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The Latvian Navy maintains two ships of the cruiser category. Both vessels were designed in Russia for construction by Latvian shipyards.

Armoured Cruisers
- Riga (1934)

Light Cruisers
- Virsaitis

Riga, Latvian Armored Ship laid down 1934
The main mission of this ship is to guard the entrance to the Gulf of Riga, in conjunction with land-based air, coast artillery, and mines. It is based on a upscaled version of the Russian Navy's Varyag class cruisers, with improved armour, better turret firing arcs, dual purpose guns, and more speed.

In 1947, due to manpower issues within the Latvian Navy, the Riga was placed in reserve status with a caretaker crew, and only activated during the Summer Exercises with a crew of reservists.

Displacement:
7,517 t light; 7,977 t standard; 8,560 t normal; 9,026 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
522.36 ft / 515.42 ft x 55.77 ft (Bulges 65.62 ft) x 17.72 ft (normal load)
159.22 m / 157.10 m x 17.00 m (Bulges 20.00 m) x 5.40 m

Armament:
6 - 9.21" / 234 mm guns (3x2 guns), 440.92lbs / 200.00kg shells, 1934 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
8 - 5.12" / 130 mm guns (4x2 guns), 79.37lbs / 36.00kg shells, 1934 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread
16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1934 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread
8 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (2x4 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1934 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1934 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 3,318 lbs / 1,505 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 7.87" / 200 mm 262.47 ft / 80.00 m 9.19 ft / 2.80 m
Ends: 2.76" / 70 mm 252.62 ft / 77.00 m 9.19 ft / 2.80 m
Upper: 2.76" / 70 mm 262.47 ft / 80.00 m 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
Main Belt covers 78 % of normal length

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.66" / 220 mm 3.35" / 85 mm 5.91" / 150 mm
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
3rd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -

- Armour deck: 2.76" / 70 mm, Conning tower: 6.69" / 170 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 22,747 shp / 16,969 Kw = 23.00 kts
Range 5,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,049 tons

Complement:
444 - 578

Cost:
£3.246 million / $12.984 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 365 tons, 4.3 %
Armour: 2,852 tons, 33.3 %
- Belts: 1,327 tons, 15.5 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 489 tons, 5.7 %
- Armour Deck: 977 tons, 11.4 %
- Conning Tower: 60 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 654 tons, 7.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,576 tons, 41.8 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,043 tons, 12.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 70 tons, 0.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
14,399 lbs / 6,531 Kg = 36.8 x 9.2 " / 234 mm shells or 2.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
Metacentric height 2.7 ft / 0.8 m
Roll period: 16.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.56
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.34

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.500
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.86 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.70 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 45 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 52
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 25.92 ft / 7.90 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 13.45 ft / 4.10 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 13.12 ft / 4.00 m
- Stern: 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Average freeboard: 15.56 ft / 4.74 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 60.0 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 115.3 %
Waterplane Area: 19,154 Square feet or 1,779 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 120 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 118 lbs/sq ft or 578 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.21
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Virsaitis, Latvian Light Cruiser laid down 1941

Displacement:
6,537 t light; 6,826 t standard; 7,579 t normal; 8,182 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
573.86 ft / 557.74 ft x 55.77 ft x 18.14 ft (normal load)
174.91 m / 170.00 m x 17.00 m x 5.53 m

Armament:
9 - 5.98" / 152 mm guns (3x3 guns), 123.46lbs / 56.00kg shells, 1941 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
2 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (1x2 guns), 37.48lbs / 17.00kg shells, 1941 Model
Dual purpose guns in a deck mount with hoist
on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
8 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (4x2 guns), 37.48lbs / 17.00kg shells, 1941 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread
24 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (6x4 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1941 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
8 - 0.55" / 14.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.08lbs / 0.04kg shells, 1941 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,524 lbs / 691 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
12 - 21.7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.15" / 80 mm 328.08 ft / 100.00 m 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 90 % of normal length

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 3.94" / 100 mm 1.97" / 50 mm 2.76" / 70 mm
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm 0.79" / 20 mm
3rd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm 0.79" / 20 mm
4th: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm 0.79" / 20 mm

- Armour deck: 1.97" / 50 mm, Conning tower: 3.15" / 80 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 62,231 shp / 46,424 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,356 tons

Complement:
405 - 527

Cost:
£3.686 million / $14.745 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 163 tons, 2.2 %
Armour: 1,425 tons, 18.8 %
- Belts: 429 tons, 5.7 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 206 tons, 2.7 %
- Armour Deck: 764 tons, 10.1 %
- Conning Tower: 26 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 1,645 tons, 21.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,214 tons, 42.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,042 tons, 13.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 90 tons, 1.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
10,930 lbs / 4,958 Kg = 102.0 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 1.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.21
Metacentric height 3.0 ft / 0.9 m
Roll period: 13.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.43
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.05

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.470
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27.05 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 48
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 18.04 ft / 5.50 m
- Mid (50 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Quarterdeck (21 %): 17.06 ft / 5.20 m
- Stern: 18.04 ft / 5.50 m
- Average freeboard: 18.18 ft / 5.54 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 89.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 120.0 %
Waterplane Area: 20,971 Square feet or 1,948 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 124 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 99 lbs/sq ft or 481 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.39
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 25 tons for 5x 100mm automatic twin DP mounts
- 40 tons for radar
- 25 tons for torpedoes

Ships in Class:
- Virsaitis