Revenge class Battleships (1915)

Revenge, Ramillies, Resolution, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign.

The Revenge class battleships: Super-dreadnoughts on a budget
Overshadowed by the Queen Elisabeth class, the Revenge nonetheless were the next British super-dreadnought serie also taking took part in two world wars. They actively contributed to the Royal Navy's history, just in time for Jutland where they duelled with German battlecruisers, partially modernized in the interwar, but indeed relegated in WW2 to quieter theaters of operation and convoy escort. One was sunk in the early days of WW2 (Royal Oak), and two badly damaged in action... against the French, missing part of the war in repairs. They also had limitations: Smaller, more cramped, slower, shorter range, with turrets capped to 20° elevation, they went at the bottom of the queue for upgrades, which were difficult to their smaller size anyway. Their Boilers were not producing as much steam after 25 years and by 1939 they were almost sidelined. One was even "expandable" enough to be lent to Soviet Union (Arkhangelsk) in 1944. But in any case, They still participated in many operations.

The last British dreadnoughts: Design development

Launched shortly after the Queen Elisabeth class and commissioned from 1916 to 1917, the five Revenge class battleships, also referred to as the Royal Sovereign class given their launch/completion dates, were designed to be "economical" vesions of the previous dreadnoughts. Dimensions, tonnage, propulsion were all reduced, both speed and range were lower but their armament was kept intact. They indeed retained their impressive 15 inches (381 mm) main artillery at the time still almost unparalleled in Europe and for most of the interwar. In WW2 they demonstrated they were arguably one of the finest piece of heavy marine artillery ever designed. Another quirck in their design was their use of mixed heating (coal and oil) initially for fear of a lack of oil supplies in wartime. In the end these ships looked more stocky and their unique funnel had them immediately recognized from the previous battleships.

Initial requirements

In around 1903, Germany quickstarted a famous naval arms race under the direction of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. This pushed dreadnought construction and innovation in this field. The Royal Navy's own construction programme aimed simply at out-building the Germans, maintain dominance in numbers. In all, in 1913, they ended building twenty-seven modern dreadnoughts battleships whule the Germans still layed behind with seventeen and lower main caliber guns. Among these were a new new breed of "super-battleships" designed when Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in October 1911 and integrated a serie of 15-inches armed capital ships, a bit intermediate with battlecruisers according to discussions with Admiral Jackie Fisher. Construction started according to the 1911 programme, but another batch was planned for the 1913 Estimates. It is imoprtant to remind the British Empire was still at peace at the time, despite distinctive saber-rattling, notably in the Balkans. This led, from a pure "repeat" of the previous Queen Elisabeth class, to reassess their cost, considerably higher than any pre-dreadnought and still higher than HMS Dreadnought herself. In the discussions leading to thier final design (it was agreed early one they woould be overall similar and therefore avoided many pre-design engineering assessement already done back in 1911-1912.

Resolution-Graf_Spee_at_Spithead
Resolution and Graf Spee at Spithead, 1937

Design development

Their name was eventually chosen in 1913 as the "Revenge-class" ("Royal Sovereign class", later simply "R class") and soon the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked to bring about its cost down, fearing the house of commons's reaction. Therefore, the Board of Admiralty, fearing the class not voted in time, they commissioned the design staff led by Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt (Director of Naval Construction) with strict intructions to "scale down the class", making it slightly smaller, slower, but also more heavily protected if possible, as the preceding Queen Elizabeth-class were almost intermediate between battleships and battlecruisers and made concessions in this department in order to achieve record speeds. In a sense, the Revenge class resembled a "return to normality", slower but better protected. It was even hoped that with lower cost, and risng international tensions in 1913, it would be possible to vote two batches of four ships yearly according to maximal shipyard capacity in UK, so eight in all, expected to be completed in 1915-16.

d'Eyncourt worked out a version of the earlier Iron Duke class completed at the time and armed with the same battery of 15-inch (380 mm) guns of the Queen Elizabeth in January 1913, whith ten guns rather than eight on the Queen Elizabeth. But economy measures prevailed, and the much larger design was revised to have eight guns. The previous practice of using both fuel oil and coal was also adopted while First Sea Lord Jackie Fisher contested it in October 1914 and while the ships were Still under construction, oil-fired boilers were asked again to increase power output by some 9,000 shaft horsepower (6,700 kW) and specifications were revised. It could be argued Fisher feared they would have been too slow more than the possibility of scarce oil supplies, but this raised their speed also, possibly to take part in a "standard battleline" as for the USN with the Queen Elisabeth, with the benefit of a full division of 15-in armed ships.

The initial design completed by d'Eyncourt's team mounted only eight 15 in guns as fitting a fifth turret in the specified displacement proved impossible. The Admiralty Board also suggested triple turrets to solve this, making a british equivalent to the Gangut, Dante or tegetthoff, but reason prevailed and d'Eyncourt was quick to point out that as no triple turret design existed, it would considerably delay construction, and also advancing the single turret hit disabling more guns. The Board in the end approved d'Eyncourt's proposal on 31 March 1913. This was just a draft, but showing a single funnel and more compat dimensions, but overall appareance as a Queen Elisabeth shrinked in its middle section.

Construction arbitration

Eight ships were initially planned are planned: They were to be named Renown (laid down 22 December 1913, later Revenge), Ramillies (12 November 1913), Resolution (29 November 1913), Royal Oak and Royal Sovereign (15 January 1914), and Resistance (ordered to HM Dockyard, Devonport and Cancelled in August 1914), and Repulse, Redesigned as a Renown-class battlecruisers with the lead ship renamed. So this shows three ordered per year, 1913 and 1914, but the last one delayed until mid-1914 and then delayed, then cancelled in August. But HMS Resistance was sometime used during WWI to confuse German intel. The Cancellation came with the doubts about ay hipe to complete the ship in wartime. The same doubt, ironically applied to the decision to "repurpose" the last two as battlecruisers, albeit quite late in this process. Both Churchill and King wanted them forefully and argued about their speedy construction to gain approval, which indeed both achieved. By virtue of timing, and postwar events, the "R class" proved to be the last dreadnoughts of the Royal Navy. The G3 and Nelson class afterwards were already of a new generation.

Construction schedules and shipyards:


Profile of the class in 1916 (wikimedia commons)

Design in detail

Hull & construction

The Revenge class measured between perpendicular 580 feet 3 inches (176.9 m) and 614 ft 6 in (187.3 m) at the waterline. Their overll lenght, including the stern gallery reached 620 ft 7 in (189.2 m). Their original beam was 88 feet 6 inches (27 m) later extended by the fitting og antitopedo bulged. Deep draught (fully loaded) was 30 feet 9 inches (9.4 m), also later modified with bulges. Normal displacement reached 28,000 long tons (28,449 t) as contracted, but 31,200 long tons (31,700 t) fully loaded. Metacentric height was 3.4 feet (1.0 m) deeply loaded also, due to their higher lenght/width ratio, they were considerably slightly better gunnery platforms than the queen elisabeth and it only improved wth the addition of bulges during the interwar. For the protection scheme, it was largely a duplicate of the Queen Elisabeth class. See the details below.

The Revenge class crew reached 940 officers and ratings in 1917, 909 in the lowest case, and 940 as flagship, but in the early 1920s it grow to 1,012 and 1,240 as flagship. Like all previous battleships they carried small boats, notably steam and sail pinnaces, steam launches, cutters, whalers, dinghies and rafts located abast the funnel and behind the main bridge, handled by five boat derricks. Around the funnel and main superstrcture, they received eight searchlights: Four on the bridge, two on the funnel, two on the after superstructure.

Armour Protection




Armor protection for these ships, at first duplicates, were however entirely reviewed compared to the Queen Elizabeth class: Their armored deck was placed higher up with a much thicker belt at 13 inches (330 mm). When the Revenge was designed indeed, the Admiralty still imagined close distance fights, like what happened at Tsushima, not long range gunnery. They optimized protection for direct fire rather than parabolic, plunging fire that would need a thicker armored deck, a layared protection and thicker side slopes where the belt connected to the deck. This was in fact a seen as a measure of economy, in phase with the rest of the design.

Belt:

Their waterline belt made of Krupp cemented armour (KC) extended at max thickness between 'A' and 'Y' barbettes. Beyond that they fell to 4 to 6 inches (102 to 152 mm) respectively and never reached the bow or stern. Above the belt was a strake of armour, 6-inches (152 mm) extended also between external barbettes. The citadel comprised of course transverse bulkheads, like the outer belt, 4-6 inches thick and angular, closing the 13 inches main belt.

Turrets:

The main gun turrets were essentially the same os on the Queen Elisabth, but protected by 11 to 13 inches (279 to 330 mm), respectively for the front and sides, all sloped, and all in KC armour. Their roofs however were only 4.75–5 inches (121–127 mm) thick. Aviation was not seen much of a threat still and parabolic fire at that angle seemed rare. The main turrets barbettes were the thickest above the armored upper deck, reching 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 mm). Below it, they were thinned down to 4-6 inches (100-152 mm).

Armored decks:

Instead of a single, very thick armoured deck above the citadel, and a stray behind, there was a layared defense with multiple deck from 1 to 4 inches (25 to 102 mm) from bottom to top.

Conning tower and other details:

The main conning tower was protected by 11 inches walls (280 mm) enclosed with a 3-inch roof. The torpedo director, located in the aft superstructure was protected by 6 inches walls (152 mm).

Late Construction modifications

Summer 1916 Addon armor:
After the Battle of Jutland it was clear that some parts of the design needed to be buffetted, one inch of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck over the magazines, plus additional anti-flash equipment (sprinkler with fast pumps, deflectors, quick closing doors) were added in the magazines, reflecting the fear born from the loss of three battlecruisers.
Anti-torpedo Bulges
Cettinaly the biggest change was the idea of the Director of Naval Construction to add bulges to the ships. The ide came out in March 1915 when construction was well advanced already for most ships. Nothing could be done to "cut open" the hulls to add internal armour so the only choice was some exra drydock time to add external bulges. The idea was to improve the Revenge class survivability against naval mines and torpedoes. In fact this was so new that Ramillies, the least advanced in construction, was chosen for that purpose. She became the first ever battleship in the world to be "bulged out".

Testings already show bulge filled with hollow tubes really mitigated the effects of a torpedo warhead blast. Ramillies's bulgs applied were 220 feet (67.1 m) long, 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) high and divided into two watertight compartments: There was a upper and lower inner compartments. Both were fill with steel "crush" tubes 9-inch (22.9 cm) thick to mitigate blast pressure, both ends plugged by wooden bungs. They were there to absorb the powerful underwater blast wave, that can create superfast and massive ripples on the steel hull, bursting out rivets and cracking in the process. Also the tubes prevented splinters and debris from penetrating the inner torpedo bulkhead.

The outer compartment was divided longitudinally, and empty to absorb the detonation, allowing it to disperse. Air under pressure could not be compressed beyond a certain point. The bulge also increased the ship's beam to 102 feet 6 inches (31.2 m), decreased the draught by about 1 foot (30.5 cm) because of added buoyancy, but increased her displacement by 2,500 long tons (2,500 t). Indeed, they had now 29 feet 8 inches (9 m) in draught. Displacement also rose to 30,000 long tons (30,481 t) stadard, 32,800 long tons (33,326 t) fully loaded, but this depended of the bulge type fitted during refits. Metacentric hight rose also from 3.4 feets to 5.1 feet (1.6 m).

HMS Resolution and Revenge indeed were latter fitted with a different bulge in a drydock refit in 1917–1918. The latter was intended to just improve their stability, while still offering some ASW protection. They had no crushing tubes to save weight, but a single watertight compartment, still divided into upper and lower oned. The upper section was filled with concrete and scrap wood, lower was empty. This increase their beam to a lesser extent at 101 feet 5 inches (30.9 m), draught reduced more however, by 16 inches (41 cm), displacement taking an added 1,526 long tons (1,550 t).

A third type of bulge was fitted on HMS Royal Sovereign during her 1920–1924 refit: It was similar to the latter, but with an upper compartment enlarged, extending above the waterline. It was fitted with crush tubes and also weighed 1,474 long tons (1,498 t).

However, stability was not much improved contrary to what was throught. Reports came to the admiralty of excessive rolling in rough seas. Therefore, the Admiralty Experimented to determine the best bulge shape, eliminating this, while testing at the same time improved bilge keels. HMS Royal Oak was left without bulge, only fitted in 1922–1924. There were a fourth type partially empty, with the lower compartment partially filled with water. They also extended further also fore and aft. Metacentric rose to 5.5 feet (1.7 m). These bulged, after all these tests, were modified, first with HMS Ramillies, with all the experience gained. In her 1926–1927 refit, Royal Oak's type bulged were fitted, with crush tubes removed but those abreast of the magazines. HMS Resolution had her upper compartment empried and lower compartment partially filled with water. This was done during her 1929–1931 refit and these changes also applied to HMS Revenge during her 1931 refit as well.

Powerplant

revenge shipyard photo
HMS Revenge on sea trials, shipyard photo.

The Revenge class were given two sets of Parsons steam turbines. Both were driving shafts, four in all, turning each a 3-bladed bronze screw. Steam was provided by eighteen Babcock & Wilcox boilers using a working pressure of 235 psi (1,620 kPa; 17 kgf/cm2). It was different for the HMS Resolution and Royal Oak which were fitted with Yarrow boilers. This was a downgrade compared to the Queen Elisabeth class and the less numerous boilers were ducted into a single funnel, making a clar distinction between the two classes. The turbines were located in three watertight compartments placed side by side: The low-pressure turbines drove the inner shafts for cruising, connected to the centre engine rooms, and the while the high-pressure outboard turbines turned the outer shafts for high speed manoeuvers. This was similar to previous practices.

The powerplant was rated overall at 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW), to compar with the 75,000 shp of the Queen Elisabeth class, based on 24 boilers, not 18. Top speed aas cotracted was 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). On trials, HMS Revenge however only reached 21.9 knots (40.6 km/h; 25.2 mph) (based on 41,938 shp, more than contracted), on 24 March 1916. This was also disappointin for the others but HMS Royal Oak reaching 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). HMS Ramillies with her bulges still managed to reach 21.4 knots (39.6 km/h; 24.6 mph for 42,383 shp) on 20 September 1917, slightly slower than the unbulged Revenge, Royal Oak and others. Fuel storage was 900 long tons (910 t) of oil, 3,400 long tons (3,500 t) of coal in peacwtime. When converted later during the interwar to oil-fired boilers only, they used a 3,400 long tons storage capacity, enabling a greater range. The initial range was 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 10 knots, reduced to 2,700 nautical miles at 21 knots. In the wartime "surge in the north sea scenario", this was honorable.

Armament

aft main artillery

No big change here, this was a copy-paste of the Queen Elisabeth, and main strong point of the design: Eight excellent 15-in guns, 14 6-in casemates, four AA light guns. This of course changed several times during the war and interwar.

Main armament

All ships had eight 15-inch guns, on the same superfiring twin turrets fore and aft. These heavy guns were in fact intended to deal with new classes of large long range destroyers, but it proved still too slow, heavy and with too limited depression or low position for effective fire in rough seas. Stability was intentionally reduced to give a slow, gentle rolling motion and thus, facilitate firing in all conditions.

These eight Vickers-Armstrong breech-loading (BL) 15-inch (381 mm) Mk I were designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y'. Specs as the same as for the QE class: 20°/-5° angles, loading at any angle, 1,929-pound (875 kg), 2,450 ft/s (750 m/s) shell to 24,423 yards (22,332 m) and one shot every 36 seconds.

At first, eighty shells were provided per gun. Magazines were later rebuilt, extened to allow up to 100 shells per gun, so overall 800, both AP and HE. The Mk I turrets typically were best reloaded at +5 degrees.

Secondary Armament


6-in Royal Ordnance BL Mk.XII diagram

The secondary battery comprised fourteen BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns. This was two less compared to the QE class as built, and twelve of them were located in casemates amidships, prolongating the forecastle. The remaining two were located on the shelter deck, protected by gun shields. The main change was that these casemate guns were moved further aft from the bow compared with the previous QEs, to be less affected by spray in heavy seas. The were however similar to previous guns, fiting 100 pds (45 kgs) shells at 2,825 ft/s (861 m/s). At 15 degrees max elevation, they reached 13,600 yd (12,400 m).

HMS Royal Orak Firing 1916

Tertiary Armament

Light armament constisted in four "universal" QF 3-pounder (47-millimetre (1.9 in)) guns, used to deal with close TBs and firing flares or blank shots for saluting as well. They were however provided from the origin with two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76 mm) 20 cwt Mk I AA guns. They also had the usual torpedo tubes: Four submerged, 21-inch (533 mm) on each broadside. Twenty-one torpedoes, Mk II, Mk IV, and MK IVHB types were provided.

schematics of the Revenge in 1916

Fire control


Main fire control directors

The Revenge-class originally had two main fire-control directors, fore and aft, each mouting a 15-foot (4.6 m) rangefinder. The forward one was above the conning tower with an armoured hood. The other aft was raised by a tripod mast. The turret themslves were also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder as a backup. There was even an arrangement in case of both, exposed main RGFs were hit and 'X' turret coukd take commnd of fire direction in that case; The secondary armament was controlled by compass platform, foremast's locations, but this was done from March 1917.

Torpedo control director

There was also a torpedo-control director aft, fitted with a 9-foot (2.7 m) rangefinder. The 'B' and 'X' turret models were replaced after the war by more modern 30-foot (9.1 m) models from 1919.

Ballistic computing

The ships ballistic calculation was made by a dreyer table used to display data, coupled with a mechanical computer. It was fed from data coming from the main directors, or backup turret telemeters. These were Mark IV* Dreyer Tables with the exception of the late HMS Ramillies having a Mark V. They also used Dreyer Turret Control Tables

Fire Control systems

The pattern established in the Colossus class meant all five vessels were fitted with Vickers F.T.P. Mark III range and deflection instruments. The gun sights were Barr and Stroud Mark II* Inference telemeters. This meant they had Gun Ready signals in the T.S. and control positions but no Target Visible signals. In 1916, it was approved that the would receive a range rate transmitter/receiver transmitted from the spotting top for the main armament. HMS Lion, and the King George V class and the following as it was decided should also be retrofitted with these instruments at the fore top, interchangeable as gun control position with the main control system.

The Revenge class were also fitted with a pair of Dumaresq Mark VII*s FCS, one on each side. They had bearing transmitters and handles. Sources of the relative bearings sent below, to the Dreyer table in the main fire direction room. Beneath these, were situated repeaters indicating the target inclination, course, speed and range rate.

Ramillies 1916
HMS_Revenge_rangefinder_IWM

Evershed Bearing Indicators

All five units were fitted with this equipment for the main and secondary batteries. In 1917, it was decided to have all dreadnought having them to their C.T. (Conning Tower) to communicate with either the fore top or the G.C.T There was also a bearing plate with open sights and 6-power binoculars on the main open command bridge. In 1917, it was decided that all directors should be fitted with receivers and fore top, G.C.T. and controlling turrets also fitted with transmitters as well if possible. In practice the C.T. couild have been able to transmit bearings to the 6-in guns as well but space lacked for this.

Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter

Latter in their life, all Revenge class were fitted with four Mark II Mechanical Aids-to-Spotter: There were two on the foretop (driven by flexible shafting) one on each side of the G.C.T. which used an electrical F.T.P. system. This was decided already in early 1916, but the installation wa probably made between stops in 1917-18. It was also decided they would have all mechanical links from the director and pointers indicating the aloft Evershed's bearing.

British_battleships_of_the_1st_Battle_Squadron_German_surrender_November_1918
British battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron German surrender November 1918

Other equipments

Seachlights:

Intercom:

The main battery fire control used Pattern 333X Navyphones. These 15-in T.S. had an exchange board in communication with the main navyphone exchange board. It was fitted with four exchange navyphones wired up, for conversing with remote navyphone in the main turrets, G.C.T. Spotting top, all main turrets, the CT Gun control tower, the Light aloft director tower and spotting top. In addition to the four general-use navyphones in the 15-in T.S., the remote "range" navyphones in the turrets could also be directly addressed via four Pattern 3334 Navyphones wired into the TS's exchange board. A multiple plug permitted one of these to address all four turrets at once, if desired. Additionally, a navyphone in the conning tower was also connected to this exchange board. Lastly, "X" turret's working space had a navyphone to the 15-in T.S., working off a battery. By mid-1918, it was approved to fit Pattern 3331 Navyphones with loud-sounding bells in the auxiliary machinery compartments of Lion and Orion classes and later where existing navyphones have proven ineffective.



