warship

warship any ship built or armed for naval combat. The forerunners of the modern warship were the men-of-war of the 18th and early 19th cent., such as the ship of the line , frigate , corvette , sloop of war (see sloop ), brig , and cutter . With the advent of steel construction and steam propulsion in the latter half of the 19th cent., warships evolved into their modern form. The key naval vessels used in modern warfare are the aircraft carrier and the submarine ; other modern warships include the battleship , cruiser , destroyer , gunboat , and torpedo boat .

Bibliography: See Jane's Fighting Ships (pub. annually since 1897).

warship n. a ship equipped with weapons and designed to take part in warfare at sea.

warships. In 1939 the battleship, the capital ship, still laid credible claim to being the primary naval striking unit. Although the German Bismarck was crippled by torpedo bombers in May 1941, not until December 1941 were capital ships sunk at sea by aircraft (see Prince of Wales and Repulse), and not until October 1944 did American carrier-based aircraft sink the Japanese super-battleship Musashi. The First World War had demonstrated that the idea of skimping on protection in some ships—fast battle-cruisers—was unwise, and that if speed was required it could only be acquired on a sufficiently well-protected hull by building a very large ship. The British Hood was the first such vessel, officially a battle cruiser but in reality a fast battleship of over 40,000 tons. She was armoured to contemporary battleship standards but the distribution of this protection reflected only a partial absorption of wartime lessons and she was easily sunk in May 1941 by the Bismarck, a more modern ship.

During the inter-war period the size of warships was controlled by international treaties. The British were forced to sacrifice speed in the two 35,000-ton 16 in. (41 cm.) gun battleships, Nelson and Rodney, allowed to them under the Washington Treaty of 1922. The Germans built unique 28-knot diesel-powered armoured ships that looked as if they might not exceed the Versailles settlement limit of 10,000 tons, which mounted six 11 in. (28 cm.) guns. These pocket battleships proved not entirely successful in service but they caused a stir at the time, and encouraged the French to build two 30,000-ton 29.5-knot capital ships armed with 13 in. (33 cm.) guns. These relatively lightly protected ships are sometimes referred to as battle-cruisers as are the larger and more heavily armoured ships the Germans built immediately after abrogating Versailles, the 35,000-ton Scharnhorst and Gneisenau armed with nine 11 in. guns. The British hoped that naval rearmament in the late 1930s could still be controlled by treaty, at least qualitatively, and produced a balanced and economical 14-inch gun battleship design, the King George V class. All the other naval powers, however, went for 15, 16, and even 18 in. guns (38, 41, and 46 cm.) and greater displacement (see Table). As well as new construction, much work was done rebuilding older capital ships with longer-range main armament, anti-aircraft guns, and improved protection against long-range fire, bombs, and torpedoes. The war proved the need for still further increases in anti-aircraft armament in both new and old vessels. After Pearl Harbor the Americans gave their badly damaged old battleships further reconstruction, producing ships that proved especially valuable supporting amphibious warfare landings.

Second World War cruisers were smaller, faster, and more lightly protected than battleships and were divided into two categories, heavy—armed with 8 in. (20.3 cm.) guns—and light—armed with 5 in., 5.25 in., or 6 in. (12.7 cm., 13.3 cm., 15.2 cm.). The inter-war treaty system had the effect of enlarging cruisers into latter-day battle-cruisers, despite the best efforts of the British to limit size and armament to allow the maximum number to defend her maritime trade from enemy commerce raiders. The Royal Navy only built heavy cruisers in the 1920s; in the 1930s it constructed large general-purpose cruisers, armed with eight or twelve 6 in. guns, together with smaller fleet cruisers armed either with six 6 in. guns or, later, 5.25 in. dual-purpose weapons. The need to increase anti-aircraft armament during the war led to the larger British cruisers losing a quarter of their anti-surface armament to mount extra light A-A guns.

