SKILLFUL IMITATION

Increased size determined the choice of and more powerful mechanisms.

 

Seeing the increase of the project, the government in 1887, replaced the planned cruiser — one 4500 tons and eight to 3,200 tons for the six “grown up” already up to 6500-ton level ships. By the time of the bookmark because of the constant additions and changes to the project it is even more “plumper” and now appeared in the papers already 7000-ton cruiser.

 

An order for three vessels distributed among the three state-owned Admiralty. And the tender a further three, to save money, after a fairly tough competition awarded the small firm “Sociedad Astilleros del Nervión” of Sestao (Bilbao). In the summer and autumn of 1889, in accordance with the contract laid the keels of cruiser “Infanta Maria Teresa,” “Almirante Oquendo” and “Vizcaya”. But, alas, having no experience of serious shipbuilding firm in the next year began to experience financial difficulties and a year in General is bankrupt! In the end, the construction is so necessary for the Navy ships completely froze, and correct the situation had again breech the Admiralty from Ferrol. Contract time withstand still failed, but by the summer of 1893 the head of the “Infanta Maria Teresa” is still operational. In the next two years, the Arsenal was turned over to the Navy on a cruiser in a year. Ghostly savings, virtually bankrupt private owners, eventually led to the increase in ship costs of 15 to 20 million pesetas!

 

Meanwhile, the government is happily distributing orders, has come to the conclusion that a large number of destroyers program 1887 price make seventh, additional cruiser type – “Infanta Maria Teresa”, who decided to build on the firm “vey Murgia”.

 

Appetite, as it is known, comes during meal, and the requests of the sailors constantly increasing. Indicating that the squadron of “teres” it will take the flagship, the sailors insisted on choosing for the seventh cruiser as the prototype of the British “Blake”, most fully corresponding to the changed Spanish queries. The artillery of the main caliber of the 280-mm guns again underwent modernization. The location of medium caliber slightly revised, with the result that he partly went to the dungeons. But most importantly, ship lost quite a thick armor belt at the waterline, has become the “hallmark” of the Spanish cruisers. (Its thickness, reaching 305 mm, gave the opportunity to rank the “Infanta Maria Teresa” class battleships.) As a result of all alterations, new project, named “Emperador Carlos V” was almost two thousand tons larger than the “teres”, and this nebrodensis cruiser ranked as the battleships rather by inertia.

Meanwhile, with another change of government in the mid-1890s changed and shipbuilding priorities. Came to power, the liberals have been completely focused on foreign shipbuilding. Adopted in April 1896 addition to the shipbuilding program was supposed to buy abroad a “battleship” of the first rank, and two the second. “Translating” with the Spanish classification in common, it meant: one large armored cruiser and two small.

 

In the announced international tender for the construction of the battleship, which even gave the name “Emperador Felipe II”, won the project of Armstrong. He presented a turret battleship relatively small displacement of 11,000 tons, and a speed of 18 knots with an armament of two 305-mm and eighteen 152-mm guns. And then began the endless consultations, which, after the defeat in the Spanish-American war turned with the project. However, the Armstrong experience has proved useful, and experience formed the basis of Armadillo killer cruisers “constitución” and “Libertad”.

 

But the addition of “battleships of the second rank” was quite real. In June 1896, the Spanish agreed to sell built by firms Ansaldo and Orlando cruiser “Giuseppe Garibaldi” and “Varese”. Immediately both ships have received the Spanish name “Cristobal colon” and “Pedro d ‘Aragon”. But if the first, whose funding was provided from the state budget, after all, raised the Spanish flag, the money for the second, collected by popular subscription was never collected. The situation was aggravated by another change of government. The result of a short-stay of the conservatives in power was the refusal is not yet installed heavy weapons on the ready-made “Cristobal colon”. Of course, the desire to make a cruiser with a standard 240-mm gun Guillen looks commendable, but the result, given the typical Spanish unfinished (and guns too!), the cruiser went to his last battle at all without a major caliber!

