The Old Days of Warships

Early era

In the nineteenth century, warships developed rapidly due to advances in science and technology. At first, steam propulsion was used in practical use, and sail and foreign vehicles were used together, but later the invention of screwdrivers made hypnosis the main force. Then, full-scale warships were born with iron and steel hulls, and names like warships and cruisers were published. When a torpedo boat with a torpedo appeared as its main weapon in the late 19th century, the torpedo boat destroyer was born to deal with it, gradually increasing in size and speed and becoming a destroyer during the Russo-Japanese War. It will be considered as important as the flower size of the torpedo battle. During this time, submarines developed rapidly due to advances in storage batteries and electric motors.

20th century

With the development of metallic material, armor (steel for armor) that could resist enemy shots was born when they broke it into large shells. They built warships under competition between giant cannon and armor. During the Russo-Japanese War, warships were equipped with 14,000 to 1,000,000 tons, four- to 11-inch main guns, a .5.5- to the 10-inch intermediate gun, and a dozen or 5- to 5-inch secondary weapons. His experience at the Battle of Sushma had a profound effect on the design of warships worldwide. In 1906, Britain made a dreadnought with 17,900 tons, a turbine engine, a speed of 21 knots, and a 10-12-inch gun. It marked the beginning of larger warships, and countries began to compete for D-class warships and cruisers.

After the First World War

The original gun has grown from 12 inches to 16 inches, turbines have been widely adopted as propulsion engines, fuel has been converted from coal to heavy oil, and both speed and cruising power have increased. In the Battle of the Yalu River (1894), the range of the main fleet’s gun battles was 1000 to 3000 meters, but in the Battle of Jutland (1916), it increased from 14,000 to 23,000 meters. In 1922, the Washington Treaty (Four Powers Agreement) on naval disarmament between Japan, Great Britain, the United States, France, and Italy ended, and the construction of warships was temporarily suspended. On the other hand, it was conceivable to be used in a warship with the advent of aircraft, and sea tenders appeared during World War I. After World War I, a full-fledged aircraft carrier appeared and began to draw attention to aircraft development.

After World War II

Experience during the war and subsequent advances in science and technology have significantly changed the appearance of post-war warships. Instead of gradually disappearing from the war, aircraft carriers became the main character. Especially in the United States, the aircraft carriers carrying atomic bombs were expected to be valued as strategic weapons. With the success of the nuclear submarine Nautilus in 1954, the submarine dramatically increased its sinking speed and sinking time, which was a past mistake and played a strategic role in carrying long-range missiles. On the other hand, surface-to-air aircraft were keen to build a fleet of air defense systems centered on radar and anti-aircraft missiles against the growing threat of jet aircraft and strategic nuclear weapons.

Since the advent of anti-ship missiles

In 1967, an anti-ship missile fired from a missile boat belonging to the Israeli destroyer HMS Julius Arab Union (now Egypt) sank and shocked navies worldwide. The discovery of anti-ship missiles changed the face of subsequent naval warfare, forcing a major shift in naval development plans. Anti-ship missiles range from 30 to 300 wire, have extremely high warhead power, and have a variety of aviation at high speeds from March 1 to 3, and it isn’t easy to find aircraft flying just above sea level. It can also be launched from aircraft, submarines, and small boats, exposing all ships at sea to the threat of this surprise attack. It also recognized the importance of electronic warfare as a form of resistance during this period. In the 1970s, the rise of the Soviet navy was noticeable, and the construction of a large number of anti-ship missile equipment and a powerful submarine fleet posed a great threat to the Western navy. Against this backdrop, the battlefields were manned by the navies of the United States and the Soviet Navy, advancing day by day and becoming highly technologically advanced towards the end of the Cold War.