admin7126 The first Italian postwar destroyers Built 1952-83: Impetuoso, Indomito Italy Army Day ! The Impetuso or Indomito class depending on the authors were two early cold war destroyers built for the Marina Militare, the first large warships in years. They were the fruit of WW2 lessons and recent NATO guidelines and if the base design … Read more
9 cruisers (1961-64): USS Leahy, Harry E Yarnell, Worden, Dale, Richmond K Turner, Gridley, England, Halsey, Reeves (DLG-16 to 25). The Leahy class cruisers have a complicated history reflected in their successive denominations, and organizational changes in the USN. After conversion of several WW2 Baltimore and Cleveland class ships into hybrids (or full) missile cruisers … Read more
The POLL is closed Results: -HMS Victoria (1887) (1) -french hotel warships (1)* -The round ship (1) -USS Choctaw (2) -hoche (1) -nelson (1) -thaon di revel (1) -hms argus (1) -PPA(?) (1) On 18 votes, the rest are blanks. Seems the civil war Choctaw is a …winner. This will be our 2024 Halloween post … Read more
German Empire (1906-1919, preserved 1921) Experimental U-Boat The first U-Boat The path towards 1914 U-Boats started somewhat later than other nations, which is odd for a country which at some point relied so much of this new weapon to win both world wars (and gained a long-lasting reputation a credibility for this type). As shown … Read more
Standard Observation Seaplane Aviazione Ausiliaria per la Regia Marina 454 built 1934-43 The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (“Gull”) was a high-wing central-hull flying boat with a single pusher engine whch first flew in 1934 (setting a world distance record) and was produced to 454 until 1943. It served with the Aviazione Ausiliaria per la Regia Marina, … Read more
Project 42 Sokol class, Strozhevoi Korabl (light escort) Frigates 8 General Purpose Frigates 1949-1980 The Kola class frigates were known under this name under NATO reports. These Soviet frigates built postwar received the designation or Storozhevoi Korabl (for “escort ship”) and official Project 42 and Sokol class after the lead ship post-1990 by historians. They … Read more
United Kingdom (1942-45) HMS Swiftsure, Minotaur, Superb, Hawke, Bellerophon, Blake, Defence, Mars The last “classic” British cruiser of WW2 were the Minotaur class (later swiftsure as Minotaur became HCMS Ontario). On paper, light cruisers due to their armament of nine 6-in DP guns, “C” turret being sacrifice to make room for more AA. Essentially an … Read more
The first Austro-Hungarian Broadside ironclad Austro-Hungarian Navy, 1862-1883: SMS Drache, Salamander Austrian Fleet | pre-WW1 fleet | WW1 fleet The Drache class ironclads (1860) were converted from Trieste-built Frigates, as a first generation of Austro-Hungarian broadside ironclads. They took part in the 1863 Battle of Lissa, modernized and maintained in service as training, then harbour … Read more
French Navy (1954-92), T53 design. Duperré, La Bourdonnais, Forbin, Tartu, Jauréguiberry D633-637 Second class of postwar destroyers built for the Marine Nationale, the T53 were an improvement of the T47 (Surcouf class), only five being built before French developments on missiles led to La Galissonnière (1960), the initial 6th T53 (now T56), and the Suffren … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles 1926-1946: The Parthian-class submarine or P class was a class of six submarines built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. Also called P-class submarines, they were a group of diesel-electric submarines operated by the Royal Navy in the late 1920s and 1930s. The class consisted of six boats – HMS Pandora, … Read more
