The destroyer "Burny" (1901) before being sent to Port Arthur. October 1902.
Destroyer(abbr. destroyer) - a class of multi-purpose combat high-speed maneuverable ships designed to combat submarines, aircraft (including missiles) and enemy ships, as well as for the protection and defense of formations of ships or convoys of ships when crossing the sea. Destroyers can also be used for reconnaissance and patrol services, artillery support during landings and for laying minefields.
origin of name
The Russian name “destroyer” comes from the fact that in pre-revolutionary Russia torpedoes were called “self-propelled mines.” The designation “squadron” indicates the ability of ships of this class to operate as part of a squadron in the ocean and sea zone. This name came into Russian from French terminology of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. (torpilleur d'escadre). Abroad, including modern French, tracings from the English name English are most widespread. Destroyer(“fighter”) - fr. destroyer, German Zerstorer, Polish niszczyciel, and so on. This term, in turn, was originally an abbreviation for Torpedo boat destroyer- “destroyer destroyer”, which is due to the fact that the original purpose of ships of this class was considered to be the interception of heavy ships of enemy destroyers approaching the squadron and their destruction by artillery fire (against a small ship moving at a speed of 30 knots or more, torpedoes of those years were not effective weapons). In the Russian fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, these ships were also called “fighters.” Unlike destroyers, “ordinary” destroyers remained a class of light ships that did not have powerful artillery weapons, often with relatively low seaworthiness and autonomy.
The world's first successful attack with two torpedoes was carried out on January 14, 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 by the mine boats Chesma and Sinop; During it, the Turkish patrol steamer Intibah was sunk.
Impressed, on the one hand, by the successful actions of Russian mine boats in operations against Turkish ships, and on the other hand, by the rapid growth in the capabilities of torpedo weapons, the concept of a “destroyer fleet” was born. Its author was the French Admiral Aubé, Minister of the Navy and head of the so-called “young school” of naval warfare theorists. According to this concept, for the defense of coastal waters it is necessary to have not battleships and gunboats, but many small fast destroyers. Attacking simultaneously with different directions, they will sink any squadron consisting of slow-moving and clumsy armored ships. The doctrine of the “young school” quickly gained many supporters, both in France and abroad, since it made it possible to abandon the expensive construction of an armored fleet in favor of a much cheaper “mosquito fleet”.
Although small, short-range destroyers could easily be destroyed in the daytime long before they came within effective torpedo attack range, at night they could conduct successful torpedo attacks on enemy ships, or act as part of a fleet of large ships while that fleet was near his base. This led to the need to install a large number of “mine-resistant” small-caliber artillery guns on large ships. The decade of the 1880s was marked by a kind of “destroyer” boom: the fleets of Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Germany and the USA, as well as the fleets of small European countries (Denmark, Sweden, etc.) began to be actively replenished with series of ships of the new class. By January 1, 1886, the top three in terms of the number of destroyers in their fleets were Great Britain (129 destroyers, including 26 seaworthy), Russia (119 destroyers, including 6 seaworthy) and France (77 destroyers, including including 23 seaworthy).
The emergence of the class of destroyers
Maritime countries realized the need to combat this danger and began to create a class of ships designed to destroy destroyers and smaller torpedo ships - mine boats and destroyers. These ships were supposed to be as fast as destroyers, and to have artillery in addition to torpedoes; they were supposed to create a barrier at some distance from the forces of the main fleet and prevent the destroyers from attacking range. However, even at that time it was clear that this concept had its problems. Although destroyers could destroy such ships, they themselves, operating far from their fleet, were practically defenseless against large warships. Another problem was that due to their small displacement, the destroyers had a small cruising range. “Destroyer fighters”, intended to protect the main fleet, had to have the same range as other ships in the fleet, so they usually had a much larger displacement than the boats and destroyers they were supposed to counter.
Prototypes of "destroyers"
English ram destroyer HMS Polyphemus (1881).
Almost immediately after the Japanese order at the end of 1885, the British company J&G Thompson, commissioned by Spain, began building a ship to combat destroyers, which was named “Destructor”. It was launched in 1886 and entered service in, but for various reasons it remained the property of the company until 1892, after which it was transferred to the customer. With a displacement of 386 tons and a speed of 22.7 knots, it was armed with one 65 mm (according to other sources - 90 mm) gun, four 57 mm and two 47 mm rapid-fire guns, as well as five 381 mm torpedo tubes; according to tradition, the “Destructor” had a removable three-masted sailing rig. In the Spanish Navy, Destructor was classified as a torpedo gunboat.
The first destroyers
The significant successes of French destroyers achieved in the early 1890s, which the famous English shipbuilder Alfred Yarrow managed to get acquainted with during a trip to France and visiting French shipyards, forced the latter to turn at the beginning of 1892 to the young man, who took up the post of Third Lord of the Admiralty on February 1, 1892 - Controller of the Fleet, Rear Admiral John Fisher with the project of a “super destroyer”, which was supposed to outshine the fast French ships of this class. The Yarrow initiative was supported by Fisher. When asked by Yarrow what the new ships would be called, the Third Lord of the Admiralty replied: "We'll call them fighters." destroyers), since their task is to destroy French destroyers." In documents, the ships of the new class were initially called “destroyers” (eng. torpedoboats destroyers), but later they began to be called simply “fighters”.
English destroyer HMS Daring (1893).
