Andrey Pervozvanny development timeline
Interesting development timeline for the
Russian Anderey Pervozvanny class Battleships:
As designed in 1903:
Designed as an improved Borodino class.
Main characteristics:
Displacement 16500 tons
Armament 4x12, 12x8, 20x75mm, 20x47mm
Armor 9 main belt, 7 upper belt or uniform
8 belt (layout much in the same way as Borodinos).
Speed 18 knots
April 1905 redesign
First attempt to take advantage of the lessons
of war. Most of the 75mm guns were moved
up one deck and their number increased to
32. As a consequence middle 8 turret raised
one deck. Aft conning tower added and 47mm
guns and fighting masts deleted.
May 1905 redesign
Second attempt to take advantage of the lessons
of war. 75mm guns were proven to be inadequate
against DD attacks so they were replaced
with twenty 120mm guns. Some of the guns
were in twin casemate mounts. To compensate
for the extra weight, crew reduced from 800
men to 750 and armor decks thinned.
1905-1906 redesign
No drawing
After the shock of Tsushima much more radical
redesign happened. To improve stability and
free weight for more armor middle 8 turrets
were deleted and the guns moved to the corners
of the casemate. Main armor belt was thinned
to 816mm but 127mm upper belt was added and
127mmm armor was extended to the bow and
stern. Superstructure drastically reduced.
Displacement rose to 17151t.
1906-08 redesign
Further changes followed the hasty post-Tsushima
redesign. Two more 8 guns were added in
casemates between the corner 8 guns, while
all of the hull 120mm guns were moved up
to the casemates above the 8 turrets and
all of the openings in the hull were armored.
All of that cause related redesign of the
magazines and hoists that further slowed
down construction. Deck armor was greatly
increased. Under the impression from the
Dreadnought a single tripod mast was installed
amidships. From 1906 to 1908 construction
was virtually halted.
1908 mast redesigns
After construction resumed it was desided
to install two armored rangefinder positions
on top of each casemate to control secondary
artillery, but that was quickly abanodoned
since the ship was already overloaded. Single
tripod mast was replaced by two mesh masts.
As built
Finally after many trials and tribulations
the masts were replaced with US style cage
masts and the ship was completed. Final characteristics:
Displacement 17320 tons normal
Armament 4x12, 14x8, 12x120mm
Armor 8.5 main belt, 6.5 upper belt,
5 belt on the bow and stern (95% of the
hull armored), deck (midships) 25mm+19mm+30mm+25mm+40mm,
79mm slopes.
Speed 18.25 knots (up to 19.3 knots on
trials)
As a corollary there was a Semi-dreadnought
based on the Andrey Pervozvanny designed
during a RJW in 1905 and even two were ordered.
Unfortunately the changes that were incorporated
into Angreys design would have been needed
to be incorporated into its design and were
so extensive that these ships were cancelled.
Main characteristics:
Displacement 19800 tons normal
Dimensions 445 x 83 x 27
Armament 4x12, 12x10, 20x120mm (some
documents show up to 30x120mm)
Armor 9 main belt, thinning ot 6 over
the 12 magazines, 4 upper belt, 3.25 belt
on the bow and stern, 12 turrets 10 faces,
10 turrets 9 faces, casemates 3.25,
deck 2 over 1 splinter deck with 2 slopes.
Speed 18 knots
Coal 1200 tons.
Vladimir
