Misplaced Pages

During the first half of the 20th century, many navies constructed or planned to build battlecruisers: large capital ships with greater speed but less armor than dreadnought battleships. The first battlecruisers, the Invincible class, were championed by the British First Sea Lord John Fisher and appeared in 1908, two years after the revolutionary battleship HMS Dreadnought. In the same year, Germany responded with its own battlecruiser, SMS Von der Tann. Over the next decade, Britain and Germany built an additional twelve and six battlecruisers, respectively. Other nations joined them: HMAS Australia entered service for the Royal Australian Navy in 1913, Japan constructed four ships of the Kongō class from 1911 through 1915, and in late 1912 Russia laid down the four Borodino-class battlecruisers, though they were never completed. Two countries considered acquiring battlecruisers in this time, but chose not to: France looked at several battlecruiser design studies in 1913 and 1914, and the United States ordered six Lexington-class battlecruisers in 1916 that were never built.

The British and German battlecruisers were used extensively during World War I between 1914 and 1918, including in the Battles of Heligoland Bight and Dogger Bank, and most famously in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916, where one German and three British battlecruisers were sunk. The Japanese battlecruisers did not see action during the war, as the German naval presence in the Pacific was destroyed by the British in the early months of the war. Britain and Germany attempted to build additional battlecruisers during the war—the Admiral class for the former, and the Mackensen and Ersatz Yorck classes for the latter—but changing priorities in favor of smaller warships prevented their completion. At the end of the war, the German High Seas Fleet was interned and subsequently scuttled in Scapa Flow.

In the immediate aftermath of World War I, Britain, Japan, and the United States all considered new battlecruiser construction, including the British G3 class, the Japanese Amagi class, and a revised version of the American Lexingtons. In the interest of avoiding another crippling naval arms race, the three countries, along with France and Italy, signed the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922, which included a moratorium on new capital ship construction. A clause in the treaty, however, gave the British, Japanese, and Americans a chance to convert several of their battlecruisers into aircraft carriers. Only a handful of battlecruisers survived the arms limitation regime. In the 1930s, several navies considered new "cruiser killer" battlecruisers, including Germany's O class, the Dutch Design 1047, and the Soviet Kronshtadt class. The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 put a halt to all these plans.

During the war, the surviving battlecruisers saw extensive action, and many were sunk. The four Japanese Kongō-class ships had been rebuilt as fast battleships in the 1930s, but all were sunk during the conflict. Of the three British battlecruisers still in service, HMS Hood and Repulse were sunk, but Renown survived the war. The only other battlecruiser in existence at the end of the Second World War was the ex-German Goeben, which had been transferred to Turkey during the First World War and served as Yavuz Sultan Selim.

Several new wartime classes were proposed, including the Japanese Design B-65 class, and the American Alaska class, two of which were built before the end of the war. The Alaskas were officially classified as "large cruisers", but many naval historians refer to them as battlecruisers. In the postwar drawdown of forces, Renown and the two Alaskas were withdrawn from service and eventually scrapped; Only Yavuz Sultan Selim, the last surviving battlecruiser in the world, lingered on until the early 1970s, when she too was sent to the shipbreakers. Only one country, the Soviet Union, considered building battlecruisers after the war. The three Stalingrad-class ships, championed by Joseph Stalin, were laid down in the early 1950s, but were cancelled after his death in 1953. However, in the 1970s, the Soviet Union began the construction of a class of very large guided missile cruisers, much larger than any other surface combatant built since the Second World War. This new type, the Kirov-class, although designated as a "heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser" by the Soviet Navy, was generally referred to in the West as a "battlecruiser".

Key

The list of battlecruiser classes includes all battlecruisers listed in chronological order by commission. Classes which did not enter service are listed by the date of cancellation or last work on the project.

