French Navy (1962-95), T56 design, D638 The T53 (Duperré) class destroyers succeeded to the the T47 or (Surcouf class), five being built before developments on missiles urged the conversion of what became the first French missile destroyer, La Galissonnière (1960), sole of the T56 class, initially the 6th of these. They were testbeds before the … Read more
USA (1945) USS Saipan (CVL-48), Wright (CVL-49) – service 1947-1980 Light Carriers based on heavy cruisers Two light carriers, Saipan (CVL-48) and Wright (CVL-49), were built for the USN during the war, and these were conversions, just like the nine Independence-class light carriers, based on cruiser hulls to gain a precious time in construction. However, … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, 1861-1879: Principe di Carignano, Messina, Conte Verde The Principe di Carignano class were three sister ironclad of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1860s: Principe di Carignano, Messina, and Conte Verde, originally ordered as wooden frigates in Italy but converted as ironclads, and the first to be built in Italy. … Read more
IJA/IJN Amphibious Ships, landing crafts and Landing Forces About 3000+ landing ships, crafts, assault vessels, transport subs and auxiliary carriers First post of 2024 ! We start with a big one, a full review of Imperial Japanese Army and Navy amphibious and landing assets, because… both service rivalry did not stop at developing their own … Read more
Project 1144 Orlan; 4 ships built: Kirov (1980), Frunze (1984), Kalinin (1988), Yuri Andropov (1988), Dzerzhinsky (cancelled). 1992: Admiral Ushakov, Lazarev, Nakhimov, Pyotr Velikiy (2 BU, 1 refit, 1 service 2023) The Kirov class missile cruisers were nuclear-powered vessels built by the Soviet Union in the 1970s-1980s as Project 1144 Orlan. Kirov (later Admiral Ushakov), … Read more
Battleships (1942-44): USS Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin The only cold war battleships in activity This post must be seen in complement to the origins and WW2 service of the class. Iowa class WW2 The Iowa class had the shortest career of all USN battleships in WW2 (except the unfortunate two dreadnoughts sunk at Pearl … Read more
Supermarine Seafire (1942-50) Fleet Air Arm. Mk.I to Mk.47 (2,646 built) The Supermarine Seafire is the naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire. A ruggerized version adapted for aircraft carrier use. It just followed the concept of the Hawker Sea Hurricane, as another, earlier navalised version of the second most popular British fighter of WW2. “Seafire” … Read more
Protected Cruiser, 1913-1937 Libia was an Italian protected cruiser in service by 1913. She had an unusual story. She was protected cruiser built in Italy in the 1900s, laid down in 1907 for the Ottoman Navy originally as “Drama” as a near-repeat of the Hamidiye. Not completed when the Italo-Turkish War broke out in 1911 … Read more
Conventional Attack Submarine 1956-1989. An experimental conventional hunter killer USS Darter (SS-576) was essentially a repeat Tang class incorporating many improvements. Name officially by BuShips project SCB 116, she integrated more sophisticated acoustic, but also completely new electronic and a new fire control gear as new generation hunter-killer submarine close to USS Tang (SS-563) but … Read more
Germany (1912) Helgoland, Ostfriesland, Thüringen, Oldenburg The Helgoland class Battleships were very similar to the previous Nassau, first generation of Imperial German dreadnoughts. But they were a bite more: They were a breakthrough in German battleships design, the main artillery was scaled up to 12 inches (305 mm). When these ships were completed in 1911-1912 … Read more
