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Ships - 300 World Famous Ships PDF

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THE HISTORY AND SPECIFICATIONS OF 300 WORLD-FAMOUS SHIPS CHRIS BISHOP Copyright© 2005AmberBooksLtd PublishedbySilverdaleBooks animprintofBookmartLtd RegisteredNumber2372865 TradingasBookmartLtd BlabyRoad Wigston LeicesterLE184SE Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproduced, storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorby anymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthecopyrightholder. ISBN 1-84509-303-8 Editorialanddesignby AmberBooksLtd Bradley'sClose 74-77WhiteLionStreet LondonNl 9PF www.amberbooks.co.uk ProjectEditor:MichaelSpilling Design:JerryWilliams PrintedinSingapore PJcn"RECREDITS _-\IIanworkscourtesyArt-Tech. Pb<xographsonpages7and8courtesyTRHPictures;page 11 court~' USDepartmentofDefense. Contents Introduction 6 Cheops Ship (3000BC) to Bounty (1784) 12 Vanguard (1787) toAdelaide (1872) 44 Canada (1876) to Dreadnought (1906) 70 Scharnhorst (1907) to Indianapolis (1931) 102 Achilles (1932) toYamato (1941) 142 Onslaught (1942) to Forrestal (1955) 190 Endurance (1956) to U-12 (1966) 222 Yankee class (1967) to Nacken (1976) 252 Sovremennyy (1980) toVoyager ofthe Seas (1999) 280 Index 312 6 SHIPS Introduction Fromthedawnofcivilization,theseahasheldafascination Peloponnesian War (431-404BC). Manned by large crews, for humankind. Over the centuries, men have sought to oarsmenwereable topropeltheseagilevesselsathighspeed navigatetheseaswithamyriadofshipsandsailingcraftfor under favourable conditions. It would be centuries before an equally diverse range ofpurposes. Ships,even in the sailing ships could reach such speeds over short distances. earliestdays,couldcarrycargosfartherandfasterthanany Navalbattletacticsweredevelopedinthisperiod,notablyby typeofoverlandtransport. theGreekadmiralPhormioin400BC,whoseskillenabledhim todefeatsuperiorforces. Long before the Iron Age, when Northern Europeans were Though Roman merchant ships had sailed the buildingsimpleplankboatsthatweresuitableforuseonrivers MediterraneansincethebeginningofthethirdcenturyBC,the andlakes,thepharaohsofEgyptwerebuildingsophisticated Romans were traders bysea, not fighters. While the Roman shipsabletooperateintheopenwatersoftheMediterranean. LegionsdemonstratedtheRomanmasteryofwarfareonland, From this period two distinct types ofships evolved, with thedevelopmentofafightingnavyhadbeenneglected. cargo vessels possessing hull forms designed for carrying Carthage,originallyacolonyofthePhoenicians,possesseda capacity while warships developed as fast, manoeuvrable strong navy because of the necessity to seek its livelihood fightingplatformsabletomountandusearangeofweapons. around the Mediterranean. When commercial rivalry finally ThevesselsoftheBronzeAgewerelimitedintheirabilities, caused a war between Rome and Carthage in 264BC, the butbyabout700BCtheGreeks,copyingandimprovingupon Romanssoonsawtheneedtodeveloptheirnavyandmodelled Phoeniciandesigns,haddevelopedfast,rowedfightingships theirwarshipsupon thosecapturedfrom Carthage.Although with several banks ofoars. This was typical ofthe type of theRomanswereoriginallydefeatedtheysoonperfectedtheir fighting ship that fought at Salamis (480BC) and remained tactics,developing the boarding bridge, which enabled their the standard type for a long time after the end of the soldierstostormontothedecksoftheCarthaginianvessels. INTRODUCTION 7 Forthebestpartofamillenium,therewasljttledevelopment centuries,tileexploitsofVik.ingraidersbegantohaveaneffect inshipbuildingintheMediterranean,wherethelateenrigheld upon surrounding countries who had no navies of any sway.TillshadbeencopiedfromtlleArabianGulfandIndian importancebutreliedmostlyupontheirarmjesfordefence. Ocean,whereitwasusedbyArabtradersbecauseithadgood sailing qualities, especially in coastal waters. Such a rig, SailTakesOver however, was not suitable for long ocean voyages where the In northern Europe the warship underwent its own distinct foreandaftriggaveabetterperformance. development.ByAD1300highcastleswereadded totheends With theendofRoman seapowerin the Mediterranean tile ofthevesseltogivebowmenaheightadvantageinbattle.Over development of shipbuilding underwent further changes, thenext300yearsorsotllesecastlesgrewinsize;however,as especiallyin northern waters. From the nintll to tile eleventll thegunbecametilemainweapon,housedinthehullforbetter stability, so the castles were reduced to a low poop and forecastle. Astileforeandaftriggainedpredominanceso the galleyswitil tileirbanksofoars fell from favour. The need to have the hull sides leftclearfor the many rowers meant that only the extremeendscouldcarryguns,making these lightly builtvesselsnomatchevenforthelightly-armedfrigates. From the beginning ofthe fifteenth century warships and merchant vessels continued to develop along diflerent lines. Shipswouldnolongerneedtocarryasinglemastbuttwo-and JohnPaulJones'frigateBonhommeRichard(launched 1765)wastypicalofthefightingshipsthatdominatedthe lastdaysofsail. SHIPS later three-masted vessels were built that proved reliable on navigation bydead reckoningpossible. Europeans were now longvoyages.TheearlypracticeofsteeringWIthasinglelarge abletoexploreandtradeinfaroffplaces,whichmturnledto oaratthesterngaveway tothe rudderrightafton thecentre colonizationinNorthandSouthAmerica,Africaandbeyond. line of the vessel, so giving more posItive control on the By 1800 the salling ship had reached the peak of its steering.Otherimprovementsintechnologyoccurred,notably development. Over the preceeding few hundred years many with thedevelopmentofthe compassand the hourglassand countries developed their navies to a high degree, with these, combined with the log that measured speed, made England Spam,Franceand Hollandleadingtheway. Indeed, oneoftheprimefactorsinthedevelopmentofthesecountries' ThenewgenerationofoceanlinersliketheColumbia, navalforceswastheneedtoprotectthemerchantshipstradmg enteringservicein1902,offeredwell-heeledtravellers infar-flungcolonies.By1800Americawasalsointheforefront speedandluxuryundreamedofinpreviouseras. oftechnology,producingsomeoftheworld'sfinestfngates. INTRODUCTION 9 TheSteamRevolution stronger, lighter construction translated into faster ships. Vesselswerestillbuiltofwoodandcarriedevergreaterspreads In spite of these dramatic developments, the sailing ship ofsails, but by the end of the eighteenth century the first continued to play a major role in world commerce. In the experiments were being made with steam propulsion, a 1860s the fast clippershipappeared,intended for service in method thatwould freeshipsfrom beingrelianton thewind thetea,woolandgraintrade.Thegeneralcargosailingvessel and eventually, once the steam engine reached a degree of stillprosperedamongsttheburgeoningsteamshipfleets;even perfection, enable ships to make faster passages along more aslateas 1900welloveronethirdofaUmerchantships,10m direct routes. The Industrial revolution ushered in other tonsoutofaworldwidefleetof24mtons,weresailingships.By changes,suchastheuseofiron,andlatersteel,inshipbuilding. 1932 there were still nearly 3000 merchant sailing ships 111 Laughed offby the conservative-minded,not least those in regularservice. highnavaloffice,thesmoky,clankingshipsweretakenupfirst bythemerchantmarine,whowantedtoshortenjourneytimes. Ironclads Thenewsteampropulsion,andthenewmaterialsprovidedby Althoughearlyattemptstobuildironhulledwarshipswerenot the industrial revolution, especially iron plate in mass successful, the new technologies accelerated warship quantities,wroughtmorechangeinthe50yearsbetween1800 development. Until 1860, major warships were still built of and1850thanallthedevelopmentsoftheprevious500years. wood;someofthesteam-poweredshipscarriedover120guns Yetin the 1850safull-rigged shipwith thewind behind her on three decks. In the late 1850samajor change tookplace couldstillovertaketheaveragepacketsteamer. with the layingdown ofDupuyde Lome'ssplendidcreation By the mid-1800s the new technologies of the industrial Clairewhich,althoughithadawooden hull,was completely revolution had begun to pickup speed. Marineengineering, coveredinironarmourabletoresistthegunsoftheperiod.In basedon the twin innovationsofthesteanlengineand metal the 1860s, the broadside ironclad frigates replaced the construction, prospered, and new developments in the field wooden-hulledtwo-and three-deckerline-of-battleships,and followed one upon another. More efficient machinery and weresoonin turnreplacedbyturretedships.Asgunsbecame 10 SHIPS more powerful so armour grew thicker which, because of sea battlesofthe twentieth century.The years thatled up to weight limitations, was restricted to protecting the vitals. World War 1 witnessed Great Britain's naval supremacy Capitalshipsnowcarriedamixedarmamentoflarger,quick challengedfirstbyGermanyandthenJapan,butattheendof firingguns:fewerinnumber,butbytheirrapidfireincreasing tllatconflictthe German HighSeasFleethad ceased to exist thenumberofroundsfiredperminute. andtheprincipalmaritimepowerswereBritain,Japanandthe Machineryandboilersdevelopedrapidly.Asenginesbecame UnitedStates. more reliable and economical so sail power was dispensed with.Boilerpowercontinuedtoincrease,leadingtothetriple TheNuclearAge expansion engine with its good economy. Liquid fuel in the The years between 1906 and 1935 were marked by shapeofoilbegantobeusedinthe1890sandtheturbinefirst undreamedoftechnologicalinnovation.Destroyers,oncelittle appeared,markingamajorstepinengineering. more than coastal craft, were turned into hardy, seawortilY The locomotive torpedo was also adopted by all navies. vessels with arole to playon the world's oceans,and World Duringthisperiodthesubmarineslowlyevolved,andwiththe War I proved the destructive capability of the submarine development of the battery by 1900, became a practical beyond all doubt. During that war, Britain took the first weapon.Bytheturnofthetwentiethcenturythebattleshiphad tentative steps in the development ofthe aircraft carrier, the reacheditspeak,butby1906theall-big-gunDreadnoughtwas vesselthatwastobecomethecapitalshipofthefuture. on the scene and, like the Warrior before her, immediately Thecarrier,perhaps,wasthemostsignificantnavaldesignto eclipsedexistingcapitalships,thusheraldinganothernewera. emergefromtheperiod;notonlydiditenablefleetstoengage HMS Dreadnought made all other warships obsolete one another at distances far beyond visual range but it also overnight,andledtoanavalconstructionracethatcontributed becameaprimarytoolinhuntingdownthetwogreatestnaval totheoutbreakofWorldWarI. threats of World War II, the commerce raider and the Itwasatimeofinnovation,aperiodthatsawthedebutofthe submarine. The six years ofWorld War II put an end to battlecruiser,ahybridwarshipthatwastomakeitsmarkonthe centuriesofconventional thinking on naval forces. Thegun- INTRODUCTION II armed capitalshipwas no longerthe masterofwaratsea. In percentstillmovesbysea,andtl,eworld'smercantilefleetgrew the North Atlantic and in the Pacific, the supremacy ofthe tokeeppacewiththedemand,goingfrom 130mtonsin 1960 battleship ended when air power defeated sea power. The toover500rntonsin2000..atwenty-foldincreasesince 1900. aircraftcarrierbroughtawholenewdimensIOntonavalwarfare Olderstylesofcargoboatshavealmostdisappearedwithbulk and it has been the dominant element of every major cargocarriersandcontainershipstakingtheirplace. applicationofseapowersince 1945. Oceanlinersdisappearedinthe 1950sand 1960sasaresult Since the 1950s, the advent of nuclear power has ofexpanding air travel but now their successors are cruise revolutionized underwater warfare, enabling submarines to ships whose passengers are sailing the oceans for pleasure; remainsubmergedfor manymonthsatatime. In theshapeof thesehugefloatinghotelsincludeintheirnumbersomeofthe the ballistic missile submarine, it has made possible the largestvesselsintheworldtoday. ultimateinweapons. Progress in merchant shipping since 1900 has also been tremendous.Steampropulsiongaveway to themoreefficient diesel,andtheresultantdeclineinthenumberofseafarerswas multiplied by the development ofautomated ship handling systems, while the introduction ofcontainerization and tl,e streamliningofbulkcargohandlingchangedthenatureofport operation beyond recognition. Such changes were vital to accommodate the increase in worldwide trade, ofwhich 90 TlteUSNavy'sattacksub1llarineSeawolf(SSN21)putsto seailltheNa.,"raganseltBayoperatingareaforlt.erftrstsea trialinJuly1996.

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