Types of old ships. Types of sailing ships

This is one of the most unusual and mysterious insects on our planet. It differs from many others in its habits, lifestyle, and some behavioral characteristics that can be shocking. First of all, this is behavior during the mating season. But this is not main feature praying mantis insect. In this article we will tell you in detail about this amazing creature, its lifestyle, varieties, and habitats. You will learn what the praying mantis eats and how the reproduction process occurs.

Spreading

The praying mantis is widespread in the South and Central Europe, South and North America, Asia, Australia, Africa. These insects do not live only in the northern regions, since they have an extremely negative attitude towards the cold. But in humid and hot climates tropical Africa And South America they feel great.

They feel no less comfortable in tropical forests, in rocky deserts, in steppe regions. The praying mantis insect moves quite rarely, preferring its habitat to distant and unknown territories. The only reason that can force him to travel is a lack of food.

Types of praying mantises

Scientists believe that our planet is inhabited by about two thousand various types these insects. Naturally, we will not be able to present you with all the varieties in this article, but we will tell you about the most, in our opinion, unusual representatives of this family.

Common praying mantis

This is a fairly large representative of the species: the female is up to seven centimeters long, the male is about six. In the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia where the praying mantis lives specified type, it can be distinguished by its ovoid abdomen and black spots located on the front pairs of legs on the inside. They are usually painted green or brown. This species has well developed wings. In any case, the praying mantis flies from branch to branch quite easily.

Chinese mantis

From the name you can understand that the birthplace and place of distribution is China. This is a large insect, reaching a length of fifteen centimeters. The male Chinese mantis is much smaller. Are they painted green or brown. The peculiarity of this species is its nocturnal lifestyle, although its relatives sleep at night.

In addition, young individuals of this species do not have wings: they grow only after several molts.

Creobroter meleagris

This is a resident of India, Cambodia, Vietnam and a number of Asian countries. These insects reach five centimeters in length. Colored in cream or white. Their distinctive feature are light brown stripes running along the head and entire body. In addition, one small and one larger cream-colored spot can be seen on the wings.

Flower mantis (Indian)

Creobroter gemmatus is common in the forests of Vietnam, South India and other Asian countries. This view is no different large sizes: Females grow to only four centimeters, and males are slightly smaller. The body is elongated. For additional protection from enemies, representatives of this species have special spikes of varying heights on their thighs.

Orchid mantis

It seems to us that this is the most spectacular praying mantis. It got its name for a reason - for its amazing external resemblance to beautiful flowers and orchids. It is on them that the insect ambushes in anticipation of the victim. The females of this species are twice the size of the males: eight and four centimeters. Orchid mantises, even among their fellows, are distinguished by amazing courage: they even attack insects that are more than twice their size.

Spiny flower mantis

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii is a native of Africa. It closely resembles the Indian flower mantis. Its color is especially interesting: on the upper pair of wings you can see a pattern that resembles a spiral. Representatives of this species have spines on their abdomen, which give the species its name. Representatives of this species are painted in cream shades.

They fly beautifully, both males and females, due to their light weight, and the wings of such insects are well developed. Interestingly, these insects have spots on them that resemble an eye with two pupils, which, according to researchers, can scare away predators. Representatives of the species live in plant flowers, where they lie in wait for their prey.

History of insect names

In 1758, the name of these insects was given by the Swedish traveler and scientist Carl Linnaeus, who drew attention to the usual pose of the praying mantis, which is in ambush and awaits its prey. It is very reminiscent of the pose of a praying person. The scientist named the insect Mantis religiosa, which can be translated as “religious priest.” The name came into the Russian language modified - “mantis”. True, it is not called that way everywhere: for example, in Spain it is called Caballito del Diablo, which translates as “devil’s horse.” This somewhat creepy name is probably due to the habits of praying mantises.

Description of mantises

The insect has an elongated body, which distinguishes it from many arthropods. This is probably the only thing living creature, which can easily rotate its triangular head 360°. Thanks to this, the mantis can see its enemy approaching from behind. The insect has only one ear, but despite this, the mantis does not complain about hearing.

