The most powerful ship in the British Navy. British Navy: description, list and interesting facts British warships

The Exocet high-precision missile flies 300 meters per second, having a mass of 600 kg at the start, of which 165 are warheads.

The projectile speed of a 15-inch gun at a distance of 9000 meters reached 570 m / s, and the mass was exactly equal to its mass at the time of the shot. 879 kilograms.

The bullet is stupid, but the armor-piercing projectile is even worse. 97% of its mass came from a solid ingot of steel. It did not matter what threat the 22 kg of shellite hid in the bottom of this outlandish ammunition represented. main reason of destruction was the kinetic energy of the “splash”, flying at two speeds of sound.

140 million joules of speed and fire!

In terms of firing accuracy at given distances, naval artillery was hardly inferior to high-precision missiles of our time. Specifically, for this gun (the British BL 15 "/42 Mark I cannon), a precedent is known when the battleship Warspite hit the Italian Giulio Cesare from a distance of 24 kilometers ("shot off Calabria").

The last of the British battleships, the Wangard, inherited the same wonderful guns from the unfinished Glories-class battlecruisers: the two-gun turrets lay idle for a quarter of a century until they were used in the design of the new super battleship.

Another forty years will pass, and the British will bite their elbows, regretting the monster sent for scrapping. In 1982, "Vanguard" could almost single-handedly "put things in order" in the distant Falkland Islands. If there was a battleship, the Britons would not have had to drive strategic bombers from Ascension Island and fire 8,000 shells along the coast from their miserable 114 mm “farts” that made up the artillery armament of destroyers and frigates of that era.

The powerful guns of the Vanguard would have leveled all the Argentine fortifications, sowing uncontrollable panic among the soldiers. The Gurkha battalion and the Scottish riflemen had only to land and spend the night on a cold island in order to accept the surrender of the Argentine garrison by morning.

For such purposes, the British developed a whole line of high-explosive 381 mm shells containing from 59 to 101 kg of explosives (more than in the warhead of the Exocet rocket). It is worth noting that, unlike modern ships, whose strike armament consists of several dozen missiles, the battleship's ammunition load included 100 rounds for each of the eight guns!

The Vanguard itself and its crew did not risk anything. The ancient battleship turned out to be perfectly adapted to the realities of that war. The Exocet supermissiles, which hit the ships in the most radio-contrasting place (the hull, just above the waterline), would have run into the most protected part of the battleship. An outer 35 cm armored belt that would crack plastic warheads like empty nuts. Still would! The Vanguard was designed to withstand the monstrous armor-piercing "pigs" - like those that flew out of its barrels.

All around tinted armored

Yes, everything could have been different ... Moreover, the maintenance and conservation of the ancient battleship for two decades would have cost a penny, in comparison with the Sheffield destroyer that burned down from an unexploded rocket.

I would not like to turn an article about such an interesting ship into an alternative farce, so let's turn to the main topic of the question. To what extent did the last of the battleships correspond to the title of “crown of evolution” for ships of this class?

Technique for victory

"Vangard" captivates with its simplicity and seriousness of intentions, as in wartime conditions. Without overly refined movements and meaningless technical records. Where it was possible to save, they saved. Moreover, all the simplifications - forced or conceived on purpose, only benefited the battleship.

However, the timing of the construction of the battleship played a significant role in this. "Vangard" was put into operation only in 1946. Its design embodies the entire combat experience of both world wars, coupled with the latest achievements in technical progress (automation, radar, etc.).

They laugh at him that he has towers from the battlecruisers of the First World War. But if you figure out what a few millimeters and percentages mean, expressing the mass and firing range, when dozens of interchangeable barrels for this caliber are stored in warehouses. You can shoot until blue, there will be no problems with spare parts. The creators of Vanguard received these guns practically for free, from another era. Given that progress in naval artillery had not advanced much in the two decades between the world wars, and the British 381 mm gun itself was remarkable for all time

The old towers were still modernized. The 229 mm frontal part was replaced by a new 343 mm thick plate. The roof was also strengthened, where the thickness of the armor increased from 114 to 152 mm. There is no hope that some pathetic 500-pound bomb will be able to overcome such an obstacle. Even if it's 1000 pounds...

It is better to pay attention to such little-known facts, thanks to which the Vanguard could be considered an ideal battleship in terms of price / efficiency / quality ratio.

For example, the British abandoned the requirement to ensure shooting in the nose at a zero elevation angle of the main caliber barrels. What seemed important completely lost its meaning by the mid-40s. And the battleship only benefited.

A significant rise in the hull at the stem made the Vanguard the king of stormy latitudes. British lane 30 knots. in any weather, but even more surprisingly, its bow and fire control devices remained “dry”. The Americans were the first to talk about this feature, noting the better seaworthiness of the Vanguard compared to the Iowa during their joint maneuvers in the Atlantic.

