Russian Monitors, the Novgorod-- Part 3: Worst Warship Ever Built?

With its low 18-inch freeboard to the waterline (height above the water) iron-armored hull and central rotating  barbette mounted pair of 11-inch rifled cannons, the Novgorod was essentially like a traditional monitor, but with its overall circular shape, there was nothing else like it anywhere.

Traditional American monitors had their guns mounted in a protective turret, while the Novgorod's were out in the open, en barbette so to speak.

To move this "colossal frying pan" it had six engines mounted at the stern, each connected to its own propeller.  Even with these huge engines the Novgorod could only travel at top speed of 7.5 mph. And steering it was another thing altogether.

And, then there was bad weather to worry about.

Eventually, the Novgorod found its niche as a coastal defense ship, essentially a floating battery.

Some still say the Novgorod and its sister ship, the Vitse-Adniral Popov were two of the worst warships ever built.  But they could be used as coast defense.

--Old Novgorod