class battlecruiser class battlecruiser known project russian soviet_union battlecruiser design smaller expensive counterpart class battlecruisers original role light fast ship intended break attacks royal_navy fast cruiser forces attempt bombardment russia northern ports design able ship similar speed heavily armed design work started german invasion soviet_union opened design hold design intended operate class cruisers proposed aircraft carriers powerful task forces able challenge usa fleet role need powerful ship original design taking cancelled intended fend enemy attacks protect carriers bad weather prevented flying series planned finally began construction supported primarily opposed considerable naval staff project came abrupt end death time second example construction abandoned slips started partially completed ended target ship testing anti ship missiles broken background genesis roots project class began approved tactical requirements russian medium sized cruiser light cruisers classes class battlecruisers intended fulfill following roles engage enemy cruisers armed guns destroy enemy light cruisers support light cruisers lay minefields suppress enemy medium caliber coast defense batteries support landing operations conduct operations enemy maritime lines communication accomplish missions navy desired ship tonnes long tons smaller armed millimeter millimeter guns millimeter anti aircraft guns triple millimeter torpedo mount armored withstand millimeter shells speed knots mph range nmi knots mph able carry launched preliminary designs proposed response displaced tonnes long tons able meet requirements designers recommended increase main armament caliber millimeters strengthened anti aircraft battery reductions armor protection speed range opening month later rendered plans project project classes hold project revived new requirement issued september basically identical original added new requirement protect operations aircraft carriers conduct joint operations estimated characteristics displacement tonnes long tons main guns secondary battery dozen dual purpose guns thirty guns speed range aircraft requirements remained torpedo tubes dropped dozen preliminary designs proposed acceptable new tactical requirement issued november envisioned realistic displacement tonnes long tons speed dropped knots mph range nmi armament revised guns sixteen guns thirty millimeter millimeter guns guns changed admiral believed ships protect planned soviet aircraft carriers bad weather american cruisers pushed built refused begin detailed design work pleading uncertainty post war building situation heavy workload design bureau navy continued studying cruiser designs planned year construction programme period based defensive operations periphery soviet_union anglo american carrier groups submarines attack lines communication large cruisers envisioned construction program program discussed september great disagreement large cruisers favored increasing size main guns push issue admiral resisted bigger problem resistance said impossible lay ships new design changes designs currently production navy saw reason new ships reflecting wartime experience laid beginning resolve dispute special commission appointed led sided ships program improved versions current designs large cruisers begin construction shipyard shipyard planned laid compromise approved november detailed design work began designs equipped guns reaffirmed decree january august navy design proposals armed guns joint design armed guns design slightly smaller tonnes long tons navy tonnes long tons design armor belt thinner identical joint design tonnes long tons smaller reduced secondary armament knots mph faster proposals range nmi knots mph designs weren reviewed march probably need coordinate reaction american marshall plan approved navy heavily protected design subject delays detailed specifications approved didn occur august likely delayed split start june approval specifications heavy ship design bureau began work sketch design submitted approval start technical design begin march alternatives completed differing mainly arrangement guns boiler layout bureau preferred layout navy concurred bureau began technical design formal approval order ready lay ships quarter scheduled reviewed sketch design september rejected ordering smaller faster ship capable knots mph able produce preliminary technical design met demands end year fast time involved process likely explanation designers retained original work possible found room powerful turbines numerous boilers necessary attain specified speed rear twin turrets magazines revealed comparison sketches navy didn like reduce displacement tonnes long tons achieve high speed demanded revealed march meeting revealed critical points thoughts ships responded question purpose ships saying fight enemy heavy cruisers contradicted said purpose fight light cruisers necessary increase speed knots create cruiser cause panic enemy light cruisers disperse destroy furthermore believed fight close home defending coastal waters soviet_union copy americans english face different conditions ships travel far ocean touch bases considering conducting oceanic battles instead fight close shores need large ammunition supply ship like reduction secondary armament accommodate larger machinery extra boilers needed reach speed desired reminded aircraft attack battlecruiser heights ceiling far excess ordered reduction light anti aircraft guns believing escorts defend design approved march allowed technical design process begin completed december reviews navy february led significant changes design april original form bow similar class light cruisers sea trials lead ship class december january proved wet forward hindered ability bow form radically altered stem sheer greatly increased ship gained length possibly response problems addition thickness belt armor increased possibly response weight savings final design submitted approval june preparations working design drawings began approved design general characteristics ships class meters long waterline meters long overall beam meters maximum draft meters forward meters aft displaced tonnes long tons standard load tonnes long tons load large soviet built ships flush deck hull completely save weight longitudinal framing metacentric height estimated presumably design load condition ships triple underneath armored citadel height meters main watertight compartments crew men plus space acting flagship cost ship estimated billion times million class cruiser ship intended commanded rear admiral executive officer political officer heads gunnery engineering divisions captains 1st rank propulsion high speed demanded required geared steam turbines producing shaft horsepower driving propeller powered water tube boilers pressure cm2 kpa psi temperature machinery arranged unit system hit couldn knock boilers turbines ship boiler compartments boilers situated underneath forward funnel turbine compartment wing shafts immediately aft arrangement repeated center shafts tonnes long tons fuel oil carried gave range nmi knots maximum speed knots mph turbo generators drove electrical system addition generators located outside end armored citadel total