russian battleship russian pre dreadnought battleship built imperial_russian_navy 1890s ship construction marred organizational logistical engineering problems dragged years commissioned october number design construction faults fixed lifetime immediately sea trials sailed mediterranean enforce naval blockade crete march march suffered devastating explosion aft gun turret killed men months docks toulon repairs ship sailed far_east reinforce russian presence summer supported international campaign boxer rebellion china sailors battleship participated defence beijing months ship returned repairs little achieved early losses russo japanese war caused formation relieve russian forces blockaded port arthur sailed far_east rest baltic battleships participated survived daytime artillery duel ships badly damaged taking water night japanese destroyers scored torpedo hit ship damaged steering morning ship unable maintain speed flooding crew surrendered japanese armed merchant cruisers ship capsized later morning loss crewmen background committee headed general admiral drafted ambitious program ocean going battleships cruisers man charge admiral saw little value building uniform ship classes regularly changed design construction targets match foreign day program reduced battleships freed funds torpedo boats response german advances weapons years program marked bureaucracy shortage funds battleships actually built coastal defense ship relatively small slow ships single frontal barbette housing inch guns case single gun fourth ship future planned cheaper smaller long tons ship superiority german class battleship compelled lift cost size constraints build large battleship main gun turrets hastily proposed draft based british class navy awarded contract private company push laid july launched set standard configuration russian pre dreadnought battleships navy discussed plans fifth battleship future uncertain discussing navy concentrate large battleships smaller coastal defence ships ocean going cruisers design description september rolled proposal medium size long ton foot long battleship armed single inch guns mounted barbettes attempted blend hull armament tightly compromised design reviewed proposal satisfied overwhelmed suggestions main guns mounted barbettes covered inch thick armoured choice secondary armament caused round debate initially proposed combination inch guns armstrong inch guns advised use weapons different sizes caused problems fire control direction obsolete guns opposite dropping modern armstrong guns favor model probably result wanting use foreign built weaponry march presented revised proposal increased displacement long tons main armament inch guns accepted admiral ship feet inches long waterline feet long overall beam feet draught feet inches displaced long tons long tons designed displacement long tons ship partial double bulkhead separated engine boiler rooms crew initially consisted officers enlisted men grew total vertical triple expansion steam engines driving bladed propeller total designed output indicated horsepower steam provided cylindrical fire tube boilers ship designed speed knots mph reached speed knots mph sea trials october october despite ihp engines carried maximum long tons coal load gave range nautical miles speed knots mph armament like russian ships plagued regular improvements original design delayed construction years beginning year construction began redesigned artillery pairs inch calibre guns changed barbette french style center pivot twin turrets guns maximum elevation ship carried rounds gun rate fire intended round minutes shot minutes reality fired pound shell muzzle velocity range yards elevation secondary armament replaced quick firing inch calibre guns mounted casemates main deck gun provided rounds ammunition alterations shell accommodate larger rounds guns began december fired shells weighed muzzle velocity guns maximum range yards fired maximum elevation ship anti torpedo boat armament changed end consisted millimetre millimetre hotchkiss guns guns mounted superstructure upper deck inch casemates fired pound shell muzzle velocity rate rounds minute range yards guns mounted fighting fired pound shell muzzle velocity rate rounds minute range yards carried water inch torpedo tubes bow stern broadside ship carry mines armour ship armour scheme based steel compound armour older ship maximum thickness waterline armour belt inches machinery spaces reduced inches abreast magazines covered feet ship length feet inches high tapered thickness inches edge upper feet inches belt intended waterline ship significantly overweight entire belt submerged normal load belt terminated inch inch transverse bulkheads fore aft respectively belt inches thick sides feet long feet inches high protected inch guns sides turrets inches thick roofs inches thick bases turrets protected inches armour inside inches armour protected conning tower sides inches thick armour deck connected waterline belt inches thick belt fore aft belt inches thick construction rushed production contrary established practice ordered structural steel armour project properly authorized construction began august july wooden shed franco russian works saint_petersburg january december officially named commemorate victory coincided day great egypt eastern orthodox calendar ship formally laid management construction flawed start stem rudder frame propeller shaft ordered time late discovery omission substantially delayed progress having time place orders reliable foreign suppliers contracted job local plants known poor discipline quality loaded navy jobs industrial capacity saint_petersburg area sustain modest rate naval government willing finance april minor grievances evolved scale conflict board ridiculous charge nearly brought work stop admiral blamed suppliers attempt fix disarray office april completed hull passed static pressure tests launched june fleet review attended commissioning scheduled september examination august revealed steering gear water pumps ventilation system turrets missing builders hastily equipped ship rudder controls built delivered ship sea trials october september navy desperately needed mediterranean commissioned regardless known faults service mediterranean immediately trials ordered join engaged naval blockade crete wake riots maiden voyage revealed problems lack ventilation steering compartment port captain purchased electric fans money electrical systems failed reaching gibraltar copper rings sealing left found february december december leaking reached captain planned stay days complete urgent repairs days later telegram saint_petersburg forced leave crew managed seal armour plates repair electrical systems february steamed crete gunnery exercise miles shore bay crete end month second exercise held march march ended disaster rear turret exploded hour target practice explosion blew roof turret mainmast struck base foremast crushing gun steam cutter explosion killed men wounded later died wounds badly damaged headed toulon repairs investigation revealed mechanical organizational causes accident chain events reconstructed toulon started failure hydraulic breech locking mechanism left hand gun turret crew disabled resorted manual operation gunner responsible closing locking breech failed concussion right hand gun firing unlocked turret commander ultimately responsible checking breech firing busy calculating firing solution training gun concerned matter delegated routine enlisted man gunner attend station physically unable look breech lock attend duties panel eventually dropped charges captain recommended introduction mechanical fail safe prevent firing breech properly locked repaired french engineers openly ridiculed quality russian manifested inch wide open belt armour ship hull completely battleship protection shell struck russian investigators reported number obvious faults deemed ship unfit sailing internal decks secondary armament casemates particularly dangerous shells easily fell cracks holes deck saint_petersburg dismissed concerns arguing gap armour plates inevitable feature design decks faults fixed crew spare time far_east months dock toulon repaired assigned armoured cruisers sailed far_east british alerted sudden movement russian battleships dispatched battleship hms victorious shadow russian ship assisted flotilla barely passed shallow entrance suez_canal victorious ran aground near abandoned pursuit aside incident east bound voyage uneventful ship safely reached port arthur march march summer sailed nagasaki repairs returned new base stayed rest april fleet sailed port arthur massive landing exercise intended warning intensified compelling russian government intervene russian far east admiral dispatched port arthur battleship armoured cruiser host european ships blockaded mouth smaller moved river protect amphibious landings began provoked boxer siege beijing russians responded sending company sailors defend embassy beijing company reached city meeting opposition european troops beijing easily defend embassy row disorganized mob june rebels received reinforcements regular afternoon june june began massive assault diplomatic missions month later chinese managed burn austrian dutch italian sailors stood ground american french marines arrival reinforcements august july seven weeks siege men killed action died disease wounded remained far_east year december accumulation mechanical troubles fixed far eastern docks compelled fleet commander send baltic returned nagasaki hong_kong april voyage attended fleet review state visit president france june moved drydock available financing diverted completion class battleship new cruisers repairs proceeded slow pace artillery boilers ventilation system completely replaced turned repairs scratch needed thorough russo japanese war broke pacific february january march navy assigned bound pacific admiral command despite urgency calls speed repairs completion new ships shocking loss april march admiral new governor repairs striking unnecessary jobs went action new small calibre guns damaged internal decks captain expressed concern stability occasions suppressed reports arguing past experience sufficient proof ship august august sailed wasted nearly month preparation fleet review personally visited battleship crews anticipation victory japan october october squadron departed sailed split forces newer battleships continued way past cape good hope squadron cruisers transports ordered rendezvous ships short route suez_canal initially planned main force assigned instead ship rejoined fleet madagascar january december stayed months training finalized arrangements leg journey despite regular exercise gunners new class ships match level old ships squadron sailed french march march reached month later await obsolete ships commanded ships reached bay april combined force sailed days later voyage madagascar took days average speed knots mph mechanical problems evidenced slowing squadron month suffered failures boiler tubes heat steering gear failed times squadron began leg journey sailing left column russian order battle second line russians sighted japanese fleet minutes later opened fire simultaneously flagship started firing armoured cruisers later engaged armoured cruiser hitting single inch shell heavy shell exploded bow damaging bow torpedo tube shortly afterward inch inch shell hit belt armour near water line causing flooding forward compartments following hour ship hit inch inch inch shells disabled forward turret set casemates simultaneously severed water supply steered burning away line fire joined russian cruiser formation crew extinguished fires ship returned action heavy list port took place line moment japanese battleships ceased fire russians hoped leave battlefield casualties hour later admiral established contact engaged fleeing russians survived phase battle unharmed sunset joined group survivors assembled unable pace flagship fell supporting admiral gunfire ship sighted japanese destroyers attack destroyers attacked close range yards groups beat second attacks fourth destroyer flotilla command sunk scored torpedo hit minutes later damaged rudder propellers ship steered engines varying speeds flooding intensified morning bow submerged point forward movement longer possible realized ordered astern reversed engines headed hoping beach crippled ship intent fixed gun flooding forced telegraph stop shutting vessel engines crippled passed unable offer assistance japanese armed merchant cruisers stationary ship came yards signalled sinking request assistance japanese responded straightforward question surrender hoisted white flag response japanese boarding party officer enlisted men boarded battleship raised japanese flag failed pull russian flag japanese attempted tow prize safety soon realized effort futile moved russian prisoners ships retrieved flag capsized sank flying russian flag lost men killed battle crew rescued
Russian battleship Sissoi Veliky