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Russian cruiser General-Admiral (1873)
Encyclopedia
General-Admiral was the lead ship
of the armored cruiser
s built for the Imperial Russian Navy
in the early 1870s. She is generally considered as the first true armored cruiser
.
, General-Admiral was redesignated as a semi-armored frigate on 24 March 1875. She was laid out as a central battery ironclad with the armament concentrated amidships. The iron-hulled ship was not fitted with a ram
and her crew numbered approximately 482 officers and men.
General-Admiral was 285 in 10 in (87.12 m) long overall
. She had a beam
of 48 feet (14.6 m) and a draft
of 24 in 5 in (7.44 m). The ship was designed to displace 4604 long tons (4,677.9 MT), but displaced 5031 long tons (5,111.7 MT) as built, an increase of over 400 long tons (406.4 t).
s at a pressure of 4.24 kg/cm2. The engine produced 4772 ihp during sea trial
s which gave the ship a maximum speed around 12.3 knots (6.7 m/s). General-Admiral carried a maximum of 1000 long tons (1,016.1 t) of coal which gave her an economical range of 5900 nautical miles (10,926.8 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was ship-rigged with three masts. To reduce drag
while under sail her funnel was retractable and her propeller could be hoisted into the hull.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
s 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 early 1870s. She is generally considered as the first true armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
.
Design and description
Originally classified as an armored corvetteCorvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
, General-Admiral was redesignated as a semi-armored frigate on 24 March 1875. She was laid out as a central battery ironclad with the armament concentrated amidships. The iron-hulled ship was not fitted with a ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
and her crew numbered approximately 482 officers and men.
General-Admiral was 285 in 10 in (87.12 m) long overall
Overall length
The overall length of an ammunition cartridge is a measurement from the base of the brass shell casing to the tip of the bullet, seated into the brass casing....
. She had a beam
Beam (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 48 feet (14.6 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 24 in 5 in (7.44 m). The ship was designed to displace 4604 long tons (4,677.9 MT), but displaced 5031 long tons (5,111.7 MT) as built, an increase of over 400 long tons (406.4 t).
Propulsion
The ship had a vertical compound steam engine driving a single two-bladed 6.25 metre propeller. Steam was provided by five cylindrical boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s at a pressure of 4.24 kg/cm2. The engine produced 4772 ihp during 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 which gave the ship a maximum speed around 12.3 knots (6.7 m/s). General-Admiral carried a maximum of 1000 long tons (1,016.1 t) of coal which gave her an economical range of 5900 nautical miles (10,926.8 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was ship-rigged with three masts. To reduce drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
while under sail her funnel was retractable and her propeller could be hoisted into the hull.