In the middle of the nineteenth century. many European naval powers began to use in their armament a specific class of warships - BWO "battleship coast guard" (defense). A similar innovation was created not only to protect its limits, but also because such boats were cheap to manufacture. Did the BWO live up to their expectations? Let's find out about this by looking at the history of this type of ship and the most prominent representatives of this subclass.
Coastal battleship: what is it?
Military operations at sea differ from similar land "activities." First of all, they are more expensive. After all, the army is able to reach the place of battle on land and on foot with rifles at the ready. And in order to fight at sea, you need at least some ship whose equipment cost will always be high. After all, it will not only be a vehicle, but will also serve as a defensive "fortress."
Thanks to the industrial revolution in the middle of the nineteenth century. the military industry was able to abandon sailing and sailing-steam vessels, creating warships with armor that can withstand the attacks of enemy shells.
And although in just a decade of the existence of the class of armored combat boats (armadillos), they have become the main assets of the navy of each state, their production and equipment was very expensive. Therefore, the first such ships did not have time to leave the shipyards, when work began on the invention of a cheaper substitute. So there was a subclass "coastal defense battleship".
This name was of the type of armored low-sided ships armed with large-caliber firearms. In fact, BWOs were the next step in the evolution of river monitors. Their basic purpose is patrolling the coast and protecting it. In the event of a naval battle, such battleships had to support the flanks of the ground forces.
Basic characteristics of BWO
The subclass “coastal defense battleship” was essentially a hybrid of a full battleship, monitor and gunboat. From the first he inherited the carapace, from the second and third types of ships - low side, lightness and maneuverability.
Thanks to such a successful combination, the BWOs were less noticeable, moved fast and fired better due to the particular placement of the guns. And most importantly, they were cheaper in production.
Although each state (with access to the sea) developed its own varieties of this subclass, all coastal defense battleships had a number of common characteristics.
- Minimum autonomy. Since such ships had constant access to land, they did not need to transport a stock of food and essentials, to equip residential compartments for the crew. All unnecessary was removed from the ship. This made it easier and cheaper, while at the same time making it unsuitable for a long stay at sea.
- Armament and armor as in full shell ships. Each battleship of the coastal defense was equipped with weapons and protection at the level of the most modern (at that time) warships. Thus, faced with a full-fledged military court of the enemy in coastal waters, the BWO could not only withstand its shelling, but also fight back.
- Low freeboard (legacy monitors). Due to it, the ship had a smaller silhouette - it was harder to get into it than in a typical shell ship. A smaller bead area made it possible to protect a larger percentage of the hull with armor. And the low location of the guns (near the center of gravity of the entire ship) helped them to conduct more targeted fire. On the other hand, the low freeboard made the BWO unsuitable for swimming on the high seas. Even during a normal storm (being in the coastal zone), gun installations on the court were flooded and could not be used without significant risk to the stability of the ship. All domestic and residential premises were moved to the underwater part. Therefore, over the waterline there were very few compartments that could serve as a buoyancy reserve in the event of damage or flooding.
History (features of the use of BWO in different countries)
From the moment of its appearance (60s of the 19th century), a similar variety of armadillos began to be actively used by all naval powers.
Logically, the first of their admirers would be the "Queen of the Oceans" Great Britain. Being a sea power, she always adhered to the concept: "the best way to defend is not to let the enemy to their shores, crushing his forces on the way." And coastal shell ships were the best suited for this purpose.
Contrary to expectations, the British did not use VBO very vigorously. Because to protect certain ports, harbors, as well as coastal objects from enemy ships that could break through to them, decommissioned classic battleships were used that were not suitable for fighting in the first line.
Nevertheless, the inhabitants of foggy Albion tried to introduce this variety as well. True, only during periods of aggravation of foreign policy relations with France in the second half of the 60s. But in the conditions of British water possessions, BWO did not justify themselves, and by the beginning of the twentieth century. almost all of them were decommissioned, and the government refused to continue the production of this subclass of ships.