The first ships called “destroyer destroyers” were six ships of the so-called “26-knot” type, built for the British fleet in 1892, and launched in 1893. They were built (in pairs) by three private firms (Yarrow, Thorneycroft and Laird): an order for the first two ( HMS Daring And HMS Decoy) was issued on June 27, 1892, for the next 2 ( HMS Havock And HMS Hornet) - July 2, and on the last 2 ( HMS Farret And HMS Linx) - January 6, 1893. Despite the external differences, they turned out to be very similar to each other. They had a total displacement of about 270-280 tons, a speed of 26 knots, and were armed with 1 12-pounder (76 mm) gun, 3 6-pounder (57 mm) guns, and 3 457 mm torpedo tubes. Due to fear of overloading, they were not considered as ships intended to be both “fighters” and “torpedo bombers”: depending on the situation, they had to solve either one or another task, for which these experimental “fighters” were designed for replacement weapons During the testing period and during further operation, it was found that the simultaneous installation of artillery and torpedo tubes does not in any way reduce their speed and maneuverability.
Experimental “destroyer destroyers” of the 26-knot type determined the features of the external appearance of British ships of this class for a decade to come: a smooth-deck hull, covering the bow of the hull with carapace (“turtle shell”), behind which there was a conning tower with a 76-mm gun platform installed above it ; On the sides of the wheelhouse there were breakwater fences that protected the 57 mm guns.
Destroyers 1894-1905
American destroyer USS Bainbridge (DD-1).
Development of destroyers at the beginning of the 20th century
| Growth in the number of destroyers in 1892-1918 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| date | |||||
| 1892 | 1900 | 1904 | 1914 | 1918 | |
| Great Britain | 0 | 75 | 131 | 243 | 433 |
| France | 0 | 2 | 31 | n/a | n/a |
| Germany | 0 | 1 | 47 | 210 | 311 |
| Russia | 0 | 1 | 60 | 75 | 105 |
| Italy | 0 | n/a | 15 | n/a | n/a |
| Japan | n/a | 8 | 19 | n/a | n/a |
| USA | n/a | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Theoretical considerations about the combat use of destroyers
The initial purpose of destroyers was to fight destroyers, but soon the navies of different countries realized that fast destroyers could be used more flexibly. English Vice Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker described the role of destroyers in the Royal Navy:
- Protecting the fleet from enemy torpedo ships
- Reconnaissance of enemy shores before the approach of your fleet
- Surveillance of enemy ports in order to harass their torpedo ships and prevent them from returning to port.
- Attack of the enemy fleet.
Russo-Japanese War
The first significant combat episode involving destroyers ( By Japanese classification- “fighter” or “destroyer”, in Russian - “destroyer”) occurred during the Russo-Japanese War. On the night of January 27, 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers carried out a night torpedo attack on the ships of the Russian squadron anchored in the Port Arthur roadstead. In just an hour, 16 torpedoes were fired, 3 of which reached the target and damaged the Russian battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada.
During the war, destroyers received a new purpose - to protect the fleet from underwater attacks. Submarines, which were used extensively during the war, could approach stealthily and torpedo surface ships. World War I destroyers had sufficient speed and armament to attack submarines before they submerged, either with gunfire or ramming. Since the destroyers had a fairly shallow draft and high speed, it was difficult to torpedo them; torpedoes most often passed by or under the keel of the ship.
The desire to attack submarines underwater led to rapid changes in the design of destroyers; their hulls began to be strengthened for ramming, equipped with depth charges and hydrophones to detect underwater targets. The first case of a submarine being attacked by a destroyer was the ramming of a German submarine U.19 English destroyer Badger Badger) October 29 U.19 was only damaged, but the following month the destroyer "Garry" (eng. Garry) successfully sank the boat U.18. The first time a submarine was destroyed by a depth charge was on December 4, when UC.19 was sunk by the destroyer Llewellyn. Llewellyn).
The English HMS Swift (1907) is the first "destroyer leader" or "super destroyer".
The underwater threat resulted in many destroyers being assigned to hunt submarines; After Germany decided on unlimited submarine warfare in the summer, destroyers began to be assigned to convoys of merchant ships. After America entered the war, American destroyers joined the war effort. In the Mediterranean, even a division of Japanese destroyers operated on the side of the Entente. Convoy duty proved to be no less dangerous than combat duty: of the total losses of British destroyers (67 destroyers and 3 leaders were lost), 18 were lost in collisions and 12 sank.
During the war, the German Navy lost 68 destroyers and destroyers for various reasons.
By the end of the war, the British W-class was considered the highest achievement in destroyer construction.
In the middle of the First World War, a new subclass of destroyers appeared in Great Britain - “destroyer leader”, larger displacement, with a higher speed and with stronger artillery weapons than conventional destroyers. The ship was intended for artillery support, launching destroyers into attacks, fighting enemy destroyers, controlling groups of destroyers, and could serve as a reconnaissance officer for a squadron of large ships.
Interwar period
In the post-war period, the emerging trend towards increasing the size of destroyers and improving their weapons continued. During the war, a number of opportunities to attack ships of the enemy fleet were missed due to the fact that all torpedoes were fired in the first salvo. In British destroyer types V And W at the end of the war they tried to solve this problem by installing 6 torpedo tubes in two triple tubes, instead of 4 or 2 tubes in earlier models. This became standard for destroyers in the early 1920s.
