LKr 1906 Primorye class Battlecruiser

Primorye class Battlecruiser
Class overview
Name	Primorye class Battlecruiser
Operators	Far Eastern Imperial Navy
Planned	2
Built	2
Active	2
General Characteristics
Type	Battlecruiser
Displacement	14900 tons standard 16700 tons full load
Length	156.3 metres (513 ft)
Beam	22.3 metres (73 ft)
Draught	7.7 metres (25 ft)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 VTE steam engines
Power	24 water-tube boilers 32,000 ihp (24,000 kW)
Speed	24 kts
Range	6500 nm at 10 kts
Complement	935
Armament	2 × 2 305mm/45 KO 1904 g gun 8 203mm/45 KO 1893 g gun 12 120mm/45 KO 1892 g gun 4 457mm torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 152 mm Deck: 51-76 mm conning tower: 152 mm

Development

Initially 4 units of the Port Artur class battlecruisers were ordered but only two units were laid down prior the war. After the Far Eastern-Japanese war, one of the first major naval units were two improved designs of the Port Artur class. These were laid down before the formation of the "Special committee of readjustment in naval affairs" and essentially just repeated the design of the previous ships. The new ships however had main calibre guns increased to 305mm to mach the latest japanese armored cruisers being built at the same time. Machinery was also uprated with new domestic boilers which gave the ships impressive 24kt speed. Despite these improvements they were still regarded as armored cruisers by the foreign naval specialists and were made obsolete by the new British Invincible- class all-big gun battlecruisers built at the same time.

Ships in class

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launch Date	Entered Service	Fate
Primorye	Novaya Verf, Dalny	June 1906	April 1907	September 1909	Extant in 1920
Nakhodka	Novaya Verf, Dalny	July 1906	October 1907	November 1909	Extant in 1920

See Also

Ships of Far Eastern Imperial Navy 1920