Onboard Aviation

Swordfish floatplane hm resolution
Fairey Swordfish Mark I floatplane version, NAS 702, HMS Resolution, 1941.

Onboard Aviation evolved over time. Already in 1918, having planes to povide gunnery direction became mandatory and for that, two platforms were added to the upper turrets, above the rangefinders. They usually could lanched two ready fighters and eight reconnaissance aircraft (Strutter). Both platforms were removed during the main reconstructions of the 1930s. They comprised a articulated part with a main platform over the roof and two articulated extension over the main guns, still allowing the latter to be elevated to 20 or depressed to -5°. HMS Resolution received an aircraft catapult on quarterdeck during her main refit, HMS Royal Sovereign following in 1933–1936. Revenge and the other ships soon gained a catapult atop 'X' turret but from 1942-1943 they were gradually removed as both carrier air groups and radar provided that capability.

In 1918 as we saw already, Pups were replaced by Camel, and Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutters with longer range were used. These beiong land-wheel based needed to either find a spot to land after being their mission was complete, to ditch at sea. From the 1930s, with catapults installed, floatplane models were used notably the Fairey III. Soon in 1939, the floatplane version of the Swordfish was also used. The latter had the added advantage to carry bombs and torpedoes. Next, the Swordfish floatplane became standard due to its limited size, and the Supermarine Walrus afterwards, when used on turret catapults (Like for Resolution in 1942)

⚙ HMS Revenge 1916 specifications

Dimensions190 m long, 30 m wide (27 origin), 8.7 m draft.
Displacement29,590 long tons (30,060 t), 32,820 Full Load
Propulsion4 shaft Parsons turbines, 18 B&W boilers, 40,000 shp.
Speed21 knots, range 4,000 nm at 10 knots.
Armament4x2 15-in/42, 12x 6-in Mk XII, 2x 3-in AA, 4x 3 pdr, 4x 21 in TTs.
ArmorBelt 13 in, deck 4 in, barbettes 10 in, turrets 13 in, CT 11 in, bulkheads 6 in.
Crew997
cost£2,400,000 on average of the time.

Reconstructions & improvements

HMS_Revenge_in_Dry_Dock_Portsmouth_1918 Outside the addition of Bulges, which started right when the last ship, Ramillies, was completed, a variety of ASW bulges were added at the end juist after WWI during drydock refits. Some were modified afterwards during the second reconstruction phase. These anti-torpedo Bulges provided on paper an excellent protection against torpedo attacks all the way into the thirties. But because of the rise of new torpedoes warheads (notably in Japan) they soon proved insufficient to deal wtih heavier warheads without a serious overhaul, this time of the internal protection, or fitted larger bulges altogether, meaning the risk of being "over-panamax" as well. The Royal Oak still had her WWI pattern bulge when she met her fate in 1939. However the better bulges of the two other ships torpedoed saved them.

Interwar refits

Armour wise, previous Queen Elisabeth class had conical plate reinforcements at the top and bottom of the armored belt. But they were extremely expensive to produce. It was determined by engineers that this was indeed an effective scheme, but quickly rendered obsolete by developments in naval artillery as well as aviation and new tactics evolving almost immediately after they entered service.

HMS Revenge, date unknown
HMS Revenge, date unknown (IMW)

Another important characteristic worked out whe first designed was their stability. It voluntarily sacrificed to give the ship a gentle, but steady roll, in order to artificially give them a better elevation. This made any further modernization difficult if not impossible given their hull form. Total reconstructions on the Warspite or Valiant saw the addition of near 3000 tons of additional steel, but this was out of question on the Revenge class, which explains in part the refusal to have them rebuilt extensively. The other reason was of vcourse budgetary, and Washington treaty's own limits about these reconstructions.

As a result, the reconstruction of all five Revenge class was rather superficial, even "cosmetic" in appearance. It consisted mainly in modernizing their powerplant (which was the most urgent), for an "all-oil" burning plant, increasing endurance as well, while saving space to allowing for extra ASW protection in 1922-24. In 1928, two barbette guns were eliminated, in favor of modern dual-purpose 102 mm turrets while submarine torpedo tubes were removed from 1931 on, and then 40 mm Bofors were adopted to bolster the AA. In 1910 this amounted for a total of 32, and in 1941-42, up to 12-16 single Oerlikon guns. This was still unsufficient through, but their limited size and cramped superstrcture did not allowed much improvement on that point, if not supplementary 20 mm AA guns on decks. Fortunately, none suffered a fatal air attack, but torpedoes became more of a concern, although well adressed by their bulges.

HMS Resolution
HMS Resolution during the interwar

1928

Before that, outside planes flying off platforms, only from 1924 important upgrades were made: In May 1924, Royal Oak had its bulges fitted (beam rose to 31.1m, full displacement to 32,100ts). By October 1924 it was Royal Sovereign's turn: She had bulges fitted increasing her beam to 31.0m for 32,474 tons, and in 1927, the last one, HMS Ramillies had new upgraded bulges and her beam was decreased to 31.1m. It's only by late 1928 that sinificant changes were made to all ships: They had two 6-in (152mm/45) removed and two 3-in (76mm/45) AA guns added plus four 4-in (102mm/45) QF Mk V dual purpose guns, all in single mounts on the battery roof.

1931

HMS Resolution: recived a third 102mm/45 DP gun plus two 102mm/45 QF Mk XVII guns. All fro 1931 to 1934 would have their two 533 mm (21 in) TTs removed, and two octuple 40mm/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII added. They also had two quad 0.5 in Vickers (12.7mm/62) HMGs added.

1934

HMS Ramillies: receives a catapult for a single seaplane (Fairey III) aft.

1936

In august HMS Royal Oak is drydocked for her first major reconstruction: Her main deck is increased to 5 inches (127 mm) over the magazines, 3.5 in (89 mm) over her machinery spaces. In addition all but two of her torpedo tubes are removed for good. Due to the armour addition, her draught, deeply loaded goes to 9.60m and her displacement rose to 29,950 tons standard and 33,240ts FL. Until 1939 all ships except HMS Resolution received four single additional 4-in DP guns (102mm/45) and four 102mm/45 QF Mk XVI AA guns. Also in 1936, both Resolution and Royal Oak receives catapults for an E-III-T seaplane or S-II-T for the second. But still no major upgrade, notably due to budget concerns and the immobilization already of HMS Warspite.

1938

HMS Resolution on her turn receives a twin 4-in turret aft (102mm/45) and three single 102mm/45 plus four twin 102mm/45 QF Mk XVI on the sides. Her secondary armament is thus well completed, offering a long range AA bubble as well. Until 1939, all except Royal Oak had their torpedo tubes removed but two remaining. In 1939, HMS Ramillies receives an upgraded catapult and new seaplane (probably Fairey III).

Wartime upgrade

1941

Royal Sovereign, Resolution, Ramillies, Revenge receives two quad 12.7mm/62 Vickers AA HMGs and ten 20mm/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 279, 2x 285 radars. In October in addition to these changes, a drydocked Royal Sovereign receives 51mm plates to her main deck, over the magazines. She was also the first to receive two additional quad 40mm/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII. The armour upgrade was made on Resolution later, as well as the AA 40 mm Bofors upgrade. Royal Sovereign was the last upgraded with radars, receiving the type 273, 279, 284, and two type 285 radars.

1942

Nothing but the addition on HMS Revenge of the type 273, 284, and two 285 radars, same as for Royal Sovereign.

1943

HMS Resolution had two 152mm/45 removed, plated over, followed by Revenge, Ramillies. The latter also receives ten twion mounts with 20mm/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV AA. Thge radar suite is standardized to 273, 279, two 282 models, two 284B, and two 285 FC radars. By the end of the year, HMS Royal Sovereign had four 6-in (152mm/45) barbette guns removes, a type 284 radar added as well as six twin 20mm/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV AA guns and four single plus later two 2x type 282 and 284B FCS and surveillance radars. Her displacement rose to 29,950 and 34,836 tonnes FL.

1943

Royal Sovereign sees the addition of four 20mm/70 Oerlikon, Resolution receives a new catapult and her full displacement rose to 34,700tons. Ramillies receives three single 20/70 Oerlikon guns but she is also the first to receive the new type 650 jammer. At that stage her full displacement was 35,390 tons, arguably the heaviest of all Revenge class.

Postwar modifications

In 1946 it would have seen ludicrous to have the ships heavily modified, and instead they all received a modernized AA, since inovation has been huge especially between 1943-1945 in this field. Resolution was the first to receive this AA upgrade, in Januay. At that point, she still had her four twin 381mm/42 Mk I, but only ten 152mm/45 P Mk IX, four 102mm/45 Mk XIX, two quad 40mm/39 Mk VIA, two quad 40mm/39 Mk VII, ten 20mm/70 Mk III. Her eletronics suite comprised the type 273, type 279, type 284, and two FC type 285 radars. The secondary battery was reduced to eight 6-inches for the others, but the AA scheme remains the same. Ramillies however had thirteen single 20mm/70 Mk III, but also type 284B radars and she was the sole ship to receive the type 650 ECM suite.

HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak in 1937.

⚙ Revenge 1939 specifications

Dimensions190 m long, 30 m wide (27 origin), 8.7 m draft.
Displacement28,000 t. standard -34 510 t. Full Load
Crew997
Propulsion4 shafts Parsons turbines, 24 Admiralty boilers, 26,500 hp.
SpeedMaximum speed 21 knots, RA 5000 nautical at 12 knots.
Armament8 x 381mm cal 42 (4x2), 12 Mk XII 152 mm in barbets, 8 x 102 mm AA (4x2), 32 x 40 mm AA, 52 x 20 mm, 2 seaplanes.
Armor330 mm belt, 127 mm bridge, 278 mm central reduction, 330 mm turrets, 254 mm barbettes, 278 mm bunker.

The Revenge class in action

In operation, the five battleships were considered less efficient than the previous Queen Elisabeth and somewhat relegated to less active or glamorous duties. They all participated in convoy escorts and were were based in Scapa Flow, waiting for the event of a Kriegsmarine raid that never came. Scapa Flow was judged by the admiralty and the press as "inviolable", leading to the disaster of te Royal Oak. This came as a shock for the Nation this November 14, 1939,. But Later in operations, Ramillies and Resolution were also torpedoed. The first to be fitted with ballasts damped the shock, and they were able to regain an harbor for repairs.

The Royal Sovereign, as part of Russian aid in Murmansk convoys, was eventually to the Soviet Navy, taking the name of Arkhangelsk in 1944. She escorted the convoys in anticipation of a Norway-based Kriegsmarine attack. She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1948, put in reserve and scrapped soon after, a fate rather similar, of later than the other battleships of the class."

HMS Royal Sovereign at Philadelphia in 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign at Philadelphia in 1943.

Profiles

HMS ramilies 1940
Old author's profile: HMS Ramillies during Operation Ironclad, Madagascar.

Links/sources

Books

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge-class_battleship
Conway's all the world's fighting ships 1922-1947
Brown, David (2000). Naval Operations of the Campaign in Norway, April–June 1940. Routledge.
Burt, R. A. (2012a). British Battleships, 1919–1939 (2nd ed.). Annapolis
Burt, R. A. (2012b). British Battleships of World War One (2nd ed.). Annapolis
Campbell, John (1998). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. Conway
Daniel, R. J. (2003). The End of An Era: The Memoirs of A Naval Constructor. Periscope Publishing.
Friedman, Norman (2014). Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactic and Technology. Seaforth Publishing
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One- An Illustrated Directory. Seaforth Publishing.
Gardiner, Leslie (1965). The Royal Oak Courts Martial. William Blackwood & Sons.
Halpern, Paul, ed. (2011). The Mediterranean Fleet, 1919–1929. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.
Jackson, Ashley (2006). The British Empire and the Second World War. Hambledon Continuum.
Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work. New York: George H. Doran Company.
Johnston, Ian, ed. (2014). Battleship Ramillies: The Final Salvo. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing.
Levy, James P. (2002). The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Massie, Robert K. (2003). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. New York: Random House.
McCartney, Innes (2002). Lost Patrols: Submarine Wrecks of the English Channel. Penzance: Periscope Publishing.
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). Conways
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1976). British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946. Annapolis
Smith, Peter C. (2009). Battleships at War: HMS Royal Sovereign and Her Sister Ships. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime
Smith, Peter C. (2008). The Great Ships: British Battleships in World War II. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books

Sites & web resources

On dreadnoughtproject.org
naval-history.net
world-war.co.uk
hmsramillies.co.uk
Royal Sovereign naval-history.net
On uboat.net
Naweaps.com on the 15-in
Naweaps.com on the 6-in
On laststandonzombieisland.com
the-weatherings.co.uk
freemanart.ca
maritimequest.com
battleships-cruisers.co.uk
worldnavalships.com
militaer-wissen.de
All Creative Commons photos
wiki on the Revenge class
on forummarine (FR)
On shipsnostalgia.com
On modelwarships.com
On dreadnoughtproject.org (tech notes)
Extra photos on destinationsjourney.com
Documentary about the sinking of the Royal Oak

Gallery



1918 official camouflage design for Revenge and Ramillies (IWM)


Revenge class general scheme on Warships Today 1936


ONI (US Intel recoignition book) - Revenge class


HMS Royal Sovereign entering Malta in the 1920s colorized by Irootoko JR.


HMS Revenge at sea in heavy weather - same.



HMS Ramillies 1918 (top, src reddit) and HMS Revenge unusual disruptive Mediterranean/red sea camouflage 1941 - credit National Army Museum

Author's profiles

Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk 1944


Modeller's corner

In a general way, the R-class was far less popular than the QE class for modellers, probably due to their lackluster career. The bulk were made at the same 1:500 scale largely redistributed (1916, so lot of work to convert those to 1940s), but at least one 1:700 was pressed in its 1939 state.
- 1:700 HMS Royal Oak (1939) WSW Modellbau 1:700, ROP o.s. Samek Models
- 1:500: Battleship H.M.S. Royal Sovereign 1916 & Revenge: Revell, Ark Models, Eastern Express, FROG, Novo, ZTS Plastyk, UPC
- 1:96: HMS Royal Oak Deans Marine
See also: http://www.steelnavy.com/royalsov.htm

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=357462

Alan Raven's 1942 RN camo book had th R-class painted with "an unofficial black and light grey" scheme but the 1943-1944 volume shows a 1943 three color design with "dark, medium and light grey." In reality the number or available patterns are rich: In 1916, all were in the same overall medium/light grey as the rest of the Grand fleet, but in 1918 Ramillies received a 5/6 colors dazzle pattern, as the Revenge, but les complicated for the latter. In 1937, HMS Resolution shows a dark and medium gray overall camouflage, stopped at the main fire control system bridge, left white, as in the US Navy that just swapped dark grey for dark ocean blue.

During WW2 things start to be more complex, notably for HMS Resolution in 1942 which had a two colors wavy camouflage with a green tone, dark blue, and black over standard medium grey. The others generally uses wavy black stripes, or black and dark blue, dark gray and medium blue.

The Revenge class in action

HMS Revenge 1916-1948

HMS Revenge, launched as Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in 1915 was commissioned into the Grand Fleet on 1 February 1916. She was rushed for service without full completion, and this phase proceeded until 24 March, with her sea trials and training at the same time. She was assigned to the 6th Division, 1st Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, with HMS Marlborough as her divisional/squadron flagship and also HMS Hercules and Agincourt. She had little time to train in and out od Scapa flow before her first and most serious test in her career: The Battle of Jutland.

hms hercules & revenge jutland
hms hercules & revenge jutland

On that day HMS Revenge and her 6th Division were at the rear of the British line advaning in support of Beatty's battlecruisers. Sailing east at full speed, they eventually met the Germans coming from the south off the Danish coast. At 18:15, the Grand Fleet headed by Jellicoe was deployed for action, causing some congestion with the rear divisions. HMS Revenge had to reduce speed to 8 knots to avoid collision, while at the same time the German fleet came into range. At 18:17 duels engaged. The British were plagued by poor visibility and Revenge had to wait until 18:22 to find a target through the weather, and she perhaps engaged SMS Wiesbaden or the German battle line, firing intermittently for 17 minutes, scoring none.

At 19:09, HMS Revenge hard turned and avoided a torpedo probably from V48. She later engaged the battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger, her first salvo at around 11,000 yards (10,000 m), overshooting. After resetting, she straddled Derfflinger with a second salvo, then found her range and scored 5 hits in succession. She then turned to SMS Von der Tann, next in line, leaving Derfflinger to other battleships. She apparently disabled the latter's aft turrets withg two rounds, the rest causing little damage. Von der Tann was hit in turn close to her aft conning tower but with minor damage and even fired a torpedo at long range, which found no target.

HMS Revenge turned away at 19:35 when spotting torpedoes from an unidentified TB, and with the rest of the line she turned again at 19:42 as false Uboat report came. Revenge aftwards spotted no other target and had to wait for HMS Marlborough, hit by a torpedo and slowed down, with other ships in the 6th division. At 01:56, 1 June, Vice-Admiral Cecil Burney onboard Marlborough, informed HMS Revenge he would be to transferred to her, allow Marlborough to limp back home. For this, he transferred onboard HMS Fearless and raised his mark in Revenge at around 03:00.

The night ended around 8h00 amidst still very poor visibility and at 10:00, the 6th Division was lagging 45 nautical miles north of the Grand fleet. They rejoined the fleet at 19:25, only to head back to Scapa Flow. When counts were made, Revenge had fired 102 main battery rounds, all AP, and 87 secondary guns rounds. She was not hit and had no casualty.

Her participation in the action on 19 August 1916 where her last commitment, after two light cruisers were sunk by U-boats. Admiral John Jellicoe by then esteemed the latter presented to much a risk for another sotie. He just waited for the High Seas Fleet to sally forth again to attack ships of the blockade. But the latter remained in port, only making some Baltic Sea training during the year 1917. The same year, regular convoys to Norway were escorted by light forces and raided twice so Admiral David Beatty committed the Grand fleet to escort the convoys. But Revenge saw no action and was present to escort the surrendeing German fleet into internment at Scapa Flow. By then her division was commanded by Vice-Admiral Sydney Fremantle, and she was the flagship. After the great scuttling of 21 June 1919, Fremantle ordered the German commander Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter aboard. He was accused of violating the terms of the armistice and became a POW as most of the crews.

The interwar saw HMS Revenge operating with her sister ships in a single division, and still as flagship. Traning sorties followed by refits or modernisations perriods alternated without notable event. In April 1919 she operated with the Atlantic Fleet, 1st BS. Then the Mediterranean Fleet (she safeguarded british interests in Turkey and the Black Sea during the Greco-Turkish War, and Russian Civil War. By July 1920, she was visited by the King Alexander of Greece in Panderma, for a fleet review with the Greek fleet. She saw the Greek landings at Sultanköy and Eregli. In August 1920 she was back in the Atlantic Fleet and the 1st and 2nd Battle Squadrons merged (May 1921), Revenge now flagship of the 1st Division with her sister ships, the five Queen Elizabeth-class making the 2nd Division. She was back in the Mediterranean Fleet (September 1922 until 1924) and on 1st November 1924, returned to the Atlantic Fleet while the 2nd division (Queen Elizabeth-class) replaced them in the Mediterranean Fleet. They became the 1st Battle Squadron again, returned to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1927. Until January 1929 HMS Revenge was in refit, followed by another May-December 1931.

ww2-revenge-crew-washing-fwd-deck-camo-turrets

In early 1935, Revenge and her 1st BS was back to the Atlantic Fleet and participated in July to the fleet review at Spithead (King George V's silver jubilee). Until March 1937, she underweent another modernisation and was present afterwards for the Coronation Review for George VI on 20 May 1937. Her last prewar refit started in early 1939 until August. On 9 August she was participating in her last peacetime fleet review for the king, at Portland. The war started for Revenge, her second one.

