Английская Википедия:HDMS Iver Hvitfeldt (1886)
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristics
HDMS Iver Hvitfeldt was a coastal defense ship built for the Royal Danish Navy in the 1880s. She was the only member of her class. As she was intended to serve as part of the defense of Copenhagen, she was fairly small, but was heavily armed and armored for her size. She was armed with a main battery of two Шаблон:Cvt guns in individual barbette mounts, one forward and aft. Iver Hvitfeldt had a relatively uneventful career, taking part in routine training exercises in the 1890s and early 1900s. She occasionally made visits to other countries in northern Europe during this period. She caught fire in 1904 and was badly burned, but was repaired and modernized thereafter. She remained in the Danish fleet's inventory until 1919, albeit in reserve during World War I, through which Denmark remained neutral. She was briefly used as a barracks ship in 1918 before being sold for scrap in 1919 and broken up in the Netherlands later that year.
Design
By the end of the 19th century, which had seen Denmark's decline from a major navy before the devastating Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 to a minor coastal defense force by the 1890s, the Royal Danish Navy was primarily concerned with countering the naval strength of its neighbor, Imperial Germany. Between the 1860s and 1870s, Denmark had purchased or built a total of eight ironclad warships, which were predominantly coastal defense ships. These were employed in an integrated coastal defense network for the island of Zealand, where the capital at Copenhagen lay. The naval law passed in May 1880 set the fleet's strength at eight ironclads; four cruisers; ten smaller corvettes, schooners, or gunboats; twelve ironclad gunboats; and thirty torpedo boats.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
In 1880, the navy's designers at the Шаблон:Lang began work on a proposal for a new coastal defense ship to replace one of the oldest ironclads; this new vessel was based on the coastal defense ship Шаблон:HDMS. But the limited Danish naval budget prevented building the ship, as the funds available for construction were directed toward the new unprotected cruiser Шаблон:HDMS. As a result, the design for the new coastal defense ship was not approved by the naval minister until 27 June 1883. The new vessel, which was named Iver Hvitfeldt, incorporated elements from foreign designs.Шаблон:Sfn
The design staff grappled with the problem of strengthening the armor to defeat contemporary armor-piercing shells, balanced against carrying an effective armament and retaining a useful top speed, while trying to keep displacement within reason. As a weight-saving measure, they abandoned the attempt for a full waterline belt and instead only armored the central section, relying on a thinner, curved armor deck to protect the bow and stern. The central citadel would retain enough buoyancy to keep the ship afloat even if the bow and stern were flooded; this principle was borrowed from British ironclads in service at the time.Шаблон:Sfn
Characteristics
Iver Hvitfeldt had a steel hull,Шаблон:Sfn which was Шаблон:Cvt long between perpendiculars. It had a beam of Шаблон:Cvt and a maximum draft of Шаблон:Cvt. She displaced Шаблон:Cvt as designed. Her crew amounted to 277 officers and enlisted men.Шаблон:Sfn The ship was completed with central heating and electric lights. She was fitted with six Шаблон:Cvt searchlights, two on the bridge above the conning tower; the rest were on the two pole masts or upper deck. The ship initially carried a pair of small torpedo boats, named Nr. 8 and Nr. 9, which were built by Thornycroft; these were lowered into the water by a steam winch and a large boom.Шаблон:Sfn
The ship's propulsion system consisted of a pair of two-cylinder, compound steam engines that drove a pair of screw propellers. The machinery was manufactured by the Danish shipyard Burmeister & Wain. Steam was provided by eight coal-fired boilers that were vented through a single funnel. The boilers were divided into four boiler rooms.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Her engines were rated to produce Шаблон:Convert, for a top speed of Шаблон:Convert. She carried Шаблон:Cvt of coal for her boilers.Шаблон:Sfn This enabled Iver Hvidfeldt to steam for Шаблон:Convert at a cruising speed of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Armament
