Russian battleship Imperator Pavel I
Encyclopedia
Imperator Pavel I ( - Czar Paul I
) was a predreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Russian Navy
in the mid-1900s. The ship's construction was seriously extended by design changes as a result of the Russo-Japanese War
and labor unrest after the 1905 Revolution and she took nearly six years to build. Imperator Pavel I was not very active during World War I
and her bored sailors were the first to mutiny in early 1917. The ship was laid up
in 1918 and she was scrapped
in 1923.
of 80 feet (24.4 m) and a draft
of 27 feet (8.2 m). She displaced 18902 long tons (19,205 t) at deep load. Her hull was subdivided by 17 transverse watertight bulkhead
s and the engine rooms were divided by a centerline longitudinal bulkhead. She had a double bottom
and a metacentric height
of 4 feet (1.2 m).
Imperator Pavel I had two 4-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engines with a total designed output of 17600 ihp. Twenty-five Belleville boilers provided steam to the engines at a working pressure of 285 pound per square inch. On sea trial
s, the engines produced 18596 ihp and a top speed of 18.5 knots. She carried a normal load of 800 long tons (812.8 t) of coal that provided a range of 1300 nautical miles (2,407.6 km) at a speed of 12 knots (6.5 m/s) and a maximum load of 1500 long tons (1,524.1 t) that gave 2400 nautical miles (4,444.8 km) at the same speed.
The main armament consisted of two pairs of 12-inch Model 1895
40-caliber
guns mounted in twin-gun turret
s fore and aft. These guns had a maximum elevation of 35° and could depress to -5°. 80 rounds per gun were carried and they could fire one round per minute. Eight of the fourteen 8 inches (20 cm) Model 1905 45-caliber guns were mounted in four twin-gun turret at the corners of the superstructure while six were mounted in casemate
s in the superstructure. For defense against torpedo boat
s, Imperator Pavel I carried twelve 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns mounted in casemates above the 8-inch guns in the superstructure. Two underwater 457 millimetres (18 in) torpedo tube
s were mounted, one on each side, and they were provided with six spare torpedoes.
Based on the Russian experience at the Battle of Tsushima
, the sides of the ship's hull were completely protected by Krupp cemented armor. The main waterline belt
had a maximum thickness of 8.5 inches (22 cm) and the upper belt was 5 inches (13 cm) at its thickest. The sides of the main gun turrets were 8 inches (20 cm) thick and the armor of the casemates ranged from 3.1 to 5 in (7.9 to 12.7 ) in thickness. The greatest thickness of deck
armor was 1.5 inches (4 cm).
in Saint Petersburg
. Construction began on 27 October 1904All dates used in this article are New Style
and was slowed by labor trouble in the shipyard from the 1905 Revolution. She was launched on 7 September 1907 and began her sea trials in October 1910. The ship entered service on 10 March 1911 before her trials were completed in October 1911. Imperator Pavel I joined the Baltic Fleet on completion and she made a port visit to Copenhagen
in September 1912. The following September she visited Portland
, Cherbourg, and Stavanger
. At the beginning of World War I she covered Russian minelaying operations at the entrance of the Gulf of Finland
. She did little else for the rest of the war as the Russian naval strategy in the Baltic was defensive and the Russians did not intend to seek out the German fleet. The ship's lattice masts were cut down in late 1914 and light topmasts were added. Torpedo nets were fitted in early 1915 and the ship's torpedoes were removed in January 1916. In late 1916, four 76 millimetres (3 in) anti-aircraft
guns were added.
Disgruntled sailors aboard Imperator Pavel I instigated the general mutiny of the Baltic Fleet in Helsinki
on 16 March 1917, after they received word of the February Revolution
in Saint Petersburg, and the ship was renamed Respublika (Republic) on 29 April. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
required the Soviets to evacuate their naval base at Helsinki in March 1918 or have their ships interned by newly independent Finland
even though the Gulf of Finland was still frozen over. Respublika and her sister ship led the second group of ships on 5 April and reached Kronstadt
five days later in what became known as the 'Ice Voyage'
. The ship was laid up in October 1918 for lack of manpower and she was scrapped beginning on 22 November 1923. Curiously, Respublika was not formally stricken from the Navy List
until 21 November 1925.
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
) was a predreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
in the mid-1900s. The ship's construction was seriously extended by design changes as a result of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
and labor unrest after the 1905 Revolution and she took nearly six years to build. Imperator Pavel I was not very active during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and her bored sailors were the first to mutiny in early 1917. The ship was laid up
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
in 1918 and she was scrapped
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
in 1923.
