World War II was the golden age of battleships. The powers that claimed dominance at sea, in the pre-war years and the first few war years, laid down several dozen giant armored ships with powerful main-caliber guns on the slipways. As the practice of the combat use of “steel monsters” has shown, battleships acted very effectively against formations of enemy warships, even being in the numerical minority, capable of terrifying convoys of cargo ships, but they can practically do nothing against aircraft, which with a few hits of torpedoes and bombs can even multi-ton giants to the bottom. During World War II, the Germans and Japanese preferred not to risk battleships, keeping them away from the main naval battles, throwing into battle only at critical moments, using it very ineffectively. In turn, the Americans mainly used battleships to cover aircraft carrier groups and land landings in Pacific Ocean. Meet the ten largest battleships of World War II.
10. Richelieu, France
The battleship "Richelieu" of the same class, has a weight of 47,500 tons and a length of 247 meters, eight main caliber guns with a caliber of 380 millimeters located in two towers. Ships of this class were created by the French to counter the Italian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was launched in 1939 and was adopted by the French Navy a year later. "Richelieu" actually did not take part in the Second World War, except for a collision with a British aircraft carrier group in 1941, during the American operation against Vichy forces in Africa. In the post-war period, the battleship was involved in the war in Indochina, covering naval convoys and supporting French troops with fire during landing operations. The battleship was withdrawn from the fleet and decommissioned in 1967.
9. Jean Bart, France
The French Richelieu-class battleship Jean Bart was launched in 1940, but was never commissioned into the fleet by the beginning of World War II. At the time of the German attack on France, the ship was 75% ready (only one turret of main caliber guns was installed), the battleship was able to travel under its own power from Europe to the Moroccan port of Casablanca. Despite the absence of some weapons, "Jean Bar" managed to take part in hostilities on the side of the Axis countries, repelling attacks by American-British forces during the Allied landing in Morocco. After several hits from the main caliber guns of American battleships and aircraft bombs, the ship sank to the bottom on November 10, 1942. In 1944, the Jean Bart was raised and sent to the shipyard for repairs and additional equipment. The ship became part of the French Navy only in 1949 and never took part in any military operation. In 1961, the battleship was withdrawn from the fleet and scrapped.
8. Tirpitz, Germany
The German Bismarck-class battleship Tirpitz, launched in 1939 and put into service in 1940, had a displacement of 40,153 tons and a length of 251 meters. Eight main guns with a caliber of 380 millimeters were placed in four turrets. Vessels of this class were intended for raider operations against merchant fleet enemy. During the Second World War, after the loss of the battleship Bismarck, the German command preferred not to use heavy ships in the naval theater of operations, in order to avoid their loss. The Tirpitz stood in the fortified Norwegian fjords for almost the entire war, taking part in only three operations to intercept convoys and support landings on the islands. The battleship sank on November 14, 1944, during a raid by British bombers, after being hit by three aerial bombs.
7. Bismarck, Germany
The battleship Bismarck, commissioned in 1940, is the only ship on this list that took part in a truly epic naval battle. For three days, the Bismarck, in the North Sea and the Atlantic, confronted almost the entire British fleet alone. The battleship was able to sink the pride of the British fleet, the cruiser Hood, in battle, and seriously damaged several ships. After numerous hits from shells and torpedoes, the battleship sank on May 27, 1941.
6. Wisconsin, USA
The American battleship "Wisconsin", class "Iowa", with a displacement of 55,710 tons, has a length of 270 meters, on board which are three towers with nine 406 mm main caliber guns. The ship was launched in 1943 and entered service in 1944. The ship was retired from the fleet in 1991, but remained in the US Navy Reserve until 2006, becoming the last battleship in the US Navy Reserve. During World War II, the ship was used to escort aircraft carrier groups, support landing operations and shelling of coastal fortifications of the Japanese army. In the post-war period, he participated in the Gulf War.
5. New Jersey, USA
The Iowa-class battleship New Jersey was launched in 1942 and entered service in 1943. The ship underwent several major upgrades and was eventually decommissioned from the fleet in 1991. During the Second World War, she was used to escort aircraft carrier groups, but did not really participate in any serious naval battles. Over the next 46 years, she served in the Korean, Vietnamese and Libyan wars as a support ship.
4. Missouri, USA
The Iowa-class battleship Missouri was launched in 1944, and in the same year became part of the Pacific Fleet. The ship was withdrawn from the fleet in 1992 and turned into a floating museum ship, which is now available for anyone to visit. During World War II, the battleship was used to escort carrier groups and support landings, and did not participate in any serious naval battles. It was on board the Missouri that the Japanese surrender pact was signed, ending World War II. In the post-war period, the battleship participated in only one major military operation, namely the Gulf War, during which the Missouri provided naval gunfire support to a multinational force.
3. Iowa, USA
The battleship Iowa, a class of the same name, was launched in 1942 and entered service a year later, fighting on all ocean fronts of World War II. Initially, he patrolled the northern latitudes of the Atlantic coast of the United States, after which he was transferred to the Pacific Ocean, where he covered aircraft carrier groups, supported the landing force, attacked enemy coastal fortifications, and participated in several maritime operations to intercept strike groups of the Japanese fleet. During Korean War provided artillery fire support for ground forces from the sea. In 1990, the Iowa was decommissioned and turned into a museum ship.
2. Yamato, Japan
The pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy, the battleship Yamato was 247 meters long, weighed 47,500 tons, and had on board three turrets with 9 main caliber 460 mm guns. The ship was launched in 1939, but was ready to go to sea on a combat mission only in 1942. During the entire war, the battleship took part in only three real battles, of which only in one was it able to fire at enemy ships from its main caliber guns. Yamato was sunk on April 7, 1945 by enemy aircraft, after being hit by 13 torpedoes and 13 bombs. Today, the Yamato class ships are considered the largest battleships in the world.
1. Musashi, Japan
"Musashi" is the younger brother of the battleship "Yamato", has similar technical characteristics and weapons. The ship was launched in 1940, was put into service in 1942, but was ready for combat only in 1943. The battleship participated in only one serious naval battle, trying to prevent the Allies from landing troops in the Philippines. On October 24, 1944, after a 16-hour battle, the Musashi sank in the Sibuyan Sea after being hit by several torpedoes and aircraft bombs. Musashi, together with her brother Yamato, is considered the largest battleship in the world.
After Hitler came to power, Germany secretly began building large ships. At the end of the thirties, the so-called “Z” plan was developed, according to which the Germans planned to build eight battleships, five heavy cruisers, four aircraft carriers and 12 smaller cruisers. The “highlights” of the program were to be the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz.
The Anglo-German agreement on naval armaments of 1935 allowed Germany to build two 35,000-ton battleships, but the Bismarck and Tirpitz exceeded the established limit in terms of their displacement. The standard displacement of the battleship is 42,000 tons, and when fully loaded - 50,000 tons.
The main caliber guns, eight 381 mm, were housed in four two-gun turrets. All towers bore their own names: the bow ones - Anton and Brun, the stern ones - Caesar and Dora. And in that year, when the Wehrmacht expanded the borders of the Reich from the Pyrenees to the North Cape, from the Atlantic to the Oder, the ship became combat-ready.
"Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" on a military campaign
By May 1941, he, together with the cruiser Prince Eugene, was already operating in the North Atlantic, but his first voyage was destined to be his last. The battleship had not yet managed to track down a single Allied convoy when it was discovered by the KVMF reconnaissance officers. Hood and Prince of Wales made visual contact with the German force early on the morning of 24 May. The British ships began the battle at 5:52 am at a distance of 22 km. By 6:00 the ships were at a distance of 16-17 km. At this time, an explosion was heard on the Hood, apparently caused by the fifth salvo of the Bismarck, the ship was torn into two parts, and it sank in a matter of minutes. Except for three people, the entire crew, consisting of 1,417 people, died. The battleship "Prince of Wales" continued the battle, but very unsuccessfully: he was forced to approach two German ships up to 14 km in order to avoid a collision with the sinking "Hood". The battleship left the battle under a smoke screen, receiving seven hits. Hood was one of the largest losses suffered by the British Navy during the Second World War. The death of "Hood" was perceived by the English people as a national tragedy.
"Bismarck" transfers fire to the battleship "Prince of Wales" after the sinking of "Hood". The most famous photograph of Bismarck
Bismarck was also hit hard. The English sailors were not the kind to die with impunity. Three heavy shells hit the port side of the battleship, most likely all three from Prince of Wales. The first hit the battleship in the middle of the hull below the waterline, pierced the hull below the armor belt and exploded inside the hull, resulting in the flooding of power station No. 4 on the port side. Water began to flow into the neighboring boiler room No. 2, but emergency batches stopped the flow. The second shell pierced the hull above the armor belt and came out from the starboard side without exploding, but making a hole with a diameter of 1.5 meters. As a result, about 2,000 tons of water poured into the tank premises, the fuel tank was damaged, and the battleship lost 1,000 tons of fuel. Plus a trail of spreading fuel... The overall result of all these hits was that Bismarck's speed dropped to 28 knots. There was a trim of 3 degrees on the bow and a roll of 9 degrees on the port side, due to which the right propeller was exposed from time to time. We had to take water into the ballast tanks to eliminate the list.
It was a clash of titans - the largest battleships in the world at that time tested themselves and their strength, and it ended with the death of one of these giants.
And then came the hour of reckoning. The Bismarck was chased by a squadron of 47 ships and 6 submarines of Her Majesty. The Bismarck tried to reach the coast of France, but was again discovered and subjected to a torpedo attack by Swordfish aircraft from the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal. As a result of the attack, torpedoes hit the ship in one of its most vulnerable places. After which it, already with damaged rudders, was attacked by the British battleships King George V and Rodney from a distance of 20,000 meters, and later they were joined by Norfolk and Dorsetshire. Ultimately, on May 27, 1941, the German battleship sank, torpedoed by the British cruiser Dorsetshire. Almost two hours passed from the beginning of the battle to the death of Bismarck; the battleship showed extraordinary survivability. Hood, the flagship of the British fleet, was sunk in 6 minutes; Bismarck was sunk in only 74.
After the battle, the British calculated: in order to sink the Teutonic beast, they had to fire 8 torpedoes and 2876 shells of the main, medium and universal caliber (from 406 mm to 133 mm).
Battle of Denmark Strait
The Battle of Denmark Strait, also known as the Battle of Iceland, was essentially a short engagement lasting just over a quarter of an hour. But this was a clash of titans - the largest battleships in the world at that time tested themselves and their strength, and it ended with the death of one of these giants.
Early in the morning of May 24, the weather cleared and visibility improved. The Germans followed a course of 220 degrees at a speed of 28 knots, and at 05.25 Prinz Eugen's sonars detected the noise of the propellers of two ships on the port side. At 05.37 the Germans visually spotted what they initially thought was a light cruiser at a distance of 19 miles (35 km) on the port side. At 05.43 they found another silhouette and sounded the combat alarm. On Bismarck they still haven’t decided what exactly they are observing, mistakenly believing that these are heavy cruisers. But the fact is that accurate identification of enemy ships was of great importance for the upcoming battle, since it was necessary to determine the type of shells to fire. The artillery commander of Prince Eugen, Captain-Lieutenant Pauls Jasper, decided by a strong-willed decision that they were observing the heavy cruisers of the British, and ordered the guns to be loaded with the appropriate shells. In fact, Hood and Prince of Wales were rapidly approaching the Germans, heading 280 degrees, with a speed of 28 knots. It is likely that Vice Admiral Holland, aware of the weakness of the battlecruiser Hood in long-range combat, wanted to get as close as possible in order to gain advantages or at least negate possible benefits for the enemy. So Lutyens had no choice whether to get involved in the fight or not. The fight was inevitable.
The British also made a mistake in recognizing the silhouettes, and deciding that Bismarck should have been the lead, Holland ordered Hood and the Prince of Wales to open fire on the lead. After which the British ships turned 20 degrees to the right, thereby taking a course of 300 degrees. At 05.52 Holland finally figured out that it was not Bismarck who was leading and gave the appropriate commands, but for some reason Hood continued to track the lead, Prinz Eugen. The Prince of Wales correctly carried out the command and turned his sights on Bismarck, who was following in the wake of Prinz Eugen at a distance of about a mile. Suddenly, at 05.52.5, Hood opened fire, being at a distance of 12.5 miles. Following him, the Prince of Wales spat out the first salvos. Both ships fired salvos from the bow turrets; the stern ones could not be put into action due to the angle of approach being too acute. Admiral Lutyens informed the command by radiogram “Entered battle with two heavy enemy ships” - and surrendered to the elements of battle.
