Russia adopted a Dante Alighieri-like arrangement of four centerline triple turrets, giving the Gangut class twelve 12-inch guns. Twenty-five Yarrow boilers supplied four turbines that developed about 52,000 shaft horsepower on trials. Using unusually good trial coal, the ships reportedly reached 24.1 knots and blurred the line between battleship and battlecruiser. Sixteen 4.7-inch guns provided defense against destroyers and torpedo boats, supplemented by a three-inch anti-aircraft gun and four torpedo tubes. The belt could have been stronger, but the class was designed to deliver a large volume of heavy fire. Its speed and broadside showed how quickly Russia could return to major-warship competition after defeat in the Russo-Japanese War.
Chapter · 22:19-24:02
Gangut combines Russian speed with a twelve-gun broadside
The Gangut class follows the Italian centerline pattern with four triple turrets, high trial power, and a 24.1-knot performance that blurred battleship and battlecruiser categories.