Descent "Wangard" on the water

And here is another little-known fact: the Vanguard was the only battleship of its kind, adapted to operate in any climatic conditions - from the tropics to the polar seas. All of its cockpits and combat posts received steam heating, along with standard air conditioning systems. The compartments with high-precision equipment installed in them (radio electronics, analog computers) were the most demanding in terms of temperature conditions.

3000 tons. It was this displacement reserve that was spent on anti-fragmentation armor! Along with its predecessors (LK type "King George V") "Vangard" did not have a conning tower. Instead of an "officer's shelter" with half a meter steel walls, all the armor was evenly spent on numerous anti-fragmentation bulkheads (25 ... 50 mm), which protected all combat posts in the superstructure.

Smooth, straight, as if carved from granite, the wall forming the front part of the Vanguard superstructure was ... a metal wall, 7.5 centimeters thick (like the width of the head of a railroad rail!).

What seemed dubious in terms of classic naval duels (a single "stray" projectile could "decapitate" a ship, killing all senior officers), became a brilliant find in the era of aviation and air attack. Even if you “cover” the battleship with a hail of 500-lb. bombs, then most of the combat posts in the superstructure will remain in their own interests. As well as the two hundred sailors who were on duty.

Other amazing facts about the last battleship in the world?

Vanguard had 22 radars. At least as many radars should have been installed according to the project.

Listing them is a pleasure.

Two Type 274 main fire control radars (bow and stern).
Four American KDP of the Mark-37 air defense system, placed according to the “rhombus” scheme (with two-coordinate English Type 275 radars that determined the range and elevation of the target).

Each of the eleven Bofors anti-aircraft installations was supposed to have its own fire control post, equipped with a Type 262 radar. Naturally, this was not done in peacetime. The only one who received his own FCS on a gyro-stabilized platform with a radar placed on it, working in tandem with an analog computer, was the STAAG anti-aircraft gun on the roof of the second main turret.

Further. General detection radar “Type 960” (at the top of the main mast). Radar for tracking the horizon “Type 277” (on the spreader of the foremast). An additional radar for issuing target designation “Type 293” (on the foremast), as well as a pair of navigation radars “Type 268” and “Type 930”.

Of course, all this was not ideal: the radar signals clashed with each other, clogging the frequencies and reflected from the superstructures. However, the level of technology achieved is impressive...

Over time, the battleship's electronic equipment complex has continuously developed and evolved: new transponders of “friend or foe” systems, radiation detectors, antennas of communication and jamming systems have appeared.

Anti-aircraft weapons "Vanguard". Tell someone else about how “aircraft defeated battleships”. The Vanguard anti-aircraft battery consisted of 10 six-barreled Bofors mounts (power drive, clip-on power), one double-barreled STAAG anti-aircraft gun (barrels from Bofors, own MSA) and 11 single-barreled Bofors Mk.VII assault rifles.

A total of 73 barrels of 40 mm caliber. With the most advanced fire control systems at that time.

The British prudently refused to use small-caliber Oerlikons.

The author deliberately did not mention the "long-range air defense" of the battleship, which consisted of 16 twin universal guns of 133 mm caliber. It is worth recognizing that the British sailors were left without long-range air defense, because. this system turned out to be an extremely unfortunate choice.

However, any universal guns (even those that fired projectiles with radar fuses) were of little value in an era when aircraft speeds were already very close to the speed of sound. But the American 127 mm "universal" had at least a relatively high rate of fire (12-15 rds / min.), While British guns with separate loading in practice fired only 7-8 shots per minute.

The only consoling factor was the enormous power of 133 mm guns, whose shells were close in mass to those of six-inch guns (36.5 kg versus 50), which ensured sufficient effectiveness in naval combat (after all, the Vanguard, like all Anglo-Saxon battleships, did not have an average caliber), and also had a greater reach in height. In addition, such a weapon could be very useful when shelling the coast.

Anti-torpedo protection. Another interesting point.

The British coolly assessed the threat and came to the obvious conclusions. The anti-torpedo protection of the King George V-class battleships turned out to be complete trash. Moreover, any, even the most advanced PTZ, does not guarantee protection against torpedoes. Underwater explosions, like hammer blows, crush the ship's hull, causing extensive flooding and damage to mechanisms from strong shocks and vibrations.

"Vanguard" did not become a record holder in the field of PTZ. his defense, in general, repeated the scheme used on the battleships of the "King George V" type. The width of the PTZ reached 4.75 m, decreasing in the area of ​​​​the stern towers of the Civil Code to “ridiculous” 2.6 ... 3 m. The only thing that could save the British sailors was that all the longitudinal bulkheads that were part of the PTZ system were extended up to the middle deck. This was supposed to increase the gas expansion zone, reducing destructive action explosion.

But the main thing is not this. Vanguard is a champion in combat stability and damage control systems.