On 3 September 1939 she was versed into the Channel Fleet, Portland. To deceive German intel, the merchant ship SS Pakeha was disguised as HMS Revenge and on 1st October, the battleship was prepared for escort convoys in South Atlantic, threatened by the German pocket battleship KMS Admiral Graf Spee. On 5 October 1939 however she was attached instead to the North Atlantic Escort Force operating to and from Halifax in Nova Scotia. With HMS Resolution she was loaded with gold bullion to Canada, needed by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board settled in New York at the start of lend-lease procurements. In total, this represented 148 boxes of gold bars (£2 million, basically less than her price) loaded equally between each battleship at Portland, to sail out on 7 October and arriving in Halifax on the 15. Convoy escorts back and forth went on without event. Revenge transported gold again, this time for £10 million and departing Plymouth, on 28 January 1940. On 7 February, she collided with a small British tanker as convoy formed up off Halifax. She was repaired in Halifax.



On 12 May 1940, she rammed by accident HMCS Ypres, a small ASW trawler acting as boom defence vessel in Halifax. This trigerred a running gag each time she was back in Halifax with other crews of gate ships. On 30 May this was Operation Fish carrying this time ALL United Kingdom's gold reserves to Canada as invasion was feared. She existed the Clyde with £40 million on board, sailing to Halifax. On 3 July 1940 she sent boarding parties in Plymouth to take control of refugee French battleship Paris and submarine Surcouf (Operation catapult). She had a sailor, Leading Seaman Albert Webb, shot dead by a French officer, shot in turn by a British officer. She then resumed her gold trips to Canada, with £47 million and on 11 August with £14.5 million.

On 15 September 1940, HMS Revenge was based in Plymouth for the Western Approaches Command (counter invasion force). Operation Sealion however never took places as weeks went on, after the battle of Britain ended. She was the only British capital ship deployed with the English Channel fleet. On 11 October, HMS Revenge carried out Operation Medium shelling the invasion transport ships and barges located in Cherbourg, escorted by six destroyers and motor gunboats. There was also a covering force of three cruisers and six destroyers preventing interception by E-Boats or Torpedo boats. This was led by night, simultaneously with an air raid by the RAF, dropping flares to illuminate the targets. The shelling lasted for 18 minutes, Revenge landing 120 main-gun shells in the harbour, her escorts firing their 4.7-inch guns. The coastal artillery replied bu failed to score any hit and the force sailed home at 21.5 knots. On 13 November 1940 Revenge was back to North Atlantic convoy duties until 1941.

By October 1941, she was transferred to the 3rd Battle Squadron based in Colombo, Ceylon, joined by her sisters. The squadron was attached to Force F and from 7 December, started a serie of escotrt missions and patrols in the Indian Ocean, protecting India. In March 1942, the Eastern Fleet was created (Admiral James Somerville) and was prepared to meet Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo and his Kido Butai, far superior. It was decided howevere to spare them and replace them by the modernised battleship Warspite and two fleet carriers instead, so Revenge and her sisters plus HMS Hermes returned to escort convoys from the Indian Ocean to Alexandria or South Africa.

HMS-Revenge-Greenock-back-fm-IndianOc-Sept1943_sternwalk
HMS Revenge in Greenock, back from her Indian Ocean raid in September 1943. Note the sternwalk

By late March 1942, code-breakers from the Far East Combined Bureau informed Somerville of a planned Japanese raid into the Indian Ocean, bound to Colombo and Trincomalee. The fleet was split into two groups, Force A (Two CVs, Warspite and four cruisers) and Force B with Revenge & sisters and HMS Hermes. He planned to ambush Nagumo's fleet in a night action but after three days of search without success her had Force B back to Addu Atoll to refuel, receiving a report the Japanese fleet was just approaching Colombo. On 5 April, the harbour and bases were shelled and attacked, followed by Trincomalee on 9 April. Somerville withdrew Revenge & sisters to Mombasa, east africa, to continue their escort duties between the Middle East and Persian Gulf. The four battleships remained in Mombasa as a base in 1943 and later from Kilindini. Revenge was refitted in Durban until November 1942 and by February 1943, with HMS Resolution she led Operation Pamphlet, a convoy with 9th Australian Division from Egypt back to Australia.

In mid-1943, an inspection commission came on board for a detailed review of the four ships. They soon established that, without a proper modernization, the ships were considered not only obsolete but also worn out. The admiralty recalled them to home waters to be placed in reserve, frrring crews for more modern ships. They were back in the Clyde on 31 September 1943, reduced to reserve status until September 1945. Their electrical system needed a thorough overhaul, the hull cleaning and strenghtning. Revenge however had the privileg to sail again to carry PM Winston Churchill for Tehran Conference in November and December 1943. By January 1944 Revenge was in Portsmouth until 17 December, converted into a training ship, for boiler room personnel. However in May 1944, her main armament was removed, as pares for Ramillies and Warspite and monitors later used in Normandy. In March 1948, she was stricken and sold in July, purchased to be BU by Thos W Ward at Inverkeithing (5 September 1948). Some items survived in various places.

HMS Resolution (1916-1948)

HMS Resolution was built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, laid down on 29 November 1913, launched 14 January 1915, commissioned on 7 December 1916, so she missed Jutland. On 30 December 1916, she joined the Grand Fleet in Rosyth, 1st Battle Squadron. Sorties were stopped by Jellicoe, fearing U-Boats, preferring to wait for a possible sally of the Hochseeflotte but it never happened and in 1917 apart a possible distant covering convoys to Norway escorted by light forces and German quick raids, nothing really happened until David Beatty decided to commit its battle squadrons again as escorts. On 23 April there was such attack where the Germans almost lost their battlecruiser SMS Moltke. HMS Resolution and the rest of the Grand Fleet made a sweep on 24 April hoping to fell on the latter, but it was too late. On 21 November 1918, Resolution shadowned the German fleet into internment at Scapa Flow.

HMS Resolution in Malta, flickr
HMS Resolution in Malta (Flickr)

The interwar years saw Resolution attached to the same division, swapping with the Queen Elisabth division between the Mediterreanean and Atlantic fleet. In 1919, this was the Atlantic Fleet, then Mediterranean Fleet (Black Sea actions against the Bolsheviks and Greco-Turkish War). Resolution was posted in Prinkipo, Batumi, Constantinople and Chanak with Royal Oak and the light cruiser Ceres. By the summer or 1920 they were back to the Atlantic Fleet. This was the Mediterranean Fleet in 1922 (crisis in Smyrna), Dardanelles and Marmora sea patrols, stopping in Mytilene and Smyrna with HMS Emperor of India in 1923. Atlantic Fleet in 1924. During exercised in the English Channel, HMS Resolution rammed and sank by accident HMS L24 as she was surfacing. She was lost with all hands, but from Resolution it was barely noticed and only deduced after her bow was inspected. This was also the occasion of a refit and she was reaffected with the 1st Battle Squadron. This was followed by another refit in 1926-1927. Afterwards she swapped for the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1935, it was back to the Atlantic and the newly named "Home Fleet". She took part in the King George V's silver jubilee parade, and after another in 1936 as at the Coronation Review in May 1937. Until August 1939, she was sent to Invergordon, with two of her sisters and Rodney, Repulse. They joined Nelson (Admiral Charles Forbes) as the fulcrum of the Home Fleet, making ready for war.

HMS Resolution in the second plan, Spithead naval review, 1937

HMS Resolution in the second plan, Spithead naval review, 1937, note her dark grey livery.

In September 1939, Resolution was assigned to the Channel Force in Portland. She later was to join the hunt for the Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic Command, but this was cancelled and instead she joined the North Atlantic Escort Force with HMS Revenge, carrying gold to Canada and escorting troopships from Canada. Like Revenge she received a "doppelganger" to confuse German intel, the transformed merchant ship SS Waimana until February 1942.

Campaign of Norway

In April 1940, HMS Resolution was back in the Home Fleet for the campaign in Norway. She relieved battleship Warspite off Narvik on 26 April. With HMS Aurora she shelled German positions around Beisfjord in May, supported the landing at Bjerkvik (Battles of Narvik) with two cruisers and five destroyers and carrying herself five tanks and other vehicles, hoisted out in the darkness. As the Germans conducted a vigorous counter-attack, she made a creeping barrage. Ultimately the troops secured Narvik and signalled to the fleet they could depart. At the end of May she was attacked by Junkers Ju 88 bombers and hit by a single 1,000-pound (450 kg) bomb. Two men were killed, 27 wounded, but the damage was not capital. She went back to Scapa Flow and was repaired (and spared from further air attacks).

Operation Catapult

On 4 June 1940, HMS Resolution sailed for Gibraltar to join Force H with Hood and Valiant and participating in Operation Catapult, the neutralization of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, on 3 July 1940. She participated in sinking the Battleship Bretagne, badly amaged Provence and Dunkerque, but missed Strasbourg which went through and fled. Next target for Force H was the impressive battleship Richelieu which previously took refuge in Dakar. The attack was to commenced on 6 July but Somerville recalled Resolution to Mers-el-Kebir in order to be sure Dunkerque was destroyed, after being chased by Hood, Valiant, and Ark Royal. Next on 8 July Resolution diverted the attention of the Regia Marina allowing the passage of Malta convoy: She feinted a raid toward Sardinia while Ark Royal raided Cagliari, which was called Operation Hurry in late July and August. Resolution and Ark Royal left Force H to participate to the raid on Dakar, with Barham, three cruisers, and ten destroyers. This was called Force M, placed under the command of Cunningham.

Battle of Dakar (Operation Menace)

On the morning on 23 September, Force M was off Dakar, sneding a boat to communicate to the French commander and ultimatum. The French refused again, and known what happened in Mers El Kebir, opened fire right away. Fopr about 30 min. an artillery duel went on, Resolution and Barham firing 100 main rounds in between them, marred by Poor visibility. They scored a single hit on a freighter. Cunningham broke off the attack after his ships received serious hits (from coastal batteries) and the next day, led an air strike from Ark Royal. Richelieu was not seriously damaged. The destroyer HMS Fortune was straddled later from a French cruiser, itself repelled by a volley from Resolution. The fleet then moved to silence the coastal fortifications and attack the port, scored a hit on Richelieu. Resolution's fire director gear however broke down and she lost accuracy. There was another withdrawal, follwoed by another attack in the afternoon, Resolution silecing a shore battery, Barham concentrating on Richelieu but both missed while Resolution herself was hit several times.




HMS Resolution in 1943




Resolution off Madagascar, 1942

Cunningham disengaged for the night and the next morning sent his two battleships around 9:00 supported by two heavy cruisers. At that moment, the French submarine Bévéziers previously placed in ambush torpedoed Resolution. A single hit amidships, port side which tore a large hole in her hull, flooding the port boiler room. She was down to 12 knots and listed to port, forced to withdraw. Barham was left to deal with Richelieu.

Resolution was given an escort to Freetown for repairs, later took in tow by Barham when she disendaged. Both were in Freetown on 29 September, Resolution staying there for six months in drydoc, the back to Portsmouth in March 1941. She was shook but not hit by a German air attack. British shipyards being at full capacity, the sailed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on the US coast for extensive repairs and modernisation, under Lend-Lease. Her main battery gained an elevation to 30 degrees and she received new radars and AA. This was over on September 1941.

Indian Ocean campaign

In early 1942, the Indian Ocean and the task to defend British India became paramouns and the allies fleets there collapsed before the Imperial Japanese Navy. The danger of the latter spreading in the Indian Ocean, as far as the coast of Africa was real. Resolution sailed to Cape Town, to team with HMS Formidable and later Revenge and Warspite. They rendezvoused with the carriers Indomitable and Hermes. Fall March 1942, this Eastern Fleet under Admiral Somerville was to be pitted againsy Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo's Kido Butai, arguably much superior. Warspite was kept ultimately, while Resolution and her three sisters plus Hermes were sent away in reserve, escorting convoys in the Indian Ocean.

The Japanese later raided indeed Colombo and Trincomalee and Resolution was in Force B led bt HMS Royal Sovereign as flagship and her sisters plus Hermes, at first deployed to ambush Nagumo's fleet, but as the latter never appeared, Sommerville refuelled at Addu Atoll, learning the Japanese instead were off Colombo. Force B was then recalled to Mombasa, helping to secure shipping routes to the Middle East and Persian Gulf until 1943. In February, Resolution and Revenge partipated in Operation Pamphlet, a convoy carrying the battered 9th Australian Division back to Australia.

Last years as TS 1943-48

In September 1943 Resolution was refitted in UK, but afterwared reduced to reserve status. In 1944 hpwever she was assigned to training, later disarmed, with her main battery used as spares. She kept her role as TS until paid off in February 1948, on the disposal list and sold to Metal Industries Ltd, Faslane, BU from 13 May.

HMS Royal Oak


HMS Royal Oak firing tests (IWM coll.)

HMS Royal Oak was buiot in Devonport Royal Dockyard between January 1914 and 17 November 1915, fitting-out and commissioned on 1 May 1916, soon before the battle of Jutland. Her name was famous, as the eighth vessel, going back to Elisabethan times. She was effected to the Third Division, Fourth Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, with in colmand Captain Crawford Maclachlan. On 31 May–1 June 1916 she participated in the battle of Jutland: At 18:29, HMS Royal Oak opened fire on the German cruiser SMS Wiesbaden, with four salvoes in quick succession and her secondary battery to boot, but only scoring a single hit with her third one. She was straddled by a German salvo but remained undamaged. German torpedo boats also attempted to save Wiesbaden by approaching to launch torpedoes, but they were repelled by Royal Oak's secondary guns.

By 19:15 her gunners spotted the German battlecruiser squadron and soon she targeted SMS Derfflinger. They first overhoot, but at 19:20 found the range and scored tow hits aft, but damage wa slight and Derfflinger disappeared into the mist. SMS Seydlitz was targeted newt, and she land a hit on her at 19:27 before she also get out. Meawhile, a German torpedo boat flotilla approached and fired a volley of torpedoes on the British battleline, Royal Oak's firing her seconndary guns at 19:16. Soon the High Seas Fleet disengaged and Grand Fleet ceased action. At 21:30 it was reorganised for a night-time cruising formation and combed the area at dawn, but without finding any german ship, even damaged. In all, HMS Royal Oak fired 38 main rounds, 84 secondary rounds.


Royal Oak in action at Jutland (), painted by William Lionel Wyllie

HMS Royal Oak was later in June reassigned to the First Battle Squadron and on 18 August, as Scheer ordered a sortie on Sunderland, reported by British intel, so Jellicoe was able to deploy the Grand Fleet but both sides withdrew because of submarines on 19 August 1916, HMS Nottingham and Falmouth being lost to U-Boats while SMS Westfalen was torpedoed by E23. Apart another sortie in late 1917 intended to attack convoys to Norway, and another German sortie in April 1918 to catch an isolated British squadron, nothing much happened as the Grand fleet was kept in the firth of forth. On 5 November 1918 HMS Royal Oak was anchored off Burntisland with the seaplane tender Campania and battlecruiser Glorious when a Force 10 squall had Campania dragging her anchor and collide with Royal Oak and Glorious. Both had light damage, but Campania's damage was extensive, so much she sank five hours later. The capitulation of Germany saw Royal Oak participated in the massive 370 ships entente escort for the High Seas Fleet to captivity. The day it scuttled on 21 June 1919, Royal Oak was with the Grand Fleet out of Scapa Flow conducting training manoeuvres.

The interwars saw Royal Oak assigned to the Second Battle Squadron, Atlantic Fleet. She was modernised in 1922–24 and transferred in 1926 to the Mediterranean Fleet in Malta. In early 1928, she made local headlines in the "Royal Oak Mutiny". It started as a simple dispute between Rear-Admiral Bernard Collard, Captain Kenneth Dewar and Commander Henry Daniel... over the band at the ship's wardroom dance. Tjos turned into a bitter personal feud for several months, with accusations of "vindictive fault-finding" the rear-admiral also humiliating and insulting both officers before their crew, while Collard accused them of disoberying orders shouting they were "worse than a midshipman". Letters of complaint went to Vice-Admiral John Kelly, passed to the C-in-C Admiral Sir Roger Keyes. Keyes convened a Board of Enquiry and remove all three men from their posts, send back to UK. A major naval exercise was postpone in the process, which caused rumours that the Royal Oak had experienced a mutiny. Eventually this reached the King, who summoned First Lord of the Admiralty William Bridgeman for an explanation. Both officers were later sacked. The scandal proved an embarrassment to the reputation of the Royal Navy, making the admiraty review means by which naval officers would bring complaints against the conduct of their superiors.

Royal Oak carrying the body of Queen Maud from London to Oslo
Royal Oak carrying the body of Queen Maud from London to Oslo.

The Spanish Civil War saw HMS Royal Oak conducting non-intervention patrols off the Spanish coast from Gibraltar. At one occasion she was off 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) east of Gibraltar on 2 February 1937, when attacked by three Republocan aircraft, dropping bombs, two of which exploded at around 550 m to her starboard bow. The British chargé d'affaires protested to the Republican Government, which apologised. Later off Valencia on 23 February 1937 during an aerial bombardment by the Nationalists a Republican anti-aircraft shell fell on Ark Royal. The explosion had five men injured including her captain, T. B. Drew. There were no consequences. In May 1937 with HMS Forester, she escorted SS Habana carrying Basque child refugees to England. In July 1937 she recused with Resolution more refugees in northern Spain, onboad the steamer Gordonia about to be captured by Nationalists off Santander. On 14 July the British freighter Molton was however captured, by the cruiser Almirante Cervera, aslo committed in the evacuation of refugees. Royal Oak also took part in the filming of "Our Fighting Navy", swa by the RN as a recruitment opportunity. Royal Oak portrayed the rebel battleship El Mirante, with Robert Douglas as captain, but it was poorly received by critics.

In 1938, HMS Royal Oak was back to to the Home Fleet as flagship of the Second Battle Squadron (Portsmouth). On 24 November 1938, she returned the corps of Queen Maud of Norway from London to Oslo, for a state funeral, with King Haakon VII. In 1939 she made a short training cruise in the Channel before preparing for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean, receiving tropical uniforms but hostilities draw near and she was instead sent to Scapa Flow and anchor there on 3 September.



Royal Oak in Spithead, 1937
Royal Oak in Spithead, 1937

The "Phoney War" started and in October 1939 HMS Royal Oak joined the search for the KMS Gneisenau into the North Sea, allowing Deutschland and Admiral Graf Spee to sail unopposed to the Atlantic. HMS Royal Oak by the time was unable to follow, fue to the condition of her machinery, recuded to less than 20 knots. On 12 October she returned to Scapa Flow, battered by North Atlantic storms. Her Carley floats had been smashed and flooding damaged her secondary guns, which needed cleaning. German reconnaissance planes were spotted and Admiral Charles Forbes ordered the fleet to disperse to safer ports, fearing a massive aerial attack. Royal Oak however remained in Scapa, at least to provide her own her anti-aircraft capabilities to the meagre air defence of the Scottish base. The irony was that the real threat would not come from the air...

To understand what happened we need to see how Scapa flow was situated in the Orkney Islands, north coast of Scotland. This was a large natural harbour surrounded by a ring of islands, separated by shallow channels with fast-racing tides. It was still possible for an U-boat knowing local conditions to sweep into it, but the threat was dealt for by several countermeasures already in WWI: Blockships sunk at critical points, and floating booms deployed at the three widest channels operated by tugboats to be opened for shipping. The capital ships themselves in WWI deployed their own nets. But they no longer existed in 1939 and instead nets were deployed around ships by tugs. It was considered highly unlikely that a U-boat commander would attempt to run into Scapa before the boom was closed. Two UBoats already tried to infiltrate the base, on 23 November 1914 (U-18), spotted and rammed twice, running aground, and UB-116, detected by hydrophone and sank on 28 October 1918. After a new anchorage at Rosyth, still in the Firth of Forth, but south, Scapa Flow was reactivated in 1939 for the Home Fleet, praised for its natural and artificial defences. Improvement was planned and the first weeks of September, provision of additional blockships was being made.



Scapa_Flow-map
Scapa Flow map



U-47_raid
U-47 raid map

Meanwhile, Kriegsmarine Commander Karl Dönitz devised a plan to attack Scapa Flow just days into the war. A sucessful attack would have for consequences the Home Fleet relocated elsewhere, weakening the North Sea blockade, also leaving more room to attack Atlantic convoys, but also as symbolic act of vengeance related to the internment of the German High Seas Fleet. Dönitz choosed Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien and the raid was prepared for the night of 13/14 October 1939, in high tide and no moon. Good air photographs by Siegfried Knemeyer helped to reveal weaknesses in the defences. Prien was briefed to enter Scapa Flow from the east, via Kirk Sound. Her was to arrived to the north of Lamb Holm which was a small island between Burray and Mainland. That night however, Prien initially mistook Skerry Sound for it, but suddenly realised he was heading for a shallow blocked passage. He made a rapid turn to the northeast and was still visible by the aurora borealis.