The Japanese concentrated on large, powerful heavy cruisers which also carried float planes for reconnaissance duties, a role other navies abandoned as war experience revealed the vulnerability of these aircraft. Older ships of the small First World War light cruiser type largely sufficed the Japanese as destroyer leaders and their striking power along with that of the larger cruisers was greatly increased by the addition of 24 in. (61 cm.) Long Lance torpedoes that, uniquely, could be used at long gun ranges. The Japanese had, however, to sacrifice surface gun armament to increase A-A potential as the lessons of war were learned.

The Americans built large numbers of heavy cruisers, enlarging their 10,000-ton Washington treaty designs for wartime construction. The pre-war 10,000-ton London Treaty 6 in. light cruiser was also retained with the main armament slightly reduced from fifteen to twelve guns to improve A-A potential. In addition special small anti-aircraft cruisers entirely armed with 5 in. dual-purpose guns were constructed.

Italy had impressive and good-looking cruiser designs in both the heavy and light categories, with the accent on speed. Many could keep up with destroyers, but the price paid in lack of protection was significant. The Germans, who were limited to 6,000-ton light cruisers in the 1920s and early 1930s, built heavy cruisers once they had the chance after 1935. Only three were completed, the two Hipper class of 14,000 tons and the huge Prinz Eugen of 17,000 tons. These ships suffered from very unreliable high pressure engines which vitiated their primary role as German surface raiders.

Pre-war destroyers had been designed primarily for high-speed anti-surface warfare with maximum speeds of 36 knots or more. The Japanese set the shape of Second World War destroyers in the late 1920s with the Fubuki class of 1,750 tons armed with six 5.1 in. (13 cm.) guns and nine 24 in. torpedo tubes. This design had grown to 2,000 tons by 1940. The British, who were standardizing on 1,400-ton designs armed with four 4.7 in. (12 cm.) guns and eight 21 in. (53 cm.) torpedoes, were forced to build 1,900-ton answers to the Fubukis, the Tribals, with double the normal British gun armament and half the torpedoes. Before the war the Americans had standardized on a mix of 1,600-ton destroyers armed with four or five single 5 in. guns supplemented by destroyer leaders of 1,850–2,000 tons armed with eight 5 in. guns in twin mountings. The 38 calibre 5 in. gun was an excellent dual-purpose weapon with good A-A capability. From 1939 onwards the USA built three successive destroyer types. The first, of just over 1,850 tons, had to sacrifice both 5 in. guns and torpedoes to acquire sufficient light A-A armament. Much superior was the Fletcher class launched from 1942 onwards, much larger and able to mount a good all-round armament. These were supplemented before the end of the war with the related Allen M. Sumners class which replaced single 5 in. gun mounts with three twin mountings.



Although the Japanese Navy built a class of large destroyers armed with eight quick-firing, dual-purpose 3.9 in. (10 cm.) guns and only four torpedo tubes for use as carrier escorts, both the Americans and the Japanese tended to retain heavy torpedo armaments for fleet destroyers as night surface actions remained the norm during the Pacific war. The British on the other hand, being involved in escorting convoys which were subject to air attack, found it necessary to sacrifice torpedoes for A-A guns. One reason for their having to do this was their lack of an effective dual-purpose destroyer gun until high-angle 4.7 in. and later 4.5 in. (11.4 cm.) weapons became available during the war. Even then, lack of production facilities meant that many fleet destroyers had to go to sea with 4 in. (10.2 cm.) A-A guns as main armament. By the late war years the standard British fleet destroyer had become a ship of just over 1,700 tons armed with four dual-purpose guns, six light A-A guns, and eight torpedo tubes.

Warships: Comparative Second World War warships

Source: Contributor.

Germany

Battleship: Bismarck Class

Standard displacement: 42,000 tons. Armament: 8 × 15 in (381 mm) guns, 12 × 5.9 in (150 mm) guns, 16 × 4.1 in (105 mm) A–A. Maximum armour: 12.5 in (31.8 cm) belt and 14.25 m (36.2 mm) turrets. Speed: 29 knots. Bismarck and her sistership Tirpitz were commissioned in 1940–1. They proved very hard to sink but their low armoured deck made them relatively easy to put out of action.