The ship's main battery consisted of a pair of Шаблон:Cvt 35-caliber guns, which were manufactured by the German firm Krupp. The guns were mounted in rotating pear-shaped barbette mounts, one forward and one aft.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The barbettes were fitted with thin steel hoods to protect the gun crews from shell fragments.Шаблон:Sfn The guns had a rate of fire of one shot every four minutes, and each gun was supplied with a total of 75 shells. Their maximum range was Шаблон:Cvt. The guns were manually operated and loaded. The guns had an arc of fire of 248 degrees, and they could be trained at a rate of 90 degrees every 40 seconds; to traverse from one extreme to the other, it took a total of 110 seconds.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn
These guns were supported by a secondary battery of four Шаблон:Cvt 30-caliber guns, each mounted in sponsons at the corners of the superstructure. The guns were fitted with light gun shields to protect the crews from anti-personnel fire. These guns had a range of Шаблон:Cvt and a rate of fire of one shot every ninety seconds. They were supplied with a total of 400 shells between them. Two [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss|Шаблон:Cvt L/44 Hotchkiss guns]] were placed in sponsons between the 120 mm guns; these had a range of Шаблон:Cvt and a rate of fire of ten shots per minute. Each gun was supplied with 300 shells. For close-range defense against torpedo boats, the ship was armed with eight 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolver cannon.Шаблон:Sfn
She also carried four torpedo tubes; two were Шаблон:Cvt and the other two were Шаблон:Cvt.Шаблон:Sfn Both of these were the Whitehead torpedo type.Шаблон:Sfn The 381 mm tubes were in the bow and stern, while the 356 mm tubes were placed on each broadside. The bow tube was submerged, but the remainder were above-water tubes.Шаблон:Sfn
Armor
Iver Hvitfeldt was protected with compound armor manufactured by Cammell Laird of Britain. Her belt armor was Шаблон:Cvt thick, though it only covered the central portion of her hull, accounting for about half the length of the ship. The belt was placed on Шаблон:Cvt of teak, behind which two Шаблон:Cvt layers of steel formed the inner skin of the hull.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The belt covered a length of Шаблон:Cvt, and was Шаблон:Cvt wide from top to bottom.Шаблон:Sfn The main portion of the belt extended from Шаблон:Cvt above the waterline to Шаблон:Cvt below; here, it was reduced in thickness half. This thinner section of belt extended another Шаблон:Cvt down the hull. At either end of the belt, a curved, armored bulkhead that was Шаблон:Cvt thick connected the two sides of the ship.Шаблон:Sfn
She was protected with an armor deck, composed of three different segments. The first covered the citadel and was Шаблон:Cvt thick; it was flat, and connected to the top edge of the belt. Forward and aft, a curved armor deck extended from the citadel below the waterline to provide a degree of protection to the bow and stern. The forward deck also sloped downward toward the bow to support the ram. The fore and aft decks were placed below the waterline, and the bow and stern were heavily subdivided into a total of 55 watertight compartments to reduce the effects of flooding due to damage. The main battery barbettes were protected with Шаблон:Cvt of armor plate, layered on top of teak planking, and then an inner liner of Шаблон:Cvt of steel armor. The steel hoods for the guns were Шаблон:Cvt thick. Her conning tower was protected with Шаблон:Cvt of compound armor layered on Шаблон:Cvt of steel plate. An armored tube with the same level of protection extended below the conning tower; all communication means from the bridge were conducted through this tube, including telegraph wires, speaking tubes, and control cables from the helm.Шаблон:Sfn
Modifications
The ship was modified several times in the course of her career, including two major refits. Bullivant anti-torpedo nets were installed in 1890. In 1894, it was decided that the torpedo boats should no longer be carried, and Iver Hvidfeldt exchanged them for a pair of steam barges that could be fitted with 1-pounder revolver cannon and a spar torpedo. In 1897, another six 1-pounder revolver cannon were added to strengthen the light battery, along with a pair of 1-pounder automatic guns and two Шаблон:Cvt machine guns. At some point in the 1890s or early 1900s, the original searchlights were removed and a pair of Шаблон:Cvt searchlights were installed, one on platforms on each mast. During this period, a wireless telegraph was also added.Шаблон:Sfn
