Naniwa, Takachiho White’s first Japanese cruiser: The Naniwa and Takachiho (浪速型防護巡洋艦 Naniwa-gata bōgojun’yōka) were the first Japanese protected cruisers. They were also considered at their completion, the most advanced and powerful cruisers in the world. Since naval industry in Japan was in its infancy, there was no skills available to design, let alone to built … Read more
Kirov class cruisers (1930) Soviet Navy Light cruisers (1930-60) Kirov, Frunze, Maxim Gorky, Molotov, Kaganovitch, Kalinin The Kirovs: Italian flavored light 7-in cruisers The first modern interwar cruisers built in USSR were the Kirov class. A name made even more famous at the peak of the cold war in the 1980s with the arrival of … Read more
United Kingdom (1931-35) HMS Leander, Achilles, Ajax, Neptune, Orion, HMAS Perth, Sydney, Hobart The ANZAC light cruisers The 5 Leanders (completed in 1933-34) and the 3 Australian Perth (1934-35) were the first light cruisers built since the Enterprise class of 1920. With their twin 6-in turrets, they were more of an adaptation of the previous … Read more
Infographic – The best dreadnought of ww1 Nations (in order):UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, USA, Japan, Russia. The coefficient is based on speed (in knots), armour (sum of top thickness in mm, belt, citadel, CT, turrets, decks), and armament (sum of guns and calibers, main and secondary). Of course this is a largely artificial exercize: … Read more
United Kingdom (1937-55) Dido, Bonaventure, Naiad, Phoebe, Cleopatra, Charybdis, Euryalus, Hermione, Scylla, Sirius, Argonaut The First Dedicated Royal Navy British AA cruisers The Dido class were at first developed as conventional light cruisers, but in 1937 the designed evolved quickly as dedicated AA cruisers, whereas plans were made to convert vintage WWI vessels of the … Read more
Spanish Republic – Nationalists Canarias, Baleares (1936) The Spanish 8-in cruisers The two heavy cruisers Canarias and Baleares were the first of this kind built in Spain. They were ruled by the Washington Treaty, of the classic “8×8 inches – 10,000 tons” type, whereas Spain never signed the treaty. Proceeding as usual in consulting British … Read more
Midget Italian Torpedo boats: MT, MTS, MTL The MAS inheritance During the WW1 and WW2 superstars of the “naval dust” deployed by the Regia Marina were the MAS (For Motoscafo armato silurante) or “torpedo armed motorboat”. They gave all satisfaction during the great war in the confines of the Adriatic, but less so during WW2 … Read more
Russian Battleship (1893) The four-funneled battleship One of the rare Russian battleships which was sunk in action in 1905 rather than captured or shelled in Port Arthur, the Navarin was singular in more than titles: Besides four funnels in two tandem pairs because of her unusual machinery arrangement -which had her nicknamed “Zavod” (factory)- she … Read more
Cold War USN Frigates 150 Frigates 1955-1990 Introduction: Postwar USN ASW Policy The entire array of destroyers and escort destroyers inherited from WW2 was reclassified “ocean escort” (provided they had the range). This was a definitive ASW-oriented path and either escort and fleet destroyers were converted into ASW specialists, the DER, DET and FRAM in … Read more
/ The largest planned combined axis amphibious operation of WW2 Strategic situation in the Mediterranean Strategic situation of Malta in June 1941. This map was tailor-made for Naval Encyclopedia, showing the extent of the naval air war in the Mediterranean and geopolitical situation. From November 1942 the map changes dramatically: Mainland Vichy France is totally … Read more
