Khabarovsk class Armored Cruiser

Khabarovsk class Armored Cruiser
Class overview
Name	Khabarovsk class Armored Cruiser
Operators	Far Eastern Imperial Navy
Planned	2
Built	2
Active	2
General Characteristics
Type	Armored cruiser
Displacement	10900 tons standard 11960 tons full load
Length	126.6 metres (415 ft)
Beam	20.4 metres (67 ft)
Draught	9.1 metres (30 ft)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 VTE steam engines
Power	9 Cylindrical boilers 13,500 ihp (10,100 kW)
Speed	18 kts
Range	6700 nm at 10 kts
Complement	768
Armament	4 × 1 203mm/45 KO 1893 g gun 4 x 2 120mm/45 KO 1893 g gun 8 x 37mm/40 KO 1893 g gun 3 457mm torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 203 mm Deck: 51-76 mm conning tower: 152 mm

Development

After successfully acquiring colonial possessions from the Pacific in the 1880's, Far Eastern Empire launched naval expansion program to answer the new demands for the navy. At the time the overall strategy of the Imperial fleet was focused on powerful cruiser force which would be faster than the corresponding enemy battlefleets and be focused on the commercial raiding operations. Nucleus of this concept would be series of powerful armored cruisers. First two of these ships were ordered abroad and eventually French Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard won the bidding with Amable Lagan's design. The design was essentially enlarged version of the Chilean Battleship Capitan Prat but with lighter armor and weaponry.

Khabarovsk class featured 4 203mm guns in single turrets fitted in rhombic arragment typical for French designs of the time. Secondary armament was also fitted in turrets. Initially the ships were fitted with full sailing rig to give them more economical cruising ability but this was removed after the Far Eastern-Japanese war. At the time of their construction the ships enjoyed quite alot of foreign attention specially in the UK where their existence caused some worry. This was coupled with concerns over the Far Eastern colonial expansion in the Pacific and mainland which ultimately led not only to British own cruiser expansion program but long term etente against Far Eastern Empire.

Ships in class

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launch Date	Entered Service	Fate
Khabarovsk	Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seine, France	October 1890	July 1892	May 1894	Extant in 1920
Kharbin	Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seine, France	October 1890	July 1892	May 1894	Extant in 1920

See Also

Ships of Far Eastern Imperial Navy 1920