The first shells from Prince of Wales split up - some flew over Bismarck, others fell into the sea astern. Immediately after the opening of fire, the Prince of Wales began to experience technical problems, and to begin with, the first gun of the first bow turret failed. The next volleys of the Welsh also did not hit the target, whizzing over the Aryan heads and exploding in a safe distance. Hood's first salvos fell short, however, dousing the cruiser with water from explosions - let me remind you that Hood opened fire on Prinz Eugen.
The shells of the British scoundrels began to fall closer and closer, but the German guns were still silent. Bismarck's artillery commander, Lieutenant Commander Adalbert Schneider, asked for the go-ahead to fire without waiting for commands from the ship's command post. Adalbert was at the fire control post on the foremast. Finally, at 05.55, when the British turned 20 degrees and thereby helped the Germans understand that they were dealing with Hood and the King George V class battleship, Bismarck opened fire, immediately followed by Prinz Eugen. At this time the distance was about 11 miles (20,300 meters). Both German ships concentrated their fire on the enemy's lead ship, the battlecruiser Hood. Bismarck's first salvo was an undershoot. At this time, the commander of Prinz Eugen orders the commander of the mine-torpedo warhead, Lieutenant Reimann, to load the port side torpedo tubes with torpedoes with a diameter of 53.3 cm and open fire, without waiting for commands from the bridge, as soon as the ship reaches the torpedo fire zone, at the discretion of the lieutenant. The 5th salvo of the Welsh again overshot, but the sixth, it is possible, hit the battleship, although the Prince of Wales did not record a hit. The Germans' return fire cannot be called anything other than sniper fire. At 05.57 Prinz Eugen recorded the first hit, his shells hitting Hood in the area of the mainmast. The shell explosions caused a large fire, the flames spread to the second chimney.
Bismarck also suffered the famous hit that pierced the fuel tank, and now a trail in the form of a wide fuel oil stain remained behind the battleship. Lutyens ordered Prinz Eugen to shift fire to the Prince of Wales, and Bismarck's artillerymen to open fire with second-caliber guns on the Prince of Wales.
At 06.00, Hood and the Prince of Wales began to turn left by 20 degrees, thereby giving the main caliber aft turrets the opportunity to take over. And just at this time, Bismarck’s fifth salvo covered Hood with direct hits. The distance at that time was already less than 9 miles (16,668 m). At least one 15-inch shell from the salvo pierced Hood's armor belt, flew into the powder magazine and exploded there. The explosion that followed horrified eyewitnesses with its force. Hood, the Great Hood, which for 20 years was the largest battleship in the world, the pride of the Royal Navy, split in two and sank in just three minutes. At a point with coordinates 63 degrees 22 minutes north latitude, 32 degrees 17 minutes west longitude. The stern section sank first, stern up, followed by the bow, stem up. No one had time to leave the ship, everything was so fast. Of the 1,418 people on board, only three were saved... Admiral Holland and his staff, ship commander Ralph Kerr and other officers were killed. The three survivors were picked up from the water by the destroyer Electra and later landed them in Reykjavik.
After Hood's explosion, Bismarck turned to the right and transferred fire to the still living Prince of Wales. The British battleship was also forced to turn to avoid crashing into the sinking remains of Hood, and thus found itself between the sinking Hood and the Germans, representing an excellent target. The Germans did not miss their goal. At 06.02 a Bismarck shell exploded in the conning tower of the Prince of Wales, killing everyone there except the battleship's commander, John Catterall, and one other man. The distance was reduced to 14,000 meters, now even the shells of the largest anti-aircraft caliber of Prinz Eugen could reach the poor fellow of Wales, and of course, the anti-aircraft guns also opened fire. If the English battleship did not want to share Hood’s fate, he had to get away. And quickly. The British put up a smoke screen and rushed to retreat at maximum speed. They got it hard - four hits from Bismarck and three from Prinz Eugen. Finally, burning with revenge, the British fired three salvos from the “Y” tower, which was independently controlled at the time of shooting, but to no avail; all the salvos missed. At 06.09 the Germans fired their final salvo and the Battle of the Denmark Strait ended. Many sailors from the Prince of Wales, probably, after this campaign, lit candles in the church in memory of their savior, Admiral Lutyens. The fact is that the British were amazed by the fact that the German raiders did not finish off the Prince of Wales. Most likely, there is only one reason - Lutyens was in a hurry to get away from the main forces of the British rushing to the battlefield, and decided not to waste time on the chase. There is no doubt that Lutyens and the raider sailors, inspired by victory, wanted nothing more at that moment than to catch up with Wales and send Hoodoo to the company, but the circumstances - due to the choice made by Lutyens - were stronger.
Prince Eugen did not suffer any damage from the British fire, except for the deck that became wet from nearby explosions and several fragments that clanked helplessly on the deck. But Bismarck got it hard. The English sailors were not the kind to die with impunity. Three heavy shells hit the left side of the battleship, most likely all three from the Prince of Wales. The first struck the battleship in the middle of the hull below the waterline, pierced the plating below the armor belt and exploded inside the hull, causing the flooding of power station No. 4 on the port side. Water began to flow into the neighboring boiler room No. 2, but emergency batches stopped the flow. The second shell pierced the hull above the armor belt and came out from the starboard side without exploding, but making a hole with a diameter of 1.5 meters. As a result, about 2,000 tons of water poured into the tank premises, the fuel tank was damaged, and the battleship lost 1,000 tons of fuel. Plus a trail of spreading fuel... The third shell pierced the boat without any other consequences.
The overall result of all these hits was that Bismarck's speed dropped to 28 knots. There was a trim of 3 degrees on the bow and a roll of 9 degrees on the port side, due to which the right propeller was exposed from time to time. We had to take water into the ballast tanks to eliminate the list.
Technically speaking, nothing serious happened to Bismarck. It did not lose its combat capability, its speed remained sufficient, and only 5 people from the crew received minor injuries - in other words, scratches. The most serious consequence was the loss of a considerable part of the fuel.
After the battle, the raiders remained on the same course, heading in a southwestern direction. Lutyens had two options - either return to Norway before it was too late, or continue the breakthrough into the Atlantic.
Today, all experts believe that the best way out was to turn back to Norway, finishing off the Prince of Wales along the way. Two routes - either the Denmark Strait or a shorter route, the Faroe - Iceland passage, although there was a considerable risk of meeting with the main forces of the British - the battleship King George V, the aircraft carrier Victorias, the light cruisers Kenya, Galatea, Aurora, Neptune and Hermione, the destroyers Active, Ingelfield, Intrepid, Lance, Punjab and Windsor. There is also no doubt that Bismarck's commander Lindemann insisted on this option.
However, Lutyens informs the command and orders the raiders to proceed to France, to Saint-Nazaire. He was right about one thing, that we should forget about the Rhineburg operation for now and worry about repairing Bismarck. Meanwhile, an intact Prinz Eugen could nip at enemy convoys here and there. But why did Lutyens decide to go to Saint-Nazaire instead of Norway, which was much closer? Maybe because he was still thinking more about the Atlantic raids than about the situation he found himself in? After all, it was much more convenient to carry out raids from the ports of France than from Norway, and shorter. Or maybe because just two months ago he safely brought the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau to Brest? To put it bluntly, we will never know about this.
At 09.50, Eugen's commander Brinkmann received an order by semaphore from Lutyens to move to Bismarck's wake and visually assess the damage to the battleship - namely, fuel leakage. At 11.00 Eugen again led the column. The British ships continued the pursuit under the command of Rear Admiral Wake-Walker - Suffolk to starboard, Norflock and the reborn Prince of Wales to port. At noon, the Germans set a course of 180 degrees, due south, and reduced speed to 24 knots.
This is what the Admiralty did not expect - the death of Hood. The indignant admirals immediately began to give orders to involve all ships available within reasonable speed limits in the hunt for Bismarck. Including those ships that were involved in guarding convoys.
The British and Americans understood perfectly well what a tyrannosaurus battleship of the Bismarck class was like against helpless sheep in convoys, and the Bismarck raid demonstrated that it was worth destroying this tyrannosaurus. That is why, having received intelligence information about Tirpitz’s exit, they removed and tore out everything they could from everywhere, and threw them in the path of the proposed raid. Tirpitz's combat training was no worse than that of Bismarck; the cream of the Kriegsmarine was there, and they wouldn't have died cheaply.
In general, most of the convoys in the Atlantic were left unguarded. The battleship Rodney (commander Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton) was en route to Boston USA for repairs, accompanied by the destroyers Somalia, Tartar, Mashona and Eskimo of the 6th flotilla, along the way escorting the liner Britannic (27,759 tons of displacement, used as a transport for transporting military units) - turned up and him, not sparing the liner. It was said: “If the liner cannot follow you, leave one destroyer with it and throw it to hell.”
Battleship Ramilles (Commander Arthur Reed) escorted convoy HX-127. Order: “Immediately proceed in a western direction so that the enemy raiders are between you and our pursuing forces.” And the convoy, accordingly, will somehow be interrupted.
The battleship Rivenge (commander Ernst Archer) was forming a convoy in Halifax; on the same day at 15.00 he was already rushing at full speed to meet with Bismarck, who had inflicted such a strong offense on the Grand Fleet of the Lady of the Seas.
On the morning of May 24, Lütjens decided that the cruiser should continue on its own, and at 14.20 he informed commander Eugen Brinkmann of his decision by semaphore. The order read: “During a rain squall, Bismarck will head due west. Prinz Eugen will follow the same course and speed for at least three hours after Bismarck leaves. Then the cruiser should refuel from the tankers Belchen or Loringen. Then act against enemy convoys independently. The code word for the start of the operation is Hood.”
At this time, Karl Doenitz orders his wolves, all submarines in the North Atlantic, to stop completely fighting and be ready to help Bismarck. Doenitz wanted to arrange a grandiose trap for the British - to place boats in a certain square so that they would attack the British ships pursuing Bismarck. In accordance with this plan, Doenitz placed the boats U-93, U-43, U-46, U-557, U-66, U-94 south of the southern tip of Greenland.
At 15.40 a squall came and the word “Hood” was heard. Bismarck turned right and headed west, increasing speed to 28 knots. However, Suffolk was too close, Bismarck returned to his place astern of Eugen. Two hours later the attempt was repeated, this time successfully. Prinz Eugen broke away, and Bismarck, just in case, at 18.30 opened fire on Suffolk from a distance of 18,000 meters. The cruiser quickly retreated under the cover of a smoke screen.
After which Bismarck attacked the Prince of Wales, the exchange of volleys stopped at 18.56, there were no hits on both sides. However, Suffolk left Bismarck's starboard side and joined Norfolk and Welsh, fearing that Bismarck would eventually catch him and finish him off. Thus, no one was pursuing Bismarck from the starboard side. A little later it cost the British dearly.
In the meantime, it turned out that the battleship was extremely poor with fuel, so Lutyens was forced to decide to go straight to Saint-Nazaire, which he notified the command about. The battleship had about 3,000 tons of fuel left, too little for maneuvers and attempts to break away from its pursuers.
If only they had refueled in Bergen then... If only the fuel tank had not been damaged in the battle in the Denmark Strait... History, what can you do with it! There is “if-if” and there is what is. Do not redo or replay.
Another extremely unpleasant consequence of the lack of fuel for the Germans was that the underwater trap idea failed, as Bismarck had to turn around to straighten his course to Saint-Nazaire. The trap was left aside, but for the uninitiated, we note that diesel submarines even on the surface are no match for surface ships in terms of speed. That is, the boats simply could not have time to change position. Doenitz ordered the boats in Biscay to prepare to cover the approaching Bismarck, and that was all Doenitz could do for the harassed battleship.
At 15.09 Admiral Tovey sent separate group under the command of Rear Admiral Alban Curteis, who held the flag on the cruiser Galatea. The group included the aircraft carrier Victorias, light cruisers Galatea, Aurora, Kenya and Hermione. The task was set as follows - to get closer to Bismarck and conduct a torpedo attack.
At 22.10, at a distance of about 120 miles from Bismarck, all of its torpedo bombers in the amount of 9, 825 squadron under the command of Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmond, took off from the aircraft carrier. At 23.50 a mark appeared on the radar of the torpedo bomber Esmond, but it was not Bismarck, but an American cutter Coast Guard Modoc. Bismarck was 6 miles further, he spotted the planes, opened fire and increased speed to 27 knots. One Swordfish fought off the squadron while passing through the cloud layer, the remaining 8 went on the attack at approximately midnight. Bismarck fired back from all types of guns, even the main and second calibers came into action. At first, Lindemann and helmsman Hans Hansen successfully dodged, and six torpedoes missed. But still the British got there. An 18-inch MK XII torpedo hit the starboard side in the midship frame area, hitting the armor belt, and the armor belt withstood the blow! Damage was minimal. The first victim appeared - chief boatswain Kurt Kirchberg died. Six people were injured.
