admin7126 Fairey Fulmar (1940) RNAS/FAA 1940-43: 600 built. The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Fairey Aviation in 1939-40. Named after the northern fulmar (British Isles seabird) it became one of the most used Fleet Air Arm (FAA) model during WW2. Production ceased in 1943 as the new, … Read more
Mitsubishi A5M “Claude” (1937) Imperial Japanese Navy, 1085 built The main IJN fighter in 1940 The Mitsubish A5M (allied designation “claude”) was until the arrival of the legendary “zeke”, the main Japanese Imperial Navy Fighter. Designed alongside the Army Fighter Nakajima Nakajima Ki-27 “Nate”, this was the first generation monoplane of this type, supremely agile, … Read more
Germany (1902-04) SMS Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Lübeck, München, Leipzig, Dantzig The Bremen class: More than just improved Gazelles After the satisfactory deign of the Gazelle class (IV class, 11 ships 1898-1902) it was decided to repeat the type with many improvements: Larger to house a better powerplant, faster, better armed, and better armored. They were … Read more
Fairey Seal (1930) RNAS/FAA 1930-36: 90 built. The Fairey Seal was designed and built by Fairey Aviation, first flying in 1930, entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1933. Only 91 were produced, many also exported. Although largely forgotten today, this model was a derivative of the Fairey III, sharing practically everything but the … Read more
US Navy Fleet Aircraft Carriers (1942-50): USS Essex, Yorktown, Intrepid, Hornet, Lexington, Bunker Hill, Wasp, Franklin, Ticonderoga, Randolph, Hancock, Bennington, Shangri-la, Bonhomme Richard, Antietam, Boxer, Lake Champlain, Princeton, Tarawa, Kearsage, Leyte, Philippine Sea, Valley Forge, Oriskany The world’s largest capital ship program In March 1941, the first of the most prolific series of heavy aircraft … Read more
Italia class ironclads Italy (1881) Italia, Lepanto The Italia class comprised two ironclad battleships of the Regia Marina, built between the late 1870s and early 1880s. They were designed by famous engineer Benedetto Brin, which took a radical approach on protection design to profit overall speed, with an exceptionally extensive internal subdivision. Combined with their … Read more
Japan, 1940-45. Fleet Aircraft Carriers: Shōkaku 翔鶴, Zuikaku 瑞鶴 The best ever IJN fleet carriers ? Shōkaku in Yokosuka, August 23, 1941 Shōkaku and Zuikaku in many ways represented the pinnacle of IJN aicraft carrier development in 1937. Unbound by treaty limits since December 1936, engineers were now free to work out the design the … Read more
France, Coastal Battleships – Jemmapes, Valmy The Jemmapes class (1892) were two French coastal Battleships, part of the four commissioned in the early 1890s, quite unique in design, and completely influenced by the “Jeune Ecole” theories, with the Bouvines class. The first were assigned to the Mediterranean and the second, which had a forecastle, to … Read more
Aichi D1A “Susie” (1934) Imperial Japanese Navy, 590 built The last IJN biplane dive bomber The Aichi D1A/D2A “Susie” was a reliable, modern dive bomber biplane in service with the IJN from 1935 to 1940 (1942 with Mandchukuo). It was the direct predecessor of the D3A “Val” monoplane of WW2 fame, and still served in … Read more
North Carolina class Battleships Fast Battleships (1940): USS North Carolina (BB-55), Washington (BB-56) The first USN fast battleships USS North Carolina’s bow, Pearl Harbor, 16 November 1942 The North Carolina class battleships were a revolution for the US Navy: After the long vacancy of the Washington Treaty banning new battleships for ten years and prolongated … Read more
