All ships have a unique silhouette and this
characteristic is often the best means of telling one type of ship from
another. Here are some ship silhouettes that are representative of their type,
as well as some pointers on how to tell ships apart. At sea such quick
identification can be a big aid.
Typing Ships by Their Silhouettes
An incredible assortment of ships sail the planet's
waters. Ranging in size from behemoths like aircraft carriers and supertankers
to little fishing trawlers, making sure that accidents are kept to a minimum in
an environment where the endless waters and unpredictable weather is no mean
feat. Often the first step in deciding what course of action to take when two
ships meet at sea is simply to figure out what the respective crews are dealing
with. Identifying whether a ship appearing on the horizon is a fishing boat or
cargo ship is key in ascertaining the proper attitude towards it - while a big
cargo ship is likely to be relatively hard to maneuver and so can be expected
to maintain a fairly predictable course, a smaller ship could well turn
unexpectedly and pose a collision hazard.
But telling ships apart, even big from small, is not
always easy at sea. Size can be deceptive, especially if distance is not clear.
And at sea, with no landmarks or sizing clues to work with, it is easy to
underestimate or overestimate the size of ships appearing on the horizon. In
the Second World War it was not uncommon for scout ships and aircraft to report
that they had spotted fleets full of huge battleships, only to later find that
they'd seen a squadron of smaller destroyers.
To tell ship types apart in a reliable fashion,
typing ships by silhouettes has become a common practice. Different types of
vessels exhibit starkly differing physical characteristics that can be noted by
the naked eye. From the shape of the deck to the pattern of the superstructure,
silhouettes make it easy to tell a navy cruiser apart from a cargo ship.
Supercarriers
USS Kittyhawk Operating in Support of Operation
Enduring Freedom, courtesy of the United States Army, via Wiki Commons
Supercarriers are some of the largest and most
visually striking ships to behold. Only eleven of them exist, all used by the
United States Navy, and all are rather easily identifiable by their flat deck
profile broken up only by the aircraft that are parked around it. Fortunately
for anyone at sea, these 1,000+ foot, 100,000+ ton behemoths only travel when
surrounded by smaller ships and covered by jets and helicopters. Passing ships
will know it is there and be guided a safe distance away in short order- no one
risks damage to a supercarrier.
Aircraft Carriers
Silhueta Navio Aeródromo - (Silhoutte ship (carrier))
courtesy of Brazilian Navy, via wiki Commons
Not ever carrier is a supercarrier - that title is
reserved for the biggest aircraft carriers afloat. Many other nations operate
fixed wing jet aircraft off smaller carriers whose physical profile fits the
slang term "flattop" which is often applied to carriers. One or two
boxy conning/flight operations towers set off to one side are pretty much the
only feature above the level of the flight deck, which may also be broken up by
the silhouetted of numerous helicopters and jets around the deck, a scene
befitting what is essentially a mobile airfield.
Tankers
Crude Oil Tanker: U.S. Navy, by Photographer's Mate
1st Class Kevin H. Tierney, courtesy of the United States Navy via Wiki Commons
Surprisingly, aircraft carriers are rivaled, within
the realm of things meant to float, in size and weight only by supertankers.
These nondescript, ubiquitous vessels make modern society possible by moving
oil and fuel between production fields and refineries which are often separated
by thousands of miles. Identifying supertankers is fairly simple - if it’s big,
sits high in the water, has a substantial superstructure located far forward or
aft, and doesn't seem to have distinct shapes above the main deck then it may
well be a tanker. The lower in the water it appears to be the more heavily
laden with liquid it probably is.
Cargo Ship
Laden Cargo Vessel in a Washington Port, courtesy of
Wiki Commons user Rootology and via Wiki Commons
Tankers may carry society's lifeblood- fuel- but cargo
ships carry everything else of value that is heavy and shipped in bulk. While
airplanes get there faster, cargo ships carry far, far more and remain the most
economical means of moving goods over long distances. When loaded, cargo ships
are easily identified by the towers of shipping containers stacked on their
deck. Their profile sits high even as their hull sinks low in the water. What
superstructure they have is minimal and set to the front or rear of the ship.
The problem, as far as identification goes, comes
when they aren't loaded. When it comes to telling the types of ships by
silhouette, an empty cargo vessel and tanker look very much alike. Fortunately,
it isn't profitable to send empty cargo ships out to sea. In most cases, even
if they've just offloaded a massive number of shipping containers from a
distant port, they're getting ready to load some more for transport to their
next destination. And in truth, both tankers and cargo ships are so large,
loaded or not, that it is best to keep clear.
Cruise Liners
Cruise Liners Silhouette - Side View, courtesy Wiki
Commons user Marcusroos and via Wiki Commons
Cruise liners are found all over the world, but especially
in places where tourists like to visit. They frequently travel up and down
coastlines and can be a problem when coming into a major port. Fortunately they
are usually large and quite tall, being effectively floating hotels. Look for a
continuous superstructure as the most telling feature.
