Possible designs for Russian monitors (1)

Whilst researching into the history of the Russian monitor Strelets, I remembered an article in WARSHIP2018 that described in some detail the World War I designs for possible monitors for the Imperial Russian Navy.

Vickers were approached by the Imperial Russian government for assistance, and provided several designs, none of which were built. The first were very similar to the three Javary-class gunboats that were being built for Brazil when the war broke out. They were intended to be used on the River Amazon and its tributaries, and were immediately bought by the Royal Navy when the war started, and served as the Humber-class monitors. The ships were:

• HMS Humber (ex-Javary): She was commissioned 1914, and served in Dover Monitor Squadron before transferring to the Mediterranean. She was sold in 1921 to F. Rijsdijk, who converted her into a crane lighter.
• HMS Mersey (ex-Madeira): She was commissioned 1914, and served in Dover Monitor Squadron before being sent to East Africa to deal with the German light cruiser, SMS Königsberg. After the German ship was sunk, she went to the Mediterranean. She was sold in 1921 to Thos. W Ward and broken up in 1923.
• HMS Severn (ex-Solimoes): She was commissioned 1914, and served in Dover Monitor Squadron before being sent to East Africa to deal with the German light cruiser, SMS Königsberg. After the German ship was sunk, she went to the Mediterranean. She was sold in 1921 to Thos. W Ward and broken up in 1923.

When the designs of the Brazilian ships and the proposed designs for the Imperial Russian Navy are compared, the similarities are obvious.

A side view of the Humber-class monitors.

Side views of two of the Vickers designs for Russian monitors. The similarities to the Humber-class monitors are quite striking. The Russian vessels would have been bigger, and armed with 2 x 8-inch (top design) or 4 x 8-inch guns (bottom design).