Back in the 17th century, the first battleships appeared. For a certain time, they were significantly inferior in terms of technology and armament to slow-moving battleships. But already in the 20th century, countries wishing to strengthen their fleets began to create battleships that would have no equal in firepower. But not all states could afford to build such a ship. Superships had enormous costs. Let's take a look at the world's largest battleship, its features and other important details.
"Richelieu" and "Bismarck"
The French ship called Richelieu boasts a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The length of the vessel is about 247 meters. The main purpose of the ship was to contain the Italian fleet, but this battleship never saw active combat operations. The only exception is the Senegalese operation of 1940. In 1968, Richelieu, named after the French cardinal, was scrapped. One of the main weapons is installed in Brest as a monument.
Bismarck is one of the legendary ships of the German fleet. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, and the displacement is 51 thousand tons. The battleship was launched in 1938, with Adolf Hitler himself present. In 1941, the ship was sunk by the British Navy, resulting in the death of many people. But this is far from the world’s largest battleship, so let’s move on.
"King George V"
The series included 5 battleships of 30,000 displacement, the first of which was King George V. It was distinguished by its original arrangement of artillery installations and a reliable control system, but in other respects (weight and initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile, rate of fire, guidance system, protection against mines and torpedoes) it was inferior to the battleships of other powers.
Battleships were created by Great Britain for battles with German ships in the Atlantic, but they served not only there. King George V was the flagship of the British fleet and fought the largest number of battles. In 1957 it was decommissioned and scrapped.
German "Tirpitz" and Japanese "Yamato"
Of course, the Tirpitz is not the largest battleship in the world, but during the war it had outstanding technical characteristics. However, after the destruction of the Bismarck, he never took an active part in the hostilities. It was launched in 1939, and already in 1944 it was destroyed by torpedo bombers.
But the Japanese Yamato is the world's largest battleship, which was sunk as a result of battles. The Japanese treated this ship very carefully, so it did not take part in hostilities until 1944, although such an opportunity arose more than once. It was launched in 1941. The length of the vessel is 263 meters. There were 2.5 thousand crew members on board at all times. In April 1945, as a result of an attack by the American fleet, the battleship Yamato received 23 direct hits from torpedoes. As a result, the bow compartment exploded and the ship sank to the bottom. According to approximate data, more than 3,000 people died and only 268 managed to escape as a result of the shipwreck.
Number 2: ekranoplane "Lun"
Well, the second ship on the list is also an ekranoplan, and this one is even more dangerous than the Caspian sea monster. This is a real combat ship capable of firing missiles. Watch the video to get a clearer understanding of the machine's capabilities. "Lun" also had impressive technical characteristics.
- Name: S-31 according to NATO codification: Utka
- Country: USSR
- Top speed: 297 knots [342 mph or 550 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 243 knots [279.5 mph or 450 km/h]
- Displacement: 286 tons unloaded
- Commissioned: 1986 – late 90s
- Status:
The video clearly shows that the ekranoplan can travel almost at the speed of an airplane.
So, how many of us knew that the Lun was flying in the Black Sea in the early 90s, when America was attacking Iraq? To be honest, I think not that much. But here it is - not a concept, not a prototype, not a test vehicle, but a full-fledged operational ekranoplan. The ekranoplan also provided many other advantages, such as transporting more cargo than a similarly sized aircraft, while using much less fuel. The military version of the ekranoplan had six missile launchers with R-270 missiles and, in addition, a 100-ton payload for transporting military crew and combat vehicles.
Changing priorities and budget cuts led to the fact that the ekranoplan, both civilian and military, was put into storage by the end of the 90s. However, as of 2015, Russia plans to build a civilian ekranoplan A-050, which will be ready by 2022. Thus, the history of ekranoplanes is not over yet.
Another tragic story
Japanese battleships had bad luck on the battlefield during World War II. It is difficult to name the exact reason. Whether it was a technical issue or whether the command was to blame will remain a mystery. Nevertheless, after Yamato, another giant was built - Musashi. It was 263 meters long with a displacement of 72 thousand tons. First launched in 1942. But this ship also faced the tragic fate of its predecessor. The first naval battle was, one might say, successful. After an attack by an American submarine, the Musashi received a serious hole in the bow, but safely left the battlefield. But after some time in the Sibuyan Sea, the ship was attacked by American aircraft. The main blow fell on this battleship.
