The superiority of the American fleet at sea after the Second world war was so undisputed that the creation of new warships, with the exception of aircraft carriers for the United States look out of date. Even with the advent of the only potential rival — the Soviet Union — high-speed submarines (first new diesel and then nuclear) not only changed the situation. At the disposal of the American admirals had bend pretty new destroyers, which were redirected to the new challenges. One of the most ambitious in the history of fleet upgrades — FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation And Modernisation programme restoration and modernisation of the fleet) the ships of the PLO became more than 130 destroyers “Fletcher”, “Gearing” and “Allen M. Sumner” (see “modelist-Konstruktor” No. 8 in 2002). Updated the ships it provided the needs of the escort and anti-submarine service in the decade ahead.
THE GENERATION OF LOSERS
If the United States and England after the Second world war had to think about a reasonable reduction of their naval forces, the main Mediterranean-sea powers, France and Italy, tormented by a completely different headache. Despite the fact that one of these countries were in the ranks of the winners and the other losers among, the problems they had about the same. In the fire of war is almost completely burned both of the once mighty fleet. As soon as the economy managed to overcome the destruction of the war, there has been a strong recovery of the French and Italian fleets. This situation largely contributed to the more rapid renewal of all classes of warships, including the escort.
The mid 50-ies of XX century marked the beginning of the end of British naval power. Powerful, but not conformed to the new reality fighting ships of world war II were annually given up on scrapping dozens. The size of the fleet decreased with great speed: to build new frigates are only marginally influenced this sad for the pride of the nation process.
For about 100 years — since the beginning of the widespread introduction of steam machines before the end of the era of artillery and armour — the characteristics of any of a warship anyway was a compromise between speed, armament and protection.
The term “shipbuilding holiday” traditionally referred to as the decade that followed the Washington conference of 1922. However, that’s hardly fair: it is precisely in those years, there was rapid development of all classes of combat ships, except battleships. It is much more appropriate to apply this concept to the 50-th years of XX century. Too large a fleet at the victorious Second world war allies and the uncertainty of the task facing him has allowed naval authorities of many States of the West and the “third world” to pause and not spend extra money on upgrading its Navy. As a result, in the next two decades, almost half of the navies of the world consisted solely of English or American second hand. Well, the countries continue to build major warships in this period, can literally be counted on the fingers.
Paradoxically, but in the early 60-ies of the last century escort fleet the largest sea powers of the world — the United States of America — was in very poor condition. It is based on the old destroyers, massively built during the Second world war. New military units were few and they were all to varying degrees flawed. Fiasco project cheap escort destroyer type “Claude Jones” devoid of almost all need modern combat ship of the qualities that made the heads of the Navy to re-deploy the shipbuilding policy by 180 degrees. Instead of diesel engines — turbines, instead of a primitive “hedgehogs” and release gear — anti-submarine missiles. As a consequence, the displacement and the price escortyou new generation began to grow rapidly.
Fighter VOUGHT F6U PIRAT. The appearance at the end of the war, military jet aircraft in Germany and Japan forced the command of the naval forces of the United States to start a program to re-deck aircraft with new equipment. In 1944, the three leading aviation companies: McDonnel, Vought and North American was requested to develop preliminary designs of jet fighters to provide air defense of an aircraft carrier in a radius of five kilometers.
In early 70-ies of XX century views on the use of surface naval forces has changed significantly. In the West, only one country — the United States continued to rely on shock aircraft carrier connections. The European partners of the Americans within NATO to follow the example of Washington did not make sense: first, it was unaffordable, and secondly, their doctrine assumed that the main theatre of war the third world war will be the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic. under the guise of coastal aviation.
The collapse of the colonial system after world war II and the emergence on the map of many independent States initially did not affect the balance of power in the oceans. “Microscopic” fleets of new countries of Asia and Africa were equipped with mostly antiquated vessel, shipped from the US, Britain and Soviet Union under military assistance programmes. No need to develop special export projects warships during the first two postwar decades was not felt.
If to speak about laws of development of the escort forces of the main sea powers in 1940-ies, the first thing that catches the eye of ever-increasing size of ships. This trend continued during the cold war. In the vast oceans required the hull, allows you to accommodate not only solid fuel but also of appropriate weapons, numerous electronics and gidroakustiki, which led to an increase in displacement and cost of construction. The once-popular corvettes, leading descended from small fishing boats, seemingly forever disappeared from the scene.