Versuchsgleitboot 1 prototype (1916) The Austro-Hungarian secret weapon The Versuchsgleitboot (“Above, gliding boat”) was a prototype of a fast, small wing-in-ground torpedo boat build in 1916 by Dagobert Müller von Thomamuehl. It was out of this world at that time, by using a particular hover effect to lift it just above the surface, reaching a … Read more
Russian Pre-Dreadnought Battleship (1901) Russian battleship with a french flavor: Without going into lowly humor mixing vodka and baguettes, the Tsessarevitch (or Tsesarevich) was the only capital ship of the Russian fleet entirely built in France. More importantly, she formed the basis for the Russian-built Borodino-class battleships (Or Slava). She underwent a rocky service life … Read more
United Kingdom (1913) Battlecruiser The HMS Tiger: Feline beauty and hard shell Described by historian John Keegan as “certainly the most beautiful warship in the world then, and perhaps ever”, the Tiger was also better protected, yet cheaper than the older Lion class, the “big cats” disliked by the admiralty. Despite of her merits, no … Read more
Armada de la Argentina, School Cruiser 1937-1974 The Argentinian school cruiser: The cruiser “La Argentina”, was conceived as a training ship of the Argentine Navy and a command ship at the same time, built at Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow, between 1935 and 1937, but she did not take service until February 1939. She was modeled after light … Read more
Type 092 (NATO Xia class) SSBN (1981) Chinese PLAN (1981) – 1 Ballistic Nuclear Submarine The first Chinese SSBN: It is well understood today that the most efficient deterrence carrier today is the SSBN (for ‘submarine’ ‘ballistic missile’ ‘nuclear powered’). Only five nations in 1987 could boast having that capability: USA, USSR, UK, France and … Read more
Scout Cruisers (1907) – USS Chester, Birmingham, Salem The last American cruisers The title seems a bit exaggerating, but there were indeed no new cruisers construction since 1907 and 1920. An immense gap explained by a strong focus on battleships, and on the other hand, the new US fleet destroyers which filled that scouting role … Read more
Nino Bixio class cruisers (1912) Italy (1912) Nino Bixio, Marsala The first modern Italian scouts The Nino Bixio class were protected cruisers of the Regia Marina built in Castellammare before WW1. Their main duty was as scouts for the main fleet, therefore emphasis was put on a high speed. However they proved quickly overweight and … Read more
Italy (1916/1937) Battleships Caio Duilio, Andrea Doria Cavour’s sister class: Doria The Andrea Doria class (or Caio Duilio class for Italians sources) was the last dreadnought battleship class of the Regia Marina to see service in WW1, started in 1912 and completed 1916. The Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio were an incremental improvement over the … Read more
Soviet Navy – 238 submersibles 1928-45 Boats surviving the civil war long before the civil war, with the appearance of the first submarines at the occasion of the 1878 war, to negate the advantage of the massive Ottoman Turk navy, and in 1905, as a way to counterbalance the Japanese Imperial Navy. The delfin, Kasatka, … Read more
Germany (1911) Magdeburg, Breslau, Strassburg, Stralsund A brand new league in German cruiser design: The Magdeburg class marked a new milestone in the design of German cruisers. Significantly larger than the Kolberg (5600 tons against 4900 fully loaded), they focused also on a range of significant improvements. These four ships (Magdeburg, Breslau, Strassburg, Stralsund) were … Read more
