Avnillah class Casemate Ironclad (1869)

Ottoman Navy: Avnillah, Muin-i-Zafer (1868-70), service until 1932.

The Avnillah class were two casemate ironclad of the Ottoman Navy, built as part of a large naval program in 1861. Avnillah (also spelled Avnih Illâh in many publications) and Muin-i Zafer were built in Britain in 1868-1870 with four 228 mm (9 in) guns as central battery ships. They saw action in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and supported Ottoman forces ashore, Muin-i Zafer defending the port of Sulina. Postwar they went in reserve practically until 1897, but their poor condition prevented any useful role in the Greco-Turkish War. However after another regime change they were rebuilt as part of a large modernization program, rearmed with modern Krupp QF guns but kept as guard ships. Avnillah was sunk in the Battle of Beirut in January 1912 and Muin-i Zafer became a training ship in WWI, ending her career as a depot ship for submarines from 1928 and BU in 1932.

Design of the class

Development

In the early 1860s, after the Eyalet of Egypt, at the time semi-independent, albeit still part of the Ottoman Empire, ordered several ironclads to challenge the central government in Istanbul this forced the Government to react and not only foircibly repurchase the ships but also devel a new naval plan, this time to face the emerging Russian threat in the black sea. Most were purchased in France like the Lütf-ü Celil and Asar-i Şevket-class (ex-Egyptian) or Britain, such Asar-i Tevfik and Osmaniye-class after the Crimean war. This was the largest naval program in Turkish History for decades, at least until the interwar, and the cold war. In that wake, the two Avni Illah class were still modest ship with moderate draft in order to deal with black sea waters and shore operations, but still modern, being central battery ships with large guns. They were in contrast to the turret-armed Lütf-ü Celil, but much more advanced thand the Asar-i Şevket-class, Asar-i Tevfik, and Osmanieh class with her mixed central broadside arrangement.

In 1861, Abdülaziz as sultan of the Ottoman Empire launched this program partly to compensate for losses of the Crimean War of 1853–1856 but also to see the Orroman retaking the upper hand with ironclads on par with Western Powers and in opposition to Russia. However the program was limited by the Ottoman Empire’s restricted finances and the ships, apart the Osmanieh class, were rather small. However when they were ordered, the Avnillah class became the first modern casemate ships of the Ottoman Empire, with four 228 mm (9 in) guns in large traversing mounts combined with a double sponson casemate combining recesses and multiple ports to offer a two-gun fire at any angle. They also had a mixed construction and a bow ram, receiving a state of the art powerplant for better speeds. Both were ordered in 1867, and laid down the same year (date unknown) from Thames Iron Works for Avnillah and Samuda Bros. for Muin-i-Zafer. They were launched quickly in April and June 1869 and completed in 1870.

Hull and general design

Avnillah and her sister Muin-i Zafer were still modest, displacing 2,362 metric tons (2,325 long tons) at normal load, 1,399 t (1,377 long tons) BOM. They measured 68.9 m (226 ft 1 in) long between perpendiculars, for a beam of 10.9 m (35 ft 9 in) making for almost a 1:7 ratio, good for speed, and a moderate, but still important draft of 5 m (16 ft 5 in). Construction was mixed, with wood and iron, also incorporating a partial double bottom and ram bow. The overall design was simple, symmetrical, with two masts heavenly placed and a single amidship funnel, plus the central battery that was definitively the sticking point, making a “M” either side with large sponsoned casemate and recesses fore and aft.

The fact these casemates were indented enabled the placing or three gun ports for each, so that in theory at most angles, both side guns could fire fore and aft. When the ship reached a chase or retreat angles, the two guns of either sides now could fire ahead thanks to the recesses. That feature was unique at the time. The guns of course rested on transverse wheels, placed on corssing half-moon rails inside the casemate in a complex pattern, with ready shells nearby and a fixed loading hatch from below for each position.

The symetrical profile was seen as an advantage (the poop had about the same angle downards as the ram) as it was hard if the ship was at slow speed, if it was aiming forward or backwards. However up close, the poop was conventional and layed inwards to the rudder whereas the ram rose in a crescent point underwater. The way the recesses were designed was also singular, with straight ones forward, and angled ones aft, so the rear pair could not fire exactly dead astern. They had a small conning tower forward of the funnel, but few deck structure apart the usual hatches, starting with the largest of all placed aft of the mainmast. They also had luxurious accomodations aft with fine exotic wooden panelling. The crew amounted to 15 officers and 130 enlisted men, but increased later in their career. They had about 8 service boats, hald on deck and the other half under davits.

