Navistory Caio Duilio, Dandolo (1873-1920) Caio Duilio was the lead ship of a class of ironclad turret ships, built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1870s, named after Roman Admiral Gaius Duilius. Duilio was started in January 1873, launched in May 1876, and completed in January 1880. She led a class also comprising Dandolo, both … Read more
The white pacific corsair: Her 1914 odyssey would deserve a big budget Hollywood movie*. The truly epic saga of SMS Emden and her crew began shortly after she entered into service in 1909. Sent to subdue the colony of Ponape, one of the Carolinas, she represented there the authority of the Kaiser. By the year 1914, … Read more
United Kingdom (1843) Brunel’s industrial age marvel SS Great Britain was one of the most famous ships in history. It was the first all-iron large oceanic liner, although not truly the first screw steamer: The “prototype” was indeed the little HMS Archimedes, developed around the idea of the original screw of archimedes. It was launched … Read more
USA – As named: USS Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California*, Colorado, Maryland and South Dakota. Renamed 1912 USS Pittsburgh, Huntington, Pueblo, Frederick, Huron: Active until 1927-31. The first 1900 Armoured cruisers serie: The Spanish-American War showed the numerical inferiority of the US Navy and triggered a wave of new constructions, including new classes of armoured cruisers. … Read more
USA – (1908) USS South Carolina, Michigan The first American dreadnoughts These first American dreadnoughts were considered hybrid ships, of dimensions and construction similar to those of previous conventional battleships, while having a monocaliber configuration. For budgetary reasons, the Senate demanded that its tonnage remain limited to 16,000 tons, with a speed of 16 knots, … Read more
French Navy – Minelayer cruiser The shortest lived French cruiser The Pluton (formerly La Tour d’Auvergne) was the shortest-lived French cruiser of WW2: Commissioned in May 1931, she served eight years, until her accidental explosion in September 1939, just 12 days into the war. But Pluton was also an oddity, the first “special service” cruiser … Read more
WW1 German Destroyers Germany (1898-1918) German Destroyers of the great war By their denomination alone “Hochseetorpedoboote”, these ships were not only bigger derivatives of torpedo-boats. By range, size and armament they were meant to escort the Hochseeflotte in the high seas, and not staying in close vicinity of German naval bases. Compared to the Italian … Read more
British vs German Navy, 28 August 1914 The first major naval battle of ww1 Heligoland in the North Sea is a geological oddity, a block of harsh red cliffs laid in the North Sea. Successively Danish, English, and German, she locked the bay of the same name. Located on the west side of Denmark next … Read more
USA (1942-45) – About 1051 ships Armour Straight to the beaches: LSTs For this first crossover article with our sister website, tanks encyclopedia, meet the ships that really allowed to carry allied armoured divisions straight to the beach of Italy, France, or many Pacific Islands. Without these, and because of devastated, fortified or absent harbours, … Read more
German Navy 26 August 1914 Mining the Gulf of Finland Odensholm (currently Osmussaar, desolate island of 4.7 kilometers belonging to Estonia – where according to legend, Odin was burned at his funeral) was located 67 km southwest of Tallinn (59°17′30″N 23°23′30″E). By its strategic location, it closed the Gulf of Finland, gateway to the Baltic … Read more
