Pervenets-class ironclad

The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells as demonstrated by the Russian destruction of a Turkish squadron at the Battle of Sinope.Military Ships of Russia {{ISBN|5-89410-001-1}}, p. 26 The first ironclad battleship, {{ship|French battleship|La Gloire||2}}, was launched by the French Navy in November 1859.Sondhaus, Lawrence. Naval Warfare 1815–1914 {{ISBN|0-415-21478-5}}, pp. 73–4. It was followed by the British {{sclass|Warrior|ironclad}}. Russia was among the first countries to follow.

The Naval Ministry initially ordered two ships. The first ship in the class, {{ship|Russian ironclad|Pervenets||2}} (Firstborn), was built in England and the second identical ship, {{ship|Russian ironclad|Ne Tron Menia||2}} (Don't touch me) in Saint Petersburg. A few months later the decision was made to build a third ship, {{ship|Russian ironclad|Kreml||2}} (Kremlin), at the Neva shipyards in Saint Petersburg.

The ships were smaller and slower than the contemporary British HMS Warrior and French La Gloire, and were in fact designated "Armored Battery", rather "Armored Frigate", such as the later {{sclass|Admiral Lazarev|monitor|4}}. They had the same {{convert|114|mm|in|adj=on}} armour as Warrior. Kreml had a few modifications such as a teak layer under the armor and design-planned later upgrade to the {{convert|203|mm|in|adj=on|0}} guns.

All three ships served in the Baltic Fleet. They never saw any combat action, and gradually transferred from combat ships to training and coastal defence ships. The last ship in the class, Kreml suffered several serious accidents, accidentally scuttling the frigate Orel in 1869. Kreml itself sank due to a storm on 29 May 1885, although she was recovered five days later and returned to service. The last ship of the class, she was scrapped in October 1905.

• List of ironclads of Russia

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• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor-first=Robert|editor-last=Gardiner|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}
• {{cite book|chapter=Russia's First Ironclads: Pervenets, Ne tron menia and Kreml|author=McLaughlin, Stephen|editor=Jordan, John|publisher=Conway|location=London|year=2011|title=Warship 2011|pages=112–29|isbn=978-1-84486-133-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Watts|first=Anthony J.|title=The Imperial Russian Navy|publisher=Arms and Armour|location=London|year=1990|isbn=0-85368-912-1}}

{{Pervenetz class ironclad}}

{{Ironclads of Russia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pervenets Class Ironclad}}

Category:Naval ships of Russia

Category:Ironclad warships of the Imperial Russian Navy