The French are interested in this type of shell ships more than the British. Upon learning that the latter were adopted by the coast guard battleships, the descendants of the Gauls themselves began to actively introduce a new product into their fleet, starting in 1868. The goal is to provide coastal defense with a cheap alternative to full-fledged warships.
Despite the greater number of units, the French also did not make particularly useful changes to the basic design. Since they considered Great Britain their potential naval enemy, all the innovations, in fact, were copies of English models.
But also in the coastal waters of the French coast, such vessels were not particularly practical. Therefore, gradually the interest of this state in coastal battleships came to naught.
In the 80s. XIX century in relations between the Russian Empire and Germany, there has been a clear deterioration. Guided by the principle of Si vis pacem, para bellum, the Germans began to strengthen their defenses in their own shallow coastal waters, trying to prevent a potential attack from the Baltic imperial fleet. Shallow draft coastal battleships have become a good solution for this area. Therefore, they were more numerous than those of the French and British.
The first German BWO was built in 1888 and on its basis in the next 8 years another 7 of the same ships were produced. Unlike the neighbors, the design of such ships allowed them to safely sail not only in shallow water, but also in the open sea. Germans, distinguished by practicality, began to make them universal. Despite this advantage, by the beginning of the twentieth century. and in this country they refused to manufacture such armadillos, preferring full-fledged warships.
In Austria-Hungary, priority for the second half of the nineteenth century. there were ground forces. Therefore, the fleet was allocated scanty content. This shortage of funds prompted the Austro-Hungarians to build coastal defense battleships. It happened in the early 90's.
The same limited funds contributed to the fact that the ships (designed in this country) were quite small in size and in terms of weapons.
However, this is precisely what became their main advantage, they were more stable and fast-moving than the analogous BWOs of other states, second only to full-fledged battleships. A successful design, coupled with competent use, allowed the Austro-Hungarians to squeeze the Italian fleet in the Adriatic with their help.
Another country that began to use coastal guard battleships due to a budget deficit is Greece. This happened in the second half of the 60s. The Greeks ordered all such ships in the UK. Despite their tiny size and low speed - they were the pearls of the Greek fleet until the 90s.
Due to the aggravation of relations with the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 19th century. Greeks needed to replenish their fleet with more powerful ships. However, all the same poverty did not allow the construction of full-fledged shell ships. Instead, the flotilla was replenished with BBO of a more modern design of French production.
But the Netherlands in the middle of the nineteenth century. have long lost their former influence at sea. However, since the time of the Great Discoveries, they have left several colonies in India. In order for them to remain, they had to be protected. Like many European powers of that period, the financial capabilities of the state were modest and did not allow fully equipping the fleet with armadillos. Therefore, BWOs became a budget option for the defense of the Dutch coast itself, to which none of the neighbors particularly claimed. But the borders of the colonies desired by neighbors in India were guarded by more carefully expensive and reliable cruisers.
An important feature of the history of BWW in the Netherlands is that all ships of this subclass were built at domestic Dutch shipyards. For more functionality, they had high sides, which allowed them to be used as a seaworthy transport.
Fully develop the coastal defense battleships began in Sweden. Due to the strained neighborly relations with the Russian Empire, the country's leadership was actively equipping the fleet with small but maneuverable shell ships that were supposed to patrol its shores. At first they created their own monitors (Loke, John Ericsson), but because of their low seaworthiness and low-speed they began to use BWO.
Over the 20 years of their use, 5 basic models have been developed, which helped to raise the prestige of Sweden as a sea power.
With the beginning of the new century, this type of ships continued to be actively used in this country, and by the beginning of the First World War, a qualitatively new type of coastal defense battleship, the Sverye, was introduced. Ships of this model functioned as part of the fleet until the 50s. XX century
But the development of new BWOs in Sweden were curtailed before the outbreak of war with Nazi Germany. The fact is that the new realities required a different approach. Therefore, although the Swedes used coastal defense battleships during World War II, the main emphasis was now on high-speed and small-sized cruisers.
In neighboring Norway, BWOs were just as dearly loved. This was due not only to the proximity, but also to the agreement on the coordination of naval programs between these countries. However, here until the last decade of the 19th century. monitors were used, and only in the last five years it was decided to try to build 2 battleships for the fleet. This was entrusted to the British company, which so well established itself that it received an order for 2 more similar vessels.
These 4 BWOs over the next 40 years were the strongest ships of the Norwegian Navy. In fairness, it is important to note: the fact that the Norwegians, with such a meager number of warships, were able to protect the country's coast from encroachments, is not so much their merit as a severe climate.
In the Danish kingdom for a long time they could not develop a unified policy regarding the BWO. Starting with medium-sized ships, by the end of the 90s they began to specialize in small battleships for coast guard. Practice soon showed their impracticality, so the Danes began to focus on Swedish shipbuilding. It didn't help much either. Therefore, BWO in Denmark have always been weak, and soon completely replaced by more advanced ships.
The last in Europe to use such ships began in Finland. This happened already in 1927. This "delay" made it possible to take advantage of the achievements of other states and make the most convenient and cheap ships for patrolling the coastal zone. Combining the dimensions of the Danish Niels Yuel with the weapons equipment of the Swedish Sverje, the designers managed to create a very good battleship of the coastal defense Väinemäinen. In parallel with it, the construction of the second ship of this type, Ilmarinen, began. These BWOs became the only ships of this kind in the Finnish fleet and, oddly enough, the most powerful of all the others.
It is noteworthy that after the Second World War the Finnish coastal battleship Väinemäinen was sold to the USSR, where it was renamed Vyborg. But the "Ilmarinen" sank in 1941, having run into a Soviet mine.
Also, BWOs were part of the fleet of non-European countries. They were used in Argentina (Independence, Libertad), Thailand (Sri Aetha) and Brazil (Marshal Deodoru).
History of BWO in the Russian Empire
In Russia, coastal defense battleships have gained particular popularity. Here they were called "tower armored boats." They replaced the American monitors, the production of which unofficially helped US citizens.
The emergence of coastal defense battleships in Russia was justified by several factors.
- The need to quickly create a large armored fleet.
- Ships of this type in production were cheaper than full-fledged battleships. Due to this, it was possible to expand the imperial fleet faster.
- BWO were chosen as an analogue of the Swedish flotilla for possible opposition to it.
The history of coastal armored ships in the empire began in 1861. It was then that the first Russian BWO "Firstborn" was ordered in Britain. Subsequently, due to the deterioration of British-Russian relations, all other ships were built directly in the Russian Empire itself. On the basis of the Firstborn, the Kremlin and Do Not Touch Me were created to protect the capital from invasion from the sea.
In the future, the design of the BWO was close to the American monitors. Based on their design, over the next few years, 10 vessels under the general name “Hurricane” were built. Their purpose is the defense of the Kronstadt mine-artillery position, as well as the Gulf of Finland, sea approaches to the capital of the empire.
In addition to them, armored ships of the Mermaid and Tornado varieties were purchased, as well as the coastal defense battleship Admiral Greig and Admiral Lazarev. The last 2 were low-breasted frigates.
All of the listed vessels had a powerful shell coating, but were not suitable for use at sea.
Truly Russian can be considered the so-called "popovki". These are 2 round BBOs, designed by Vice Admiral Popov. One of them was named in honor of its creator, "Vice Admiral Popov," the second - "Novgorod."
The battleship of the coastal defense of this kind had an unusual shape (circle), and to this day makes scientists argue about its advisability.
A new stage in the history of BWO was the project of E. N. Gulyaev. Based on it, the coastal defense battleship Admiral Senyavin was built. The urgent need for vessels of this type led to the fact that, having not had time to finish the previous one, the construction of the second and third vessels of this type was started. The ship, laid down in 1892, was called the coastal defense battleship "Admiral Ushakov".
After another 2 years, work began on a third court of this type. He received the name "Admiral General Apraksin."
The coastal defense battleship built by the latter gained an advantage over the first two. The fact is that during the work on them it turned out that the planned weapons are too heavy for such a design. Therefore, only 3 guns (254 mm) were left in the battleship of the coastal defense of "Admiral General Apraksin". Otherwise, the average caliber has not changed. Thus, each such battleship of the coastal defense (Ushakov, Senyavin, and Apraksin) had a similar structure. They became the last BWO created in the Russian Empire. After them, the development of this variety of ships stopped, as they showed themselves poorly during the Russian-Japanese war. Unable to fully fight on the high seas, most of the “admirals” and “hurricanes” sank or were captured by opponents during battles in the Pacific. According to BW specialist V. G. Andrienko, coastal defense battleships so ingloriously participated in the Japanese campaign because they were not designed for such conditions. The death or capture of these ships is the fault of the inconsistency of naval leadership.
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- Armament - muzzle-loading guns (305 mm). These were the most powerful cannons of the British fleet. There were 2 of them on the Glatton.
- The proportion of displacement for booking is 35%. At that time it was a record.
In addition to the Glatton, a Cyclops variant was developed on the basis of the Cerberus battleships. The novelty was distinguished by:
- more guns (4) and their smaller caliber (254 mm);
- thinner armor;
- excessive draft, which negatively affected seaworthiness.
French BWO
The first armored ships in the service of France were 4 British Cerberus, made in 1868-1874.
The French alternative to the coastal defense battleship appeared only in the first half of the 80s. These were ships of the Tempet and Tonner type. Although they copied the basic achievements of the British, there were innovations. It:
- one tower with two heavy cannons (270 mm);
- a narrow superstructure, allowing the guns to shoot directly at the stern of the enemy ship.
The next step in the evolution of the French BBO was Tonnan (1884). The basic difference was only a larger gun caliber (340 mm). On its basis, a new type of "Fourier" was created with artillery in the towers (previously it was located in barbettes).
German "Siegfried"
This subclass in the Navy of the German Empire was represented by only one type of Siegfried.
Its distinguishing characteristics were as follows.
- Displacement of 4 kilotons.
- Speed ​​14.5 knots.
- Three guns (240 mm) housed in barbette installations.
- High board (in comparison with German and French ships of this type).
Austro-Hungarian Monarch
Particularly successful construction of ships in this country was the merit of the outstanding engineer Siegfried Popper. It was he who created the very successful Monarch model.
- Displacement - less than 6 kilotons.
- The caliber of guns is 240 mm.
Greek BWO
Unlike the rest, the Greeks had many varieties of such ships.
The first was "Bazileus Georgios":
- displacement less than 2 kilotons;
- weak weapons;
- Slow running
- strong armor.
Based on this, the BWO designed the "Vasilisa Olga":
- displacement of 2.03 kilotons;
- speed of 10 knots.
The last Greek variety was the Izdra type:
- displacement up to 5.415 kilotons;
- speed of 17.5 knots;
BWO Netherlands
The first full-fledged Dutch court of this type was Evertsen:
- displacement of 3.5 kilotons;
- speed of 16 knots;
- 5 guns: 2 by 150 mm and 3 by 210 mm.
Despite the maneuverability and seaworthiness, the modest size of the ships became the reason for the introduction of their more perfect analogue - "Kenegen Regentes". In addition to a displacement of up to 5 kilotons, the vessels had a full armor belt along the waterline and 6 cannons (2 of 210 mm and 4 of 150 mm).
The Kenegen Regentes, in a certain way, spawned 2 such types of Dutch vessels as the Martin Harpertson Tromp (all 150 mm guns were placed in towers instead of casemates) and Jacob van Heemskerk (6 guns).
