"Dante Alighieri" was designed by Cuniberti, and the Russian Navy adopted the same arrangement (known as the "Cuniberti arrangement") for the heavy guns of the "Gangut", "Imperatritsa Mariya" and "Borodino" classes. The internal arrangements of "Dante" and the Russian ships differed considerably, however. "Dante" had two of her boiler rooms placed between the first and second main turrets, the forward boiler rooms were similarly located in the Russian ships. However, the Russians placed the remaining boilers between the second and third turrets, whereas "Dante" had her main turbines located there; her aft boiler rooms were placed between the third and fourth main turrets, in the space occupied by the main turbines in the Russian ships. "Dante" could therefore easily be recognized at a distance by the much wider spacing of her funnels; furthermore, she had four slim funnels whereas the Russian ships had two much larger funnels.
|