admin7126 Missile Frigate built 1979-85, pending decommission Other names: Muntenia as built, Timișoara 1990, Mărășești (F111) 1986, active. Currently no longer the Romanian flagship from 2004, a role taken by Regele Ferdinand (formerly HMS Coventry), the Romanian frigate Mărășești was quite an achievement for the Romanian shipbuilding industry and techno-military complex in the cold war. In … Read more
UK Royal Navy (1909-1922) 1909 program, H-class 1913: HMS Acorn, Alarm, Brisk, Cameleon, Comet, Fury, Goldfinch, Hope, Larne, Lyra, Martin, Minstrel, Nemesis, Nereide, Nymphe, Redpole, Rifleman, Ruby, Sheldrake, Staunch In short, the Acorn class (H class from 1913) were born frm the 1909-10 Programme as a reversion from coal (on the Beagle class) to oil … Read more
Coastal ironclads Build 1885-1892: RHN Hydra, Spetsai, Psara 1892-1929 Hydra, Spetsai and Psara were ordered as coast defence ironclads in 1885 under the cabinet of Charilaos Trikoupis in order to modernize an ageing navy which earlier armoured ships went back to the 1860s. The three vessels were built in France, and were quite peculiar, with … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles 1932-1945: 53 total: Group I 1935-38: Triton, Thunderbolt, Tribune, Trident, Triumph, Taku, Tarpon, Thistle, Tigris, Triad, Truant, Group 3 boats, Talisman, Tetrarch, Torbay Group II 1939-41: Tempest, Thorn, Thrasher, Traveller, Trooper, Trusty, Turbulent. Group III 1942-45: P311, Trespasser, Taurus, Tactician, Truculent, Templar, Tally-Ho, Tantalus, Tantivy. Telemachus, Talent, Terrapin, Thorough, Thule, Tudor, Tireless, Token, … Read more
Nazi Germany: Z5-Z16 (1936-1945) The Z5 class or 1934A Zerstörer (destroyers) were twelve fleet destroyers built in the mid-1930s for the Kriegsmarine, essentially repeats of the Type 1934 but with a clipper bow for improved seakeeping, the staukeil short under transom keel to imporve agility, raise the stern at high speed. But these were criticized … Read more
Ottoman Empire/Turkey – 1901-1952 (1903) If Hamidiye and Mecidiye are often paired by most authors as the cornerstone of Turkish Ottoman cruiser force, later reinforced in 1914 by Midilli, ex-Breslau). Both cruisers were often compared, Mecidiye was ordered from the US, Hamidiye in UK, resulting in diverging appearance, size, tonnage, armament and capabilities. In 1901 … Read more
Conventional Attack Submarines (S631 – S638). Service 1957-1987: Narval, Marsouin, Dauphin, Requin, Espadon, Morse. For this new cycle about French cold war submarines, we will start with an introduction, the situation in 1945 and the leased training submarines, the rebuilt, streamlined La Creole class, and the first purpose-built French postwar “submarines”, the Narval class. Symbolically, … Read more
Large recce/bomber flying boat, 215 made 1938-43 The H6K was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat manufactured by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company in 1936, produced from 1938 to 1941. It was used during World War II for maritime patrol duties with the Allied reporting name “Mavis” and a Navy designation “Type 97 Large Flying Boat”. … Read more
Imperial Japanese Seaplane Tenders, 1942-44: IJN Akistushima, Chihaya, 3 more cancelled. IJN Akitsushima was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy launched in 1941 and completed in 1942. She was tailored as a large floatplane tenders for long range missions, and was even capable of launching them thanks to her massive catapult and facilities. … Read more
USA (1917-30) T-1 to T-3, AA-1 to AA-3 fleet submersibles The T-1 class submarines (previously known AA-1 class) were the first attempt by the USN to build a fleet submersible. It was planned in 1913 already to operate with the new Delaware class, the first “standard battleships”, with a surface speed of 21 knots to … Read more