He managed to insert between the sunken blockships Seriano and Numidian, and was even grounded temporarily on a cable, strung from Seriano and later briefly caught in the headlights of a taxi onshore, the driver never realizing what he saw. U47 was at last in the harbor itself at 00:27 on 14 October and took a south-westerly course for several kilometres, turned, then realized the anchorage was near empty as Forbes previously dispersed the fleet. U-47 surfaced and closed to four warships and soon saw the HMS Belfast anchored off Flotta and Hoy at around 4 nautical miles and later a lookout spotted Royal Oak about 4,400 yards (4,000 m) north. Knowing a Revenge class battleship was a better prize, and close to it he believed was the Repulse, in fact the tender Pegasus.

At 00:58 Prien's U47 took position and fired a salvo of three bow tubes torpedoes, the fourth not leaving the tube. In addition two missed, but a single one struck the bow of Royal Oak at 01:04. The whole battleship shook, waking up the crew, but still there was little visible damage. Soon one sailor realized the starboard anchor chain had been severed and was clattering noisily down through its slips. Some suspected an explosition for her forward inflammable store, something that happened on HMS Vanguard, also at Scapa Flow in 1917 already. The magazine temperatures were checked but nothing seemed unusual and many sailors simply returned to their hammocks !.

HMS_Royal_Oak_portside1938
Royal Oak port side, 1938

Prien heard and saw the hit but through this was not enough and turned his Type VII U-Boat to present his stern tubes. He fired, but again, missed; Meanwhile, his crew was frantically reloading his bow tubes for a third attempt, until alert was given. When back in position from the bow, he fired a new salvo of three torpedoes, which was this time successful, at 01:16. All three struck the battleship in quick succession amidships. This time, there was no doubt onboard the battleship: The explosions created a hole in the armoured deck, devastating the messes, causing general electrical power shutdown, inflaming cordite from a magazine, the following fireball going through the ship's internal spaces, which had all safety doors opened as it was outside battle quarters procedures. HMS Royal Oak then listed faster to 15°, so much her starboard-side portholes went below the waterline, and rolled further completely to 45°, her belly appearing at 01:29, 13 minutes after the last hits. The ship then filled rapidly and sank to the bottom, carrying with her many of her crew still sleeping, including Rear-Admiral Henry Blagrove of the Second Battle Squadron as well as sadly 134 boy seamen.

There were rescue efforts by the tender Daisy 2 anchored to her port side, her attaches cut loose, but she was caught by her anti-torpedo bulge and lifted for a short time. Some of the crew closer to the deck managed to jump out, dressed for most in their nightclothes in the chilling water, often only to be engulf in a thick layer of fuel oil filling their lungs and stomachs while preventing them to swim. They had about 800 m to the nearest shore, and only a handful survived. Royal Oak's own port side pinnace managed to sail away, paddled using wooden boards but she became overladen when picking other survivors and capsized 300 metres from Royal Oak. Daisy 2 managed to pull 386 men in all from the water, including Captain William Benn. Rescue efforts would last for two and a half hours, until nearly 4:00 am. Boats from Pegasus and from the harbour wontinued searching until dawn and ever afterwards. Daisy 2's captain Gatt was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. There were 424 survivors and 411 drawn with the ship or in the water, between fuel oil and hypothermia.

The loss of Ark Royal at first led to wild speculations, on-board explosion and aerial attack until concluding a submarine attack was the most likely. U-47 meanwhile had escaped, on his way back to Germany. The BBC released news of the sinking on 14 October, confirming the kill to Prien himself. Divers discovered remnants of a German torpedo, which confirmed the attack. On 17, October Winston Churchill officially announced the loss of Royal Oak to the House of Commons, recoignising this has been "a remarkable exploit of professional skill and daring", but that it would not affect the naval balance of power. A board of inquiry was held between 18 and 24 October and the Home Fleet was sent to safer ports, until security issues at Scapa were addressed.

Nazi Propaganda Ministry capitalised on this, with radio broadcasts and later Prien and his crew greeted as heroes, Prien being awarded the Iron Cross First Class, and Iron Cross Second Class for all crewmen. Hitler later awarded Prien in Berlin with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, for the first time to any German submariner. Dönitz was also promoted from Commodore to Rear-Admiral, Flag Officer of U-boats. "The Bull of Scapa Flow" had its U-47's conning tower decorated with a snorting bull mascot, later the 7th U-boat Flotilla emblem.

On Churchill's orders, the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow were sealed with concrete causeways linking Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay to Mainland, created by Italian POW. The "Churchill Barriers" were completed in September 1944. The wreck was made early on a war grave but still contains 3,000 tons of furnace fuel oil aboard, leaking from the corroding hull. This was spotted in 1990s but measures only taken in 2006, when all double bottom tanks had been cleared and oil from the inner wing tanks with cold cutting equipment were removed in turn in 2010, 1600 more tons were removed. An ecological disaster was spared to Scapa. Still 783 m3 of oil remains, with plans to resume pumping in mid-2021. A modern 3D survey of the site is also planned.

HMS Ramilies



HMS Ramillies in 198, in dazzle camouflage

HMS Ramillies, was the fourth ship of her name (1706 Battle of Ramillies), built at William Beardmore and Company shipyard in Dalmuir in Scotland fitted during construction with anti-torpedo bulges and launched on 12 September 1916. However she struck her slipway, badly damaging her bottom hull and rudders. She was towed to the Laird shipyard in Liverpool for completion after temporary repairs in Dalmuir. Fitting out took place under supervision of her first captain, Henry Doughty, appointed on 11 April 1916. She was only fully repaired in May 1917 but ran aground on her way and pulld out by tugs on 23 May. She was the last commissionned of the Revenge class, under Captain Percy Grant by July 1917, later assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron in September. After extensive sea trials to test her bulges, she was recoignised fully ready for service and greenlight the installation of bulges on her sisters. She was the only one painted with a dazzle camouflage in 1918.

Ramillies with the rest of the Grand Fleet saw no action for the remainder of the war. She escorted the surrendering German fleet in November 1918, and in the interwar, operated with her sister ships of the 1st Battle squadron, later division, between the Atlantic and Mediterranean: Under Captain John Luce by late 1919 in the Atlantic Fleet, then Mediterranean Fleet in early 1920 (Turkey, Black Sea), notably landing parties of Royal Marines and sailors in Constantinople. In Georgia she shelled approaching Bolshevik troops. In April, Captain Aubrey took command, and she later bombarded Turkish Nationalists advancing on Ismid, and send another party to reinforce the 242nd Infantry Brigade defending the city, supported by seaplanes from Pegasus and Ark Royal. INS Yavuz Sultan Selim was boarded by Ramillies sailors as well, towed away from Ismid. She also covered the landings in Eastern Thrace during the Greek Summer Offensive and was back in the Atlantic Fleet in August 1920. Captain Francis Mitchell assumed command in August 1921 and she was soon back in the Mediterranean Fleet in September 1922 (Smyrna crisis). She patrolled in the Dardanelles and Sea of Marmora and was back in 1923 in the Atlantic Fleet, with Captain Wilfrid Nunn in command, on 20 April 1924. A refit at Rosyth followed this summer.

On 1 November 1924, the Atlantic Fleet was reorganized, ans the 1st Division went back. Ramillies was refitted in Devonport in September 1926-1st March 1927 and soon transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in August 1927. Captain Hubert Monroe took command 3 February 192 and after torpedo and anti-submarine exercises and large scale mock battle in January 1929, combined exercises with the Atlantic Fleet, Captain Bernard Fairbairn too command. She was detached to Jaffa in Mandatory Palestine, October 1929, to try to deter unrest and asle later ran aground in Malta's Grand Harbour (January 1930). She was Alexandria in September 1930 also due to riots and was back to Devonport for another refit until August 1934.

By early 1935, she was in the the Atlantic Fleet ("Home Fleet"), participating at the Spithead silver jubilee. Later she collided with the steamer Eisenach in a gale, in the Strait of Dover on 31 August, but having little bow damage. In 1936 she started a career as training ship for Royal Naval Reserve and ship's boys, until December 1937. Captain Edward Syfret took command on 10 January 1938 and after another refit in Devonport until February 1939 (Cap. Harold Baillie-Grohman September 1938) she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet and sent back to the Home Fleet as a training ship. She was in Alexandria in late August 1939 and on her way to Egypt via Gibraltar on 1st September

On 5 October 1939 she ordered to the North Atlantic Escort Force (Halifax) but instead recalled to Alexandria, replacing HMS Malaya. In November 1939 she was in Aden looking for Admiral Graf Spee. She sailed through the Indian Ocean, Australia and New Zealand by December. She escorted a convoy with 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force to Egypt, first battleship to visit New Zealand and later returned to Australia to pick up another troop convoy. Transferred back to the Mediterranean Fleet in May 1940, by late June she escorted convoys with HMS Royal Sovereign and Eagle. During Operation Capatult she was in Alexandria, shere the drama was avoided, Baillie-Grohman negotiating with the commander of the battleship Lorraine there, demilitarised with the breechblocks ceased and unloading fuel.

On 15 August 1940, Ramillies shelled Bardia and Fort Capuzzo, close to Sollum with Malaya, Warspite and Kent. They were attacked by Italian bombers and in common with Eagle, shot down twelve attackers. She escorted a convoy to Malta on 8-14 October, in poor weather. Captain Arthur Read took command on 27 October and she converted others convoys to Malta and Greece in November. The submersible Pier Capponi ambushed her and fired but missed as she approached Grand Harbour. She teamed with HMS Illustrious during the November night Taranto raid. After the Regia Marina retreated, Ramillies was considered surplus and reallocated to the North Atlantic Escort Force. She was however attached to Force H and perticipated fromp afar in the Battle of Cape Spartivento. She was refitted in Devonport by December, escorting a convoy from Gibraltar to Greenock along the way and was operational again from 6 January 1941.

On 12 January 1941, HMS Ramillies joined a convoy out of Halifax and bound for the Middle East. In August, she escorted Convoy HX 106, encountering KMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8 February 1941. Ramillies by her simple rpesence in the convoy deter them to attack. She was in May detached from Convoy HX 127 to join the search for the Bismarck. PM Winston Churchill visited her on 16 August in Hvalfjörður, Iceland after his conference with the US president in Newfoundland (Atlantic Charter). Back in Liverpool she was in refit until 20 November 1941.

In October already the Admiralty decided to transfer her to the 3rd Battle Squadron based in Colombo, Ceylon, with her three sisters. This later became Force F and from 7 December 1941 in high alter in the Indian Ocean until March 1942 under command of Admiral James Somerville. No longer considered front-line warships after Chūichi Nagumo attacked not where expected, the force was sent escorting a convoy back to the red sea, caught off-giard when refelluing in Addu Atoll (Maldives). In April she was in Mombasa, and she was soon affected to the covering force for the invasion of Madagascar (Operation Ironclad).

She provided a landing party of 50 Royal Marines carried by the destroyer HMS Anthony at high speed past the coast defences of Diego Suarez, on 6 May 1942. They captured the French artillery command post, barracks and naval depot. On the 7 May, Ramillies engaged the coastal batteries on Oronjia Peninsula and remained there during the Battle of Madagascar, until the surrender of November.

HMS Ramilies in Operation Ironclad, the allied invasion of Madagascar in 1942
HMS Ramilies in Operation Ironclad, the allied invasion of Madagascar in 1942

In between, on 30 May already, Japanese midget submarines attacked ships in Diego Suarez and one scored a hit on Ramillies, close to her "A" turret, port side. It caused extensive flooding, mastered by damage control teams. She was able to steam to Durban in South Africa at 10 knots to be drydocked and repaired. Constructor H. S. Pengelly inspected the ship, concluding that being 26 years old with reduced size and slow speed she was nonetheless in exceptionally good shape. He even declared "I should wonder whether or not the capital ships of today with their lighter scantlings would survive a blow as well as this old girl, some 26 years after they were built.".

She was fully repaired in Devonport, and was back in service in June 1943, based in Kilindini (East Africa) befoire joining the Eastern Fleet, the only battleship on station under command of Captain Gervase Middleton. On 28 December 1943 she sailed home, refitted to be used as coastal bombardment ship and in January 1944 reassigned to the Home Fleet.



HMS ramillies Normandy 1944
HMS ramilies Normandy 1944

Her refit mostly saw her anti-aircraft gunnery augmented and radio coordination for spotting enhanced. She was assigned to Bombardment Force D in supporting the Normandy landings. This only started in June, with HMS Warspite, and the monitor Roberts plus five cruisers and fifteen destroyers. They were placed east of Sword Beach, supporting Assault Force S. After assembling the fleet in the Clyde area she arrive don station on the morning of 6 June and opened fire at around 05:30. Ramillies silenced the German battery at Benerville-sur-Mer and later straddled three German torpedo boats from Le Havre. They verered off and escape but launched their torpedoes, two passing between Warspite and Ramillies, hitting the Norwegian destroyer Svenner behind, which sank. Ramillies resumed firing on other positions until the end of the day, allowing cruisers and destroyers to move closer for direct fire support. Bennerville battery was destroyed and silenced in the afternoon, allowing to cancel commandor Operations Frog and Deer to take it.

Both Ramillies and Warspide then retreated for the night and returned, this time with Rodney. Rodney and Nelson alternated fring on German defences at Sword, Gold, and Juno and in total, Ramillies alone spend 1,002 main shells but her worn-out guns were replaced at HM Dockyard by spares from her earlier sisters.

In July 1944 HMS Ramillies joined the Mediterranean allied fleet mobilized for Operation Dragoon planned for August. She was one of five battleships in support to the landings, with USS Nevada, Arkansas and Texas, and the Free French Lorraine, rearmed from Alexandria. Her cover lasted from 15 to 28 August as part as Support Group Alpha, which concentrated on coastal batteries around the Gulf of St. Tropez. She silenced a heavy battery south of St. Tropez at 06:15 and the one near Cape Camarat at 06:54. The landing were successful and on 17 August, she moved to Sitka sector, shelling German positions on the island of Port-Cros, guided by USS Quincy (CA-71) spotted plane. She scored six direct hits on the town's fort, turning it to rubble.

HMS ramilies in 1945
HMS ramillies in 1945

Then her group moved towards Toulon, assisting French forces capturing the city and silencing the batteries on the St. Mandrier Peninsula. Later she operated off Porquerolles on 25 August with Lorraine and cruisers, silencing two batteries. On 26 August, the shelling went on, as well on 27 August until the German gun crews surrendered on the 28. She departed the following day, but at that point both her crew an captain knew this was her last hurrah, also symbolic of the use of Battleships during this war in general.

On 31 January 1945 Ramillies was reduced to reserve at Portsmouth, partially disarmed. She was converted into a barracks ship on 15 May 1945 after the surrender, attached to to HMS Vernon training establishement, as Vernon III. In December 1947 she was sold for scrap to Cairnryan, and broken up from 23 April 1948. One of her main gun has been preserved at the Imperial War Museum in London.

HMS Royal Sovereign


Royal Sovereign underway with other R class battleships, Grand Fleet, 1917.

HMS Royal Sovereign, the eight of the name (started 1637) was built at HM Dockyard, Portsmouth between 15 January 1914 and her launch on 29 April 1915, fitted out and commissioned in May 1916. On 30 May 1916, she was barely three weeks in service, her crew still training, when fleet commander Admiral John Jellicoe ordered the Grand Fleet to sea (and battle). Due to such "green" crew, the battleship was ordered to stay behind in port, to some bitterness later among officers and crews. There would be indeed no other occasion to shine until the end of the war. When judged fully ready for service, HMS Royal Sovereign participated in her first operational sortie on 18 August 1916, when trying to ambush the Hochseeflotte, spoiled by miscommunications and mistakes on the 19. After an other event showing the danger of submarines and mines, the Grand fleet stayed in port until April 1918, on the threat posed on convoys to Norway. Strict wireless silence prevented Room 40 to warn Admiral David Beatty, later revealed by the accident of SMS Moltke and it was too late to intercept the fleet. HMS Royal Sovereign was present on 21 November 1918 when the Hochseeflotte was conducted to Scapa Flow.


HMS Royal Sovereign shelling Mudanya, Turkey July 1920.

Inter-war years and refits

Royal Sovereign meanwhile went into drydock at Invergordon in September 1918. In late 1919 she joined the 1st Battle Squadron, Atlantic Fleet but like her sister was pressed to act in the eastern Mediterranean. The 1922 Washington Naval Treaty had the RN limited to fifteen battleships, and it was decided to kept the last dreadnought in service, pending possible modernization. After service in the Atlantic Fleet until 1926, on 4 October 1927, Royal Sovereign had her major refit (new rangefinders, searchlights and other modifications), returning on active duty from May 1929, this time assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. In addition to her and Resolution, Revenge, the Malta-based force also comprised HMS Queen Elizabeth, as the five ships of the Queen Elizabeth class were rotated, underging extensive modernisation. Royal Sovereign participated in fleet exercises in 1934 in the Bay of Biscay and off Greece. In 1935, this was the Jubilee Fleet Review and she ended in the 2nd Battle Squadron, Atlantic Flee afterwards, as flagship of Rear Admiral Charles Ramsey. She became a training ship until 2 June 1937, and refitted afterwards until 18 February 1938.

She escorted in 1939 King George VI in a state visit to Canada but by early 1939, she was scheduled by the Admiralty to be to send to Asia with her three sisters, amidst growing tensions and Japanese expansionism. The "Singapore strategy", called for a fleet to be formed in Britain and sent there, but the plan was contested due to the time it would take to get there, unlike a dedicated local battlefleet (which never was created until Force Z). As the new King George V-class battleships were not scheduled to enter service until 1941 the plan was dropped and the ships were kept in the home fleet. HMS Royal Sovereign was stationed in Invergordon before the war, soon joined by her sisters HMS Resolution and Royal Oak, reinforced by HMS Rodney and Repulse, and later Nelson which became flagship of Admiral Charles Forbes. That was the home fleet core, while the Mediterranean fleet comprised the QE class when WWII broke out.

1939: N. Atlantic, 1940: Mediterranean

HMS Royal Sovereign first mission was to screen the Greenland-UK Kingdom gap, searching for German merchant ships trying to get home to Germany. She was part of the 2nd Battle Squadron, North Atlantic Escort Force and was based in Halifax to protect convoys from Canada to Britain. After a short refit in Plymouth by May 1940 she was sent in the Mediterranean Fleet, Alexandria with Warspite, Malaya, and Valiant (Admiral Andrew Cunningham). On 25–27 June with HMS Ramillies escorted two Alexandria-Malta convoys (Italy was now at war since the 10th). On 28 June Italian destroyers were spotted off Zakynthos Admiral John Tovey sent there the 7th Cruiser Squadron with HMS Royal Sovereign as distant backup. She teamed with Malaya as Group, present at the Battle of Calabria, 18 July 1940, but lacking speed she stayed behind with Malaya. In mid-August 1940, she was torpedoes but missed in the Red Sea by the submersible Galileo Ferraris.

1941-43: Indian Ocean

HMS resolution in the Indian Ocean
HMS Royal Sovereign in the Indian Ocean, 1942

By the fall of 1940, she headed north, returning to the home fleet, was assigned to Atlantic convoy duties until August 1941. Maintenance was done in Norfolk, Virginia, due to British Yards being at full capacity. By May 1941 the admiralty wanted to create a powerful fleet based in Singapore: Royal Sovereign was to be sent there with her sisters Revenge, Ramillies, and Resolution. It was due to be assembled in March 1942 and at the start of March 1942, HMS Royal Sovereign and Cornwall escorted the convoy SU.1 (twelve troopships, 10,090 Aussie soldiers going back home) from Colombo to Australia. It reached Fremantle on 15 March and afterwards, Royal Sovereign joined her sisters in the Eastern Fleet (Admiral James Somerville). The fleet had an air component also with HMS Hermes and the four Revenge plus Warspite, seven cruisers and sixteen destroyers. But soon the "R class" were kept away from combat and back to escorting convoys in the Indian Ocean. Later while refuelling the battleships, Somerville learned the Japanese were about to fell on Colombo, and he later decided to withdrew Royal Sovereign and her sisters to Mombas. They were to escort convoys between Middle East and the Persian Gulf until September 1943 (And in between a refit in Philadelphia by late 1942). Royal Sovereign had her deck armour increased by 2 inches (51 mm) and four six-inch guns removed. She returned for another one, mostly to add AA and new radars, from March to September 1943 and back to the Indian until January 1944.