In 1904, the two 356 mm torpedo tubes were removed, along with the anti-torpedo nets. The 120 mm guns were removed in 1906–1907 and eight 57 mm guns were added, bringing the total number of those guns to ten. Just three years later, four of the 57 mm guns were transferred to the coastal defense ship Шаблон:HDMS, and by 1912, the remaining six guns were replaced with Шаблон:Cvt guns. The ship had had all guns except the 260 mm guns removed by 1916.Шаблон:Sfn
Service history
Iver Hvitfeldt was built at the Шаблон:Lang shipyard in Copenhagen;Шаблон:Sfn her keel was laid down on 9 April 1884.Шаблон:Sfn She was launched on 14 April 1886,Шаблон:Sfn and after completing builder's sea trials, she was commissioned into the Royal Danish Navy on 1 June 1887.Шаблон:Sfn Throughout much of Iver HvitfeldtШаблон:'s career, she spent most of the year out of service in reserve, but would be activated in May or June for the annual training cycle that would end in September or October. During these periods, she would cruise independently to train the crews that had been mobilized for that year's maneuvers, after which she would join the other vessels that had been activated for squadron exercises.Шаблон:Sfn In July 1890, Iver Hvitfeldt led the summer training squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Bragg; the unit also included the screw corvette Шаблон:HDMS, the protected cruiser Шаблон:HDMS, and three torpedo boats.Шаблон:Sfn
During the individual cruising period of the 1893 training cycle, Iver Hvitfeldt visited Trondheim, Norway. In July 1896, she visited Sheerness and Gravesend in Britain in company with Valkyrien to represent Denmark at a naval review held to mark the marriage of Prince Carl of Denmark to Maud of Wales.Шаблон:Sfn Later that year, both ships took part in the squadron exercises, along with the cruisers Шаблон:HDMS and Шаблон:HDMS. The training program that year saw the ships commissioned in May for individual training cruises in June and July, followed by squadron maneuvers in August.Шаблон:Sfn Iver Hvitfeldt was dry-docked to be modernized in 1898–1899.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn During the 1899 training cruise, Iver Hvitfeldt visited Kiel, Germany.Шаблон:Sfn Later that year, she led the training squadron, which also included Valkyrien, Gejser, the training ship Шаблон:HDMS, and four torpedo boats.Шаблон:Sfn
While laid up after the conclusion of the 1903 training cycle, Iver Hvitfeldt caught fire on 18 December and was badly damaged before the fire was put out.Шаблон:Sfn The contemporary naval historian and journalist William Laird Clowes noted that the ship was "probably beyond repair".Шаблон:Sfn The contemporary publication Army and Navy Journal described the ship as having been "destroyed by a fire which originated in her coal bunkers."Шаблон:Sfn In early 1904, however, the ship was reconstructed and modernized again, and her armament was updated slightly. By this time, the 356 mm torpedo tubes were removed and half of the Hotchkiss revolvers were replaced with ten 6-pounder guns.Шаблон:Sfn The work was completed in time for her to be recommissioned on 2 June 1904 for the annual training program.Шаблон:Sfn
Further refits were carried out in 1906.Шаблон:Sfn Iver Hvitfeldt was the only ironclad to be commissioned for the 1907 training year. She visited Rotterdam in the Netherlands that year, and when King Frederick VIII of Denmark arrived home after a cruise to the Faroe Islands, Iver Hvitfeldt met his vessel off Helsingør on 21 August. She then escorted his ship back to Copenhagen. This was to be the ship's last training cycle; she was not activated in 1908, and she was formally allocated to the reserve fleet in 1909.Шаблон:Sfn Iver Hvitfeldt was not among the vessels mobilized by the Danish fleet after the start of World War I in August 1914.Шаблон:Sfn Instead, she remained moored at the Шаблон:Lang in reserve. In 1918, she was reclassified as a barracks ship.Шаблон:Sfn Soon after the end of the war, the ship was struck from the naval register on 26 February 1919 and sold to ship breakers for scrapping.Шаблон:Sfn The vessel was sold to a Dutch firm based in Rotterdam; by July 1919, she had been towed there and dismantling work had begun.Шаблон:Sfn
Footnotes
Notes
Citations
References
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Шаблон:Iver Hvitfeldt-class coastal defence ship
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