The next major innovation in the construction of destroyers was the Japanese ships of the Fubuki class (Japanese: 吹雪). The lead ship was designed in and transferred to the fleet in the city. Their armament included 6 powerful five-inch guns and 3 three-tube torpedo tubes. The second group of ships of this type received guns with a higher elevation angle for use as anti-aircraft and 610-mm oxygen torpedoes of type 93 (American designation “Long Lance” in English). Long Lance- “Long spear”). In the later Ariaki-class destroyers of 1931, the Japanese further improved their torpedo weapons by placing spare torpedoes in the superstructure, thereby speeding up reloading of torpedo tubes to 15 minutes.
Other maritime countries began building similar large destroyers. The American destroyer of the Porter project borrowed twin five-inch guns, and in the destroyers of the Mahen project. Mahan) and "Gridley" (eng. Gridley) (1934) increased the number of torpedo tubes to 12 and 16, respectively.
Among the means of detecting submarines there was a sonar, or “Asdik” (eng. ASDIC) . Weapons for fighting submarines have changed slightly since the First World War, bow bomb launchers, the need for which was shown by the Second World War World War, did not develop.
The Second World War
Destroyers were the most massive surface ships of World War II and participated in almost all significant naval battles in all naval theaters of war, finding themselves in the position of " consumables» fleet. Loss statistics can give some idea of the intensity of their use: the British fleet lost 144 out of 389 destroyers that participated in the war, the German fleet lost 25 out of 21 available at the beginning of the war and 19 built during the war, Japan lost 132 out of 168 destroyers, the USA lost about 80 destroyers , The USSR lost 34 destroyers. Some (in particular, German) destroyers of this period did not even have their own names, only side numbers.
Post-war time
In the late 1940s - early 1950s, based on the experience of the war, a number of destroyers with traditional weapons were built. They were significantly larger in size than World War II ships, armed with fully automated main guns, radar, sonar, and anti-submarine weapons such as the BMB-1 bombers in the USSR and Squid in the West. These projects include the Soviet destroyers of projects 30-bis (Skory) and Kotlin, the English project Daring. Daring), American project "Forrest Sherman" (eng. Forrest Sherman).
A destroyer is a class of multi-purpose fast ships designed to combat enemy air, surface and submarine forces. The tasks of destroyers include escorting naval convoys and formations of warships, performing patrol duty, providing cover and fire support for amphibious assault forces, surveillance and reconnaissance, laying minefields, search and rescue and special operations. In the 21st century, specific missions were added to the “traditional” missions of destroyers: striking targets in the depths of the continent using high-precision missile defense on a strategic scale (Theater Air Defense) and destroying objects in low Earth orbit.
Sometimes they are contemptuously called “tin cans.” It would seem an offensive comparison, but British sailors, on the contrary, are proud of the derogatory nickname for their ships: after all, “can” (tin) sounds like “may” to the British ear! Or maybe a lot of destroyers...
The brave little ships fought alongside battleships and aircraft carriers, enduring damage from enemy fire. The compartments were burning, the hull was collapsing, the deck was writhing in the raging flames - but the shots of the surviving guns sparkled, the anti-aircraft guns crackled tirelessly and the torpedoes pierced the water with a dull roar. The destroyer was making its final attack. And when he received a mortal wound, he hid in the sea foam, never lowering the flag in the face of the enemy.
Monument to the destroyer "Steregushchy" in St. Petersburg. The second monument to the crew of the Steregushchy was erected in Japan - the enemy gained respect for the Russian sailors
The feat of the destroyer "Steregushchy", which single-handedly took on the battle Japanese squadron at the walls of Port Arthur. When four sailors out of the 50 crew remained alive, the heroes sank their ship with their last effort.
The destroyer USS Johnston, which saved American aircraft carriers in Leyte Gulf. The radar antenna was dangling among the gear, all the decks were covered with debris and torn bodies of sailors. The tilt increased. But the Johnston stubbornly crawled forward, covering the carrier ships with a saving veil of smoke. Until another Japanese shell gutted the destroyer's engine room.
The legendary Soviet destroyer "Rattling", the heroic ships "Johnston", "Howl" and "Samuel B. Roberts" ... the sinking Israeli destroyer "Eilat" ... the British destroyer "Coventry" fighting off the attacking aircraft of the Argentine Air Force ... a destroyer launching dozens of Tomahawks US Navy Orly Burke class...
Surprisingly, in each case we are talking about completely different ships - different in size, characteristics and purpose. And it’s not at all a matter of the notorious age difference - even destroyers of the same age often have such large differences that, de facto, they belong to different classes.
The idea of a destroyer as a “small universal ship” does not correspond to reality. Real life far from any stereotypes - each warship is built for a specific task; for actions in pre-agreed conditions (in the coastal zone, in open sea areas, in conditions of the possible use of nuclear weapons, etc.); against a previously known enemy (the United States and Japan had suspected an impending war in the Pacific since the beginning of the 20th century). An important factor is the financial potential of an individual state, the level of development of its science and the capabilities of its industry. All this clearly determines the appearance of the future ship and influences the determination of the range of its priority tasks.
I invite readers to check which ships are hidden behind the banal phrase “destroyer” and which unexpected decisions sometimes suggested by shipbuilders.
First of all, be sure to note that destroyers are “real” and “fake”. Real destroyers will be discussed below. As for the “fake” ones, these are, most often, modest ships that, in their size and combat capabilities, do not meet any of the requirements for destroyers of their generation. At best, these are frigates. At worst - anything, even a missile boat.