 

But the story of the Spanish-Italian cruisers did not end there. Again returned the liberals to power, in early 1898, harshly criticizing his predecessors, back to the idea of buying Italian armored cruiser. As Argentina due to the deterioration of the situation with Chile to give back, “Pedro d ‘Aragon” did not intend, failed to reach agreement on the sale of the “Carlo Alberto”. But the beginning of the Hispanic war and remaining neutral, Italy… moved to secret negotiations. Cruiser, renamed “La Aban” (on the wave of patriotism, after the capital of Cuba), commissioning planned in April 1898, But acceptance tests have pushed back the date for the alert, and he send a squadron of Servers did not have time. It’s hard to say what could turn into the story of “Abunai” in other circumstances. And so, the Spaniards would implement the newly acquired stretch of the cruiser Santiago, and the Italians wanted to sell it and not violate international law. All agreed the end of the war, when the lack of available funds in the Spanish budget cruiser, I finally looked up the Italian flag.

 

 

 

But back to the cruisers, which were built on state-owned Admiralty. First on the slips of Ferrol and Cartagena were laid copies of the “Reina Regente”, “Alfonso XIII” and “Lepanto”. On many points these cruisers was to be “the best”. The big steel ships of the Spanish buildings, the owners of the most powerful main engines, with the most perfect system status, etc. But alas, even a simple copy turned out to be the Spanish League, albeit with powerful foreign support. The machine failed to give the required power. Overload has led to a catastrophic situation with stability. In the end, “Alfonso XIII” belongs, probably, a record for the most short-lived career in the world and not being able to go through the entire program acceptance testing, it went “under the knife”. Unlike his twin cruiser “Lepanto” in the ranks still visited, but only as a training ship.

 

The fourth ship of this type, founded after the death of “Reina Regente” and therefore inherited its name, reasonably adjusted taking into account the Spanish situation. The result is a sturdy and reliable ship, though, with a displacement of almost a thousand tons more — Spanish heavy equipment. In addition, the second “Rhine Regente” tried to apply the maximum number of technical innovations introduced by that time, in particular, water-tube boilers of the Belleville. But, alas, the project 20 knots and remained an unattainable dream of a new cruiser, but because he has lost all military value already at the time of construction.

 

The situation is similar with the second “Raina Regentag”, exists with three copies of the “Infanta Maria Teresa”. Built on three main Admiralty, they are already in the process of making steel is actually a new type. In November 1895, the Board approved deep processing for a Spanish project requirements well-known domestic shipbuilder H. Costellata. Already rather outdated 280-mm gun was replaced by a new 240-mm, 140-mm gun Ontoria —skorostrel Kane of the same caliber. But most importantly, by facilitating the artillery and the rejection of a thick and narrow belt (which had turned out to be very problematic then value), managed more or less optimally to book a vital part of the ship. But, most importantly, open to all shells rapid-fire battery of artillery moved in insulated armoured casemates.

 

Interestingly, virtually none of the Admiralty was not ready to build such a large ship. The apotheosis was the story of the launching of the “Princesa de Asturias”. During the ceremony, it became clear that the body to go into the water is going. Had to mobilize all the winches in the district and conduct a time-consuming operation lug cruiser in deep water. On the first day through the tremendous efforts managed to move the ship only on 2 m, the next day, on 17 m. So step by step despite the inevitable numerous injuries and deformities of the body, he walked to his native element. Finally during a strong tide, the ship managed to get to the deep water. As a result, the cruiser was the last major ship built in the Arsenal in La Carraca. A similar story was repeated in Cartagena with the construction of “Catalunya”, though not in such a farcical way.