Its eyes have a complex facet structure and are located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, the mantis has three more simple eyes located above the base of the mustache. Antennae can be feathery, filiform or comb depending on the type a certain type. Almost all species of mantises have well-developed wings, but males fly more often, females have significantly more weight, which makes flying difficult.

The wings of praying mantises are presented in two pairs: front and back. The first are the elytra, which practically protect the hind wings, which have quite bright colors, and often with original drawings. But the earthen mantis (Geomantis larvoides) has no wings at all.

The blood circulation of mantises is quite primitive, which is explained by unusual system breathing. Oxygen enters the mantis through complex system tracheas, which connect to spiracles (stigmas) located on the abdomen in the posterior and middle parts of the body. The trachea contains air sacs that enhance ventilation of the respiratory system.

Color

Like many insects, praying mantises naturally have the ability to camouflage to protect themselves from enemies. They change body color depending on their habitat: yellow, brown, green. Brown insects are inseparable from the bark of trees, and green insects live on green leaves.

What does a praying mantis eat?

It should be noted that the praying mantis is a predator that feeds on smaller insects and is not afraid to attack prey larger than itself. Flies and mosquitoes, wasps and bees, butterflies and bumblebees, beetles - that's all that the praying mantis eats. Larger species are capable of attacking even small birds, rodents and small amphibians: lizards, frogs.

Praying mantises ambush their prey, quickly grab it with their front paws and do not let go until they eat it completely.

Lifestyle of a praying mantis

Having figured out what the praying mantis eats, you need to get acquainted with how the life of this insect is organized. The praying mantis leads a sedentary lifestyle, settling in one territory for a long time. If around sufficient quantity food, an insect can spend its entire life on one plant or tree branch.

Despite the fact that praying mantises fly well and have two pairs of wings, they use them quite rarely, preferring to use their long limbs for movement. Males fly mainly at night, flying from branch to branch. In addition, they move from layer to layer, at the foot of tall trees and at the tops of crowns, depending on where the mantises live.

We talked about the fact that these insects cannot stand the cold. Therefore, the question arises of how the praying mantis overwinters. Cold period it survives time in the form of diapausing eggs, the laying of which begins in the summer and ends late autumn. A clutch can contain up to three hundred eggs. They remain in a capsule until spring and easily tolerate frosts down to 18 °C.

Reproduction of praying mantises

With the beginning of the mating season (as a rule, it occurs in autumn), male praying mantises, using their olfactory organs, begin to search for females who are ready to mate. Having found his chosen one, the male performs a “mating dance” in front of her, which automatically turns him into a sexual partner. After this, mating begins, during which the female praying mantis bites off the male's head and then completely eats him.

Scientists believe that this behavior has biological reasons. By eating her “groom,” the female replenishes her protein supply. nutrients, which are necessary for future offspring. In rare cases, the male manages to leave the bloodthirsty chosen one in time and avoids a sad fate.

After some time, the female lays eggs, enveloping their entire surface with a special sticky secretion, which she secretes from the glands. For eggs, this is a kind of protective capsule, which is called an ooteca. The fertility of each female largely depends on the species. As a rule, one clutch consists of 300-400 eggs. Insect larvae stay in eggs treated in this way from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of them on their own. Then their development proceeds rapidly, and after four to eight molts the larva turns into an adult mantis.

, takeoff and landing of aircraft

Air transport- a special vessel designed for transporting aircraft, but unlike an aircraft carrier, it is not suitable for take-off and landing of airplanes or helicopters.

Car carrier- a specialized dry cargo vessel for transporting cars.

cable ship (cable layer) - a vessel for laying, repairing and maintaining sea and ocean communication and power lines.

capstan ship (capstan) - a self-propelled river vessel, common in the 19th century on the Volga.

Coaster- a vessel performing cabotage transportation.

Camara- the Greek name for a small, narrow, light boat of the peoples of the Eastern Black Sea region in ancient times.

Karakora, korokora- sailing and rowing ship of the Moluccas Islands.

Privateer- a ship engaged in privateering.

Kapudan- flagship (katorga) of the Turkish Kapdan Pasha.

Kleper- a small northern sea vessel like a schooner, but smaller (length 12-15 m, width 3.5-5 m, draft 1.2-2 m, carrying capacity 15-20 tons). It had 1-2 masts with 1 yard and gaff sails. Thanks to its long hull with smooth contours, it had good seaworthiness. Another meaning is a type of folding kayak.

Goat- rowing fishing boat, common on the Black and Seas of Azov. .

Komyaga - 1. 17th century cargo and passenger sailing and rowing ship Black Sea coast Turkey and Crimea, with a capacity of 85-90 people. 2. A small fishing boat of the 17th-18th centuries on the Crimean coast. 3. Barge used as a ferry on the Don.

Kochmara, Kochmora- a large single-mast sailing boat of Pomors, used for fishing or transport purposes.

Luger- small three-masted warship first half of the 19th century armed with 10-16 guns. Used for messenger service.

M

Shop- floating warehouse.

Multihull- a vessel, ship or boat consisting of more than one displacement hull. Double- and triple-hulled vessels have been studied and used. Double-hulled vessels include catamaran (see), duplus (see), trisec (see), proa (see). Three-hulled vessels or ships include a vessel with outriggers (see), trimaran (see), tricor (see). All types of multihull vessels are distinguished by increased deck area (and internal volume of structures), simple provision of lateral stability, to one degree or another better seaworthiness, increased unsinkability and navigation safety. Multihull vessels are most effective for transporting passengers in salons or cabins, wheeled vehicles, light containers, for housing scientific laboratories and combat posts surface ships. Double-hulled vessels are widely used, and the use of vessels and ships with outriggers has begun. A four-hulled vessel was built with small area waterline, five-hulled ships and vessels are proposed.

Monitor- An armored coastal defense turret ship with a shallow draft. Displacement of monitors: sea - up to 8000 tons, river - up to 1900 tons. Armament: 2-3 large-caliber guns (up to 381 mm). Received its type name from the name of the first ship of this class, “Monitor,” built in the USA in 1861-62.

N

Nave- an ancient sailing ship, which, as it developed in the 16th century, became a large ship with straight sails and strong artillery weapons; prototype of sailing ships.

ABOUT

P

Steam frigate- warship transition period from sailing to steam fleet, which had sails and a steam engine as an engine.

Packetbot- a two-masted sailing ship for transporting mail and carrying out messenger service. Displacement 200-400 tons, armament from 12 to 16 guns.

Pinasse- three-masted ship of the 17th-18th centuries.

Pink- a sailing commercial ship in Northern Europe with a capacity of about 200 tons. In the 18th century, kicks were used as warships on the Baltic Sea.

Pontoon- flat-bottomed barque with high sides; used for intermediate supports of floating bridges. Diving bridges are convenient because they can be moved to the sides at any time to free up part or the entire width of the river.

Pontoon(from lat. ponto- bridge on boats) - a floating structure for supporting various devices on the water using its own reserve of buoyancy.

Pram- flat-bottomed artillery sailing ship of the 18th century. Armament from 18 to 38 guns was used for operations in shallow water, off the coast and in rivers against fortresses and coastal fortifications

Proa- a double-hulled vessel consisting of a larger central hull and a smaller additional one, also called an “outrigger”.

R

Reefer ship- a specially built cargo ship equipped with refrigeration units for the transportation of perishable goods.

According to historical data, the first documented use of sails for navigation dates back to the 4th millennium BC. It was then, in ancient Egypt first appeared : Barges used to navigate the Nile and coastal areas were first equipped with mat sails. Initially, the sail played the role of an auxiliary propulsion device when wind directions were favorable. But over time it became the main thing, almost completely replacing the oars. Gradually the sails became more complex and more diverse.

Classification of sailing ships

The main impetus for the development of sailing ships was the era of the great geographical discoveries XV-XVI centuries. At this time, navigation areas and the tasks assigned to ships change dramatically. And, consequently, new requirements for the design and performance of ships appear. From now on, continuous improvement and complication begins, more and more highly specialized types appear sailing ships .