All torpedo bombers returned to the aircraft carrier, despite the battleship's fierce fire.
After the raid, Bismarck reduced speed to 16 knots to ease the pressure of water on the forepeak bulkheads and try to repair something. The distance between the opponents decreased, and at 01.31 on May 25, the Prince of Wales opened fire. Bismarck did not remain in debt, and at a distance of 15,000 meters the two battleships exchanged two salvos each, to no avail. An unusually high spirit remained on board the Bismarck; through a shipwide broadcast, the crew congratulated Admiral Lutyens on his 52nd birthday - the admiral’s birthday fell on May 25th.
The trio pursuing Bismarck began an anti-submarine maneuver due to fear of attacks from German submarines. At 03.06 Lutyens saw this as his chance and turned right. It was successful - the British lost him. After which Bismarck set a course of 130 degrees - straight to Saint-Nazaire.
For some time the British tried to restore contact, but finally gave up, and at 04.01 Suffolk guiltily radioed: “Contact lost.” Vice Admiral Wake-Walker's order yesterday to withdraw Suffolk from Bismarck's starboard side had been a mistake. Bismarck received the opportunity to maneuver, and did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity. If Suffolk had remained in his place, Bismarck would hardly have been able to break away.
Funny or not, Bismarck never realized that they had broken away. At 07.00 Lutyens radios: “One enemy battleship and two cruisers continue pursuit.” At 09.00 Bismarck sends another, rather lengthy, message to headquarters. Both messages were received by the command much later than 09.00, but what’s much worse is that the British took direction finding of these radio messages and approximately calculated Bismarck’s position.
At 11.52 Lütjens received a congratulatory radiogram from Raeder: “Warmest congratulations on your birthday! I have no doubt that in the coming new year of your life you will achieve new glorious victories, similar to the one you won two days ago!”
A few minutes later, Lutyens addressed the entire crew via the ship's broadcast: “Sailors of the battleship Bismarck! You have already covered yourself in glory! The sinking of Hood is not only military victory, this is also a victory of the spirit. Hood was the pride of England. Now, of course, the enemy will gather all his forces and throw them against us. That's why I released Prinz Eugen yesterday on his own voyage - he will wage his own war against the enemy's merchant fleet. He managed to escape. It’s a different matter with us, we were damaged in the battle, and now we must proceed to the French port. The enemy will try to intercept us on the way to the port and force a battle. The entire German people is with us, and we will fight until last shell. For us now there is only one motto left - victory or death!
Having thus inspired the crew, Lutyens meanwhile receives new congratulations, this time from Hitler. The Fuhrer sent him his best wishes and wishes. Meanwhile, a party of sailors under the command of the battleship's chief mechanic, Walter Lehmann, was constructing a false smokestack to change the silhouette of the ship and confuse the brutal Britons. On the night from 25 to 26, Bismarck followed the same course and speed, without any incidents.
Last Stand
On the morning of May 26, the battleship decided to repaint the top of the main and second caliber gun turrets in yellow. Not an easy job considering the excitement, but it was done. It is unclear why, however, since the paint was washed off almost immediately.
And a few hours before the start of paint and varnish work, two Catalina flying boats of the Coastal Defense Forces took off from the town of Lough Erne in northern Ireland. The task was simple and obvious at that time - to find the damned battleship! Any damn price! And at 10.10 Catalina Zet (crew commander Dennis Briggs) of the 209th squadron discovered the damned battleship. The battleship also discovered her and immediately opened fire, quite accurately. Catalina dropped 4 depth charges on board - not to sink the battleship or damage its paint, but to make it easier to evade the viciously well-aimed fire of the Germans. The hull of the boat was riddled with shrapnel, which did not stop her from sending a laconic radio to the command: “Battleship, bearing 240, distance 5 miles, course 150, my coordinates 49o 33 min north, 21o 47 min west. Transfer time is 10.30 on the 26th.” Thirty-one hours after Suffolk lost contact, the battleship was once again caught in a web of deadly surveillance.
But Toway's ships were too far away, King George V 135 miles north, Rodney (at a maximum speed of 21 knots) 121 miles northeast. They had no chance of intercepting Bismarck, none. Provided that Bismarck maintains his speed and his strength.
This Admiralty nightmare could only be intercepted by Group H under the command of Vice Admiral Sir James Sommerville, coming from Gibraltar. However, the British admirals, having been burned by Hood, did not want to sink the battleship Rinaun (Commander Roderick McGriggor), who led the group, and therefore he was ordered to stay away from Bismarck and not pretend to be a hero. The only way to delay the battleship without destroying your battleships was air raids. This could be done by aircraft from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal.
At 0835, ten Swordfish torpedo bombers took off from Ark Royal to search for the Germans, and as soon as the report from Catalina came in, the two closest Swordfish rushed towards the battleship. At 11.14 they found him. A little later, two more torpedo bombers arrived with additional fuel tanks, replacing the first two.
At 14.50, 15 Swordfish torpedo bombers under the command of Lieutenant Commander Stuart-Moore took off from Ark Royal (carrier commander Loben Mound) with the task of attacking Bismarck. At 15.50 they established radar contact with the battleship. During the attack, the British fired 11 torpedoes, none of which went off because something was wrong with the magnetic fuses. He was very lucky - but not for Bismarck, but for the British light cruiser Sheffield (commander Charles Larcom). He separated from the N forces with the task of searching for Bismarck, was confused by the pilots with this same Bismarck, and mistakenly attacked. Two torpedoes exploded as soon as they fell into the water, three passed along the stern and exploded in the wave caused by the cruiser’s progress, the cruiser managed to turn away from 6 others. At 17.00 the torpedo bombers returned to the aircraft carrier, and they were unlikely to be met with a band. Lucky Sheffield, meanwhile, established contact with Bismarck - visually.
The British understood that this was their last chance. It's about to get dark. If Bismarck left now, he would be in France the next day. At 19.15, 15 Swordfish took off, mostly the same ones who had demonstrated their combat prowess on the cruiser Sheffield during the day. This time the fuses on all torpedoes were contact fuses - the British used the mistake, which almost became fatal, to benefit the cause.
During all this unrest, Group H, led by the battleship Rinaun and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, reached the combat position of the German submarine U-556 (commanded by Lieutenant Herbert Wohlfarth). The shooting position was ideal. But... the boat did not have torpedoes; they spent their last “fish” on the ships of the HX-126 convoy a few days ago. All Wohlfarth could do was to report to headquarters the information about the enemy group, its location, course and speed. He did this, but it did not help Bismarck. What can I say - fate...
The attack squadron Swordfish this time flew under the command of Lieutenant Commander Cuda, and on the way to Bismarck flew over Sheffield to clarify the distance and bearing of the battleship, and this time nothing was fired at Sheffield, not a single torpedo. The pilots finally remembered what their own cruiser looked like from the air.
The last hours of Bismarck
The attack began at 20.47, the battleship's artillery immediately opened barrage fire. But it didn’t help; at least two torpedoes hit the battleship. One or two hit the battleship from the port side in the middle of the hull, the other hit the stern on the starboard side. The hit or hits on the left side caused virtually no harm, the Krupp steel saved the day, but from being hit in the stern the rudders jammed at 12 degrees to the left. Bismarck made a circulation, and then, almost uncontrollable, began to follow in a northwesterly direction. As before, not a single torpedo bomber was shot down, although several aircraft were damaged.
This time the damage to the battleship was so severe that Lutyens radioed: “The ship is uncontrollable. We will fight until the last bullet. Long live the Fuhrer! But what does this have to do with the Fuhrer?
The hit in the stern not only jammed the rudders, but also led to flooding of the steering wheel and the adjacent compartments. That is, repair work could only be carried out under water. A group of divers entered the compartment, but it was impossible to work due to strong whirlpools. From the outside - that is, overboard, it was also excluded - the excitement was too strong. They wanted to blow up the steering wheels and then control the cars, but they were afraid that the explosions could damage or destroy the propellers. Bismarck was doomed. The most offensive thing is that it was still in excellent, if not satisfactory, condition, no serious damage, but the jamming of the rudders doomed it to uncontrollability and inevitable death.
After the air raid, the almost uncontrollable Bismarck began to prowl in different sides, and became close to Sheffield. To have some fun, the Germans fired six salvos at the light cruiser at a distance of about 9 miles. They didn’t hit, but the fragments damaged the cruiser’s radar antenna and injured 12 people, three of whom subsequently died. The cruiser was enveloped in a smoke screen and moved away. Contact with the battleship was lost, at 22.00 the cruiser reported the approximate bearing and distance to the battleship to the destroyers of the 4th flotilla (flotilla commander Philippe Vaillant) Kossak, Maori, Zulu, Sikh and Piorun, the latter under the Polish flag, who approached it.
At 22.38, the Poles (commander Egenish Plavski) spotted the battleship and received three salvos in response. Despite the fierce barrage, the destroyers rushed to attack. At 23.42, shrapnel knocked down the radar antenna of the destroyer Kossak. After zero hours the destroyers began firing flare shells, one of which landed on the battleship's forecastle and caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished.
The weather was unsuitable for torpedo attacks - strong seas, squalls with rain, almost no visibility. Not the last word Bismarck also remained - the dying lion snarled accurately and strongly, even the Polish lancers did not dare to approach the “pistol shot”.
There were no hits, although by 07.00 am 16 torpedoes were fired at Bismarck.
Bismarck's last day greeted him with a storm from the northwest. His strength reached 8 points. In the conning tower of the battleship, the atmosphere was hardly cheerful. Everyone understood that soon the main forces of the enemy would attack the battleship. Bismarck hobbled along at a speed of 7 knots and waited for the end - what else could he do?
At 08.33 King George V and Rodney set a course of 110 degrees, and 10 minutes later discovered Bismarck at a distance of 23,000 meters.
Rodney opened fire at 08.47, a minute later he was joined by King George V. The range was 20,000 meters. Bismarck began to snarl the bow turrets of the Anton and Bruno, aiming at Rodney. At 08.54 Norfolk entered the action with its eight 203mm guns, and at 08.58 Rodney's auxiliary caliber joined the main one, also opening fire.
At 09.02 the first hits began, several shells hit the forecastle, the foremast and disabled the range finder on the foremast. At 09.04, Dorsetshire (commander Benjamin Martin) arrived in time and opened fire on Bismarck. Now two battleships and two heavy cruisers were firing at Bismarck. Of course, this execution quickly brought results - already at 09.08 the Anton and Bruno towers were out of action.
Fire control on the battleship switched to the stern command post, since the bow rangefinder was destroyed. Artillery officer Lieutenant Müllenheim-Rechberg commanded Bismarck's fire from the stern command post, fired 4 salvos from the stern turrets and almost covered King George V, but at 09.13 a large-caliber shell demolished the stern command post tower along with the well-aimed lieutenant.
The aft turrets began to fire independently, focusing on Rodneya. Rodney fired 6 torpedoes, none of them hit. At 09.21, the Dora's rear turret failed - a shell exploded in the right barrel. By some incomprehensible miracle, at 09.27 the bow towers suddenly came to life and fired one salvo, after which they fell silent forever. 4 minutes later, at 09.31, the last salvo was fired by the Tsar tower. Several auxiliary caliber guns remained in service, but even these did not last long under the heavy fire of the British. And at this time, the commander of the battleship Lindemann gives the order to abandon the dying ship.
As Bismarck's fire weakened, the British came closer. Rodney turned out to be the most arrogant and approached a distance of about 2500 meters, opening fire with everything he could, not just pistols. At 09.40, the back plate of the Bruno tower was torn out, and the tower was engulfed in fire.
At 09.56, Rodney decided to continue torpedo practice, and fired two more torpedoes, one of which appeared to hit Bismarck's port side. All the British ships came within pistol shot range - it was impossible to miss even if you were drunk, and they lobbed shell after shell of all calibers into the sinking battleship.
Amazingly, Bismarck did not drown! A little after 10.00 Norfolk fired two torpedoes, one of which seemed to hit the starboard side. On board the Bismarck, which stubbornly did not sink, everything imaginable was destroyed. People started jumping overboard. All the guns were disabled, their barrels froze in a variety of, sometimes bizarre, positions. The chimney and settings were like a sieve. The aircraft hangar on the port side was completely destroyed. The main deck resembled the floor of a slaughterhouse. Only the mainmast survived, and Bismarck’s battle flag flew from it!
