WMC 004 PIOTR WIELKI

Peter the Great was a Russian armored ship, classified as a tower battleship, the keel of which was laid in 1869, the launch took place in 1872, and entry into service took place in 1877. The total length of the ship was 98.1 meters and a width of 19.1 meters. The displacement was up to about 9,800 tons, and the maximum speed was up to 12-13 knots. The ship's armament included: 4 305 mm guns, 4 87 mm guns and 6 47 mm guns.

Peter the Great was a very important ship in the history of the Russian Navy, because it was the first seagoing tower battleship in its history. Its design was the responsibility of vice admiral and ship constructor Andrei Popov, and the ship itself was structurally strongly influenced by the British HMS Devastation launched in 1871. Peter the Great stayed in the line until 1903, when it was reclassified as a training ship. He performed this role until 1917, when he became a submarine tender. In the interwar period, he served as a hulk and in this role he served during the Winter War with Finland (1939-1940) and during World War II. His formal removal from the fleet list took place only in 1959!