Heavy Cruiser: Prinz Eugen

Standard displacement: 14,600 tons. Armament: 8 × 8 in (203 mm) guns, 12 × 4.1 in (104 mm) A–A, 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Maximum armour: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) belt and 6.25 in (15.9 cm) turrets. Speed: 32.5 knots. One of the largest cruisers ever built; neither of her two sisters was completed.

Light Cruiser: ‘K’ Class

Standard displacement: 6,700 tons. Armament: 6 × 5.9 in (150 mm) guns, 2–4 × 3.4 in (86 mm) A–A guns, 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Maximum armour; belt 2.75 in (7 cm), turrets 1.25 in (3.2 cm). Speed: 32 knots. Built in the 1920s under the Treaty of Versailles restrictions, they had combined steam and diesel propulsion. Königsberg of this class was othe first major warship sunk by aircraft, at Bergen in April 1940.

Destroyer: 1936A Type

Standard displacement: 2,600 tons. Armament: 6 × 5.9 in (150 mm) guns, 8 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Speed: 38.5 knots. These ships, numbered in the Z series, were plagued with problems. Some had a single gun forward instead of the designed twin turret. They carried A–A armaments of 37 mm (1.44 in) and 20 mm guns that were increased as the war went on.

Japan

Battleship: Yamato Class

Standard displacement: 64,170 tons. Armament: 9 × 18 in (457 mm) guns, 12 × 6.1 in (156 mm), 12 × 5 in (127 mm) dual–purpose; 6 × 6 in (152 mm) guns later removed to allow augmentation of A–A armament, that eventually totalled up to 130 × 25 mm (0.97 in) guns. Maximum armour: 16.1 in (41 cm) belt, 25.6 in (65 cm) turrets. Speed: 27 knots. There were only two, the largest and most powerful battleships ever built; a qualitative reply to American quantitative superiority. Their armour protection had flaws and both were sunk by American carrier–based torpedo bombers, Musashi in late 1944 and Yamato in 1945.

Heavy cruiser: Takao Class

Standard displacement: 13,400 tons. Armament: 10 × 8 in (203 mm) guns, 8 × 5 in (127 mm) dual–purpose guns, 16 × 24 in (61 mm) torpedo tubes. Maximum armour: 4.9 in (12.4 cm) belt, 1 in (2.5 cm) turrets. Speed: 34.2 knots. Originally completed in 1932, the four ships in this class were rebuilt in 1939–40, two to the above specifications. One of the other, less modified pa ir, Maya, was rebuilt again after battle damage when two of her 8 in guns were replaced with extra anti–aircraft armament.

Light cruiser: Nagara Class

Standard displacement: 5,600 tons. Armament: 7 × 5.5 in (140 mm) guns, 8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes; 2 dual–purpose 5.5 in were substituted for a pair of the original guns in 1943 and the torpedo armament was increased to 24 tubes. Maximum armour: 2.5 in (6.4 cm). Speed: 36 knots. A classical First World War light cruiser type built in the early 1920s, but still used extensively during the war.

Destroyer: Yugumo Class

Standard displacement: 2,100 tons. Armament: 6 × 5 in (127 mm) guns, 8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes; 2 guns were removed from 1943 to enhance light A–A armament from 4 to 15 25 mm guns; the remaining after turret was sometimes replaced with a more effective dual purpose 5 in (127 mm) mounting. Speed: 35 knots. The final development of the Fubuki Special Type, launched in the early war years; all were sunk.

UK

Battleship: King George V class

Standard displacement: 36,700 tons. Armament; 10 × 14 in (356 mm) guns, 16 × 5.25 in (133 mm) dual–purpose guns. Maximum armour: 15 in (38 cm) belt and 13 in (33 cm) turrets. Speed: 28 knots. These ships were exceptionally well protected for their size and sacrificed gun power to achieve this.

