"Stormbreaker" - an armored cruiser of the Russian Navy, took part in the Russian-Japanese War and World War II. The last ship of a series of large ocean-going armored cruisers, which had improved compared with predecessors - "Riurik" and "Russia" - armor protection artillery.
The next ship in the series so do not become a repetition of the previous. Completely redesigned reservation scheme and the design of the power plant forced the cruiser hull again "from scratch". Who can say, that the laying of the ship was a mistake. By this time in the development had improved armored cruiser project in 15 000 t. with artillery tower installation, and benefit from the series-built ships were missed numerous modifications of the project.
A new requirement to the ship began to use it in a fleet battle, as part of the main forces of the fleet, while maintaining its capacity as a raider. It was caused by the emergence of a new generation of armored cruisers, including type "Asama".
Cruiser in Stormbreaker 1901 year
Reservation ship underwent substantial processing - has finally been established relatively effective armor protection artillery chief and medium caliber - casemates 120-mm armor, with 51-mm the backs and transverse bulkheads and additional protection tools 51 mm boards. Especially high altitude looked solidly (requirement ocean seaworthiness has not been canceled) a two-tier bow casemate 2h203 mm and 2×152-mm guns.
We tried to strengthen and protect the ship's hull. Armor belt was in a constant thickness 152 mm, 102 mm to the lower edge, and, by applying Krupp armor, intended to achieve greater resistance to projectiles, than 203 mm armor, applied on the cruiser “Russia”. Resistance to projectiles protection board had to raise 63-mm bevels armored deck (thickness at the flat part -38 mm) to the bottom edge of the belt. Unfortunately, All these efforts have led to half result. Although the armor had 17% the normal displacement of the ship (2097 t), casemates armor managed to protect only two guns of the main fire of four, and twelve 152-mm guns of sixteen. For the rest there were only armored shields.
To reduce the weight of the onboard booking and preservation of stability had to reduce the height to bronepoyasa 2.36 m (0.8 m above the waterline), as well as reduce some distance mezhpalubnye, reducing the overall height of the housing. If the cruiser "Russia" armor belt, albeit lesser thickness, continued until the stern sternpost and covered steering device, to the “Gromoboe” side armor had just over 91,5 m (and closes 152mm abeam), and the bow and stern security to 63 mm karpasnaya bronepaluba with 76-mm bevels. To 38 mm was reduced and the thickness of the protection casings boiler rooms and protection ammunition feed silos, that, true, It has been more well located. 51-mm traverse covered residential deck from a longitudinal fire, but what about the installation of the upper bronepoyasa nothing to dream. As shown by the experience of combat, cruiser protection does not meet the requirements of the ship for the squadron of battle, in this case was weakened (lack of protection and aft stern guns of the main caliber) and the possibility of the ship as a raider. On top of all the problems with the reservation most of it had to be made of Harvey armor. Krupp steel went only traverse.
Bronenosnыy kreyser “Gromoboй” on the Baltic Sea
Much better was the case with the power plant. She stayed three-shaft, but three steam engines designed by capacity have been applied in 4833 HP. The average car could effectively provide 10-13 knots of economic progress, and in the work of all three (on power was shown by tests 15 500 hp) ship has developed 20.1-knots course. In this case, the power plant is different and endurance 18-node stroke cruiser could support more than one day. The first long voyage revealed, that was admitted excess trim on the nose, after the removal of which, ship gained excellent seaworthiness.
With regard to artillery weapons ship in the advantages and disadvantages of repeated cruiser "Russia". When you save 12H47 and 18h37 mm mm guns, the number of 75-mm mine shells doubled, twenty pieces chetyrex. Torpedo underwater steel, four 381-mm board. The need for such a battery of small caliber skorostrelok cruiser due to the fact, in the case of a squadron of battle, after which followed the inevitable attack destroyers, of the guns will be lined with. The fallacy of this concept showed Battle off Ulsan. The calculations of these tools, the order of the commander of the cruiser, put on readiness to open fire, losses suffered in vain, while a small-caliber gun, and even theoretically could not reach the enemy. But the loss of these guns, compared to the loss or damage of the main guns and medium caliber, was minimal.
Final cost of the ship was about the same 9 million rubles, of which the cost of housing - 4 148 855 rubles; reservation - 688 000 rubles; powerplant - 3.1 million rubles, the rest - the cost of artillery weapons.