At 10.16 Rodney ceased fire and went to the side - the battleship was running out of fuel.
At 09.20, 12 torpedo bombers took off from Ark Royal, at 10.15 they flew up to Bismarck, but did not enter the slaughter - friendly fire could sweep them away like flies. King George V, in a fever, decided that it was the Germans, and opened fire on the planes - as if in retaliation for Sheffield, but after sorting it out, the fire stopped. However, the planes had nothing to do there. The torpedo bombers only got to slowly circle the ships and watch this drama - a unique opportunity.
At 10.20 Dorsetshire came almost close to Bismarck and fired two 21-inch MK VII torpedoes at the starboard side of the battleship. Both hit, but the dying Bismarck did not pay attention to it. No, that is, visible effect. The cruiser turned around and fired another torpedo into the port side. The battleship finally began to sink, there was a strong list to the left side, the left side guns went into the water.
Finally, to the delight of the weary British, at 10.39 the Bismarck reluctantly capsized and sank at 48 degrees 10 minutes north, 16 degrees 12 minutes west.
Almost two hours passed from the beginning of the battle to the death of Bismarck; the battleship showed extraordinary survivability. The first hits began at 09.02, the fire stopped at 10.16, for 74 minutes in a row Bismarck was hit by everything from anti-aircraft shells to torpedoes and 406mm “suitcases”. Hood was sunk in 6 minutes, Bismarck could not be sunk in 74 - after all, the armored belt of the battleship withstood all the blows, and in fact, the battleship sank at the hands of the Germans themselves, they opened the kingstons! Due to the thunderstorm and fear of the British, shells were fired:
380 shells of 40.6 cm caliber from Rodney
339 rounds of 35.6 cm caliber from King George V
527 shells of 20.3 cm caliber from Norfolk
254 20.3 cm shells from Dorsetshire
716 15.2 cm caliber shells from Rodney
660 rounds of 13.3 cm caliber from King George V
At 11.00, just 20 minutes after the death of Bismarck, Churchill announced to Parliament: “This morning at dawn, British battleships entered into battle with Bismarck, who had lost control. How it all ended, I don’t know yet. It seems that it was not possible to sink Bismarck with artillery fire, and it will be finished off with torpedoes. It looks like ours are doing just that right now. Yes, our loss, Hood, is great, but let’s also give credit to Bismarck, the most powerful battleship our sailors have ever fought. We will destroy it, but control of the North Sea is still very far away; it would be a mistake to reduce the victory over the German fleet to a victory over Bismarck.” Churchill sat down, at which time a note was handed to him, he stood up again and proclaimed: “I have just received a message - Bismarck has been destroyed!” Parliament greeted the news with shouts and applause.
Eternal mooring of the battleship "Bismarck"
The impressive success of the battleship "Tirpitz" is a legacy left from the legendary "Bismarck" - a similar type of battleship, the meeting with which forever struck fear into the hearts of the British.
A total of about 20 units under the British, Canadian and Polish flags, as well as 2 naval tankers and 13 squadrons of carrier-based aircraft - only with this composition in April 1944 did the British dare to approach the Altafjord - where the pride of the Kriegsmarine rusted under the gloomy arches of the Norwegian rocks - "Tirpitz".
The carrier-based aircraft managed to bomb the German base and cause serious damage to the battleship's superstructure. However, another Pearl Harbor did not work out - the British were unable to inflict mortal wounds on the Tirpitz.
The Germans lost 123 men killed, but the battleship still posed a threat to shipping in the North Atlantic. The main problems were caused not so much by numerous bomb hits and fires on the upper deck, but by newly discovered leaks in the underwater part of the hull - the result of a previous British attack using mini-submarines.
In total, during its stay in Norwegian waters, the Tirpitz withstood dozens of air strikes - in total, during the war years, about 700 aircraft of British and Soviet aviation took part in raids on the battleship! In vain. The British were only able to destroy the super-battleship towards the end of the war with the help of monstrous 5-ton "Tallboy" bombs dropped by Royal Air Force Lancasters. As a result of two direct hits and three close explosions, the Tirpitz capsized and sank.
Tallboy
Brief tactical and technical characteristics of Bismarck-class battleships
Standard displacement: 41,700 t; total 50,900 t
Main dimensions: length (total) 248 m; width (at waterline) 35.99 m; draft 8.68 m
Power plant: 12 Wagner boilers, three Blohm und Voss turbines with a total power of 138,000 hp, rotating three propellers
Maximum speed: 29 knots.
Reservation: side belt thickness from 317 mm to 266 mm; decks 50 mm; armored deck from 119 mm to 89 mm; torpedo launcher 44 mm; main caliber gun turrets from 368 mm to 178 mm; anti-mine gun turrets from 102 mm to 38 mm
Armament: eight 15-inch. (381 mm) main caliber guns, 12 - 6-inch. (152 mm) and 16 - 4.1-inch. (105 mm) universal guns, 15 - 37 mm and 12 - 20 mm automatic anti-aircraft guns, four to six aircraft
Team: 2092 people
Battleships are armored artillery warships that have a large displacement and good weapons. USSR battleships were widely used in a variety of battles, as they easily cope with the destruction of the enemy in naval combat by delivering artillery strikes on objects located on the shore.
Peculiarities
Battleships are powerful artillery armored ships. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War there were a lot of them in the country's arsenal. The battleships of the USSR had high-quality weapons in the form of various guns, which were constantly modernized. Most often, the weapons consisted of large-caliber machine guns and torpedo tubes. These ships provided the defense of Leningrad, Sevastopol and other coastal cities.
Sevastopol class
Battleships of this class had a monitor-shaped hull, in which the freeboard area and icebreaker-shaped stem were minimized. With a short hull length, the ship's displacement was 23,000 tons, but in reality it reached about 26,000 tons. Coal was used as fuel, and if forced operation was required, then oil. These battleships of the USSR Navy were equipped with a power plant of 42,000 hp. With. at a speed of 23 knots and a cruising range of 4000 miles.
As weapons, the battleship was equipped with rifled guns, which were arranged linearly and had a technical rate of fire of 1.8 rounds per minute. 16 120 mm guns were used as anti-mine weapons, the rate of fire of which was 7 rounds per minute, with all guns located on the middle deck. This placement of artillery led to low firing efficiency, which, combined with the low seaworthiness of the battleship itself, made them more difficult to control.
These USSR battleships were modernized before the Second World War, which improved the silhouette of the ships: they had a tank superstructure that was tightly coupled to the hull and covered with a durable deck on top. Changes affected the nasal tip, power plants and improving living conditions for the team.
"Paris Commune"
This battleship was the latest to undergo modernization. As it was improved, its displacement became larger, the engine power became higher and amounted to 61,000 hp, and the ship reached a maximum speed of 23.5 knots. During modernization, much attention was paid to strengthening anti-aircraft weapons: 6 76 mm anti-aircraft guns, 16 artillery pieces and 14 machine guns appeared on the bow and stern. These World War II USSR battleships were used in the defense of Sevastopol. During the entire period of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War, the battleship took part in 15 military campaigns and completed 10 artillery firing, repelled more than 20 enemy air raids and shot down three enemy aircraft.
During World War II, the ship defended Sevastopol and the Kerch Strait. The first hostilities took place on November 8, 1941, and only during the first period of fighting a large number of tanks, guns, and military vehicles transporting certain cargo were destroyed.
"Marat"
These USSR battleships defended the approaches to Leningrad, defending the city for 8 days. During one of the enemy attacks, the ship was hit by two bombs at once, which destroyed the bow of the ship and led to the detonation of the shell magazines. As a result of this tragic event, 326 crew members died. Six months later, partial buoyancy was restored to the ship; the stern part, which sank, surfaced. For a long time the Germans tried to destroy the damaged battleship, which was used by our military as a fort.
However, after some time, the battleship was repaired and partially restored, but even this allowed it to resist enemy artillery fire: after the ship was restored, aircraft, batteries and personnel enemy. In 1943, this USSR battleship was renamed Petropavlovsk, and 7 years later it was completely removed from service and transferred to a training center.
"October Revolution"
This battleship was initially based in Tallinn, but with the outbreak of World War II it was relocated to Kronstadt as soon as the Germans began to approach the city. The "October Revolution" became a reliable artillery defense of the city, since all attempts German army sinking the battleship remained unsuccessful. During the war years this same big battleship The USSR showed itself to be a reliable adversary on the water.
From "Gangut" to "Revolution"
The original name of the battleship was Gangut. It was under this name that the ship took part in the First World War: under its cover, minefields were laid, on which more than one German cruiser was subsequently blown up. After giving the ship a new name, it performed during the Second World War, and all attempts by the Germans to cope with it were failures. The USSR battleships of the Second World War were generally distinguished by their reliability: for example, the “October Revolution” was subjected to numerous air and artillery attacks, and still survived. During the war years, the battleship itself fired about 1,500 shells, repelled numerous air raids, shot down 13 aircraft and damaged many more.
The main campaigns of "Gangut" ("October Revolution")
An interesting fact is that the formidable ships of our army never met enemy battleships in battle during the two world wars - the first and second. The only battle was fought by Sevastopol back in Civil War, when the ship covered the destroyer Hazard and repelled an attack by as many as seven British destroyers.
In general, "Gangut" went on three military campaigns to the Baltic, where it provided mine laying, then in service with the Red Army it received a new name and was included in the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea. The battleship also took part in the Soviet-Finnish war as fire support for ground forces. The most important task of the battleship was the defense of Leningrad.
In 1941, on September 27, the ship was hit by a bomb weighing 500 kg, which pierced the decks and tore apart the tower.
"Arkhangelsk"
Not all battleships of the USSR during the Second World War were initially in service with our country. Thus, the battleship "Arkhangelsk" was first part of the British Navy, then was transferred Soviet Union. It is noteworthy that this ship was converted in the USA and equipped with modern radar systems for all types of weapons. That is why Arkhangelsk is also known as HMS Royal Sovereign.
In the interwar years, the battleship was modernized several times, and seriously. And the changes concerned mainly additional equipment with guns. By World War II, this battleship was already outdated, but despite this, it was nevertheless included in the country's fleet. But its role was not as valiant as that of other battleships: the Arkhangelsk mostly stood off the coast of the Kola Bay, where it provided the fire offensive of the Soviet troops and disrupted the evacuation of the Germans. In January 1949, the ship was delivered to Great Britain.
USSR battleship projects
The battleships of the USSR, the projects of which were developed by a variety of engineers, have always been considered one of the most reliable in the whole world. Thus, engineer Bubnov proposed a super-dreadnought project, which attracted attention with its elaborate details, artillery power, high speed and sufficient level of armor. Design began back in 1914, and the main task of the engineers was to place three four-gun turrets on a small hull, which was not enough for such weapons. It turned out that in this situation the ship was left without reliable anti-torpedo protection. The main weapons on this ship were:
- main armor belt, which extended over 2/3 of the length of the ship;
- horizontal reservation on four levels;
- circular reservation of towers;
- 12 guns in turrets and 24 anti-mine caliber guns, which were located in casemates.
Experts said that this battleship was a powerful combat unit, which, compared to foreign analogues, was capable of reaching a speed of 25 knots. True, the armor was already insufficient at the time of the First World War, and there were no plans to modernize the ships...
Project by engineer Kostenko
The perfect battleships of Russia and the USSR have come to the rescue more than once Soviet troops. One of the developments was the Kostenko ship, which is considered the latest. To his distinctive features included balanced weapon characteristics, excellent speed and high-quality armor. The project was based on the Anglo-German experience of the Battle of Jutland, so the engineer in advance abandoned the maximum artillery equipment of the ships. And the emphasis was on balancing armor protection and mobility.
This ship was developed in four versions, with the first version being the fastest. As in the Bubnov version, the battleship had a main combat belt, which was complemented by a bulkhead of two plates. Horizontal armor affected several decks, which itself acted as armor flooring. The armoring was carried out in the turret, deckhouse, and all around the ship; in addition, the engineer was attentive to the anti-torpedo protection, which previously on battleships acted as a simple longitudinal bulkhead.
The engineer proposed using 406 mm main caliber guns and 130 mm guns as weapons. The first ones were located in towers, which provided a good firing range. The designs of this vessel, as already mentioned, were different, which also affected the number of guns.
