Bogatyr-class cruiser

The Bogatyr class were a group of protected cruisers built for the Imperial Russian Navy. Unusually for the Russian navy, two ships of the class were built for the Baltic Fleet and two ships for the Black Sea Fleet.

Oleg in April 1918
Class overview
Name: Bogatyr class
Operators:
Preceded by: Askold
Succeeded by: Novik
Built: 1898–1907
In commission: 1902–1942
Planned: 5
Completed: 4
Lost: 1
General characteristics [1]
Type: Protected cruiser
Displacement: 6,645 long tons (6,752 t)
Length: 134 m (439 ft 8 in)
Beam: 16.6 m (54 ft 6 in)
Draught: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Propulsion:
Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Complement: 589
Armament:
Armour:
Notes: Sunk in the Baltic Naval War, 1919

Description

Line drawing of the Bogatyr class showing armament layout

After the completion of the Pallada class, the Russian Navy issued requirements for three large protected cruisers to three separate companies: Varyag was ordered from William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia, United States, Askold was ordered from Krupp-Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany, and Bogatyr from Vulcan Stettin, also in Germany. Although Askold was the fastest cruiser in the Russian fleet at the time of its commissioning, Bogatyr was selected for further development into a new class of ships.

The Bogatyr-class cruisers normally displaced 6,340 long tons (6,440 t). The ships had an overall length of 134.9 metres (442 ft 7 in), a beam of 16.4 metres (53 ft 10 in) and a mean draft of about 6.8 metres (22 ft 4 in). They were powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which developed a total of 19,500 shaft horsepower (14,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). The engines were powered by 16 coal-fired Belleville boilers. The ships had a range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The standard crew consisted of 573 officers and men.[2]

The ships were rearmed during World War I with fourteen 55-caliber 130 mm (5.1 in) /55 B7 Pattern 1913 guns in single mounts, four of which were mounted in casemates. The anti-aircraft armament consisted of two 75-millimeter (3.0 in) guns.[2]

The armored deck and the casemates were 76 millimeters (3.0 in) thick. The armor of the conning tower was 152 millimetres (6.0 in) thick.[2]

Ships

Battle damage to cruiser Oleg inflicted at the Battle of Tsushima. Photo taken June 1905 at Manila Bay.

References

  1. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1906
  2. Breyer, p. 47

Sources

  • Breyer, Siegfried (1992). Soviet Warship Development: Volume 1: 1917–1937. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-604-3.
  • Frampton, Victor; Head, Michael; McLaughlin, Stephen & Spurgeon, H. L. (2003). "Russian Warships off Tokyo Bay". Warship International. XL (2): 119–125. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Whitley M.J – Cruisers of World War Two, an International Encyclopedia, 1995 Arms & Armour Press ISBN 1-86019-874-0
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