Chinese Navy

The Chinese Navy has one of the largest and most powerful array of warships in the world. This fleet is only equaled or barely surpassed by its American or Russian counterpart. It was created in 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party when Mao Tse-Tung took power after a long civil war against the Chang Kai Shek's nationalist forces. During the first two decades, China was almost fully dependent on the Soviet Navy for assistance and supply of warships and weapons, but it never had a nuclear-powered vessel until the 1980s, when the Type 091 nuclear attack submarines were introduced.

The People's Liberation Army Navy began to modernize and expand its fleet in earnest in the 1990s, developing its own advanced shipbuilding industry. In this decade the surface vessel fleet was considerably expanded, with the introduction of the destroyer class Type 052 and 956E, along with the frigate class Type 53 and new nuclear attack submarines. Thus, China developed a powerful navy. This was a consequence of the fall of the Soviet Union and the need to have its own ship designs, and the production of higher quality steel.

Surface and submersible warships of the Chinese Navy

Submarines- The Chinese Navy has in its arsenal a total of 65 active submersible boats: 8 nuclear-powered (Type 094 and 94A) and 1 conventional (Type 032) ballistic missile submarines, totaling 9 nuclear deterring boats; 10 nuclear attack submarines (Type 091, 093, and 093A); and 45 high-tech conventional attack boats armed with anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles (Type 039, 039A, 039B, 039C, 39G, 035, as well as Russian designed Project 636M/Improved Kilo class).

Aircraft Carriers- China has a force of 4 active carriers: one Type 001 (a Soviet-made Kuznetsov class capable of carrying up to 50 aircraft); one Type 002, which was domestically designed and built; and two Type 003 (Fujian) super carriers, fitted with electromagnetic catapults and capable of transporting up to 70 combat aircraft.

Destroyers- There are 52 modern destroyers: Type 052, 052B, 052C, 052D, 051B, 051C, as well as Type 956E and 956EM, which are Soviet designs. They are all equipped with advanced sonars and other modern detection means to hunt enemy submarines.

Frigates- 47 modern and fully updated ones, armed with anti-ship, land-attack, and surface-to-air missiles.

Corvettes- 52 advanced fast ships also equipped with anti-ship missiles. These have been commissioned between 2017 and 2025.

Missile Boats- China has a powerful armada of 110 coastal missile boats armed with two torpedoes and 4 anti-ship missiles.

Source: People's Liberation Army military magazine, which is published yearly.

Type 003/Fujian aircraft carrier during trials in the China Sea.

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US Navy in 1944

The US Navy in 1944 was powerful enough to defeat Japan. It had made possible the successful island-hopping campaign in the Pacific Theater. It had increased its size about 20 times from what it used to be in December 1941, when the United States of America entered World War II right after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By then, the aircraft carrier had become more important as an strategic warship than the battleship as it could project more fire power to a much longer range than the latter, thanks to its squadrons of bombers and fighter aircraft it carried on its deck and in the storage area. As a result, the number of carriers had multiplied in relation to the number of battleship. In the Atlantic, in order to fight against the German U-Boats, a large number of destroyers had been built and deployed by the USA's shipbuilding industry and Navy.

By 1944, the American navy's aircraft carriers had clearly established the Allied air superiority in the skies over the Pacific and Atlantic, as it was essential to victory and for survival of the a fleet. By then, the Essex-class had added 24 new carriers to the already in service Yorktown-class, which included the USS Enterprise (CV-6). The Essex could carry up to 90 aircraft onboard, including two new lethal fighters: the F6F Hellcat and the F4F Corsair, which were able to defeat the Japanese A6M Zero. Not only the number of surface warships had increased but also the number of submarines, with the introduction of the Balao-class and the Tench-class, with a about 60 additional submarines in the Pacific. Meanwhile, the battleship was relegated to provide fire support to landing Allied forces on the Pacific islands.

With the US Navy 3rd and 7th fleet having been beefed up, the US Navy and US Marine Corps were able to obtain major historical victory over the Japanese in the Pacific Theater of Operation. They successfully captured Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, which belonged to the Mariana groups of islands, and to thoroughly beat the Imperial Japanese fleet at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. In October, the TF-38 and TF-77, of the 3rd and 7th Fleet respectively, defeated the Japanese combined fleet, which lost 4 carriers, 3 battleship and 10 cruisers.

Below, the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in October 1944. It had just been commissioned to replace the Yorktown CV-5, which had been sunk during the Battle of Midway.

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Russian Black Sea Fleet

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has been strategically important since the time of Imperial Russia. Founded in 1783, during the reign of Catherine II, the Great, it has been the main military tool used by Russia and the Soviet Union to exert its geopolitical presence in the Black Sea region and beyond, as it is connected to the Mediterranean Sea.

Although it had been reduced in size, since it had fallen in importance right after the Cold War, with the CIA-backed coup in Ukraine, in 2014, the Russian government saw right away the urgent need to quickly seize and secure Crimea and its naval base of Sevastopol to keep the strategic control of these waters. Thus, since then, what used to be a Russian flotilla in that region has been increased into a powerful fleet armed with hypersonic missiles. Aside from the Sevastopol port, the naval base of Novorossiysk is an important anchorage harbor for refit of this Russian Navy.

Black Sea Fleet Warships

Today, as of May 19, 2023, the backbone of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is composed of three large naval units: the 30th Surface Fleet Division, the 4th Independent Submarine Brigade, and the 197th Assault Ship Brigade, plus a small Coast Defense Ship Brigade. The surface fleet consists of 2 Krivak-class and 3 Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates; and 5 Grisha-class, 5 Buyan-M-class, 2 Bora-class, 2 Tarantul-class, and 1 Steregushchy-class corvettes.

Meanwhile, the Independent Submarine Brigade is made up of 7 improved Kilo-class and 1 Lada-class submarines. Although they are diesel-powered submarines, they are extremely stealthy and they are fitted with hypersonic missiles, aside from conventional torpedoes. The Assault Ship Brigade is composed of 7 Ropucha-class landing ships.

Summary- Total numbers of warships

5 Frigates armed with cruise missiles and torpedoes.

15 Corvettes, about 7 of them fitted with hypersonic Kalibr missiles.

8 Diesel-powered attack submarines, all armed with hypersonic and supersonic cruise missiles, being characterized for their stealth technology.

Below, a cruise missile being launched from Admiral Essen (an Adm. Grigorovich-class frigate)

Below, Adm. Grigorovich frigate in the Mediterranean Sea

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US Warships used at Midway

The US warships used at midway were grouped into two flotillas: Task Force 16 and Task Force 17, totaling 31 ships of all kinds. Therefore, the United States of America Navy's surface fleet that defeated the Japanese at the Battle of Midway between June 4 and 7, 1942, was composed of 3 aircraft carriers (USS Hornet CV-8, USS Yorktown CV-5, USS Enterprise CV-6); 7 heavy cruisers (USS New Orleans CA-32, USS Minneapolis CA-36, USS Pensacola CA-24, USS Astoria CA-34, USS Vincennes CA-44, USS Northampton CA-26, USS Portland CA-33); 1 light cruiser (USS Atlanta CL-51); 20 destroyers (USS Clark DD-361, Aylwin DD-355, Blue DD-387, Anderson DD-411, Benham DD-397, Balch DD-363, Morris DD-417, Hughes DD-410, Conyngham DD-371, Phelps DD-360, Dewey DD-349, Hammann DD-412, Ellet DD-398, Gwin DD-433, Maury DD-401, Monaghan DD-354, Ralph Talbot DD-390, Worden DD352, Russel DD-414, Monssen DD-436).

The US Navy also deployed 20 submarines at Midway (USS Dolphin SS-169, Cachalot SS-170, Gato SS-212, Cuttlefish SS-171, Finback SS-230, Grouper SS-214, Fish SS-229, Grayling SS-209, Grenadier SS-210, Pike SS-173, Nautilus SS-168, Growler SS-215, Tarpon SS-175, Plunger SS-179, Gudgeon SS-211, Narwhal SS-167, Tambor SS-198, Trout SS-202, Trigger SS-237). They lurked and stalked underwater, like predators, ready to sink enemy ships.

The Japanese fleet consisted of 5 aircraft carriers (4 heavy and 1 light), 11 battleships, 14 cruisers, and 40 destroyers, among other minor vessels, with Akagi (carrier) being the flagship.

American Warships in Action at Midway (footage)

 

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Reichsmarine

The Reichsmarine was the naval fleet of Germany during the Weimar Republic (1919-1933). It was created right after World War I, with a limited number of warships due to the fact that the Treaty of Versailles had imposed such restriction. Along with the German Army (das Heer), it was a part of the Reichswehr, which was the name of the German armed forces during this period. Thus, it succeeded the Kaiserliche Marine (the Imperial German Navy), which had been formed when the German Empire was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War.

The Reichsmarine was created in 1919, practically from scratch, as 74 warships of the Kaiserliche Marine had been scuttled by their commander in Scapa Flow, right after Germany had surrendered, to prevent that these ships fell in British hands. (Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Scottish Northern islands). This is how Germany formed the Reichsmarine, around what was left at their naval ports; a handful of obsolete warships: 12 destroyers, six light cruisers, and six dreadnought battleships, which had been built at the beginning of the 20th century. They had not been kept in proper conditions, with old rusting boilers and machinery.

Reduced in tonnage and to only 20,000 men, the only mission and purpose of the Reichsmarine was the defense of Germany's coastline, with their first commander being Admiral von Trotha, who would be succeeded by Admiral Behnke. However, in the mid 1920s, these war vessels would be upgraded and modernized. Therefore, the dreadnought battleships Schleswig Holstein, Schlesien, and Hessen were still in service when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. With the creation of the Third Reich, a new navy would be formed; the Kriegsmarine, whose most feared vessel would be the U-boat.

Below, the Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein dreadnought battleships of the Reichsmarine anchored in a German deep-water river in 1925.

 

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