From the sail to the steam

During many centuries scientists and ship-builders worked on the problem of increasing the ship's speed. In the well-known formula "speed is equal to distance divided by time" they did their best how the determined distance could be covered for a shorter period of time.

Steamer «Rabotnik» ("Worker") P. Bogolubov

Dozens and hundreds of years passed, but the main component of the formula - time - shortened very slowly. In the epoch of flourishing of the sailing fleet the quickest vessels under sails filled with wind reached the speed of 12-13 knots. It was the limit.

Often became sailing vessels prisoners of the sea, their fortune depended on weather whims. If there was a good passing wind, the captain and the crew were lucky. Vessels following waves as big white birds scudded to their fortune. But they could also heave to drift waiting for a weak wind as for the Lord's present to continue the way. That was the destiny of ships the main propelling agent of which were huge snow-white sails.

Since the middle of the 19th century ship-building entered a new epoch of steam engines. This period in the history of ship-building is marked with radical innovations. Iron changed wood. Military ships put on armor which protected them from shells. People made steam work and it not only gave warmth but also moved powerful ships against the wind.

Steam ships appeared in Russia in the first half of the 19th century. On November, 3, 1815 unprecedented "fire" steam ship was put to water, people called it "damn beast". It was built by K.Berd, the owner of the Mechanical Foundry founded in 1792 on the territory bordering the Galley Island. The first Russian steam ship started its navigation from there. It was 18.29 m long, 1.57 with draught of 0.61 m. The paddle wheels with the diameter of 2.44 m had six paddles fastened on spokes 1.22 m long. The steam engine does 40 revolutions per minute. On that very day "the beast" navigated to Kronstadt.

Since July, 3, 1817 towage of cargo ships by steamers along the same route started. The outer shipping opened only in 1824 after the first foreign hip came to the capital of Russia. It was the Swedish ship Stokholm.

The first tawing cargo ship Skory was built at the Admiralty and Izhora plants. In 1821 the Nikolai Admiralty passed the steamer Vezuvi to the Black sea Navy. The first ships with steam engines played auxiliary role in the Navy. By the navigation of 1833 the Russian Navy got the first military ship Herculis, rebuilt into 28-cannon wheel ship frigate. The first specially built ship frigate was the Bogatyr.

The invention of screw propeller in 1836-1837 was a real revolution in ship building. It could be installed also on sailing ships which didn't lessen their military capacities.

In the 40-ies it was first tried to armor wooden ships with iron planks. The problem to build totally metal ships protruded. By the middle of the 19th century the construction of military steamers mainly auxiliary ones was mastered at Alexander plant, Berd's Mechanical Foundry, Head Admiralty, Ohta shipyard in St.Petersburg, Nikolajev, Arkhangelsk and Astrakhan Admiralties. But the results of the Crimean war (1853-1856) showed deficiency of such ships and the necessity to build rapidly iron military steam ships was evident.

Since 1855 Konstantin Nikolajevich was at the head of the Navy and the Naval Department. He showed himself as a supporter of serious reforms. In connection with the Navy's transition to military ships of new quality he initiated serious additions to the Naval Law, the strategic and tactical development of the Navy was determined, new ship building programs and projects were designed and realized. Konstantin Nikolajevich paid much attention to reorganization of the Naval Ministry, improving of quality and trends of military training of the Navy and the system of personnel preparation, recruitment and organization of service on ships and coast establishments.

Steamer «Kolkhida» P. Bogolubov

In 1857 the Government affirmed a construction program according to which the Baltic Navy was to receive 18 screw battleships, 12 screw frigates, 14 screw corvettes, 100 screw cannon boats, 9 wheel frigate ships. At the Pacific ocean it was supposed to have 6 screw corvettes, 6 screw clippers, 9 screw transport ships and 4 wheel steamer ships. After the Crimean war Russian couldn't have the Navy at the Black sea. Only 6 screw corvettes, 9 screw transport ships and 4 wheel steam ships could be there.

The construction of the armor Navy in Russia had two stages: creation of the coast defense Navy and then in the end of 60-ies-the beginning of the 70-ies - of the navigating armor Navy. The first iron battleship was the cannon boat Opyt put to water in 1862. Its armor was 115 mm thick and had a 60-pound cannon.

The new ship-building program presupposed construction of 4 armor tower frigate of Admiral Lazarev type, 2 armor spar frigates of Knyaz Pozharsky type and two armor two-tower boats of Rusalka type. When the work on construction of those ships in 1868 the problem of Kronstadt and the Russian capital defense was solved. Preconditions for construction of the active attack Navy appeared.

In 1869 in St.Petersburg at the galley island shipyard a tower parapet monitor Cruiser renamed in 1872 on the 200th birthday of Peter I to Pyotr Veliky was laid. The author of that newest type ship was admiral A.Popov. The construction was supervised by the ship engineers A.Leontjev and M.Okunev.

The news that in Russia the most powerful which concerned its tactical and technical data ship was constructed surprised and worried Naval circles of foreign countries. The English, for example, were confused to recognize that their ship devastation of approximately the same displacement was inferior to the Russian ship in armor defense and armament.

During 1870-1885 Russia built and improved ocean armor ships. They were intended for struggle on ocean communications. The first cruiser of this type General-Admiral put to water in 1873 and came to operation in 1875, it was followed by Herzog Edinburgsky (1877), Minin (1878), Pamyat Azova (1890), Ryurik (1892), Russia (1896) and Gromoboi (1899). The latter three had still better tactical technical characteristics.

The appearance of the first armor ships of the coast defense Novgorod (1874) and Vice-admiral Popov (1876) which got the name of "popovka" caused great interest in the Naval and ship-building circles. They differed from previous ships first of all by their unprecedented construction and form of a plate. They had comparatively small draught, were invulnerable for ram strokes and steadfast. The creation of round battleships with powerful artillery was caused by necessity of strengthening the Black sea coast defense at the Dnieper and Bug estuary and the Kerch streams where Russia could not have big ships according to the Paris peace treaty.

One more step in the national ship-building was the creation of mine launches armed with pole mines. Their high effectiveness was demonstrated in the Turkish war 1877-1878. Later with appearance of torpedo armament the Navy was supplied with special mine ships (they were also called mine carriers).

The battle of "Vladimir" steamer with Turkish-Egyptian military steamer, November 5, 1853. P. Bogolubov

The first battle of steam ships happened on November, 5, 1853. The Russian frigate ship Vladimir entered the fight with the Turkish frigate ship Pervaz-Bakhri. This battle finished with the victory of the Russian sailors.

The Russian mine launches acted successfully during military affairs with Turkey.

This period in the history of the Navy was not passed over in attention by marine painters. Many paintings were devoted to military events. That is why we possess numerous imprints of ships of the Russian Navy which left their trace in the history of Russia.