Description
Imperator Pavel I was 454 feet (138.4 m) long at the waterline and 460 feet (140.2 m) long overall. She had a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 80 feet (24.4 m) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 27 feet (8.2 m). She displaced 18902 long tons (19,205 t) at deep load. Her hull was subdivided by 17 transverse watertight bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
s and the engine rooms were divided by a centerline longitudinal bulkhead. She had a double bottom
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
and a metacentric height
Metacentric height
The metacentric height is a measurement of the static stability of a floating body. It is calculated as the distance between the centre of gravity of a ship and its metacentre . A larger metacentric height implies greater stability against overturning...
of 4 feet (1.2 m).
Imperator Pavel I had two 4-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engines with a total designed output of 17600 ihp. Twenty-five Belleville boilers provided steam to the engines at a working pressure of 285 pound per square inch. On sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s, the engines produced 18596 ihp and a top speed of 18.5 knots. She carried a normal load of 800 long tons (812.8 t) of coal that provided a range of 1300 nautical miles (2,407.6 km) at a speed of 12 knots (6.5 m/s) and a maximum load of 1500 long tons (1,524.1 t) that gave 2400 nautical miles (4,444.8 km) at the same speed.
The main armament consisted of two pairs of 12-inch Model 1895
Russian 12 inch 40 caliber naval gun
The 12 inch 40 caliber naval gun was the standard main weapon of the pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy. Sixty-eight guns of the first production run were built in 1895–1906 by the Obukhov Works in Saint Petersburg...
40-caliber
Caliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
guns mounted in twin-gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s fore and aft. These guns had a maximum elevation of 35° and could depress to -5°. 80 rounds per gun were carried and they could fire one round per minute. Eight of the fourteen 8 inches (20 cm) Model 1905 45-caliber guns were mounted in four twin-gun turret at the corners of the superstructure while six were mounted in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s in the superstructure. For defense against torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s, Imperator Pavel I carried twelve 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns mounted in casemates above the 8-inch guns in the superstructure. Two underwater 457 millimetres (18 in) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s were mounted, one on each side, and they were provided with six spare torpedoes.
Based on the Russian experience at the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
, the sides of the ship's hull were completely protected by Krupp cemented armor. The main waterline belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
had a maximum thickness of 8.5 inches (22 cm) and the upper belt was 5 inches (13 cm) at its thickest. The sides of the main gun turrets were 8 inches (20 cm) thick and the armor of the casemates ranged from 3.1 to 5 in (7.9 to 12.7 ) in thickness. The greatest thickness of deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
armor was 1.5 inches (4 cm).
Service history
Imperator Pavel I was built by the Baltic WorksBaltic Shipyard
The Baltic Shipyard is one of the oldest shipyards in Russia. It is located in Saint Petersburg in the south-western part of the Vasilievsky Island. It is one of the three shipyards active in Saint Petersburg...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Construction began on 27 October 1904All dates used in this article are New Style
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
and was slowed by labor trouble in the shipyard from the 1905 Revolution. She was launched on 7 September 1907 and began her sea trials in October 1910. The ship entered service on 10 March 1911 before her trials were completed in October 1911. Imperator Pavel I joined the Baltic Fleet on completion and she made a port visit to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in September 1912. The following September she visited Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
, Cherbourg, and Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
. At the beginning of World War I she covered Russian minelaying operations at the entrance of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. She did little else for the rest of the war as the Russian naval strategy in the Baltic was defensive and the Russians did not intend to seek out the German fleet. The ship's lattice masts were cut down in late 1914 and light topmasts were added. Torpedo nets were fitted in early 1915 and the ship's torpedoes were removed in January 1916. In late 1916, four 76 millimetres (3 in) anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
guns were added.
Disgruntled sailors aboard Imperator Pavel I instigated the general mutiny of the Baltic Fleet in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
on 16 March 1917, after they received word of the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
in Saint Petersburg, and the ship was renamed Respublika (Republic) on 29 April. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
required the Soviets to evacuate their naval base at Helsinki in March 1918 or have their ships interned by newly independent Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
even though the Gulf of Finland was still frozen over. Respublika and her sister ship led the second group of ships on 5 April and reached Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
five days later in what became known as the 'Ice Voyage'
Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet
Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet was an operation which transferred the ships of the Baltic Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy from their bases at Tallinn and Helsinki to Kronstadt in 1918, caused by the possible threat to those bases from the final German offensives against Russia during World War...
. The ship was laid up in October 1918 for lack of manpower and she was scrapped beginning on 22 November 1923. Curiously, Respublika was not formally stricken from the Navy List
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
until 21 November 1925.
Further reading
- Melnikov, R. M. (2005, in Russian). Lineyny korabl "Imperator Pavel I" (1906–1925) (Линейный корабль "Император Павел I" (1906–1925)). Samara: ANO Istflot. ISBN 5-98830013-8.