I must say, that in any case the role of D. Fisher in the emergence of a new class of cruisers was significant. The fact that the idea of battlecruisers consisted not only in hoisting the 12-Dujmovic-monsters in the old building. Almost more important was the next jump in speed related, ‘in turn, with the introduction of the turbines, transfer of boilers to oil heating and an increase in body dimensions (primarily its length) and seaworthiness. And here the position of sir John from the beginning was “correct”.
How important for the appearance of the battle cruiser was the combination of all the factors, evident from the further development of the Japanese armored cruisers. Even being there was the Russo-Japanese war, when in June of 1904 was followed by the decision on the need to compensate for the loss in the Russian mine at Port Arthur battleships “Hatsuse” and “Yashima” a couple of new units. Was decided in advance that they will be fast armored cruisers. However, the command of the combined fleet and the Naval staff made such a strong impression that the precision with which the Russian battleships was covered by their ships 12-dyuymovymi from a distance of 8 miles, which they insisted on the armament of the new cruisers 305-mm guns. Japanese shipbuilders at the time, not had sufficient experience in order to develop your own project from scratch. Moreover, the situation was critical: there was a war, and ships were needed as soon as possible. So the designers went in a very simple way: they used as the basis of a very good (for its time) housing designed by F. watts “aces”, increasing them in size so that you can place two 12-inch towers instead of 8 inch. So was born the “Tsukuba” and “Ikoma”, with which the land of the rising sun claims to be the first Creator of battle cruiser.
However, claims these are not too reasonable. Indeed, although for the first time on the cruiser appeared a large caliber gun as a main caliber (such Exotica as “matsusima” E. Bertana, can not be taken into account), the rest of the “Tsukuba” the armored cruiser. First, in addition to 12-Dujmovic, he had a gun two calibers, and in a very respectable quantity: twelve 152-mm and 120-mm guns. Secondly, these guns have been traditionally located in the side casemates and deck installations, with eight 6-Dujmovic in the bottom too close to the surface of the water. Thirdly, they had not advanced steam machines, which allowed to reach speeds of only a few more than 20 knots. (Recall that the “dreadnought” could give 21 knots, and what could end up meeting with him this “cruiser”, needless to say.) Fourth, the “newcomers” had a reservation, exactly repeating the defense of the “Assam” and its relatives, although it is worth noting that this protection for its time, remained at an acceptable level — such a large “reserve” was placed on the predecessors.
You can continue to observe and list the signs, testifying that the Japanese were never able to cross the threshold on the path to a revolutionary “ships boy”. This is particularly evident in the following pair “semilinear polylateral”, “Kurama” and “soulful”. “Kurama” was laid just after the Russo-Japanese war, but the change in the project was limited to the replacement of six-inch casemates, eight 203-mm guns located in four towers on the same lines that the Russian “Rurik-2”. In this 120-millimetrovom of the mid-body had to make room, and they are scattered in dungeons across the Board. The speed remains at 20.5 per node. Recalling the famous anecdote of the Soviet times about how a plant worker sewing machines tried in vain to collect her at home from stolen parts all the time, somehow obtained a gun, we can say that no matter how the Japanese tried to build a real armored cruiser, turned out they have all the same battleship of the second class. Relatively fast and relatively powerful, but still secondary, and it is an Armadillo.
Not helped by the belated attempt to introduce his “hybrid” turbine installation. Although the second unit, “soulful”, got a pair of turbines with a direct drive, it is possible to increase the speed only to 21.5 per node is too small for the time of his entry into service. It should be noted that the Japanese tried to build a “soulful” as quickly as possible: he was able to launch just six months after the Foundation laying ceremony and put into operation at the end of 1909, a year before his less progressive “sister-ship”. But “Kurama” got to let the outside, but “jednotkou” difference: mast-tripod English sample, on the tops of which were placed posts of fire control. Interestingly, in tests it only slightly outperformed in speed of the turbine to his brother, but his 21 knots in 1911 looked, to put it mildly, not cruising rate.
As a result, all four immediately upon entry into service was among carabba outsiders that affected them quite short and inactive service. Tsukuba died in an explosion in the private cellars of Porto in January 1917, and the rest went for scrap in 1924, and the most striking episode of their activities remains except part of the “Ibuki” in the hunt for the squadron of Admiral Spee in 1914.
But let us return to this “revolution” that took place meanwhile in the British Admiralty. The decision to set up 305-mm guns on future cruisers finally adopted, determined and with them number — eight guns in two-gun towers. Now it was necessary to implement it in practice. Views of the time are not allowed to use the simple solution with the pairs spaced one above the other in the extremities towers. It was believed that the gases from shooting upland guns will have a detrimental effect on the personnel in lower units. (The simplest experience have proved that there is no danger, held after the bookmark “invincible”.) Eventually settled on a rhombic arrangement: the two towers at the extremities, two in the middle at the Board. But what held good for smaller installations, created almost insurmountable difficulties in the case of large 12-inch towers with their surround Barbet and cellars. The solution was to move the middle of the installation in different directions, but instead of “diamond” echelon arrangement. But much to smash them failed because most of the length was occupied by a powerful turbine, the steam for which was given 31 the boiler is located in boiler room three. In the end, the middle tower could shoot on “another” Board only in a very narrow sector of about 30 degrees. But here, in practice it turned out that just with this arrangement, gases from the “rear” of the tower do blind and deafen the personnel front. And it turned out that, unfortunately, the most that neither is a combat situation in the Falkland battle.
