INFOGRAPHICS #9: United States Navy capital ships 1861-1945

The following image created by Donn Thorson depicts all the classes of U.S. Navy capital ships from 1861 to 1945 which includes monitors, pre-dreadnoughts, dreadnoughts and battleships. For all the classes, the author reports the vessels that were in each class, the general characteristics and the main armament. Other illustrations related to U.S. Navy you can find here.

Click to enlarge and save the image to view the details: US Navy Capital Ships. In high resolution here

NAVAL FORCES #4: The world's most successful conventional submarines after WWII

Written by D-Mitch

Improved Kilo class submarine

Two types of conventional submarines (SSK) of different origin, the German Type 209 and the Russian Kilo (Project 877/636), are the most successful export diesel-electric submarine designs in the world today. The Kilo class is the NATO reporting name for the Russian Project 877 Paltus and the Improved Kilo for the Project 636 Varshavyanka. Kilo class has been successfully exported to eight (8) countries, with 68 submarines been built and commissioned between 1981 and 2018 while there are under construction seven (7) Improved Kilo submarines, six (6) for Russia and one (1) for Algeria. With the delivery of these submarines the total number of Kilo class will increase to 75. Of the total 30 Kilo class submarines of Russian Navy, about 20-22 are in operational status while two (2) have been retired and sold for scrap. There are several Russian Kilo submarines in reserve either their status is unknown; the sole Romanian is in reserve from the '90s also. The Indian Sindhurakshak was destroyed in 2013 after an explosion and fire on board suspected to have occurred from the munitions onboard - killing 18 people at the Indian Navy's dockyard at Mumbai Port.

FLEETS #7: Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Norwegian Navy and Italian Navy today

Written by D-Mitch

This is the fifth article about various countries' navies today. In these articles, I briefly describe a country's naval fleet by reporting the ships in each type/category of warships and by providing a nice image where all the types of warships are illustrated and the units of its class are reported. I include the vessels that will enter in service this year and I have excluded those that are about to be decommissioned. I deliberately excluded many classes of auxiliary ships; those that they have "0" defence capacity and those that have secondary roles such as hydrographic survey ships, tugs, depollution vessels and training ships.

Hellenic Navy 1940-2016

Written by D-Mitch

Hellenic Navy in WWII

Hellenic Navy in 1940 in the beginning of the Greco-Italian War (War of' '40/Battle of Greece), the conflict that marked the beginning of the Balkans campaign of World War II, it consisted of the following warships:

- 1 armored cruiser (Averof); popularly known as a battleship

- 1 pre-dreadnought battleship (Kilkis) partly disarmed and operating as naval AA artillery

- 10 destroyers (Vasileus Georgios, Vasilissa Olga, Psara, Spetsai, Hydra, Kountouriotis, Leon, Panthir, Aetos, Ierax)

- 6 submarines (Proteus, Glaukos, Triton, Nireus, Katsonis, Papanikolis)

- 13 torpedo boats (Thyella, Sfendoni, Niki, Aspis, Prousa, Pergamos, Kyzikos, Kios, Kydoniai, Aigli, Akyoni, Arethousa, Doris)

- 4 minesweepers (Aliakmon, Aksios, Nestos, Strymon)

- 1 repair ship (Hephaestus)

The three battleships of Hellenic Navy, Georgios Averof, Kilkis and Lemnos.

NAVAL FORCES #3: Latin America Naval Forces

Written by D-Mitch

Latin America

The following image depicts the most important naval forces by each sovereign  state of Latin America region. Similarly with my previous Naval Forces posts, I include also the classes and not just quantities.  Therefore, I made it easier for the reader to realize where these numbers came from and the most important to check and to understand why a class belongs to a specific category of warships. Before starting completing this large table, I used almost the same criteria I used for the EU Naval Forces table that helped me to categorize better each class and to make a fair allocation of the warships that each LA country has in each type of warships. I avoided each country's system of pennant numbers such as -D- for Argentinian Almirante Brown class that allocates the class to destroyer type despite the non destroyer's capabilities and the small size of the class. I tried to avoid also the unfair categorization of warships in a higher position in the hierarchy such as the Pauk or various fast attack crafts to corvettes without having missile launch capability or their capabilities are inferior to a modern corvette respectively. I did my best to avoid all these unfair classifications and based on capabilities, size and armament I divided all the classes (in brackets) except of the auxiliary ships in eleven (11) main types/categories. I have excluded types of warships such as Large Helicopter Carriers (LHD, LHA, LPH) and Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) as there is no country operating these types in Latin America. I have added though the Cruisers (CLM, CG, CGN). Obsolete ships or ships their status is unknown, they have been excluded (mainly Mexican and Cuban ships).

PHOTO GALLERY #3: Papanikolis, submarine of the Hellenic Navy

Papanikolis, Type 214 submarine of Hellenic Navy

Yesterday, Friday, December 5, I had the opportunity to visit again the fast attack craft Daniolos P-68 of the Roussen class, the most modern surface combatants in service with Hellenic Navy, and the submarine Papanikolis. S120 Papanikolis, the first vessel of the Papanikolis class (Type 214 designation for the Hellenic Navy; Papaniolis is also the first Type 124 in the world), the most advanced boat currently in service with Hellenic Navy and one of the most advanced submarines in this category (diesel-electric/conventional submarine). The boats were opened to the public at Piraeus harbor due to the celebration of Saint Nicholas, the patron of sailors and of the Hellenic Navy. In October, I had visited Daniolos (see Photo Gallery #1) so this time I spent mainly my visit on Papanikolis. The submarine honors Dimitrios Papanikolis (1790–1855), a naval hero of the Greek Revolution, famous for being the first to successfully employ a fireship to destroy an Ottoman ship of the line. Enjoy about 30 photos!

NAVAL FORCES #2: World's Aircraft Carriers and Helicopter Carriers

Written by D-Mitch

Similarly to my previous post, here I have included in one image all the aircraft carriers and large helicopter carriers/assault ships that are in active service, they are under construction or they undergoing sea trials. I have not included those ships that are under the phase of designation or that that have been planned.

World's aircraft carriers and helicopter carriers in 2014. In high resolution click here.

NAVAL FORCES #1: European Union Naval Forces

Written by D-Mitch

European Union

The following image depicts the most important naval forces by each member state of the European Union. I decided to not include only the quantities but also to include the classes. Therefore, I made it easier for the reader to realize where these numbers came from and the most important to check and to understand why a class belongs to a specific category of warships. Before starting completing this large table, I created some criteria that helped me to categorize better each class and to make a fair allocation of the warships that each EU country-member has in type of warships. I avoided each country's system of pennant numbers such as -D- for George Leygues class making them in that way to belong to destroyer type despite the non destroyer's capabilities and the small size of the class. I tried to avoid also the unfair categorization of warships in a higher position in the hierarchy such as the Pauk or Joao Coutinho class to corvettes without having missile launch capability while other larger ships such as those of Holland class are classified as oceanic patrol vessels. I tried to avoid all these unfair classifications and based on capabilities, size and armament I divided all the classes (in brackets) except of the auxiliary ships in twelve (12) main types/categories.