Great Britain

Germany

Japan

Russia/Soviet Union

United States

Australia

France

Netherlands

Austria-Hungary

See also

• List of battleships
• List of cruisers
• List of ships of the Second World War
• List of cruisers of the Second World War
• List of battlecruisers of World War I
• List of battlecruisers of World War II

Notes

1. Surface combatants are naval warships which are designed for warfare on the surface of the water, with their own weapons. They include battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and corvettes. Aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and mine hunters are not considered surface combatants. Thus, it would be incorrect to say that Kirov battlecruisers are the largest class of naval warship built since the Second World War, since many aircraft carriers built after the war have been larger.
2. The German Scharnhorst-class battleships and Deutschland-class cruisers and the French Dunkerque-class battleships are all sometimes referred to as battlecruisers. Since neither their operators nor a significant number of naval historians did/do not classify them as such, they are not included in this list.
3. The table for Russia gives the date of launching rather than commissioning, since none of its battlecruisers were commissioned. Similarly, the United States' table gives dates of launch and commissioning for those ships that did enter service.
4. Figures here are reversed intentionally; following the signing of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922, the use of long tons to calculate ship displacement was standardized.
5. As the ships were only in the design phase when canceled—no orders were placed and no construction had begun—the B-65s were never assigned actual names.

Citations

1. Roberts, pp. 19–25
2. Herwig, p. 60
3. Gardiner & Gray, pp. 24–41, 151–155
4. "HMAS Australia (I)". Ship histories. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
5. ^ Jackson, p. 48
6. McLaughlin 2003, pp. 332–337
7. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 200
8. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 119
9. Staff, pp. 8–37
10. Gardiner & Gray, pp. 41, 155–156
11. Herwig, p. 256
12. Hone, pp. 11–14
13. Burt (1993), pp. 314–315
14. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 235
15. Sturton, p. 49
16. Gardiner & Gray, p. 234
17. Burt (1993), pp. 308–313
18. ^ Burt (1986), pp. 301–302
19. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 391
20. Gardiner & Chesneau, pp. 122, 178
21. Gardiner & Chesneau, p. 122
22. McLaughlin (2006), pp. 116, 119–120
23. Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon, p. 328
24. Krupnick, p. 44
25. Koop & Schmolke, p. 4
26. Gardiner & Chesneau, p. 259
27. Bidlingmaier, pp. 73–74
28. ^ Roberts, p. 83
29. ^ Roberts, p. 112
30. ^ Roberts, p. 44
31. ^ Roberts, p. 76
32. ^ Roberts, p. 41
33. ^ Roberts, p. 122
34. ^ Roberts, p. 123
35. ^ Roberts, p. 45
36. ^ Roberts, p. 113
37. ^ Roberts, p. 65
38. ^ Roberts, p. 63
39. Raven and Roberts, p. 75
40. Roberts, p. 61
41. ^ Raven and Roberts, p. 101
42. Raven and Roberts, p. 98
43. Raven and Roberts, p. 108
44. ^ Gröner, p. 54
45. ^ Gröner, p. 53
46. ^ Staff, p. 5
47. ^ Staff, p. 12
48. ^ Gröner, p. 55
49. ^ Gröner, p. 56
50. ^ Staff, p. 21
51. Gröner, p. 57
52. ^ Staff, p. 35
53. ^ Gröner, p. 58
54. ^ Gröner, p. 59
55. ^ Gröner, p. 68
56. McCurtie, p. 185
57. Stille, p. 15
58. Wheeler, p. 183
59. Schom, p. 417
60. ^ Stille, p. 20
61. ^ Garzke & Dulin (1985), p. 86
62. ^ McLaughlin 2003, pp. 243–244
63. McLaughlin 2003, p. 252
64. ^ McLaughlin 2003, pp. 248–249
65. Breyer 1992, p. 114
66. McLaughlin 2003, pp. 332–335
67. McLaughlin 2004, p. 111
68. ^ McLaughlin 2004, p. 109
69. McLaughlin 2004, pp. 107, 112
70. ^ McLaughlin 2004, pp. 112, 114
71. ^ McLaughlin 2006, pp. 110–111
72. McLaughlin 2006, p. 114
73. McLaughlin 2006, p. 115
74. ^ McLaughlin 2006, p. 116
75. ^ McLaughlin 2006, p. 118
76. McLaughlin 2006, pp. 119–120
77. ^ Jackson, p. 409-411
78. ^ Hone, p. 25
79. ^ "Lexington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History & Heritage Command (NH&HC). Archived from the original on 16 March 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
80. "Lexington Class (CC-1 through CC-6)". Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. 26 February 2004. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
81. ^ "Saratoga". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. NH&HC. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
82. "Ranger". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. NH&HC. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
83. ^ Whitley, p. 276
84. ^ Garzke & Dulin (1976), p. 185
85. ^ Garzke & Dulin (1976), p. 187
86. ^ Whitley, p. 279
87. Garzke & Dulin (1976), p. 190
88. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 26
89. Noot, p. 268
90. ^ Noot, p. 270
91. Noot, pp. 253–256
92. Gardiner & Gray, p. 388
93. ^ Sieche