As a result of 30 direct hits by bombs, the ship sank. More than 1,000 crew members and the ship's captain died then. In 2015, Musashi was discovered by an American millionaire at a depth of 1.5 kilometers.
Number 9: Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that every country is trying to make its own aircraft carrier as large as possible. Today, the largest is the Gerald R. Ford . It has a displacement of 100,000 tons. Interestingly, with all this, it has a fairly fast speed - 30 knots.
- Name: Gerald R. Ford-Class
- Country: United States of America
- Maximum speed: 30 knots [34.52 mph or 55.57 km/h]
- Endured speed: same as maximum speed
- Displacement: 100,000 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2017
- Status: active service
Ford class ships are planned as a replacement for the Nimitz , which itself is 97,000 tons but is already considered obsolete. The introduction of new 21st century technologies coupled with the latest weapons system makes Ford more lethal.
Who had dominance in the ocean?
Here we can definitely say - America. The fact is that the largest battleship in the world was built there. Moreover, during the war the USA had more than 10 combat-ready superships, while Germany had only about 5. The USSR had none at all. Although today we know about a project called “Soviet Union”. It was developed during the war, and the ship was already 20% built, but nothing more.
The world's largest battleship of the war, which was decommissioned later than all others, was the USS Wisconsin. It went to port in Norfolk in 2006, where it remains today as a museum exhibit. This giant was 270 meters long with a displacement of 55 thousand tons. During the war, he actively took part in various special operations and accompanied aircraft carrier groups. It was last deployed during combat operations in the Persian Gulf.
"Littorio / Vittorio Veneto"
The battleships were longer than the King George V and had a displacement of 45,000 tons by a quarter. The Italian ship was armed with guns that were superior to the others in power and muzzle energy.
A total of 3 battleships of this type were built, the fourth was not completed. During World War II they fought, were damaged by British and American aircraft, were repaired and returned to service.
After the capitulation of Italy, Vittorio Veneto and Littorio were transferred to Great Britain and the United States, where they were sawn apart in the 1950s.
Top 3 giants from America
"Iowa" is an American battleship 270 meters long with a displacement of 58 thousand tons. This is one of the most outstanding US ships, even if it is not the largest ship in the world. The battleship Iowa was first launched in 1943 and took part in many naval battles. It was actively used as an escort for aircraft carriers, and was also used to support ground forces. In 2012 it was sent to Los Angeles, where it is now located as a museum.
But almost every American knows about the “black dragon”. "New Jersey" was so nicknamed because it terrified with its mere presence on the battlefield. This is the world's largest battleship in history, which took part in the Vietnam War. It was launched in 1943 and was similar in type to the Iowa ship. The length of the vessel was 270.5 meters. This is a real veteran of naval battles, who in 1991 was sent to the port of Camden. It is still there and serves as a tourist attraction.
Number 8: USS Sao Paulo
The São Paulo is an aircraft carrier in service with the Brazilian Navy, acquired from France. Before Brazil, she served in the French Navy under the name "Foch" . Although it was purchased by Brazil in 2000, its suitability remains in question. He could not stay away from the coast for more than two or three months at a time, and this seriously limited the possibilities of his use. He was dismissed in 2022.
- Name: Sao Paulo
- Country: Brazil
- Maximum speed: 32 knots [36.81 mph or 59.28 km/h] Max
- Maintained speed: 18 knots [20.71 mph or 33.34 km/h]
- Displacement: 32,800 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2000-2017
- Status: Demobilized
The world's largest battleship of World War II
The ship "Missouri" takes honorable first place. She was not only the largest representative (271 meters in length), but was also the last American battleship. This ship is known mostly because it was on board that the Japanese surrender pact was signed. But at the same time, Missouri took an active part in the hostilities. It was launched from the shipyard back in 1944 and was used to escort aircraft carrier groups and support various special operations. He fired his last shot in the Persian Gulf. In 1992, she was decommissioned from the US Navy reserves and went to storage at Pearl Harbor.
This is one of the most famous ships in America and the whole world. More than one documentary film has been made about him. By the way, millions of dollars are spent annually in the United States to maintain the working condition of already decommissioned battleships, because they are of historical value.
Number 10: "Vikramaditya"
Vikramaditya is the Indian aircraft carrier next on the list and can do a top speed of 30 knots plus.
