HSwMS Fylgia (1905) Swedish Navy – Armoured cruiser 1904-1960 HSwMS Fylgia was the smallest armored cruiser in the world, a three-funnelled 4,800 tons ship with eight 6-in guns (152 mm) in four twin turrets fore, aft and admiships, which was rather innovative at the time. She was commissioned on 21 June 1907, served as cadet … Read more
Destroyer Neustrashimy (1952) In service 1955-74 Neustrashimy (“Dauntless”) was an attempt by the admiralty to replace the large-scale Skoriy class destroyers in the early 1950s by a larger, more capable ship, comparable to the new generation of 1950s USN “feet escorts”, and with an equally large producton scale. This prototype however was considered too large … Read more
WW2 British Cruisers United Kingdom (1931-35) 68 cruisers 1919-45 From the C-class to the Tiger The history of development of British cruisers goes all the way back to 1912, when the standard “C” series were first designed. Unlike in the US Navy or IJN whose cruisers were ordered at the end of WW1 and essentially … Read more
USA (1919-23)- USS Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia The Colorado class, formed with the near-sister ships Tennesse what was called the “big five”, the last USN super-dreadnoughts, and last of the “Standards”. To gain time and budget, the Colorado were planned in 1916 as virtual copies of the Tennesse, but with 16-inches guns, first to inaugurate … Read more
WWI Italian Monitors Regia Marina, 14 Monitors: Alfredo Capellini, Faa’ di Bruno, Montfalcone, Monte Santo class, Monte Cucco, Vodice, Carso, Pasubio, Monte Grappa class, Padus Another class used by the Italians during WWI, often overlooked, are Monitors: Fourteen of them indeed served on a localized front barely a few miles in lenght: The northern adriatic … Read more
Bundesmarine Type 138 (1958-68)FG 212, 217, 218 Gneisenau, Raule, Brommy Bundesmarine’s modernized British Hunt Frigates As part as the rearmament of the newly created Bundesmarine in 1955, as West Germany was now part of NATO, ex stock WW2 allied ships were transferred (purchased with the help of MDAP funds), and among these, a number of … Read more
WW1 Russian Battleships Russian Empire (1875-1919) – About 50 ships The origins: From ironclads to Coast Defense ships Historically, Russia embraced ironclad technology as soon as it was available, but the development of the first ship, Sevastopol, took some time, after the Crimean War. It started with two conventional frigates which were converted in 1864, … Read more
IJN Asahi (1896) Japanese pre-dreadnought Battleship (1899) The Fifth IJN pre-dreanought, three wars veteran With her keel laid in 1898 on the banks of the clyde, and her Pacific end in 1942, over forty four years had passed, making IJN Asahi probably the longest-living IJN Battleship, except for Mikasa, the next and last in the … Read more
Chao Ho class cruisers (1911) Chinese Empire – Chao Ho, Ying Swei, Fei Hung Training cruisers to Brit-US Yards The Chao Ho class (肇和 or ‘Harmonious Beginnings’) were protected cruisers ordered by the Qing Dynasty in 1910 and later used by the Republic of China Navy. They fought in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, Northern Expedition, … Read more
Curtiss SOC Seagull (1934) USN Observation Biplane 1935-1940 (322 built) Curtiss’ standard observation plane During the last five years preceding the war, a transitional Observation biplane was carried by most USN warships, from battleships to cruisers, just being replaced by more modern models such as the Douglas Kingfisher. Between limited squadrons per ship (2-3), and … Read more
