Krążownik ciężki – problemy klasyfikacyjne. Część 2: Okręty o klasyfikacji spornej

Abstract

This article is the second in a series of six texts devoted to classification problems in the group of artillery ships such as heavy cruisers. In the first one, we dealt with the genesis of the heavy cruiser and formulated its definition, necessary for making reliable scientific analyzes. In this section, we confronted this definition with ships with a disputed classification. The following will discuss the fleets of this class of ships from all ten countries that have them, and their global characteristics. Of the 26 ships with a disputed classification in terms of their potential assignment to the category of heavy cruisers, 16 ships should be granted this status, and 10 ships should not, for various reasons. The main disqualifying factors were: the outdated layout of the main artillery towers (Blücher, Effingham, Frobisher, Hawkins, Raleigh, Vindictive), too few main artillery guns (Frobisher, Krasnyj Kavkaz, Hawkins, Vindictive), too small caliber of the main artillery (Effingham, Vindictive), too large caliber of the main artillery (Admiral Scheer, Admiral Graf Spee, Blücher, Lützow). As for the disputed heavy cruisers, which we have maintained in this study on the basis of substantive criteria, the only factor raised against the legitimacy of such a step was the possession of the main armament in the form of guns with a caliber not exceeding 200 mm, as all the other conditions for belonging to this class of ships have been met. The issue of caliber, however, is firmly anchored in naval armaments limitation treaties, in which a total of 6 of the world’s largest maritime powers participated (Great Britain, the United States, Japan, France, Italy and Germany), which together have the overwhelming majority of the world’s naval fleet in general and heavy cruisers in particular. In this situation, the arguments in favor of increasing its minimum limit from 156 to 201 mm should be assessed as insufficient. As a result, we recog- nize that the units discussed in this paper: Almirante Brown, Aoba, Ashigara, Furutaka, Haguro, Kaganovič, Kako, Kalinin, Kinugasa, Kirov, Maksim Gor’kij, Molotov, Myōkō, Nachi, Veinticinco de Mayo and Vorošilov belong to the heavy cruiser class.