Английская Википедия:Insect-class gunboat

Материал из Онлайн справочника
Перейти к навигацииПерейти к поиску

Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English

Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship class overviewШаблон:Infobox ship characteristics

The Insect-class gunboats (or large China gunboats) were a class of small but well-armed Royal Navy ships designed for use in shallow rivers or inshore.Шаблон:Efn They were intended for use on the Danube against Austria-Hungary (the China name was to disguise their function). The first four ships—Gnat, Mantis, Moth and Tarantula—were first employed during the Mesopotamian Campaign of the First World War on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

Design

Файл:HMS Ladybird Insect-class gunboat, 1916.svg
HMS Ladybird

The ships were designed by Yarrow to operate in shallow, fast-flowing rivers, with a shallow draught and a good turn of speed to counter river flow. They were fitted with two reciprocating (VTE) engines operating two propeller shafts to offer some redundancy. The propellers were housed in tunnels to minimise the operating draught. The main armament consisted of two 6-inch guns in single mountings fore and aft.

Deployment

Aphis, Bee, Ladybird and Scarab were deployed to Port Said, Egypt, in 1915–16, Gnat, Mantis, Moth and Tarantula were sent to the Persian Gulf in 1916. Glowworm, Cicala, Cockchafer and Cricket were deployed to the east coast of England in 1916 and had their main armament mountings modified to give higher elevation for anti-Zeppelin work.

In 1919, during the Russian Civil War, Glowworm, Cicala, Cockchafer, Cricket, Moth and Mantis served on the Dvina River (northern Russia, in Arkhangelsk Oblast), fighting in support of White Russian forces. GlowwormШаблон:'s captain and some other crew members were killed when a nearby ammunition barge exploded. The crew of Cicala mutinied as part of a wider wave of unrest in the Royal Navy and five "ringleaders" were sentenced to death, later commuted to five years' imprisonment.

Between the two world wars, the class were mainly used in the Far East and they were present during the Japanese invasion of China. In 1937, on the Yangtze river, the Japanese attacked Шаблон:HMS, firing on her from a shore battery. US gunboat Шаблон:USS was also attacked by Japanese aircraft and sunk. Ladybird sailed the Шаблон:Cvt to the scene of the sinking, rescued some of the Panay survivors and took them to Shanghai. Scarab and Cricket were off Nanking in 1937 as the Japanese started to bomb the city.

In 1939, the original two 6 inch Mk VII 45-calibre guns on Шаблон:HMS and Ladybird were replaced by more modern and Шаблон:Cvt longer 6-inch Mk XIII 50-calibre guns from the decommissioned battleship Шаблон:HMS.

At the start of the Second World War, three vessels, Cricket, Gnat and Ladybird, were transferred to the Inshore Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. They joined the monitor Шаблон:HMS and provided bombardment support for the Eighth Army. Their shallow draught allowed them to act also as supply and landing vessels, able to get close to beaches. In June 1943, Aphis took part in the bombardment of Pantelleria (Operation Corkscrew).

Ships in class

Notes

Шаблон:Notelist

Footnotes

Шаблон:Reflist

References

Шаблон:Refbegin

Шаблон:Refend

External links

Шаблон:Commons category

Шаблон:Insect class gunboat Шаблон:WWII British ships

Партнерские ресурсы
Криптовалюты
Магазины
Хостинг
Разное

Источник — http://wikihandbk.com/ruwiki/index.php?title=Английская_Википедия:Insect-class_gunboat&oldid=15416360