HMS Royal Sovereign in Scapa flow, 1943

In Soviet service as Arkhangelsk (1944-49)

Arkhangelsk 1944
Arkhangelsk 1944
Arkhangelsk 1944

HMS Royal Sovereign was sent to Scapa Flow until 30 May 1944, when transferred on loan to the Soviet Navy, rebaptised Arkhangelsk. This choice was alternative to a transfer of a war reparation battleship from Italy. Leaving home waters on 17 August 1944 as escort of the Convoy JW 59 (33 merchant vessels bound to Murmansk) she was attacked by U-boat U-711 (Hans-Günther Lange), which fired -but missed- and yet reported hits on Arkhangelsk and a destroyer. In fact he used the new magnetic torpedoes, which all exploded prematurely. Other attacks followed when she was moored in Kola, but she was well protected by her anti-torpedo nets. Later Dönitz planned to send six Biber midget submarines to attack her, but the model's own issues had the plan cancelled. Arkhangelsk departed Kola to patrol the White Se anyway, and for the first time, her Soviet crew arrived for a formal commission on 29 August 1944, at Polyarny. Arkhangelsk was almost the only battleship left operational, and the largest of the Soviet fleet, flagship of Admiral Gordey Levchenko. She usually sailed to meet approaching Allied convoys in the Arctic Ocean, escorting them to Kola. This lease also freed experienced crews for the RN, affected to other ships. The war ended, yet the battleship stayed in service until 1947 (by that stage the cold war arguably started).

Arkhangelsk ran aground in the White Sea in late 1947, with a seemingly moderate damage as the ships was returned to the Royal Navy on 4 February 1949. The British government indeed decided to send the more modern and faster Italian battleship Giulio Cesare, former wae prize, to the Soviet Black Sea Fleet (as Novorossiysk). The Soviet Navy at first claimed that Arkhangelsk was not seaworthy enough to make the trip, until inspected by a Royal Navy officer. She came back home in January 1949, reaching Rosyth naval base. Inspection revealed her poor condition so she was sold for scrap, at Thos W Ward's, Inverkeithing (Scotland) on 18 May 1949.

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❢ Abbreviations & acronyms
    AAAnti-Aircraft
    AAW// warfare
    AASAmphibious Assault Ship
    AdmAdmiral
    AEWAirbone early warning
    AGAir Group
    AFVArmored Fighting Vehicle
    AMGBarmoured motor gunboat
    APArmor Piercing
    APCArmored Personal Carrier
    ASAntisubmarine
    ASMAir-to-surface Missile
    ASMDAnti Ship Missile Defence
    ASROCASW Rockets
    ASWAnti Submarine Warfare
    ASWRLASW Rocket Launcher
    ATWahead thrown weapon
    avgasAviation Gasoline
    awAbove Waterline
    AWACSAirborne warning & control system
    BBBattleship
    bhpbrake horsepower
    BLBreach-loader (gun)
    BLRBreach-loading, Rifled (gun)
    BUBroken Up
    ccirca
    CAArmoured/Heavy cruiser
    Capt.Captain
    CalCaliber or ".php"
    CGMissile Cruiser
    CICCombat Information Center
    C-in-CCommander in Chief
    CIWSClose-in weapon system
    CECompound Expansion (engine)
    ChChantiers ("Yard", FR)
    CLCruiser, Light
    cmcentimeter(s)
    CMBCoastal Motor Boat
    CMSCoastal Minesweeper
    CNOChief of Naval Operations
    CpCompound (armor)
    CoCompany
    COBCompound Overhad Beam
    CODAGCombined Diesel & Gas
    CODOGCombined Diesel/Gas
    COGAGCombined Gas and Gas
    COGOGCombined Gas/Gas
    commcommissioned
    compcompleted
    convconverted
    convlconventional
    COSAGCombined Steam & Gas
    CRCompound Reciprocating
    CRCRSame, connecting rod
    CruDivCruiser Division
    CPControlled Pitch
    CTConning Tower
    CTLconstructive total loss
    CTOLConv. Take off & landing
    CTpCompound Trunk
    cucubic
    CylCylinder(s)
    CVAircraft Carrier
    CVA// Attack
    CVE// Escort
    CVL// Light
    CVS// ASW support
    cwtHundredweight
    DADirect Action
    DASHDrone ASW Helicopter
    DCDepht Charge
    DCT// Track
    DCR// Rack
    DCT// Thrower
    DDDestroyer/drydock
    DEDouble Expansion
    DEDestroyer Escort
    DDE// Converted
    DesRonDestroyer Squadron
    DFDouble Flux
    D/FDirection(finding)
    DPDual Purpose
    DUKWAmphibious truck
    DyDDockyard
    EOCElswick Ordnance Co.
    ECMElectronic Warfare
    ESMElectronic support measure
    FFarenheit
    FCSFire Control System
    FFFrigate
    fpsFeet Per Second
    ftFeets
    FYFiscal Year
    galgallons
    GMMetacentric Height
    GPMGGeneral Purpose Machine-gun
    GRPFiberglass
    GRTGross Tonnage
    GUPPYGreater Underwater Prop.Pow.
    HAHigh Angle
    HCHorizontal Compound
    HCR// Reciprocating
    HCDA// Direct Acting
    HCDCR// connecting rod
    HDA// direct acting
    HDAC// acting compound
    HDAG// acting geared
    HDAR// acting reciprocating
    HDMLHarbor def. Motor Launch
    H/FHigh Frequency
    HF/DF// Directional Finding
    HMSHer Majesty Ship
    HNHarvey Nickel
    HNCHorizontal non-condensing hp
    HPHigh Pressure
    hphorizontal
    HQHeadquarter
    HRHorizontal reciprocating
    HRCR// connecting rod
    HSHarbor Service
    HS(E)Horizontal single (expansion)
    HSET// trunk
    HTHorizontal trunk
    HTE// expansion
    ICInverted Compound
    IDAInverted direct acting
    IFFIdentification Friend or Foe
    ihpindicated horsepower
    IMFInshore Minesweeper
    inInche(s)
    ircironclad
    KCKrupp, cemented
    kgKilogram
    KNC// non cemented
    kmKilometer
    kt(s)Knot(s)
    kwkilowatt
    ibpound(s)
    LALow Angle
    LCLanding Craft
    LCA// Assault
    LCAC// Air Cushion
    LFC// Flak (AA)
    LCG// Gunboat
    LCG(L)/// Large
    LCG(M)/// Medium
    LCG(S)/// Small
    LCI// Infantry
    LCM// Mechanized
    LCP// Personel
    LCP(R)/// Rocket
    LCS// Support
    LCT// Tanks
    LCV// Vehicles
    LCVP/// Personal
    LCU// Utility
    locolocomotive (boiler)
    LSCLanding ship, support
    LSD// Dock
    LSF// Fighter (direction)
    LSM// Medium
    LSS// Stern chute
    LST// Tank
    LSV// Vehicle
    LPlow pressure
    lwllenght waterline
    mmetre(s)
    MModel
    MA/SBmotor AS boat
    maxmaximum
    MGMachine Gun
    MGBMotor Gunboat
    MLSMinelayer/Sweeper
    MLMotor Launch
    MMSMotor Minesweper
    MTMilitary Transport
    MTBMotor Torpedo Boat
    HMGHeavy Machine Gun
    MCM(V)Mine countermeasure Vessel
    minminute(s)
    MkMark
    MLMuzzle loading
    MLR// rifled
    MSOOcean Minesweeper
    mmmillimetre
    NCnon condensing
    nhpnominal horsepower
    nmNautical miles
    Number
    NBC/ABCNuc. Bact. Nuclear
    NSNickel steel
    NTDSNav.Tactical Def.System
    NyDNaval Yard
    oaOverall
    OPVOffshore Patrol Vessel
    PCPatrol Craft
    PDMSPoint Defence Missile System
    pdrpounder
    ppperpendicular
    psipounds per square inch
    PVDSPropelled variable-depth sonar
    QFQuick Fire
    QFC// converted
    RAdmRear Admiral
    RCRadio-control/led
    RCRreturn connecting rod
    recRectangular
    revRevolver
    RFRapid Fire
    RPCRemote Control
    rpgRound per gun
    SAMSurface to air Missile
    SARSearch Air Rescue
    sbSmoothbore
    SBShip Builder
    SCSub-chaser (hunter)
    SSBNBallistic Missile sub.Nuclear
    SESimple Expansion
    SET// trunk
    SGSteeple-geared
    shpShaft horsepower
    SHsimple horizontal
    SOSUSSound Surv. System
    SPRsimple pressure horiz.
    sqsquare
    SSSubmarine (Conv.)
    SSMSurface-surface Missile
    subsubmerged
    sfsteam frigate
    SLBMSub.Launched Ballistic Missile
    spfsteam paddle frigate
    STOVLShort Take off/landing
    SUBROCSub.Fired ASW Rocket
    tton, long (short in bracket)
    TACANTactical Air Nav.
    TBTorpedo Boat
    TBD// destroyer
    TCTorpedo carriage
    TETriple expansion
    TER// reciprocating
    TFTask Force
    TGBTorpedo gunboat
    TGTask Group
    TLTorpedo launcher
    TLC// carriage
    TNTTrinitroluene
    TSTraining Ship
    TTTorpedo Tube
    UDTUnderwater Demolition Team
    UHFUltra High Frequency
    VadmVice Admiral
    VCVertical compound
    VCE// expansion
    VDE/ double expansion
    VDSVariable Depth Sonar
    VIC/ inverted compound
    VLFVery Low Frequency
    VQL/ quadruple expansion
    VSTOLVertical/short take off/landing
    VTE/ triple expansion
    VTOLVertical take off/landing
    VSE/ Simple Expansion
    wksWorks
    wlwaterline
    WTWireless Telegraphy
    xnumber of
    YdYard
    Organizations
    GIUKGreenland-Iceland-UK
    BuShipsBureau of Ships
    DBMGerman Navy League
    GBGreat Britain
    DNCDirectorate of Naval Construction
    EEZExclusive Economic Zone
    FAAFleet Air Arm
    FNFLFree French Navy
    JMSDFJap.Mar.Self-Def.Force
    MDAPMutual Def.Assistance Prog.
    MSAMaritime Safety Agency
    NATO
    RAFRoyal Air Force
    RANRoyal Australian Navy
    RCNRoyal Canadian Navy
    R&DResearch & Development
    RNRoyal Navy
    RNZNRoyal New Zealand Navy
    ussrUnion of Socialist Republics
    UE/EECEuropean Union/Comunity
    UNUnited Nations Org.
    USNUnited States Navy
    WaPacWarsaw Pact

⛶ Pre-Industrial Eras

☀ Introduction
☀ Neolithic to bronze age
⚚ Antique
⚜ Medieval
⚜ Renaissance
⚜ Enlightenment

⚔ Naval Battles

⚔ Pre-Industrial Battles ☍ See the page
  • Salamis
  • Cape Ecnomus
  • Actium
  • Red Cliffs
  • Battle of the Masts
  • Yamen
  • Lake Poyang
  • Lepanto
  • Vyborg Bay
  • Svensksund
  • Trafalgar
  • Sinope
⚔ Industrial Era Battles ☍ See the page
⚔ WW1 Naval Battles ☍ See the Page
⚔ WW2 Naval Battles ☍ See the Page

⚔ Crimean War

Austrian Navy ☍ See the page
French Navy ☍ See the page
    Screw Ships of the Line
  • Navarin class (1854)
  • Duquesne class (1853)
  • Fleurus class (1853)
  • Montebello (1852)
  • Austerlitz (1852)
  • Jean Bart (1852)
  • Charlemagne (1851)
  • Napoleon (1850)
  • Sailing Ships of the Line
  • Valmy (1847)
  • Ocean class (1805)
  • Hercules class (1836)
  • Iéna class (1814)
  • Jupiter (1831)
  • Duperré (1840)
  • Screw Frigates
  • Pomone (1845)
  • Isly (1849)
  • Bellone (1853)
  • D’Assas class (1854)
  • Screw Corvettes
  • Primauguet class (1852)
  • Roland (1850)
Royal Navy ☍ See the page
  • Duke of Wellington
  • Conqueror (1855)
  • Marlborough (1855)
  • Royal Albert (1854)
  • St Jean D’Acre (1853)
  • Waterloo (1833
  • Sailing ships of the Line
  • Sailing Frigates
  • Sailing Corvettes
  • Screw two deckers
  • Screw frigates
  • Screw Corvettes
  • Screw guard ships
  • Paddle frigates
  • Paddle corvettes
  • Screw sloops
  • Paddle sloops
  • Screw gunboats
  • Brigs

⚑ 1870 Fleets

Spanish Navy 1870 Armada Espanola ☍ See the Page
  • Numancia (1863)
  • Tetuan (1863)
  • Vitoria (1865)
  • Arapiles (1864)
  • Zaragosa (1867)
  • Sagunto (1869)
  • Mendez Nunez (1869)
  • Spanish wooden s. frigates (1861-65)
  • Frigate Tornado (1865)
  • Frigate Maria de Molina (1868)
  • Spanish sail gunboats (1861-65)
Austro-Hungarian Navy 1870 K.u.K. Kriegsmarine
Danish Navy 1870 Dansk Marine
  • Dannebrog (1863)
  • Peder Skram (1864)
  • Danmark (1864)
  • Rolf Krake (1864)
  • Lindormen (1868)

  • Jylland CR (1860)
  • Tordenskjold CR (1862)
  • Dagmar SP (1861)
  • Absalon class GB (1862)
  • Fylla class GB (1863)
Hellenic Navy 1870 Nautiko Hellenon
  • Basileos Giorgios (1867)
  • Basilisa Olga (1869)
  • Sloop Hellas (1861)
Koninklije Marine 1870 Koninklije Marine 1870
  • Dutch Screw Frigates & corvettes
  • De Ruyter Bd Ironclad (1863)
  • Prins H. der Neth. Turret ship (1866)
  • Buffel class turret rams (1868)
  • Skorpioen class turret rams (1868)
  • Heiligerlee class Monitors (1868)
  • Bloedhond class Monitors (1869)
  • Adder class Monitors (1870)
  • A.H.Van Nassau Frigate (1861)
  • A.Paulowna Frigate (1867)
  • Djambi class corvettes (1860)
  • Amstel class Gunboats (1860)
Marine Française 1870 Marine Nationale ☍ See the Page
  • Screw 3-deckers (1850-58)
  • Screw 2-deckers (1852-59)
  • Screw Frigates (1849-59)
  • Conv. sailing frigates
  • Screw Corvettes (1846-59)
  • Screw Fl. Batteries (1855)
  • Paddle Frigates
  • Paddle Corvettes
  • screw sloops
  • screw gunboats
  • Sailing ships of the line
  • Sailing frigates
  • Sailing corvettes
  • Sailing bricks


  • Gloire class Bd. Ironclads (1859)
  • Couronne Bd. Ironclad (1861)
  • Magenta class Bd. Ironclads (1861)
  • Palestro class Flt. Batteries (1862)
  • Arrogante class Flt. Batteries (1864)
  • Provence class Bd. Ironclads (1864)
  • Embuscade class Flt. Batteries (1865)
  • Taureau arm. ram (1865)
  • Belliqueuse Bd. Ironclad (1865)
  • Alma Cent. Bat. Ironclads (1867)
  • Ocean class CT Battery ship (1868)


  • Cosmao class cruisers (1861)
  • Talisman cruisers (1862)
  • Resolue cruisers (1863)
  • Venus class cruisers (1864)
  • Decres cruiser (1866)
  • Desaix cruiser (1866)
  • Limier class cruisers (1867)
  • Linois cruiser (1867)
  • Chateaurenault cruiser (1868)
  • Infernet class Cruisers (1869)
  • Bourayne class Cruisers (1869)
  • Cruiser Hirondelle (1869)

  • Curieux class sloops (1860)
  • Adonis class sloops (1863)
  • Guichen class sloops (1865)
  • Sloop Renard (1866)
  • Bruix class sloops (1867)
  • Pique class gunboats (1862)
  • Hache class gunboats (1862)
  • Arbalete class gunboats (1866)
  • Etendard class gunboats (1868)
  • Revolver class gunboats (1869)
Marinha do Brasil 1870 Marinha do Brasil
  • Barrozo class (1864)
  • Brasil (1864)
  • Tamandare (1865)
  • Lima Barros (1865)
  • Rio de Janeiro (1865)
  • Silvado (1866)
  • Mariz E Barros class (1866)
  • Carbal class (1866)
Turkish Ottoman navy 1870 Osmanlı Donanması
  • Osmanieh class Bd.Ironclads (1864)
  • Assari Tewfik (1868)
  • Assari Shevket class Ct. Ironclads (1868)
  • Lufti Djelil class CDS (1868)
  • Avni Illah class cas.ironclads (1869)
  • Fethi Bulend class cas.ironclads (1870)
  • Barbette ironclad Idjalleh (1870)
  • Messudieh class Ct.Bat.ships (1874)
  • Hamidieh Ct.Bat.Ironclads (1885)
  • Abdul Kadir Battleships (project)

  • Frigate Ertrogul (1863)
  • Selimieh (1865)
  • Rehberi Tewkik (1875)
  • Mehmet Selim (1876)
  • Sloops & despatch vessels
Turkish Ottoman navy 1870 Marina Do Peru
  • Monitor Atahualpa (1865)
  • CT. Bat Independencia (1865)
  • Turret ship Huascar (1865)
  • Frigate Apurimac (1855)
  • Corvette America (1865)
  • Corvette Union (1865)
Portuguese Navy 1870 Marinha do Portugal
  • Bartolomeu Dias class (28-guns) steam frigates
  • Sagris (14 guns) steam corvette
  • Vasco Da Gama (74 guns) Ship of the Line
  • Dom Fernando I e Gloria (50) Sailing Frigate
  • Dom Joao I class (14 guns) Sailing corvettes
  • Portuguese Side-wheel steamers
Regia Marina 1870 Regia Marina 1870
Imperial Japanese navy 1870 Nihhon Kaigun 1870
  • Ironclad Ruyjo (1868)
  • Ironclad Kotetsu (1868)
  • Frigate Fujiyama (1864)
  • Frigate Kasuga (1863)
  • Corvette Asama (1869)
  • Gunboat Raiden (1856)
  • Gunboat Chiyodogata (1863)
  • Teibo class GB (1866)
  • Gunboat Mushun (1865)
  • Gunboat Hosho (1868)
Prussian Navy 1870 Preußische Marine 1870
  • Prinz Adalbert (1864)
  • Arminius (1864)
  • Friedrich Carl (1867)
  • Kronprinz (1867)
  • K.Whilhelm (1868)
  • Arcona class Frigates (1858)
  • Nymphe class Frigates (1863)
  • Augusta class Frigates (1864)
  • Jäger class gunboats (1860)
  • Chamaleon class gunboats (1860)
Russian mperial Navy 1870 Russkiy Flot 1870
  • Ironclad Sevastopol (1864)
  • Ironclad Petropavlovsk (1864)
  • Ironclad Smerch (1864)
  • Pervenetz class (1863)
  • Charodeika class (1867)
  • Admiral Lazarev class (1867)
  • Ironclad Kniaz Pojarski (1867)
  • Bronenosetz class monitors (1867)
  • Admiral Chichagov class (1868)
  • S3D Imperator Nicolai I (1860)
  • S3D Sinop (1860)
  • S3D Tsessarevich (1860)
  • Russian screw two-deckers (1856-59)
  • Russian screw frigates (1854-61)
  • Russian screw corvettes (1856-60)
  • Russian screw sloops (1856-60)
  • Varyag class Corvettes (1862)
  • Almaz class Sloops (1861)
  • Opyt TGBT (1861)
  • Sobol class TGBT (1863)
  • Pishtchal class TGBT (1866)
Swedish Navy 1870 Svenska marinen
  • Ericsson class monitors (1865)
  • Frigate Karl XIV (1854)
  • Frigate Stockholm (1856)
  • Corvette Gefle (1848)
  • Corvette Orädd (1853)
Norwegian Navy 1870 Søværnet
  • Skorpionen class (1866)
  • Frigate Stolaf (1856)
  • Frigate Kong Sverre (1860)
  • Frigate Nordstjerna (1862)
  • Frigate Vanadis (1862)
  • Glommen class gunboats (1863)
Union Union Navy ☍ See the Page
Confederate Confederate Navy ☍ See the Page
Union 'Old Navy'(1865-1885) ☍ See the Page
  • Dunderberg Bd Ironclad (1865)
  • Wampanoag class frigates (1864)
  • Frigate Chattanooga & Idaho (1864)
  • Frigate Idaho (1864)
  • Java class frigates (1865)
  • Contookook class frigates (1865)
  • Frigate Trenton (1876)
  • Swatara class sloops (1865)
  • Alaska class sloops (1868)
  • Galena class sloops (1873)
  • Enterprise class sloops (1874)
  • Alert class sloops (1873)
  • Alarm torpedo ram (1873)
  • Intrepid torpedo ram (1874)

