In the early 1880's the Russian navy managed to obtain copies of drawings of several ships in an effort to come up with their own design.  The first was the British Imperieuse<2> and the other was the British ship Warspite.  These plans would serve as the basis for a new Russian armored cruiser designated the Admiral Nakhimov.  It would most closely resemble the Imperieuse, but the placement of its coal bunkers and hatches would be changed.

The ship was rigged as a brig with four pairs of 8 inch guns in turrets.  One turret was placed on the bow and one on the stern.  The two others were located on each side in sponson mounts.  The ten six inch guns would be mounted five on a side in casemates.

The Admiral Nakhimov went in for a refit in 1899.  During this refit the ship had its older boilers replaced with more modern Belleville types.  Vertical compound engines replaced the older reciprocating types as well.  In addition to these changes the ship's secondary armament was changed.  Some of the quick firing revolving cannon were removed and four 3.4 inch guns were added.  The sailing rig was also removed during the refit and replaced with two short military masts.

The only major military conflict the ship took part in was the Russo-Japanese war where it was sent to the Far East were she took part in the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905.  During the engagement the ship suffered relatively little damage, but was struck by a torpedo during an engagement that took place that night.  The ship was slowly sinking so the Admiral Nakhimov's captain decided to scuttle the ship.  He ordered the crew to open the seacocks and then  surrendered to the Japanese.

Tactical Use and Limitations

In combat the Admiral Nakhimov was a ship of the line intended to operate with a squadron of ships against an opposing fleet.  It performed its role fairly well during the Battle of Tsushima until struck by a torpedo and scuttled.

The Admiral Nakhimov was a sound ship design that compared favorably with the ships of other nations around the world at that time.  It was well armored in most places (even the magazine hoists were armored) and made good speed.

However, its greatest disadvantages lay in the parts of the ship that were poorly armored such as the machinery spaces.  The six inch main guns were also unprotected, and the deck armor was somewhat thin.  In addition to these faults the numerous quick firing guns that the ship possessed proved to be almost useless in combat, as they were too short ranged and could not penetrate the armor of most ships of the day.

Deployment Chronology

Information about turn of the century warships is difficult for us to find, and it is not easy in many cases to determine which ship was developed as a follow on for another.  The Admiral Nakhimov served to advance the state of the Russian fleet by offering improved armament and protection over the earlier protected cruisers.  Naturally the Russians continued to build upon their experience as time went on and a new armored cruiser followed the Admiral Nakhimov.

Sources Cited

Here are some of the most informative sources that we have used in compiling this information for you.  We hope you can find them as useful as we have.

• Miller, David, The Illustrated History of Warships from 1860 to the Present, MBI Publishing: Osceola, WI, 2001. Print

• Watts, Anthony J., , The Imperial Russian Navy, Arms and Armour press: London, 1990. Print.