Project by engineer Gavrilov
Gavrilov proposed building the most powerful, so-called ultimate battleships of the USSR. The photo shows that such models were small in size, but in terms of technical and operational characteristics they were more efficient. According to the general concept, the battleship was the ultimate ship, the technical characteristics of which were on the verge of an achievable level. The project took into account only the most powerful weapon parameters:
- 16 main caliber 406 mm guns in four turrets;
- 24 152 mm anti-mine caliber guns in casemates.
Such weapons fully corresponded to the concept of Russian shipbuilding, when there was an amazing combination of the maximum possible artillery saturation with high speed while damaging the armor. By the way, it was not the most successful on most Soviet battleships. But the ship’s propulsion system was one of the most powerful, since its operation was based on transformer turbines.
Equipment features
The battleships of the USSR during the Second World War (the photo confirms their power), according to Gavrilov’s projects, were equipped with the most advanced systems at that time. Like previous engineers, he paid attention to the armor, and the thickness of the armor was somewhat greater. But experts noted that even with powerful artillery, high speed and enormous size, this battleship would be quite vulnerable when meeting the enemy.
Results
As experts note, the Second World War became a certain stage for checking the state of the battleships of the USSR for readiness. As it turned out, the battle fleet was not ready for the destructive force and power atomic bombs and precision guided weapons. That is why, towards the end of the war, battleships ceased to be considered a powerful combat force, and so much attention was no longer paid to the development of carrier-based aviation. Stalin ordered that battleships be excluded from military shipbuilding plans because they did not meet the requirements of the time.
As a result, such ships as the "October Revolution" and " Paris Commune", some models were put into reserve. Subsequently, Khrushchev left literally several heavy artillery ships in the country's arsenal, considering them effective in battle. And on October 29, 1955, the flagship of the Black Sea squadron, the last battleship of the USSR, Novorossiysk, sank in the Northern Bay of Sevastopol. After this event, our country said goodbye to the idea of having battleships in its fleet.
There is a myth according to which America began building the fleet that helped the United States win the war on the morning of December 8, 1941, when it recovered a little from the defeat of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese the day before. Myth. In fact, the American militarists began building all ten fast battleships that brought victory to Washington on their decks at least ten months before the samurai attack on Pearl Harbor. The North Carolina-class battleships were laid down at two-week intervals in June 1940 and entered service in April and May 1941. In fact, three of the four South Dakota-class battleships were launched before December 7, 1941. Yes, the fleet that crushed Japan had not yet been built, but it certainly could not have been built if one rolled up one’s sleeves only on the morning of December 8th. Thus. the Japanese air strike on the main base of the US Pacific Fleet played absolutely no role in the fate of the high-speed battleships of the US Navy.
Fast battleships in World War II and after it
The Washington Treaty of 1922 stopped the production of heavy ships for the US Navy. Due to the machinations of politicians, the construction of seven battleships and six battlecruisers had to be stopped or not started at all. It got to the point that on February 8, 1922, a decision was made to dismantle the battleship Washington (BB47), which was at 75% completion stage - a blatant act of vandalism! The Washington Treaty limited the number of battleships of the US and British Navy to 18 and 20, respectively. Japan was allowed to have ten such ships, France and Italy - just a few. In the ten years that have passed since the conclusion of the treaty, only two battleships have entered service in the world - the British Nelson and Rodney. The construction of these ships began in 1922 and was specially stipulated in the Washington Treaty, because the frankly weak Grand Fleet at that time had only extremely outdated battleships. The world “vacation” in battleship building ended in 1932 with the laying of the Dunkirk ship with a displacement of 26,500 tons in France.
The US Navy reacted to the conclusion of the Washington Treaty with mixed feelings. The admirals mourned the loss of battleships and cruisers, but those of them. who were considered realists, understood the complexity of the political and economic situation in the country and the world that developed after the end of the First World War. Although for the USA this situation was rather favorable. The United States entered World War I as the third naval power in the world. And after the war, the US Navy became one of the two great navies in the world, and most experts agreed that in a short time the US Navy would become the number 1 fleet in the world. The previously unattainable greatness of the Grand Fleet was fading into history. The war clearly demonstrated the strategic role of the fleet. Only the navy was able to provide convoys across the Atlantic. After the war, the US Navy was left with de facto the only serious adversary - the Japanese navy. Everything was merry and rosy for the American admirals, but then suddenly the Great Depression happened.
The global economic crisis contributed to the rise to power of authoritarian regimes in a number of countries that did not firmly defend the ideals of freedom and democracy. Duce Mussolini came to power in Italy, and Fuhrer Hitler came to power in Germany. Well, in the USA - Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt was at one time involved in the affairs of the US Navy and served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In 1932, the ex-assistant became US President from the Democratic Party. Roosevelt considered one of the ways to bring the country out of the Great Depression by adopting and implementing an ambitious shipbuilding program. However, the first “naval” budget, adopted during the time of Roosevelt, provided for appropriations for the construction of aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers; it did not say anything about the construction of battleships. Japan's sudden announcement of refusal to comply with the terms of the Washington Treaty, made in 1934, changed the situation in a most dramatic way by 1936. For the first time in ten years, American designers rolled up their sleeves, washed their hands, took a drawing board, whatman paper and a drawing board, and then began to draw the outline of the battleship of the future. The process has begun. All that remains is to deepen it.
The design of a battleship after 1922 was determined largely not by technology, but by politics. The British constantly insisted on limiting the size, displacement and armament of battleships due to the simple fact that they themselves had decrepit, small and poorly armed battleships. They wished the same for everyone. The British demanded that new battleships not be armed with artillery of a caliber higher than 14 inches, although the Washington Treaty established a limit for the main caliber of battleships at 16 inches. Surprisingly. but it was the Americans who benefited primarily from the British demands in terms of displacement and size. The size and displacement of all American ships were limited by the capacity of the Panama Canal - the requirement for ships to pass through the canal from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic and back was mandatory when designing any American ship or vessel. At the same time, American admirals began to swear in American style when they heard about the limitation of the main caliber of a battleship to 14 inches. The restrictions imposed by the Panama Canal, combined with restrictions on the main gun, promised the US Navy a battleship weaker than the British Nelson or the Japanese Nagato. Japan withdrew from the treaty and installed 16-inch guns on the battleship. The British demanded 14 inches from everyone except themselves, also arming the Nelson with 16-inch main-caliber artillery. In October 1935, US representatives began negotiations with British representatives regarding the limitations of the Washington Treaty in light of the perfidy shown by the Japanese military. The parties came to an agreement on April 1, 1937... after which the permitted main caliber of battleships automatically increased to 16 inches.
On September 14, North Carolina was hit by a torpedo fired by Japanese submarine 1-19. The submarine then fired six torpedoes in one gulp, three of them hit the aircraft carrier Wasp, one hit the destroyer O'Brien and one hit the battleship. North Carolina was hit by a torpedo on the left side of the bow of the hull in the turret area. No. 1 main caliber. The explosion destroyed the armored belt of the battleship. The battleship tilted by five degrees, but retained the ability to maneuver at high speed. On October 11, 1942, the battleship was put into dry dock at Pearl Harbor.
The decision to increase the caliber gave rise to new problems. The design of battleships for the US Navy in 1937 was already in full swing, and now with more powerful guns it was necessary to develop new larger and heavier turrets, then “fit” the new turrets into the design of the already designed ship. Admiral Standley took a thoughtful position in his time, ordering the design of universal three-gun turrets of the main caliber, intended for mounting both 14-inch guns and 16-inch guns. The size and caliber of battleship guns even became a topic of discussion during the 1936 presidential election campaign. Republicans criticized Democrat Roosevelt for publicly speaking in favor of increasing the main caliber of battleship artillery, pointing out that such statements contribute to the growth of the arms race and are a tangible blow to détente international tension. Ordinary Americans did not heed the arguments of the Republicans, electing Roosevelt as president for a second term and, thereby, confirming the obvious fact that America has always remained the preserve of rabid imperialism. Japan, on the other hand, did not initially react to the statements of the American Democrats. believing that the unclear international situation will delay the design of new battleships for the US Navy. It was only on March 27, 1937 that the Japanese government publicly spoke out against the new terms of the Washington Treaty. It was then that a decision was made in Japan to build Yamato-class battleships with a displacement of 64,000 tons and armed with 18-inch caliber artillery.
During a break between main gun fire, sailors walk along the quarterdeck of the battleship Massachusetts. Two huge American flags are raised on the mast - a faint hope that the French will not shoot at their sincere American friends, with whom they fought shoulder to shoulder with the Boches during the First World War.
Even the Japanese refusal to comply with the 14-inch limit on the caliber of battleship artillery did not cause harsh statements in the USA and Great Britain. Roosevelt became the first politician to advocate arming his own ships with cannons larger than 14 inches. The British began construction in 1937 new series battleships of the "King George V" type with 14-inch caliber guns, although the former Secretary of the Navy, a certain Winston Churchill, sharply objected to this.
Roosevelt, however, reconsidered his decision regarding the main caliber of battleships - in favor of 14 inches. Specialists from the Naval Design Bureau felt insulted and in some cases even became indignant. Meanwhile, it’s in vain: they should read the Pravda newspaper more often. After all, the whole world has long known the corruption of bourgeois politicians who spin any fairy tales in order to attract votes, and immediately after the elections they forget about both the fairy tales and the voters. In fact, the choice in favor of a larger caliber of battleship artillery is not so clear-cut. as it may seem to amateurs. A 14-inch caliber projectile weighs 680 kg. 16-inch caliber projectile - 450 kg. Due to a more powerful powder charge, a 14-inch projectile flies further than a 16-inch one, due to greater mass has greater destructive power, and causes less wear on the expensive gun barrel. However, as representatives of the design bureau noted in their excited message dated May 17, 1937 to the President of the United States: the real difference lies in the “dead” zone of the guns. In this case, the dead zone is not considered to be a zone that cannot be shot through due to the insufficiently small angle of descent of the guns, but a zone in which a projectile is even theoretically unable to penetrate armor of a certain thickness. That is, the “dead” zone is not adjacent to the ship, but is far away from it. Experts made calculations based on the average thickness of the armor of battleships - 12 inches for the main armor belt and 5-6 inches for the armored deck. It turned out that at short firing distances the armor penetration of 14- and 16-inch shells is approximately the same. At long firing distances, at which a naval battle is actually conducted, a 14-inch projectile is significantly inferior to a 16-inch one, approximately ten times!
Iowa
Roosevelt, in response to the message, promised to think or come up with something. The President kept his word. In early June 1937, he suggested that Ambassador Grew once again appeal to the Japanese side with a proposal to agree to limit the main caliber of battleships to 14 inches. While the court - yes the case - Roosevelt puts forward a proposal, the Japanese discuss it, then prepare an answer - the design of battleships could not stand still. This time I didn't have to wait long for an answer. The Japanese agreed to the US President's proposal, with a small amendment: subject to limiting the total number of battleships in the US and British Navy - ten American and ten British. Such an amendment was completely unacceptable to Roosevelt, so on July 10, 1937, the president gave the command to design battleships with 16-inch artillery.
Debates over the main caliber of battleships delayed the design of battleships for several months. But once the decision was made, the design moved forward by leaps and bounds. Budget for 1938 fiscal year financial flows were allocated for the construction of two battleships “North Carolina” and “Washington” with the laying down on October 27, 1937 and June 14, 1938, respectively. According to the budget for the 1939 fiscal year, the “South Dakota” was laid down on July 5, 1939, after 15 days - "Massachusetts". November 20, 1939 Indiana and February 1, 1940 Alabama. The fiscal year 1941 budget called for the Missouri to be laid down on January 6, 1941, and the Wisconsin to be laid down on January 25, 1941.
The Two-Ocean Navy Act passed by Congress in 1940 provided for the construction of seven more battleships - two more Iowas (Illinois and Kentucky) and five Montana-class monsters armed with four turrets with three 16-inch guns in each and on each. Due to its width, the Montana would no longer be able to pass through the Panama Canal. The last two Iowas were laid down, the first two Montanas were ordered, but their construction was abandoned in 1943. The Kentucky was no longer considered a modern ship, which is why there were discussions for a very long time about what to do with the hull of the unfinished battleship. The hull occupied the slipway for five long years. Ultimately, the unfinished ship was launched in 1950. but they did not finish building it, and in 1958 they sold it for scrap metal.
There is a myth according to which America began building the fleet that helped the United States win the war on the morning of December 8, 1941, when it recovered a little from the defeat of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese the day before. Myth. in fact, the American militarists began building all ten fast battleships that brought victory to Washington on their decks at least ten months before the samurai attack on Pearl Harbor. The North Carolina-class battleships were laid down at two-week intervals in June 1940 and entered service in April and May 1941. In fact, three of the four South Dakota-class battleships were launched before December 7, 1941. Yes, the fleet that crushed Japan had not yet been built, but it certainly could not have been built if one rolled up one’s sleeves only on the morning of December 8th. Thus. the Japanese air strike on the main base of the US Pacific Fleet played absolutely no role in the fate of the high-speed battleships of the US Navy.
Death threat The U-bots began to be represented in England by the Kriegsmarine. It was the presence of such a threat that forced the command to shift priorities in the development plans of the US Navy. In 1941, the American fleet was increasingly involved in escorting Atlantic convoys. First of all, it was not the Pacific, but the Atlantic Fleet that was strengthened. In the US Navy. just like in the White House, the yellow danger was clearly underestimated. The calculation was based on that. that the power of the Pacific Fleet will be enough to defend the Philippines from a possible Japanese attack while Europe deals with Hitler. The North Carolina and the Hornet aircraft carrier, intended for operations off the East Coast of the United States, were sent to the Atlantic. But after Pearl Harbor, both battleships were transferred to the Pacific Ocean.
While not yet fully commissioned, Washington became the first high-speed American battleship to take part in hostilities. The battleship was transferred from the base in Casco Bay to the British fleet base at Scapa Flow, from where she and Her Majesty's ship Wasp set off on a cruise in March 1942. the purpose of which was to support the landing of New Zealand troops in Madagascar. In early May, Washington took part in escorting convoys PQ-15 and QP-11 to and from Murmansk. Together with the British battleship King George V, the American ship patrolled the waters between Norway and Iceland in case of Kriegsmarine ships. There was no naval battle then, but adventures did happen. A British battleship collided with a British destroyer. "Washington" left for a military campaign from Scapa Flow once again. On June 28, 1942, he, along with the battleship Duke of York, went out to guard the ill-fated convoy PQ-17. To defeat the convoy, the Germans initiated Operation Rosselsprung. Four large Kriegsmarine surface ships appeared in Altafjord. including Tirpitz. Well, the Tirpitz, alone, was capable of smashing to smithereens the entire united Anglo-American fleet. And here are as many as four large ships of the German fleet. The order of the British Admiralty to abandon convoy warships to their fate seems quite understandable in such conditions. In fact, the German ships never left Norwegian waters, which did not save the convoy. Participation, or rather non-participation, in guarding convoy PQ-17 was the last combat (such as combat) operation of the battleship Washington in the Atlantic. After a short stop on the West Coast, the battleship was transferred to the Pacific Ocean.
The beginning of the campaign in the Pacific resulted in heavy losses in aircraft carriers for the Americans. By mid-May 1942, the Lexington was sunk, the Saratoga was torpedoed, and the Yorktown was heavily damaged. The fleet urgently needed replenishment. The aircraft carrier Wasp rushed to the rescue, accompanied by the battleship North Carolina. By the time the ships passed the Panama Capal, the peak of the crisis in the campaign in the Pacific had safely passed for the Americans, but the Yorktown was lost in the Battle of Midway and a new aircraft carrier for the Pacific Fleet became even more urgently needed. Wasp, North Carolina and four cruisers formed TF-18. The formation arrived in San Diego on June 15, 1942, and then headed to the South Pacific. Along the way, North Carolina was separated from TF-18 and became part of the TG-61 group. 2, guarding the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Enterprise aircraft were involved in Operation Watchtower, the landing on Guadalcanal that began on August 7, 1942, as part of TG-61. 2 North Carolina took part in the two-day battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands. August 23–24, 1942. At one point in the battle, the battleship’s anti-aircraft fire became so dense that the North Carolina disappeared in a puff of smoke. A request came from the Enterprise - what’s wrong with the ship, do you need help? In eight minutes, the battleship's anti-aircraft gunners shot down 18 Japanese aircraft and damaged seven (or seventy - it was not possible to determine exactly). Thanks to the skill of the North Carolina anti-aircraft gunners, the American fleet did not suffer any losses.
Despite the obvious success in the first battle, North Carolina was unable to protect the aircraft carrier Wasp in the next one. Perhaps that battle was the most successful example of the use of torpedo weapons in history. On September 14, 1942, the Japanese submarine 1-19 fired a salvo of six torpedoes at an aircraft carrier from a distance of approximately 1,400 m. One traveled a distance of ten miles, passing the keels of two destroyers along the way. after which it stuck into the left side of the North Carolina’s nose below the armor belt. As a result of the torpedo explosion, a hole with an area of 32 square meters was formed in the side. feet, through which the ship took in 1000 tons of water. Two torpedoes passed in front of the aircraft carrier's bow, one of them hit the destroyer O'Brien (also in the left bow of the hull, the torpedo traveled 11 miles). The other three torpedoes hit the starboard side of the aircraft carrier. The consequences of the torpedo explosions became catastrophic for the aircraft carrier. The ship did not sank, but there was no point in repairing it. "O" Brien lost its bow and sank three days later. The North Carolina acquired a negative pitch angle of 5 degrees, and the battleship's bow ammunition magazine was flooded. Attempts to tow the battleship were unsuccessful. However, the battleship continued to guard the aircraft carrier Enterprise under its own vehicles. sometimes developing a speed of 25 knots. There was no danger of flooding, but the damage to the battleship was great. The ship was sent to Pearl Harbor for repairs, and the Enterprise went there along with the battleship. The battleship was under repair until January 1943.
The American fleet in the South Pacific was left without high-speed battleships for only three weeks - the Washington arrived from the Atlantic to Noumea on October 9, 1942. A week later, the South Dakota and the Enterprise (reorganized) left Pearl Harbor for the South Pacific. connection TF-6I). "Washington" became part of the TF-64 formation. along with three cruisers and six destroyers. This unit was intended to escort convoys between Noumea and Gaudalcanal. The force was commanded by Rear Admiral Wills A. "Ching" Lee. previously serving as chief of staff to Vice Admiral William F. "Bill" Halsey, commander of the Pacific Fleet. Lee would spend most of the war as commander of TF-64. The admiral found himself in right time and in in the right place. Subsequent events became the culmination of the confrontation between American and Japanese battleships in the Pacific Ocean. The month of the battleship war has arrived.
The month began with an attempt by Japanese aircraft carriers to make another raid in the Solomon Islands area. Again, aircraft carriers of the United States fleet rushed to intercept them, and again high-speed battleships provided escort for carrier-based aircraft carriers. South Dakota continued to guard the Enterprise, preserving the aircraft carrier in the brutal affair at Santa Cruz, which took place on October 26, 1942. Then the battleship's anti-aircraft gunners shot down at least 26 Japanese airplanes. The next day, the battleship Washington was nearly hit by a torpedo fired by the submarine I-15. On the same day, the South Dakota was attacked by a Japanese submarine. While dodging a torpedo, the South Dakota collided with the destroyer Mahan. Fortunately, none of the ships received serious damage.
Admiral Lee's battleships returned to action two weeks later. On November 11, 1942, TF-64 was reorganized to include the battleships South Dakota and Washington and the destroyers Winham and Welk. The formation was intended to provide additional protection to the TF-16 group, the core of which was the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Two days after the dramatic first sea battle at Guadalcanal, TF-64 was reinforced with the destroyers Priston and Gwin. The formation received orders to go to Guadalcanal in case of a possible second coming of the Japanese Admiral Kondo. On November 14, Lee approached the strait, and from the other end Kondo sailed here with his battleship Kirishima, heavy cruisers Rakao and Atagi, light cruisers Nagara and Sendai, and eight destroyers.
The forces of the opponents, who inexorably walked towards each other, were theoretically approximately equal. The Japanese had more ships, and Lee had larger artillery. In addition, Admiral Lee had the opportunity to use radar, which the Japanese were completely deprived of. But the Japanese had excellent training for conducting naval battles in the dark and were far superior to the Americans in the art of using torpedo weapons. Kondo led his forces in four separate columns. Lee lined up his squadron with the destroyers at the head, followed by the Washington and South Dakota.
The Japanese discovered the American fleet at 10:15 p.m. on November 14, 1942, identifying the enemy force as four destroyers and two heavy cruisers. At 10:45 p.m. Lee changed course to a southerly direction. At 23.00, the radar of the battleship Washington detected Japanese ships. Minutes later, visual contact was made. At 23.17, the battleship Washington opened fire with its main guns on the Japanese destroyers. The destroyers withdrew without receiving damage. Return fire from the Japanese heavy ships and the main group of destroyers led to dire consequences for the American destroyers. Two lines of enemy ships diverged on opposite courses. The Japanese brought all their artillery and all their torpedo tubes into action. The destroyer Priston came under concentrated fire from the cruiser Nagara and destroyers. The destroyer exploded at 23.27 and disappeared from the surface nine minutes later. The destroyer Welk was next in the sights of the Nagara gunners. It was hit by a torpedo at 23.32. The ship sank after 11 minutes.
However, the battle was not at all of the nature of a one-goal game. As soon as the American battleships got involved, events quickly took a completely different turn. The lead Japanese destroyer Ayanami received three main caliber gifts from the South Dakota at 23.32, after which she was engulfed in flames.
Eight minutes later the fire reached the ammunition magazines, and seven minutes later the Annami went down in history. The battle, however, was far from over. The next American destroyer in the line, the Gwin, received a portion of one-inch shells from the Nagara at 23:37, after which it was forced to withdraw from the battle. Benham, the last American destroyer, was hit by a torpedo on the bow a minute later. Its speed immediately dropped to 5 knots, but the ship still remained afloat, although it was no longer possible to continue the battle.
Suddenly, silence fell over the gray waves of the greatest of planet Earth's oceans. Relative silence: the noise of ship's engines after the roar of artillery reminded the sailors of the chirping of grasshoppers among the fields of Arizona and the fields of Fuji. The guns fell silent because at 23.43 the column of the Japanese samurai Nagara went beyond the firing range of the American ships. Two US Navy battleships still remained to the west. The lull was just an episode on the way to the climax. The main forces of the Japanese appeared on the scene - the Kondo column consisting of the battleship Kirishima, two heavy cruisers and two destroyers. And here is Lee. at the most critical moment, an unfortunate incident occurred: the radar of the main fire control system on the battleship South Dakota failed.” Another problem faced by the American naval commander. there was a violation of the battle order by the battleships. The ships were in each other's wake for a very short time. To avoid a collision with the sinking and damaged destroyers, the South Dakota steered north, as a result of which it found itself a good few hundred meters closer to the Japanese than the Washington. Suddenly, at 23.50, the South Dakota was illuminated by the searchlight of the Japanese battleship Kirishima. At the same time, all five Japanese ships fired at the US Navy battleship. In a short period of time, the South Dakota was hit by 27 shells with a caliber of 5 inches or more. "South Dakota" was unable to return fire to fire. The third main caliber turret was temporarily out of action, a fire spread through the superstructure, and 58 people among the crew were killed and 60 wounded. South Dakota turned south.
However, the situation with South Dakota also had some positive side. Behind the burning Dakota, the Japanese did not see the Washington, whose radar was working properly in normal mode. Around midnight, the Washington opened fire with its main caliber from a distance of 8,000 m. The battleship, in the shortest possible time, fired nine 16-inch shells and more than 40 5-inch shells into the Kirishima. On the Kirishima, the poorly armored steering device failed, after which the Japanese battleship began to describe a wide circulation. Kondo had only one thing left to do - give the order to retreat so as not to lose ends. Washington tried to pursue the enemy for several miles, but then the Yankees decided: “Game over.” The Kirishima, unable to stay on course, was scuttled by the Japanese themselves at 3.20 on November 15, 1942.
For the first and last time in the entire war, American high-speed battleships met face to face in open battle with their Japanese opponent; the battle was won by the ships of the United States Navy. It is worth noting that the battle conditions are not entirely equal. "Kirishima" at a venerable age, which was approaching 30 years, was two generations older than the American battleships, that is, it was old enough to be their grandfather. Kirishima began its life as a battlecruiser designed by the British during the First World War, and then through successive steps it was turned into a high-speed battleship. The Kirishima's booking was half that of the Washington or South Dakota. Was it armor? The Kirishima's sister ship, the battleship Hiei, two days earlier, also in a night battle, was taken out of the battle by the Americans with one hit from an 8-inch shell to the steering gear. The Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal resulted in victory for the American fleet, but the cost, as in many other cases that took place in the waters of the Solomon Islands, was high. Three American destroyers sank (Benham sank by the end of the day), another destroyer and the battleship South Dakota were heavily damaged. It took seven months to repair the battleship.