An advanced pumping and counter-flooding system that absorbed all the experience of the war years, six independent energy and damage control posts, four 480 kW turbo generators and four 450 kW diesel generators located in eight compartments dispersed along the entire length of the ship. For comparison, the American "Iows" had only two emergency diesel generators of 250 kW each (for the sake of justice, the "Americans" had two echelons of power plants and eight main turbogenerators).
Further: alternation of boiler rooms and turbine compartments in a “staggered order”, spacing of lines of internal and external shafts from 10.2 to 15.7 meters, remote hydraulic control of steam pipeline valves, ensuring the operation of turbines even in the event of complete (!) flooding of turbine compartments .. .

- from the movie "Sea Battle"”

Epilogue

It would be extremely incorrect to make a direct comparison of Vanguard with Tirpitz or Littorio. Not the level of knowledge and technology. It is older than the Yamato by almost five years and longer than the American South Dakota by 50 meters.

In the situation in which the heroes of previous years died (the sinking of the Bismarck or the heroic death of the Yamato), he would have scattered his opponents like puppies and left with a 30-knot move to safe waters.

Along with the Iowa, the British Vanguard is the recognized crown of evolution for the entire indicated class of ships. But, unlike the high-speed battleships of the US Navy, bursting with American vanity and prosperity, this ship turned out to be a ferocious fighter, whose design is fully adequate to the tasks before it.

Long before Emperor Peter "cut a window" into the Baltic and laid the foundations of the Russian navy, "mistress of the seas" England had ruled the waves all over the globe for centuries. The prerequisites for this were both the special, insular location of Great Britain, and the geopolitical need to fight powerful European powers - Spain, France, Portugal.

Start

The first serious ships of Britain can be considered triremes and diremes of the Roman Empire, which approached the issue of shipbuilding as seriously as everything else - its sailing and rowing ships were the pinnacle of technology of that time. After the departure of the Romans and the formation of many different kingdoms on the territory of the British Isles, the ships of the British lost significantly in all components - tonnage, manufacturability and quantity.

The impetus for the emergence of more advanced ships was the raids of the Scandinavians - ferocious Vikings on fast and maneuverable drakkars made devastating raids on coastal churches and cities. The construction of a large patrol fleet allowed the British to significantly reduce losses from invasions.

The next stage in the development of the British navy was the invasion of William the Conqueror and the formation of a unitary state, England. Since that time, it is worth talking about the appearance of the English fleet.

English Royal Navy

The official history of the Royal Navy of England should begin with Henry VII, who increased the British fleet from 5 to 30 ships. Until the end of the 16th century, the British did not find any special laurels at sea, but after the victory over the Spanish "Invincible Armada" and a series of other victories, the situation with the naval separation from the European flagships (Spain and France) began to level off.

Corsairs and pirates - two sides of the same coin

In the history of the British Navy, a special and controversial line is worth noting the activities of the famous English corsairs, the most famous of which were Henry Morgan. Despite its frankly predatory "main activity", the first of them was knighted and defeated the Spaniards, and the second added another diamond to the English crown - the Caribbean archipelago.

British Navy

The official history of the British Navy (there are discrepancies related to the presence of the fleets of England and Scotland before 1707, when they were united) begins in the middle of the 17th century. Since that time, the British began to win fewer and fewer defeats in naval battles, gradually gaining the glory of the most powerful naval power. The peak of English superiority on the waves falls on the Napoleonic Wars. They also became a moment of glory for sailing ships that had reached their technological ceiling by that time.

The end of the Napoleonic Wars lifted the Royal Navy of Great Britain to the pedestal of the strongest fleet in the world. In the 19th century, the British were the first to change wood and sails for iron and steam. Despite the fact that the British Navy practically did not participate in major battles, it was considered very prestigious, and attention to maintaining the power and combat readiness of the naval forces was a priority. The seriousness of the British attitude to their advantage in the oceans is evidenced by the fact that the unspoken doctrine prescribed to maintain the following balance of power: the British Navy was supposed to be stronger than any two navies put together.

World War I: Big Fleet vs. High Seas Fleet

The British Navy in the First World War did not show itself as brightly as it could have been expected before its start: the Big Fleet, whose main task was to defeat the German High Seas Fleet, did not cope with its task - its losses were much greater than those of the Germans. Despite this, Britain's shipbuilding capabilities were so great that it retained its advantage, forcing Germany to abandon the tactics of large battles and switch to raider tactics using mobile connections. submarines.

The creation of two, without exaggeration, landmark warships, which became the founders of entire trends in shipbuilding, dates back to this time. The first was HMS Dreadnought, a new type of battleship with powerful armament and a steam turbine plant that allowed her to develop a fantastic 21-knot speed for those times. The second was HMS Ark Royal, an aircraft carrier that served in the British Navy until 1944.

