Fictional Russian Warships from 1945

[Graham1973]

Some 'highly speculative' Soviet warship designs allegedly from Life Magazine in 1945, attributed to 'US Naval Architects' I stumbled across on Reddit...

They come from this article in the 17th of December 1945 issue of the magazine...

The Russian Navy is Reborn (Life Magazine, 17 December 1945)

 

[Foo Fighter]

In a break from tradition I simply ask, "What on earth were they smoking"?

 

[Graham1973]

In a break from tradition I simply ask, "What on earth were they smoking"?

No idea, I doubt it was legal, but look at it this way, at least we now know where 'Command & Conquer' got their ideas from...

 

[Foo Fighter]

Not that they are alone, many times I have looked at designs and had the same thought. I am not perfect but the adage that if it looks right it should be right, or a variation of in the obverse would seem to apply.

 

[DWG]

The seaplane dock isn't unreasonable, the UK had a similar design in the 30s.

 

[Hood]

A couple of these I've seen redrawn in the book Hybrid Warships but its nice to see the originals.
They are certainly the product of an imaginative mind, but probably one that knew little of naval engineering.

The seaplane dock does indeed not look too faniciful, ignoring the battleship calibre guns/rocket launchers on the bow and perhaps being a bit over-spec'd for the role. The floating base probably made sense too given the USSR's lack of port infrastructure in more remote places (thinking Northern and Pacific Fleets). Whether you would want to add the complication of being a landing strip as well as a tender I'm not so sure.

 

[Moose]

I hope someone sent that image to Drachinifel on youtube, just to hear his reaction.

 

[Arjen]

Life Magazine must have been desperate to fill its pages.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Not sure the battlecruiser and battleship make any sense at all for attaching an airport to. Having seen the blast vortex from an Iowa class the chance of launching or recovering an aircraft is not good. I would certainly not want to be involved in either of those scenarios.

 

[Graham1973]

I hope someone sent that image to Drachinifel on youtube, just to hear his reaction.

I posted it on his discord, no reaction so far from the man himself.

 

[Nick]

Are those large caliber howiters or mortars at the front of the 'battleship', hidden under the flight deck?
I see three on the front of the 'battlecruiser' too.

 

[Graham1973]

Are those large caliber howiters or mortars at the front of the 'battleship', hidden under the flight deck?
I see three on the front of the 'battlecruiser' too.

Checking the article I linked, those things are described as 'rocket projectors'. As to what kind of rocket, never specified. The quad turrets on the battleship on the other hand, 18 inch guns...

 

[Hood]

Judging by the muzzle size of the 18in gun, those 'rocket launchers' must be at least 40 inches in diameter. Given they are mounted front, back and sides it indicates a rather simple rocket with limited azimuth control, more like a huge rocket-boosted shell. I wonder if the idea by the Life author was inspired by German research on boosted shells from their larger artillery pieces?