Ships 1

Limited by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles to a maximum displacement of 10,039 tons, Germany produced the cleverly designed "pocket" battleship . Great savings were achieved by using electric welding and light alloys in the hull. Admiral Graf Spree, with her two sister ships , Deutschland and Admiral Scheer, were intended primarily as Commerce Raiders . The ship was scuttled off Montevideo, Uruguay after engaging three British cruisers, Exeter, Ajax and Achilles, in the battle of River Plate in December 1939 . The ship was officially classified as being an armored ship by the Germans tell it was popularly referred to as being a pocket battleship, a title which stuck. In actual fact neither term is strictly correct for she was in reality an armored cruiser of an exceptionally powerful type.

An iron hulled schooner rigged vessel Affondatore had a pronounced wrought iron ram. She had two turrets, each designed by the British Navy Captain Cowper Coles. She acted as the flagship of Admiral Persano's fleet at the Battle of Lissa in July 1866, and remained in service with the Italian Navy for a further 41 years. The battle was the culmination of Italo-Austrian rivalry in the Adriatic, and was the only fleet action of the ironclad era. The tactics of the Austrian commander, Admiral Tegethof, relied on the ram as his artillery was especially weak (his Krupp guns has not been delivered as Austria and Prussia were at that time at war). When his flagship, the Ferdinand Max, rammed the Re d' Italia the ram instantly became the preferred weapon of many naval commanders. This thinking was entirely misplaced, as the Italian had been dead in the water, her rudder shot away.

Agamemnon was one of the Lord Nelson class and the last of Britain's pre-dreadnoughts. Laid down in 1904, her construction coincided with that of HMS Dreadnought. As a result Agamemnon's completion was delayed until 1908, by which time Dreadnought had made history and the Lord Nelson Class was launched into virtual obsolescence. Characterized by their large secondary armament, which differed of course from all the big-gunned dreadnoughts, the class was known at the time for having a rather French look to its design, with a high superstructure and low unequal-sized funnels. Agamemnon served in the east Mediterranean during World War, and saw action in the Dardanelles . During these operations she was hit over 60 times and on May 15,1916 her gunners shot down Zeppelin L85 at Salonika.

1860

Agincourt was constructed with all her guns placed in one long armored battery, while her two sister ships Northumberland and Minotaur, had the distinction of being the largest single-screw warships ever built. Agincourt was also one of the last British ships to be fitted with muzzle-loading guns. These guns were to be replaced in the 1860s with breech -loading weapons. Agincourt and her two sister vessels, each had five masts and two funnels. Minotaur served as flagship during her active career, Northumberland was armed with the new 8 inch guns and had her armament reduced. Agincourt was first laid down as the HMS Captain. After being paid off she was used as a training ship. She was to end her days (from 1908 onward) as a coal hulk at Sheerness. Agincourt was not broken up until 1960.

1913

Originally ordered in Britain by the Brazilian government and named Rio de Janeiro when she launched in 1913, the Brilliants found that they could not afford her . She was sold on to Turkey as Sultan Osmund I, but never delivered. Completed in August 1914, she was appropriated by the royal Navy for war service and renamed Agincourt. In design she had many unusual features, not least her length and big main armament of 12 inch guns on 7 twin turrets. However, this huge amount of weight weekend her hull which was in any case woefully unprotected. She was nevertheless known in her time as a good sea boat. Her tripod mast was reduced to a pole in 1917 and later removed. After World War I Agincourt was unsuccessfully offered for sale back to Brazil, and sold for scrap in the 1920s.

Akagi was designed as a 41,161 ton battle-cruiser but, while still on the stocks, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 (whereby Japan was forced to restrict her naval program) caused the design to be altered. Built to dispatch up to 60 aircraft, she was modified to carry heavier aircraft and more light guns. As converted, she had three flight decks forward, no island and two funnels on the starboard side, one pointing up, the other out and down. During reconstruction (1935-1938) the two lower flight decks forward were removed and the top flight deck extended forward to the bow. An island was added on the port side. Akagi led the Japanese carrier assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7,1941, but was destroyed seven months later by bombs dropped by the US Navy dive-bombers at the decisive Battle of Midway.