121. Battlecruiser “invincible” (England, 1908)
Was built by firm “Armstrong” in Allspice. The displacement of 17 200 t, length of maximum 172,8 m, width 22.1 m, draught 8.0 m Power chetyrehbalnoy steam turbine 41 000 HP speed 25,5 site. Armament: eight 305/45-mm , sixteen 102/45 mm rapid-fire guns, five 457 mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 152 — 102 mm, deck 19 — 64 mm (bevel 19mm), towers 178 — 76 mm, barbettes 178 — 51 mm, combat tower 254 — 152 mm. In 1908 — 1909 built 3 units: “invincible”, “Inflexible” and “Indomitable”. “Invincible” was killed in the battle of Jutland in may 1916, the other two are excluded from lists and scrapped in 1922
122. The battlecruiser “Von der Tann” (Germany, 1911)
It was built by the firm “Blom und Voss” in Hamburg. Displacement 19 060 tons, length of maximum 171,7 m, width of 26.6 m draught 8,12 m. Capacity chetyrehbalnoy steam turbine 43 600 HP, speed 24.75 node. Armament: eight 280/45-mm 150/45 ten mm and sixteen 88/45 mm rapid-fire guns, four 450 mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 250 — 80 mm, deck 25 — 80 mm (bevel of 50 mm), turret 230 — 60 mm, barbettes 230 — 30 mm, battery of 150 mm, combat tower 250 mm. Sunk in Scapa Flow in June 1919
123. Armored cruiser “Ibuki” (Japan, 1909)
Built at the shipyard in Kure. 15 the displacement of 590 tons, length of maximum 147,83 m, width at 22.98 m, draft of 7.97 m. Capacity twin-shaft turbine engine installation 24 000 HP, speed 22.5 per node. Armament: four 305/45-mm, eight 203/45 mm, fourteen 120/50-mm, four 76/40-mm gun, three 457-mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 178 — 102 mm, deck 51 mm and 76 mm on the side bevels, turrets and barbettes of the main caliber 178 — 127mm, turret medium caliber 152 mm, battery deck 127 mm technique: front — 203 mm, the aft 152 mm. Built two units: “soulful” and “Kurama”. At the beginning of the First world war he participated in the search of the Spee squadron and the protection of convoys EN route from Australia to Suez. Both ships were disarmed after the Washington conference and scrapped in 1924 — 1925.
The location of the artillery was not the only “hole” in the project. Much more significant was the complete retention of protection at the level of his predecessors — “Warrilow and defenses”. 152-mm armor on the sides and thin the bevels the deck for it was the only cover mechanisms and cellars from enemy shells. However, it would be naive to expect that potential adversaries are, above all, intensely chasing a England Germany does not begin, in turn to build ships with a single large-caliber artillery. And against the 11 – or 12-inch guns of the new cruiser would have been as defenseless as the old. At a meeting with the dreadnoughts they fell into the role of soldier in a tunic, running to the guns.
Fisher and his colleagues well understood this, and therefore accompanied the birth of their Pets various reservations. Unlike the Japanese “polybrominated”, new ships, soon received the designation of “cruiser”, was mainly engaged in the exploration and destruction of the enemy’s advanced forces similar purpose. It is true that stipulates that they can join the battle with the battleships of the enemy, but only “for a while and at long range”. It was believed that the speed will provide them with additional protection. Indeed, the 25-node move seems to be guaranteed a good supply in order to quickly escape from the dangerous zone. But life does not always confirm theoretical construct. Moreover, a potential enemy is not asleep.
However, with the first response to the British battlecruisers, the Germans missed. Thoroughly disoriented by the tendency of Fisher and his team to 234-mm rapid-fire guns, they are still in the course of construction “invincible” laid “Blucher” — almost as fast, even better protected “Britons”, but armed with “the old way”, 210-mm guns. It is clear that in the case of a personal meeting 12-inch the British had over them a decisive advantage. Several rescued Germany a lack of funds and construction capacity, as well as some caution. Answering one “Blucher” to the British trio, they saved time and money for each correct answer.
Founded in 1908, the “Von der Tann” was the first true German linear cruiser. It was different from Pisarevsky ships are much more balanced. At the same rate artillery slightly inferior in caliber (280 mm instead of 305), but the towers themselves are, in principle located on the same rhombic-echelon scheme, has placed much wider, bringing on Board really could shoot 8 guns. In addition, in contrast to “British”, which for 12-Dujmovic fully donated an average caliber, leaving nothing protected 102-mm gun to repel destroyers, randomly distributed between superstructures, “Von der Tann” had a full battery of ten 150-millimetrovogo, not counting a half dozen 88 mm anti-mine guns. The battery had a solid cover with a thickness of 150 mm — the same as a vital part of the “Invincible”! Generally, in accordance with the already established by the time of the German tradition, the defense looked very solid — to the cruiser. The main armor belt was in the middle of the thickness 250 mm, however, only a very narrow strip. But the remaining part is considerably exceeded by the thickness of armor plates of his future opponents.
The British hastened the return stroke, and in turn, wrong, and thoroughly. Started construction in the following, 1909, “Indefatigable”, in fact, differed little from the first three “eblow”. We managed to repair the defect with a too tight installation medium towers: and “Von der Thann” on Board now could shoot 8 guns. But the rest of the changes were reduced to a minimum. The most fraught for the fate of the ship was a repetition of the grossly inadequate reservation of the firstborn.
Good if it was limited only to a single failure. In the end, time was not expected, and the “mistress of the seas” was preferable to let the best unit of a new type, but fast. But, attracted by the advertising supercruiser, the British dominions, Australia and New Zealand, smitten with the desire to get the newest “toy”. And even collected for money of their own, then rather meager resources. The Admiralty would have to wait a bit: the approach was a new project a much more powerful ship, but the top took a look. And 3 years later the Empire had a couple of battlecruisers — replica “Indefatigable”, by that time obsolete once and for all.
The reason was partly in the British. Trying to mislead the most likely opponent, Germany, they overstated the performance of their battle cruisers. So, “invincible”, allegedly could run on 27-node speed, and the Trinity is their “summary sisters” — another node faster, and, moreover, had about an inch more thick armor. “Disinformation” was a complete success, so that finally the real data were made public only 50 years later when all six battle cruisers of the first generation for three decades or more lay on the bottom or turned into steel and rolled steel.
But the effect of this deception was negative. The following response of the Germans was crushing for concrete “iblow” and biserovskoe the overall concept. “Moltke” and “goeben”, then “Seydlitz” and armed with 12-dyuymovymi “Derflinger” and “Lutzow” cruisers remained in name only. They were typical fast battleships, slightly less protected than linear “Germans”, but the booking was not inferior to the major ships of the Grand fleet. Of course, in conjunction with a high speed, reaching up to 27-28 knots, which is required of victims: Some managed to squeeze some weakening of artillery, but the main compensation was the… increase in size. Battle cruiser of the new generation just became more linear contemporaries. The same path was followed by the British, built in response to the famous “cats” (which presumably have been called “Royal family” for a couple of members of the cat, “lion” and “tiger” — had also “Queen Mary” and “Princess Royal”). Their size is already close to 30 thousand tons. And he did not become a limit. The baton was picked up by Russia, who planned the construction of four huge “Izmailov”, armed with twelve 356-mm guns. They have frankly surpassed many ships of the line still and armament, had a design speed of 27 knots in the defense, even slightly enhanced compared to the dreadnought Sevastopol.
Cruisers-battleships already quite clearly intended line combat in large squadrons, even in the role of forward detachments or “fast wing of the fleet”, but obviously not for traditional cruising activities, raiding and reconnaissance. And become thus very valuable units recorded during the counting of the comparative power of the main force. Initial thoughts about what “invincible” it would be better not to get involved in linear battle, they were forgotten. And retribution followed — at Jutland. “Von der Tann” a good volley sent to the bottom of your full rovestniki, by the way, almost the same size, “Indefatigable”. The other German battlecruisers dealt with “Invincible” and even more protected and a large “Queen Mary”. Although all the “British” were killed in the explosion of ammunition, the fact that the German shells were able to get to it, is an indication of inadequate protection, especially armor. In contrast, their opponents have lasted the whole fight against greatly superior forces. Even the weakest “Von der Tann” resist monstrous 381-mm projectiles weighing nearly a ton.
After Jutland the development of battlecruisers went in a completely logical way. Now and English admirals did not want to risk their lives, and their sailors on the “cardboard” ships. The designers frantically tried to strengthen the armor typically Pisarevsky giants “Defensive” and “Renown”, which with a displacement of about 30 tons, was originally covered by a “Fig leaf” of the 152-mm plates. Even more serious has been re-draft cruiser of the new generation of “hood”, which came into operation only in 1920 and for a long time was the largest artillery battle ship in the world. After the First world war, new ships of this class were not built, although in many ways contributed to the Washington agreement limiting naval armaments, under which went under the knife Japanese, British and American fast giants. And ten years later all of the latest battleships had a speed close to the maximum during your “cruising” predecessors, completely merged with them into one class.
One way or another, but with their armored predecessors “new boy” in any performance — committed. To have large and expensive targets for heavy guns of battleships, at the same time exceeding them with more speed, after 1908, when it entered into operation “invincible” and “Inflexible” means trivial nonsense. Now for reconnaissance and combat communications required absolutely other ships, and they were not slow to appear.
V. KOFMAN
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In the last issue we talked about last representatives of cruisers with over 20 years of ex-one of the most important and revered ships in the fleets of all the major Maritime powers. The class that developed it seems to be quite natural and successful, but which is completely and permanently disappeared from the plans of shipbuilders in just two to three years.