66 completed under Project 204/204E 1960-68 MPK-1 to 136 (random numbers), in service until 2005, also used by the Bulgarian and Romanian Navies. Project 204 (NATO Poti class were sixty six anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvettes built for the Soviet Navy and the first Soviet warships ever powered by gas turbines, with tunneled propellers for a … Read more
Scouts (cruisers) 1914-1950: Aquila, Sparviero, Nibbio, Falco (eagle, sparrowhawk, kite, falcon). Later Mărăști and Mărașești (1920), Ceuta and Melilla (1937), Lovkij, Legkij (1944). The Aquila class were four flotilla leaders built in Italy during the First World War, requisitioned after they had been order by Romania in 1913, and thus, taking part in the first … Read more
United Kingdom, private yacht tested by the RN (1895-1927, preserved) The Turbinia is the first steam turbine-powered steamship. It was an experimental, private venture by Charles Algernon Parsons, ten years after he invented the concept, in 1884. The concept was proposed by the admiralty but the first trial was unsuccesful. As an engineer certain of … Read more
Aircraft Carrier 1946-1974 The Aircraft Carrier Arromanches was the ex-HMS Colossus, lead ship of the famous 1942 light fleet aircraft carrier program. She was loaned in 1946 for five years to the Marine Nationale, made two tours of duties over Indochina until purchased in 1951, refitted. She served for two more tours and was back … Read more
Imperial Russia (1877-1905) – 90 ships Russian Torpedo Boats’s story started well before 1914, to be precise as far back as 1877. The Empire indeed was the first to use mobile “mines”, and spar-torpedo vessels during the 1877-78 war against the Ottoman Empire. In the 1880s the fleet purchased torpedo boats from Britain, Germany, France, … Read more
Koninklijke Marine Destroyers: Onderzeebootjager Typ 47A, Built 1950-55. HNLMS Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Gelderland (D808-811) service 1954-79 Holland class destroyers: The postwar years saw a renaissance of the crippled, but proud Netherlands Navy, fighting on all fronts during WW2 against the axis. The two prewar cruisers of the De Ryter class were completed in 1953, an … Read more
Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Cruisers: USS California, USS South Carolina (CGN-36, 37) 1970-1999. The California class was were two nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers operational from 1974 and 1998, and designed as such rather than simply stretched Leahy/Belknaps fitted with reactors. They reprsented the synthesis of experience gained since the Long Beach, yet still lacked helicopter hangars. They … Read more
Amphibious Transport Docks Built 1985-1994: San Giorgio, San Marco, San Giusto (L9892 to 9894). Exports: Kalaat Béni Abbès, Al Fulk. San Giorgio class LSDs: For the Italy Unity Day, let’s review the largest amphibious ships ever designed for the Italian Navy, a far cry from the WW2 Motozaterra MZ, they actually replaced much older De … Read more
Project 675 (NATO “ECHO II”) nuclear missile attack submarines 29 submarines 1961-1994: K-166, K-104, K-170, K-175, K-184, K-172, K-47, K-1, K-28, K-35, K-189, K-74, K-22, K-90, K-31, K-116, K-57, K-125, K-48, K-128, K-56, K-131, K-10, K-135, K-94, K-108, K-7, K-23, K-34 For NATO the whole 34 ECHO were quite close as to share the same … Read more
Project 659 (NATO “ECHO I”) nuclear missile attack submarines 5 submarines, Project 659 (1961-1963) К-45, К-59, К-66, К-122, К-151, К-30 (cancelled) The world’s first nuclear cruise missile launching submarines The Project 659 (NATO Echo class) inaugurated a brand new league in submarine design for the cold war. Just as the first tests were made to … Read more