Meanwhile, other ships of the South Dakota class completed combat training and were ready to take part in hostilities. "Massachusetts" received a baptism of fire on November 8, 1942. Off the coast of North Africa, where the battleship escorted transports with landing forces that took part in Operation Torch. The American battleship also took part in the “neutralization” of the French battleship Jean Bart. The Massachusetts hit the Jean Bart with five 16-inch shells and disabled the French ship's only operational main-caliber turret. By the evening of November 8, the invasion fleet began to be threatened by several destroyers of the Vichy government fleet. One 16-inch shell from the Massachusetts and several 8-inch shells fired through the Tuscaloosa's gun barrels caused the sinking of the destroyer Fogue. In this battle, the Massachusetts was almost hit by a torpedo fired by a French submarine. The torpedo missed the battleship's hull by only 15 feet. Just before nightfall, a 16-inch shell from an American battleship's gun pierced the bow of the French destroyer Milan, after which the latter withdrew from the battle. At approximately 11 p.m., Massachusetts was hit by a 5-inch cannon shell from the French destroyer Boulogne, which soon disappeared in a barrage of concentrated artillery fire from the battleship Massachusetts and the light cruiser Brooklyn. The battle ended with a direct hit by a 16-inch shell from the battleship Massachusetts on the French flagship, the light cruiser Primacu. The French fought bravely, but their light forces stood no chance against the US Navy's newest fast battleship. The commander of the French squadron gave the order to return to port.
"Indiana" at the end of November 1942 found itself in the waters of the island. Tonga, where she, along with the Washington and the repaired North Carolina, provided cover for the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Saratoga during operations off Guadalcanal. There was not much work for the battleships here, since both the Japanese and the Americans had not yet recovered from the fierce naval battles off the Solomon Islands. For the first almost six months of 1943, there were almost no major naval battles in the South Pacific. The crews of fast American battleships spent most of this period on Noumea. where they periodically hunted wild animals of New Caledonia, ate them, washed down the meat with excellent Australian champagne. Time was on America's side. When the US Navy resumed in mid-1943 offensive operations in the Pacific Ocean, the command already had a much stronger fleet at its disposal.
American naval activity in 1943 resumed in June in both the Pacific and Atlantic. The repaired South Dakota joined the Alabama at Scapa Flow. giving the British the opportunity to send the battleships of the Home Fleet, Howe and King George V, to Sicily to participate in Operation Husky. Along with the remaining British battleships of the "Home" fleet, Anson. The Duke of York and Malaya, the cruisers Augusta and Tuscaloosa, two American battleships took part in a demonstration off the coast of Norway in order to divert the attention of the Kriegsmarine command from the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately for the Allies, German intelligence did not detect the movements of the Anglo-American fleet. Soon after the demonstration, the South Dakota left the hospitable waters of Great Britain, going to the Pacific Ocean, where the battleships Washington, North Carolina and Indiana formed TF3. 3, designed to support Operation Cartwheel, the invasion of New Georgia scheduled for June 30. This was the first of the typical amphibious operations in which the fast battleships of the US Navy were involved - three battleships were escorted by aircraft carriers (in this case the American Saratoga and the British Victoria), while the "old" battleships provided fire support for the invasion forces . Indiana would later be involved in escorting the first carrier raid, during which carrier-based aircraft attacked Makin on August 31. The aircraft carriers Yorktown, Essex and Independence took part in that raid.
Indiana returned to the Gilbert Islands on November 19, 1943 as part of TF50. 2 along with the battleship North Carolina. The battleships came escorted by the aircraft carriers Enterprise, Belly Wood and Monterey, involved in Operation Galvanic, the invasion of Makin. Washington, South Dakota and Massachusetts made up the TF50. 1, which also included the aircraft carriers Yorktown, Lexington and Cowpens, which covered the landing on Mili. At the end of August, carrier-based aircraft softened the Japanese defenses in the Gilbert Islands, so the samurai resisted the invasion for no more than a week. The Japanese were able to hold out only on Makina and, to a greater extent, on Tarawa. The same five high-speed battleships were brought together again by December 8 to cover the movement of aircraft carriers in the direction of Kwajalein. All five battleships were part of one formation, TF50. 8, which Rear Admiral Lee took command of. The battleships advanced to Nauru under the cover of aircraft from the aircraft carriers Bunker Hill and Monterey, where they fired 810 16-inch shells and 3,400 5-inch shells at the island’s small Japanese garrison. The Japanese returned fire and sank one escort destroyer of the American squadron.
Fast battleships again found themselves in the fire of battle on January 29, 1944 - Operation Flintlock, the invasion of the Marshall Islands. Now there were already eight battleships, the Alabama (came from the Atlantic) and the first two Iowas (Iowa and New Jersey"). Again the battleships were divided between aircraft carrier groups. "Washington", "Indiana" and "Massachusetts" were assigned to connection TG58. 1 ("Enterprise", "Yorktown" and "Belly Wood"), operating in the waters of the islands of Roy and Namur (Kwajalein). North Carolina, South Dakota and Alabama escorted the aircraft carriers Essex, Intrepid and Cabot of TG58. 2 in the waters of Maloelap. The newest "Iowa" and "New Jersey" worked in the interests of TG58. 3 (Bunker Hill, Monterey and Cowpens) in the Eniwetok area. In the first hours of February 1st, the battleships Indiana and Washington collided in the waters of Kwajalein. The ships were not seriously damaged, but their combat activity was interrupted for several months.
The six surviving high-speed battleships took part in the raid, codenamed Hailstone, launched against the island of Truk on February 17–18, 1944. Iowa and New Jersey were assigned to formation TG50. 9. Then Admiral Spruance chose the battleship New Jersey as his flagship. The other four battleships, along with the escort carriers, formed TG58. 3, it played an auxiliary role in the operation. A month later, on 18 March, Iowa and New Jersey, again under the command of Rear Admiral Lee, escorted the aircraft carrier Lexington and seven destroyers in TG50. 10 during the bombardment of Milli Atoll, south of Majuro. During the operation, Iowa received several direct hits from 6-inch shells fired by Japanese coastal batteries, which, however, did not cause serious damage to the ship. The battleship remained in the battle line. A similar group was formed on May 1, it was again commanded by our good friend Lee (already vice admiral!). for a raid to Poneup Island from the Caroline Archipelago. Seven fast battleships (Indiana was removed) and ten destroyers, supported by aircraft from aircraft carriers of formation TF58. 1 shot around the island without interference.
For the next raid operation, seven battleships were again brought together, although now the place of the Massachusetts was taken by the Washington (with a new bow); "Massachusetts" went for repairs. Battleships formed the core of the TG58 group. 7. intended for shelling the enemy as part of Operation Forager - the invasion of the Mariana Islands. Spruance expected opposition from the Japanese fleet. The expectations of the American naval commander were justified - on June 18, 1944, an epic naval battle unfolded in the Philippine Sea, well known as the Great Marianas Defeat. Lee's battleships then formed the core of the 5th Fleet. Throughout the day, the American battleships were subject to sporadic attacks by Japanese aircraft, whose main targets were actually US Navy aircraft carriers. The South Dakota then received one direct hit from an air bomb, and another bomb exploded under the Indiana's side.
Spruance's strategy in that three-day battle was considered by modern critics to be at times lacking in aggressiveness. The most questionable thing is the admiral's decision to turn away from Ozawa's fleet on the evening of the 18th, giving the initiative into the hands of the Japanese naval commander. Spruance's decision was then greatly influenced by Lee, who did not want to risk his still intact battleships in a night battle with the Japanese, known for their art of fighting in the dark. Lee reasonably doubted the ability of his ships, which had never operated in a single battle formation, to inflict more damage on the enemy than the enemy would inflict on them.
The damage inflicted on the South Dakota did not cause the battleship to be sent to Pearl Harbor for repairs. At the same time, the North Carolina went to the West Coast of the United States for repairs, which this ship needed more than the South Dakota. Thus, six high-speed battleships remained available, capable of taking part in Admiral Halsey's TF38 raid into the Philippine Sea in September - October 1944.
And again the group of high-speed battleships was dismembered. "Iowa" and "New Jersey" (Admiral Halsey's flagship) gave the formation TG38. 3. Four other battleships (Washington, Indiana, Massachusetts and Alabama) entered TG38. 3. Washington - Admiral Lee's flagship. These forces supported raids on Palac (6–8 September), Mindanao (10 September), Visayas (12–14 September), and Luzon (21–22 September). During the short pause that followed the strike on Luzon. "South Dakota" was replaced by "Indiana"; "South Dakota" went for repairs. The attacks resumed with a raid against Okinawa (October 10), then again against Luzon (October 11), then Formosa (October 12–14), Luzon again (October 15). In anticipation of the invasion of Leyte Gulf, which began on 17 October, Washington and Alabama were transferred from TG38. 3 in TG38. 4.
Imperial Navy Japan responded to the American invasion of the Philippines by gathering together all its main forces for the last time. For the last time, Lee’s battleships had an excellent chance, with a high probability of a successful outcome, to meet their opponents in person without intermediaries in the form of aircraft carriers. Lee didn’t get this chance.
The fast battleships were distributed in pairs among Admiral Halsey's carrier force, which was in the San Bernardino Strait for most of the day on October 24. According to the main forces of the Japanese fleet, the squadron of Admiral Kurito. carrier-based aircraft of the American fleet operated. The planes sank the super battleship Musashi, and Kurita's force was partly sunk and partly scattered. By the evening of October 24, the aircraft carriers of Admiral Ozawa's Northern Fleet, which was operating independently, were spotted by the Americans north of Luzon. Halsey gave the order at 15.12 to Lee's high-speed battleships to head north, isolating them into a separate formation TF34.
Lee protested the exclusion of his battleships from general composition fleet and the immediate dispatch of ships from the San Bernardino Strait. He protested twice, both protests had no effect on Halsey. There were not even radar patrol destroyers left in the San Bernardino Strait.
In a slow and dangerous night maneuver, Lee regrouped his forces, concentrating the battleships in a screen ahead of the carriers. Maneuvering took most of the night. At dawn on October 25, TF34 was formed and, at the head of Halsey's fleet, began to pursue Ozawa's aircraft carriers at high speed, the American fleet filling the entire horizon. Three hours after Halsey left the strait, the ships of Admiral Kurita's Central Squadron arrived here. Right at the moment Halsey launched the first strike on Ozawa’s ships, Admiral Kincaid, who was in Leyte Gulf, 300 miles to the south, radioed for help. Admiral Nimitz at Pearl Harbor heard Kincaid's calls and did not understand how the Japanese reached the Taffy-3 connection undetected and why the Japanese were not intercepted by Lee's battleships. At 1000 Nimitz radioed Halsey:
- FROM WITH IN RAC ACYION COM TFIRD FLEET INFO COMINCH CTF77 X WHERE IS RPT WHERE IS TF34 RR THE WORLD WONDERS
The last three words were added to the radiogram to confuse Japanese cryptographers, but Halsey took them personally. Halsey was furious, feeling that he was being made out to be an "M" weirdo in front of Admiral King (COMINCH) and Admiral Kincaid (CTF77). The admiral had a stroke, almost an hour passed before he gave the order at 10.55 to Admiral Lee to go to the rescue at full speed. TF34 returned to the strait at 1.00 on October 26, Kurita had left three hours earlier. The irony of fate is that at the time of receiving the order to return to San Bernardino, Lee's battleships were only 42 miles from Ozawa's aircraft carriers. There was a chance of a successful battle both at the starting and ending points of the route. As a result, it didn’t work out either way. not here. Four battleships scurried across the sea-ocean in a completely obscene manner.
The chance for the last general battle of the battle fleets turned out to be missed, to the great indignation of naval historians of all countries and generations - how many lost fees! It's one thing to criticize Halsey and Lee, it's another to describe the battle. The number of printed characters, directly proportional to the amount of the fee, in the latter case increases many times. Well, this is how the cards of historical solitaire lay down.
Having missed the chance to put an end to the twilight of their historical career, American battleships accompanied aircraft carriers for the rest of the war, occasionally being involved in shelling Japanese coastal positions. Of the significant events, it is worth noting only the trip of the New Jersey and the newest Wisconsin to Cam Ranh Bay in January 1945, guarding a cruiser and a destroyer in order to shoot at the surviving Kurita ships, which allegedly found their refuge in Cam Ranh. The campaign was interrupted, since on January 12, aviation reconnaissance was convinced of Kurita’s absence in Cam Ranh.
