Gangut

Gangut refers to the lead ship of the Gangut-class battleships, the first class of dreadnoughts built for the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was named after the Battle of Gangut (1714), a Russian victory in the Great Northern War. Gangut and its sister ships were constructed for the Baltic Fleet in the 1910s, built at the Baltic Shipyard in Kronstadt, and intended to bolster Russia’s capital ships during World War I.

Design and characteristics of the Gangut-class ships emphasized heavy armor and firepower. The class carried a heavy main battery of eight 12-inch guns in four twin turrets, and featured robust armor protection and steam turbine propulsion. These vessels reflected contemporary dreadnought concepts and were among the last pre-revolutionary battleships built for Russia.

Operational history and later service: Gangut saw limited combat action during World War I due to the Baltic theater’s limitations. After the 1917 revolution, the ships were interned at Kronstadt and later incorporated into the Soviet Navy. In the interwar period they underwent modernization to improve gunnery, fire control, and anti-aircraft capabilities. During World War II, the Gangut-class battleships were employed in Baltic operations and coastal bombardments as the Soviet Union fought against the Axis advance. Following the war, the remaining ships were gradually withdrawn from service and eventually scrapped in the 1950s.

Legacy: The Gangut class was the first generation of Russian dreadnoughts, setting a design standard for Soviet battleships in the interwar period. The name Gangut remains associated with the legacy of Russia’s early 20th-century naval power and its battleship program.