Navistory Profintern class cruisers Soviet Navy Chervona Ukrainia, Profintern, Krazny Krim The “admirals class” planned in 1913. The ships studied there are from two very similar classes: The Admiral Nakhimov and Svetlana classes of the Tsarist Navy, ordered in 1913, launched in 1916, but never completed due to the onset of the civil war. Another launched … Read more
HMS Furious (1917) United Kingdom – Aircraft Carrier History’s first aircraft carrier The HMS Furious is like a warship with several lives. She started as a battlecruiser, evolved into an hybrid plane carrier, an experimental aircraft carrier during WW1, and a modern aircraft carrier during WW2. But above all, she was the first to carry … Read more
Battle of Tsushima 1905 Russki flot vs Nihhon Kaigun The great seism in naval matters The battle of Tsushima is certainly one of the most significant battles of the XXth Century. In terms of size and scope, it was only comparable to Jutland, in May 1916, and the British compared it to Trafalgar. Its consequences, … Read more
USA (1917) – USS New mexico, Mississippi, Idaho The New Mexico, Idaho and Mississippi at Pearl Harbor in December 1943 Battling vets of two world wars: About nine classes of battleships went through both world wars, two from UK, Japan, France and Italy, and five from the USA. In the latter case, the two oldest … Read more
Type Ia, the oceanic type Germany (1936) U25, U26 The Unterseebooten Typ I, were in direct line inspired by the Spanish E1 and various other international orders (Turkey, Finland, Holland…) made at The Hague. They were oceanic types, therefore openly violating clauses of the Versailles treaty. By their general configuration, they announced the famous class … Read more
Japan, 1921. Aircraft Carrier The Hōshō, world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier Hosho was the first Japanese aircraft carrier. And a historical landmark as the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier. An important precision as it is surprising that the United Kingdom was not into it first. Back in 1918, the ship was part of the “eight-six” … Read more
France – La Galissonnière, Gloire, Georges leygues, Montcalm, Jean de Vienne, Marseillaise The best French light cruisers? The La Galissonière class (good luck pronouncing that!) was the last of this type (the next class, De Grasse, was laid down in 1939, way too late to be completed). Arguably the latter completed post-war after many modifications … Read more
The end of the war to end all wars Today, 11 November 2018, we remember the sacrifice of an entire generation throughout Europe, four years of a fratricide war that changed the geopolitical maps of the world, toppling empires but also setting up the conditions, unfortunately, for a second, even worst global conflict. This was … Read more
Italy – Regia Marina Pisa, Amalfi Based on the Regina Elena Battleships These two ships were designed in August 1904 by engineer Giuseppe Orlando on the model of the Regina Elena, but in reduced version. They were started at Orlando, Leghorn, and Odero at Sestri Ponente in February and July 1905, launched in September 1907 … Read more
Imperatritsa Mariya class battleships (1913) Russia (1914) Imperatritsa Mariya, Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya, Imperator Aleksander III The revised Gangut: Russia’s second and last class of dreadnoughts was not a simple “repeat” of the Ganguts. Constrained by a depleted budget, they were reduced, slower, but better protected versions made for the Black Sea fleet, while the Gangut … Read more
