russian ironclad russian ironclad russian class broadside ironclad built imperial_russian_navy joined baltic fleet completion accidentally sank russian frigate ship assigned frequently rearmed sank shallow water storm refloated returned service ship placed reserve disarmed following year sold scrap design description class ironclads designed coastal defence ships protect approaches saint_petersburg referred self propelled armored floating batteries heavy armament protection important factors design feet long overall beam feet mean draft feet displacing long tons load somewhat larger half sisters displaced long tons fitted ram bow lacked stern ram half sisters based experiences sister inches deep feet long fitted reduce ship rolling ship steer historian notes unpredictable habit suddenly probably result poor water flow rudder required men man wheel total crew numbered officers enlisted men cost cutting measure ship received refurbished horizontal trunk steam engine wooden frigate built cylinders bore inches stroke inches steam produced rectangular fire tube boilers drive single inch propeller engine designed produce indicated horsepower gave ship maximum speed knots mph sea trials october boilers proved unable decade service replaced notably save money replacement boilers taken retiring ships installation ship intended rigged schooner like half sisters captain suggested square rigged advantage hull form masts hollow iron lower decks masts imperial_russian_navy protect sailors determined depth water keel combat fitted sounding tubes led gun deck hull completed powerful guns available russians inch pounder gun mounted broadside guns placed pivot mounts upper deck serve chase guns unfortunately proved incapable penetrating inches wrought iron armor distance yards trials despite ship continued armed varying numbers guns inch rifled guns career upper deck armament changed frequently different configurations inch inch rifled guns addition varying numbers smaller guns ship armor configuration differed half sisters covered inch wrought iron armor transverse armored bulkheads thickness protected gun deck fire upper hull outside bulkheads unprotected teak backing armor increased inches deck maximum thickness inches conning tower protected inches armor ship hull divided watertight transverse longitudinal bulkheads protection underwater damage construction service named ordered april contract signed russian total cost construction begun amended contract july construction time year payment extra response adverse foreign reaction brutal russian suppression revolts poland lithuania year fearing attack britain france board switched priority smaller class monitors shortly belief completed quickly progress slowed crawl construction began october ship formally laid december launched august ship entered service accidentally collided sank wooden steam frigate august killing men slightly damaged assigned march remained bulk career november steam powered steering gear taken ironclad installed required installation high pressure boiler cramped boiler room proved trouble worth removed years later caught storm june sailing began taking water captain decided shallow water reached coast sail engine forced engine stopped progressive flooding continued ventilation shafts sounding tubes internal bulkheads ship sank feet water refloated days later repaired reclassified coast defense ironclad february placed reserve december disarmed turned port disposal september stricken navy list october sold scrap september
Russian ironclad Kreml