With the exception of the campaign to Cam Ranh, high-speed battleships were exclusively engaged in escorting aircraft carriers until the end of the war. Battleships together with aircraft carriers passed from November 1944 to March 1945 Luzon, Okinawa, Indochina, mainland China, Formosa and the waters of the Japanese Islands. On January 25, the Indiana bombarded Iwo Jima once, firing 203 16-inch shells. In April 1945, the main efforts of the American fleet were directed to Okinawa, then high-speed battleships fired at Japanese positions on the island several times. When the carriers returned to Japanese waters in July, the fast battleships came with them. "South Dakota", "Indiana" and "Massachusetts" fired on Kamaishi Island on July 14. 29–30 July Hamamatsu aircraft plant and again 9 August 1945 Kamaishi Island.
Victory over Japan Day found the high-speed battleships of the American Navy in Tokyo Bay distributed among four aircraft carrier groups. The fact that the South Dakota was the flagship of Admiral Nimitz, and the signing of the Japanese Surrender Act took place on board the Missouri, completely obscured the very modest contribution that high-speed battleships actually made to the outcome of the campaign in the Pacific. In fact, except for the first battles, these ships acted only as fast armored floating batteries.
With the end of World War II, heated discussions arose in the United States about reducing military spending, as well as about ways to further build the armed forces in general and the Navy in particular. The fate of ten new battleships was also discussed. These ships became the crown of development, but the crown of development, according to most experts, no longer had a future. Battleships couldn't fly. Airplanes finally became the main caliber of the navy.
In 1946, the battleship Missouri took part in the highly successful Operation Goodwill, a campaign in the Mediterranean undertaken to limit the activity of the communist movement in Greece and Turkey. The operation of large ships with numerous crews required significant costs, while the role of such ships remained not entirely clear. In this light, the decision to withdraw battleships from the fleet’s operational composition appears logical. On September 11, 1946, exactly one year after Victory over Japan Day, the USS Indiana was withdrawn from the Navy. North Carolina and three other South Dakotas followed the path paved by Indiana in 1947. New Jersey and Wisconsin were removed from the fleet lists in 1948, Iowa in 1949.
At the start of the Korean War in 1950, the only battleship left in service with the US Navy was the Missouri. He arrived on the shores of Korea in mid-September 1950 and immediately began to use his big guns with a very outstanding effect. The assessment of the combat work was so high that in 1951 they decided to put three Iowa-class battleships back into service.
The second “tour” of the Iowa combat service turned out to be longer than the first. The parties concerned signed an armistice in 1952, but before the armistice the main caliber of four American battleships actively fought the threat of communism, bombarding Korea left and right, that is, from the East and from the West. For two years after the armistice, four battleships remained in service with the Navy, while their further fate Again, legislators who decided to cut defense spending did not intervene. The first to be removed from the Navy's combat lists was the Missouri, on February 26, 1955. The following year, the “sisters” of “Missouri” were retired. The Mississippi was withdrawn from Navy service on March 8, 1958 - for the first time since 1895, there was not a single battleship left in the US Navy.
S.K.
SK-2
One by one, the battleships were sent to be dismantled, although there were also supporters of continuing the active service of battleships. In the early 50s, the possibility of increasing the full speed of six old “fast” battleships to 31 knots was studied, so that their use for escorting aircraft carriers would again become possible. The price of such an improvement turned out to be prohibitively high, which is why the idea had to be abandoned. "North Carolina" and "Washington" were scrapped on June 1, 1960 ("North Carolina", however, was preserved as a monument ship). Two years later, the time came for the four South Dakotas. Two of them, Massachusetts and Alabama, were permanently moored. If the Vietnam War had not happened, a similar fate would most likely have awaited Iowa. The Vietnam War made us remember battleships - a decision was made to modernize and commission the New Jersey. The battleship once again entered service with the US Navy on April 8, 1968. The battleship's participation in the Vietnam events turned out to be very short-lived, despite the extremely positive effect provided by its main caliber. Alarmed diplomats made a fuss about the “...destabilizing influence...” in fear of a possible super-response from the enemy. On December 17, 1969, New Jersey was again put into reserve.
The Iowa's radio equipment differed from that of the New Jersey only in the installation of an FC antenna on the tower-like superstructure. The coloring is extremely unusual, camouflage: Dull Black/Ocean Gray. Please note: one side of the black stripes is clear, the other is “softened” with gray paint. This paint scheme was developed for use in the Atlantic on escort aircraft carriers. Presumably, "Iowa" is the only ship in the Pacific Ocean painted in this scheme.
A ray of light in the dark life of old battleships sparkled again in the 70s. Many narrow-minded people from among the inhabitants of the Pentagon have repeatedly criticized their superiors for their desire to store expensive relics of the Second World War. However, at the end of the decade, prominent analysts, mainly outside the Pentagon, began to develop new scenarios for naval policy in which there was a place for battleships. Since the mid-60s, the American Navy has been undergoing a rather slow process of replacing surface ships built during the Second World War with new ships, focused on use in the oceans under conditions of dominance of aircraft carriers and submarines as the main means of warfare at sea. At that time, the majority of the world's navies (but not the Navy) entered service with relatively small and relatively weak ships, which were intended to combat aircraft and submarines. In most cases, they had no hull armor protection at all, and their superstructures were generally made of aluminum. Artillery was represented at best by a caliber of 5 inches. The ships were intended to protect aircraft carriers or to hunt enemy submarines. The main work was assigned to carrier-based aircraft.
Fire control radars
F.C.
FH
At the end of the 70s, this approach to the construction of the Navy was criticized by prominent representatives of the expert community. The Vietnam War showed that the development of air defense systems is progressing as rapidly as the development of aviation. This conclusion was confirmed during the Middle East war of 1973. Then the Israeli Air Force fulfilled the tasks assigned to it only at the cost of very heavy losses in people and equipment. Even if the level of losses in tactical aircraft taking part in a raid is 1% (a very optimistic estimate), their cost becomes fabulous - the price of one aircraft even then exceeded a million dollars. In addition, again with a loss rate of 1%, two aircraft carriers (the standard composition of the US Navy aircraft carrier group) are not capable of providing direct air support to ground forces in the required volume for more or less a long time. None of the above problems could have been solved by the guns of ships of that time. 5-inch caliber shells did not have sufficient destructive effect to destroy coastal fortifications. The big question is whether ships not protected by armor will be able to withstand the fire of land artillery and tanks. Aluminum burns, and the superstructures of many American ships were made of aluminum to save weight. What a fire on an “aluminum” ship can lead to was clearly demonstrated by the collision of the cruiser Belknap with the aircraft carrier Kennedy in 1975. The British lost four ships of the destroyer-frigate class in the Falklands campaign, and several more ships were disabled due to damage, which would hardly have been fatal for ships of a similar class during the Second World War.
Analysts saw an alternative to the use of aviation, which was insufficient and sometimes inadequate, in high-speed battleships of the Second World War. At the end of the 70s, the issue of introducing Iowa-class ships into service with the US Navy again came up on the agenda. The logic is simple: aircraft from two aircraft carriers will deliver 420 tons of explosives ashore in about 12 hours of operations. while a battleship armed with nine 6-inch guns is capable of bringing down a similar “payload” on coastal structures in just 18 minutes. On the other hand, the range of carrier-based aircraft is several hundred miles, while the firing range of the main gun of a battleship is only 20 miles. However, the experience of the Vietnam War showed that 80% of carrier-based aircraft operated on targets that could have been fired from the guns of a battleship. In terms of accuracy of ammunition delivery and reaction time to a threat, a battleship is preferable to an aircraft. If we take naval artillery, then the 5-inch/45-caliber guns that were widespread at that time on US Navy ships simply cannot be compared with the 16-inch monsters of the Iowa-class battleships. Let's compare anyway. A five-inch projectile weighs about 70 kg, the firing range is about 13 nautical miles; the projectile is capable of penetrating a concrete floor 90 cm thick. The mass of a 15-inch caliber projectile is from 860 to 1220 kg, the firing range is more than 20 nautical miles, the projectile penetrates a concrete floor up to 9 m thick. New technologies have made it possible to increase the firing range of 16-inch caliber guns to 50 nautical miles. With 12 inches of armor and an all-steel construction, the Iowa-class battleships posed virtually no threat to anti-ship missiles like the French Exocet or the 500-pound bombs that had caused such heavy losses to the British fleet at the Falklands.
Despite the weight of the arguments of supporters of the next coming of battleships, military budget cuts during the presidency of Jimmy Carter made the return of the Iowas to the combat service of the US Navy impossible. Only the coming to power of Ronald Reagan in 1980 sparked hope in the hearts of battleship supporters. Reagan immediately after his housewarming party announced the start of a program to build a 600-ship navy. Appropriations allocated for the 1981 fiscal year included the commissioning of the battleship New Jersey, and allocations for the 1982 fiscal year included the commissioning of the Iowa. In the future, it was planned to modernize and commission the battleships Missouri and Wisconsin. Budget cuts and revisions of plans were typical for US politicians at the end of the 20th century, which is why the plans were not fully implemented, and the program for commissioning battleships itself slowed down. The commissioning ceremony of the battleship New Jersey was arranged in Hollywood style; it took place on December 28, 1982 at shipyard in Long Beach. “Iowa” underwent a deeper modernization, according to the full program, and not in a truncated form like “New Jersey”. Iowa entered service on April 28, 1984. The allocation of funds for the modernization and commissioning of the other two battleships was blocked by Congress. "New Jersey" showed excellent performance already in the first year of service after commissioning in Nicaragua and Lebanon.
According to the plan, New Jersey was to become the core of an autonomous formation of surface ships designed to strike the coast and enemy ships.
The fate of these steel monsters, conceived as a thunderstorm of the oceans and seas, turned out differently. Military leadership all the warring countries had great hopes for them. However, it soon became clear that size, in general, does not matter. Battleships gradually gave way to aircraft carriers.
1. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the USSR had three Sevastopol-class battleships in service: “Paris Commune”, “October Revolution” and “Marat”. They were laid down in June 1909 at the shipyards of St. Petersburg and launched in June-September 1911 and were called then, of course, differently: “Sevastopol”, “Gangut” and “Petropavlovsk”. "Marat" and "October Revolution" were used in the coastal defense system of Leningrad, and the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet "Paris Commune" defended Sevastopol in 1942. All three battleships were withdrawn from service only after the war.
2. The history of German battleships was sad. The Bismarck was sunk by a British squadron on May 27, 1941, in its first military campaign. The Tirpitz, sent to Norwegian waters in 1942 to hunt Arctic convoys, was destroyed by five-ton bombs while parked as a result of a British air raid in November 1944. On the night of February 27, 1942, in the North Sea, a 500-kilogram British air bomb pierced the upper deck of the battleship Gneisenau; it was never restored. Scharnhorst was sent to the bottom north of Norway by the battleship Duke of York and the cruiser Jamaica on December 26, 1943.
3. The French battleship Richelieu participated in the liberation of Norway in 1943-1944, together with the forces of the British Navy. The obsolete battleship was scrapped in 1968.
4. Almost two dozen battleships of the King George V, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson and Revenge types of the Royal Navy of Great Britain fought with enemies from the English Channel to the Mediterranean and the coast of Africa.
5. Four American battleships were sunk and four more were seriously damaged as a result of the attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. The remaining American battleships fought as part of the US Pacific Fleet. The Japanese surrender act was signed on board the battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945. “Missouri” turned out to be a long-liver: it fired its last salvo in 1991 in the Persian Gulf. The ship appears in the old movie “Under Siege” with Steven Seagal. True, the filming was carried out on the decommissioned battleship Alabama.
6. The Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi were the largest ships of this type in the world. Imperial Japan really hoped that thanks to battleships it would be possible to seize supremacy at sea. However, the Yamato’s first military campaign in the Philippi Sea turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: on June 19, 1944, it fired at its own planes. On October 24, 1944, the Musashi was killed in the Sibuyan Sea by bombs and torpedoes from American aircraft. On April 7, 1945, as a result of a powerful attack by carrier-based aircraft, the Yamato sank to the bottom, taking with it more than three thousand crew members.
7. Italy has never been a maritime power. The three battleships Littorio, Vittorio Veneto and Roma did not achieve any major successes. “Vittorio Veneto” and “Littorio” went to the Allies after the war and were dismantled for scrap, and “Roma” was sunk by German aircraft on September 9, 1943, the day after the surrender of Italy.