Despite all the losses of the First World War, by the end of it, Great Britain had a huge fleet on its balance sheet, hanging on a leaky budget as a heavy burden. Therefore, the Washington Agreement of 1922, which limited the crew to a certain number in each of the classes of ships, was a real salvation for the islanders.

World War II: work on the bugs

Royal Navy Great Britain at the beginning of World War II had twenty-two large-capacity and aircraft carriers), 66 ships of the cruising class, almost two hundred destroyers and six dozen submarines, not counting those under construction. These forces exceeded those available to Germany and its allies by several times, which allowed the British to hope for a favorable outcome for themselves in naval battles.

The Germans, well aware of the superiority of the British, did not get involved in direct clashes with the mighty squadrons of the allies, but engaged in guerrilla warfare. A special role in this was played by submarines, of which the Third Reich riveted almost a thousand!

Karl Dönitz, the "underwater Guderian", developed the "wolf pack" tactic, which involved attacking convoys and "bite and bounce" attacks. And at first, the flying detachments of German submarines brought the British into a state of shock - the debut of hostilities in the North Atlantic was marked by a staggering number of losses in both the merchant fleet and the British navy.

An additional favorable factor for Germany was the fact that the bases of the British Navy in 1941 significantly lost in number and quality - the defeat of France, the capture of Belgium and Holland dealt a severe blow to the plans of the islanders. Well, Germany got the opportunity to effectively use small submarines with a short autonomous navigation time.

The situation was reversed by deciphering the codes of German submariners, creating a new convoy system, building a sufficient number of specialized convoy ships, as well as air support. The further successes of Great Britain at sea were associated both with huge shipbuilding capacities (the British built ships faster than the Germans sank them) and with the successes of the Allies on land. Italy's withdrawal from the war deprived Germany of her Mediterranean military bases, and the Battle of the Atlantic was won.

Falklands: conflict of interest

In the post-war period, the ships of the British Navy were seriously noted in Argentina. Despite the unofficial nature of the conflict, the loss of the islanders amounted to several hundred people, several ships and a dozen fighters. Of course, Britain, which was an order of magnitude superior in naval power, easily regained control of the Falklands.

cold war

The main arms race took place not with old opponents - Japan or Germany, but with a recent ally in the bloc - Soviet Union. "cold war"could become hot at any moment, and therefore the British Navy was still in high combat readiness. The placement of naval bases, the development and commissioning of new ships, including nuclear-armed submarines - all this was already done by the British in the rank number 2. The main confrontation unfolded between the two titans - the Soviet Union and the United States.

British navy today

To date, it is considered the largest in the Old World and is included (on a rotational basis) in the formations of the NATO Navy. Aircraft carriers and missile cruisers with the ability to carry nuclear warheads are the main striking force of the Navy at present: 64 ships, of which 12 are submarines, 2 aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers, 13 frigate-class ships, three landing, 16 minesweepers, and twenty guard and patrol boats. Another auxiliary ship, Fort George, is considered a military ship rather conditionally.

The flagship is the aircraft carrier "Bulvark" - a multifunctional ship that performs not only the tasks of basing carrier-based aircraft, but also landing functions (transporting up to 250 marines and landing equipment). Bulvark was built in 2001 and put into operation in 2005.

The main surface force is the frigates of the Norfolk series, named after the English dukes, and the underwater force is the SSBNs of the Vanguard series, equipped with nuclear missiles. The fleet is based in Plymouth, Clyde and Portsmouth, and the Plymouth base Devonport has been in this role since 1588! At that time, ships were hiding in it, waiting for the very Spanish "Invincible Armada". It is also the only one where ships with nuclear engines are repaired.

Dismantlement of ships of the British Navy of the SSBN class (nuclear submarines) is not carried out - the islanders do not have such a technological capability. Therefore, submarines that have served their service life are simply mothballed until better times.

Passage of a Russian missile cruiser territorial waters Great Britain in 2013 shocked not only the inhabitants, but also the country's navy. Russian Navy off the coast of Great Britain! Despite the status of a maritime power, the British did not easily find a ship comparable in class and capable of advancing towards the Russian cruiser.

The British held the lead in creating two sea battles that changed the face of naval battles for many years: the dreadnought, a powerful and fast military vessel that surpasses its rivals both in maneuverability and salvo power, and the aircraft carrier, a ship that today is the main force of the Navy of all large countries.

Finally

What has changed in english navy from Roman times to the present day? The British Navy has made its way from the fragile ships of the Saxon jarls to reliable frigates and the most powerful "manovars" of the Drake and Morgan era. And then, already at the peak of his power, he was the first in everything at sea. Two world wars shook the dominion of Pax Britannika, and after him his navy.

To date, the British Navy in terms of tonnage is in 6th place, behind India, Japan, China, Russia and the USA, and the "islanders" lose to the Americans almost 10 times! Who would have thought that a couple of centuries later the former colony would condescendingly glance at the former metropolis?