Nevertheless, with a slight stroke of the pen, and in spite of all enemies, they were included in the honorary caste of destroyers. Typical propaganda and the desire to seem better than you really are.
“Cheap show-offs” usually end in failure - having met any serious enemy, the “false destroyer” lets off steam from its broken sides and proudly sinks to the seabed.
Famous examples:
The infamous destroyer Eilat, sunk by Egyptian missile boats in October 1967. It is also the former British destroyer HMS Zealous, launched in 1944. It is fair to admit that by the time it entered service, HMS Zealous looked dismal compared to its peers - American, Japanese or German destroyers. A nondescript, obsolete ship, with a displacement of only 2,000 tons - not enough for a destroyer even by the standards of World War II.
INS Eilat
But other “outsiders” are the British Type 42 destroyers (better known as the Sheffield). By the end of the 1970s, the degradation of Her Majesty's fleet had reached such proportions that these unfortunate tanks with a displacement of 4,500 tons had to be included in the destroyers - for comparison, the American and Soviet destroyers of those years were twice as large, and in terms of combat capabilities they were generally superior to the Sheffields. by an order of magnitude.
The consequences were not long in coming - during the Falklands War of 1982, British replica warships were destroyed by conventional bombs from subsonic jet attack aircraft. A resounding slap in the face to Her Majesty's fleet.
(however, the British drew certain conclusions from this - the 2nd and 3rd modifications of the Sheffields turned out much better)
HMS Sheffield after a fire on board caused by an unexploded rocket
Now, having excluded “fakes” from consideration, let’s move on to real destroyers - wonderful combat systems that have become a “thunderstorm of the seas.”
The first subtype of destroyers is air defense destroyers.
The name speaks for itself, the ships are focused on combating air targets and, it must be admitted, the efforts of the designers were not in vain. Modern naval air defense systems make it possible to control space hundreds of kilometers from the side of the ship - if a destroyer has air defense on its warrant, an air attack on a squadron becomes an extremely risky and ineffective undertaking: even a supersonic anti-ship missile flying at an extremely low altitude does not guarantee a breakthrough through the “indestructible shield” of the destroyer air defense.
Famous examples:
The idea of an air defense destroyer is not new - similar ships have been known since World War II. For example, the Japanese destroyer Akizuki. Despite Japan's serious lag in radio technology and fire control systems, the Japanese managed to create a fairly successful destroyer with a total displacement of 3,700 tons, which became one of the best destroyers of the Second World War. Exceptionally powerful anti-aircraft weapons (not in quality, but in quantity - up to 60 barrels of anti-aircraft guns of all calibers!) + incredible fuel autonomy (a full supply of fuel oil was enough for 8,000 miles of travel)!
Nowadays, the undisputed favorite is the British Daring (type 45 destroyer). In terms of combating air targets, the Daring has no equal. Consider its one super-radar with an active phased array or a set of anti-aircraft missiles with an active homing head, capable of reaching an enemy aircraft below the radio horizon. A beautiful, powerful and modern ship, the pride of Her Majesty's fleet.
HMS Dragon (D35) - the fourth Type 45 destroyer
The second subtype is “attack” destroyers.
This includes destroyers designed to destroy enemy ships, as well as having any special capabilities for fire support of amphibious assault forces or launching missile and artillery strikes against coastal targets. Nowadays, their number is rapidly decreasing - ships are becoming more and more versatile, however, the idea of an “attack destroyer” is occasionally realized in the form of absolutely fantastic designs.
Famous examples:
Project 956 destroyer (code "Sarych"). A missile and artillery ship with 130 mm automatic guns and Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles. A classic attack destroyer, with weakened air defense and anti-aircraft defense.
Second bright representative– Chinese destroyer type 052 “Lanzhou” (currently obsolete). Very mediocre capabilities in terms of air defense and anti-submarine defense, but on board the Lanzhou there are as many as 16 anti-ship missiles!
Chinese destroyer Qingdao (DDG-113). The Stars and Stripes is just a courtesy gesture during a visit to Pearl Harbor
And of course, you can’t ignore the incredible destroyer Zamvolt! A fantastic stealth ship, the “silver bullet of the Pentagon” - the euphoria around the promising American destroyer has not subsided for almost 10 years. In addition to unusual, futuristic forms, the project attracted public attention with its unusual armament composition - for the first time in the past half century, it is planned to install two automated AGS 155 mm caliber guns on a warship. Rate of fire 10 rds/min. The firing range of high-precision projectiles is more than 100 kilometers!
Moving along the enemy coastline, the stealth destroyer will bombard enemy ports, coastal cities and military bases with its six-inch shells. And for “difficult targets”, 80 UVPs are provided on board the Zamvolt for launching anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk kamikaze cruise robots.
Third subtype - Large anti-submarine ships or anti-submarine destroyers
During the Cold War, the threat from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines was so great that both superpowers struggled to stock their navies with anti-submarine capabilities. As a result, BODs appeared in the USSR Navy - large destroyers with hypertrophied anti-submarine weapons. Monstrous 700-ton hydroacoustic stations, anti-submarine missile torpedoes, anti-submarine helicopter, rocket launchers and anti-submarine torpedoes - all the means to detect and destroy the enemy SSBN!
The Yankees were moving in a similar direction - “to have an anti-submarine frigate or destroyer for every Soviet submarine.” One of the results of this approach was a large series of Spruance-class destroyers. In the ranks of the US Navy, these ships performed the function of our BODs, with some adjustment for the versatility of their weapons. A notable feature of the Spruances was the absence of a collective defense air defense system - the air defense of the destroyers was rather weak and ineffective.
A good ship in all respects became even better with the advent of vertical missile launch systems - six dozen Tomahawks turned the Spruance into a real destroyer.
The fourth subtype is helicopter destroyers
A specific invention of a Japanese genius. Nostalgia for the glory days of Pearl Harbor. Constitutional ban on aircraft carriers and strike weapons. A serious threat from the Soviet submarine fleet.
All this determined the appearance of Japanese destroyers: the main armament was helicopters. From 3 to 11 rotorcraft on board, depending on the type of ship. However, on board each of the Japanese helicopter destroyers there is a certain amount of built-in weapons: from artillery pieces to air defense systems and anti-submarine missile torpedoes.
Destroyer-helicopter carrier "Haruna"
Destroyer-helicopter carrier "Hyuga". Dimensions are similar to UDC "Mistral"
Fifth subspecies - universal destroyers
A rare but very cool type of destroyer. Previously, there were many of them, but now the only thing left is “Orly Burke” and its derivatives. China is working in this direction, but so far all its attempts fall short of the level of the American Aegis destroyer.
The creation of such a ship in our time requires colossal efforts of the military-industrial complex, the highest level of development of science and gigantic financial costs. The only ones who managed to fully implement this idea were the Americans. In the early 90s, the US Navy received a supership with 96 Mk41 vertical launch systems (the entire range of missiles adopted by the US Navy is loaded - missiles, anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, Standard 3 anti-satellite missiles - everything except ballistic missiles ).
The Mk41 universal UVP would not have had that mystical effect without the Aegis combat information and control system - the AN/SPY-1 radar with four phased array antennas. Simultaneous tracking of thousands of air, surface and underwater targets within a radius of two hundred miles from the ship. Efficiency and speed of decision making. Special radar operating modes. Exchange data in real time with other ships and aircraft. All radio electronics of the ship - detection equipment, radio communications, satellite communications, weapons - all ship systems are connected into a single information circuit.
Yeah... The Burke destroyer is good, although it is not without its drawbacks: thin tin sides and disgustingly low survivability are the scourge of all modern ships. In addition, the Berks of the first modification were not at all universal - the priority of the Aegis destroyer was always air defense. All other problems did not interest him.
Initially, the Berks did not even provide for the permanent deployment of a helicopter. Anti-submarine defense was left to simpler ships - the same Spruance-class destroyers.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the named five subtypes of destroyers (from an air defense destroyer to an attack destroyer and a helicopter destroyer) are far from full list specializations of destroyers.
For example, during the Second World War, a need arose for escort destroyers - specific ships for solving convoy tasks - hence the unusual requirements for their design and armament.
In addition, there were minelayer destroyers (Robert Smith class); radar patrol destroyers; destroyers converted into anti-submarine ships under the FRAM program... The range of tasks of destroyers is extremely wide and it is not surprising that in order to solve any important problem specialized designs are created.
Project 956 destroyer and American Spruance-class destroyer
Destroyers of the "K/S" group ("standard 1000-ton destroyer")
Ships of the "K/S" group. known as "standard 1000-ton destroyers", were the mainstay of the British destroyer force during the First World War. They served as part of the Grand Fleet, were part of the Dover Patrol and the Harwich Forces, participated in the protection of the Otrant barrage, and escorted convoys.
In total, between 1912 and 1924, the British fleet was replenished with 262 destroyers, which were a consistent development of the successful “K” type, built in England under the 1911-1912 program. On subsequent types, individual improvements were made to the project, taking into account the experience of operation and combat service of previously built destroyers. So already on the next type "L" after the "K" two ships were experimentally equipped with a more economical power plant (PP), which included a turbo-gear unit, and on the "M" type ships built under the 1913-14 program gg. The speed has been noticeably increased (from 29 to 34 knots). On some of the M-type destroyers being built as part of the “emergency military program”, in order to increase efficiency, cruising turbines are equipped with a gearbox. Starting with type "R". The TZA occupies a strong place in the power plants of British destroyers, having finally replaced the direct drive turbine. On the next type, “Modified R,” in order to improve seaworthiness, the interior was redesigned, which made it possible to move the navigation bridge several meters aft and lighten the bow.
Almost all the ships of the "K / S" family were scrapped in the twenties and thirties, and by the beginning of the Second World War, only 12 units remained in the fleet: one type "R" and eleven type "S".
"R" class destroyers
"SKATE"
Short description:
Ships of the "R" type became the first serial British destroyers to include TZA as part of their power plant.
The decision that all newly built destroyers should have TZA was made by the Admiralty in July 1915. At the same time, an order was issued for the first 26 ships of the new "R" type. With the exception of the new power plant, they repeated in almost every way the earlier "M" type, which was built in England since the beginning of the war in a huge series numbering more than 100 units. Destroyers of this type had a normal displacement of about 1000 tons (from 883 to 1055 tons depending on builder), full speed of 34-35 knots, armament, consisting of three 102-mm guns and two twin-tube torpedo tubes. Not inferior, and in some ways superior to the German destroyers, the "M" type ships still did not fully respond requirements of the Admiralty: the low efficiency of the power plant used on them, in which the turbine directly transmitted power to the propeller, did not allow solving the problem of increasing the cruising range without a significant increase in displacement. Attempts to solve this problem were made in England even before the start of World War I, when on some destroyers cruising turbines were tested, and one of the ships was even supposed to be equipped with a high-speed diesel engine.Success came on two "L" type destroyers ("Leonidas" and "Lucifer"), equipped with a power plant, which included a gearbox that reduced the speed of the turbine. The experience of their successful one-year operation in wartime conditions led to the already mentioned decision to equip all newly built ships with power plants with TZA.
