Marking the Russian Navy's rebirth after the painful drubbings of 1904-05, the Andrei Pervozvanny (St. Andrew) class of two semi-dreadnoughts was commissioned in 1911-12. Andrei Pervozvanny and her sister Imperator Pavel I played a part in the Russian Revolution and Civil War, though not a decisive one. These two impressive but homely ships attempted to rectify the clear mistakes in design, and particularly in protection, of the previous generation, and to incorporate the lessons of Tsushima. The ships had already been laid down in 1904 as merely larger Borodinos with more guns, but the design was reworked while they were on the stocks. This made the ships long in gestation, and in the end a step or two behind the curve of naval innovation. Nevertheless, the result was one worth waiting for: two powerful and well-protected battleships.
In a dramatic break from the French-inspired Borodinos, the new class incorporated armored protection over the entire hull; notice the absence of scuttles (portholes) along the length of the hull. The shape of the hull shifted from teh exaggerated tumeble-home of the French-inspired Borodinos to nearly straight-up or "slab" sides. The entire design had a streamlined and sculptural look. The masts had a top portion of woven steel strips, or lattice construction. Other than the Greek Kilkis and Lemnos (which after all were U.S.-built), these were the only European battleships to emulate the American system of lightweight basket or "lattice" masts.
But the glory of the St. Andrews was their guns. The ships fairly bristled with big guns. Again, this was in response to the rout at Tsushima. Not only did they mount 18 big guns, the new turret mountings allowed an elevation of 35°, significantly increasing their range. In a layout similar to the U.S. Connecticut class, the Russian ships mounted 12-inch twins bow and stern plus (14) 8-inchers: 8 in 4 twin turrets and 6 in single mounts in an enclosed, armored battery on the main deck admidships. Anti-TB armament consisted of a dozen 4.7" guns, all mounted in an armored battery on the upper deck atop the 8-in gunhouse; a modest 37 mm antiaircraft defense was also provided. The St. Andrews' 12-in guns had been ordered in 1904, so they were the 40-calibre Model 1895 type used in the Borodino class, rather than the 52-calibre Model 1907 -- a truly great gun and a tribute to the Russian gunsmiths' art -- used in the slightly later Russian dreadnoughts.
In this view from trials, the ship's clutter of torpedo nets and booms has yet to be installed, making the hull shape easier to appreciate. Note also the exaggerated ram bow almost like a porpoise nose, asserting itself in the Russian Navy at a time when the ram was already being dropped altogether by other fleets. In the Gangut class dreadnoughts that followed the Andrei and Pavel, an undershot-chin profile replaced the prodigious ram of the semi-dreadnoughts.
These ships were unusually well crafted for Russian-built efforts. Pavel was made at the Baltic Works and commissioned in 1911. Andrei Pervozvanny was constructed across St. Petersburg at the New Admiralty Yard and completed the following year. Though powerful gunships, they were uniquely ugly, with their beaklike ram bows, huge, widely separated funnels, and ungainly, top-heavy appearance.
In common with the rest of Tsar Nicholas' Baltic Fleet, they spent most of World War I anchored behind very secure minefields. After 1917, both ships were caught up in the Russian Revolution and Civil War. Their careers were nipped short by wartime damage and lack of commitment to repair them in the chaotic environment of the time. Pavel I was renamed Respublika just after the February Revolution. Damaged in a yardside accident, she was withdrawn from service in 1918. After 5 years of inactivity she was sold to the breakers. Andrei Pervozvanny was captured by the Red sailors at Kronstadt in 1917 and used her artillery in their cause during the Civil War and foreign intervention. In this capacity she was twice torpedoed by a British ELCO MTB (left) at Kronstadt in August 1919. She was laid up in the yard and never fully repaired. A fire further damaged her in 1922, and two years later, the new Bolshevik régime consigned her to the dustbin of history.
Plans & Specifications
Specifications for the Andrei Pervozvanny class:
Dimensions: 460' x 80' x 27'11". Displacement: 17,400 tons standard; 18,590 tons deep laden. Armament: (4) 12"/40 Model 1895, (14) 8"/45 (4x2 + 6x1), (12) 4.7", and (4) 37 mm guns; (8) Maxim MG; (4) 18" torpedo tubes. Armor: Krupp cemented type. 8.5" belt; 5"/3" upper belt; 7.9" barbettes; 10" turrets; 7" secondary turrets; 10"/6" conning tower; 6" secondary conning tower; 5" battery; 3" QF battery; 3.1"/1.5" deck. Fuel capacity: 1,500 tons std; 3,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: 25 coal-fired Belleville boilers, (2) inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines developing 17,600 HP, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 18 kts. Crew: 956.
Metric Specs:
Dimensions: 140.2m x 24.4m x 8.5m). Displacement: 17,400 tons standard; 18,590 tons deep laden. Armament: Krupp. (4) 305 mm/40 Model 1895, (14) 203 cm/45 (4x2 + 6x1), and (12) 120 mm guns; (4) 450 mm torpedo tubes. Armor: 216 mm belt; 200 mm barbettes; 254 mm turrets; 178 mm secondary turrets; 254/152 mm conning tower; 79/38 mm deck. Fuel capacity: 1,500 tons std; 3,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: 25 coal-fired Belleville boilers, (2) inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines developing 13,124.3 kW, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 33.34 km/hr. Crew: 956.
A Portfolio of
Pervozvanny Class Photos
This view shows how the superstructure was crowded toward the bow, leaving an elongated quarterdeck; to accommodate the large number of magazines and ammo hoists to the 8" guns, the engine room was located between the #2 funnel and the aft 12" barbette. These were flush-decked ships with high freeboard. The layout of the center battery is readily appreciated in our magnificent enlarged view. The ship's original, Tsarist name was stamped on the print and later hand-corrected to her revolutionary era handle, Respublika. This surely would have displeased the Tsar and Tsarina, who were, however, unable to protest, having been executed, in the memorable words of Dr. Zhivago, "to show that there is no going back."
Here is Andrei on her trials in 1912. No torpedo net booms installed yet. The aggressive thrust of the stem becomes more understandable when one sees the shape of the ram below water. France and Japan had already abandoned the ram by the time this monster was being built. Click here to enlarge.
Despite their being obsolete before commissioning, these were large and powerful ships; both operated in the Baltic fleet. The spaciousness of her afterdeck is evident in this quarter view of Pervozvanny. The big midship cranes were used for boat launching, loading supplies and ammunition.
Andrei Pervozvanny moored at Kronstadt during trials. The aggressive shape of the bow with its bottle-nose ram becomes evident from this angle. Also in this and other shots of the starboard side, notice the spare anchor stowed horizontally along the side.
A crisply detailed 1:700 model of the ship by Jim Baumann.
Arrangement of upper deck boat storage and battery differed dramatically from the Victorian clutter of earlier battleships. In this detail of the KomBrig model, forward is at left and aft at right.
The low angle of the light reveals the simplified, sculptural quality of hull and superstructure.
Color illustration of Andrei Pervozvanny illustrates the great elevation of the 8" gunhouse amidships, nicely reducing one of the principal conundrums of at-sea gunnery at the time. Many a dreadnought was built with guns studded along the hull -- guns frequently rendered useless by spray and even green water. Surviving ships often had the guns removed or moved up one deck in subsequent refits.