Nevertheless, the British navy is not only guns, aircraft carriers, missiles and submarines. This is history. A story of great victories and crushing defeats, heroic deeds and human tragedies... "Hail Britannia, mistress of the seas!"

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Continuation of the topic of comparing the navies of the leading maritime powers. Previous entries - by tag .

The presented statistical study takes into account everything that is calledcapital ships - warships majorclasses, plus frigates and seaworthy landing ships, i.e. that component of the Navy that is capable of projecting force onto remote regions of the world. Ships under construction (not transferred to the fleet before 01/01/2016) are included in the initial data for reference- they are not taken into account either in the total number of ships, or in the total displacement. An exception was made for the third submarine of the "Astyut" type -S121 "Artful", handed over to the Navy on March 18, 2016, which is taken into account with age0,00 . The names of the ships are given in Russian transcription, checked for compliance with their traditional spellings or dictionary phonetic transcription. To determine the surface displacement, the buoyancy margin of the Wangard-type SSBN accepted 12%(similar to Resolution-class SSBNs), Trafalgar-class submarines - 12%, Astyut - 14%.

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7 statistical observations:

1 ) it is sad to see (not out of sympathy for NATO, but from the point of view of a lover of naval history) how low the once powerful fellGrand Fleet, which was stronger than the two navies of the world following it together (two-state standard) - total33 (thirty three! ) main warships with total gross displacement259 thousand. tons (in 12 times less than the USA andthree times - Russia and China).

2 ) after the commissioning (in 2017 and 2020) of the two newest aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth type, the weight of the British fleet, in the literal and figurative sense, will noticeably increase (in the literal sense - up to389 thousand tons), and the gap with the three leading maritime powers will be reduced to8 andtwo times, which, however, will not greatly change the picture of the world as a whole; further growthRoyal Navy and its total displacement is not expected;

3 ) the average displacement of the main ships of the British Navy is still similar to the Russian Navy (7800 and7600 t) and corresponds to a destroyer, but after the transfer of the Queens to the fleet, it should increase significantly and reach the level of a light cruiser (11000 t); this fact characterizes the British fleet asocean zone fleet (unlike, for example, todayChinese);

4 ) Royal Navyyoung enough - average age his ships15,7 year that is the golden mean between young PLA Navy (12,6 ) and hardened US Navy (19,2 ) ; against the backdrop of intensively updated fleets, our Navy still looks prettypale (24,6 ), which, no doubt, will be corrected during the implementation of the Military Shipbuilding Program until 2050.

5 ) the share of new ships (commissioned within the last 10 years) - the value "inverse" to the average age, in the IUD Great Britain equals27,3% (in the USA -21,4% , China has39,5% , in Russia -12,6% );

6 ) the most "ancient" types of ships of the British Navy are Trafalgar-class submarines (average age26,4 of the year),Duke-class frigates (20,0 ), Wangard-class SSBN (19,7 ) and the landing helicopter carrier "Ocean" (17,3 ) ; to replace"Trafalgaram" building "Astyuty", starting from 2023 (link 1 ) "Dukes" will be replaced by "general purpose" warships (global combat ships) Project 26 (in fact, already destroyers), "Vangards" - "Successors"(approximately from 2028), there is no information regarding the replacement of "Ocean" (except for this one -link 2 );

7 ) Britain's military shipbuilding seems to be "degrading" along with the Navy - the average construction time for destroyers of the type"Daring" (6,32 years) in2,3 times more than the "Burkov" (2,77 ), and Astyut-type submarines are built in3,6 times longer "Virginia" (9,98 against2,74 , "Artful" -11 years! ) - I recall the legendary "Dreadnought", built "in 1 year and 1 day" (actually in 20months, which is unprincipled), and the unhurried construction of "Ash" at Sevmash no longer causes negative emotions(This, of course, is a joke - we will focus on the leaders, not the laggards).■

In 1939-1940. 49 English passenger and passenger liners (1921 - 1938 built) of medium size were converted into auxiliary cruisers for patrol and escort service: Alauhia, Alcantara, Andania, Antenor, Arawa, Ascania ”, “Asturias”, “Aurania”, “Ausonia”, “Bulolo”, “California”, “Canton”, “Carinthia”, “Carnarvon Castle”, “Carthage”, “Cathay”, “Cheshire”, “Chitral” , "Cilicia", "Circassia", "Comorin", "Corfu", "Derbyshire", "Dunnottar Castle", "Dunvegan Castle", "Esperance Bay", "Fortar", "Hestor", "Jervis Bay", " Laconia", "Laurentic", "Letitia", "Maloja", "Montclare", "Mooltan", "Moreton Bay", "Patroclus", "Pretoria Castle", "Queen of Bermuda", "Rajputana", "Ranchi" , "Ranpura", "Rawalpindi", "Salopian", "Scotsatoun", "Transylvania", "Voltaire", "Wolfe", "Worcestershire". To increase survivability, the interdeck space was filled with empty barrels. In 1939-1944. 16 cruisers were lost. In 1941-1944. 26 ships were rebuilt into transport ships, 2 - into mother ships, 3 - into floating workshops. Performance characteristics of the cruiser: standard displacement - 11 - 25 thousand tons; length - 150 - 190 m, width - 19 - 22 m, draft - 9 - 14 m; power plant -2 - 4 steam turbines and 2 - 6 steam boilers; power -2.4 - 8.5 thousand hp; speed - 15 - 19 knots; crew - 250 - 450 people. Armament: 7 - 8x1 - 152-mm guns and 3x1 - 102 or 2x1 - 76-mm guns, 2x1 - 40 anti-aircraft guns.