Powerplant

As most ironclads of their day, they had a single shaft and powerplant, an horizontal compound steam engine driving a single screw propeller that was uniquely shaped, as it was a faux contrarotative, a combination of two fixed 2-bladed propellers close together but angled at 90° to create a cross pattern. Steam came from four coal-fired box boilers. They were trunked into a single funnel amidships. This powerplant was rated for 2,200 indicated horsepower (1,600 kW), for a contracted top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). This was at the time of their sea trials, however, and after yerars of neglect when the war started in 1877 both at best could do 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Poor maintenance made them even fall further to 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) by 1892. They needed, and had a modernization, and that included the powerplant. Originally they carried 220 t (220 long tons; 240 short tons) of coal and the masts carried a brigantine rig.

Protection

The Avnillah class had a wrought iron armor plated belt for the whole lenght below the battery, 130 to 150 mm (5 to 6 in) thick above the waterline, tapered down below. It was tall also, 0.91 m (3 ft) above, 1.14 m (3 ft 9 in) below the waterline. To prevent raking fire it was was closed by 76 mm (3 inches) thick transverse bulkheads. The central battery was protected by 150 mm of iron plating at all angles, including its transverse bulkheads. The deck was unarmoured. The small CT was probably oinly proof against small arms fire.

Armament

As built, the Avnillah class only had four main guns. These were howeve rmoder, long range 228 mm (9 in) muzzle-loading guns weighing 12.5 t (12.3 long tons; 13.8 short tons) each. They were mounted in the central, armored casemate, two per side and positioned on a complex railing system in order to be presented each at three gun ports, and cover most angles, firing in pauirs ahead, astern, or broadside.

8.9-in/14 Armstrong

As for performances, the RML 9-inch Armstrong Gun was a popular model, introduced in 1867 and also used by the Netherlands and Spain.It weighted 12,300 kg and was 3.962 m long for an exact caliber of 229 mm and fired shells at a muzzle velocity of 1,476 feet per second (450 m/s).

Ugrades and reconstructions

Muin-i-Zafer in 1910
The ships lacked maintenance before and after the war of 1877. In 1882 they had a small addition against torpeod boats, two 87 mm (3.4 in) breech-loading guns from Krupp.
In 1894 modernization project they were to receive the following modifications:

-New Scotch marine boilers and brigantine rig removed

-Heavy military masts installed.

-Planned armament (never funded): Two 63 mm (2.5 in) Krupp, two 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss, two 25.4 mm (1 in) Hotchkiss, 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tube.

However it was relaunched in Italy at Orlando in 1903-1906 with a new conning tower with 150 mm sides, new bridge installed forward, and the following armament:
-Four 150 mm/40 or 149mm/37 SK L/40 (5.9 in) Krupp
-Six 75mm/37(3 in) SK L/40 quick-firing (QF) Krupp
-Ten 57mm/37 (2.2 in)SK L/40 C/99 QF Krupp guns
-Two 47 mm 47/37 SK L/40 C/99 (1.9 in) QF Krupp guns.
-Box boilers replaced with Scotch marine boilers, but original engine retained.
Crew increased to 220 officers and enlisted.
In 1910, both were again modernized, with Avnillah armed with a supplement of four 57mm/37 SK L/40 C/99 and Muin-i Zafer had the same plus two 75mm/37 SK L/40.

Career of the Lufti Djelil class

Avnillah (“Divine Assistance”) was ordered in 1867 from Thames Iron Works, laid down in 1868, launched on 21 April 1869 and commissioned in 1870. She conducted sea trials and was commissioned later. With the other ironclads built in Britain and France, the Ottoman Staff sent them to Crete, assisting in the aftermath of the Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869 under Hobart Pasha. Lack of funding soon after in the early 1870 was limited to training by reading translated British instruction manuals. Avnillah entered the II Squadron, Asiatic Fleet with her sister Muin-i Zafer as well as Hifz-ur Rahman and Lütf-ü Celil. They were activated every summer for short cruises, going from Golden Horn (Dardanelles) to the Bosporus just to check their propulsion was working. However when the Ottoman Navy mobilized in September 1876, preparing for a likely war with Russia, starting with an insurrection in Ottoman Bosnia by the mid-1875 and with Serbia at war from July 1876, they were checked and found in poor conditions already. By December 1876, both sisters were transferred to Batumi at 10 knots, their best speed. The Russo-Turkish War flared oout on 24 April 1877 and she remained in the Black Sea squadron, in a fleet of eight ironclads still commanded by Hobart Pasha. On paper, they were vastly superior to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, limited to the circular and useless Vitse-admiral Popov and Novgorod…

