Linear ship: history, origin, models and interesting facts. The largest battleships in the world

battleship

SHIP OF THE LINE (battleship)

in the sailing navy 17 - 1st floor. 19th centuries a large three-masted warship with 2-3 decks (decks); had from 60 to 130 guns and up to 800 crew members. It was intended for combat in the battle line (hence the name).

In the steam armored fleet, 1st floor. 20th century one of the main classes of large surface ships. It had 70-150 guns of various calibers (including 8-12 280-457 mm) and 1500-2800 crew members. After the 2nd World War, battleships lost their importance.

Battleship

in the sailing navy of the 17th-1st half of the 19th centuries. a large three-masted warship with 2≈3 artillery decks (decks); had from 60 to 135 guns, installed along the sides in a line and up to 800 crew members. He fought while in the wake column (battle line), which is why he got his name, which traditionally passed to the ships of the steam fleet.

In the steam armored fleet, one of the main classes of the largest artillery surface ships in size, designed to destroy ships of all classes in a sea battle, as well as to deliver powerful artillery strikes against coastal targets. Battleships appeared in many navies of the world after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 to replace battleships. At first they were called dreadnoughts. In Russia, the name of the class L. k. was established in 1907. L. k. were used in the First World War of 1914–18. By the beginning of World War II (1939-45), L. to. had a standard displacement of 20 to 64 thousand tons, armament of up to 12 main-caliber turret guns (from 280 to 460 mm), up to 20 anti-mine, anti-aircraft or universal artillery guns caliber 100≈127 mm, up to 80≈140 anti-aircraft small-caliber automatic guns and heavy machine guns. The speed of the L. k. ≈ 20≈35 knots (37≈64.8 km / h), the wartime crew is ≈ 1500≈2800 people. Side armor reached 440 mm, the weight of all armor was up to 40% of the total weight of the ship. On board the LK there were 1-3 aircraft and a catapult to take them off. In the course of the war, in connection with the growing role of naval, especially aircraft carrier aviation, as well as the submarine forces of the fleet and the death of many L. to. from air strikes and submarines, they lost their significance; after the war, in all fleets, almost all L. to. were scrapped.

B.F. Balev.

Wikipedia

Ship of the line (disambiguation)

Battleship- the name of heavy artillery warships intended for combat in wake columns:

A ship of the line is a sailing wooden military ship with a displacement of 500 to 5500 tons, which had 2-3 rows of cannons in the sides. Sailing battleships were not called battleships.
Battleship is an armored artillery ship of the 20th century with a displacement of 20,000 to 64,000 tons.

Battleship

Battleship:

in a broad sense, a ship intended for combat operations as part of a squadron;
in the traditional sense (also abbreviated battleship), - a class of heavy armored artillery warships with a displacement of 20 to 70 thousand tons, a length of 150 to 280 m, with a main battery caliber of 280-460 mm, with a crew of 1500-2800 people.

Battleships were used in the 20th century to destroy enemy ships as part of a combat formation and artillery support for land operations. They were the evolutionary development of battleships of the second half of the nineteenth century.

Ship of the line (sailing)

Battleship- a class of sailing warships. Sailing battleships were characterized by the following features: full displacement from 500 to 5500 tons, armament, including from 30-50 to 135 guns in side ports (in 2-4 decks), the crew size ranged from 300 to 800 people with full staffing. Sailing ships of the line were built and used from the 17th century until the early 1860s for naval battles using linear tactics.

In 1907, a new class of armored artillery ships with a displacement of 20,000 to 64,000 tons was named battleships (abbreviated as battleships). Sailing battleships were not called battleships.

SHIPS OF THE LINE

Until the middle of the 17th century, there was no strictly established battle formation for ships in battle. Before the battle, the enemy ships lined up against each other in close formation, and then approached for a shootout or boarding battle. Usually the battle turned into a chaotic scuffle, duels between ships that accidentally collided.

Many naval battles of the 16th-17th centuries were won with the help of fireships - sailing ships, stuffed to capacity with explosives or representing giant torches. Launched downwind towards the crowded ships, the fireships easily found their victims, setting everything on fire and exploding in their path. Even large, well-armed ships often went to the bottom, overtaken by "sailing torpedoes."

The wake system turned out to be the most effective means of protection against fireships, when the ships line up one after the other and can freely maneuver.

The unwritten tactical commandment of that time was: each ship occupies a strictly assigned position and must maintain it until the end of the battle. However (as always happens when theory begins to conflict with practice), it often happened that poorly armed ships had to fight huge floating fortresses. “The battle line should consist of ships of equal strength and speed,” the naval strategists decided. This is how battleships appeared. Then, during the first Anglo-Dutch war (1652 - 1654), the division of military courts into classes began.

The battleship Prince Royal, built in Woolwich by the outstanding English shipbuilder Phineas Pett in 1610, is usually called the prototype of the first ship of the line by historians of naval art.

Rice. 41 England's first battleship Prince Royal

The Prince Royal was a very strong three-deck vessel with a displacement of 1400 tons, a keel of 35 m and a width of 13 m. The ship was armed with 64 guns located on the sides, on two closed decks. Three masts and a bowsprit carried straight sails. The bow and stern of the ship were outlandishly decorated with sculptural images and inlays, on which the best masters of England worked. Suffice it to say that the woodcarving cost the English Admiralty £441, and the gilding of allegorical figures and coats of arms - £868, which was 1/5 of the cost of building the entire ship! Now it seems absurd and paradoxical, but in those distant times, gilded idols and idols were considered necessary to raise the morale of sailors.

By the end of the 17th century, a certain canon of the battleship was finally formed, a certain standard, from which they tried not to deviate at shipyards throughout Europe until the end of the period of wooden shipbuilding. The practical requirements were as follows:

1. The length of a battleship along the keel must be three times the width, and the width must be three times the draft (maximum draft should not exceed five meters).

2. Heavy stern superstructures, as they impair maneuverability, should be reduced to a minimum.

3. On large ships, it is necessary to build three solid decks, so that the lower one is 0.6 m above the waterline (then, even in heavy seas, the lower battery of guns was combat-ready).

4. The decks must be solid, not interrupted by cabin bulkheads - subject to this condition, the ship's strength increased significantly.

Following the canon, the same Phineas Pett in 1637 launched the Royal Sovern from the stocks - a ship of the line with a displacement of about 2 thousand tons. Its main dimensions are: length along the battery deck - 53 (along the keel - 42.7); width - 15.3; hold depth - 6.1 m. On the lower and middle decks, the ship had 30 guns each, on the upper deck - 26 guns; in addition, 14 guns were installed under the forecastle and 12 under the poop.

There is no doubt that the Royal Sovern was the most luxurious ship in the history of English shipbuilding. Many carved gilded allegorical figures, heraldic signs, royal monograms dotted its sides. The figurehead depicted the English King Edward. His Majesty was sitting on a horse that tramples the seven lords - the defeated enemies of "foggy Albion" with its hooves. The stern balconies of the ship were crowned with gilded figures of Neptune, Jupiter, Hercules and Jason. The architectural decorations of the "Royal Soverne" were made according to the sketches of the famous Van Dyck.

This ship participated in many battles without losing a single battle. By a strange whim of fate, one accidentally fallen candle decided his fate: in 1696, the flagship of the English fleet burned down. At one time, the Dutch called this giant the "Golden Devil". Until now, the British joke that the Royal Sovern cost Charles I his head (to ensure the implementation of the maritime program, the king increased taxes, which led to discontent among the country's population, and as a result of the coup, Charles I was executed).

Cardinal Richelieu is considered to be the creator of the military linear fleet of France. By his order, the huge ship "Saint Louis" was built - in 1626 in Holland; and ten years later - "Kuron".

In 1653, the British Admiralty by a special decree divided the ships of its navy into 6 ranks: I - more than 90 guns; II - more than 80 guns; III - more than 50 guns. Rank IV included ships with more than 38 guns; to rank V - more than 18 guns; to VI - more than 6 guns.

Was there any point in classifying warships so scrupulously? Was. By this time, gunsmiths had established the production of powerful guns by industrial methods, moreover, of a uniform caliber. It became possible to streamline the ship economy according to the principle of combat power. Moreover, such a division by rank determined both the number of decks and the size of the ships themselves.

Rice. 42 Russian two-decker ship of the line of the late 18th century (from an engraving of 1789)

Rice. 43 French three-decker ship of the line of the mid-18th century

Until the middle of the last century, all maritime powers adhered to the old classification, according to which sailing ships of the first three ranks were called battleships.

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The battleship is a heavy warship with large-caliber turret artillery and strong armor protection that existed in the first half of the 20th century. It was intended to destroy ships of all types, incl. armored and actions against seaside fortresses. There were squadron battleships (for combat on the high seas) and coastal defense battleships (for operations in coastal areas).

Of the numerous fleets of battleships left after the First World War, only 7 countries used them in the Second World War. All of them were built before the start of the First World War, and in the period between the wars, many were modernized. And only the coastal defense battleships of Denmark, Thailand and Finland were built in 1923-1938.

Coastal defense battleships became a logical development of monitors and gunboats. They were distinguished by moderate displacement, shallow draft, armed with large-caliber artillery. Received noticeable development in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia and France.

A typical battleship of that time was a ship with a displacement of 11 to 17 thousand tons, capable of speeds up to 18 knots. As a power plant, all battleships were equipped with triple expansion steam engines, which worked on two (rarely three) shafts. The main caliber of the guns is 280-330 mm (and even 343 mm, later replaced by 305 mm with a longer barrel), armor belt 229-450 mm, rarely more than 500 mm.

Estimated number of battleships and battleships used in the war by countries and types of ships

Countries	Types of ships (total/dead)		Total
Countries	armadillos	Battleships	Total
1	2	3	4
Argentina	—	2	2
Brazil	—	2	2
United Kingdom	—	17/3	17/3
Germany	3/3	4/3	7/6
Greece	3/2	—	3/2
Denmark	2/1	—	2/1
Italy	—	7/2	7/2
Norway	4/2	—	4/2
the USSR	—	3	3
USA	—	25/2	25/2
Thailand	2/1	—	2/1
Finland	2/1	—	2/1
France	—	7/5	7/5
Chile	—	1	1
Sweden	8/1	—	8/1
Japan	—	12/11	12/11
TOTAL	24/11	80/26	104/37

A battleship (battleship) is a class of the largest armored artillery warships with a displacement of 20 to 70 thousand tons, a length of 150 to 280 m, armed with main caliber guns from 280 to 460 mm, with a crew of 1500 - 2800 people. Battleships were used to destroy enemy ships as part of a combat formation and artillery support for ground operations. They were an evolutionary development of armadillos.

The bulk of the battleships that took part in the Second World War was built before the start of the First World War. During 1936-1945, only 27 battleships of the latest generation were built: 10 in the USA, 5 in Great Britain, 4 in Germany, 3 each in France and Italy, 2 in Japan. And in none of the fleets did they justify the hopes placed on them. Battleships from a means of waging war at sea turned into an instrument of big politics, and the continuation of their construction was no longer determined by tactical expediency, but by completely different motives. To have such ships for the prestige of the country in the first half of the 20th century meant about the same as now to have nuclear weapons.

The Second World War was the decline of battleships, as new weapons were established at sea, the range of which was an order of magnitude greater than the longest-range guns of battleships - aviation, deck and coastal. At the final stage of the war, the functions of the battleships were reduced to artillery bombardment of the coasts and the protection of aircraft carriers. The largest battleships in the world, the Japanese "Yamato" and "Musashi" were sunk by aircraft without meeting with similar enemy ships. In addition, it turned out that battleships are very vulnerable to attacks by submarines and aircraft.

Performance characteristics of the best examples of battleships

TTX of the ship / Country and ship type	England George V	Germ. Bismarck	Italy Littorio	USA	France Richelieu	Japan
Standard displacement, thousand tons	36,7	41,7	40,9	49,5	37,8	63.2
Full displacement, thousand tons	42,1	50,9	45,5	58,1	44,7	72.8
Length, m	213-227	251	224	262	242	243-260
Width, m	31	36	33	33	33	37
Draft, m	10	8,6	9,7	11	9,2	10,9
Board reservation, mm.	356 -381	320	70 + 280	330	330	410
Reservation of decks, mm.	127 -152	50 — 80 + 80 -95	45 +	37 + 153-179	150-170 + 40	35-50 + 200-230
Reservation of the towers of the main caliber, mm.	324 -149	360-130	350-280	496-242	430-195	650
Reservation of the conning tower, mm.	76 — 114	220-350	260	440	340	500
Power plants capacity, thousand HP	110	138	128	212	150	150
Maximum travel speed, knots	28,5	29	30	33	31	27,5
Maximum range, thousand miles	6	8,5	4,7	15	10	7,2
Fuel reserve, thousand tons oil	3,8	7,4	4,1	7,6	6,9	6,3
Artillery of the main caliber	2x4 and 1x2 356 mm	4x2 - 380mm	3×3 381 mm	3×3 - 406 mm	2×4 - 380mm	3×3 -460mm
Auxiliary caliber artillery	8x2 - 133 mm	6x2 - 150mm and 8x2 - 105mm	4x3 - 152mm and 12x1 - 90mm	10x2 - 127mm	3×3 - 152mm and 6×2 100mm	4×3 - 155mm and 6×2 -127mm
Flak	4x8 - 40mm	8×2 - 37mm and 12×1 - 20mm	8x2 and 4x1 - 37mm and 8×2 -	15x4 - 40mm, 60x1 - 20mm	4x2 - 37mm 4x2 and 2x2 - 13.2mm	43×3 -25mm and 2x2 - 13.2mm
Main gun firing range, km	35,3	36,5	42,3	38,7	41,7	42
Number of catapults, pcs.	1	2	1	2	2	2
Number of seaplanes, pcs.	2	4	2	3	3	7
Crew size, pers.	1420	2100	1950	1900	1550	2500

Iowa-class battleships are considered the most advanced ships in the history of shipbuilding. It was during their creation that designers and engineers managed to achieve the maximum harmonious combination of all the main combat characteristics: weapons, speed and protection. They put an end to the development of the evolution of battleships. They can be considered an ideal project.

The rate of fire of the battleship's guns was two rounds per minute, while providing independent fire for each gun in the turret. Of the contemporaries, only the Japanese super battleships "Yamato" had a heavier weight of the salvo of the main caliber. Firing accuracy was provided by artillery fire control radar, which gave an advantage over Japanese ships without radar installations.

The battleship had a radar for detecting air targets and two for detecting surface targets. The altitude range when firing at aircraft reached 11 kilometers with a declared rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, and control was carried out using a radar. The ship was equipped with a set of automatic identification equipment "friend or foe", as well as radio intelligence and radio countermeasures systems.

The performance characteristics of the main types of battleships and battleships by country are set out below.

A ship of the line is a sailing warship made of wood with a displacement of up to 6,000 tons. They had up to 135 guns on the sides, arranged in several rows, and up to 800 crew members. These ships were used in battles at sea using the so-called linear battle tactics in the 17th-19th centuries.

The advent of battleships

The name "ship of the line" has been known since the days of the sailing fleet. During the multi-deck, they lined up in one line in order to give a volley of all the guns at the enemy. It was the simultaneous fire from all the onboard guns that caused significant damage to the enemy. Soon, this battle tactic began to be called linear. The formation of a line of ships during naval battles was first used by the English and Spanish navies in the early 17th century.

The progenitors of battleships are galleons with heavy weapons, carracks. The first mention of them appeared in Europe at the beginning of the 17th century. These models of battleships were much lighter and shorter than galleons. Such qualities allowed them to maneuver faster, that is, to line up sideways to the enemy. It was necessary to line up in such a way that the bow of the next ship was necessarily directed to the stern of the previous one. Why weren't they afraid to expose the sides of the ships to enemy attacks? Because the multi-layered wooden sides were a reliable protection of the ship from enemy nuclei.

The process of formation of battleships

Soon a multi-deck sailing ship of the line appeared, which for more than 250 years became the main means of waging war at sea. Progress did not stand still, thanks to the latest methods of calculating the hulls, it became possible to cut through the cannon ports in several tiers at the very beginning of the construction. Thus, it was possible to calculate the strength of the ship even before it was launched. In the middle of the 17th century, a clear demarcation by class emerged:

Old two-deck. These are ships whose decks are located one above the other. They are filled with 50 cannons firing at the enemy through the windows in the sides of the ship. These floating craft did not have sufficient power to conduct a linear battle and were mainly used as an escort for convoys.
Double-deck ships of the line with 64 to 90 guns represented the bulk of the fleet.
Three- or four-deck ships with 98-144 combat guns played the role of flagships. A fleet containing 10-25 such ships could control trade lines and, in case of military action, block them for the enemy.

Differences of battleships from others

Sailing equipment for frigates and battleships is the same - three-masted. Each had direct sails. But still, the frigate and the ship of the line have some differences. The first has only one closed battery, and the battleships have several. In addition, the latter have a much larger number of guns, this also applies to the height of the sides. But frigates are more maneuverable and can operate even in shallow water.

A ship of the line differs from a galleon by straight sails. In addition, the latter does not have a rectangular turret at the stern and a latrine at the bow. The ship of the line is superior to the galleon both in speed and maneuverability, as well as in artillery combat. The latter is more suited for boarding combat. Among other things, they were very often used to transport troops and cargo.

The appearance of battleships in Russia

Before the reign of Peter I, there were no such structures in Russia. The first Russian ship of the line was called "Goto Predestination". By the twenties of the 18th century, the Russian Imperial Navy already included 36 such ships. At the beginning, these were complete copies of Western models, but by the end of the reign of Peter I, Russian battleships began to have their own distinctive features. They were much shorter, had less shrinkage, which negatively affected seaworthiness. These ships were very well suited to the conditions of the Azov and then the Baltic Seas. The emperor himself was directly involved in the design and construction. Its name - the Russian Imperial Fleet was worn by the Russian Navy from October 22, 1721 to April 16, 1917. Only people from the nobility could serve as naval officers, and recruits from the common people could serve as sailors on ships. The term of service in the Navy for them was life.

Battleship "Twelve Apostles"

"12 Apostles" was laid down in 1838 and launched in 1841 in the city of Nikolaev. This is a ship with 120 guns on board. In total, there were 3 ships of this type in the Russian fleet. These ships were distinguished not only by their elegance and beauty of forms, they had no equal in battle among sailing ships. The battleship "12 Apostles" was the first in the Russian Imperial Navy, which was armed with new bombing guns.

The fate of the ship was such that it did not manage to participate in any battle of the Black Sea Fleet. His body remained intact and did not receive a single hole. But this ship became an exemplary training center, it provided the defense of Russian forts and fortresses in the west of the Caucasus. In addition, the ship was engaged in the transportation of land troops and went on long voyages for 3-4 months. The ship was subsequently sunk.

Reasons why battleships have lost their importance

The position of wooden battleships as the main force at sea was shaken due to the development of artillery. Heavy bombing guns easily pierced the wooden side with gunpowder bombs, thereby causing serious damage to the ship and causing fires. If earlier artillery did not pose a big threat to ship hulls, then bombing guns could launch Russian battleships to the bottom with just a few dozen hits. Since that time, the question arose about the protection of structures with metal armor.

In 1848, the screw propulsion and relatively powerful steam engines were invented, so wooden sailboats slowly began to leave the scene. Some ships were refitted and equipped with steam units. Several large ships with sails were also produced, they were habitually called linear.

Linemen of the Imperial Navy

In 1907, a new class of ships appeared, in Russia they were called linear, or in short - battleships. These are armored artillery warships. Their displacement ranged from 20 to 65 thousand tons. If we compare battleships of the 18th century and battleships, the latter have a length of 150 to 250 m. They are armed with a gun of caliber from 280 to 460 mm. The crew of the battleship - from 1500 to 2800 people. The ship was used to destroy the enemy as part of a combat formation and artillery support for ground operations. The name of the ships was given not so much in memory of battleships, but because they needed to revive the tactics of battle of the line.

For the first time ships of the line appeared in the 17th century. For a while, they lost the palm to slow-moving armadillos. But at the beginning of the 20th century, battleships became the main force of the fleet. The speed and range of artillery pieces became the main advantages in naval battles. Countries concerned about increasing the power of the navy, since the 1930s of the 20th century, began to actively build heavy-duty battleships designed to enhance superiority at sea. Not everyone could afford the construction of incredibly expensive ships. The largest battleships in the world - in this article we will talk about super-powerful giant ships.

Length 247.9 m

The French giant "" opens the rating of the largest battleships in the world with a length of 247.9 meters and a displacement of 47 thousand tons. The ship is named after the famous statesman of France, Cardinal Richelieu. A battleship was built to counter the Italian navy. The battleship Richelieu did not conduct active hostilities, except for participation in the Senegal operation in 1940. In 1968, the supership was scrapped. One of his guns was erected as a monument in the port of Brest.

Length 251 m

The legendary German ship "" takes 9th place among the largest battleships in the world. The length of the vessel is 251 meters, the displacement is 51 thousand tons. The Bismarck left the shipyard in 1939. The Fuhrer of Germany, Adolf Hitler, was present at its launch. One of the most famous ships of the Second World War was sunk in May 1941 after prolonged fighting by British ships and torpedo bombers in retaliation for the destruction of the English flagship, the cruiser Hood, by a German battleship.

Ship 253.6 m

On the 8th place in the list of the largest battleships is the German "". The length of the vessel was 253.6 meters, displacement - 53 thousand tons. After the death of the "big brother", "Bismarck", the second of the most powerful German battleships practically failed to take part in naval battles. Launched in 1939, the Tirpitz was destroyed in 1944 by torpedo bombers.

Length 263 m

"- one of the largest battleships in the world and the largest warship in history ever sunk in a sea battle.

"Yamato" (in translation, the name of the ship means the ancient name of the Land of the Rising Sun) was the pride of the Japanese navy, although due to the fact that the huge ship was protected, the attitude of ordinary sailors towards it was ambiguous.

The Yamato entered service in 1941. The length of the battleship was 263 meters, displacement - 72 thousand tons. Crew - 2500 people. Until October 1944, the largest ship in Japan practically did not participate in the battles. In Leyte Gulf, the Yamato opened fire on American ships for the first time. As it turned out later, none of the main calibers hit the target.

Japan's last pride hike

On April 6, 1945, the Yamato went on its last campaign. American troops landed on Okinawa, and the remnants of the Japanese fleet were tasked with destroying enemy forces and supply ships. The Yamato and the rest of the ships of the formation were attacked by 227 American deck ships for a two-hour period. Japan's largest battleship went out of action, having received about 23 hits from aerial bombs and torpedoes. As a result of the explosion of the bow compartment, the ship sank. Of the crew, 269 people survived, 3 thousand sailors died.

Length 263 m

The largest battleships in the world include "" with a hull length of 263 meters and a displacement of 72 thousand tons. This is the second giant battleship built by Japan during World War II. The ship entered service in 1942. The fate of "Musashi" was tragic. The first campaign ended with a hole in the bow, resulting from a torpedo attack by an American submarine. In October 1944, Japan's two largest battleships finally came into serious combat. In the Sibuyan Sea, they were attacked by American aircraft. Coincidentally, the enemy's main attack was on the Musashi. The ship sank after being hit by about 30 torpedoes and bombs. Together with the ship, its captain and more than a thousand crew members died.

On March 4, 2015, 70 years after the sinking, the Musashi was discovered by American millionaire Paul Allen. It is located in the Sibuyan Sea at a depth of one and a half kilometers. "Musashi" takes 6th place in the list of the largest battleships in the world.

Length 269 m

Incredibly, not a single super battleship was built by the Soviet Union. In 1938, the battleship "" was laid down. The length of the ship was to be 269 meters, and the displacement - 65 thousand tons. By the beginning of World War II, the battleship was built at 19%. It was not possible to complete the ship, which could become one of the largest battleships in the world.

Length 270 m

The American battleship "" is ranked 4th in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. It was 270 meters long and had a displacement of 55,000 tons. He entered service in 1944. During World War II, he accompanied aircraft carrier groups and supported amphibious operations. Served during the Gulf War. The Wisconsin is one of the last battleships in the US Navy Reserve. Was decommissioned in 2006. Now the ship is in the parking lot in the city of Norfolk.

Length 270 m

With a length of 270 meters and a displacement of 58,000 tons, it ranks third in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world. The ship entered service in 1943. During the Second World War, "Iowa" actively participated in combat operations. In 2012, the battleship was withdrawn from the fleet. Now the ship is in the port of Los Angeles as a museum.

Length 270.53 m

The second place in the ranking of the largest battleships in the world is occupied by the American ship "", or "Black Dragon". Its length is 270.53 meters. Refers to the Iowa-class battleships. Left the shipyard in 1942. The New Jersey is a true veteran of naval battles and the only ship that took part in the Vietnam War. Here he played the role of supporting the army. After 21 years of service, it was withdrawn from the fleet in 1991 and received the status of a museum. Now the ship is parked in the city of Camden.

Length 271 m

The American battleship "" tops the list of the largest battleships in the world. It is interesting not only for its impressive size (the length of the ship is 271 meters), but also for the fact that it is the last American battleship. In addition, the Missouri went down in history due to the fact that the surrender of Japan was signed on board in September 1945.

The supership was launched in 1944. Its main task was to escort Pacific aircraft carrier formations. Participated in the war in the Persian Gulf, where he opened fire for the last time. In 1992, he was withdrawn from the US Navy. Since 1998, the Missouri has had the status of a museum ship. The parking lot of the legendary ship is located in Pearl Harbor. Being one of the most famous warships in the world, it has been featured in documentaries and feature films more than once.

High hopes were placed on heavy-duty ships. Characteristically, they never justified themselves. Here is a good example of the largest battleships ever built by man - the Japanese battleships "Musashi" and "Yamato". Both of them were defeated by the attack of American bombers, without having time to fire at the enemy ships from their main calibers. However, if they met in battle, the advantage would still be on the side of the American fleet, equipped by that time with ten battleships against two Japanese giants.