Other changes compared to the M type were very minor and did not go beyond the usual intra-type differences characteristic of British destroyers of the time. To improve seaworthiness, the forecastle was slightly raised in the stem area and the bridge was moved 9 feet (approximately 2.7 m) towards the stern. This entailed a change in the position of the anti-aircraft "pom-pom" from the section of the forecastle to the former searchlight platform between the torpedo tubes.
Comparative tests of the lead ship of the Romola series with the destroyer Norman, belonging to the previous type M, confirmed the efficiency of the R type: at 18 knots it spent 15%, and at 25 knots - 28% less fuel than its opponent, equipped with direct drive turbines. Taking into account the slightly increased oil reserves of the "R" type, this advantage became even more noticeable: the cruising range at the specified speed increased by 17.8% and 40%, respectively. The higher efficiency of the "R" type served as the impetus for the start of the design of the corresponding them as a leader, which later transformed into the famous "V" type destroyers.
In December, an order followed for the next 10 destroyers of the "R" type (including the Skate), and three months later for the last 15. The ships entered service within a year (from the autumn of 1916 to the autumn of 1917 g.) and managed to take an active part in the final stage of the war. Losses amounted to 8 units. After the war, one was sold to Siam, and the rest in 1926-37. - for scrapping.
Pre-war modernizations:
In the mid-30s. "Skate" was converted into a minelayer. The stern 102-mm gun and the second torpedo tube were replaced with mine rails designed to receive 40 minutes. It was as a minzag that the last surviving representative of the "R" type entered the Second World War.
Displacement: standard - 900 t, full - 1222 t
Dimensions: 80.8(pp)/84.1(nb) x 8.1 x 3.0/-m
Power plant:
Twin-shaft TZA Brown-Curtis, 3 Yarrow boilers (P = 17.5 kg/cm2)
Power: 27,000 hp
Fuel capacity (full): 296 t
Cruising range (at speed): 3440 miles (15 knots)
Crew: 90 people.
Weapons:
Artillery:
2x1 - 102 mm/45 Mk .IV guns in P.IX mounts
1x1 - 40 mm (2-lb) anti-aircraft gun ("pom-pom")
5x1 - 7.7 mm machine guns
Torpedo:
1x2 - 533 mm torpedo tube
Anti-submarine: none
Mine: 40 min
Fire control system:
Three-meter rangefinder MQ .I
Central guidance system - "Light Type Director" (LTD)
"R" class destroyers
|
Board number |
Name |
Place of construction |
Launched |
Equipped |
Modernizations "WAIR", "LRE" |
|
|
SKATE |
J. Brown |
S-class destroyers
"SABRE", "SALADIN", "SARDONYX", "SCIMITAR", "SCOUT", "SHIKARI", "STRONGHOLD". STURDY", "TENEDOS", "THANET", "THRACIAN"
Short description:
In March 1916, the Admiralty, developing the "standard 1000-ton destroyer" type, issued an order for the construction of 26 ships of the "Modified R" class. Their main difference from the “R” type was the redevelopment of the boiler rooms, which made it possible to bring the chimneys of two boilers into a common chimney, due to which the number of pipes was reduced from three to two. As a result, the bridge was moved towards the stern, removing it from the stem. Officers who served on destroyers insisted on this, noting the importance of having a “dry” bridge in all weather conditions. The price of more comfortable conditions was a decrease in survivability caused by the adjacent placement of the two largest waterproof compartments.
Another important innovation introduced on the "Modified R" type was the 102 mm Mk .V main gun in a new deck mount with an elevation angle of 30° versus the previous 20°, which gave an increase in firing range of more than one mile (2000 yards).
The "Modified R" type was returned to at the beginning of 1917, when, after a year's break caused by the construction in 1916 of two series of destroyers of the "V / W" group, the Admiralty determined the technical requirements for the destroyers of the 1917 program. The Controller of the Admiralty proposed a return to type “Modified R”, arguing that with all the advantages of the “V” type, these ships have a speed lower by two knots, are more expensive and require more time to build.
The return to ships of smaller displacement was supported by a number of Admiralty officials, and after some changes were made to the project in April 1917, an order was issued for 24, and two months later for another 33 ships, designated type "S". According to the Admiralty project, 45 units were built (later the order for two was cancelled). Firms Thornycroft and Yarrow, whose projects traditionally differed from the Admiralty, received orders for five and seven units, respectively.
Basically, the "S" type repeated its prototype. The differences primarily concerned the bow end: in order to increase seaworthiness, the forecastle deck rose noticeably towards the stem, mating with the side plating not at a right angle, but forming a smooth transition, rounded in the cross-section of the frames. Due to this, the shape of the forecastle was somewhat reminiscent of the so-called. "turtledeck" (turtle-shaped or carapace deck), used on the first fighters.
The remaining changes concerned the armament, to which the 102-mm Mk .IV guns were returned (but on new CP .III machines), equipped with a central aiming system. Based on the experience of the Dover Patrol destroyers, the "S" type, in addition to the usual torpedo tubes in the center plane, was equipped with two more single-tube 381-mm torpedo tubes on the side at the forecastle section. They were intended for use at the bow heading angles in short-term night battles, when the sudden appearance of the enemy did not leave time to turn around to use standard torpedo tubes.