Battleships
USS Iowa with Christmas Decorations, by PH1 Jeff
Hilton, courtesy of the United States Navy and via Wiki Commons
Battleships are an unlikely sight at sea, since only
four remain in existence (save for museum pieces) and only two, owned by the
United States, could be made seaworthy in a crisis. But just in case,
battleships can be told apart from other vessels by their sheer size (rivaling
carriers, tankers, and cargo ships) and above all by the big cylindrical tubes
that stretch out from the main body of the ship. As the above image aptly
demonstrates, even when a battleship is as close to looking like a solid mass
against the horizon as it can get, some of those gun barrels stick out. They're
almost a foot and a half in diameter and in better viewing conditions can be
seen to be attached to massive turrets located along the vessel's central axis.
Battlecruisers
The Soviet-era Battlecruiser Kirov, by PH Beech,
courtesy of the United States Navy and via Wiki Commons
The battlecruiser is mostly a forgotten breed, but
several ships that could ostensibly be claimed to be battlecruisers are
operated by Russia. These revamped members of the Kirov class are nuclear
powered and house twenty massive cruise missiles plus a couple hundred surface
to air missiles forward of their superstructure. The relatively streamlined
superstructure, small guns and helicopter pad aft, sharply rising bow, and long
flat area forward of the superstructure is the dead giveaway that this is a
Kirov.
Cruisers
USS Bunker Hill on Patrol by Mass Communication Specialist, 2nd Class;
James R. Evans, s
courtesy of the United States Navy via Wiki Commons
Only the United States Navy and Russian Navy still
operate cruisers in significant numbers, and they look quite a bit different.
The US operates many more than even Russia though, and while Russia's look a
lot like smaller Kirov class battlecruisers or oversized destroyers, US
cruisers of the later variants of the Ticonderoga class are distinctive due to
their long superstructure bookended by large boxy sections fore and aft and
featuring an old-school tripod mast in between. This shape allows them to mount
vertical launch systems for missiles fore and aft and the Aegis defense system
to control them. This system is characterized by the hexagonal panels located
on flat surfaces of the superstructure. This system incorporates long range
radar and an automated combat control system.
Guided Missile Destroyers
Type 42 Destroyer of the British Royal Navy, courtesy
of Wiki User MoRsE and via Wiki Commons
Guided missile destroyers (often abbreviated DDG) are
used by many navies as their primary surface combatant: they are powerful
vessels capable of controlling air and sea in the service of the navies that
operate them. American and Japanese DDGs are distinctive in that they look a
lot like Ticonderoga/Bunker Hill type cruisers, and have boxy superstructures
that house the Aegis system. Other navies follow a pattern more like the
silhouette above, with a couple mid-caliber guns located fore and aft and a
surface to air missile launcher or two set up very close to the long
superstructure. They often have a helicopter pad aft as well, and a fairly
streamlined appearance.
Anti-Submarine Destroyers
Russian Federation Navy Destroyer of the Udaloy Class:
Marshal Shaposhnikov, on a Visit to Pearl Harbor, by Photographer’s Mate 1st
Class William R. Goodwin, Courtesy of the United States Navy and via Wiki
Commons
Many destroyers are specialized submarine hunters, and
dispense with the Aegis-type systems and surface to air missile launchers in
exchange for a hidden punch: high tech sonar systems and enlarged helicopter
facilities. Often they have only self-defense weapons to ward off aircraft and
ships, but as sub-hunters they are second to none. Indeed, a pair of anti-submarine
destroyers operating in tandem, especially if backed up by a pair of
helicopters, is every submariner's worst nightmare.
They are particularly distinctive due to their clean
lines - the Udaloy class destroyer pictured above is a bit cluttered relative
to other modern designs. The Spruance class of the United States, for example,
was criticized for not looking dangerous or well-armed enough even though the
members of this class were among the best sub-hunters of all time.
USS Sacramento Resupplying a Carrier Battle Group by
Photographer's Mate Airman Chris M. Valdez, Courtesy of the United States Navy
and via Wiki Commons
The warships may attract all the attention, but
without the aid of dedicated replenishment ships, they rapidly run out of
beans, bullets, and gas on long cruises. Navies with global reach only maintain
that reach by deploying a fleet of replenishment vessels that carry needed
essentials to the warships.
These vessels are quite easy to distinguish when
silhouetted against the horizon because of their busy decks. They have any
number of protruding hawsers, hoses, and cranes along the edge of their decks
and it is not uncommon to see larger bulk items stored above the deck as well.
Even if these features were not enough to set them apart from cargo ships, many
are equipped with a helicopter pad as well- not a common sight on civilian
cargo decks.
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