The ship was built at the Australian shipyard "Cockatoo DYd" and put into operation in 1929. In 1938, she was transferred to the British. The ship could also carry 37.7 thousand liters. aviation fuel. In 1943 - 1944 converted into a floating workshop for escort ships and minesweepers. In 1944 the ship was damaged and was not repaired. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 4.8 thousand tons, full - 6.5 thousand tons; length - 135.3 m, width - 18.6 m, draft - 5.3 m; power plant - 2 steam turbine engines and 4 steam boilers; power - 12 thousand hp; fuel reserve - 942 tons of oil; speed - 21 knots; cruising range - 9.1 thousand miles; crew - 450 people. Armament: 4x1 - 120 mm guns; 4x1 - 40 mm and 6x1 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns; catapult; 6-9 seaplanes.

The ship "Ark Royal" was laid down as a merchant ship, completed as a hydro-air transport and put into operation in 1914. In 1920-1921. passed overhaul. In 1934 it was renamed "Pegasus", and in 1938 it received a new catapult. The ship was decommissioned in 1946. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 7.5 thousand tons, total displacement - 8.5 thousand tons; length - 111.5 m, width - 15.5 m, draft - 5.4 m; power plant - steam engine and 2 steam boilers; power - 3 thousand hp; fuel reserve - 500 tons of oil; speed - 11 knots; crew - 180 people. Armament: 4x1 - 76 mm guns; 2x1 - 7.7 mm machine gun; catapult; 5 seaplanes.

The ships "Athene" and "Engadine" were laid down as transports at the shipyards "Greenock", "Denny", completed as hydro-air transports and put into operation in 1941. They could also carry 129.6 thousand liters. aviation fuel. The ships were decommissioned in 1946. The performance characteristics of the ship: full displacement - 10.9 / 10.7 thousand tons; length - 148.6 m, width - 19.2 m, draft - 6.1 m; power plant - 2 steam engines and 5 steam boilers; power - 8.3 thousand hp; fuel reserve - 980 tons of oil; speed - 17 knots. Booking: cellars - 37-51 mm. Armament: 1x1 - 120 mm and 1x1 - 102 mm guns; 4x1 - 40 mm and 7-10x1 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns; up to 40 fighters with disassembled planes or 16-20 fully assembled.

The ship was built at the Fairfields shipyard and commissioned in 1935. She had various workshops, as well as a hospital. The ship was decommissioned in 1962. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 8.8 thousand tons, total displacement - 10.2 thousand tons; length - 185.3 m, width - 19.5 m, draft - 5 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power - 6.5 thousand hp; speed - 15.3 knots; fuel reserve - 112 tons of oil; cruising range - 5 thousand miles; crew - 666 people. Booking: upper deck - 25 mm; lower - 51 mm. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm guns; 2x1 - 40-mm and 4x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The ships "Tyne" and "Hecla" were commissioned in 1940. They had internal anti-torpedo protection 37 mm thick. The ships had a reserve of oil for destroyers - 2 thousand tons, 80 - 533-mm torpedoes and 150 depth charges. The mother ship "Hecla" died in 1942, and "Tyne" was decommissioned in 1973. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 11 thousand tons, total displacement - 14 thousand tons; length - 189.3 m, width - 20.1 m, draft - 6.3 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power -7.5 thousand hp; speed - 17 knots; fuel reserve - 1.2 thousand tons of oil; crew - 818 people. Booking: middle deck - 51 mm. Armament: 8x1 - 114 mm guns; 2x4-40-mm and 6-16x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Destroyer mother ship Blenheim

The cargo ship Achilles was built in 1920 at the Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. shipyard. In 1940 she was converted into a mother ship under the designation "Blenheim". The ship was decommissioned in 1948. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 11.4 thousand tons, total displacement - 16.6 thousand tons; length - 160.5 m, width - 19.2 m, draft - 7.6 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines; speed - 14.5 knots; crew - 674 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm guns; 2x4 - 40-mm and 8x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Merchant ship built in 1922 at the shipyard "Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co." in 1941 it was rebuilt into a mother ship. The ship was decommissioned in 1948. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 11.4 thousand tons, total displacement - 16.6 thousand tons; length - 156 m, width - 19.3 m, draft - 7.6 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines; power - 6.8 thousand hp; speed - 14 knots; crew - 670 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102-mm anti-aircraft guns; 2x4 - 40-mm and 8x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The ship was built at the Cammell Laird Shipyard and commissioned in 1912. The mother ship was scrapped in 1949. The performance characteristics of the ship: full displacement - 935 tons; length - 58 m, width - 10 m, draft - 3.3 m; speed - 14 knots; crew - 63 people.