Swedish BWO
The first ship of this type was for the Swedes Svea:
- displacement of 3 kilotons;
- speed of 15-16 knots;
- reinforced armor;
- low precipitation;
- basic armament: 2 guns of 254 mm and 4 of 152 mm.
The good performance of the Svea allowed him to create the Odin, which differed only in the location of the guns.
The next step was the "Dristigeten" with a new main cannon caliber - 210 mm. Based on this model at the beginning of the twentieth century. Eran appeared:
- more high-speed;
- lighter armor;
- medium caliber placed in towers instead of casemates.
The pearl of the pre-war period for the Swedes was Oscar II:
- displacement of 4 kilotons;
- speed of 18 knots;
- medium-caliber artillery is located in two-gun towers.
After the start of World War I, the most famous ship of this kind was created in Sweden - the battleship of the coastal defense Sverie. Unlike all the previous ones, he was large, but at the same time fast. Its basic features are:
- displacement of 8 kilotons;
- speed 22.5 - 23.2 knots;
- reinforced armor;
- the main caliber of guns at 283 mm, placed in two-gun towers.
Armored battleships of the Sverye type were gradually supplanted by the Oscars II and were the main naval combat unit until the sunset of the BBO in Sweden.
Norwegian Harald Haarfagrfe
The main ship of this subclass for the Norwegians was the Harald Haarfagrfe with the following characteristics:
- displacement of 4 kilotons;
- speed of 17 knots;
- 2 210 mm cannons placed in towers on the bow and stern.
The refined version of Norge was almost a copy of Harald. It was distinguished only by its large size, less thick armor, and an average caliber of guns of 152 mm.
Danish BWO
The first full-fledged Danish battleship for coastal patrol was called "Iver Hvitfeld":
- displacement of 3.3 kilotons;
- 2 guns (260 mm) in barbet installations and small-caliber (120 mm).
The honor of creating the smallest BBW in the world belongs to the people of Denmark. This is Skjeld:
- displacement of 2 kilotons;
- draft 4 m;
- 1 cannon in the bow turret (240 mm) and 3 (120 mm) in single turret aft installations.
The impracticality of this type led to its replacement with a series of 3 Herluf Troll vessels. Despite the common name, all the ships had differences in details, but their weapons were identical: 2 guns (240 mm) in single towers and 4 (150 mm) as medium-caliber artillery.
The last battleship of this subclass was the Niels Yuel. It is noteworthy that they built it for 9 years, amending the initial design. When work on them was completed, he received the following characteristics:
- displacement of 4 kilotons;
- 10 guns (150 mm), later supplemented by anti-aircraft guns.
Finnish coastal battleships
The first BWO in this country was called “Väinemäinen”.
During its development, engineers tried to combine the dimension of the Danish Niels Yuel with the armament of the Swedish Svarya. The resulting ship had the following characteristics:
- displacement up to 4 kilotons.
- speed of 15 knots.
Armament: artillery 4 cannons of 254 mm and 8 of 105 mm. Anti-aircraft artillery: 4 "Vinkers" at 40 mm and 2 "Madsen" at 20 mm.
The second Finnish ship, Ilmarinen, became the first surface ship on which a diesel power station appeared. For the rest, he had similar characteristics to Väinemäinen. It was distinguished only by a smaller displacement (3.5 kilotons) and half the number of artillery guns.
BBO Russian Empire
"Firstborn" had the following characteristics:
- displacement of 3.6 kilotons;
- speed is 8.5 knots.
Armament has changed over the years. Initially, these were 26 smoothbore guns (196 mm). In the years 1877-1891. 17 rifled guns (87 mm, 107 mm, 152 mm, 203 mm), since 1891 - again more than 20 (37 mm, 47 mm, 87 mm, 120 mm, 152 mm, 203 mm).
All ten ships of the "Hurricane" type had the following properties:
- displacement from 1.476 to 1.565 kilotons;
- speed 5.75 - 7.75 knots;
- armament with two guns (229 mm) on all BWOs, except for the Unicorn (two 273 mm each).