capacity armor armor scheme battlecruisers complex armor plates different designed withstand cruiser tonnes long tons short tons total displacement devoted armor citadel armor intended provide immunity zone armor piercing shells ranges yards yards remainder armor intended resist inch high explosive shells kilogram bombs belt armor thick inclined angle maximize effectiveness horizontal fire vertical height design waterline covered approximately ship waterline armor covered hull belt protection splinters forward end armored citadel closed millimeter thick transverse bulkhead forward end aft deck armor citadel ranged thickness upper deck millimeter middle deck increased handling rooms millimeter gun turrets lower splinter deck increased waterline forward citadel protected millimeter splinter belt way bow similar extension aft steering gear compartment middle deck splinter belt thick steering gear protected armor sides millimeter deck millimeter armored bulkhead aft additional armored plates fixed bulkhead underwater protection system protect diving shells hitting level waterline belt varied depending location ranged oddly amidships magazines main battery turrets protected armor faces sides armor roofs barbettes maximum forward faces face main deck protected armor turrets protected armor splinter protection forward conning tower forward face aft section millimeter roof controls cable runs protected millimeter tube lower conning tower supporting structure protected plates aft lightly protected auxiliary control station millimeter sides middle lower decks funnel protected armor upper middle decks millimeter upper millimeter lower protected boilers shells fragments entering openings torpedo protection system developed basis model tests scale trials incomplete hull battlecruiser expected resist torpedo equivalent tnt external bulkheads thick second fourth presumably thinner ends ships bulkheads outer space left middle spaces filled oil intended exchanged sea water consumed inner space left curious feature second bulkheads concave profile apparently believed improve protective qualities indication total depth system amidships shallow triple underneath armored citadel believed protect ship charge equivalent tnt meters ship hull armament use era millimeter gun originally planned use guns ordered decided adopt new powerful caliber gun size use newly designed triple turrets individual gun weighed long tons short tons complete turret weighed long tons short tons guns depressed elevated rate second traverse speed second turret remotely controlled main fire control director locally controlled necessary fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity maximum range rate fire rounds minute rounds aboard gun barrel completed december evaluation purposes ships canceled earlier year caliber guns new design fitted new twin gun dual purpose mount individual gun weighed long tons short tons complete turret weighed long tons short tons guns mount elevate rate second traverse speed second guns fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity maximum horizontal range rate fire rounds minute rounds gun millimeter caliber light anti aircraft guns carried quadruple power driven fully enclosed mounts mounts fitted forward funnel superimposed rear main gun turret individual gun weighed complete mount weighed long tons short tons guns mount elevate rate second traverse speed second gun fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity maximum horizontal range rate fire rounds minute rounds carried gun millimeter caliber guns carried quadruple powered mounts designed especially fully lightly armored splinters individual gun weighed complete mount weighed long tons short tons guns mount elevate rate second traverse speed second gun fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity maximum effective range effective rate fire rounds minute rounds carried gun electronics target data director derived nato designation fire control radar radars mounted turrets nos backed single optical director mount fitted meter meter mounts fitted range finding radars probably nato designation egg cup controlled directors pair gun mounts carried meter rangefinder nato designation fire control radar air search capability provided nato designation radar anti aircraft fire control provided nato designation radars main air search radar nato designation soviet development wartime radar range aerial targets surface targets main surface search radar nato designation range surface targets navigational radars soviet electronics fairly primitive period trials light cruiser carried systems revealed effective range surface search radar fire control radars problems transferring data air search radar anti aircraft fire control radars problem dealing high speed aircraft interfered ultra radio reception radar mounted mainmast system foremast infrared carried superstructure antenna comprised system fitted addition radio direction missile variant design bureau proposed variants design cruise missiles missiles launched vertical tubes replacing forward turrets version entire main armament proposal dropped types needed fully stabilized launching platform chance hitting targets missiles need hours preparation time construction ships started sections laid november class battleship begun construction need reconstruction lower end occupied hull class light cruiser scheduled launch end keel laid september unnamed ship laid yard october soviet sources refer proposed names fourth ship apparently ordered yard laid formal keel laying december hoped launched november eve 36th anniversary october revolution deliveries steel armor machinery equipment delayed arrived sequence despite extraordinary efforts slowed construction fell months schedule true ships january intended complete actually planned finished unnamed ship intended complete ships canceled april death march hulls ship scrapped later year ministry ordered june hull ready launching weapons tests hull launched april stern complete dismantled bow hadn built work suspended year earlier central meter long section modified new role career target hulk hull towed driven ashore high winds southern entrance grounded rocky shallow water shore number ordinary methods ship couldn nearly loaded rocky meant couldn excavated underneath attempt force provided cruisers unsuccessfully tow attempts explosive charges create shock waves pivot stern deeper water combination attempting pull holes blown sides flooded compartments grounded firmly time detailed assessment situation steel projections discovered underside hull left launching ranged length totally calculations force required free battleship harbor october delayed salvage operations end year hull water pumped projections removed raise stern slightly pivot deeper water trim elevate bow pull free preparations time consuming wasn mid july pulled rocks given permanent repairs moved target seven anti ship missiles fired converted class cruiser admiral december missiles penetrated upper main decks devastated upper hull change ship draught details known tests reportedly served target missiles wide variety armor piercing munitions early 1960s come end scrapped possibly
Stalingrad-class battlecruiser