⚑ 1890 Fleets

Argentinian Navy 1898 Armada de Argentina
  • Parana class (1873)
  • La Plata class (1875)
  • Pilcomayo class (1875)
  • Ferre class (1880)
Austro-Hungarian Navy 1898 K.u.K. Kriegsmarine
  • Custoza (1872)
  • Erzherzog Albrecht (1872)
  • Kaiser (1871)
  • Kaiser Max class (1875)
  • Tegetthoff (1878)

  • Radetzky(ii) class (1872)
  • SMS Donau(ii) (1874)
  • SMS Donau(iii) (1893)

  • Erzherzog Friedrich class (1878)
  • Saida (1878)
  • Fasana (1870)
  • Aurora class (1873)
Chinese Imperial Navy 1898 Imperial Chinese Navy
  • Hai An class frigates (1872)
Danish Navy 1898 Dansk Marine
  • Tordenskjold (1880)
  • Iver Hvitfeldt (1886)
  • Skjold (1896)
  • Cruiser Fyen (1882)
  • Cruiser Valkyrien (1888)
Hellenic Navy 1898 Nautiko Hellenon
  • Spetsai class (1889)
  • Nauarchos Miaoulis (1889)
  • Greek Torpedo Boats (1881-85)
  • Greek Gunboats (1861-84)
Haitian Navy 1914Marine Haitienne
  • Gunboat St Michael (1970)
  • Gunboat "1804" (1875)
  • Gunboat Dessalines (1883)
  • Gunboat Toussaint Louverture (1886)
Koninklije Marine 1898 Koninklije Marine
  • Konigin der Netherland (1874)
  • Draak, monitor (1877)
  • Matador, monitor (1878)
  • R. Claeszen, monitor (1891)
  • Evertsen class CDS (1894)
  • Atjeh class cruisers (1876)
  • Cruiser Sumatra (1890)
  • Cruiser K.W. Der. Neth (1892)
  • Banda class Gunboats (1872)
  • Pontania class Gunboats (1873)
  • Gunboat Aruba (1873)
  • Hydra Gunboat class (1873)
  • Batavia class Gunboats (1877)
  • Wodan Gunboat class (1877)
  • Ceram class Gunboats (1887)
  • Combok class Gunboats (1891)
  • Borneo Gunboat (1892)
  • Nias class Gunboats (1895)
  • Koetei class Gunboats (1898)
  • Dutch sloops (1864-85)
Marine Française 1898 Marine Nationale ☍ See the Page
  • Friedland CT Battery ship (1873)
  • Richelieu CT Battery ship (1873)
  • Colbert class CT Battery ships (1875)
  • Redoutable CT Battery ship (1876)
  • Courbet class CT Battery ships (1879)
  • Amiral Duperre barbette ship (1879)
  • Terrible class barbette ships (1883)
  • Amiral Baudin class barbette ships (1883)
  • Barbette ship Hoche (1886)
  • Marceau class barbette ships (1888)

  • Cerbere class Arm.Ram (1870)
  • Tonnerre class Br.Monitors (1875)
  • Tempete class Br.Monitors (1876)
  • Tonnant ironclad (1880)
  • Furieux ironclad (1883)
  • Fusee class Arm.Gunboats (1885)
  • Acheron class Arm.Gunboats (1885)
  • Jemmapes class (1892)
  • Bouvines class (1892)

  • La Galissonière Cent. Bat. Ironclads (1872)
  • Bayard class barbette ships (1879)
  • Vauban class barbette ships (1882)
  • Prot. Cruiser Sfax (1884)
  • Prot. Cruiser Tage (1886)
  • Prot. Cruiser Amiral Cécille (1888)
  • Prot. Cruiser Davout (1889)
  • Forbin class Cruisers (1888)
  • Troude class Cruisers (1888)
  • Alger class Cruisers (1891)
  • Friant class Cruisers (1893)
  • Prot. Cruiser Suchet (1893)
  • Descartes class Cruisers (1893)
  • Linois class Cruisers (1896)
  • D'Assas class Cruisers (1896)
  • Catinat class Cruisers (1896)

  • R. de Genouilly class Cruisers (1876)
  • Cruiser Duquesne (1876)
  • Cruiser Tourville (1876)
  • Cruiser Duguay-Trouin (1877)
  • Laperouse class Cruisers (1877)
  • Villars class Cruisers (1879)
  • Cruiser Iphigenie (1881)
  • Cruiser Naiade (1881)
  • Cruiser Arethuse (1882)
  • Cruiser Dubourdieu (1884)
  • Cruiser Milan (1884)

  • Parseval class sloops (1876)
  • Bisson class sloops (1874)
  • Epee class gunboats (1873)
  • Crocodile class gunboats (1874)
  • Tromblon class gunboats (1875)
  • Condor class Torpedo Cruisers (1885)
  • G. Charmes class gunboats (1886)
  • Inconstant class sloops (1887)
  • Bombe class Torpedo Cruisers (1887)
  • Wattignies class Torpedo Cruisers (1891)
  • Levrier class Torpedo Cruisers (1891)
Marinha do Brasil 1898 Marinha do Brasil
Marinha do Portugal 1898 Marinha do Portugal
Marina de Mexico 1898 Mexico
  • GB Indipendencia (1874)
  • GB Democrata (1875)
Turkish Ottoman navy 1898 Osmanlı Donanması
  • Cruiser Heibtnuma (1890)
  • Cruiser Lufti Humayun (1892)
  • Cruiser Hadevendighar (1892)
  • Shadieh class cruisers (1893)
  • Turkish TBs (1885-94)
Regia Marina 1898 Regia Marina
  • Pr. Amadeo class (1871)
  • Caio Duilio class (1879)
  • Italia class (1885)
  • Ruggero di Lauria class (1884)
  • Carracciolo (1869)
  • Vettor Pisani (1869)
  • Cristoforo Colombo (1875)
  • Flavio Goia (1881)
  • Amerigo Vespucci (1882)
  • C. Colombo (ii) (1892)
  • Pietro Micca (1876)
  • Tripoli (1886)
  • Goito class (1887)
  • Folgore class (1887)
  • Partenope class (1889)
  • Giovanni Bausan (1883)
  • Etna class (1885)
  • Dogali (1885)
  • Piemonte (1888)
  • Staffeta (1876)
  • Rapido (1876)
  • Barbarigo class (1879)
  • Messagero (1885)
  • Archimede class (1887)
  • Guardiano class GB (1874)
  • Scilla class GB (1874)
  • Provana class GB (1884)
  • Curtatone class GB (1887)
  • Castore class GB (1888)
Imperial Japanese navy 1898 Nihhon Kaigun
  • Ironclad Fuso (1877)
  • Kongo class Ironclads (1877)

  • Cruiser Tsukushi (1880)
  • Cruiser Takao (1888)
  • Cruiser Yaeyama (1889)
  • Cruiser Chishima (1890)
  • Cruiser Tatsuta (1894)
  • Cruiser Miyako (1898)

  • Frigate Nisshin (1869)
  • Frigate Tsukuba (acq.1870)
  • Kaimon class CVT (1882)
  • Katsuragi class SCVT (1885)
  • Sloop Seiki (1875)
  • Sloop Amagi (1877)
  • Corvette Jingei (1876)
  • Gunboat Banjo (1878)
  • Maya class GB (1886)
  • Gunboat Oshima (1891)
German Navy 1898 Kaiserliche Marine
  • Ironclad Hansa (1872)
  • G.Kurfürst class (1873)
  • Kaiser class (1874)
  • Sachsen class (1877)
  • Ironclad Oldenburg (1884)

  • Ariadne class CVT (1871)
  • Leipzig class CVT (1875)
  • Bismarck class CVT (1877)
  • Carola class CVT (1880)
  • Corvette Nixe (1885)
  • Corvette Charlotte (1885)
  • Schwalbe class Cruisers (1887)
  • Bussard class (1890)

  • Aviso Zieten (1876)
  • Blitz class Avisos (1882)
  • Aviso Greif (1886)
  • Wacht class Avisos (1887)
  • Meteor class Avisos (1890)
  • Albatross class GBT (1871)
  • Cyclop GBT (1874)
  • Otter GBT (1877)
  • Wolf class GBT (1878)
  • Habitch class GBT (1879)
  • Hay GBT (1881)
  • Eber GBT (1881)
  • Rhein class Monitors (1872)
  • Wespe class Monitors (1876)
  • Brummer class Arm.Steamers (1884)
Russian Imperial Navy 1898 Russkiy Flot
Marina do Peru Marina Do Peru
  • Lima class Cruisers (1880)
  • Chilean TBs (1879)
Swedish Navy 1898 Svenska Marinen
Norwegian Navy 1898 Søværnet
  • Lindormen (1868)
  • Gorm (1870)
  • Odin (1872)
  • Helgoland (1878)
  • Tordenskjold (1880)
  • Iver Hvitfeldt (1886)
Royal Navy 1898 Royal Navy 1898
  • Hotspur (1870)
  • Glatton (1871)
  • Devastation class (1871)
  • Cyclops class (1871)
  • Rupert (1874)
  • Neptune class (1874)
  • Dreadnought (1875)
  • Inflexible (1876)
  • Agamemnon class (1879)
  • Conqueror class (1881)
  • Colossus class (1882)
  • Admiral class (1882)
  • Trafalgar class (1887)
  • Victoria class (1890)
  • Royal Sovereign class (1891)
  • Centurion class (1892)
  • Renown (1895)

  • HMS Shannon (1875)
  • Nelson class (1876)
  • Iris class (1877)
  • Leander class (1882)
  • Imperieuse class (1883)
  • Mersey class (1885)
  • Surprise class (1885)
  • Scout class (1885)
  • Archer class (1885)
  • Orlando class (1886)
  • Medea class (1888)
  • Barracouta class (1889)
  • Barham class (1889)
  • Pearl class (1889)
  • 1870-90 Torpedo Boats
  • Spanish Navy 1898 Armada 1898
    • Ironclad Pelayo (1887)

    • Aragon class (1879)
    • Velasco class (1881)
    • Isla de Luzon (1886)
    • Alfonso XII class (1887)
    • Reina Regentes class (1887)
    • Infanta Maria Teresa class (1890)
    • Emperador Carlos V (1895)
    • Cristobal Colon (1896)
    • Princesa de Asturias class (1896)

    • Destructor class (1886)
    • Temerario class (1891)
    • TGunboat Filipinas (1892)
    • De Molina class (1896)
    • Furor class (1896)
    • Audaz class (1897)
    • Spanish TBs (1878-87)
    • Fernando class gunboats (1875)
    • Concha class gunboats (1883)
    US Navy 1898 1898 US Navy US Navy 1898☍ See the Page
    • USS Maine (1889)
    • USS Texas (1892)
    • Indiana class (1893)
    • USS Iowa (1896)

    • Amphitrite class (1876)
    • USS Puritan (1882)
    • USS Monterey (1891)

    • Atlanta class (1884)
    • USS Chicago (1885)
    • USS Charleston (1888)
    • USS Baltimore (1888)
    • USS Philadelphia (1889)
    • USS San Francisco (1889)
    • USS Newark (1890)
    • USS New York (1891)
    • USS Olympia (1892)
    • Cincinatti class (1892)
    • Montgomery class (1893)
    • Columbia class (1893)
    • USS Brooklyn (1895)

    • USS Vesuvius (1888)
    • USS Katahdin (1893)
    • USN Torpedo Boats (1886-1901)
    • GB USS Dolphin (1884)
    • Yorktown class GB (1888)
    • GB USS Petrel (1888)
    • GB USS Bancroft (1892)
    • Machias class GB (1891)
    • GB USS Nashville (1895)
    • Wilmington class GB (1895)
    • Annapolis class GB (1896)
    • Wheeling class GB (1897)
    • Small gunboats (1886-95)
    • St Louis class AMC (1894)
    • Harvard class AMC (1888)
    • USN Armoured Merchant Cruisers
    • USN Armed Yachts

    WW1

    ☉ Entente Fleets

    US ww1 US Navy ☍ See the Page
    British ww1 Royal Navy ☍ See the Page
    French ww1 Marine Nationale ☍ See the Page
    Japan ww1 Nihhon Kaigun ☍ See the Page
    Russia ww1 Russkiy Flot ☍ See the Page
    Italy ww1 Regia Marina

    ✠ Central Empires

    German Navy 1914 Kaiserliche Marine
    austria-hungary ww1 KuK Kriesgmarine
    turkey ww1 Osmanli Donmanasi
    • Barbarossa class battleships (1892)
    • Yavuz (1914)
    • Cruiser Mecidieh (1903)
    • Cruiser Hamidieh (1903)
    • Cruiser Midilli (1914)
    • Namet Torpedo cruisers (1890)
    • Sahahani Deria Torpedo cruisers (1892)
    • Destroyers class Berk-Efshan (1894)
    • Destroyers class Yarishar (1907)
    • Destroyers class Muavenet (1909)
    • Berk i Savket class Torpedo gunboats (1906)
    • Marmaris gunboat (1903)
    • Sedd ul Bahr class gunboats (1907)
    • Isa Reis class gunboats (1911)
    • Preveze class gunboats (1912)
    • Turkish WW1 Torpedo Boats
    • Turkish Armed Yachts (1861-1903)
    • Turkish WW1 Minelayers

    ⚑ Neutral Countries

    Americas
    Argentinian navy Argentina
    Brazilian Navy Brazil
    Chilean Navy 1914 Chile
    Cuban Navy 1914 Cuba
    • Gunboat Baire (1906)
    • Gunboat Patria (1911)
    • Diez de octubre class GB (1911)
    • Sloop Cuba (1911)
    Haitian Navy 1914 Haiti
    • Gunboat Dessalines (1883)
    • GB Toussaint Louverture (1886)
    • GB Capois la Mort (1893)
    • GB Crete a Pierot (1895)
    Mexican Navy Mexico
    • Cruiser Zatagosa (1891)
    • GB Plan de Guadalupe (1892)
    • Tampico class GB (1902)
    • N. Bravo class GB (1903)
    Peruvian Navy 1914 Peru
    • Almirante Grau class (1906)
    • Ferre class subs. (1912)
    Europe
    Bulgarian Navy Bulgaria
    • Cruiser Nadezhda (1898)
    • Drski class TBs (1906)
    Danish Navy 1914 Denmark
    • Skjold class (1896)
    • Herluf Trolle class (1899)
    • Herluf Trolle (1908)
    • Niels Iuel (1918)
    • Hekla class cruisers (1890)
    • Valkyrien class cruisers (1888)
    • Fyen class crusiers (1882)
    • Danish TBs (1879-1918)
    • Danish Submarines (1909-1920)
    • Danish Minelayer/sweepers
    Greek Royal Navy Greece
    Dutch Empire Navy 1914 Netherlands
    • Eversten class (1894)
    • Konigin Regentes class (1900)
    • De Zeven Provincien (1909)
    • Dutch dreadnought (project)
    • Holland class cruisers (1896)
    • Fret class destroyers
    • Dutch Torpedo boats
    • Dutch gunboats
    • Dutch submarines
    • Dutch minelayers
    Norwegian Navy 1914 Norway
    • Haarfarge class (1897)
    • Norge class (1900)
    • Norwegian Monitors
    • Cr. Frithjof (1895)
    • Cr. Viking (1891)
    • DD Draug (1908)
    • Norwegian ww1 TBs
    • Norwegian ww1 Gunboats
    • Sub. Kobben (1909)
    • Ml. Fröya (1916)
    • Ml. Glommen (1917)
    Portuguese navy 1914 Portugal
    • Coastal Battleship Vasco da Gama (1875)
    • Cruiser Adamastor (1896)
    • Sao Gabriel class (1898)
    • Cruiser Dom Carlos I (1898)
    • Cruiser Rainha Dona Amelia (1899)
    • Portuguese ww1 Destroyers
    • Portuguese ww1 Submersibles
    • Portuguese ww1 Gunboats
    Romanian Navy 1914 Romania
    Spanish Armada Spain
    Swedish Navy 1914 Sweden
    Asia
    Chinese navy 1914 China
    Thai Empire Navy 1914 Thailand
    • Maha Chakri (1892)
    • Thoon Kramon (1866)
    • Makrut Rajakumarn (1883)

    ⚏ WW1 3rd/4th rank navies

    ✈ WW1 Naval Aviation

    US naval aviation USN
    • Boeing model 2/3/5 (1916)
    • Aeromarine 39 (1917)
    • Curtiss H (1917)
    • Curtiss F5L (1918)
    • Curtiss VE-7 (1918)
    • Curtiss NC (1918)
    • Curtiss NC4 (1918)
    RNAS RNAS
    • Short 184 (1915)
    • Fairey Campania (1917)
    • Felixtowe F2 (1916)
    • Felixtowe F3 (1917)
    • Felixtowe F5 (1918)
    • Sopwith Baby (1917)
    • Fairey Hamble Baby (1917)
    • Fairey III (1918)
    • Short S38 (1912)
    • Short Admiralty Type 166 (1914)
    • Short Admiralty Type 184 (1915)

    • Blackburn Kangaroo
    • Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter
    • Sopwith Pup
    • Sopwith Cuckoo 1918
    • Royal Aircraft Factory Airships
    German Imperial naval aviation Marineflieger
    • Albatros W.4 (1916)
    • Albatros W.8 (1918)
    • Friedrichshafen Models
    • Gotha WD.1-27 (1918)
    • Hansa-Brandenburg series
    • L.F.G V.19 Stralsund (1918)
    • L.F.G W (1916)
    • L.F.G WD (1917)
    • Lübeck-Travemünde (1914)
    • Oertz W series (1914)
    • Rumpler 4B (1914)
    • Sablatnig SF (1916)
    • Zeppelin-Lindau Rs series
    • Kaiserlichesmarine Zeppelins
    French naval aviation French Naval Aviation
    • Borel Type Bo.11 (1911)
    • Nieuport VI.H (1912)
    • Nieuport X.H (1913)
    • Donnet-Leveque (1913)
    • FBA-Leveque (1913)
    • FBA (1913)
    • Donnet-Denhaut (1915)
    • Borel-Odier Type Bo-T(1916)
    • Levy G.L.40 (1917)
    • Blériot-SPAD S.XIV (1917)
    • Hanriot HD.2 (1918)
    • Zodiac Airships
    Italian naval aviation Italian Naval Aviation
    • Ansaldo SVA Idro (1916)
    • Ansaldo Baby Idro (1915)
    • Macchi M3 (1916)
    • Macchi M5 (1918)
    • SIAI S.12 (1918)
    Russian naval aviation Russian Naval Aviation
    • Grigorovich M-5 (1915)
    • Grigorovich M-9 (1916)
    • Grigorovich M-11 (1916)
    • Grigorovich M-15 (1916)
    • Grigorovich M-16 (1916)
    • Grigorovich M-16 (1916)
    ✠ K.u.K. SeeFliegkorps
    • Lohner E (1914)
    • Lohner L (1915)
    • Oeffag G (1916)
    IJN Aviation IJN Air Service
    • IJN Farman 1914
    • Yokosho Rogou Kougata (1917)
    • Yokosuka Igo-Ko (1920)