The tower battleship called the Mermaid was distinguished by the following characteristics:
- displacement of 2.1 kilotons;
- speed of 9 knots;
- armament 4 guns of 229 mm, 8 of 87 mm and 5 of 37 mm.
Slightly smaller size and indicators was "Tornado":
- displacement of 1.5 kilotons;
- 8.3 knots speed.
The weapons of the "Tornado" were originally 2 cannons of 196 mm. In the years 1867-1870. - It was expanded to 2 guns of 203 mm. In the years 1870-1880. there were 2 cannons of 229 mm, 1 gatling gambler (16 mm), and 1 Angstrom (44 mm).
The coastal defense battleship Admiral Greig joined the Baltic Fleet in 1869. Its properties were as follows:
- displacement of 3.5 kilotons;
- speed of 9 knots;
- armament: 3 double-barreled tower installations of Kolz (229 mm), 4 guns Krupp (87 mm).
The armored frigate of the Admiral Lazarev type had the following basic characteristics:
- displacement of 3, 881 kilotons;
- speed 9.54 - 10.4 knots;
- armament until 1878 consisted of 6 guns (229 mm), after it - 4 Krupp guns (87 mm), 1 gun - 44 mm.
The coastal defense battleships of the Admiral Senyavin type belonged not only to the Russian fleet, but also to the Japanese. There, this type of BBO was called "Mishima." In total, three ships of the same type were built: the coastal defense battleship Admiral Ushakov, Admiral Senyavin and Admiral General Apraksin with the following characteristics:
- displacement of 4.648 kilotons;
- speed of 15.2 knots.
As for the weapons, the Ushakov and Senyavin had it: 4 cannons of 254 mm, 4 of 120 mm, 6 of 47 mm, 18 of 37 and 2 of 64 mm. Also, BWOs were equipped with 4 surface-mounted torpedo tubes of 381 mm each. Defense Abraxin. Like his “brothers”, he was equipped with similar torpedo tubes, as well as 3 cannons of 254 mm, 4 of 120 mm, 10 of 47 mm, 12 of 37 mm and 2 of 64 mm.
BWO Sunset
By the beginning of the twentieth century. this category of warships became the rudiment for most fleets. And the first to abandon such battleships of the state, whose sphere of interests extended to the oceans. While in countries where they continued to use BWO, the adjacent coasts abounded with small bays, bays, and skerries. For this reason, while England, France and Great Britain at the beginning of the new century abandoned the further production of such ships, the Scandinavian powers used them for a long time. As a result, the Russian Empire was also in no hurry to abandon such ships.
In the next 20 years, these adherents of BWO began to slowly get rid of them. There were several reasons for this.
- In order to maintain the combat effectiveness of this subclass of armadillos, new models had to be equipped with expensive equipment and weapons. All these alterations were reflected in the final price, very high. From a class of budget warships, coastal defense battleships have become very costly, but inferior combat units. For the fleet of any of the leading maritime states, they have become an extra item of expenditure.
- BWO is morally obsolete. Being unable to fight in the open sea, their main advantage was the ability to keep the enemy from approaching the coast at a distance of a shot. However, in the first half of the twentieth century. guns began to appear with a longer firing range (up to 20 km), used on new type of military vessels. They no longer needed to come close to the shore to strike at it. And the development of military aviation and submarines (capable of quickly and unhindered approaching the shore) drove the last nail into the coffin of the BBO.
By the end of the 30s. the new century, the production of such ships almost ceased. Available ships began to be used only as patrol or disarmament, surrendered to the needs of civilian fleets. Only the Baltic countries and the USSR continued to use such vessels, and even so that their weapons corresponded to each other. But they gradually stopped developing this subclass of armadillos.
After World War II, the still existing BWOs were decommissioned and disassembled, becoming the inheritance of history.