Starting from the 17th-18th centuries, with the development of a unified maritime terminology, urgent need in the classification of all ships by type. The main classifying feature for ships is the type of equipment installed on them. Secondary signs type of sailing ship were the number of masts and its purpose, and for warships also the caliber and number of cannon weapons. Let's consider types of sailing ships with various weapons.

All diversity can be divided into three large groups by type of prevailing sails:

  • Mixed type.

In addition, all ships are usually divided into:

  • Big ones.
  • Small ones.

Large ones include those that carry at least two masts. Small sailing ships are conventionally considered to be small ones that have 1 or one and a half masts (an option when one of the masts is much lower).

Straight rigged sailboats

Represent the most ancient invention, used since antiquity. They were installed on Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek, Polynesian and Roman ships and boats long before our era. They have not lost their relevance in our time. Their distinctive feature is a quadrangular shape - in the form of a regular rectangle or trapezoid. They are attached with the upper luff to the yard or gaff, and the lower luff to the boom, lower yard, or directly to the deck.

The advantage of straight sails is that they are easy to work with; they are easy to set up and remove. They have good driving force with tailwinds, however, with side and head winds it is extremely difficult or even impossible to use them. To move, the minimum angle between the wind direction and the plane of the sail must exceed 65-67 o, and this makes tacking almost impossible. The name of the sails depends on the name of the masts on which they are installed and the order of the tiers.

Types of sailing ships, with predominant square sails:

  • Ship. IN in this case“ship” is meant not as a vessel in general, but as a name denoting a large sailing ship with three or more masts. At the same time, they should have exclusively straight sails.
  • Barque. It can also have over 3 masts, but it differs from a ship in that it has oblique sails on the mizzen mast, while all the others have only straight sails.
  • A brig is a smaller vessel. However, it always has only two masts.

Sailboats with oblique rigs

They were invented much later than direct ones, only in the Middle Ages. The first to use them were presumably Arab sailors. From them, the oblique sail was adopted by the Europeans, where it spread quite widely, both as an independent sail and as a supplement to straight sails. The undoubted advantage of an oblique sail over a straight sail is the ability to move in side and even counter wind directions. Large ships that have oblique sails as their main ones are called schooners. Depending on the design features, they, in turn, are divided into several types:

  • Gaffle. It is equipped with a gaff sail, stretched between the gaff at the top and the boom at the bottom, and the luff is attached directly to the mast.
  • Bermuda. Sails of this type have the shape of a triangle. Its base is fixed to the boom, and the leading edge is attached to the mast.
  • Staysail - this type includes schooners on which the main sails are staysails (oblique sails mounted on the forestay in front of the masts).
  • Marseille - with an oblique foresail, but in addition to it it is equipped with a straight topsail sail.

The last two types, judging by their , would be more correct to be classified as ships mixed type. But, in the sea historical tradition the name “schooner” was assigned to them, which defines them as ships with a predominant oblique rig.

Sailboats with mixed weapons

Vessels with a mixed rig include those in which both types of sails are represented in approximately equal proportions. This includes two types of ships:

  • A brigantine is a 2-masted ship, with slant sails on the mainmast, and only straight sails on the foremast.
  • Barquentine - carries at least 3 masts. The foremast has straight sails, while all subsequent ones have exclusively oblique sails.

Small sailboats

Today the vast majority of modern sailing ships belongs to the small class - yachts and boats. Small sailing ships, like their large-tonnage “brothers,” can be divided into groups according to the type of sails.

Small sailing ships and their types:

A small sailboat can carry either 1 or 2 (one and a half) . 2-masted vessels include ketches and yolas. Both types carry mizzen and mainmasts, and differ in the location of the rudder stock. In a ketch it is located behind the mizzen mast, while in an iola it is in front. In addition, these two types of small sailing ships also have different mizzen areas. In a ketch its area exceeds 15% and can reach up to ¼ of total area sails In Iola, the size of the mizzen is somewhat more modest, and rarely exceeds 10% of the total sail area. Both ketch and yol can carry either gaff or Bermuda sails - in this situation they are called "Bermuda ketch", or, for example, "gaff yol".

Single-masted small sailboats are divided into the following types:

  • Tender. It has a single mast, shifted towards the amidships. Standard set sails: mainsail (either), topsail, and jibs. Like other small sailboats, depending on the type of mainsail, they can be gaff or Bermuda.
  • The sloop has a slanting sail on the mainmast, and is the only one. In some cases, an additional topsail is installed above the gaff mainsail.
  • Kat, a small sailboat with the simplest rig, consisting of a single oblique sail.

In addition, modern yachts and boats can be classified according to the type of material from which their hull is made:

  • Steel.
  • Fiberglass.
  • Wooden.
  • Reinforced cement.

Depending on the number of hulls, sailing boats can be single-hulled, double-hulled (catamarans) and even triple-hulled (trimarans). By presence of keel small sailing ships there are:

  • Keel boats - have a massive keel that acts as a balancer, preventing the yacht from capsizing during rough seas. Increases stability by shifting the center of gravity below the waterline.
  • Dinghy boats. It has a centerboard - a lifting keel, which can be removed if necessary, thereby reducing the draft of the boat.
  • The so-called “compromise” yachts, combining in their design the advantages of both of the above types.

TYPES OF OLD WAR SHIPS:

Galley - a rowing warship, not in use since the twentieth century

Galley "Dvina", 1721

A frigate is the most common class of sailing warship. This is a three-masted sailing ship, second in strength after the sailing ship of the line.

Frigate "Shlisselburg", 1704

Corvette - military sailing ship, in mainly intended for reconnaissance. In the second half of the 19th century. have fallen out of use.

Corvette "Vityaz", 1883

A fireship is primarily a sailing ship of any type, filled with explosives and flammable substances, designed to come into contact with an enemy ship and set it on fire and explode.

Brander Ilyina

Ship of the line (sailing) - a three-masted wooden ship with gun ports on the sides on decks 2-4. In the 19th century have fallen out of use.

Battleship "St. Paul", 1794

NEW TYPES OF WARSHIP:

The battleship is a heavy artillery ship designed to destroy ships of all types and establish dominance at sea.

Battleship "Prince Potemkin Tauride", 1903

A squadron battleship is a heavy artillery ship, adapted to conduct artillery combat as part of squadrons.

Squadron battleship "Alexander II", 1886

Battleship - appeared in the twentieth century new class artillery ships intended for combat in the form of a duel, as well as allowing the fire of a number of ships to be concentrated on the enemy.

Battleship Kostenko


Battleship "Empress Maria", 1913.

A battlecruiser is a ship comparable in firepower to a battleship, but due to weakened armor, it is faster.

Battlecruiser "Kronstadt"

MODERN TYPES OF WARSHIP:

Cruiser - A ship operating independently of the rest of the fleet. One of the most common warships
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Armored cruiser "Russia", 1895

Anti-submarine ship - a ship designed to destroy submarines. Using radar, he tracks the submarine, then the helicopters on board take off and destroy the submarine with missiles. There are also torpedoes on board the ship.

"Admiral Vinogradov", 1987

Destroyer - destroyer, characterized by its small (compared to cruisers and battleships) size and cost. The destroyer's main weapon is torpedoes.

Destroyer "Kashin"

An aircraft carrier is a warship that carries aircraft. The ship's deck provides the ability for aircraft to take off and land. The aircraft carrier is equipped with a radio station that allows you to maintain communication with taking off aircraft.


Aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

An arsenal ship is a vessel that is a mobile missile system.

An amphibious assault ship is a warship designed to transport and land amphibious assault forces.

Landing ship "Caesar Kunikov"

A submarine is a vessel capable of swimming underwater. It sinks and floats up thanks to the tanks. Mainly used as a weapon to hit targets. Modern submarines operate on nuclear reactor and equipped with nuclear weapons.


Submarine "Nerpa"

A sailing fleet is a group of ships propelled by sails. As a rule, the use of the fleet was immediately accompanied by the appearance of the ships themselves, which were suitable for long expeditions or naval battles.

