Smederevac94

minha_mae, on 03 December 2013 - 05:24 PM, said: And you hit the target again nice post man ;) atariforce74, on 03 December 2013 - 07:42 PM, said: Thanks for sharing. +1 since you did a good job with accurate info and pictures. Tnx guys...you are the best :eyesup:

atariforce74, on 03 December 2013 - 07:46 PM, said: Thanks for sharing. +3 since you did a good job with accurate info and pictures. This ship is really beautiful. I hope we can develope it in WoWs!!! Probably one of my favourites! Tnx you very much mate :honoring:

atariforce74, on 03 December 2013 - 07:44 PM, said: Thanks for sharing. +1 since you did a good job with accurate info and pictures. Tnx atariforce :honoring: rubenmon, on 03 December 2013 - 08:14 PM, said: I like this post, teaches us not to forget the oldest ships. And men who served on them :glasses:

atariforce74, on 03 December 2013 - 07:43 PM, said: Thanks for sharing. +1 since you did a good job with accurate info and pictures. rubenmon, on 03 December 2013 - 08:18 PM, said: These are my favorite boats as they never go out of fashion. Tnx guys, I appreciate it :honoring:

Good post, +1 from me :medal:

Nice ship, GJ :honoring:

Azyzal, on 02 December 2013 - 12:36 PM, said: Well done, nice post, thx atariforce74, on 03 December 2013 - 07:41 PM, said: As always, you did a good job, interesting post with accurate info and pictures. +1. thanks for sharing! Tnx very much guys :great:

tomas144, on 03 December 2013 - 02:21 PM, said: nice post and nice ship :honoring: :great: daantje8, on 03 December 2013 - 04:34 PM, said: nice post, good job :honoring: Tnx guys :honoring:

Azyzal, on 02 December 2013 - 11:39 AM, said: Nice post, very good info about this ship, thx for sharing Thank you :great:

Azyzal, on 02 December 2013 - 11:34 AM, said: I must say that I have seen a lot but never this! thank you man :great: Np man, I'm glad you like it :honoring:

Azyzal, on 02 December 2013 - 11:27 AM, said: thanks for comprehensive information :honoring: Yw mate :glasses:

Cool vid. :honoring:

+2 from me :medal: Nice info, vid and pics :honoring:

Nice post :great:

GJ man

Nice :glasses:

ARA Moreno ARA Moreno was a dreadnought battleship designed by the American Fore River Shipbuilding Company for the Argentine Navy (Armada de la República Argentina). Named after Mariano Moreno, a key member of the first independent government of Argentina, the First Assembly (Primera Junta), Moreno was the second dreadnought of the Rivadavia class, and the fourth built during the South American dreadnought race. Argentina placed orders for Moreno and her only sister ship, Rivadavia, in reply to a Brazilian naval building program. During their construction, the two dreadnoughts were subject to numerous rumors involving Argentina selling the two battleships to a country engaged in the First World War, but these proved to be false. After Moreno was completed in March 1915, a series of engine problems occurred during her sea trials which delayed her delivery to Argentina to May 1915. The next decade saw the ship based in Puerto Belgrano as part of the Argentine Navy's First Division before sailing to the United States for an extensive refit in 1924 and 1925. During the 1930s the ship was occupied with diplomatic cruises to Brazil, Uruguay, and Europe until the Second World War broke out. During this time, Moreno was employed little as Argentina was neutral. Decommissioned in 1949, Moreno was scrapped in Japan beginning in 1957. Background Moreno's genesis can be traced to the numerous naval arms races between Chile and Argentina, which in turn were spawned by territorial disputes over their mutual borders in Patagonia and Puna de Atacama along with control of the Beagle Channel. Naval races flared up in the 1890s and in 1902; the latter was eventually settled via British mediation. Provisions in the dispute-ending treaty imposed restrictions on both countries' navies. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy bought the two Constitución-class pre-dreadnought battleships that were being built for Chile, and Argentina sold its two Rivadavia-class armored cruisers under construction in Italy to Japan. After HMS Dreadnought was commissioned, Brazil decided in early 1907 to halt three obsolescent pre-dreadnoughts which were under construction in favor of two or three dreadnoughts. These ships, which were designed to carry the heaviest battleship armament in the world at the time, came as an abrupt shock to the navies of South America. and Argentina and Chile quickly canceled the 1902 armament-limiting pact. Argentina in particular was alarmed at the possible power of the ships. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel Augusto Montes de Oca, remarked that even one Minas Geraes-class ship could destroy the entire Argentine and Chilean fleets. While this may have been hyperbole, either one was much more powerful than any single vessel in the Argentine fleet. Although debates raged in Argentina over whether it would be prudent to counter Brazil's purchase by acquiring their own dreadnoughts, which would cost upwards of two million pounds sterling, further border disputes—particularly near the River Plate with Brazil—decided the matter, and they ordered Rivadavia and Moreno from the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in the United States. Construction and trials After the two new dreadnoughts were awarded to Fore River, Moreno was subcontracted out to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey as called for in the final contract. Moreno's keel was laid on 9 July 1910, and construction was overseen by the Argentine Naval Commission. After the completion of the hull, she was launched on 23 September 1911. Isabel Betbeder, wife to the chief of the Argentine Naval Commission, sponsored Moreno. The ship was then moored to a dock to commence fitting-out, which was finished on 15 February 1915. She was commissioned into the Argentine Navy nine days later. Over the course of their construction, Rivadavia and Moreno were the subject of various rumors insinuating that Argentina would accept the ships and then sell them to a European country or Japan, a fast-growing rival to the United States. The rumors were partially true; Argentina was looking to get rid of the battleships and devote the proceeds to opening more schools. This angered the American government, which did not want its warship technology offered to the highest bidder—yet they did not want to exercise a contract-specified option that gave the United States first choice if the Argentines decided to sell, as naval technology had already progressed past the Rivadavias, particularly in the adoption of the "all-or-nothing" armor scheme. Instead, the United States and its State Department and Navy Department put diplomatic pressure on the Argentine government. The Argentine government, bolstered by socialist additions in the legislature, introduced several bills in May 1914 which would have put the battleships up for sale, but the bills were all defeated by late June. Following the commencement of the First World War, the German and British ambassadors to the United States both complained to the US State Department; the former believed that the British were going to be given the ships as soon as they reached Argentina, and the latter charged the United States with ensuring that the ships fell into Argentina's possession only. International armament companies attempted to influence Argentina into selling them to one of the smaller Balkan countries, from which they would find their way into the war. In October 1914, Moreno sailed to New York where she was painted in the New York Naval Shipyard, then conducted her sea trials starting on the 25th. Reporters for several newspapers, including The New York Times, and American naval officers were allowed on board during this time; the Times reporters gave a glowing account of the alcohol-serving café on the ship, calling it "the cutest little bar on any of the seven seas". The trials were plagued with serious engine trouble, culminating in the failure of an entire turbine on 2 November. Moreno was forced to put in at Rockland, Maine—where many of the observers on board were left to be brought back by train to Camden—before proceeding for repairs to the Fore River Shipyard, which had built the ship's engines. In early 1915, nearly five years after construction had begun, the shipbuilding contractors demanded payment from the Argentine government for additional work, but the Argentines did not believe this was warranted, as Moreno had been scheduled to be completed more than a year prior. After mediation offered by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy at the time, Moreno was released on 20 February to Argentine sailors who had been staying in American battleships moored in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Even Moreno's departure was marked by mishaps. On the night of 26 March, Moreno accidentally rammed and sank the barge Enterprise when she was on the Delaware River, 30 miles (48 km) south of Philadelphia near the city of New Castle. No one was hurt, but the battleship accidentally ran aground immediately after. Efforts to refloat her succeeded, and Moreno continued on her way at around 7:30 the next morning without damage. On the 29th, President Woodrow Wilson was hosted for lunch on board the warship, accompanied by the Argentine ambassador to the United States, Romulo S. Naon. On 15 April, Moreno ran aground in the river again, this time near Reedy Island. Like the previous time, she was not damaged and tugs were able to refloat the ship the next day. Service Moreno docked in Argentina for the first time on 26 May 1915. She was immediately assigned to the Argentine Navy's First Division, based out of the major naval base of Puerto Belgrano. She remained there until 1923 when she was put into the reserve fleet. In 1924, Moreno was sent to the United States for modernization. The opportunity to show the flag was not missed; Moreno made stops in Valparaiso and Callao before transiting the Panama Canal and sailing north. Most of the work was done in Philadelphia, though armament changes were made in Boston. Moreno was converted to use fuel oil instead of coal, was fitted with a new fire-control system, rangefinders were added to the fore and aft superfiring turrets, and the aft mast was replaced by a tripod. To reduce exhaust interference when spotting ships in a battle, a funnel cap was installed. The main armament's range was increased from 13,120 yards (12,000 m) to 20,800 yards (19,000 m), and the turrets were modified to double the firing rate. The 6-inch secondary armament was retained, but the smaller 4-inch guns were taken off in favor of four 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns and four 3-pounders. When she returned to Argentina in August 1926, Moreno was assigned to the training division of the Navy before being reassigned to the First Division sometime after the training division was abolished in 1928. In 1932 she was moved into the new Battleship Division with Rivadavia. The remainder of the 1930s was filled with diplomatic cruises. Moreno, escorted by the three Mendoza-class destroyers, brought Argentine president Agustín Pedro Justo to Brazil in 1933 for a major diplomatic visit. Departing in the afternoon of 2 October, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 7 October to huge celebrations. Brazilian ships of the first and second squadrons along with three squadrons worth of warplanes met Moreno at sea and escorted her to the harbor. When Justo landed and traveled by car to Guanabra Palace, the road was flanked by a plethora of army and naval forces along with thousands of citizens. Rio was described as "ablaze with light", and a 95-foot (29 m) high imitation of France's Arc de Triomphe was erected, onto which various colors were projected. Justo then took a royal train, originally designed for Albert I of Belgium's use during Brazil's 1922 centennial celebrations, to Sao Paulo. After three days, he traveled to Santos, where he boarded Moreno to travel first to Uruguay, then back to Argentina; he arrived in the latter on 22 October. In 1934, Moreno was sent as one of Argentina's representatives for the anniversary of Brazil's independence. In 1937, Rivadavia and Moreno were sent on a diplomatic cruise to Europe. Departing Argentina on 6 April, they split up when they reached the English Channel. Moreno participated in the British Spithead Naval Review, where The New York Times described her as "a strange vestigial sea monster in this company of more modern fighting ships." Afterward, Moreno met up with Rivadavia at Brest, France and cruised together to Wilhelmshaven before splitting up again; Moreno went to Bremen, while Rivadavia put in at Hamburg. They then sailed for home and arrived in Puerto Belgrano on 29 June. In September 1939, Moreno and Rivadavia traveled together to Brazil with naval cadets. However, before they could return, four Buenos Aires-class destroyers had to be sent to escort the ships back, as the Second World War had erupted in Europe. Since Argentina remained neutral in the war, Moreno was utilized little. By 1949, she had been decommissioned into reserve and was used as a barracks ship. In 1955, during the Liberating Revolution (Revolución Libertadora), she was used as a prison ship; Moreno's crew was reduced to the bare minimum during this time. On 1 October 1956, the ship was stricken from the navy list; on 11 January 1957, Argentina sold Moreno to the Japanese Yawata Iron and Steel Company for scrapping for $2,468,660. Five months later on 12 May, the Argentine fleet assembled to salute the battleship one last time as she was towed out by the Dutch-owned ocean tugs Clyde and Ocean. Moreno was towed through the Panama Canal to the scrappers, arriving on 17 August. Class overview Career: (Argentine Navy) Name: ARA Moreno Namesake: Mariano Moreno Builder: New York Shipbuilding Camden, New Jersey Laid down: 9 July 1910 Launched: 23 September 1911 Commissioned: 26 February 1915 Fate: Scrapped in Japan General characteristics Type: Rivadavia-class battleship Displacement: 27,500 long tons (27,900 t) standard, 30,100 long tons (30,600 t) full load Length: 594 ft 9 in (181.28 m) oa, 585 ft (178 m) pp Beam: 98 ft 4.5 in (29.985 m) Draft: 27 ft 8.5 in (8.446 m) Propulsion: 3-shaft, Curtis geared turbines, 18 Babcock & Wilcox boilers; 40,000 shp (29,828 kW) Speed: 22.5 knots (25.9 mph; 41.7 km/h) Range: 7,000 nautical miles (8,100 mi; 13,000 km) at 15 knots (17 mph; 28 km/h) 11,000 nautical miles (13,000 mi; 20,000 km) at 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h) Armament: 12 × 12-inch (305 mm) guns 12 × 6-inch (152 mm) guns 16 × 4-inch (102 mm) guns 2 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes Armor: Belt: 12–10 inches (300–250 mm) Turrets: 12 inches (305 mm) Casemates: 91/3–61/5 inches (238–159 mm) Conning tower: 12 inches (300 mm)

Kirov-Class Cruiser (Project 26) The Kirov-class (Project 26) cruisers were a class of six vessels built in the late 1930s for the Soviet Navy. After the first two ships, armor protection was increased and subsequent ships are sometimes called the Maxim Gorky class. These were the first large ships built by the Soviets from the keel up after the Russian Civil War and were derived from the Italian light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli, being designed with assistance from the Italian Ansaldo company. Two ships each were deployed in the Black and Baltic Seas during World War II while the last pair was still under construction in the Russian Far East and saw no combat during the war. The first four ships bombarded Axis troops and facilities after the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. All six ships survived the war and lingered until the 1970s in training and other secondary roles before being scrapped. Design Following the October Revolution and the subsequent Russian Civil War, Soviet industry was not capable of designing large, complex warships by itself and sought foreign assistance. The Ansaldo company provided plans for the contemporary Raimondo Montecuccoli-class cruisers and a design displacing 7,200 tonnes (7,086 long tons) and armed with six 180-millimetre (7.1 in) guns in twin turrets was produced in 1933. The Italians guaranteed that the cruiser could make 37 knots (69 km/h; 43 mph) on trials if the size was kept under the 7200-tonne limit. The designer of the new turret managed to persuade his superiors that he could fit triple turrets to the ship while keeping it within the specified limit, and this design was approved in November 1934 as the Project 26. The Soviets bought an example of, and plans for, the machinery of the later Duca d'Aosta class cruisers and had some difficulty in adapting the smaller hull for the larger and more powerful machinery, so much so that it delayed the start of construction. Another problem was that the Italian design had to be adapted to use the Soviet preference for a mix of longitudinal framing for the hull framing amidships and transverse framing for the ends while also reinforcing the hull structure to withstand the more severe weather conditions that the Soviets commonly encountered. The Kirovs were built in pairs, each pair incorporating some improvements over the earlier pair. These pairs were designated as the Project 26, Project 26bis, and Project 26bis2 in sequence. The differences between pairs usually related to size, armor, armament and aircraft. General characteristics The Project 26 class ships were 191.3 m (627 ft 7 in) long overall. They had a beam of 17.66 m (57 ft 11 in) and at full load a draft of 6.15 m (20 ft 2 in). They displaced 7,890 tonnes (7,765 long tons) at standard load, and 9,436 tonnes (9,287 long tons) at full load. Their single rudder meant that they were not very maneuverable. Kirov and Voroshilov were fitted with a massive quadruped foremast, but this proved to restrict the view from the conning tower as well as the fields of fire of the 100 mm anti-aircraft guns and greatly increased their silhouette. It was reduced to a simple pole mast in the later ships and the superstructure enlarged to accommodate the fire control facilities formerly housed in the foremast. Shortly after Kirov was launched in 1936, the two Project 26bis ships were laid down. They incorporated a number of changes from the first batch, not least of which was that they were larger. They displaced 8,177 tonnes (8,048 long tons) at standard load and 9,728 tonnes (9,574 long tons; 10,723 short tons) at full load. They were only slightly longer at 191.4 m (627 ft 11 in) overall and had a deep draft of 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in) at full load. On trials they proved to be the fastest ships of the class with a speed of 36.72 knots (68.01 km/h; 42.26 mph). Their armament was much the same as the earlier ships, although nine 45 mm 61-K anti-aircraft guns were mounted rather than the six on the first pair and they were fitted to carry 150 Model 1908/39 mines in place of the Model 1912 mines. The Project 26bis2 pair were still larger and displaced 8,400 tonnes (8,267 long tons) at standard load, and 10,400 tonnes (10,236 long tons) at full load. They were a tenth of a meter shorter than the Project 26 ships, although the waterline length did not change at all between any of the pairs. Their turbines proved to be slightly more powerful than those of the Project 26bis ships and propelled them at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) on trials. Production delays with the 100 mm B-34 dual-purpose guns forced them to use 85 mm 90-K guns instead and ten 37 mm 70-K anti-aircraft guns supplemented the 45 mm guns. The mines changed yet again as they could carry 100 KB or 106 Model 1926 mines. Armament The main armament consisted of three electrically powered MK-3-180 triple turrets with three 57-calibre 180 mm B-1-P guns. The turrets were very small to fit them into the hull space available and were so cramped that their rate of fire was much lower than designed (only two rounds per minute instead of six). The guns were mounted in a single cradle to minimize space and were so close together that their dispersion was very high because the muzzle blast from adjacent guns affected each gun. The turrets weighed approximately 236 to 247 tonnes (232 to 243 long tons) and the guns could be depressed to −4° and elevated to 48°. The guns fired 97.55-kilogram (215.1 lb) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 900–920 m/s (3,000–3,000 ft/s); this provided a maximum range of around 38,000 m (42,000 yd), depending on ammunition and gun type. 100 rounds per gun were normally carried, although an additional four rounds per gun could be carried at overload by the Project 26 ships only. 180 mm B-1-P guns The secondary armament consisted of six single 56-caliber 100-millimetre (3.9 in) B-34 anti-aircraft guns with 325 rounds per gun fitted on each side of the rear funnel in all ships except the Project 26bis2 which used eight single 52-caliber 85-millimetre (3.3 in) 90-K guns with 300 rounds per gun when the B-34 program ran into problems. Light AA guns initially consisted of six semi-automatic 45 mm 21-K AA guns with 600 rounds per gun and four DK 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine guns, with 12,500 rounds per gun, but were significantly increased in service. The Project 26bis ships carried nine 21-K mounts and the Project 26bis were built with an additional ten fully automatic 37-millimetre (1.5 in) 70-K AA guns with a thousand rounds per gun. Over the course of World War II most, if not all, of the 45 mm guns were replaced by 37 mm guns and one or two Lend-Lease quadruple Vickers .50 machine gun MK III mounts were fitted to the ships in the Baltic and Black Seas, although each ship varied in its anti-aircraft suite. 100 mm B-34 dual-purpose guns Six 533-millimetre (21.0 in) 39-Yu torpedo tubes were fitted in two triple mountings; these tubes could be individually adjusted to spread out their salvos. Molotov and Kaganovich replaced their launchers with the more modern 1-N mount during the war. 96 KB or 164 Model 1912 mines could be carried by the first pair of ships. A pair of depth charge racks were mounted as well as four BMB-1 depth charge throwers. Twenty large BB-1 and thirty small BM-1 depth charges were carried although no sonar was fitted for the Project 26 and Project 26bis ships. They did mount the Arktur underwater acoustic communication system. Kalinin and Kaganovich received the Lend-Lease ASDIC-132 system, which the Soviets called Drakon-132, as well as the experimental Soviet Mars-72 sonar system. 45-millimetre 21-K AA guns 12.7-millimetre DShK AA machine guns The Project 26 ships were fitted with the Molynia fire control system for their main guns which included the TsAS-2 mechanical computer and the KDP3-6 director. Each turret and the director had DM-6 rangefinders which allowed multiple targets to be engaged using a combination of local and central fire control. The four later ships had an improved Molynia-ATs fire control system which could accept data from spotter aircraft. The anti-aircraft armament was controlled by the Gorizont-1 system with a SO-26 computer, Gazon vertical gyroscope and a pair of SPN-100 directors on each side of the superstructure. Each director had a fully stabilized 3 m (9 ft 10 in) rangefinder. Voroshilov had SPN-200 directors, but the Project 26bis ships used the Gorizont-2 system. This had a more advanced Gorizont-2 computer and Shar vertical gyroscope. 533-millimetre torpedo tubes The first Soviet ship to carry a radar was Molotov which was given a Redut-K air warning system in 1940, which she used for the entire war. Lend-Lease radars equipped most of the other ships. The British Types 281, 291 and the American SG radars were used for air search. Main battery fire control radars were the British Types 284 and 285 while anti-aircraft fire control was provided by the Type 282 radar. Soviet-designed Yupiter-1 and Mars-1 gunnery radars were fitted in Molotov and Kalinin by 1944. Machinery The ships had a twin-shaft-unit machinery layout with alternating boiler rooms and engine rooms. The machinery for the Kirov was shipped from Italy (being diverted from the contract for the Italian cruiser Eugenio di Savoia). The machinery for the rest was built in Kharkiv to Italian plans. The Soviet TB-7 geared turbines proved to be more powerful and more economical than the originals. Kirov burned .8 kg (1.8 lb) of fuel oil per unit of horsepower compared to Kalinin's .623 kg (1.37 lb). Furthermore Kirov produced only 113,500 shaft horsepower (84,600 kW) on trials while Voroshilov made 122,500 shp (91,300 kW) and was almost a full knot faster. Six license-built Yarrow-Normand type water-tube boilers powered the turbines with a nominal capacity of 106-tonnes/hour of superheated steam at a pressure of 25 kg/cm2 (2,452 kPa; 356 psi) and a temperature of 325 °C (617 °F). Each shaft drove a three-bladed 4.7-metre (15 ft) bronze propeller for a designed speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph), although this varied from ship to ship. The normal oil capacity was between 600 to 650 tonnes (591 to 640 long tons), but the ships varied widely in the amount of oil carried at full load; this ranged from 1,150 to 1,660 tonnes (1,132 to 1,634 long tons). Endurance figures also varied widely at full load, from 2,140 to 4,220 nautical miles (3,960 to 7,820 km; 2,460 to 4,860 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The maximum amount of fuel that could be carried ranged from 1,430 to 1,750 tonnes (1,407 to 1,722 long tons). Protection The armour scheme formed a raft around the vitals, protected by a waterline belt, deck and traverse bulkheads uniformly 50 mm (2.0 in) in thickness. The turret and barbette armour was also 50 mm thick. The conning tower sides were 150 mm (5.9 in) with a 100 mm roof. A 20-millimetre (0.79 in) box protected the steering gear and a number of control positions were protected against splinters: 14 mm (0.55 in) for the torpedo control station, 8-millimetre (0.31 in) for main-battery fire control and secondary gun shields, 7 mm (0.28 in) for the secondary-battery control position and the auxiliary command station had 25-millimetre (0.98 in) sides and roof. The belt extended 121 m (397 ft 0 in) or 64.5% of the ship's length. Its total height was 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in), of which 1.33 m (4 ft 4 in) was below the designed waterline. A double bottom extended past the armored traverse bulkheads and a thin longitudinal bulkhead provided some measure of protection against flooding. It has been judged too thin to withstand a torpedo's detonation, but possibly the far-side bulkhead might survive intact, which would cause a list from asymmetrical flooding.The armor of the Project 26 ships was vulnerable even to destroyer-class weapons at ranges under 10 km (6.2 mi) and the last four ships were given additional armor. The belt, traverse bulkheads, barbettes and turret face thicknesses were all increased to 70 mm (2.8 in) and the box protecting the steering gear was increased to 30 mm (1.2 in). One oddity of the later ships' armor scheme was the joint between the armour deck and belt. The top and bottom edges of the belt were tapered, the outer surface angling in 200 mm (7.9 in) from the edge to a thickness of 45 mm. Similarly the deck edge was also tapered down to about 25 mm for its outermost 200 mm. It has been speculated that "This seam in the protection, representing a small target area, may simply have served to save weight and simplify construction." Aircraft The Kirovs were designed to carry two aircraft, but German catapults had to be imported. Two Heinkel K-12 catapults were bought in 1937 for Kirov and Voroshilov. They could traverse 360° and launch an aircraft weighing 2,750 kg (108,000 in) at a speed of 125 km/h (78 mph), although no suitable aircraft was in service until the KOR-1 seaplane entered service in September 1939. They proved to be unsuitable for rough-weather landings and were disembarked when Operation Barbarossa began. Gorky and Molotov mounted Soviet-built ZK-1 catapults of roughly comparable performance, but were destined never to use them for lack of suitable aircraft. KOR-1 seaplanes The Project 26 ships landed their catapult during 1941 to make room for more AA guns as did Molotov in 1942. A ZK-1a catapult was installed aboard Molotov in 1943 and she conducted successful experiments with a catapult-launched Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The Project 26bis2 ships did not receive a catapult until after the end of the war when a ZK-2b was fitted. The catapults, however, were removed from all ships by 1947.

atariforce74, on 30 November 2013 - 02:44 PM, said: Dog of War was a gift after complete a hard mission. Attached pictures of both "Seawolf" and "DOW" Nice, nice, very nice :honoring: I have a Victory class ship :playing:

Nice vids :honoring: :popcorn:

USS Hatteras (1861) The very first USS Hatteras was a 1,126-ton steamer purchased by the Union Navy at the beginning of the American Civil War. She was outfitted as a gunboat and assigned to the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America. During an engagement with the disguised Confederate commerce raider, CSS Alabama, she was taken by surprise and was sunk off the coast of Galveston, Texas. The wreck site is one of the few listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its location away from destructive surf and because of the ship's side-wheel design, which marks the transition between wooden sailing ships and steam-powered ships. Hatteras (formerly St. Mary) was purchased by the U. S. Navy from Harlan and Hollingsworth of Wilmington, Delaware on 25 September 1861. She was fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned in October 1861, Commander George F. Emmons in command. Civil War service Hatteras sailed for Key West, Florida on 5 November 1861, arriving there on 13 November to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron to choke off the South's economic lifeline as part of president Lincoln's Anaconda Plan. After blockade duty off Apalachicola, Florida, she was reassigned to Cedar Key, Florida, reaching there on 7 January 1862. Nine days later, Hatteras made a highly successful raid on the Cedar Keys harbor, burning seven small would-be blockade runners loaded with turpentine and cotton at the Florida Railroad wharf (an important Southern railroad terminus), several flat-cars, and various buildings. To cap this day's work, Hatteras also captured 14 of the 22-man garrison stationed there, including their commanding officer. Such unceasing attack from the sea on any point along her long coastline and inland waterways cost the South dearly in losses, economic disruption, and dispersion of defense strength. After this exploit, Hatteras was transferred to the Gulf Blockading Squadron and arrived off Berwick, Louisiana on 26 January. The next day, she engaged CSS Mobile, but failed to do any serious damage when the light-draft ship withdrew to the safety of shallow water. Nevertheless, the Gulf of Mexico proved to be a profitable hunting ground for Hatteras, as in less than a year, she captured seven blockade runners with assorted cargos of cotton, sugar, and other goods the South was desperately striving to export for gold or much needed trade goods. These captures netted Hatteras, among other things, some 534 bales of valuable cotton. Commander Emmons stationed four of his own men on board one prize ship, 20 long tons (20 t) the sloop Poody, and rechristened her Hatteras Jr., turning the erstwhile blockade runner into a unit of the Union's Gulf Blockading Squadron. Other Confederate ships taken by Hatteras as prizes included: steamer Indian No. 2, schooner Magnolia, steamer Governor A. Mouton, schooner Sarah, sloop Elizabeth, and brig Josephine. The majority of these ships were captured off Vermilion Bay, Louisiana, as they ran toward either Havana, Cuba, or the Sabine River area of Texas. However, her illustrious career was cut short in early 1863, not long after she was ordered to join the blockading squadron under Rear Admiral David Farragut, who was attempting to retake the key Texas port of Galveston. Under a new skipper, Commander Homer C. Blake, who had relieved Captain Emmons in November 1862, Hatteras joined Farragut's squadron off Galveston on 6 January 1863. Encounter with the CSS Alabama As the blockading fleet lay to off the coast near Galveston on the afternoon of 11 January 1863, a set of sails was sighted just over the horizon and Hatteras was ordered to give chase. She took off in pursuit of the unknown ship at about 15:00 (3:00 PM), and for the next four hours followed her as she ventured closer and closer to shore. Finally, as dusk was falling, Hatteras came within hailing distance of the square-rigged ship. Commander Blake demanded her identity. "Her Britannic Majaesty's Ship Petrel," came the reply. Still suspicious, Blake ordered one of Hatteras' boats to inspect this "Britisher." Scarcely had the longboat pulled away from Hatteras than a new reply to Blake's question rang through the night. "We are the CSS Alabama." With this, the famed Confederate raider commanded by Raphael Semmes struck the Union Jack the raider had been flying, raising the Confederate Stars and Bars, and began raking Hatteras with her heavy cannon. Through the gloom, for about 20 minutes, the two ships exchanged heavy fire at distances ranging from 25–200 yd (23–180 m). The flashes of the guns and their rumbling were heard in the Union squadron some 16 mi (26 km) away, and the cruiser Brooklyn was dispatched to investigate and render aid if needed. 19th century print, depicting the sinking of Hatteras by CSS Alabama, off Galveston, Texas on 11 January 1863. But Hatteras had already been badly holed in two places and was on fire and beginning to sink. Captain Blake ordered the magazines flooded to prevent explosion and reluctantly fired a single bow gun, indicating surrender and a need for assistance. Alabama, promptly sent over her boats to help remove Hatteras' crew and wounded, and the last boatload of men had barely pulled away when the Union blockader sank, some 45 minutes after the beginning of the action. Of Hatteras' crew of 126, two had been killed and five wounded. Six escaped back to the squadron in the boat originally sent out to board and investigate "HBMS Petrel", and the remainder, including Captain Blake, were taken to Port Royal, Jamaica, and from there paroled back to the United States; Alabama suffered only 2 wounded. When Brooklyn reached the site of the battle early the following morning, she found the hulk of Hatteras upright in the water about 20 mi (32 km) south of Galveston Light. Only Hatteras' masts reached out of water, and from the topmast the U.S. Navy commissioning pennant was still waving in the breeze. Even after surrendering, she had not struck her colors. Present day The hull of Hatteras rests in approximately 60 ft (18 m) of water 20 mi (32 km) off of Galveston, Texas and is buried under about 3 ft (0.91 m) of sand. Her steam engine and two iron paddle wheels remain on the ocean bottom. The wreck is monitored to ensure that it is not damaged by oil and gas development in the area. The wreck of Hatteras is the property of the United States Navy, though the Texas Historical Commission, Texas A&M University at Galveston and the federal Minerals Management Service cooperate in preserving the important historical site. At one time, local treasure hunters filed suit claiming the right to salvage the ship, but the courts found in favor of the United States government, in one of the few times courts have ruled in favor of historic preservation of a shipwreck site versus commercial interests. Class overview Career (USA) Name: USS Hatteras Nam esake: An inlet on the coast of North Carolina Builder: Harland and Hollingsworth, Wilmington, Delaware Laid down: date unknown Launched: date unknown Acquir ed: 25 Sep tember 1861 Commissioned: October 1861 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Out of service: 11 January 1863 St ruck: 1 863 (est.) Fate: Sunk in action, 11 January 1863 Notes: formerly known as St. Mary General characteristics Type: Steamer Displacement: 1,126 long tons (1,144 t) Length: 210 ft (64 m) Beam: 18 ft (5.5 m) Installed power: 500 ihp (370 kW) Propulsion: Steam engine 2 × iron sidewheels Speed: 8 kn (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) Complement: 126 Armament: 4 × 32 pdr (15 kg) guns, 1 × 20 pdr (9.1 kg) gun

Azyzal, on 29 November 2013 - 09:21 PM, said: Really interesting I'm glad you like it

Really interesting mate, well done :honoring: :honoring:

Nice info and ship, tnx :medal: :honoring:

Nice post as always :honoring: