List of monitors of World War II

Last updated

A monitor is a class of relatively small warship that is lightly armoured, often provided with disproportionately large guns, and originally designed for coastal warfare. The term "monitor" grew to include breastwork monitors, the largest class of riverine warcraft known as river monitors, and was sometimes used as a generic term for any turreted ship. In the early 20th century, the term "monitor" included shallow-draft armoured shore bombardment vessels, particularly those of the Royal Navy: the Lord Clive-class monitors carried guns that fired the heaviest shells ever used at sea and saw action against German targets during World War I. Two small Royal Navy monitors from the First World War, Erebus and Terror survived to fight in the Second World War. When the requirement for shore support and strong shallow-water coastal defence returned, new monitors and variants such as coastal defence ships were built (e.g. the British Roberts-class monitors). Allied monitors saw service in the Mediterranean in support of the British Eighth Army's desert and Italian campaigns. They were part of the offshore bombardment for the Invasion of Normandy in 1944. They were also used to clear the German-mined River Scheldt by the British to utilize the port of Antwerp. The German, Yugoslav, Croatian, Romanian, Hungarian and Czech armed forces operated river monitors that saw combat during World War II. [1] [2] [3] [4]

See also List of ships of World War II, which contains major military vessels of the war, arranged alphabetically and by type. The list includes armed vessels that served during the war and in the immediate aftermath, inclusive of localized ongoing combat operations, garrison surrenders, post-surrender occupation, colony re-occupation, troop and prisoner repatriation, to the end of 1945. For smaller vessels, see also list of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons. Some uncompleted Axis ships are included, out of historic interest. Ships are designated to the country under which they operated for the longest period of the Second World War, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.

List of monitors of World War II
ShipCountry or organizationClassTypeDisplacement (tons)First commissionedFate
Alexandru Lahovari  [ ru ]Naval Ensign of Romania (1922-1947).svg  Royal Romanian Navy Brătianu river monitor captured by Soviets 2 September 1944, returned 1951, put in reserve 1957, scrapped 1959 [5]
Abercrombie Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Roberts monitor 7,8505 May 1943scrapped 1954 [6]
Bechelaren War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine river monitor 2141 August 1932Originally laid down and commissioned as the President Masaryk for the Czechoslovakian Naval Forces. Captured in 1938 by Germany and renamed Bechelaren. Returned to Czechoslovakia in 1947. scrapped 1978.
Claverhouse Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy M15 monitor/training ship 540July 1915scrapped 21 April 1959
Drava Naval Ensign of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg  Royal Yugoslav Navy Enns river monitor 53615 April 1920scuttled 11 April 1941 [7]
Erebus Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Erebus monitor 7,3002 September 1916scrapped July 1946
Flyagin Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 23030 December 1936scuttled 18 September 1941
GM 194/Biber Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Regia Marina
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine
monitor/floating battery 2,8541 April 1917scrapped 1945-1946
Ion C. Brătianu  [ ru ]Naval Ensign of Romania (1922-1947).svg  Royal Romanian Navy Brătianu river monitor captured by Soviets 27 August 1944, returned 1951, put in reserve 1957, scrapped 1959 [5]
Khasan Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Khasan River monitor 1,7041 December 1942Originally to be named Lazo, renamed Khasan on 25 September 1940. Scrapped 23 March 1960.
Lascăr Catargiu Naval Ensign of Romania (1922-1947).svg  Royal Romanian Navy Brătianu river monitor 6801907Built at the Galați Shipyard in Romania, [8] armament during World War II consisted of 3 x 120 mm guns in armoured turrets, 1 x 76 mm AA gun, 2 x 47 mm guns and two machine guns, 75 mm of armor protected the sides, deck, and turrets, sunk 24 August 1944 [5]
Levachev Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 23027 October 1936scuttled 18 September 1941
Martynov Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 2308 December 1936scuttled 18 September 1941
Mihail Kogălniceanu Naval Ensign of Romania (1922-1947).svg  Royal Romanian Navy Brătianu monitor 6801907sunk 24 August 1944 [5]
Morava/Bosna Naval Ensign of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg  Royal Yugoslav Navy
Naval Ensign of the Independent State of Croatia.svg  Navy of the Independent State of Croatia
Körös river monitor 44815 April 1920scuttled 11 April 1941, raised by Croatia as Bosna, sunk June 1944 [9] [10]
Parnaiba Flag of the Brazilian Navy.svg  Brazilian Navy river monitor 6209 March 1938in service
Perekop Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Khasan River monitor 1,7041 December 1942Originally to be named Simbirtsev, renamed Perekop on 25 September 1940. Scrapped 23 March 1960.
Roberts Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Roberts monitor 8,10027 October 1941scrapped June 1965
Rostovtsev Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 23013 May 1937scuttled 18 September 1941
Sava Naval Ensign of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg  Royal Yugoslav Navy
Naval Ensign of the Independent State of Croatia.svg  Navy of the Independent State of Croatia
Temes river monitor 44015 April 1920scuttled 11 April 1941, raised by Croatia, [7] scuttled 8 September 1944, [11] raised by Yugoslavia, decommissioned 1962 [12] [13]
Sivash Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Khasan River monitor 1,70431 October 1946Originally to be named Seryshev, renamed Sivash on 25 September 1940. Disarmed and converted to an accommodation ship September 1960. Scrapped 28 February 1968.
Terror Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Erebus monitor 7,3006 August 1916sunk 24 February 1941
Vardar Naval Ensign of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg  Royal Yugoslav Navy Sava river monitor 58015 April 1920scuttled 11 April 1941
Zheleznyakov  [ ru ]Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 23027 October 1936Decommissioned 10 September 1960. Preserved as a war memorial 10 July 1967 in Kiev.
Zhemchuzhin Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Zheleznyakov  [ ru ] river monitor 23027 October 1936scuttled 12 August 1941

References

  1. Carrico (2007).
  2. Friedman (1987).
  3. Konstam (2003).
  4. Churchill (1923).
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921. p. 422.[ edition needed ]
  6. Mason, Geoffrey B. "HMS Abercrombie - Roberts-class 15in gun Monitor". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  7. 1 2 Chesneau (1980), p. 357.
  8. Georgescu, Mihai (1984). "Elisabeta". Warship International. 21 (2): 160.
  9. Chesneau (1980), pp. 357 & 359.
  10. Caruana (1968), p. 333.
  11. Podhorsky (1965), p. 44.
  12. Gardiner (1983), p. 392.
  13. Fox News (2014).

Bibliography