Almirante Cochrane and her sister ship, Blanco Encalada, both combined good protection with a powerful armament on a small displacement. Almirante Cochrane's guns were in an armored box. Both of these battleships took part in the war with Peru when Chile seized large parts of the Peruvian coastline. Blanco Encalada was the first battleship to have the dubious honor of being sunk by a modern torpedo. Launched in 1874, Almirante Cochrane was named in honor of Thomas Lord Cochrane (1775-1860), Earl of Dundonald, the British naval officer who commanded the Chilean Navy in the war of independence. Almirante Cochrane fought on the Congressional side during the civil war of 1891; she was subsequently used as a torpedo and gunnery school ship, and was broken up in 1934.

The Kitty Hawk class were the first aircraft carriers not to carry conventional guns. Intended to be larger and improved version of the earlier Forestall class , Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and Constellation (CV 64) were the first two built. The third America (CV 66) was launched in 1964, and incorporated further improvements based on operational experience. Her dimensions are slightly different to those of her sisters, with a narrower smokestack. She was the first carrier to be equipped with an integrated Combat Information Center (CIC) and is also fitted with a bow mounted sonar. A fourth ship , John F. Kennedy (CV 67), was built after the US Congress refused to sanction a nuclear - powered vessel in 1964. Policy has since changed , and all large US carriers since then have used nuclear propulsion, leaving America and her sisters as the largest conventionality driven vessels in service.

Launched in 1897, Armmiagilo di Saint Bon was a compact, heavily protected vessel . A Flagship of the Italian Navy, Armmiagilo di Saint Bon was a fine example of the emphasis that Italian planners of that time were putting on armor. For example, her 6 inch guns were housed in an armored central battery. Improvements in metallurgical technology in the late 1800s meant that the ship's speed would not be impaired by her solid build . Armmiagilo di Saint Bon took part in the Italo-Turkish War; in 1912 she supported Italian forces occupying Tripoli, and in the same year she operated in the Aegean Sea in support of Italian forces occupying the Island of Rhodes during the Balkan War. During World War I she was based in Venice for operations in the Adriatic. She was decommissioned in June 1920.

Launched in 1897, Armmiagilo di Saint Bon was a compact, heavily protected vessel . A Flagship of the Italian Navy, Armmiagilo di Saint Bon was a fine example of the emphasis that Italian planners of that time were putting on armor. For example, her 6 inch guns were housed in an armored central battery. Improvements in metallurgical technology in the late 1800s meant that the ship's speed would not be impaired by her solid build . Armmiagilo di Saint Bon took part in the Italo-Turkish War; in 1912 she supported Italian forces occupying Tripoli, and in the same year she operated in the Aegean Sea in support of Italian forces occupying the Island of Rhodes during the Balkan War. During World War I she was based in Venice for operations in the Adriatic. She was decommissioned in June 1920.

Appalachian was one of an important group of ships that acted both as the headquarters ship and as air control for the amphibious assaults on Japanese-held during World War II. In January 1945 she was headquarters ship for Amphibious Group 3, which operated in support of the large-scale US landings at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. The launches were heavily contested by Japanese Kamikaze suicide piolets, who managed to sink a US carrier and damage several more, but Appalachian escaped unharmed. Appalachian, which was designated AGC.1, was the first of seventeen US amphibious force flagships, which served in all theatres of war. She later served briefly as Pacific fleet ship in 1947, before being removed from the active list that same year. She was broken up in 1960.

Aquila began her life as the 33,232 ton cruise ship Roma. She was requisitioned by the Italian Navy in 1941 for conversion into the first Italian aircraft carrier. Several improvements were undertaken during World War II. For example, more powerful engines were installed as well as an enormous second underwater keel, into which cement was poured to increase stability. In September 1943, when almost completed at Genoa, Aquila was seized by the Germans following Italy's surrender, and on April 19,1945 she was severely damaged by Italian torpedoes to prevent her being used by the Germans as a blockship. She was intended to carry an air group of 51 aircraft, and her turbines were take from the uncompleted cruisers Silla and Emillio. Aquilla never saw service and was broken up in 1951.