Fighting the fate of the ship, generally, It repeats the fate of the cruiser “Russia” - participation in the Russian-Japanese War, returning to the Baltic and repair, teaching swimming.
TO 1905 , six 75-mm cannons have been replaced with the upper deck 152 mm cannon in individual casemates. Furthermore, it was moved here chase guns. During repair 1906-1909 years old were dropped torpedo tubes and is equipped with two 457-mm underwater bow, revised composition and quantity of small caliber artillery. improved protection of fodder guns, 203-mm cannon fodder received a dungeon with a 76.2-mm sides and 25-mm roof, and for a 152-mm feed guns, cutting off a part of the stern, It was put dungeon with 50-19 mm armor. thicker, to 19 mm, and was armored casemate roof 152 mm artillery, established in 1905 was on the upper deck. Also, the cruiser was the possibility of setting 200 minefields. Mainmast moved closer to the stern, and the place of the foremast set the mizzen.
AT 1915 by 152 mm fore and aft guns replaced by 203 mm cannon, as a result became the cruiser broadside consist of 4h203-mm and 10×152-mm guns. In this case the elevation angle of tools increased to 17 °. Instead of small-caliber guns were installed 2×63,5-2h47 mm-mm anti-aircraft guns. As a result of alterations of the normal displacement of the ship rose to 13 200t. speed was 17-18 knots.
Bronenosnыy kreyser “Gromoboй”, hole from mines
The fate of the cruiser “Gromoboй”
«Gromoboй»: The Baltic fleet. He was a member of the 2nd Brigade cruisers. As part of Vladivostok group he participated in the Russian-Japanese War.
14 August 1904 , during the Battle off Ulsan cruiser suffered serious damage; losses in personnel - 91 killed and 185 wounded.
13 October 1904 year crashed in the Gulf Pos'eta and the end of February 1905 year was under repair.
24 May 1905 year hit a mine at about. Russian and was put into operation only in September 1905 of the year.
29 June 1916 He has been involved in fruitless skirmish with German destroyers.
At the end 1918 year put on conservation in Kronstadt harbor.
At the end 1922 year when towing for parts washed ashore in Libau (Liepai). Harvested on site.
The performance characteristics of the cruiser Stormbreaker
– Manufacturer: Baltic plant, St. Petersburg
– Construction started: 7 May 1898 of the year
– Launched: 26 April 1899 of the year
– Commissioned: October 1900 of the year
– Withdrawn from the fleet: 1922 year
– Status: Fend off the metal
Dimensions cruiser Stormbreaker
– Length: 146,6 m
– Width: 20,9 m
– Draft: 7,9 m
– Displacement: 12 455 tonnes
Reservation cruiser Stormbreaker
– Garveevskaya armor: Belt waterline 91.5 × 2.36 m (152 mm),
– khromonikyelyevaya Stal: karapasnaya deck (37-64 mm), elevators and boiler casings (38 mm)
– Kruppovskaya armor: nasal abeam (152 mm), aft abeam (102 mm), casemates (51-121 mm), conning tower (305 mm)
Engines cruiser Stormbreaker
– 32 boiler Belleville, Three four-cylinder steam engines of triple expansion
– Power: 15 496 l. from.
– Dvizhitely: 3 screw
– speed: 20,1 host
– Cruising range: 8100 nautical miles
– Crew: 28 officers and 846 sailors
The armament of the cruiser Stormbreaker
– 4 × 203 mm / 45,
– 16 × 152 mm / 45,
– 24 × 75mm / 50 ,
– 12 × 47mm / 43,
– 18 × 37mm / 23,
– 2 × 63,5-mm / 19,
– 2 × 7.62-mm machine gun
– Mining torpednoe vooruzhenie: 4 × 381 AND
Photos cruiser Stormbreaker
Repair 75-mm cannon armored cruiser “Gromoboй”
75-mm cannon armored cruiser “Gromoboй”. In the background – bronenosnыy kreyser “Rurik”
Felling armored cruiser “Gromoboй”
Bronenosnыy kreyser “Gromoboй”, view of the quarterdeck
Bronenosnыy kreyser “Gromoboй” Hohenwald Vladivostokskom midshipmen