 

Gradually gained experience and the main manufacturer of power plants company “Maquinista Ter-restre and Maritim” of Barcelona. If the “Lepanto” and “Alfonso” instead of the designed 20 knots barely gave 12, the “Carlos V” on the tests is very close to the contract characteristics, however, as it turned out, no “record” of coal and firemen, he was able to develop only 16 knots. But the three “teres” state-owned buildings easily gave 18 knots on natural draft and 20 forced. So gradually, the sweat and blood of Spanish shipbuilders gained experience. And everyone would be “Cardenal Jimenez de Cisneros”, “Princesa de Asturias” and “Catalunya” was good, if not desperately long building. They are ideally suited for the squadron Servers, but, alas, by the time of commissioning of the already completely obsolete.

 

Summing up the cruising program of Spain, it should be noted that of the twelve cruisers exactly half were built in private shipyards (in Spain or abroad). And all six cruisers, built on the state-owned Admiralty, due to extremely slow construction of outdated still on the stocks, and before the beginning of Hispanic war. But it should be noted that the Spaniards learned the right lessons. Domestic industry, though with difficulty, but caught up to the world level. But when in 1906 there was a question about the restoration of the former sea power, the phantom savings in the construction of government factories no longer loomed before the Spanish Parliament. This led to the largest shipbuilding concern “Sociedad española de A. pile” gradually picked up the entire shipbuilding industry.

 

And what built cruiser? And again half — six of the twelve died: the already mentioned “Rhine Regente” sank with all hands during a hurricane. In the battle of Santiago de Cuba in the squadron of Admiral of the Servers went to the bottom of the “Infanta Maria Teresa,” “Almirante Oquendo,” “Vizcaya” and “Cristobal colon”. And, finally, October 28, 1905, raids on uncharted reef and sank “Cardenal Cisneros”.

 

Excluding scrapped immediately after the completion of “Lepanto” and “Alfonso XIII”, the rest of the cruisers was to have unusually long destiny. Moreover, all four are quite actively involved in the fighting in Morocco. But the greatest benefit to Spain, the ships brought the show its flag.

 

“Emperador Carlos V” at the end of the Spanish-American war, as the largest ship of the Spanish Navy at that time was equipped elegant Admiral’s lounge, so he became the favorite “boat” for visits of various VIPs: participation in Algeciras of the conference, a variety of visits and circumnavigation. But the peak of popularity he reached in 1913 during the civil war in Mexico, when defending Spanish interests, has fulfilled the role of each in Veracruz. After the commissioning of the battleships-dreadnoughts “Carlos V” fades into the background and becomes a training ship.

 

In April 1906 king Alfonso XIII on Board the “Princesa de Asturias” had visited almost all the key points of the Canary archipelago. This visit was a huge foreign policy significance, demonstrating to the world that, despite the loss of large colonies from the Canary Islands Spain not going to give up. But the greatest prominence in the international arena cruiser brought the visit in 1908 in Messina, where the crew gave all possible assistance to the victims of the earthquake. In the subsequent “Princesa de Asturias” protected the interests of Spanish citizens during the revolution in Lisbon and unrest in Istanbul.

 

“Catalunya” were on the front page of Newspapers around the world after a rendezvous in the night from 20 to 21 June 1916 German submarine U-35, who handed a personal message from Wilhelm II to Alfonso XIII with a proposal to join the war. However, the cruiser of all his fellows, probably the greatest success achieved it is on a military path. So, June 8, 1911, a landing party with “Catalunya” first broke into the besieged Laroche. But in April 1924, the cruiser was seriously injured in a gun battle with enemy shore batteries. While several people were killed, including the commander.

 

But the second “Reina Regente” almost immediately after the entry into operation almost shared the fate of the first. January 12, 1912 because of an accident of Kingston on it was flooded several compartments and, if not for the help of bystanders gunboats “Laya”, the ship would inevitably rolled over and went to the bottom. But the most famous “Rhine Regente” received as a training ship. Prior to the commissioning of the ships of special construction, it managed to make nine practical sailing and nurtured hundreds of future naval officers.

 

All four cruisers went for scrapping in the early 1930s during the “great purge” of the Navy the government of Primo de Rivera.