A late-1930s battleship baseline of roughly 28 knots with 16-inch guns helps map the Soviet projects from battleship through battlecruiser to heavy cruiser. Stalingrad's 12-inch battery and very high speed place it closer to the Alaska or an unconstrained heavy cruiser than to a classic capital-ship brawler. The discussion of hypothetical 20-inch weapons explains why calibre alone is misleading: a slow sustained firing cycle gives an opponent more ranging salvos and may surrender the chance to hit first. Although Project 23, Stalingrad, and related ships were unlikely to be completed quickly, together they reveal Stalin's aim for a balanced fleet and the international status and security of a seat at the great-power table.
Chapter · 1:53:59-2:00:19
Soviet battleship and battlecruiser ambitions
Soviet projects for battleships, battlecruisers, and heavy cruisers are interpreted as a bid for a balanced fleet and international status.
12-inch Guns15-inch Guns16-inch Guns20-inch GunsAlaska Class Large CruisersBalanced FleetBattlecruisersBattleshipsFire ControlGreat Power StatusHeavy CruisersJoseph StalinKronshtadt Class BattlecruisersNaval DiplomacyNaval GunneryNaval Industrial CapacityRate Of FireSalvo FireShipbuilding CapacitySovetsky Soyuz Class BattleshipsSoviet NavyStalingrad Class Battlecruisers