Nuclear Attack Submarine 1952-1980, preserved. The world’s first nuclear submarine The sub’s Propulsion Problem In WW2 submarine propulsion remained what it was in WWI already, as developed in 1905-1910: Diesel-electric. Diesel engines were more compact, allowed more range for surface cruise, which was the “normal” state of any submarine -which needs to be called a … Read more
CNS O’Higgins Armada de Chile – Armoured Cruiser, 1894-1958 CNS O’Higgins, was Chile’s largest cruiser before the cold war. The thunderstuck of Argentina ordering two Italian armored cruisers at the last minute stunned the Chileans, which ordered in turn by April 1896 to Vickers Armstrong Yard a cruiser specifically tailored to answer the Italian ships. … Read more
CNS Ministro Zenteno Armada de Chile – 1894-96 CNS Ministro Zenteno (1894). Another landmark of the Chile-Argentina naval arms race. Before even Argentina ordered by surprise the first two Garibaldi class armoured cruisers, Chile obtained also by surprise in 1895 yet another protected cruiser from Vickers Armstrong Yards. After 21 de Mayo, 9 de Julio, … Read more
Boston class fleet escort (missile conversion) US Navy. USS Boston, Canberra, 1953-78 (CAG-1, 2). The Boston class were the world’s first missile cruisers. They emerged from the idea missiles were the future against jet-powered high altitude bombers, and especially in 1951 when the Soviet threat seems all too real. Instead of waiting for three to … Read more
UB-2 class (1915-18) German Empire – 30 submarines, UB-18 to UB-47 UB-45 underway in 1916 The UB-II class. Second part of out tryptich on the WWI German UB type submarines (the coastal ones), the UB-II were an all-improvement of the criticitzed “tiny tadpoles” designed to operated from the Flanders in 1914. Built in 1945-16, almost … Read more
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (1942) US Navy Dive Bomber (1943-45), 7,140 built The Curtiss SB2C and its “bad rep” A bit like Brewster products, the Buffalo and Buccaneer, the 1942 Helldiver suffered from a poor reputation. The Curtiss A-25 Shrike dive bomber was developed as a carrier-based bomber, intended for supplementing, and replacing the Douglas SBD … Read more
Bogatyr class armoured cruisers (1900) Russian Empire 1899-1936: Bogatyr, Oleg, Kagul, Ochakov, Vityaz A new class for Russian Protected Cruisers: The Bogatyr class were armored cruisers of the Russian Imperial Navy, classified as 1st rank, with five planned and built. The project was developed under supervision of the Vulkan Yard design team, which also built … Read more
Garibaldi class armoured cruisers (1901) Italy/Argentina (1894-1904) Four Armoured Cruisers: Garibaldi, Belgrano, Puyrredon, San Martin The six Argentinian Armored Cruisers The Garibaldi class is an Italian class or armoured cruisers planned in 1893, well balanced and which met such success it was the most exported type of its era. More than 10 ships, with the … Read more
Sims class Destroyers (1938) US Navy Fleet Destroyers (1937-47): USS Sims, Hugues, Anderson, Hamman, Mustin, Russel, O’Brien, Walke, Morris, Roe, Wainwright, Buck These 12 ships were the last US prewar destroyers class (completed before Dec. 1941). They marked a turning point, leaving behind theoretical considerations and naval staff ideas for a more pragrmatic approach, both … Read more
French Navy (1988-today). CATOBAR Carrier The European Nuclear Carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (Ex-Richelieu) was designed back in 1975 as a successor of the Clemenceau class, two fleet carriers built in the late 1950s. She was to be the lead ship of a class of two, only one was completed. FS Charles De Gaulle was … Read more
