Russian Battleship Retvizan - Design

Design

Preliminary design work on a battleship intended to equal the latest Japanese ships was begun over the winter of 1897–98 by the Naval Technical Committee although the displacement was limited to 12,000 long tons (12,193 t) for economic reasons. The basic design was that of the Peresvet-class with its speed increased to 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) using only two shafts and its steaming range increased to 5,000 nmi (9,260 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h). The Naval Ministry intended to conduct an international design competition with the ships being built abroad as the Baltic shipyards were at full capacity already.

Cramp's contacts kept him informed of the Russians' intentions and he sailed to Saint Petersburg to offer his services and design expertise in March 1898. Initially Cramp offered American designs to the Russians included an updated version of the USS Iowa as it was a relatively close match for the Russian specification, but the Russians preferred their own designs. Both sides compromised and the final design was based on the Russian battleship Potemkin. The new ship had four fewer 6-inch (152 mm) guns, but twice the coal capacity for improved range and a longer, slightly narrower, hull for more speed. The contract was signed on 23 April 1898 for a price of $4,360,000. The protected cruiser Varyag was ordered at the same time for $2,138,000.