Shipbucket

Stunning quality of drawings.

Hi again!

The next one is technically no pre-dreadnought battleship and not British either, but it comes from the right period and was built at Elswick, so sort of fits in.

Chilean armoured cruiser O'Higgins

This 8.500-ton cruiser was the prototype for a quartet of Japanese armoured cruisers (somewhat larger and more powerful) who performed a pivotal part in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904. Unlike them, O'Higgins had a long and peaceful career which only once became exciting when she already was over thirty years old; in 1931, her crew seized her during a widespread mutiny within the Chilean fleet, which however collapsed after the Chilean Air Force attacked the Chilean Navy. She remained stationary afterwards and was scrapped in 1958, aged 60.

For her time, O'Higgins was a capable cruiser, with four single 203mm guns turrets (fore, aft and on each flank between bridge and forefunnel), ten single 152mm guns (six in casemates, four in single turrets), four 120mm guns (abreast the fore and aft bridge structure and somewhat redundant), 10 76mm guns (hull forward and aft, and strewn in between the 152mm turrets) and 10 57mm guns (bridges forward and aft and fighting tops). Three 457mm torpedo tubes were provided (one above water in the bow, and two submerged broadside tubes). She had an armoured belt of 152mm (magazines) respectively 178mm (engines and boilers) and a complete armoured deck (38mm behind the belt, 51mm forward, 76mm aft). Contract speed was 20 kts, but she made 21,6 at slightly less than her designed hp.

Greetings
GD

Magnificent, Superb, Splendid!

Excellent drawing, as ever!

Lovely work! Not quite the right topic but I agree it kind of fits!

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Interwar RN Capital Ships
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Great work!

Very very beautiful drawings, congratulations

Hi again

The next two are battleships again, although they too are only British-built, but not British operated:

Fuji and Yashima

The first full-fledged battleships of the IJN, they were ordered in 1893 to enable the Japanese to comfortably outgun China's two German-built ironclads, which in the event proved unnecessary, because they were both captured before Fuji and Yashima were as much as launched. The new Japanese ships were a reduced edition of the British Royal Sovereign (12.500 tons); Yashima was built by the designers (Armstrong), Fuji was subcontracted to Thames Iron Works. They had the main armament of the Majestic-class 4 305mm/35 guns, ten 152mm guns and 20 47mm guns. Armour was up to 457mm Harvey steel amidships, but only a narrow patch at the waterline, with a 102mm upper belt (which was somewhat longer on Fuji); the ends were unprotected. They were faster than their british pendants at 18 knots.

Fuji and Yashima differed in ventilator arrangement and many small detail solutions; Yashima was the only one with a balanced rudder and was more maneuverable as her sister. Fuji was present at Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee fleet review in 1897 fresh from the factory, before she was officially commissioned.


After arriving in Japan, she received the standard black-white peacetime livery of the IJN.


Both ships fought in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904/5, with varying success. While Fuji took part in most engagements and was credited with sinking the Borodino at Tsushima, Yashima struck a mine on May 15th, 1904, and capsized.


Fuji remained in front-line service till 1912, then spent the first World War in reserve, classed as a Coast Defence Ship.


She was hulked in 1923, compliant to the terms of the Washington Fleet Treaty, and used as a stationary training ship till 1945; she was broken up after the war.

Cheers
GD

Lovely additions.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Good to see these ships finally getting proper treatement in Shipbucket. These Japanese pre-dreadnoughtsare are one of the most important warships in history and they deserve their place in the bucket. Great job!

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