That Ottoman fleet played an efficient deterrence for the Russians. Thy had to keep two corps in reserve for coastal defense. Despite of this, Hobart Pasha was relunctant to launch an operation, notably because the government opposed it, and knowing about the training of his crews. They could have been used to support a counter-offensive spearheaded by a landing in the Balkans for example. Hobart Pasha however sailed his fleet for a show of force in the eastern Black Sea, to support operaitons in the Caucasus, and in effect, bombarded Poti and defended Batumi.[ On 14 May 1877, the fleet was split, with Avnillah, Muin-i Zafer, Necm-i Şevket, Feth-i Bülend, Mukaddeme-i Hayir, and Iclaliye sent to shell Russian positions around Sokhumi, before landing a large party with sailors and infantry, arming the local populace for an uprising. Sokhumi fell two days later. Russian torpedo boats were not inactive and made several attacks on Batumi. The ironclad remained to support the defence of the city against constant Russian attacks until end of the war.

The King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in Istanbul, 1910, received on Avnillah

Avnillah was eventally laid up in Constantinople in 1878 and saw no further activity for 20 years. In 1882 she only received two Krupp 87 mm (3.4 in) breech-loading guns and apparently new new Scotch marine boilers, with her brigantine rig removed and heavy military masts installed but the rearmament was not funded. By the mid-1880s, an inspection revealed her poor condition. Avnillah could still do around 6-8 knots but her hull was badly fouled, festering with marine life, and her engine had lack maintenance for decades. Rust was everywhere, as found by the British naval attache. In his report, he estimated six months of intensive work to have five ironclads operational. Avnillah operated with a crew 1/3 strong, more “caretaker”, but they were pootly equipped and not trained. As tension rose with Greece in 1886, she was fully crewed and prepared… until laid up again. Her best speed was under 6 knots (11.1 km/h; 4.6 to 6.9 mph).

When the Greco-Turkish War started in February 1897, a new inspection including Avnillah, was damning. She was found completely unfit to face the Greek Hydra-class ironclads. In April-May, sorties were performed still when it was estimated the crews were trained enough, into the Aegean Sea. That attempt to raise morale among the crews worked, but the ships had no impact on the war. British Admiral Henry Wood and German Admiral Eugen Kalau vom Hofe leading the inspection afterwards ended in the press and became an embarrassment for the government. Sultan Abdul Hamid II eventually authorized a modernization program, to be done in foreign shipyards, Krupp, Schichau-Werke, and AG Vulcan competing on a tender. However after surveying the ships in turn, all withdrew by December 1897. Plus, their prices were juged too steep for the Ottoman government. By 1900 contracts were awarded, but no for Avnillah. A cheaper alternative was found at Gio. Ansaldo & C. in 1903. Work was pretty extensive and lasted until 1906. Details are seen above.

However her concept was now obsolete, so she became a stationary guardship in Beirut in 1910 for local defense. It seems her guns were landed for the defence of the cty, and she kept only only four 57 mm (2.2 in) quick-firing guns. In September 1911 after Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire, the latter feated Avnillah or the torpedo boat Ankara could sortie and intercept Italian troop transports through the Suez Canal. On the morning of 24 February 1912, they sent the armoured cruisers Giuseppe Garibaldi and Francesco Ferruccio. They entered the port, sent a yawl with an officers tasked to contact the local commandant. This was an ultimatum, asking the local fleet to surrender and the delay expired at 09:00 without reply by the Ottoman Vali (Governor). Both cruisers thus opened fore from 6,000 meters (6,600 yd) in what becalme the Battle of Beirut. Avnillah was quickly set on fire, but returned fire with her light guns at max elevation and scored no hits. The cruisers then entered the harbor, Giuseppe Garibaldi close don the ironclad and fired two torpedoes. The first missed, sinking instead a civilian vessel but the second made its mark amidships. Avnillah sank on shallow water, lost with between 52 and 59 officers and ratings with eight officers and a hundred men injured. The wreck was still there in WWI, until scrapped in situ.

The Battle of Beyrouth in 1912.

