HDMS Tordenskjold (1880) Denmark Torpedo Ram built 1878-81, decomm. 1908 Development of the sole Danish Torpedo Ram HDMS Tordenskjold was not the largest, not most famous pre-WWI Danish warship, but it was the only one of its kind. It was designed in Copenhaguen back in 1878 as a Torpedo-Ram. This partially armored, heavily armed experiment … Read more
Mitsubishi B1M (1924) Imperial Japanese Navy, 443 built The main IJN torpedo bomber of the interwar The Mitsubishi B1M was a Japanese torpedo bomber of the 1920s. It lasted in service more than planned, and contributed to shape Imperial Japanese navy early carrier-borne strikes tactics. It was originally designated the 2MT, and was designed by … Read more
HSwMS Dristigheten (1900) Swedish Navy – Coastal Battleship 1899-1961 HSwMS Dristigheten was Swedish Navy’s coastal defence ship of the new century, single in her class, and essentially a modified version of the Oden-class of 1894-99. Launched 28 April 1900, she became a seaplane tender in 1927-1930 with hangar and deck aft, cranes and three floatplanes. … Read more
Royal Navy – 8 ships (2 cancelled), 2 batches 1962-2006 HMS Devonshire, Hampshire, Kent, London, Fife, Glamorgan, Antrim, Norfolk The new “county” are missile destroyers The Royal Navy in the 1950s the needed a new “county class”, but at the time it seemed obvious that they would have been armed with missiles. Development started in … Read more
Ning Hai class cruisers (1931) Chinese Republic – Ning Hai, Ping Hai The Last Chinese Cruisers The Ning Hai class cruisers were the culmination of many “firsts” and “lasts”: First cruisers of the feldgling Chinese Republic, first built in Japan, and last Chinese cruisers overall (although arguably the new Type 055 missile destroyers of the … Read more
Grumman J2F (1936) US Navy, 584 built Ungainly but popular, the “Duck” The Grumman J2F Duck (G-15) was a single-engine amphibious biplane used by the USN, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force from 1937 to the 1950 in air-sea rescue notably by South America but also long after by many independent civilian operators. With its … Read more
Imperial Japanese Navy Fleet Light Aircraft Carrier IJN Ryūjō was a light IJN carrier of 8,000 metric tons displacement designed to exploit Washington treaty’s limitations loopholes under 10,000 tonnes. Contrary to her style, narrow with a cruiser bow and no island, she was not a converted cruiser but was designed in effect. However the would … Read more
US Navy (1942-43): USS Independence, Princeton, Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Monterey, Langley, Cabot, Bataan, San Jacinto. Although less numerous and famous than the Essex class, the bedrock of USN task forces in the pacific during WW2, the Independence class had their fate tightly intertwined with the latter. Indeed, as the new large fleet carriers were long … Read more
WW2 Soviet Minesweepers Soviet Navy – 327 minesweepers 1924-45 Introduction: Soviet Mine warfare WW2 About early Russian naval mines & tactics: The Russians wre pioneers of mine warfare. They started to use them during the Crimean War, laying some 1,865 in the Baltic Sea to channel enemy ships into the path of fortification’s heavy guns. … Read more
Fairey Swordfish (1935) Fleet Air Arm 1935-43: 2,391 built. The proverbial British torpedo bomber The “string bag”, Swordfish, made by the British Fairey company, is fondly remembered now, cementing its place in the hall of fame of aviation due to its actions during WW2 and showing fighting qualities that outshined many other biplanes of the … Read more
