Illustrious, Formidable, Victorious, Indomitable (137-69) An introduction: Probably as famous for the Royal Navy the Yorktown class were for the USN, these world’s first armoured aircraft carriers were involved in quantities of operations in the Atlantic, seeing action afterwards in Pacific as well although their formidable resilience when facing the axis air power in the … Read more
Japan, 1937-42. Fleet Aircraft Carrier The first purpose-built IJN fleet carrier Another important landmark in the development of IJN air power, was the construction of the IJN Sōryū. Until then, following a parralel with the USN, IJN Hosho was the earlier equivalent to the USS langley, Converted IJN Akagi and Kaga, the answer to USS … Read more
United Kingdom – Minelayer Cruiser (1923-47) The first dedicated British minelayer cruiser With the unusual pennant number M23, HMS Adventure was the first dedicated minelaying cruiser of the Royal Navy. Inspired by WWI German minelayer cruisers, she was built in the 1920s but saw action in the Second World War, with a famous commander in … Read more
Macchi M5 (1917) Regia Aeronautica (1917-26), 148 built The Italian seaplane fighter of WWI The first Italian seaplane was built by Nieuport-Macchi in Varese, copying a captured Austrian Lohner L observation seaplane. From the L.1 and L.2 came the M.3 single-seat observation biplane in 1916. It appeared soon performances were impressive enough to convert it … Read more
US Navy (1942-46) Light Cruisers: USS Cleveland, Columbia, Montpelier, Denver, Amsterdam, Santa Fe, Tallahassee, Birmingham, Mobile, Vincennes, Pasadena, Springfield, Topeka, New Haven, Huntington, Dayton, Wilmington, Biloxi, Houston, Providence, Manchester, Buffalo, Fargo, Vicksburg, Duluth, Newark, Miami, Astoria, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Galveston, Youngstown, Buffalo, Newark, Amsterdam, Portsmouth, Wilkes-Barre, Atlanta, Dayton The WW2 standard USN light cruisers … Read more
Grumman FF (1932) Two seat multirole naval aircraft 1931-1945 – 175 built* About Leroy Grumman & the navy The Founder: Leroy Grumman Leroy Grumman was born in Huntington, New York. His father George Tyson Grumman, owned a carriage shop and later worked at the post office. Early years and WWI “Red Mike” as a youngster … Read more
SMS Von der Tann (1910) German Hochseeflotte Battlecruiser (1908-1919) SMS Von der Tann, first German Battlecruiser SMS Von der Tann was built in response to the british HMS Invincible, and although still armed with 28 cm guns, on paper inferior to the British Vickers Armstrong 12-in guns, SMS Von der Tann nevertheless was a larger … Read more
The ship of the line turned ironclad Austrian Navy, 1858-1920 SMS Kaiser, Austria’s “wooden battleship”. First article for the 1860 section, the Austrian Navy’s legendary SMS Kaiser: Born as a formidable 2-decker ship of the line, arguably the pride of the Austrian Navy in 1860, she became immortal during the battle of Lissa, being the … Read more
WW2 Soviet Submarine Hunters Development of sub-chasers: The WWI experience Submarine-chasers (or “submersible” chasers as they shoud be called) appeared in WWI, developed from sloops and often built by civilian yards. Many were converted trawlers. During the great war, the Russian Imperial navy used for that task a variety of “guard ships”, clearly distinct from … Read more
Revenge class Battleships (1915) Revenge, Ramillies, Resolution, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign. The Revenge class battleships: Super-dreadnoughts on a budget Overshadowed by the Queen Elisabeth class, the Revenge nonetheless were the next British super-dreadnought serie also taking took part in two world wars. They actively contributed to the Royal Navy’s history, just in time for Jutland … Read more