The ship was built at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard and launched in 1928. The mother ship was intended to supply 18 O, P and R submarines. 144 533-mm torpedoes and 1.9 thousand tons. fuel. The floating base died in 1942. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 14.7 thousand tons, total displacement - 18.4 thousand tons; length - 176.8 m, width - 26 m, draft - 7.1 m; power plant - 2 diesel engines; power - 8 thousand hp; speed - 15.5 knots; fuel supply - 610 tons of solarium; crew - 400 people. Booking: upper deck - up to 37 mm. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm guns.

The ships "Forth" and "Maidstone" were built at the shipyard "John Brown & Company" and put into operation in 1938-1939. The floating base had various workshops, installations for charging submarine batteries, about 100 torpedoes and mines. The ships were scrapped in 1977-1978. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 8.9 thousand tons; length - 151 m, width - 22 m, speed - 17 knots; fuel supply - 610 tons of solarium; crew - 1167 people. Armament: 4x2 - 110 mm guns; 2x4-40-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The civilian ship "Spreewald" built in 1907 was converted into a mother ship at the shipyard "Richardson Westgarth" and put into operation in 1916 under the name "Lucia". In 1942 the ship was damaged and rebuilt. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 5.8 thousand tons; length - 110 m, width - 14 m, speed - 13 knots; crew - 262 people. Armament: 3x1 - 47 mm guns.

The civilian vessel was refitted at the Clyde Shipbuilding Co. in a mother ship and put into operation in 1916. In 1949, the ship was sent for scrapping. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 5.3 thousand tons; length - 102 m, width - 14 m, draft - 5.5 m, engine power - 3.2 thousand hp; speed - 14.5 knots; crew - 245 people. Armament: 2x1 - 533-mm torpedo tubes.

The civil ship "Indrabarah", built in 1905, was converted into a mother ship at the shipyard "Sir James Laing & Son" and put into operation in 1907. In 1947, the ship was sent for scrapping. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 11.3 thousand tons; length - 145 m, width - 16.7 m, draft - 3.6 m, speed - 13 knots; power plant - steam engine; power - 3.5 thousand hp; fuel reserve - 1.6 thousand tons of coal; crew - 266 people. Armament: 2x1 - 102 mm guns; 2x2 - 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.

The civilian ship was converted into a mother ship at the William Dobson & Co shipyard and put into operation in 1916. In 1947, the ship was scrapped. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 8.1 thousand tons; length -118 m, width - 18.5 m, draft - 8 m; speed - 11 knots; power plant - steam engine; power - 4.4 thousand hp; crew - 224 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm and 1x3 - 76 mm guns

The merchant ship was refitted at the shipyard "Harland & Wolff Ltd." in a mother ship and put into operation in 1941. In 1946, the ship was sent for scrapping. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 11.5 thousand tons; speed - 10.5 knots. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm and 1x3 - 76 mm guns.

The ship was built at the Harland & Wolf Ltd shipyard and commissioned in 1942. It had internal anti-torpedo protection 32 mm thick, and a supply of solarium for submarines was 12 thousand tons. and 117 - 533-mm torpedoes. The floating base was decommissioned in 1970. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 12.7 thousand tons, total displacement - 16.5 thousand tons; length - 200.6 m, width - 21.5 m, draft - 6.5 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power - 8 thousand hp; speed - 17 knots; fuel reserve - 1.3 thousand tons of oil; crew - 1273 people. Booking: middle deck - 51 mm. Armament: 4x2 - 114 mm guns; 2x4 - 40 mm and 6x1 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns; 2x4 - 12.7 mm machine gun.

The passenger liner was built at the John Brown & Co Ltd shipyard and commissioned in 1922. The ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939, converted into a submarine floating base and commissioned in 1942. The ship was decommissioned in 1958. ship: standard displacement - 16.3 thousand tons, total displacement - 21.5 thousand tons; length - 170 m, width - 21 m, draft - 8.5 m; power plant - steam turbine plant and 6 steam boilers; power - 13.5 thousand hp; speed - 16 knots; crew - 542 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102-mm anti-aircraft guns; 4x2 - 40-mm and 19x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The passenger liner was built at the John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company shipyard and commissioned in 1920. The ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939, converted into a submarine floating base and commissioned in 1940. The ship was decommissioned in 1952. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 16.4 thousand tons, full - 21.2 thousand tons; length - 171.2 m, width - 21.3 m, draft - 8.5 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines; speed - 16 knots; crew - 480 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102-mm anti-aircraft guns; 4x2 - 40 mm and 19x1 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.