Ordered in 1867 from Samuda Brothers, Cubitt Town, London, Muin I-Zafer (“Aid to Triumph”) was laid down in 1868, launched in June 1869, having sea trials in 1870, commissioned later that year. Like her sister she sent to Crete to assist in stabilizing the island after the Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869 under Hobart Pasha. She afterwards remained inactive with limited training. She was assigned to the II Squadron, Asiatic Fleet and activated every summer for short cruises to the Bosporus. At the time of the mobilization by September 1876 she was fully crewed and re-trained, coal was provisioned, and by December with Avnillah she was ordered to Batumi to meer the Russian naval forces there. The Russo-Turkish War flared out on 24 April 1877 and she remained in the Black Sea squadron. Hobart Pasha’s force dwarved the Russians, and after a long inactivity, was sent to the eastern Black Sea, to take part in the defence of the Caucasus, the defense of Batumi, and on 14 May 1877, the bombardment of Sokhumi and helping an uprising against the Russians to recapture Sokhumi. In June, Muin-i Zafer was sent to Sulina (at the mouth of the Danube) with Hifz-ur Rahman and Asar-i Şevket to defend the seaward approach along with coastal fortifications. At the end of the war she was laid up at Constantinople.

Like her sister she suffered from an acute lack of maintenance. Funds were always used for other endeavours and reports from that alarming state were ignored, or officers were demoted. For about twenty years she only saw a limited modernization like her sister in 1882, with two 87 mm (3.4 in) Krupp BLs and later Scotch marine boilers and heavy military masts. Her rearmament was never funded. By the mid-1880s, the lack of maintenance was already noticed by the British naval attache and when tension rose with Greece in 1886, she never left the Golden Horn despite her preparations, and in fact, was laid up again. When the Greco-Turkish War started by February 1897, that state of affair only went worse. Still in April and May, the Ottoman fleet made sorties to raise morale in the crews, but the ships were in no shape to do any good. Bad international press eventually forced Abdul Hamid II to authorize a modernization program, and a tender was submitted to German firms by December 1902, whchc they declined and instead, Muin-I-Zafer like her sister were to be modenrized from 1903 by Gio. Ansaldo & C. until 1906, with modern Krupp guns.

Muin-i Zafer like her sister was demoted still as a stationary ship in İzmir by 1910, having just two 75 mm guns, four 57 mm guns left, her other guns sent ashore in coastal batteries. In September 1911, Italy declared war and Muin-i Zafer was sent to Beirut but left shortly after the start of hostilities, so she did not share her sister’s fate. Instead by 30 September she was in Port Said, and more preciely defending the northern end of the Suez Canal. She was disarmed, her last guns taken ashore. When the First Balkan War started by October 1912, Muin-i Zafer was sent back to İzmir, unarmed. In 1913 she was converted as a torpedo training ship in Constantinople. Next, she became a floating barracks in 1920, this time stationed in İzmit. In 1928, she was converted as a depot ship for submarines, at Erdek for four years, then decommissioned in 1932, sold and BU in 1934.

Read More/Src

Books

Greene, Jack & Massignani, Alessandro (1998). Ironclads at War: The Origin and Development of the Armored Warship, 1854–1891.
Langensiepen, Bernd & Güleryüz, Ahmet (1995). The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828–1923. London: Conway Maritime Press.
Lyon, Hugh (1979). “Turkey”. In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Conway
Sturton, Ian. “Through British Eyes: Constantinople Dockyard, the Ottoman Navy, and the Last Ironclad, 1876–1909”. Warship International. 57 (2)
Wilson, Herbert Wrigley (1896). Ironclads in Action: A Sketch of Naval Warfare from 1855 to 1895. London: S. Low, Marston and Company.

Links

THE MODERNIZATION OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY DURING THE REIGN OF SULTAN ABDÜLAZİZ (1861-1876) by DİLARA DAL
i
IRON SHIPS AND IRON MEN: NAVAL MODERNIZATION IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, RUSSIA, CHINA AND JAPAN FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE 1830-1905 by Emir Yener
The Ottoman Navy 1900-1918 : a study of the material personnel and professional development of the Ottoman Navy from 1900and professional development of the Ottoman Navy from 1900 through the Italian, Balkan, and first World Wars.through the Italian, Balkan, and first World Wars. Karl Wilhelm Augustus Darr
warshipsresearch.blogspot.com
laststandonzombieisland.com
en.wikipedia.org
navypedia.org

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