Some of the "S" type destroyers managed to take part in the First World War. Their experience in the North Sea and the English Channel revealed that their seaworthiness was worse than that of the "R" type, caused by the shape of the forecastle and the location of the 381 mm torpedo tubes. In order to at least somehow eliminate this drawback, the side devices were removed from most of the destroyers, and the forecastle was extended towards the stern.
After the end of the war, destroyers of this type, together with representatives of the "V / W" group, formed the basis of the flotillas of the active fleet. The type suffered no losses during the war, but in the early twenties four were lost to collisions, mine explosions and groundings. Five ships were transferred to Australia in 1919, and two more in 1928 to Canada. Beginning in the early thirties, S-class destroyers began to be intensively scrapped, and by the beginning of the Second World War, only eleven units remained in the British fleet. Pre-war modernizations:
In 1924, Shikari was converted into a control vessel for the target ship Agamemnon. The destroyer had no weapons. Its weapons were replaced by remote control equipment. Saber was disarmed in 1937 for use as a target ship. Both of these destroyers were re-armed to standard status at the start of hostilities.
In 1938-39 The destroyers Stronghold, Sturdy and Thracian were converted into high-speed minelayers of the Scapga type. The stern main battery guns and torpedo tubes were removed from them, which made it possible to place 40 mines.
Tactical and technical elements:
Displacement: standard - 905 tons, full - 1220 tons.
Dimensions: 80.8(pp)/84.1(nb) x 8.1 x 3.0/3.3 m.
Power plant:
Twin-shaft TZA Brown-Curtis, 3 Yarrow boilers (P = 17.5 kg/cm2).
Power: 27,000 hp
Speed: part load: 36.0 knots, fully loaded: 32.5 knots.
Fuel capacity (full): 301 tons.
Cruising range (at speed): 2750 miles (15 knots)
Crew: 90 people.
Weapons:
Artillery:
3x1 - 102 mm/45 Mk .IV guns in SR.III mounts (on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian" 2x1)
1x1 - 40 mm (2-lb) anti-aircraft gun ("pom-pom")
5x1 - 7.7 mm machine guns
Torpedo:
2 * 2 -533 mm torpedo tubes (not available on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian")
Anti-submarine: ASDIC. 2 BM and 1 BS (most of them, including mines, do not have anti-submarine weapons).
Mine: 40 min (only on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian").
Fire control system:
Three-meter rangefinder MQ .I
Central guidance system - "Light Type Director" (L TD)
"S" class destroyers
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Board number |
Name |
Place of construction |
Launched |
Equipped |
"WAIR" upgrades. ""LRE" |
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SABER |
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SALADIN |
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SARDONYX |
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SCIMITAR |
J. Brown |
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SCOUT |
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SHIKARI |
Doxford |
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STRONGHOLD |
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STURDY |
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TENEDOS |
Hawthorne Leslie |
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THANET |
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THRACIAN |
"Shikari" and "Sardonyx" were completed by the state shipyard in Chatham, "Sabre" and "Saladin" were completed by Fairfield. "Thracian" was completed at the government shipyard in Sheerness.
In a memorandum of the British Admiralty on August 8, 1892, the definition of “torpedo hunter” first appeared.
Then, at the turn of the century, the great naval powers proceeded primarily from the decisive importance of the battle fleet. The main battles at sea took place with the participation of battleships, which formed the core of the fleet. At the beginning of the 20th century, torpedoes appeared - weapons that posed an immediate danger to large ships. Mobile torpedo boats made surprise attacks, thus torpedo attacks posed a particular danger to all battleships. Small torpedo boats, inexpensive to produce, provided an opportunity for the fleets of small maritime states to demonstrate their strength at sea. The prospect of using small ships against a battlefleet became very real. However, when a new type of weapon appeared, countermeasures arose almost immediately. The same thing happened with the advent of destroyers.
A new class of ships appeared, which was superior to the torpedo boat in speed and armament, which could be used to protect heavy ships. Originally intended for operations against torpedo boats, the new class of ships became universal and multi-purpose, built in large quantities and actively used during combat operations.
Destroyers were used in all theaters of war. The new class of ships performed many more tasks than any warship in the entire history of naval warfare. He operated against submarines, guarded convoys, protected battleships, laid mines and conducted patrols in coastal waters.
destroyer Z1 "Leberecht Maass"
To get a complete picture of the development of German destroyers during the First World War and until the end of the Second World War, it is necessary to consider the political situation provided by the Treaty of Versailles and the technical capabilities of that time that existed in naval strategy. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles, established by the victorious powers, required that the destroyer's displacement should not exceed 800 tons. Thus, Germany was deprived of the opportunity to create destroyers. After World War I, the Germans almost completely lost their navy. At first, its fleet consisted of several torpedo boats after military construction. Then a new type of torpedo boat was built. In terms of armament, they could not be considered destroyers, and also could not be compared with similar models from other countries.