A Brief History of Sailboats

The first sailing ships appeared in recent years antiquity. They consisted of primitive sailing-row ships and could reach speeds higher than the wind. A group of such ships cannot be called a full-fledged fleet, because... everyone acted independently in battles, and the outcome of the battle was decided mainly by numbers. The main techniques of confrontation were ramming, piling and boarding. Large sailing ships were equipped with additional weapons: a stone thrower (mainly for taking coastal fortresses), a harpoon and Greek fire.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, ships appeared carrying military weapons on board. However, they have developed towards personal power. Ships of the Karakka type could fight alone against a small group of ships, as well as carry out raiding operations.

If we are talking about a full-fledged sailing ship, it was first built in British Empire in the 16th century. He bore the name Great Harry (“Great Harry”). The first Russian military sailing ship was launched in 1668. He did not belong to a specific type and bore the name “Eagle”.

Ship "Great Harry"

Regular navy of sailing ships appears at the beginning of the 17th century in the Western powers. These were overwhelmingly colonial empires- Britain, Portugal, Spain and France. After 100 years, a full-fledged fleet was formed in almost all of Europe, which subsequently played a key role in expansionist companies. Also, many criminals - pirates - took possession of warships.


Era of 17th century sailing ships

With the discovery of the steam engine, large battleships The sailing fleet still existed for some time, but the sail no longer served as the main force of movement of the ship. It was used as an additional means of navigation in case of boiler failure or to save fuel when strong wind. Sailing ships were completely replaced by dreadnoughts and battleships. A sailboat with an unprotected mast had no chance against an armored ship. It is worth noting that in the 60s of the 19th century there was no rifled artillery yet and dreadnoughts were practically unsinkable.

Classification of sailing ships

The demand for ships was based on the tasks they performed - for expeditions or military operations. In the second case, the ship was required to achieve specific tactical goals, which led to the development of different types of ships. The main characteristics of any combat naval unit were: displacement, number artillery pieces and mast. Ultimately, a classification of ships by rank was formed:

  • The first three included only battleships;
  • 4 - 5 ranks were frigates;
  • 6 - 7 ranks - the rest are smaller vessels (brigs, tenders, corvettes).

Simultaneously with the development of the main combat units, additional ships were formed, which were supposed to solve auxiliary tasks to achieve strategic goals on the battlefield.

These were mainly:

  • Fire ships. A ship with explosives on board to set fire to an enemy ship. They were developed through simple training. Fire ships were not built and, in fact, they are not independent class vessel. The decision to use them was often used already during battles; for preparation, a disabled ship was used, which could not fight, but was still capable of sailing. There was a special effect if the enemy ship was in close formation with others or was in a bay.
  • Bomber ships. In terms of its capabilities, it did not differ from the main battleships - a large 3-masted ship with artillery guns. It had low sides and was intended for shelling coastal infrastructure (bays, docks, fortifications). IN naval battle could also prove himself effectively, but because of his sides he became an easy target.
  • Transport vessels. Among them were also different types ships for specific tasks(clippers, sloops, packet boats, etc.)

It is worth noting that cargo ships among the ships of the sailing fleet of the colonial powers was practically absent. The cargo was stored on the main ships, and if necessary transport ship nevertheless appeared, they were hired from private individuals.

Main combat sailing ships

The navy during the Renaissance played important role for any state, and its power determined world politics of that time. The development of ships lasted two centuries before they received a clear classification. The main warships of the sailing fleet were:

  • Brigantine. A 2-masted vessel with a straight foremast and an oblique mainmast. Appeared in the 17th century and was used for reconnaissance operations. There were 6 - 8 guns on board.
  • Brig. A 2-masted ship of the 7th rank with a displacement of up to 400 tons. It was the main reconnaissance messenger ship in all fleets of the world. It also had from 8 to 24 cannons on board, which were used for shooting when escaping from pursuit. Appeared as a more practical and simple option brigantine, however, did not completely supplant them.
  • Galion. The largest ship from the 15th to 17th centuries. It could include from 2 to 4 masts, and the displacement was up to 1600 tons. Galions were the dominant ships in battles before the advent of battleships.
  • Caravel. 3 - 4 mast universal vessel with a displacement of up to 450 tons. It is more widely used in expeditions. Good seaworthiness is achieved thanks to versatile masts and superstructures at the bow and stern. Despite their high sides, caravels were only single-deck ships. In battles they often served as a cargo ship, capable of firing from big ships and during boarding.
  • Karakka. Large 3-masted ship of early times. It had a displacement of up to 2000 tons and 30 - 40 guns on board. The ship could carry large number passengers, up to 1300 people. The Karakka proved itself well in the 13th - 16th centuries as a powerful vessel capable of fighting back single-handedly. However, with the formation of fleets and the advent of large ships, they lost their importance.
  • Corvette. 2 - 3 mast vessel with a displacement of up to 600 tons for solving tactical problems. It appeared in the 18th century and is one of two (along with the frigate) classes of ships that have survived to this day. It was used for cruising hunting or destroying single targets, less often for reconnaissance. It was equipped with an open or closed artillery battery with dozens of guns.
  • Battleship. The largest 3-masted ship with three gun decks (mostly with enclosed batteries). According to the standard, ships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons were considered battleships, but many ships of this type are known in history and up to 8,000 tons. The entire battery could include up to 130 pairs of guns located along the sides. They were used mainly to combat the same large ships and shelling coastline. Battleships are one of the few combat sailing ships that served in naval forces until the beginning of the 20th century.
  • Flutes. 3-masted transport sailboat. The displacement was arbitrary, but often did not exceed 800 tons. They had up to 6 guns and were distinguished by high maneuverability. Often used by corsairs for robberies. In Russia, the first flutes appeared in the Baltic Fleet in the 17th century.
  • Frigate. A 3-masted ship with a displacement of up to 3,500 tons. It was next in power after the battleship and had up to 60 pairs of guns on board. It was used as a large support ship along the entire front line or to perform communication tasks (protecting merchant ships). Was the main warship of the sailing fleet Russian Empire.
  • Sloop. 3-masted ship with low sides. It had a displacement of up to 900 tons and 16 - 32 artillery pieces. Served as a long-range reconnaissance or expedition vessel. Sloops were popular in the 17th - 19th centuries among Russian expeditioners for round-the-world voyages.
  • Shnyava. A small sailboat with 2 straight masts, which has become widespread in the Scandinavian region. In Russia, they were actively used by Peter I for reconnaissance operations before battles. The displacement was up to 150 tons, and the number of guns ranged from 2 to 18.
  • Schooner. A vessel with an arbitrary, mostly large displacement. It could include up to 16 guns and was distributed as part of the sailing fleet of the Russian Empire. War schooners were exclusively 2-masted, and the ship's messengers had arbitrary number mast

Some countries had unique types of combat ships that did not become widespread. For example, Portuguese ships, comparable in displacement to a frigate, but with several gun decks, were called cruisers, although this type was already established for more modern ships.

Large ships of the Russian sailing fleet

The first mentions of Russian sailing ships can be found in The Tale of Bygone Years, which tells about Prince Oleg’s campaign to Byzantium on ships. Russian sailing fleet was already formed by Peter I. The construction of the first ships was similar to European ones. First major battle Russian fleet is celebrated with the Swedes in Northern War. In the future naval forces are just starting to grow.


Large ships Baltic Fleet

The largest military sailing ships in Russia (as well as in the world) were battleships. The first battleships were laid down at the Ladoga shipyard, which had no experience in building large ships, as a result of which the ships received poor seaworthiness and maneuverability. List of sailing battleships of the Russian Imperial Navy, which were the first in service in the Baltic:

  • Riga,
  • Vyborg,
  • Pernov,

All three ships were launched in 1710 and were classified as battleships of rank 4. On the sides there were 50 guns of various calibers. The ship's crew consisted of 330 people. Sailing ships V Russian fleet also lost their importance with the development of steam engines and ironclads, but were still used for reconnaissance operations until the Civil War.

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