 Veschun («Вещун») | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Operators |  Imperial Russian Navy |
| Preceded by | USS Monitor |
| Cost | 1,155,000rubles (average) |
| Built | 1863–1865 |
| In commission | 1865–1900 |
| Completed | 10 |
| Scrapped | 9 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Monitor |
| Displacement | 1,500–1,600 long tons (1,500–1,600 t) |
| Length | 201 ft (61.3 m) |
| Beam | 46 ft (14.0 m) |
| Draft | 10.16–10.84 ft (3.1–3.3 m) |
| Installed power | 340–500 ihp (254–373 kW), 2 rectangular Mortonboilers |
| Propulsion | 1 shaft, 1 2-cylinderhorizontal direct-acting steam engine |
| Speed | 5–7.75 knots (9.26–14.35 km/h; 5.75–8.92 mph) |
| Range | 1,440 nmi (2,670 km; 1,660 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) |
| Complement | 96–110[1] |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
|
TheUragan class (also known as theBronenosetz class,Russian:броненосец, "armor carrier" or "warship"[3]) was a class ofmonitors built for theBaltic Fleet of theImperial Russian Navy.[1][2][4][5] The ships were built to the plans of the AmericanPassaic-class monitors,[2][5][6][7] a design that was tested on a smaller scale onUSS Monitor.[4] A total of 10 ships were constructed at five different shipyards inSaint Petersburg, all entering service in 1865. The ships were among the firstironclad warships in the Russian Navy.[5][8]
During theAmerican Civil War Americans mistook Russian defensive moves as an indicator of support forthe Union cause.[9]
Relations between Russia and Britain deteriorated further because of the British support — or what the Russians saw as sponsorship — of the PolishJanuary Uprising of 1863.[9]
If war between Russia and Britain were to begin, it was thought likely that British and French Naval forces would try to attack the Russian capital of Saint Petersburg on theGulf of Finland. It was feared that this would be a repeat ofthe Baltic theatre of theCrimean War eight years previously, when the Allied steam-powered fleet had outgunned and outmaneuvered the Russian sailing fleet.[8][9] Russians calculated, that in a battle in the confined waters of the Baltic the Russian wooden ships would be worthless, but could do more damage to the British in distant seas.[10][11] With the wooden fleet gone, Russia would have no naval protection of her home waters.
A Russian monitor program was started as soon as news of theBattle of Hampton Roads reached Europe.[8]
TheMerrimack struck in the side not so much acorvette at anchor, but the bureaucratic administration of the Union States and England, that slumber under the protection of the wooden walls of their ships, and only built their nations' few iron vessels as goodies to pamper their children. Now, the question of timber ships is finally resolved in the most stupid and improvident minds.
— Rear-AdmiralG. Butakov, "Order number 4", May 30, 1862[5]
Naval architect N. Artseulov was sent to America to join Russian naval attaché, Captain (later Rear Admiral)Stepan Stepanovich Lessovsky and to assess at first hand the advantages and disadvantages ofJohn Ericsson's monitors.[1] He returned on 16 March 1863, with detailed drawings and specifications of thePassaic class.[1][2][8]
On 11 March 1863 theRussian Admiralty approved a program to build ten armored vessels based on thePassaic design. The decision to use the American plans was based on the lack of time, money and experience in building armored vessels.[1] A larger monitor,Smerch («Смерч»), with twoturrets of a design byCowper Phipps Coles was also approved and launched in 1864.[5][8] One of the benefits of the Ericsson turret design, as opposed to the British design by Coles, was the layered construction from 1-inch (25 mm) armored plate. The Coles design required slabs of 5-inch (114.3 mm) thickness. This armor could not be produced in any Russian plant, and in Europe, onlyJohn Brown & Co inSheffield, England, was producing armored plate of this thickness and of the required quality.[12]
Two of the ships were built by the state-ownedNew Admiralty yard, the others were ordered from privately owned shipyards.[1][5][8] TheGalerniy Island yard,Carr and MacPherson and the Nevsky factory (owned by Colonel PF Semyannikov and Retired Lieutenant VA Poletika) each produced two ships. Two ships were prefabricated inBelgium byCockerill & Co and assembled inKronstadt.[5][8] All ships were laid down in late 1863 and launched in 1864. Some of the turrets andsteam engines were produced at theIzhorsky Zavod state factory, and some by theBaird Works.[13] Iron armor for the ships was first ordered formJohn Brown & Co in Sheffield, but they cited difficulties in meeting the demand.[2] Instead most of the 1 inch armor plate needed for the ships was produced by Russian forges.[8]
The cost of the Russian-built ships was around 570 thousandrubles for each ship.[2][8][13] The two Belgian ships cost 619,000 silver rubles.[2][13]
In their first eight years of operation, the monitors were equipped with three different types ofartillery pieces. Procurement efforts for all three types were started at the same time in 1863. An order was placed in 1863 with theKrupp factories in Germany for 9 inch smoothbore guns with steel barrels; these were initially used to arm the monitors.[14]
At the same time, Artillery specialist Filemon N. Pestich was sent to America along with Artseulov and Lessovsky to acquire gun technology. He returned in 1864 with technology for the production of 15-inch smoothboreDahlgren guns, the type in use on the AmericanPassaics.[8][15] A new gun factory was established inPetrozavodsk inRussian Karelia. Production of Dahlgren guns was immediately started at the Aleksandrovsk gun factory, with the first 15-inch gun cast on 2 January 1864,[14] The first 15-inch guns were installed on the monitors by 1868,[1][2] but they only became available for all ships in 1869.[15] Unlike on the American sister ships, mixed armaments of 15 inch and smaller guns were not used.
Also in 1863 development of arifled gun started with the help of Krupp technology. TheObukhov State Plant was founded in St. Petersburg to produce guns based on Krupp designs. The new 9-inch (229 mm)breech-loading rifled guns become known as the 229 mm cannon M1867. The ships were rearmed with these guns starting in 1873.
As the monitors were hulked in 1900 the rifled M1867 guns were removed; they later served ascoastal artillery inPeter the Great's Naval Fortress. Some of the guns still exist on the sea fortress ofSuomenlinna inHelsinki.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Diplomatic posts |
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