Military Archives - Page 2 of 20 - Destination's Journey

HMS Thunderer (1872)

HMS Thunderer was the second of two Devastation-class ironclad turret ships built for the Royal Navy along with her sister HMS Devastation (1871). Launched on 25 March 1872, she was completed on 26 May 1877.

While under going trials on 14 July 1876, Thunderer suffered a disastrous boiler explosion which killed 45 people. After repairs and commissioning, she was assigned to the Channel Squadron and then the Mediterranean.

On 2 January 1879, the left 12-inch 38 ton gun in the forward turret exploded during gunnery practice in the Sea of Marmora, killing 11 and injuring a further 35. This was probably caused when the muzzle-loading gun had been double-loaded following a misfire.

In January 1888, she was assigned to the Portsmouth Reserve, where she underwent a modernsation the following year. Her muzzle-loading 12-inch guns were replaced by 10-inch breech-loading guns. To improve her defence against torpedo boats, her Nordenfelt guns were replaced by six quick-firing (QF) 6-pounder 2.2 in (57 mm) and eight QF 3-pounder 1.9 in (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns. Thunderer’s machinery was replaced by inverted triple-expansion steam engines and cylindrical boilers.

Rejoining the Mediterranean Fleet in March 1891, she was forced to return home in September 1892 with persistent boiler problems and she was reduced to the Chatham reserve. Thunderer became the guard ship at Pembroke Dock in May 1895 and remained there until she returned to the Chatham reserve in December 1900.

Although she was refitted as an emergency ship in 1902, she was taken out of service in 1905. Thunderer was sold for scrap on 13 September 1909.

General characteristics (as built)

Displacement	9,330 long tons (9,480 t)
Length	285 ft (86.9 m) (p/p) 307 ft (93.6 m) (o/a)
Beam	62 ft 3 in (19.0 m)
Draught	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m)
Installed power	5,600 ihp (4,200 kW) 8 rectangular boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 Direct-acting steam engines
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
Range	4,700 nmi (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) @ 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	358
Armament	4 × 12-inch (305 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns
Armour	Waterline belt: 12–8.5 in (305–216 mm) Deck: 3–2 in (76–51 mm) Gun turrets: 14–10 mm (1–0 in) Conning tower: 9–6 in (229–152 mm) Bulkheads: 6–5 in (152–127 mm)

21 December 2024

Russian Battleship Knyaz Suvorov

Launched on 25 September 1902, Knyaz Suvorov was Borodino-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Russian Navy. Entering service in September 1904, she sailed a month later on 15 October 1904, with the Second Pacific Squadron to break the Japanese blockade of Port Arthur.

The Japanese captured the port while the squadron was in transit and their destination was changed to Vladivostok. During the Battle of Tsushima, the ship fell out of the battle line after a shell hit her bridge, killing her helmsman and wounding her captain and Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky. Knyaz Suvorov was eventually torpedoed and sunk by Japanese torpedo boats; other than 20 wounded officers evacuated by a destroyer, there were no survivors.

Class and type	Borodino-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement	14,415 long tons (14,646 t)
Length	397 ft (121.0 m) (o/a)
Beam	76 ft 1 in (23.2 m)
Draft	29 ft 2 in (8.9 m)
Installed power	20 Belleville boilers15,575 ihp (11,614 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph)
Range	2,590 nmi (4,800 km; 2,980 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	782 (designed)
Armament	2 × twin 12 in (305 mm) guns 6 × twin 6 in (152 mm) guns 20 × single 75 mm (3 in) guns 20 × single 47 mm (1.9 in) guns 4 × 15 in (381 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor	Krupp armor Belt: 5.7–7.64 inches (145–194 mm) Deck: 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) Turrets: 10 inches (254 mm)

Menu to Other Borodino-class Battleships

Borodino-class

Naval ships of Russia by Apostoli - 131. Knyaz_Suvorov — Naval ships of Russia by Apostoli – 131. Knyaz_Suvorov

Knyaz Suvorov — Naval ships of Russia by Apostoli – 131. Knyaz_Suvorov

17 December 2024

Russian Battleship Slava

Launched on 29 October 1903, Slava was a Borodino-class battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy. Not completed until October 1905, she was too late to be included in the ships sent to relieve the siege of Port Arthur, hence missing the Battle of Tsushima. She therefore avoided the fate of her four sisters, three of which were sunk and the other captured by Japan.

During World War One, Slava served in the Baltic. On the 8th of August 1915, the Germans started clearing the mines in the Irbe Strait. Slava sortied and fired on the minesweepers, forcing them to retire. A later attempt by the Germans was accompanied by two dreadnought battleships (SMS Nassau and Posen) resulted in damage to Slava forcing her to retire.

She spent the rest of 1915 supporting Russian troops. In the summer of 1916, she resumed her support of the army, and on 12 September 1916 became the subject of the first attack by torpedo bombers against a moving battleship. All of the torpedoes missed.

During the Battle of Moon Sound, Slava was severely damaged by the German battleship König. She was ordered to be scuttled to block a channel, but instead ran around where one of her 12-inch magazines exploded. Russian destroyers fired torpedoes at her to ensure her destruction. Only one of the six fired worked. The wreck was scrapped by the Estonians in 1935.

Class and type	Borodino-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement	14,415 long tons (14,646 t) (normal) 15,275 long tons (15,520 t) full load
Length	397 ft 3 in (121.1 m)
Beam	76 ft 1 in (23.2 m)
Draft	29 ft 2 in (8.9 m)
Installed power	15,800 ihp (11,800 kW)20 water-tube boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 vertical triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph)
Range	2,590 nmi (4,800 km; 2,980 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	846
Armament	2 × twin 12-inch (305 mm) guns 6 × twin 6-inch (152 mm) guns 20 × single 75-millimeter (3.0 in) guns 4 × single 47-millimeter (1.9 in) saluting guns 4 × 15-inch (381 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor	Krupp armor Waterline belt: 145–194 mm (5.7–7.6 in) Deck: 25.4–51 mm (1–2 in) Turrets: 254 mm (10.0 in) Barbettes: 178–229 mm (7–9 in) Conning tower: 203 mm (8.0 in)