, he accompanied aircraft carrier groups and supported amphibious operations. Served during the Gulf War. The Wisconsin is one of the last battleships in the US Navy Reserve. Was decommissioned in 2006. Now the ship is in the parking lot in the city of Norfolk.

3 Iowa Length 270 m

The American battleship "Iowa" with a length of 270 meters and a displacement of 58 thousand tons takes 3rd place in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. The ship entered service in 1943. During the Second World War, "Iowa" actively participated in combat operations. In 2012, the battleship was withdrawn from the fleet. Now the ship is in the port of Los Angeles as a museum.

2 New Jersey Length 270.53 m

The second place in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world is occupied by the American ship "New Jersey", or "Black Dragon". Its length is 270.53 meters. Refers to the Iowa-class battleships. Left the shipyard in 1942. The New Jersey is a true veteran of naval battles and the only ship that took part in the Vietnam War. Here he played the role of supporting the army. After 21 years of service, it was withdrawn from the fleet in 1991 and received the status of a museum. Now the ship is parked in the city of Camden.

1 Missouri Length 271 m

The American battleship Missouri tops the list of the largest battleships in the world. It is interesting not only for its impressive size (the length of the ship is 271 meters), but also for the fact that it is the last American battleship. In addition, the Missouri went down in history due to the fact that the surrender of Japan was signed on board in September 1945. The supership was launched in 1944. Its main task was to escort Pacific aircraft carrier formations. Participated in the war in the Persian Gulf, where he opened fire for the last time. In 1992, he was withdrawn from the US Navy. Since 1998, the Missouri has had the status of a museum ship. The parking lot of the legendary ship is located in Pearl Harbor. Being one of the most famous warships in the world, it has been featured in documentaries and feature films more than once. High hopes were placed on heavy-duty ships. Characteristically, they never justified themselves. Here is a good example of the largest battleships ever built by man - the Japanese battleships "Musashi" and "Yamato". Both of them were defeated by the attack of American bombers, without having time to fire at the enemy ships from their main calibers. However, if they met in battle, the advantage would still be on the side of the American fleet, equipped by that time with ten battleships against two Japanese giants.