    WW2

    ✪ Allied ww2 Fleets

    US ww2 US Navy
    British ww2 Royal Navy ☍ See the Page
    French ww2 Marine Nationale ☍ See the Page
    Soviet ww2 Sovietskiy Flot ☍ See the Page
    Royal Canadian Navy Royal Canadian Navy ☍ See the Page
    Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Navy ☍ See the Page
    Koninklije Marine, Dutch Navy ww2 Dutch Navy ☍ See the Page
    Chinese Navy Chinese Navy 1937 ☍ See the Page

    ✙ Axis ww2 Fleets

    Japan ww2 Imperial Japanese Navy ☍ See the Page
    italy ww2 Regia Marina ☍ See the Page
    German ww2 Kriegsmarine ☍ See the Page

    ⚑ Neutral Navies

    Armada de Argentina Argentinian Navy ☍ See the Page
    Marinha do Brasil Brazilian Navy ☍ See the Page
    Armada de Chile Chilean Navy ☍ See the Page
    Søværnet Danish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Niels Iuel (1918)
    • Danish ww2 Torpedo-Boats
    • Danish ww2 submarines
    • Danish ww2 minelayer/sweepers
    Merivoimat Finnish Navy ☍ See the Page
    Hellenic Navy Hellenic Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Greek ww2 Destroyers
    • Greek ww2 submarines
    • Greek ww2 minelayers
    Marynarka Vojenna Polish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Cruiser ORP Dragon
    • Cruiser ORP Conrad
    • Brislawicka class Destroyers
    • Witcher ww2 Destroyers
    • Minelayer Gryf
    • Wilk class sub.
    • Orzel class sub.
    • Jakolska class minesweepers
    • Polish Monitors
    Portuguese navy ww2 Portuguese Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Douro class DDs
    • Delfim class sub
    • Velho class gb
    • Albuquerque class gb
    • Nunes class sloops
    Romanian Navy Romanian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Romanian ww2 Destroyers
    • Romanian ww2 Submarines
    Royal Norwegian Navy Sjøforsvaret ☍ See the Page
    • Norwegian ww2 Torpedo-Boats
    Spanish Armada Spanish Armada ☍ See the Page
    Svenska Marinen Svenska Marinen ☍ See the Page
    • Sverige class CBBs (1915)
    • Gustav V class CBBs (1918)
    • Interwar Swedish CBB projects

    • Tre Kronor class (1943)
    • Gotland (1933)
    • Fylgia (1905)

    • Ehrernskjold class DDs (1926)
    • Psilander class DDs (1926)
    • Klas Horn class DDs (1931)
    • Romulus class DDs (1934)
    • Göteborg class DDs (1935)
    • Mode class DDs (1942)
    • Visby class DDs (1942)
    • Öland class DDs (1945)

    • Swedish ww2 TBs
    • Swedish ww2 Submarines
    • Swedish ww2 Minelayers
    • Swedish ww2 MTBs
    • Swedish ww2 Patrol Vessels
    • Swedish ww2 Minesweepers
    Türk Donanmasi Turkish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Kocatepe class Destroyers
    • Tinaztepe class Destroyers
    • İnönü class submarines
    • Submarine Dumplumpynar
    • Submarine Sakarya
    • Submarine Gur
    • Submarine Batiray
    • Atilay class submarines
    Royal Yugoslav Navy Royal Yugoslav Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Cruiser Dalmacija
    • Dubrovnik class DDs
    • Beograd class DDs
    • Osvetnik class subs
    • Hrabi class subs
    • Gunboat Beli Orao
    Royal Thai Navy Royal Thai Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Taksin class
    • Ratanakosindra class
    • Sri Ayuthia class
    • Puket class
    • Tachin class
    • Sinsamudar class sub
    minor navies Minor Navies ☍ See the Page

    ✈ Naval Aviation

    Latest entries | WW1 | Cold War
    US naval aviation USN aviation ☍ See the Page
    Fleet Air Arm ☍ See the Page
    IJN aviation ☍ See the Page
    • Mitsubishi 1MF (1923)
    • Nakajima A1N (1930)
    • Nakajima A2N (1932)
    • Mitsubishi A5M "Claude" (1935)
    • Nakajima A4N (1935)
    • Mitsubishi A6M "zeke" (1940)
    • Nakajima J1N Gekko "Irving" (1941)
    • Mitsubishi J2M Raiden "Jack" (1942)
    • Kawanishi N1K-J Shiden "George" (1942)
    • Nakajima J5N Tenrai (1944)

    • Aichi S1A Denko* (1944)
    • Mitsubishi A7M reppu* (1944)
    • Mitsubishi J8M1 Shusui* (1945)
    • Mitsubishi J8M2 Shusui-kai* (1945)
    • Kyushu J7W Shinden* (1945)
    • Nakajima J9Y Kikka* (1945)

    • Mitsubishi 1MT (1922)
    • Mitsubishi B1M (1923)
    • Mitsubishi B2M (1932)
    • Kugisho B3Y (1932)
    • Aichi D1A "Susie" (1934)
    • Yokosuka B4Y "Jean" (1935)
    • Mitsubishi B5M "Mabel" (1937)
    • Nakajima B5N "Kate" (1937)
    • Aichi D3A "Val" (1940)
    • Nakajima B6N "Jill" (1941)
    • Aichi B7A "Grace" (1942)
    • Nakajima C6N Saiun "Myrt" (1942)
    • Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" (1942)
    • Yokosuka MXY-7 "Baka" (1944)

    • Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" (1935)
    • Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" (1941)
    • Kawanishi P1Y Ginga "Frances" (1943)
    • Kyushu Q1W Tokai "Lorna" (1943)
    • Tachikawa Ki-74 "Patsy" (1944)
    • Nakajima G8N Renzan "Rita" (1944)

    • Mitsubishi K3M "Pine" (1930)
    • Nakajima C2N1 (1931)
    • Yokosuka K5Y1 "Willow" (1933)
    • Nakajima L1N1 (1937)
    • Kawanishi H6K2/4-L (1938)
    • Kyushu K10W1 "Oak" (1941)
    • Kyushu K11W1 Shiragiku (1942)
    • Mitsubishi L4M1 (1942)
    • Nakajima G5N Shinzan "Liz" (1942)
    • Yokosuka L3Y "Tina" (1942)
    • Kyushu Q1W1-K "Lorna"(1943)
    • Aichi M6A1-K Nanzan (1943)
    • Yokosuka MXY-7K-1 "Kai" (1944)
    • Yokosuka MXY-8 Akigusa (1945)

    • Hiro H1H (1926)
    • Yokosuka E1Y (1926)
    • Nakajima E2N (1927)
    • Aichi E3A (1929)
    • Yokosuka K4Y (1930)
    • Nakajima E4N (1931)
    • Nakajima E8N "Dave" (1935)
    • Kawanishi E7K "Alf" (1935)
    • Kawanishi E11K1 (1937)
    • Aichi E11A "Laura" (1938)
    • Watanabe E9W (1938)
    • Watanabe K8W* (1938)
    • Mitsubishi F1M "pete" (1941)
    • Nakajima E14Y "Glen" (1941)
    • Aichi E13A "Jake" (1941)
    • Aichi H9A (1942)
    • Nakajima A6M2-N (1942)
    • Kawanishi E15K Shiun (1942)
    • Kawanishi N1K1 "Rex" (1943)
    • Aichi E16A "Zuiun" (1944)
    • Aichi M6A1 Seiran (1945)

    • Kawanishi E11K* (1937)
    • Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" (1938)
    • Kawanishi K6K* (1938)
    • Kawanishi H6K3 (1939)
    • Kawanishi K8K (1940)
    • Kawanishi H8K "Emily" (1942)
    • Yokosuka H5Y "Cherry" (1936)

    • Mitsubishi 2MR (1923)
    • Yokosho K1Y (1924)
    • Yokosuka K2Y (1928)
    • Mitsubishi K3M "Pine" (1930)
    • Hitachi LXG1 (1934)
    • Kyushu K10W "Oak" (1943)
    Italian Aviation ☍ See the Page
    French Aeronavale ☍ See the Page
    • Levasseur PL5/9 (1924)
    • Wibault 74 (1926)
    • CAMS 37 (1926)
    • Gourdou-Leseurre GL.300 series (1926-39)
    • Levasseur PL7 (1928)
    • Levasseur PL10 (1929)
    • Latécoere 290 (1931)
    • Breguet 521/22/23 (1931)
    • Leo H257 bis (1932)
    • Latécoere 300 series (1932)
    • Morane 226 (1934)
    • Dewoitine 376 (1934)
    • Latécoere 321 (1935)
    • Potez 452 (1935)
    • Latécoere 38.1 (1936)
    • Loire 210 (1936)
    • Leo H43 (1936)
    • Levasseur PL107 (1937)
    • Loire 130 (1937)
    • Dewoitine HD.730 (1938)
    • Latecoere 298 (1938)
    • LN 401 (1938)
    Soviet Naval Aviation
    Luftwaffe (Naval) ☍ See the Page
    • Arado 197 (1937)
    • Fieseler Fi-167 (1938)
    • Junkers Ju-87C (1938)
    • Messerschmitt Me 109T (1941)
    • Messerschmitt 155 (1944)

    • Heinkel HE 1 (1921)
    • Caspar U1 (1922)
    • Dornier Do J Wal (1922)
    • Dornier Do 16 ‘Wal’ (1923)
    • Heinkel HE 2 (1923)
    • Junkers A 20/Ju 20 (1923)
    • Rohrbach Ro II (1923)
    • Rohrbach Ro III (1924)
    • Dornier Do D (1924)
    • Dornier Do E (1924)
    • Junkers G 24 (1924)
    • Rohrbach Ro IV (1925)
    • Heinkel HD 14 (1925)
    • Heinkel HE 25 (1925)
    • Heinkel HE 26 (1925)
    • Heinkel HE 24 (1926)
    • Heinkel HE 4 (1926)
    • Junkers W 33/34 (1926)
    • Heinkel HE 5 (1926)
    • Rohrbach Ro VII Robbe (1926)
    • Rohrbach Ro V Rocco (1927)
    • Heinkel HE 31 (1927)
    • Heinkel HE 8 (1927)
    • Arado W II (1928)
    • Heinkel HD 9 (1928)
    • Heinkel HD 16 (1928)
    • Heinkel He 55 (1929)
    • Heinkel He 56 (1929)
    • Arado SSD I (1930)
    • Junkers Ju 52w (1930)
    • Heinkel HE 42 (1931)
    • Heinkel He 50 (1931)
    • Heinkel He 59 (1931)
    • Arado Ar 66 (1932)
    • Heinkel He 58 (1932)
    • Junkers Ju 46 (1932)
    • Klemm Kl 35bW (1932)
    • Heinkel He 62 (1932)
    • Heinkel He 60 (1933)
    • Heinkel He 51w (1933)
    • Arado Ar 95 (1937)
    • Arado Ar 196 (1937)
    • Arado Ar 199 (1939)
    • Blohm & Voss Ha 139 (1936)
    • Blohm & Voss BV 138 (1937)
    • Blohm & Voss Ha 140 (1937)
    • Blohm & Voss BV 222 (1938)
    • Blohm & Voss BV 238 (1942)
    • Dornier Do 24/318 (1937)
    • Dornier Do 18 (1935)
    • Dornier Do 26 (1938)
    • Dornier Do 22 (1938)
    • DFS Seeadler (1936)
    • Focke-Wulf Fw 58W (1935)
    • Focke-Wulf Fw 62 (1937)
    • Heinkel He 114 (1936)
    • Heinkel He 115 (1936)
    • Heinkel He 119 (1936)
    Dutch Naval Aviation
    • Fokker W.3 (1915)
    • Fokker T.II (1921)
    • Fokker B.I/III (1922)
    • Fokker B.II (1923)
    • Fokker T.III (1924)
    • Fokker T.IV (1927)
    • Fokker B.IV (1928)
    • Fokker C.VII W (1928)
    • Fokker C.VIII W (1929)
    • Fokker C.XI W (1934)
    • Fokker C.XIV-W (1937)
    • Fokker T.VIII-W (1939)

    ☢ The Cold War

    ☭ WARSAW PACT

    Sovietskaya Flota Sovietskiy flot ☍ See the Page
    Warsaw Pact cold war navy Warsaw Pact Navies ☍ See the Detail
    • Albania
    • Bulgaria
    • Czechoslovakia
    • Hungary
    • Volksmarine East Germany
    • Parchim class corvettes (1985)
    • Hai class sub-chasers (1958)
    • Volksmarine's minesweepers
    • Volksmarine's FAC
    • Volksmarine's Landing ships
    • ORP Warzsawa (1970)
    • ORP Kaszub (1986)
    • Polish Landing ships
    • Polish FACs
    • Polish Patrol ships
    • Polish Minesweepers
    • Missile Destroyer Muntenia (1982)
    • Tetal class Frigates (1981)
    • Romanian river patrol crafts

    ✦ NATO

    bundesmarine Bundesmarine ☍ See the Page
    Dutch Navy Danish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Hvidbjornen class Frigates (1962)
    • Frigate Beskytteren (1976)
    • Peder Skram class Frigates (1965)
    • Thetis class frigates (1989)
    • Bellona class corvettes (1955)
    • Niels Juel class corvettes (1979)

    • Delfinen class submarines (1958)
    • Narhvalen class submarines (1970)

    • Bille class Torpedo Boats (1946)
    • Flyvefisken class Torpedo Boats (1954)
    • Falken class Torpedo Boats (1960)
    • Soloven class Torpedo Boats (1962)
    • Willemoes class FAC (1976)
    • Flyvefisken class FAC (1989)
    • Daphne class Patrol Boats (1960)
    • Danish Minelayers
    • Danish Minesweepers
    Dutch Navy Dutch Navy ☍ See the Page
    • CV Karel Doorman (1948)
    • De Zeven Provinciën class cruisers (1945)
    • Holland class DDs (1953)
    • Friesland class DDs (1953)
    • Roodfier class Frigates (1953)
    • Frigate Lynx (1954)
    • Van Speijk class Frigates (1965)
    • Tromp class Frigates (1973)
    • Kortenaer class frigates (1976)
    • Van H. class Frigates (1983)
    • K. Doorman class Frigates (1988)
    • Dolfijn clas sub. (1959)
    • Zwaardvis class subs. (1970)
    • Walrus class subs. (1985)
    • ATD Rotterdam (1990s)
    • Dokkum class minesweepers (1954)
    • Alkmaar class minesweepers (1982)
    Hellenic Navy Hellenic Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Hydra class FFs (1990)
    • Greek cold war Subs
    • Greek Amphibious ships
    • Greek MTBs/FACs
    • Greek Patrol Vessels
    Eire Irish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Eithne class PBs (1983)
    • Cliona class PBs
    • Deidre/Emer class PBs
    • Orla class fast PBs
    Marina Militare Marina Militare ☍ See the Page
      Aircraft Carriers
    • Giuseppe Garibaldi (1983)
    • Conte di Cavour (2004)*
    • Trieste (2022)*
    • Cruisers
    • Missile cruiser Garibaldi (1960)
    • Doria class H. cruisers (1962)
    • Vittorio Veneto (1969)
    • Destroyers

    • Impetuoso class (1956)
    • Impavido class (1957)
    • Audace class (1971)
    • De La Penne class (1989)
    • Orizzonte class (2007)*
    • Frigates
    • Grecale class (1949)
    • Canopo class (1955)
    • Bergamini class (1960)
    • Alpino class (1967)
    • Lupo class (1976)
    • Maestrale class (1981)
    • Bergamini class (2013)*
    • Thaon di Revel class (2020)*
    • Corvettes (OPV)
    • Albatros class (1954)
    • De Cristofaro class (1965)
    • Minerva class (1987)
    • Cassiopeia class (1989)
    • Esploratore class (1997)*
    • Sirio class (2003)*
    • Commandanti class (2004)*
    • Submarines
    • Toti class (1967)
    • Sauro class (1976)
    • Pelosi class (1986)
    • Sauro class (1992)*
    • Todaro class (2006)*
    • Attack/Amphibious ships
    • San Giorgio LSD (1987)
    • Gorgona class CTS (1987)
    • Italian Landing Crafts (1947-2020)
    • Misc. ships
    • Folgore PB (1952)
    • Lampo class PBs (1960)
    • Freccia class PBs (1965)
    • Sparviero class GMHF (1973)
    • Stromboli class AOR (1975)
    • Anteo SRS (1980)
    • Etna class LSS (1988)
    • Vulcano AOR (1998)*
    • Elettra EWSS (2003)*
    • Etna AOR (2021)*
    • Mine warfare ships
    • Lerici class (1982)
    • Gaeta class (1992)*
    Marine Française Marine Nationale ☍ See the Page
      Battleships
    • Jean Bart (1949)
    • Aircraft/Helicopter carriers
    • Dixmude (1946)
    • Arromanches (1946)
    • Lafayette class light carriers (1954)
    • PA 28 class project (1947)
    • Clemenceau class (1957)
    • Jeanne d'Arc (1961)
    • PA 58 (1958)
    • PH 75/79 (1975)
    • Charles de Gaulle (1994)

    • Cruisers
    • De Grasse (1946)
    • Chateaurenault class (1950)
    • Colbert (1956)

    • Destroyers
    • Surcouf class (1953)
    • Duperre class (1956)
    • La Galissonniere class (1960)
    • Suffren class (1965)
    • Aconit (1970)
    • Tourville class (1972)
    • G. Leygues class (1976)
    • Cassard class (1985)

    • Frigates
    • Le Corse class (1952)
    • Le Normand class (1954)
    • Cdt Riviere class (1958)
    • Estiennes D'Orves class (1973)
    • Lafayette class (1990)

    • Corvettes
    • Estiennes D'Orves class (1973)
    • Floreal class (1990)

    • Submarines
    • La Creole class (1940)
    • Narval class (1954)
    • Arethuse class (1957)
    • Daphne class (1959)
    • Gymnote test SSBN (1964)
    • Le Redoutable SSBN (1967)
    • Agosta SSN (1974)
    • Rubis SSN (1979)
    • Amethyste SSN (1988)
    • Le Triomphant SSBN (started 1989)

    • Amphibian Ships
    • Issole (1958)
    • EDIC class (1958)
    • Trieux class (1958)
    • Ouragan lass (1963)
    • Champlain lass (1973)
    • Bougainville (1986)
    • Foudre class (1988)
    • CDIC lass (1989)

    • Misc. ships
    • Le Fougueux class (1958)
    • La Combattante class (1964)
    • Trident class (1976)
    • L'Audacieuse class (1984)
    • Grebe class (1989)
    • Sirius class (1952)
    • Circe class (1972)
    • Eridan class (1979)
    • Vulcain class (1986)
    RCAN RCAN ☍ See the Page
    • HCMS Bonaventure (1957)
    • St Laurent class DDE (1951)
    • Algonquin class DDE (1952)
    • Restigouche class DDs (1954)
    • Mackenzie class DDs (1961)
    • Annapolis class DDH (1963)
    • Iroquois class DDH (1970)

    • River (mod) 1955
    • Tribal class FFs (Pjct)
    • City class DDH (1988)

    • Ojibwa class sub. (1964)
    • Kingston class MCFV (1995)
    Royal Navy Royal Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Cold War Aircraft Carriers
    • Centaur class (1947)
    • HMS Victorious (1957)
    • HMS Eagle (1946)
    • HMS Ark Royal (1950)
    • HMS Hermes (1953)
    • CVA-01 class (1966 project)
    • Invincible class (1977)

    • Cold War Cruisers
    • Tiger class (1945)

    • Destroyers
    • Daring class (1949)
    • 1953 design (project)
    • Cavendish class (1944)
    • Weapon class (1945)
    • Battle class (1945)
    • FADEP program (1946)
    • County class GMD (1959)
    • Bristol class GMD (1969)
    • Sheffield class GMD (1971)
    • Manchester class GMD (1980)
    • Type 43 GMD (1974)

    • British cold-war Frigates
    • Rapid class (1942)
    • Tenacious class (1941)
    • Whitby class (1954)
    • Blackwood class (1953)
    • Leopard class (1954)
    • Salisbury class (1953)
    • Tribal class (1959)
    • Rothesay class (1957)
    • Leander class (1961)
    • BB Leander class (1967)
    • HMS Mermaid (1966)
    • Amazon class (1971)
    • Broadsword class (1976)
    • Boxer class (1981)
    • Cornwall class (1985)
    • Duke class (1987)