Heavy cruiser: Kent ClassStandard displacement: 10,700 tons. Armament: 8 × 8 in (203 mm) guns, 8 × 4 in (102 mm) A–A guns. Maximum armour: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) belt. Speed: 31.5 knots. These 1920s ships were reconstructed between 1935 and 1939.

Light cruiser: Fiji Class

Standard displacement: 8,500 tons. Armament: 12 × 6 in (152 mm) guns, 8 × 4 in (102 mm) A–A, 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes; later altered to 9 × 6 in guns with addition of more light A–A guns. Maximum armour: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) belt, 2 in (5.1 cm) turrets. Speed: 31.5 knots. These ships were the latest British large light cruisers on the outbreak of war.

Destroyer: ‘K’ Class

Standard displacement: 1,690 tons. Armament: 6 × 4.7 in (119 mm) guns, 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 4 in (102 mm) AA gun could be substituted for five tubes. Speed: 36 knots. This was the standard fleet destroyer on the outbreak of war. The light A–A armament increased during the war from 1 quadruple 2–pdr to 10 20 mm (0.78 in) or 4 40 mm (1.5 in) guns.

USA

Battleship: Iowa Class

Standard displacement: 48,100 tons. Armament: 9 × 16 in (406 mm) guns, 20 × 5 in (127 mm) dual–purpose guns. Maximum armour: 12.1 in (30.7 cm) belt and 19.7 in (50 cm) turrets. Speed: 32.5 knots. These fine ships were built to operate with fast carrier groups. They were retained after the war and saw action off Korea, Lebanon, and Kuwait.

Heavy cruiser: Baltimore Class

Standard displacement: 14,500 tons. Armament: 9 × 8 in (203 mm), 12 × 5 in (127 mm) dual–purpose. Maximum armour: 6 in (15 cm) belt, 8 in (20 cm) turrets. Speed: 33 knots. These large and powerful vessels were commissioned from 1943 onwards.

Light Cruiser: Cleveland Class

Standard displacement: 11,700 tons. Armament: 12 × 6 in (152 mm), 12 × 5 in (127 mm) dual–purpose. Maximum armour: 5 in (12.7 cm) belt, 6.5 in (15.9 cm) turrets. Speed: 32.5 knots. From 1942 onwards 29 of these ships were completed.

Destroyer: Fletcher Class

Standard displacement: 2,325 tons. Armament: 5 × 5 in (127 mm) dual purpose, 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Speed: 38 knots. Perhaps the best all–round destroyer of the war. They were able to mount 5 twin 40 mm and 7 single 20 mm A–A guns with no diminution of other armament. No fewer than 175 were built.

Wartime modifications

Most warships were progressively modified as the war progressed. Here are two typical examples drawn from the Royal Navy

Battleship King George V

1941: A–A rocket launchers removed; quadruple 2–pdr A–A mounting fitted on after turret, octuple 2–pdr mounting added on twin forward turret; 18 20 mm A–A guns added; no: 271 (surface–warning) radar added but soon replaced by longer–range no: 273; no: 282 (fire control) radars added to five 2–pdr directors.

1942–3: 20 more 20 mm A–A guns added; no: 285 (five control) radars added to 5.25 in (133 mm) directors, FM2 medium frequency direction finder added.

1944–5: Octuple 2–pdr A–A replaces quad on after turret; 2 quadruple 2–pdrs added to after superstructure; 2 quadruple 40 mm Bofors gun mountings also put on after superstructure; 6 twin 20mm mountings replace 12 singles; two more later replaced by single 40 mm Bofors. No: 279B (air search) radar replaces original no: 279; no: 274 (main battery fire control) radar replaces original no: 284 and no: 285 (fire control) radar added to after main armament director; no: 273 radar replaced by no: 277 (surface search) radar; no: 293 (surface/air target indicator) radar added. No: 282 sets provided for new 2–pdr installations; FC2 high–frequency direction finder replaced by RH2 direction finding installation. All the ships's original 1940 electronic sensors had now been replaced.