References

• Bidlingmaier, Gerhard (1971). "KM Admiral Graf Spee". Warship Profile 4. Windsor, England: Profile Publications. pp. 73–96. OCLC 20229321.
• Breyer, Siegfried (1992). Soviet Warship Development. Vol. I: 1917–1937. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-604-3.
• Burt, R. A. (1993). British Battleships, 1919–1939. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-068-2.
• Burt, R. A. (1986). British Battleships of World War One. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-863-8.
• Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870219073.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-913-8.
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130.
• Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1985). Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-101-3.
• Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1976). Battleships: United States Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-174-2.
• Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9.
• Herwig, Holger (1980). "Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Amherst, New York: Humanity Books. ISBN 1-57392-286-2. OCLC 57239454.
• Jackson, Robert (2006). The Encyclopedia of Warships: From World War II to the Present Day. Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 1-59223-627-8.
• Hone, Trent (2011). "High-Speed Thoroughbreds: The US Navy's Lexington Class Battlecruiser Designs". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2011. London: Conway. pp. 8–31. ISBN 978-1-84486-133-0.
• Jackson, Robert (2000). The World's Great Battleships. Brown Books. ISBN 1-897884-60-5
• Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (1998). Battleship Scharnhorst. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-772-4.
• Krupnick, Charles (2001). Decommissioned Russian Nuclear Submarines and International Cooperation. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-78640-912-6.
• McCurtie, Francis (1989) . Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. London: Bracken Books. ISBN 1-85170-194-X
• McLaughlin, Stephen (2004). "Project 69: The Kronshtadt Class Battlecruisers". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Warship. Vol. 2004. London: Conway's Maritime Press. pp. 99–117. ISBN 0-85177-948-4.
• McLaughlin, Stephen (2006). "Project 82: The Stalingrad Class". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship. Vol. 2006. London: Conway. pp. 102–123. ISBN 978-1-84486-030-2.
• McLaughlin, Stephen (2003). Russian & Soviet Battleships. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-481-4.
• Noot, Lt. Jurrien S. (1980). "Battlecruiser: Design studies for the Royal Netherlands Navy 1939–40". Warship International. 3. International Naval Research Organization: 242–273.
• Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1976). British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-817-4.
• Roberts, John (1997). Battlecruisers. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-068-1. OCLC 38581302.
• Schom, Alan (2004). The Eagle and the Rising Sun; The Japanese-American War, 1941–1943. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393049248
• Sieche, Erwin (2002). Kreuzer und Kreuzerprojekte der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1889 - 1918. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-81320-766-8.
• Staff, Gary (2006). German Battlecruisers: 1914–1918. Oxford: Osprey Books. ISBN 978-1-84603-009-3.
• Stille, Mark (2008). Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship 1941–1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-280-6
• Sturton, Ian, ed. (1987). Conway's All the World's Battleships: 1906 to the Present. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-448-2. OCLC 246548578.
• Wheeler, Keith (1980). War Under the Pacific. New York: Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-8094-3376-1.
• Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-141-6.

• Lists of battlecruisers