    • British cold war Submarines
    • T (conv.) class (1944)
    • T (Stream) class (1945)
    • A (Mod.) class (1944)
    • Explorer class (1954)
    • Strickleback class (1954)
    • Porpoise class (1956)
    • Oberon class (1959)
    • HMS Dreanought SSN (1960)
    • Valiant class SSN (1963)
    • Resolution class SSBN (1966)
    • Swiftsure class SSN (1971)
    • Trafalgar class SSN (1981)
    • Upholder class (1986)
    • Vanguard class SSBN (started)

    • Assault ships
    • Fearless class (1963)
    • HMS Ocean (started)
    • Sir Lancelot LLS (1963)
    • Sir Galahad (1986)
    • Ardennes/Avon class (1976)
    • Brit. LCVPs (1963)
    • Brit. LCM(9) (1980)

    • Minesweepers/layers
    • Ton class (1952)
    • Ham class (1947)
    • Ley class (1952)
    • HMS Abdiel (1967)
    • HMS Wilton (1972)
    • Hunt class (1978)
    • Venturer class (1979)
    • River class (1983)
    • Sandown class (1988)

    • Misc. ships
    • HMS Argus ATS (1988)
    • Ford class SDF (1951)
    • Cormorant class (1985)
    • Kingfisger class (1974)
    • HMS Jura OPV (1975)
    • Island class OPVs (1976)
    • HMS Speedy PHDF (1979)
    • Castle class OPVs (1980)
    • Peacock class OPVs (1982)
    • MBT 538 class (1948)
    • Gay class FACs (1952)
    • Dark class FACs (1954)
    • Bold class FACs (1955)
    • Brave class FACs (1957)
    • Tenacity class PCs (1967)
    • Brave class FPCs (1969)
    Armada de espanola - Spanish cold war navy Spanish Armada ☍ See the Page
    • Dédalo aircraft carrier (1967)
    • Principe de Asturias (1982)

    • Alava class DDs (1946)
    • Audaz class DDs (1955)
    • Oquendo class DDs (1956)
    • Roger de Lauria class (1967)

    • Baleares class FFs (1971)
    • Descubierta class FFs (1978)
    • Numancia class FFs (1987)

    • Pizarro class gunboats (1944)
    • Artevida class Cvs (1952)
    • Serviola class Cvs (1990)
    • Spanish cold-war submarines
    • Spanish FACs
    • Spanish Minesweepers
    Svenska Marinen Svenska Marinen ☍ See the Page
    • Tre Kronor class (1946)
    • Öland class DDs (1945)
    • Halland class DDs (1952) (1945)
    • Ostergotland class DDs (1956)
    • Spica III class Corvettes (1984)
    • Goteborg class Corvettes (1989)

    • U1 class subs (mod.1963)
    • Hajen class subs (1954)
    • Sjoormen class subs (1967)
    • Nacken class subs (1978)
    • Vastergotland class subs (1986)
    • Gotland class subs (1995)

    • T32 class MTBs (1951)
    • T42 class MTBs (1955)
    • Plejad class FACs (1951)
    • Spica I class FACs (1966)
    • Spica II class FACs (1972)
    • Hugin class FACs (1973)
    • Swedish Patrol Boats
    • Swedish minesweepers
    • Swedish Icebreakers
    Taiwanese Navy Taiwanese Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Kwang Hua class FFs (1991)
    • Kwang Hua II class FFs (1993)
    • Hai Lung class sub. (1986)
    • LCU 1466 class LCU (1955)
    • Fuh Chow class FAC
    • Lung Chiang class FAC
    • Hai Ou class FAC(M)
    • MWW 50 class minehunters
    Turkish Navy Turkish Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Berk class FFs (1971)
    • Atilay class sub. (1974)
    • Cakabey class LST
    • Osman Gazi class LST
    • Turkish Fast Attack Crafts
    • Turkish Patrol Boats
    US Navy USN (cold war) ☍ See the Page

    ☯ ASIA

    Chinese Navy ☍ See the Page
    Indian Navy Indian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Vikrant class CVs (1961)
    • Viraat class CVs (1986)

    • Cruiser Delhi (1948)
    • Cruiser Mysore (1957)
    • Raja class DDs (1949)
    • Rajput class DDs (1980)
    • Delhi class DDs (1990)

    • Khukri class FFs (1956)
    • Talwar class FFs (1958)
    • Brahmaputra class FFs (1957)
    • Nilgiri class FFs (1968)
    • Godavari class FFs (1980)

    • Kusura class subs (1970)
    • Shishumar class subs (1984)
    • Sindhugosh class subs (1986)

    • Indian Amphibious ships
    • Indian corvettes (1969-90)
    • Khukri class corvettes (1989)
    • SDB Mk.2 class PBs (1977)
    • Vikram class OPVs (1979)
    • Sukanya class OPVs (1989)
    Indonesia Indonesian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Fatahilla class Frigates (1977)
    • Pattimura class corvettes (1956)
    • Indonesian Marines
    • Indonesian Mine Vessels
    • Indonesian FAC/OPVs
    JMSDF JMSDF ☍ See the Page
      JMSDF Destroyers
    • Harukaze class DD (1955)
    • Ayanami class DD (1957)
    • Murasame class DD (1958)
    • Akizuki class DD (1959)
    • Amatukaze missile DD (1963)
    • Yamagumo class DDE (1965)
    • Takatsuki class DD (1966)
    • Minegumo class DDE (1967)
    • Haruna class DDH (1971)
    • Tachikaze class DD (1974)
    • Shirane class DDH (1978)
    • Hatsuyuki class DDs (1980)
    • Hatakaze class DDs (1984)
    • Asigiri class DDs (1986)
    • Kongo class DDs (started 1990)

    • JMSDF Frigates
    • Akebono class FFs (1955)
    • Isuzu class FFs (1961)
    • Chikugo class FFs (1970)
    • Ishikari class FFs (1980)
    • Yubari class FFs (1982)
    • Abukuma class FFs (1988)

    • JMSDF submarines
    • Oyashio class Sub. (1959)
    • Hayashio class Sub. (1961)
    • Natsushio class Sub. (1963)
    • Oshio class Sub. (1964)
    • Uzushio class Sub. (1970)
    • Yushio class Sub. (1979)
    • Harushio class Sub. (1989)

    • JMSDF Misc. ships
    • Japanese Landing Ships
    • Japanese Large Patrol Ships
    • Japanese Patrol Crafts
    • Japanese Minesweepers
    • Japanese Sub-chasers
    North Korean Navy North Korean Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Najin class Frigates
    • Experimental Frigate Soho
    • Sariwan class Corvettes

    • Sinpo class subs.
    • Sang-O class subs.
    • Yono class subs.
    • Yugo class subs.

    • Hungnam class LCM
    • Hante class LST
    • Songjong class HVC
    • Sin Hung/Ku Song FACs
    • Anju class FACs
    • Iwon class FACs
    • Chaho class FACs
    • Hong Jin class FAC-G
    • Sohung class MTBs
    • Sinpo class MTBs
    • Nampo class FALC
    Philippines Navy Philippines Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Datu Kalantian class Frigates (1976)
    • Bacolod City class LS(L)
    • Philippino Patrol Crafts
    Rep. of Korea Navy ROKN ☍ See the Page
    • Ulsan class frigates (1980)
    • Pohang class corvettes (1984)
    • Dong Hae class corvettes (1982)
    • Han Kang class patrol corvettes (1985)
    • Chamsuri (PKM 268) PBs (1978)
    • ROKS coast guard vessels
    • Paek Ku class FAC (1975)
    • Kang Keong class minehunters (1986)
    Taiwanese Navy Taiwanese Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Kwang Hua class FFs (1991)
    • Kwang Hua II class FFs (1993)
    • Hai Lung class sub. (1986)
    • LCU 1466 class LCU (1955)
    • Fuh Chow class FAC
    • Lung Chiang class FAC
    • Hai Ou class FAC(M)
    • MWW 50 class minehunters

    ☪ MIDDLE EAST

    Israeli Navy IDF Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Eilat class Corvettes (1993)
    • SAAR 5 Project
    • SAAR 1 FAC
    • SAAR 4 FAC
    • SAAR 4.5 FAC
    • Dvora class FAC
    • Shimrit class MHFs
    • IDF FACs/PBs
    • Etzion Geber LST
    • Ash class LCT
    Iranian Navy Iranian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Destroyer Artemiz (1965)
    • Bayandor class FFs (1963)
    • Alvand class FFs (1969)
    • Khalije Fars class DDs (2016)*

    ♅ OCEANIA

    Australian Navy RAN ☍ See the Page
    • HMAS Sydney (1948*)
    • HMAS Melbourne (1955*)
    • Tobruk class DDs (1947)
    • Voyager class DDs (1952)
    • Perth class MDD (1963)
    • Quadrant class FFs (1953)
    • Yarra class FFs (1958)
    • Swan class FFs (1967)
    • Adelaide class MFFs (1978)
    • Anzac class MFFs (1990s)
    • Oxley class subs (1965)
    • Collins class subs (1990s)
    • Australian Amphibious ships
    • Fremantle class PBs
    RNZN Royal New Zealand Navy ☍ See the Page
    • HMNZS Royalist (1956)
    • Pukaki class patrol Crafts (1974)
    • Moa class patrol crafts (1983)
    • HMNZS Aotearoa (2019)*

    ☩ South America

    Armada de argentina Argentina ☍ See the Page
    • ARA Independencia (1958)
    • ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (1968)
    • Belgrano class cruisers (1951)
    • Almirante Brown class Frigates (1981)
    • Mantilla class corvettes (1981)
    • Espora class corvettes (1982)
    • Salta class submarines (1972)
    • Santa Cruz class submarines (1982)
    Brazilian Navy Brazilian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Minas Gerais aircraft carrier (1956)
    • Cruiser Barroso (1951)
    • Cruiser Tamandare (1951)
    • Acre class destroyers (1945)
    • Niteroi class Frigates (1974)
    • Ihnauma class Frigate (1986)
    • Tupi class submarines (1987)
    • Brazilian patrol ships
    Chilean Navy Chilean Navy ☍ See the Page
    • O'Higgins class cruisers
    • Lattore Cruiser (1971)
    • Almirante class destroyers (1960)
    • Prat class M. Destroyers (1982)
    • Almirante Lynch class Frigates (1972)
    • Thomson class subs (1982)
    • Small surface combatants
    Peruvian Navy Peruvian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • Almirante Grau(ii) class
    • Almirante Grau(iii) class
    • Abtao class sub.
    • PR-72P class corvettes
    • Velarde class OPVs

    ℣ AFRICA

    Egyptian Navy Egyptian Navy ☍ See the Page
    • October class FAC/M (1975)
    • Ramadan class FAC/M (1979)
    SADF South African Navy ☍ See the Page
    ☫ Minor cold war/modern Navies Algerian NavyAzerbaijani NavyBangladesh NavyBarheini NavyBolivian NavyCambodian NavyComoros NavyCosta Rica NavyCroatian NavyCuban NavyDjibouti NavyDominican Republic NavyEquadorian NavyEstonian NavyEthiopian NavyFinnish NavyGeorgian NavyHaitian NavyHonduras NavyIcelandic NavyIraqi NavyJordanian NavyKuwaiti NavyLatvian NavyLebanese NavyLiberian NavyLibyan NavyLithuanian NavyMauritanian NavyMexican NavyMorrocan NavyNicaraguan NavyNorwegian NavyOmani NavyPakistani NavyParaguaian NavyQatari NavySan Salvador NavySaudi NavySerbian NavySingaporean NavySlovenian NavySomalian NavySudanese NavySyrian NavyThai NavyTunisian NavyUAE NavyUruguayan NavyVenezuelan NavyVietnamese NavyYemeni NavyZanzibar Navy

    ✚ MORE

    ⚔ Cold War Naval Events
    • ⚔ Indochina War naval ops
    • ⚔ Korean War naval ops
    • ⚔ 1956 intervention in Suez
    • ⚔ 1960 Cuban crisis
    • ⚔ 1960 US/Soviet compared strenghts
    • ⚔ 1963-69 Algerian war naval ops
    • ⚔ Naval warfare in Vietnam
    • ⚔ Middle East naval fights
    • ⚔ 1980 Falkland wars
    • ⚔ 1990 Gulf War
    ⚔ Modern Navies
    ✈ Cold War Naval Aviation See the full section
    Seaplanes
    • Grumman Mallard 1946
    • Edo OSE-1 1946
    • Short Solent 1946

    • de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 1947
    • Grumman Albatross 1947
    • Hughes H-4 Hercules (completed & first flight, prototype)
    • Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 1947 (jet fighter seaplane prototype)
    • Short Sealand 1947

    • Martin P5M Marlin 1948
    • Supermarine Seagull ASR-1 1948 (prototype successor to the Walrus)
    • Nord 1400 Noroit 1949
    • Norsk Flyindustri Finnmark 5A (interesting Norwegian prototype)
    • SNCASE SE-1210 French prototype flying boat 1949

    • Convair R3Y Tradewind USN patrol flying boat 1950
    • Goodyear Drake (proto seaboat) 1950
    • de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter 1951 (RCAN)
    • Saunders-Roe Princess 1952 (RN requisition possible)

    • Convair F2Y Sea Dart Prototype delta jet fighter seaplane 1953
    • Martin P6M SeaMaster strategic bomber flying boat 1955

    • Ikarus Kurir H 1957

    • Shin Meiwa UF-XS prototype 1962
    • Shin Meiwa PS-1 patrol flying boat 1967
    • Canadair CL-215 1967 water bomber, some operated by the RCAN
    • GAF Nomad patrol australian land/floatplane 1971
    • Harbin SH-5 Main PLAN patrol flying boat 1976
    • Cessna 208 Caravan transport flotplane (some navies) 1982
    • Dornier Seastar prototype 1984

    • Patrol Planes
    • ATR 42 MP Surveyor (Italy, 1984)
    • ATR 72 MP (Italy 1988)

    • ATR 72 ASW (France, 1988)
    • Breguet Atlantic (France 1965)
    • Nord 1402 Noroit (France 1949)

    • Avro Shackleton (UK 1949)
    • BAE Nimrod MRA4 (UK 2004)
    • Britten-Norman Defender/Islander (UK 1970)
    • Fairey Gannet (UK 1949)
    • Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod (UK 1967)

    • Beechcraft King Air (USA 1963)
    • Basler BT-67 (USA 1990)
    • Boeing 737 Surveiller (USA 1967)
    • Boeing P-8 Poseidon (USA 2009)
    • Lockheed P-2 Neptune (USA, 1945)
    • Lockheed P-3 Orion (USA 1959)
    • Martin P4M Mercator (USA 1946)
    • Convair P5Y (USA 1950)
    • Douglas/BSAS Turbo Dakota (USA 1991)

    • Bombardier DHC-8 MPA/MSA (Can 2007)
    • Canadair CP-107 Argus (Can 1957)

    • CASA C-212 MPA (Spain 1971)
    • CASA/IPTN CN-235 MPA/HC-144 Ocean Sentry (Spain 1983)
    • CASA C-295 MPA (Spain 1997)

    • Diamond DA42 Guardian (Austria 2002)

    • Dornier 228 (Germany 1981)

    • Embraer EMB 111 Bandeirante (Brazil 1968)
    • Embraer R-99 (Brazil 2001)
    • Embraer P-99 (Brazil 2003)

    • Fokker F27 200-MAR (NL 1955)
    • Fokker F27 Maritime Enforcer (NL 1955)

    • IAI 1124N Sea Scan (Israel 1977)

    • Kawasaki P-1 (Japan 2007)
    • Kawasaki P-2J (Japan 1966)

    • Saab Swordfish (Sweden 2016)
    • Shaanxi Y-8F,Q,X (China 1984)
    • Short Seavan (UK 1976)

    • Beriev Be-8 1947
    • Beriev Be-6 1949
    • Beriev R-1 turbojet prototype seaplane 1952
    • Beriev Be-10 1956
    • Beriev Be-12 Chaika 1960
    • Beriev Be-40/A-40 Albatross prototypes 1986
    • Chetverikov TA-1 1947
    • Ilyushin Il-38 'May' (USSR 1967)
    • Myasishchev 3M/3MD (USSR 1956)
    • Tupolev Tu-16T/PL/R/RM/SP (USSR 1952)
    • Tupolev Tu-95MR (USSR 1961)
    • Tupolev Tu-142 (USSR 1968)

    • Carrier Planes
      USN
    • Douglas A-3 Skywarrior
    • Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
    • Douglas A2D Skyshark
    • Douglas AD Skyraider
    • Douglas F3D Skynight
    • Douglas F4D Skyray
    • Grumman A-6 Intruder
    • Grumman AF Guardian
    • Grumman C-1 Trader
    • Grumman C-2 Greyhound
    • Grumman E-1 Tracer
    • Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
    • Grumman EA-6B Prowler
    • Grumman F-9 Cougar
    • Grumman F9F Panther
    • Grumman F-11 Tiger
    • Grumman F-14 Tomcat ➚
    • Grumman S-2 Tracker
    • Lockheed Martin F-35B
    • Lockheed S-3 Viking ➚
    • McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
    • McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk
    • McDonnell FH Phantom
    • McDonnell F2H Banshee
    • McDonnell F3H Demon
    • McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
    • McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
    • North American A-5 Vigilante
    • North American AJ Savage
    • North American FJ Fury
    • North American T-2 Buckeye
    • North American T-28 Trojan
    • Vought A-7 Corsair
    • Vought F-8 Crusader
    • Vought F6U Pirate
    • Vought F7U Cutlass
    • Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
    • Boeing EA-18G Growler
    • RN
    • Blackburn Buccaneer
    • Boulton Paul Sea Balliol
    • BAe Sea Harrier
    • de Havilland Sea Vampire
    • de Havilland Sea Venom
    • de Havilland Sea Vixen
    • Fairey Gannet
    • Hawker Sea Hawk
    • Short Seamew
    • Westland Wyvern
    • Marine Nationale
    • Breguet Alizé
    • Dassault Étendard IV
    • Dassault Super Étendard
    • Dassault Rafale M
    • Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr M
    • SNCASE Aquilon
    • Soviet Navy
    • Sukhoi Su-25UTG/UBP
    • Sukhoi Su-33
    • Yakovlev Yak-38

    Navy Helicopters
      Chinese PLAN:
    • Harbin Z-5 (1958)
    • Harbin Z-9 Haitun (1981)
    • Changhe Z-8 (1985)
    • Harbin Z-20 (in development)
    • Italy:
    • Agusta Bell AB-205 (1961)
    • Agusta Bell AB-212 (1971)
    • Agusta AS-61 (1968)
    • India:
    • Hal Dhruv (Indian Navy)
    • France:
    • Alouette II (1955)
    • Alouette III (1959)
    • Super Frelon (1965)

    • Cougar ()
    • Panther ()
    • Super Cougar H225M ()
    • Fennec ()
    • MH-65 Dolphin ()
    • UH-72 Lakota ()
    • Germany:
    • MBB Bo 105 (1967)
    • NHIndustries NH90
    • Japan:
    • Mitsubishi H-60 (1987)
    • Poland:
    • PZL W-3 Sokół (1979)
    • Romania:
    • IAR 330M (1975)
    • United Kingdom:
    • Westland Lynx (1971)
    • Westland Scout (1960) RAN
    • Westland Sea King (1969)
    • Westland Wasp (1962)
    • Westland Wessex (1958)
    • Westland Whirlwind (1953)
    • Westland WS-51 Dragonfly (1948)
    • USA:
    • Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH
    • Hiller ROE Rotorcycle (1956)
    • Piasecki HRP Rescuer (1945)
    • Bell UH-1N Twin Huey (1969)
    • SH-2 Seasprite (1959)
    • SH-2G Super Seasprite (1982)
    • CH-53 Sea Stallion (1966)
    • SH-60 Seahawk (1979)
    • Sikorsky S-61R (1959)
    • MH-53E Sea Dragon (1974)
    • ussr:
    • Kamov Ka 20 (1958)
    • Ka-25 "Hormone" (1960)
    • Ka-27 "Helix" (1973)
    • Ka-31 (1987)
    • Ka-35 (2015)
    • Ka-40 (1990)
    • Mil-Mi 2 (1949)
    • Mil Mi-4 (1952)
    Civilian ♆ WW1 US Shipping Board
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