Cruiser Sheffield

1941: Nos: 284 and 285 (fire control) radars added for main armament; 2 quadruple .5 in (12.8 mm) machine guns removed and replaced by 6 20 mm A–A guns

1942: No: 279 (air search) radar removed and replaced by no: 281; nos: 282 and 283 radars added for short– and long–range AA fire control respectively, no: 273 (surface search) radar added; 3 more 20 mm A–A guns added.

1943: 5 more 20 mm A–A guns added.

1944: 8 more 20 mm A–A guns added.

1945: 1 triple 6 in (152 mm) turret removed and 4 quadruple 40 mm A–A guns added; 15 single 20 mm replaced by 10 twin 20 mm; no: 273 radar replaced by 277.

Prior to 1939, France had built in addition to more conventional destroyers, high-speed contre-torpilleurs of well over 2,000 tons, and the Germans built similar oversized ships from 1939 onwards. They were designed for six 5.9 in. (14.9 cm.) guns but proved top-heavy and suffered from ammunition handling problems. Their machinery was also unreliable. Germany and France also built smaller torpedo boats in the 600–1,200-ton category for general destroyer-type duties in coastal waters. Italy did the same, while its fleet destroyers like its cruisers emphasized high speed. There was a large 1,900-ton design to counter the French ships, but the normal Italian destroyer was around 1,700 tons with four or five 4.7 in. guns and six torpedo tubes; it could make 38 knots. As usual, light A-A armament was progressively increased.

Destroyers of all sizes found themselves pressed into service as mercantile convoy escorts, duties for which they were not necessarily best suited because of their anti-surface armaments and limited range. Just before the war the British had begun converting old fleet destroyers into specialized escort vessels with A-A and enhanced anti-submarine armament, and this process continued with older destroyers into the war years. To produce ocean-going escorts one set of boilers and machinery was sometimes removed. Before the war, the Admiralty had developed a sloop design for convoy escort work, but these 1,250-ton ships with eight (later six) 4 in. A-A guns were impossible to produce in quantity. The Admiralty had made coastal convoys its priority and in 1939 began construction of short-range Hunt class escort destroyers of 1,050 tons and 1,000-ton vessels based on a whale-catcher design, known as corvettes. The latter type, armed with single 4 in. gun, a light A-A armament and depth charges, proved a useful if uncomfortable ocean escort. It was developed into a larger 1,400-ton twin screw truly ocean-going frigate that proved the definitive answer to the mercantile escort problem. The original River class frigates were armed with two 4 in. guns, depth charges, and the new Hedgehog ahead-throwing weapons (see anti-submarine weapons). Later, frigates were larger and were armed either with more guns for A-A purposes (the Bay class) or the new Squid anti-submarine mortars (the Loch class). The Americans produced in large numbers an excellent ocean-going destroyer escort (DE) design of 1,200–1,400 tons which was rated a frigate by the British. These escort vessels were only capable of about 20 knots, but this was sufficient to deal with the contemporary submarine and to escort slow merchantmen over long distances.

The ever-increasing dependence on radar and ASDIC meant that if the information was to be properly utilized spaces had to be set aside for its collation and display; in British ships this was the ‘action information organization’, in American vessels the ‘combat information centre’. With this extra demand on the internal volume of ships, already overloaded by the sensors themselves, their operators, the enhanced armaments, and their ammunition supplies, wartime ships could become very overcrowded and uncomfortable.

See also landing craft, sea power, and submarines; see under name for smaller warships such as MTB; see also armed forces, navy, under major powers.

Eric Grove

Bibliography

Chesneau, R. (ed.), Conways All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946 (London, 1980).
Brown, D. K. , The Eclipse of the Big Gun, the Warship 1906–1945 (London, 1992).
Grove, E. , Fleet to Fleet Encounters (London, 1991).