Arapiles was planned as a wooden screw frigate, but she was altered while still on stocks to become a broadside ironclad with a midship armor belt that added over 203 tons to the displacement. In 1873 Arapiles grounded off Venezuela and was sent to New York for repairs. This removal coincided with the crisis that had arisen between Spain and the USA over the seizure of the American steamer Virginius by a Spanish cruiser off Cuba. During this crisis, a sunken effectively prevented any attempt to effect her escape from dry dock. In the end, the poor state of Arapiles' wooden hull meant that it was uneconomic to carry out repairs. The name of the vessel was taken from the site of the Battle of Salamanca (1812), in which the Duke of Wellington defeated the French.

Arizona, like her sister ship Pennsylvania, was an improved and enlarged version of the Nevada class, her main armament being housed in four triple turrets. Launched in 1915, and completed the following year, Arizona did not see any action during World War I, in 1941 she sailed to the Pacific to join the US fleet based at Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7th the Japanese launched an air attack without warning. One of the first ships hit was Arizona. A bomb is believed to have struck one of her forward turrets which detonated the magazine beneath. The ship blew up taking over a thousand of her crew with her. Arizona was one of four US battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor, a fifth was beached and three more damaged . Today her remains still lie in the shallow waters of the harbor where she is preserved as a war grave.

1587

Built for Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587( he intended to use her in his project for the colonization of North America) and originally named Anne Royal, this ship was purchased by Queen Elisabeth I for £5,000 and renamed Ark Royal. She was the flagship of Lord Howard of Effingham at the battle against the Spanish Armada of 1588 and was one of the largest vessels in the English fleet. Ark Royal had two gun decks, a double forecastle, a quarter deck and a poop deck right aft. She had an elegant outline and none of the cluttered superstructure then common on such large vessels. Her armament ranged from 5.8 to 41.8 pound guns. Britain was the first nation the galleon, in the reign of Henry VII while Spain was the last great maritime nation to adopt it. Ark Royal was accidentally burnt while in dock.

1940

Ark Royal was the first large purpose built aircraft carriers to be constructed for the Royal Navy, with a long flight deck some 60 feet above the deep water load line. The aircraft carrier's full complement was 60 aircraft, although she never actually carried that many as such a load would have reduced her fighting capability. During her war operations, she took part in the Norwegian campaign of 1940 and was subsequently transferred to the Mediterranean Theatre, where she joined 'Force H' at Gibraltar. In May 1941 one of her Swordfish aircraft torpedoed the German battleship Bismarck, destroying the warship's steering gear - an act that led to Bismarck being sunk some hours later by the British Fleet. In November 1941 Ark Royal was torpedo by the German submarine U81and capsized after 14 hours.

Armide and her sister six sisters were designed as central battery ships for service on far flung foreign stations. The larger battleships then in service were too costly to build and maintain away from Europe, so Armide was ideally suited to arenas where she was unlikely to meet an opponent stronger than herself. In 1870 Armide operated in the North Sea and the Baltic, implementing the naval blockade of Prussia during during the Franco-Prussian war (a blockade which, was incidentally, persuaded the Germans that they needed a powerful modern fleet) and in 1873 she undertook a blockade of Cartagena, Spain, during a period of civil unrest there. She was broken up in 1887. Armide had a wooden hull and was barque-rigged, with a sail area of 14,500 square feet. Alma class were 'handy' ships, with a turning circle 360 yards.

In the 1860s Prussia was anxious to defend herself against the Danes. Prussia purchased Arminius, a ship that was being built in England. She launched in 1864 and hastily completed, but arrived too late in the Baltic to take part in the war with Denmark. One of a type designed by Captain Cowper Coles of the Royal Navy - the man instrumental in developing the gun turret - Arminius became the first battleship to join the German Navy. She became a coastal defense vessel, helping to protect the River Elbe in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. In October 1870 she was damaged in a collision with a dispatch vessel Falcke off Wihelmshaven. After repair she was an engineering training ship, then an icebreaker. She was broken up in 1902 at Hamburg.

Arpad was developed as a small battleship type which was intended for service in the Adriatic. Although the vessel was protected, her main armament was weak. Nevertheless her secondary battery was certainly as powerful as any battleship in service at that time. Arpad was one of the first warships to rely heavily on electricity in order to work the main guns, hoists and ventilators. Arpad was one of the Hapsburg class of pre-Dreadnought battleships. She took her name from the 10th- century chief of Magyars, who was also the national hero of Hungary. Launched in 1899 and completed in 1903, Arpad then underwent a substantial refit in 1911-1912. At the end of World War I she was put to use as a training ship, she was interned at Pola in 1918 and broken up in Italy in 1920.