09 Sep 2012

At the end of the 1930s, in several countries concerned with questions of naval power, the idea of ​​​​creating super-powerful battleships was born almost simultaneously, which would guarantee them superiority at sea. These battleships were supposed to surpass everything created before them. The first to start creating super battleships was in Japan, then in the USSR, Germany and, finally, in the USA. Interestingly, the mistress of the seas, Great Britain, not only did not create super battleships, but also tried to dissuade other great maritime powers from this. Only Japan completed the construction of super battleships.
On February 6, 1922, the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan concluded the Washington Agreement on the Limitation of Naval Arms. The agreement established a "naval vacation" for a period of 10 years, when no large ships were laid down. The agreement lasted until 1936, with the British tried to convince everyone to limit the size of new ships to 26 thousand tons of displacement and 305 mm of the main caliber. However, only the French agreed to this when building a pair of small battleships of the Dunkirk type, designed to counter the German pocket battleships of the Deutschland type, as well as the Germans themselves, who sought to somehow get out of the Versailles Treaty, and agreed to such restrictions. during the construction of ships of the Scharnhorst type, however, they did not keep their promises regarding displacement. After 1936, the naval arms race resumed, although formally the ships were still subject to the restrictions of the Washington Agreement. In 1940, already during the war, it was decided to raise the displacement limit to 45 thousand tons, although such a decision no longer played any role.
The ships became so expensive that the decision to build them became purely political and was often lobbied by industry to secure orders for heavy industry. The political leadership agreed to the construction of such ships, hoping to provide employment for workers in the shipbuilding and other industries during the years of the Great Depression and the subsequent economic recovery.
The military was in no hurry to abandon proven solutions and rely on aviation and submarines, believing that the use the latest achievements technology will allow new high-speed battleships to successfully perform their tasks in new conditions. The most noticeable novelties on the battleships were the gearbox installations introduced on the Nelson-class ships, which allowed the propellers to operate in the most favorable modes, and the use of steam with higher parameters made it possible to increase the power of one unit to 40-70 thousand hp. This made it possible to raise the speed of the new battleships to 27-30 knots.
Japan.
In 1934, the Japanese leadership made a secret decision to refuse to comply with the treaty limits (35,000 tons) and develop a project that is obviously superior to foreign ones. It was believed that the United States would not build battleships that were unable to pass the Panama Canal, and therefore, their displacement would be limited, according to Japanese experts, to 60,000 tons (in fact, as shown by the construction of battleships of the Montana type, which did not pass through the then parameters of the canal, this estimate is underestimated).
The Japanese admirals, who considered battleships to be the main striking force of the fleet, believed that ships of this type, if built in sufficient numbers, would provide the Imperial Navy with a decisive advantage in the proposed general battle with the US Pacific Fleet. Only the authoritative Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku was of the opinion about the decisive role of aircraft carriers and the insignificant potential of battleships.
Yamato was laid down on November 4, 1937 at the Navy shipyard in Kure. His "brother" "Musashi" was laid down on March 29, 1938 at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki. Construction was carried out in an atmosphere of unprecedented secrecy. The place of construction was closed on all sides by sheds of sisal mats; after the ships were launched, they were additionally covered with camouflage nets. Photos of all workers were placed in special albums and compared with them all entering and leaving. The work was organized in such a way that none of the engineers could get all the drawings and specifications. For the purpose of disinformation, all documents indicated the underestimated caliber of the main guns - 406 mm, and the construction budget was divided into different projects so that the huge cost was not striking. The preservation of the secret was eventually ensured - the true characteristics of the battleships were not known abroad until the very end of the war.

"Yamato" in completion. 1941

The costs and difficulties faced by the Japanese are in many ways reminiscent of the history of the construction of our battleships of the "Soviet Union" type. For the successful completion of such projects, significant efforts were required by the economy of the whole country, comparable to modern space programs, and a lot of tasks had to be solved that were not directly related to shipbuilding.
In particular, it was necessary to modernize metallurgical plants, create new floating cranes, tugboats, and build a special ship with a displacement of 13,800 tons to transport the main caliber towers. To ensure the further construction of the series, the Japanese began the construction of four large docks, but did not manage to fully complete the work.
Formally, having the thickest armor among battleships, the Yamato was not the most protected. Japanese metallurgy in the 1930s lagged behind that of the West, and deteriorating Anglo-Japanese relations made access to the latest technology impossible. The new Japanese armor type VH (Vickers Hardened) was developed on the basis of the British VC (Vickers Cemented), produced in Japan under license since 1910. According to American experts who studied this armor after the war, its protective effectiveness was estimated by a factor of 0.86 in relation to to American "A" class armor. Especially high-quality British CA armor was inferior to the Japanese model by almost a third, that is, for the equivalent of 410 mm VH, 300 mm CA was enough.

"Yamato", 1945. Auxiliary caliber side turrets replaced by 127 mm anti-aircraft guns. Scheme

