Types of Ships(8)

Types of Ships(8)

The battleship "Wisconsin" is towed to the shipyard and than it would be transited to its place in the Naval Museum.©US Navy Photo

Naval ships:The development of water transport led to the discovery of new lands rich in resources that are on demand by fast-growing industries. Each powerful country aspired to get hold of those lands and this way gain solid economic positions in the world. Everyone wanted to be the superior power. There were many candidates for becoming leaders in world trade and therefore - there were many rivals and enemies. So, countries started to produce warships with which they conquered new territories and defended them from enemies. -
Warships are divided into two main groups - surface and underwater vessels.

1.Surface Ships
a)Ships of the Line - They appeared at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th as a model of armored ship. In the 1960-s the best ships of the line were scrapped.

Aircraft carriers ©US Navy Photo

b)Aircraft Carriers - These are the most powerful surface vessels of all. Their function is to house airplanes used for military purposes such as destroying key coastal objects (naval bases, airports, administrative buildings), carrying out battle reconnaissance, attacking submarines, correcting the aim of fire, etc. Aircraft carriers look like floating airports with their sizeable flight decks. Due to the perfect organization on board the ships, landing of planes can be done every 20-25 seconds.
c)Cruisers - The term "cruiser" was first used in France as "croiseur" with the meaning of "cruising, patrolling". They are designed for conducting reconnaissance, lifting blockades, capturing enemy ships and defending own objects. During World War II cruisers were employed as "tender" ships which guarded convoys in their passage through the ocean. Since the introduction of the missile weapon, many of the old cruisers were modernized and re-equipped.
d)Destroyers - one of the most numerous battleships in today's navies (about 300); These crafts are multi-purpose - they take part in various naval operations such as fighting surface and underwater vessels and patrolling. The earliest destroyer used to have a mine attached on a pole at the bow of the ship. During fire, the mine would hit the submerged part of the enemy vessel and sink it. Later torpedoes were discovered and put in use, further replaced by missiles.

Landing craft -Public domain images

e)Minelayers - As the name implies, these ships carry and lay mines to defend territories or destroy other vessels (when the hull of the ship hits the mine, it activates its blowing mechanism). The first mines were used in the Crimean War (1853-1856). Accordingly, as an anti-mine response to minelayers, minesweepers were built. These are ships which have special devices for locating mines and clearing them.
f)Escort Ships - speedy, seaworthy and strongly-armored vessels designed to defend ships from submersibles; Later developed frigates - escort ships intended to fight with air crafts. The manufacture of this type of ships reached its climax in the years of World War II.
g)Cutters - guarding coastal areas, bays, rivers and lakes
h)Landing crafts - Their function is to carry land forces and their war supplies and equipment (weapons, tanks) to the place of landing.