In 1896, Japan began a naval expansion program. Because her own shipyards were not yet ready to accommodate such a program., Asahi and her three sister ships were ordered from British yards. All four vessels were designed by G.C. Macrow along the lines of the Royal Navy's Canopus class. Asahi saw extensive operational service in the 1904-1905 war with Russia serving as Admiral Togo's flagship. She took part in the blockade of Port Arthur, where she was moderately damaged by a mine, and on May 27,1905 she sustained nine shell hits in the decisive Battle of Tsushima. She was later preserved as a memorial. In 923 Asahi was converted to a submarine depot ship. Finally, on May 25,1942 she was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine Salmon in the South China Sea.

Formerly known as the Egyptian ironclad Ibrahmich, which had been launched in 1868, the ship was renamed Assar-i-Tewfik. She had six of her heavy guns concentrated in an armored battery, which also protected the funnel base. As a further improvement, two more guns were mounted directly above the battery. This new arrangement helped reduce the average size of battleships, and resulted in greater maneuverability. In December 1916 Assar-i-Tewfik went into action of the Dardanelles in the Balkan war against Bulgaria, receiving some damage. Then on February 11 1912, she ran aground near Podima in Bosphorus while supporting troops in action and had to be abandoned. Defined as a coastal battery ship, Assar-i-Tewfik, was similar to the French Trident class of vessel.

In 1942, shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser was employed in the mass production of cargo vessels to replace those that had been lost in action. It was decided at that time to complete 50 of the unfinished hulls as escort carriers.The resultant vessel was named Attu (CVE 102). Her 49 sister ships of the Casablanca class , were all completed in a single year. The Casablanca class carried an air group of nine bombers, nine torpedo bombers and nine fighters.They were the first vessels of their kind to be built as escort carriers from the keel up. All of the Casablanca class went on to serve in the Pacific, with the exception of the Guadalcanal and Kasaan Bay, both of which saw service in the Atlantic. In 1947 Attu was converted for mercantile use and renamed Gay. She was subsequently scrapped at Baltimore in 1949.

1785

Audacious saw extensive service in the almost continuous warfare that Britain was engaged in at the turn of the 18th century. Her type was considered the best balance between offensive power and sailing ability, and formed the backbone of the battle-line. Vessels like Audacious were virtually floating gun platforms , their primary task being to undertake offensive operations against an enemy fleet. Launched in 1785, Audacious took part in many actions , including the Battle of the Nile in August 1798, when she fought and overcame the French ship Conquerant. However, British vessels of the period were built to a standard pattern and were considered too small for the number of guns carried. French vessels had a better underwater hull form and could usually outsail their British counterparts. She was broken up in 1815.

1911

Built in answer to the growing strength and ambition of the German Navy. Audacious, one of King George V class, was part of the 1911 British battleship expansion program. She carried the foremast before the funnels, giving better vision to fire control when underway, a standard arrangement on all subsequent dreadnoughts. While on patrol in October 1914 Audacious struck a mine off Ireland and all attempts tow her to safety failed. She was the first major British ship lost in World War I. Of the other two vessels in her class, King George V served as a gunnery training ship after World War I , and was broken up in1926; and Centurion went on to see service in World War II as a floating AA battery in the Mediterranean. She was sunk off Normandy in June 1944 to form part of an artificial harbor.

Australia was a new type of cruiser.Improvements in speed had been achieved, by reducing armor protection, and by reducing the main guns by two. In addition, the middle group of turrets, placed in echelon, had a greater field of fire. Australia was built on the Clyde in 1913 and after completion she sailed to the Pacific to become the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy. She returned to Britain mid-way through World War I, but was unable to take part in the Battle of Jutland as a result of a collision with the battle-cruiser New Zealand in fog. In December 1916 Australia was damaged in another collision, this time with the battle-cruiser Repulse. Australia was decommissioned in December 1921 and was subsequently used as a target ship, until she was sunk off Sydney in April1924.