russian monitor russian monitor built imperial_russian_navy 1870s unusual warships constructed survives popular naval myth worst warships built balanced assessment shows relatively effective designed role coast defence ship hull circular reduce draught allowing ship carry armour heavier armament ships size played minor role russo turkish war reclassified coast defence ironclad ship decommissioned sold scrap background scottish published article advocated widening beam ship reduce area needed protected allow carry thicker armour heavier powerful guns comparison normal ship addition ship shallower draught moderate increase power required match speed normal ship sir director naval construction royal_navy agreed elder conclusions rear admiral imperial_russian_navy expanded elder concept ship actually circular design flat unlike elder convex hull draught designed meet requirement defend requirement heavily armoured ships foot draught armed inch rifled guns total programme cost exceed million long ton class monitor met requirements armament powerful general admiral grand duke selected circular design late december model built circular hull performed tests baltic_sea april received reports trials nicknamed ship submitted designs general admiral selected largest ship displaced long tons feet diameter armed inch guns june ironclad estimated cost million total cost entire programme forced scale design october approved design ship feet diameter armed inch guns protected inches armour estimated cost million ship total cost programme including improvements shipyards cost million testing circular ship feet diameter built equipped engines nominal horsepower trials summer considered success description construction design modified addition wood copper reduce increased diameter feet maximum draught feet inches displaced long tons normal load inches deck curved upwards gun barbette center ship superstructure forward barbette housed crew quarters despite initial concerns sea keeping ability stable gun platform easy roll rarely exceeded bluff hull form meant lost speed heavy weather occasion lost force storm conditions ship pitch lift propellers water biggest hull shape greatly reduced rudder ability turn ship flow water took minutes circle ship severe storm solution adopted use engines steering leave rudder fixed reduced ship speed crew officers ratings ship horizontal compound expansion steam engines built driving single propeller steam provided cylindrical boilers engines produced total indicated horsepower gave speed knots mph propulsion machinery proved problematic life result poor quality materials blunt hull form efficient steaming proved consumer coal capacity long tons gave range nautical miles speed ship ventilation problems career despite later fitting large ventilation central hatch barbette armed calibre inch rifled muzzle loading guns guns penetrate inches armour range yards pound shells muzzle velocity feet second rate fire slow round minutes guns mounted separate revolving moved independently locked took minutes rotate gunnery trials november showed locks weak gun cause rotate leading persistent myth ship rotated gun fired reinforcement locks solved problem myth persisted protection ship waterline belt wrought iron completely covered hull extended inches waterline feet inches armour feet high upper plates inches thick lower ones inches armour backed inches teak reinforced channel navy considered backing equivalent inches armour russian ironclad place armament barbette mounting feet high built manner upper belt rounded deck protected total inches armour layers plates ranging thickness inch lower portion funnels base engine room armour plates inches thick construction career treaty paris ended war limited imperial_russian_navy long tons black_sea royal shipyard leased meant ironclads built black_sea service built saint_petersburg shipped port long dormant facility chosen navy began ordering machinery tools britain equip shipyard russia clauses treaty temporary built new admiralty shipyard january construction named city began april shifts speed construction hull completed december official keel laying ceremony held weeks shipment parts arrived april began specially prepared days later rail line saint_petersburg components river barges boilers large shipped freighter baltic_sea construction delayed late deliveries parts workforce lack experience ship finally launched june grand duke attendance guns mounted september entered service following year cost winter small superstructure built aft barbette enclosed built atop addition shape forward superstructure modified bow prominent bridge wings added boom torpedo fitted time ship port visit hosted sir cruise october russo turkish war assigned defense armament reinforced pair pounder inch guns mounted aft superstructure protect torpedo boats guns fired pound shell muzzle velocity feet second range yards time navy realized ship engines contributed little speed steam capacity insufficient engines outer engines removed reduced total power ihp speed knots mph ship cruise romanian town danube war received armoured covers engine room central barbette hatch protect fire stationed 1880s short cruises summer received refurbished boilers vice admiral ship reclassified coast defence ironclad february time armament augmented millimetre quick firing hotchkiss revolving cannon guns range yards rate fire rounds minute following year hull machinery poor condition ship turned disposal stricken navy list july offered sale bulgaria offer taken ship sold scrap december myths reality book world worst warships naval historian characterised like respects dismal failure slow stem current proved difficult steer practice discharge gun caused turn control rotating propellers unable ship correct heading cope rough weather frequently encountered black_sea prone rapid rolling pitching flat calm aim load guns circumstances design ships controversial built 1870s articles published newspapers day supporters detractors later picked historians account published claimed turn reed describing time ship engines reversed cruise wrote circular form extremely favourable kind easily revolved centre speed quickly makes promptly brought rest needed motion reversed probable reports quoted combined story given trial cruise admiral went nicely distance till turned retire current caught carried sea round round soul board criticisms preston discussed earlier opinion naval historian reasonable assessment ships final analysis relatively effective coast defence vessels certainly combination armament armour carried conventional ship greater draught faults certainly faults exaggerated critics russia abroad left legacy stories ships designed incompetent men
Russian monitor Novgorod