Germany could no longer ensure the protection of its borders, which practically meant the absence of the defense capability of the navy. In October 1933, the fleet command decided to protect its interests and issued an order to build destroyers of the 1932 model. It was decided to take advantage of existing opportunities. The new destroyers had to be stable and have powerful artillery in order to achieve successful combat operations against large French and Polish destroyers. Some of them were equipped with 139 mm guns. Already in 1934, shipbuilding engineers were offered a high-pressure steam unit, which could well become the basis for a new engine. It provided significant weight and space savings compared to previous models. This in turn provided greater armor and speed of the ship. Therefore, the power plant was put into service almost without full comprehensive testing, which led to frequent breakdowns. The capabilities of such destroyers were severely limited, especially when hostilities began.
destroyer Z3 "Max Schultz"
destroyer Z4 "Richard Beitzen"
On April 7, 1934, the Kiel shipyard received an order for the construction of four Project 1934 destroyers with a displacement of 2,230 tons, the armament of which consisted of a 127 mm gun and four 37 mm anti-aircraft guns (Z1 Leberecht Maass, Z2 Georg Thiele, Z3 Max Schultz ", Z4 "Richard Beitzen"). The ship was also equipped with four torpedo tubes with a caliber of 537 mm. The speed of these wonderful ships reached 37 knots. Cruising range is 4400 miles at a cruising speed of 19 knots. All four destroyers were designed with straight stems.
Due to insufficient stability, all four destroyers had this disadvantage, and the following ships were modified, where the angle of inclination of the stem was increased and the height of the side was increased. With a constant displacement, seaworthiness improved, but stability remained a problem. According to tradition, the first samples of warships were named after officers who distinguished themselves during military operations. They died in battles with enemy ships.
destroyer Z6 "Theodor Riedel"
Since 1937, new designs of destroyers of the Mrva project have been proposed, with an increased displacement of up to 3800 tons. They were planned to be armed with 125 mm guns in dual or single mounts. In 1938, a project for the Atlantic destroyer Entwurf with a displacement of 4,000 tons, armed with five 125 mm guns located in three towers, appeared. However, the project was never implemented.
destroyer Z43 project 1936B
By the end of 1939, the sixth series of Project 1936B destroyers (Z35, Z36, Z43-Z45) was ordered. They were equipped with 127 mm guns. The increased weight, bow roll and slow rate of fire of the 155 mm guns were the reasons for this decision. The destroyers were armed with five 127 mm guns in single mounts. The standard displacement was 3519 tons. Stability and seaworthiness have improved significantly. The space of the ship was filled more rationally and the destroyers could carry an additional supply of fuel. They had the longest cruising range in the German fleet, 6,200 miles at a cruising speed of 19 knots. They became the most balanced destroyers built for the German fleet.
In 1942, an order was placed for the seventh series of Project 1936C destroyers (Z46 - Z50). Construction of the first two ships began in 1943, but work was suspended due to labor shortages. The buildings were dismantled, and the next ones were not even laid down. In 1943, at the DeSchiMAG shipyard in Bremen, construction began on a Project 1942 destroyer with a diesel engine, displacing 2,041 tons, and armed with four 127 mm guns. The Z51 ship was launched in 1944, but was not completed. On March 21, 1945, during an air raid on Bremen, the destroyer Z51 was severely damaged by bomb explosions, so work had to be stopped. Later, the construction of other destroyers Z52 - Z56 was planned. In 1943, the DeSchiMAG shipyard began laying down these new Project 1942A ships, but a lack of material and bombing led to the cessation of work.
At the end of the war, the finished units were scrapped. The standard displacement of these diesel destroyers would be 2,818 tons. The range seemed to be an incredible 16,000 miles. The maximum speed would be 37.5 knots. It was planned to install six 128 mm semi-automatic multi-purpose guns located in two gun turrets. These Atlantic destroyers were intended to operate as part of strike formations and would become representatives of a new generation of ships.
The latest ship project, developed in 1945, largely repeated previous developments. The hull was shorter, the engine room weighed less, so there was about 12 percent left to increase the power of the guns. The standard displacement would be 2,700 tons. Completely new automatic multi-purpose 128 mm guns were adopted as weapons, providing a higher rate of fire. This completed the full cycle of design and construction of destroyers for the German fleet from 1932 to 1945.
All built destroyers were part of the German fleet and carried out their assigned tasks of patrolling areas, providing security for convoys and guarding battleships throughout almost the entire territory of Germany and were in the formed seven destroyer flotillas. On average it was six ships. Often in maritime jargon they were called boats, but this was not true, since a military ship already had a senior mate as part of the command staff, and this was equivalent to a ship.
At the end of World War II german fleet encountered logistical problems. After rapid testing, projects changed each other at lightning speed and were intended to solve a variety of problems. The sixth series of destroyers Z35, Z36 and Z43, after seven years of development, led to the creation of the most modern destroyer, which was superior to similar ships in service with the navies of other countries. However, there were too few of them, and technical superiority did not ensure pre-war dominance. In World War II, the German Navy lacked a simple standard ship that could be built quickly and without delay. large quantities to perform various destroyer tasks. The Americans and British built simple destroyers, relying on quantity. In Germany, due to a lack of materials, technically advanced ships were produced in small series. An attempt to eliminate the shortage of materials by releasing Narvin-class destroyers with cruiser armament led to the fact that these ships were given inappropriate tasks. Operating against cruisers, German destroyers, not inferior to the enemy in artillery, could not fight them on equal terms due to poorer stability.
The few German destroyers that were in combat-ready condition confronted an enemy that was a hundred times superior to them. Sometimes there were only three fully operational destroyers in a long theater of war, so the role of German ships of this class in World War II cannot be underestimated. The lack of funds led to the fact that improvisation remained almost the only way to conduct naval combat. Their role in the greatest rescue mission in human history will never be forgotten.