The lag in the quality of armor material, combined with the huge size of the designed battleships, led the designers to the idea of ​​solving the problem of protection "on the forehead", that is, by increasing the thickness of the armor to the maximum. The Yamato-class battleships were armored according to the "all or nothing" scheme, which meant the creation of an armored citadel that protected the ship's vital centers, providing a reserve of buoyancy, but leaving everything else unprotected. The Yamato Citadel turned out to be the shortest among the battleships built in the 30s in relation to the length of the ship - only 53.5%.
The generalized assessment of the quality of armor and its assembly on the latest battleships in Japan leaves much to be desired. This is due, first of all, to the scale of the problems posed to the creators of the world's largest battleships ... the quality of the armor as a whole turned out to be mediocre, that is, worse than it could be with such large dimensions and armor thickness.
The already existing 410 mm guns were considered insufficiently powerful, and the decision was made in favor of the 460 mm. The development of these guns was started in 1934 and completed by 1939. In order to maintain secrecy, they were called "40-SK model 94". The design, by virtue of continuity from the development of the early 1920s, was a combination of modern bonded technology with archaic wire winding. The length of the barrel was 45 calibers, the weight of the barrel was 165 tons; a total of 27 barrels were produced. Loading was carried out at a fixed angle of + 3 °, the rate of fire, depending on the firing range, was one and a half - two shots per minute. Each of the three gun turrets weighed 2,510 tons.

"Yamato" on trials. 1941

The battleships' instrumentation was very sparse by Western standards when they entered service. In fact, the Yamato and Musashi had a set of radio stations common to Japanese ships, but with significantly increased power, which made it possible to use them as flagships. At the beginning of 1942, not a single ship of the Imperial Navy had a radar.
In general, the electronic equipment of Japanese ships was backward, which was especially evident in battles, which often took place in conditions of limited visibility or at night. This fact can be explained by underestimating the role of electronic equipment, since, if desired, ships could be equipped with very advanced German radars.
When commissioned, the Yamato crew consisted of 2,200 people, including 150 officers, but in reality it was much larger from the very beginning. "Musashi" went out to participate in the battle for the Philippines, with 2400 people on board; the Yamato crew in its last campaign exceeded 3000, which was due to an increase in the number of anti-aircraft artillery servants.
Living conditions on the Yamato, although they looked unsatisfactory in terms of European and even more so American standards, were significantly better than on earlier Japanese battleships: the Yamato had 3.2 cubic meters of accommodation for each crew member, while its predecessors had from 2.2 to 2.6. The Yamato looked even more comfortable against the background of heavy cruisers (1.3-1.5 cubic meters), and even more so destroyers (1 cubic meter). It is not surprising that in the Japanese fleet, the Yamato and Musashi were nicknamed "hotels" - they even had large vats for bathing the crew, while on the vast majority of Japanese ships hygiene procedures were reduced to pouring water on the upper deck. However, the cockpits were still cramped, the aisles were narrow, and the galleys and plumbing fixtures were primitive. Japanese designers traditionally did not consider the amenities for the crew as their priority, believing that the sailors of the Imperial Navy should endure any difficulties.
In October 1944, the Japanese super battleships were finally thrown into serious combat. The Americans began landing in the Philippines, and if successful, the operation could destroy the Japanese defensive perimeter and cut off Japan from the main sources of raw materials and oil. The stake was too high, and the Japanese command decided to conduct a general battle. The “Se-Go” (“Victory”) plan drawn up by him was an outstanding achievement of operational art. Since the aircraft carrier forces of the Imperial Navy had fallen into decay by that time, the main role was assigned to large artillery ships.
On the morning of October 24, when Japanese ships were in the Sibuyan Sea, massive attacks by American carrier-based aircraft began. Due to coincidences, the main attacks of the Americans were aimed at Musashi. During the first three hours, the battleship received at least three torpedo and a number of bomb hits. The list was corrected by counter-flooding, but the ship had already taken on too much water, had a large trim on the bow and was gradually losing speed. After 15 hours, the battleship was again subjected to powerful attacks by torpedo bombers and dive bombers and received many torpedo and bomb hits. Although the attacks ended after 16 hours, the flooding of the battleship's interior was out of control.
At 19.36 the battleship capsized and sank. In total, Musashi received 11-19 hits from torpedoes and 10-17 bombs. 1023 crew members were killed, including its commander, Rear Admiral Inoguchi, who chose to die along with his ship. The losses of the Americans amounted to 18 aircraft out of 259 participating in the attacks.

"Musashi" under American bombs. Sea Sibuyan, 24 October 1944
On the Yamato, which became the flagship of the Japanese formation, they mistook the enemy for one of the high-speed aircraft carrier groups and believed that it included cruisers. Nevertheless, the Japanese entered the battle. "Yamato" for the first time in his career opened fire on a surface enemy at 6:58 from a distance of 27 km. The first volleys hit the aircraft carrier White Plains, and the gunners believed they had hit.
Subsequently, the battle was reduced to the pursuit by the Japanese of a slow-moving enemy, who responded with attacks by aircraft and destroyers. Over the next three hours, Japanese ships fired on numerous targets and considered several American aircraft carriers and cruisers sunk. Shooting was hampered by periodic rain squalls and smoke screens of the enemy. As a result of a large difference in speed (up to 10 knots), the Japanese connection was stretched out, and Admiral Kurita lost control of the battle. At 10:20, the 1st subversive formation disengaged and turned back, although the path to Leyte Gulf, where the American transports had gathered, was open.
It was like a last-minute reversal of a death sentence, although the Americans could not tell at the time whether it was a reversal of the sentence or only a stay of execution.
American losses in the Battle of Leyte Gulf amounted to 1 escort aircraft carrier, 2 destroyers and 1 escort destroyer. Despite the confidence of the Yamato gunners in the good results of their shooting, post-war studies showed that most likely the Yamato did not achieve a single hit with the main caliber, although a number of covers were recorded.
This was the only battle in history when battleships and cruisers kept their sights on aircraft carriers, and those in response took off their planes. The Japanese missed their chance, losing the final battle with a score of 1:3 (for one aircraft carrier they had to pay with the loss of three heavy cruisers). Such a result, despite all its illogicality (the confusion of the Japanese admiral determined too much), became quite symbolic - the aircraft armed with bombs and torpedoes turned out to be stronger than the most powerful artillery.
There is also a point of view that due to the large slowdown before the burst of Japanese shells, the shells of heavy Japanese guns pierced through the unarmored extremities of American ships and exploded far behind them, which led to low losses of Americans, despite the high percentage of covering.
On April 1, 1945, American troops landed on Okinawa. Since the garrison of the island had no chance to repel the landing, the Japanese command made the main bet on suicidal methods of struggle. The fleet also did not stand aside, proposing to use the Yamato to attack enemy landing craft, despite the enemy's dominance in the air and at sea.
On the morning of April 6, 1945, a unit consisting of Yamato, 1 light cruiser and 8 destroyers went to sea to participate in Operation Ten-ichi-go (Heaven-1).
The Japanese formation was discovered by the enemy in the early morning of April 7th. Starting from noon, the Yamato and its escort were subjected to powerful attacks by American carrier-based aircraft (227 vehicles in total). Two hours later, the battleship, having received up to 10 hits from torpedoes and 13 hits from aerial bombs, failed. At 14.23 local time, the bow cellar of the main caliber artillery exploded, after which the Yamato sank. Only 269 people were saved, 3061 crew members died. American losses amounted to 10 aircraft and 12 pilots.

"Yamato" in the Sibuyan Sea. October 24, 1944
Each weapon is only as good as it is used. In this regard, the Japanese admirals have nothing to boast of. All the decisive battles of the first half of the war took place without the participation of Yamato and Musashi. The Japanese command did not even use the opportunity to intimidate the enemy with the characteristics of the ships. As a result, super battleships were thrown into battle in a situation where their strengths were unclaimed. Speaking about the death of battleships, it makes no sense to talk about the lack of survivability or weakness of anti-aircraft weapons. Not a single ship would have survived under such attacks, and how long they managed to hold out under a hail of blows does credit to their builders.
Battleships of this type marked a peak and at the same time a dead end in the development of battleships. The role of the main striking force at sea was transferred to aircraft carriers.