- Name: ANN Vikramaditya
- Country: India
- Top speed: 30+ knots [34.52 mph or 55.57 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 28 knots [32.22 mph or 51.87 km/h]
- Displacement: 45,400 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2013 India
- Status: active service
Hopes were not justified
Even the world's largest battleship of war did not live up to the expectations placed on it. A striking example of this is the Japanese giants, which were destroyed by American bombers without having time to respond with their main calibers. All this indicated low effectiveness against aviation.
Nevertheless, the firepower of the battleships was simply amazing. For example, the Yamato was equipped with 460 mm artillery guns weighing almost 3 tons each. In total there were about 9 such guns on board. True, the designers introduced a ban on simultaneous salvos, as this would inevitably lead to mechanical damage to the ship.
Protection was also an important aspect. Armor plates of varying thickness protected the most important components and assemblies of the ship and were supposed to provide it with buoyancy in any situation. The main gun had a 630 mm mantlet. Not a single gun in the world could penetrate it, even when fired almost point-blank. But still this did not save the battleship from destruction.
He was attacked by American attack aircraft almost the whole day. The total number of aircraft that took part in the special operation reached 150 aircraft. After the first breakdowns in the hull, the situation was not yet critical, when another 5 torpedoes hit, a list of 15 degrees appeared, it was reduced to 5 degrees with the help of anti-flooding. But already at this time there were huge losses of personnel. When the roll reached 60 degrees, a monstrous explosion occurred. These were the main caliber cellar reserves, approximately 500 tons of explosives. So the world's largest battleship, a photo of which you can see in this article, was sunk.
Number 1: Caspian Sea Monster
Most of us would expect to see some kind of super-gun battleship or super-long aircraft carrier in first place, right? Interestingly, it is neither one nor the other. This miracle structure is called an ekranoplan. What is an ekranoplan? It is a land vehicle, classified closer to a ship than an aircraft. In short, this thing actually flies, not the way a traditional airplane does, but because of a dynamic cushion of air between the vehicle and the wing (hull) of the ship. Interesting, isn't it?
- Title: Caspian Sea Monster [Korabl Maket]
- Country: USSR
- Top speed: 351 knots [404 mph or 650 km/h] [although it is estimated that it can reach speeds of up to 740 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 232 knots [267 mph or 430 km/h]
- Displacement: 494 tons - maximum load
- Commissioned: 1966 [first flight] - 1980 [sank in the Caspian Sea after an accident]
- Condition: Sank due to pilot error
On the surface of this ship was the inscription Korabl Maket, abbreviated KM, which in Russian meant “prototype ship”, but the Western forces who spied on this new development could not understand what kind of giant ship it was and, more importantly, what kind of ship it was. what is its purpose. Then the KM became a “Caspian (for the Caspian Sea, where it was tested) monster.”
The Caspian Sea Monster actually existed and was a military experimental ship attempting to establish alternative methods of travel on water. The KM was one of the first such vehicles and led to the development of real warships such as the MD-160 and attack vehicles such as the A-90 Orlyonok. Among ekranoplanes, it was the fastest and due to its resemblance to an airplane, it was also considered the largest aircraft of its time. Until the An-122 aircraft was put into service in 1988, which surpassed the KM in size.
Number 13: "Viraat"
Source
- Name: Viraat
- Country: India
- Top speed: 28 knots [32.22 mph or 51.87 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 20 knots [23 mph or 37.18 km/h]
- Displacement: 28,700 tons at full load
- Commissioned: from 1987 to 2022
- Status: out of service
Number 15: Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier
- Name: HMS Queen Elizabeth
- Country: UK
- Top speed: 25 knots [29 mph or 46 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 20 knots [23 mph or 37.18 km/h]
- Displacement: 65,000 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2017
- Status: active service
Number 14: aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle"
- Name: Charles de Gaulle
- Country: France
- Top speed: 27 knots [31 mph or 50 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 20 knots [23 mph or 37.18 km/h]
- Displacement: 42,500 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2001
- Condition: under major renovation
Number 12: Italian aircraft carrier Cavour
- Name: Cavour
- Country: Italy
- Top speed: 29+ knots [33.37 mph or 53.72 km/h]
- Maintained speed: 24.65 knots [28.36 mph or 45.67 km/h] [85% of maximum speed]
- Displacement: 30,000 tons at full load
- Commissioned: 2008
- Status: active service
