Royal Navy – Ca-, Ch-, Co- and Cr- groups: 32 destroyer 1943-45 There are two “C” class destroyers in British Royal Navy service in WW2 confusingly enough, the ones from 1931 (grouped into the “C-D” group as they were very similar) and the ones of 1943, that many sources calls the “Ca-, Ch-, Co-, Cr-” … Read more
The Mitsubishi G4M (allied conename “Betty”) was the replacement for the 1930s G3M (“Nell”), as the primary land based bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber nicknamed “Hamaki” as it was far more “fattier” than the nimble G3M, was also far more powerful and it boasted good performance across … Read more
Japan 1926-46: I-53, 54, 55, 58, large oceanic submarines. The Kaidai IIIa type (海大IIIa型, Navy large type IIIa) or I-153-class followed the design of the KD1 and KD2 but with strengthened hulls. Four were built: I-53/I-153 (survived the war, sank in 1946 Operation Bottom) I-54/I-154 (scuttled by gunfire Operation Bottom), I-55/I-155 (scuttled by gunfire, Operation … Read more
Kocatepe, Adatepe 1931-1954 The Kocatepe class destroyers were built for the Turkish Navy by Ansaldo of Genoa, in 1931. They were the first part of a massive re-armament program of the Turkish Navy started after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey under Kemal Ataturk. They were based on the contemporary Folgore class but with … Read more
United Kingdom (1914-1920): HMS Faulknor, Broke, Botha, Tiperrary. The Faulknor class destroyer were requitioned ex-Chilean ships (Almirante Lynch class) which saw action as destroyer leaders at Jutland and in other momentous action of the first world war. When launched they were among the largest of their kind ever built. Faulknor, the class namesake, was also … Read more
Japanese Self Defence Naval Force: 2 Helicopter Destroyers: JDS Haruna, JDS Hiei (1973-2011) The Haruna-class destroyer were arguably the biggest expansion step ever taken by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in capabilities to this point. Not only these were the first Japanese helicopter-carrying destroyers (DDH), operating three helicopters, but also the largest Japanese warships … Read more
Russian Empire/Soviet Navy 1913-1954: Avtroil, Izyaslav, Prymyslav, Bryachislav*, Fedor Stratilat* The Izyaslav class were ordered under the “enhanced” shipbuilding program for 1913-1917, comprising thirty-six 35-knot destroyers for the Baltic Fleet. They became the most heavily armed and largest destroyers in the Russian Navy and were turned into flotilla leaders, although this was never official in … Read more
UK, Royal Navy: 33 (on 86 Hunt total) Escort DDs. The Hunt Type 2 (Eridge class) were 33 destroyers launched 1940-43. These escort destroyer of the Royal Navy were named after hunting grounds. The previous Type 1 were ordered on 1939 to free regular destroyer for fleet work. After the gross stability issues of the … Read more
Sjøforsvaret: Protected Cruiser (1st. class Gunboat) 1895-1928 During the Kalmar Union with Sweden until 1905, Norway developed a policy of coastal defence, based initially on gunboats (and later coastal battleships and torpedo boats) of second and first class. The latter were two small protected cruisers launched at Horten, Viking (1891) and Frithof in 1895. Here … Read more
Soviet Navy Series III, V, X (1931-41), 86 boats. The “Shchuka” (“Pike”) class was the bedrock of the Soviet Submarine Force in the interwar and WW2. The series III were the start of a lineage that also comprised the Series V, V-bis, V-bis-2, and X, X-1938 making for a total of 86 boats. This family … Read more