Soviet Union.
Project 23 battleships (Soviet Union type)- a project of battleships built for the USSR Navy in the late 1930s - early 1940s as part of the construction program for the "Large Sea and Ocean Fleet". None of the laid down ships of the project could be completed and included in the Soviet fleet.
It was believed that the new battleships would be the largest and most powerful in the world. The unsinkability of the ship was ensured with the destroyed unarmored part of the ship and the simultaneous hit of two 21-inch torpedoes in the bottom or three torpedoes in the boules. Much attention was paid to the quality and strength of the connection of armor plates. different ways: on rivets in three rows in a checkerboard pattern, on dowels, etc. The possibility of using welding, which gradually became part of the practice of Soviet and foreign shipbuilding, was considered.
The planned cost of the first four ships of the project (1.18 billion rubles) was equal to almost a third of the country's annual naval budget in 1940.
The lead battleship "Soviet Union" was laid down in Leningrad at the Baltic Shipyard. In 1938-1939. three more battleships were laid down at two other enterprises: "Soviet Ukraine" in Nikolaev, "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Belarus" in Molotovsk. In October 1940, an order was given to suspend the construction of the Soviet Belorussia ship, which was 1% ready, and to concentrate the main efforts on the Soviet Union ship. Due to the start of the war, the construction of the remaining ships was stopped (the readiness of the "Soviet Union" was 19.44%, "Soviet Ukraine" - only 7%), and at the end of the war, the unfinished ships were dismantled.

Germany.
H-class battleships (also H-39)- a type of unrealized German battleship of the Second World War. The ambitious German shipbuilding program of 1939, also known as "Plan Z", called for the construction of six battleships under this project. The hulls of battleships were alphabetically numbered H, J, K, L, M, N. The German industry managed to lay the first two hulls before the start of World War II, the rest of the ships were not even laid down. In October 1939, the construction of the laid down ships was stopped.

USA.
Montana-class battleships- type of battleships of the US Navy. Further development battleships of the "North Carolina" type, in many respects being their enlarged version. Laid down but not completed. The Montana battleship was planned as the lead ship in a series of five units.
On July 19, 1940, 5 Montana-class battleships were ordered, soon their construction was frozen for an indefinite period, until July 21, 1943 was finally canceled. The battleships were to be built at the New York Navy Yard, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Model of the battleship "Montana".

Comparison of projects of actually laid down battleships with a standard displacement of more than 50,000 tons.

	Yamato(Japan)	Soviet Union (USSR)	Hz9 (Germany)	Montana (USA).
Bookmark year	1937	1938	1939	1941
Displacement standard	62 315 (design) 63200t. (real)	59150t. (design) 60190t. (grade)	53489t. (design)	60500t. (design)
Full displacement	69 998t. (design)72 810t. (real)	65 150t. (design) 67 370t. (grade)	63 596 (project)	70 500 (design)
GEM	4 TZA 12 PC 150,000 hp	3 TZA 6 PC 202,000 hp	3-shaft 12 diz. 148,000 hp	4 TZA 8 PC 172,000 hp
Travel speed, knots	27,5	28	30,4	28
Booking:
main belt	410mm	375-420+20 mm	180-320+bevel 120mm	406mm
Upper belt	No	180-420 mm	150+25 mm	No
Lower belt	100-170 -200-270 mm	No	No	95-210 mm
Armor at the ends	No	up to 220 mm	up to 150 mm	No
Deck booking	main 200-230 mm	25+155+50 mm	50-60+100-150 mm	57+147-155+25 mm
Towers (forehead / side / roof / rear):	650/250/270/460 mm	495/230/230/410 mm	400/220/180-220/325mm	560/254/233/370mm
Armament:	9 460/4512 155/60 12 127/40 24 25	9 406/5012 152/58 12 100/56 32 37	8 406/52*12 150/55 16 105/65 16 37	12 406/5020 127/54? 32 40/56 20 20
Volley weight	13140kg	9972kg	8240kg*	14696kg

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