Anbei-class battleship

The Anbei-class battleships (: 岸北級戰列艦; Ànběi jí zhànlièjiàn) were a pair of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Kodeshi Navy (IKN) during the 1900s. ​Her sister ship was the Nanbin which saw action during Grand Campaigns and was lost during the Kodeshi Civil War. While Anbei would be sold to Qingcheng and service into the 1940s.

Background
As part of Kodeshia's ongoing program to modernize and expand it's fleet. Similar to it's earlier Zhongbin-class it turned again to the Goetic Empire. AG Ludwigshafen which had build the Zhongbin-class drew up plans for the improved Anbei-class which was accepted by the Imperial Kodeshi Navy. They were initially earmarked as part as part of the follow on class within the Ten Year Naval Expansion Programme by Emperor Qianlong in 1891, However the exact type was not fully ordered until 1903 when detailed plans were presented by AG Ludwigshafen to the naval staff. It entered service within four years of it being approved. The design was based around the earlier Zhongbin-class battleships in service with Kodeshia. The main difference between the two classes is that the Anbei-class was larger and more heavily armed and had better seakeeping characteristics than the Zhongbin-class.

Design
The design of the Anbei-class was based around an improved version of the Zhongbin-class battleships in service with Kodeshia. This design incorporated some improvements over previous designs such as larger hull, more powerful engines, and new machinery including a new triple propeller system. The Anbei-class kept the tumblehome hull of the preceding Zhongbin-class was maintained by efforts were made to improve seakeeping. Particularly with regards to it's buoyancy and stability during high speed turn maneuverers. As well as this, there were also many changes made to improve survivability of these vessels. The Anbei-class was designed by Goetic architect Ernst von Bülow, who had previously worked on the earlier Zhongbin-class. The ships were constructed in the AG Ludwigshafen shipyard in the Goetic Empire. The Anbei-class had a crew numbered 1,176 with around 30-48 officers and the rest enlisted sailors.

Propulsion
The ships were powered by three s, each driving one propeller, using steam generated by 20 natural draft boilers. The engines were rated at 11,484 indicated horsepower (8,564 kW), and designed to reach a top speed of 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph). This allowed for a range of 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

Armament
The ships carried a main battery of two twin 305 mm (12 in) guns. They were mounted in twin-gun barbettes fore and aft of the superstructure. Secondary armament of the Anbei-class consisted of two twin 152 mm (6 in) guns four single 152 mm (6 in) guns, twelve single 76 mm (3 in) guns, and four 432 mm (18 in) underwater torpedo tubes, two of these were in the bow and stern, and the two broadside underwater tubes were located amidship.

Armour
The armour scheme of the Anbei-class ships was similar to that used by the Zhongbin-class except that as a cost saving measure the superior Harvey armour was replaced with cheaper old compound type armour of the same thickness. This move was done to reduce costs and simplify construction, but it was heavily critised by many naval officers and engineers. Who suggested that it was a mistake to do so as it would have compromised the protection of the ships. Nonetheless, the decision was approved and officials from AG Ludwigshafen assured Kodeshia that their design is sound and that it will perform satisfactorily. Despite the changes to the armour scheme, the ships were still considered to be the best class of battleship ever built for Kodeshia. The armoured waterline belt ranged from 165-305 mm (6.5–12 in). The deck armour was 40-85 mm (1.6–3.3 in) thick, and the main gun turrets had a thickness of 305 mm (12 in) The conning tower design was protected by a layer of 305 mm (12 in) thick armour.

Service
The Anbei-class was commissioned in June 21 1907 arriving in Kodeshia from Goetia and was soon joined by her sister ship the Nanbin on January 10 1907. After being refitted with new machinery and equipment, they departed on June 27 1908 and arrived in Chenghai naval base on July 29 1908. After a short period of training, the two ships participated in various naval exercises and training missions, then were assigned to the Imperial Kodeshi Navy where they would participate in the Grand Campaigns. Anbei took over Zhongbin as the Imperial Kodeshi Navies flagship under Admiral Zhang Qian.

Grand Campaigns
By the time of the outbreak of the Grand Campaigns Anbei and Nanbin were reclassified as a coastal defence ship. She participated several shore bombardment attacks along on Selengerian forces who were trying to invade Kodehsia. Anbei and Nanbin would take part in the later stages of the Tang Offensive of 1924 as part of a naval force which included Zhongbin and Yu'an conducting shore bombardment and escorting the battleship Tianlin and the navies first aircraft carrier Shenlong.

Kodeshi Civil War
As a coastal defence ships Anbei and Nanbin remained loyal to the Emperor once the civil war broke out in 1927. They both served the royalist factions. The Nanbin hit a sea mine on 18 June 1927 and sank. Eventually Anbei surrendered to the new Kodeshi State once the royalist forces were defeated while Anbei was considered obsolete and sold to Qingcheng.

Qingcheng Service
Anbei sold to Qingcheng navy and operated in the role of a coastal defence ship. It then later became a gunnery training ship before finally being placed in reserve. Anbei was stricken from the naval register in 1940s and were subsequently broken up for scrap.