Navistory Minelayer Submersible (1925-44) HSwMS Valen (1925) was a unique boat in class, and only minelayer submarine of Sweden when WW2 broke out, but she was a prioneer leading to the construction of six more during the war. She was based on the Bävern design, that is, based in turn on the German WWI UB-III design. … Read more
Kaiserliches Marine: 4 Hochseetorpedoboote (1915-18) The G101 class were four large “torpedo boats” (Hochseetorpedoboote) originally ordered for the Argentine Navy from Germaniawerft and Schichau in 1912. Since they were not completed when the First World War commenced in August 1914, launched from 12 August and in September and November, they were seized on behalf of … Read more
Austro-Hungarian Casemate Masted Ironclad 1874-1908. SMS Erzherzog Albrecht (“Archduke Albert”) was an ironclad of the Austro-Hungarian Navy built at STT in 1870-74, and on a design rouhly similar to Custoza, but smaller, yet still as an iron-hulled casemate ship with eight heavy guns. Her financing was complicated, her career was uneventful. In 1881-1882 she helped … Read more
O 9, 10, 11: Patrol submarines (1926-1944) Within the cycle of Dutch submarines, from the beginning to the end of the cold war we start with the second branch of the lineage, the ones designed for the Dutch home waters. They were caracterized by the letter “O” for “Onderzeeboot” (“submarines”), and arabic numerals instead of … Read more
Indonesian Navy: KRI Pattimura, KRI Sultan Hasanudin The Pattimura class of the 1950s, not the Parchim class Frigates of the 1990s, were Italian-designed Albatros-class corvette, including KRI Pattimura. The class was designed and built in Italy by Ansaldo during the mid-1950s using United States funding (MDAP) as part of a NATO plan to have a … Read more
Royal Navy Conventional Destroyer. 16 planned RN, 8 completed: HMS Delight, Daring, Dainty, Diamond, Defender, Decoy, Diana, Duchess. 4 for the RAN, 3 completed: HMAS Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager. The end of a cycle ! The Daring class were the very simultanously the very last ww2 British destroyer design, last conventional Royal Navy destroyer, and the … Read more
Nakajima A2N (1930) The Nakajima A2N (Type 90 carrier fighter) was an IJN interwar single-engine, single-seat sesquiplane developed for carrier use. It was small, compact, and the first truly Japanese designed carrier fighter in history. It was needed to replace indeed the A1N based on plans from Gloster. Performances were still modest at 292 km/h … Read more
Kaiserliches Marine – 4 planned: Mackensen, Graf Spee, Prinz Eitel Friedrich, Ersatz Friedrich Carl (+ Ersatz Yorck class) The Mackensen were the penultimate German battlecruiser design, following the Derfflinger class and in particular, the third ship in class, SMS Hindenburg. They were far more than paper projects, as SMS Mackensen had been launched on 21 … Read more
IJN Large oceanic submarines 1934-45. KD VIa (Kaidai-roku-gata-ē, I-68/I-168-class): I-68, I-69, I-70, I-71, I-72, I-73, renamed +1 1942 KD VIb (Kaidai-roku-gata-bī, I-74/I-174-class): I-74, I-75, renamed +1 1942 The Kaidai VI type (“Navy large type VI”) or I-68-class (海大5型) Kaidai-go-gata, Project number S31, for the KD VIa six boats I-68-70 all completed in 1937 and for … Read more
Armada: Atrevida, Descubierta, Diana, Nautilus, Princesa, Villa de Bilbao The Atrevida class corvettes were the product of the more austere 1950 naval plan in economically crippled and isolated postwar Francoist Spain. Six corvettes were ordered which became the Atrevida class, designed in 1948-49 and laid down in 1950 for the first two, as a Spanish … Read more