The freighter Clan Campbell was built by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company. In 1939, it was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into a mother ship, which was commissioned in 1943 and renamed Bonaventure. The ship was decommissioned in 1948. The performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 8.1 thousand tons, total displacement - 10.4 thousand tons; length - 148 m, width - 19 m, draft - 9.1 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 3 steam boilers; speed - 16 knots. Armament: 2x1 - 75-mm guns and 12x1 - 20 anti-aircraft guns.

The passenger liner was built in 1929 at the John Brown & Co. shipyard. Ltd." In 1939 it was requisitioned and served as a military transport. In 1942 it was converted into a floating base for boats. In 1944 it was disarmed and returned to the owner. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 4.2 thousand tons; length -112 m, width -15.2 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power - 1.5 thousand hp; speed - 21 knots. Armament: 2x1 - 75-mm guns and 12x1 - 20 anti-aircraft guns.

The merchant ship was built in 1921. In 1939 it was purchased by the government and converted into an electromagnetic minesweeper. In 1941-1942. rebuilt as a minesweeper floating base. Decommissioned in 1944. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 2 thousand tons; length - 82 m, width -11.6 m.

The ship was built at the Vickers Armstrong shipyard and put into operation in 1929. The fuel reserve for other ships is 430 tons of oil. The ship was decommissioned in 1954. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 12.3 thousand tons, total displacement - 15.6 thousand tons; length - 163 m, width - 25.4 m, draft - 6.8 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power - 7.5 thousand hp; speed - 15.5 knots, fuel capacity - 1 thousand tons. oil; crew - 580 people. Armament: 4x1 - 102 mm guns, 4x1 - 40 mm and 10x1 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.

The passenger ship was built at the John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company shipyard and commissioned in 1925. The ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939, rebuilt as an auxiliary merchant cruiser Artifex. In 1944, the ship was converted into a floating workshop. The ship was decommissioned in 1957. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 19 thousand tons; length - 163.6 m, width - 19.8 m, draft - 9.7 m; speed - 15 knots; crew - 590 people. Armament: 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.

The passenger ship "Aurania" was built by the shipyard "Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd." and accepted into service in 1924. The ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939, rebuilt into an auxiliary merchant cruiser under the name "Artifex". In 1944, the cruiser was converted into a floating workshop. The ship was decommissioned in 1961. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 14 thousand tons; length - 160 m, width - 20 m; speed - 15 knots. Armament: 4x2 - 152 mm guns and 2x1 - 76 mm guns.

The passenger ship "Antonia" was built at the shipyard "Vickers Ltd." and accepted into service in 1921. The ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1940, rebuilt into an auxiliary merchant cruiser under the name "Wayland". In 1944, the cruiser was converted into a floating workshop. The ship was decommissioned in 1948. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 13.8 thousand tons; length -158 m, width - 19.8 m; speed - 15 knots; crew - 500 people. Armament: 4x2 - 152 mm guns and 4x2 - 40 mm and 2x4 - 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.

The refrigerator ship was built by Hawthorn Leslie & Co Ltd and commissioned in 1925. In 1939 the ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into an auxiliary cruiser. In 1943 the ship was rebuilt into a floating workshop. The ship was decommissioned in 1961. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 16.7 thousand tons; length -166.6 m, width -21.7 m, draft - 13 m; power plant - 2 steam turbines and 4 steam boilers; power - 2.4 thousand hp; speed - 17 knots; crew - 500 people. Armament: 4x2 - 152-mm guns and 2x1 - 76 anti-aircraft guns.

The cargo ship "Regina" was built at the shipyard "Harland & Wolff" and commissioned in 1918. In 1922, the ship was rebuilt as a passenger ship, and in 1929 it was renamed "Westernland". Since 1940, the ship served as a military transport, a floating workshop, and a mother ship for destroyers. The ship was decommissioned in 1945. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 16.5 thousand tons; length -174.5 m, width -20.4 m, draft - 12 m.

The ship was built at the Thompson shipyard. Requisitioned in 1939 and since 1940 served as an auxiliary minelayer. In 1944-1945. converted into a floating workshop for the repair of carrier-based aircraft. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 5.8 thousand tons, total displacement - 8.8 thousand tons; length -142.6 m, width -21.2 m.

The cargo ship served as a patrol ship from 1941, and from 1944 it was rebuilt into a floating workshop to serve minesweepers. She had 2 cranes for installing paravanes on ships. Performance characteristics of the ship: standard displacement - 9 thousand tons, speed - 12 knots. Armament - 1x1 - 114 guns and 2x1 - 20-mm anti-aircraft guns; 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun.