class battlecruiser class battlecruisers soviet designation heavy cruisers russian ordered late 1930s ships started completed world war ships complex prolonged design process hampered constantly changing requirements great purge laid estimated completion date naval construction program proved armaments industries handle prototypes armament machinery completed june years start construction soviets bought surplus centimeter guns twin turrets similar class battleships germany ships partially redesigned accommodate construction begun turrets actually delivered hull survived war reasonably intact complete judged obsolete soviets considered converting aircraft carrier idea rejected hulls scrapped design class battlecruisers origin mid-1930s requirement large cruiser russian capable destroying long ton cruisers built limits imposed soviets designs submitted end navy satisfied rejected asked design displacing metric tons long tons armed millimeter guns early eventually designated project design cancelled soviets began negotiations british ultimately resulted agreed follow terms second london naval treaty limited battleships displacement long tons soviets working small battleship design battleship service baltic shrink result discussions size close project large cruiser cancelled battleship redesignated project given task destroying treaty cruisers german pocket battleships project design accepted major revisions armor scheme machinery layout ordered construction begin late early decision occurred right great purge began hit navy august ship designers arrested executed year project design rejected grounds weak compared foreign ships program cancelled early attempt modify design larger guns soviet navy felt need fast ship deal enemy cruisers original concept revived project wanted ship exceed metric tons speed knots mph armament guns requirement proved ambitious specified size increased metric tons long tons design submitted june time details available class battleships ship deemed inferior german ships revised requirements specified size metric tons long tons armament millimeter guns armor belt thick speed knots mph revised design finished october japanese class battlecruisers french class battleships class deemed superior medium range inferior range generally superior doubtful soviets fully aware true specifications rebuilt displacement given metric tons long tons metric tons long tons short true displacement navy thought original secondary armament millimeter guns small armor turrets conning tower forward transverse bulkhead thin revised ton design millimeter guns extra armor submitted january approved detailed design work began basic concept ship superior class ships able class battleships time horizontal protection revised scale trials revealed kilogram bomb penetrate millimeter upper deck millimeter middle deck burst main armor deck middle deck millimeter lower deck intended catch splinters penetrating armor deck mean main belt extended upwards meet main armor deck significant penalty weight approved sketch design july detailed design approved april construction begun ships apparent guns turrets schedule asked german representatives moscow february negotiate trade agreement possible use triple millimeter turrets lieu triple turrets ships replied turrets production new ones built asked twin millimeter turrets instead germans said check technical details krupp incomplete turrets hand originally ordered war class battleships cancelled start world war germans decided afford ships service war preliminary purchase agreement buy guns turrets later month studies possible reported april possible agreement finalized november deliveries scheduled october march order included meter centimeter soviets detailed data required redesign ship barbettes magazines know barbettes bigger diameter turret taller russian turrets barbette turret number raised clear turret number height conning tower raised clear turret number similarly millimeter anti aircraft guns turret number raised new turrets required electrical power meant output turbo generators increased kilowatts changes added metric tons long tons ships displacement sketch design completed october lacked data turrets barbettes presented february design approved april ordered ships completed german guns continue use guns detailed design supposed completed october rendered pointless germans invaded soviet_union june general characteristics project class ships meters long overall waterline length meters beam meters load draft meters designed displaced metric tons long tons standard load metric tons long tons load displacement project class ships increased metric tons long tons standard load metric tons long tons load increased draft meters load waterline length grew meters simply extra draft submerged sharply stem shaped stern speed remained deeper draft offset efficient propeller form hull form block compared badly german class battlecruiser american alaska class cruiser meant lot horsepower necessary achieve modest speeds decision ships use shafts increased shaft loading reduced efficiency length armored citadel overall displacement hull subdivided transverse bulkheads longitudinal framing citadel transverse framing structure fore aft citadel metacentric height meters ships dropped meters ships tactical diameter estimated meters class ships provided flying boats launched catapult mounted funnels propulsion power plant laid unit system forward boiler room contained boilers followed engine room wing propeller shafts second boiler room contained boilers followed turbine room central shaft single reduction impulse reduction geared steam turbines imported design shared class battleship factory build finished single turbine germans invaded produced total shp water tube boilers worked pressure cm2 kpa psi temperature small boilers harbor service power auxiliary machinery electrical plant originally consisted turbo generators diesel generators upgraded project ships maximum speed estimated knots mph revised propeller design forcing machinery yield extra knot normal fuel oil capacity metric tons long tons provided estimated endurance nautical miles speed maximum fuel capacity metric tons long tons gave range nautical miles knots mph nmi knots mph armament main armament consisted electrically powered triple turrets caliber guns turrets based turrets planned project large cruiser guns depressed elevated fixed loading angle rate fire varied time required relay gun ranged rounds minute depending elevation turrets elevate rate degrees second traverse degrees second rounds gun carried gun fired kilogram armor piercing projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range meters secondary armament consisted caliber guns mounted dual turrets concentrated forward end superstructure forward turrets outer turrets provided turrets good arcs fire elevation limits fixed loading angle rate fire varied elevation rounds minute turrets elevate rate degrees second traverse degrees second maximum range meters kilogram shell muzzle velocity heavy anti aircraft fire provided caliber dual purpose guns twin turrets mounted aft end superstructure aft turrets mounted forward turrets elevate maximum traverse rate second elevate second fired kilogram high explosive shells muzzle velocity provided maximum range meters surface targets maximum range aerial targets meters limit time fuse light defense handled quadruple water cooled mounts fitted guns mounts abreast forward funnel rear funnel centerline aft superstructure superfiring rear main gun turret initially seven mounts planned conning tower exchanged director guns early navy realized directors blocked superstructure guns fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity effective anti aircraft range meters germans sold soviets caliber centimeter guns associated turrets pact elevation limits fixed loading angle rate fire rounds minute turrets elevate rate second traverse second maximum range meters kilogram shell muzzle velocity fire control fire control directors control main armament meter track target measure range ship shell protected armor mounted atop rear superstructure tower mast directors meter controlled secondary armament dual purpose guns controlled later stabilized directors meter rangefinder protection ships relatively light armor main belt millimeters thick lower edge inclined degrees meters high meters intended submerged originally designed belt meters long covered percent waterline forward belt extended way bow forward transverse millimeter bulkhead thick rear bulkhead millimeters thick upper deck millimeters thick intended initiate shell bomb main armor deck waterline belt millimeters thick millimeter splinter deck underneath tapered millimeters thickness torpedo protection system underwater protection american style design longitudinal bulkheads intended withstand kilogram tnt covered ship length total depth meters reduced meters forward aft hull lines finer main turrets faces backs millimeter sides roofs barbettes protected armor secondary turrets faces millimeter sides roofs millimeter barbettes dual purpose armor millimeter barbettes conning tower sides roof communications tube running armor deck admiral bridge protected armor directors armor gun mounts funnels armor entire height deck box protected smoke generators construction soviet related industries proved incapable supporting construction class battleships class battlecruisers time largest warships built soviet_union prior metric ton long ton class cruisers suffered number production problems soviet leadership preferred ignore industrial difficulties making plans shipyards half workers intended steel proved short supply number rejected meet specifications attempt import long tons steel armor plate united_states failed probably result soviet invasion poland september armor plate production problematic metric tons long tons delivered anticipated metric tons long tons rejected furthermore armor plants proved incapable making cemented plates inferior face hardened plates substituted millimeters machinery problems likely delay ships past intended delivery dates completed single turbine german invasion june problem guns turrets armament factories focused higher priority guns class battleships prototypes completed time germans invaded situation better smaller guns guns incomplete june programs terminated quickly ships ships originally intended laid september delayed november allow improvements shipyards completed total sixteen ships planned august building program scaled july october clear unprepared soviets large scale naval construction program work ships ceased shortly german invasion russian built shipyard laid november judged complete germans invaded building slip short entire length stern built separately material siege repair ships defensive works finished end war proposals complete aircraft carrier base ship flotilla ideas rejected ordered scrapped march began shortly completed following year russian built laid november estimated complete june captured germans occupied late germans little use material defensive positions apparently shipped germany germans evacuated city damaged building slip hull explosives total loss ordered scrapped march began shortly completed
Kronshtadt-class battlecruiser