Old Cruisers Made...Less Old

[The Rock Doctor]

Gran Colombia retains three 1893 vintage Darien class protected cruisers in service.  These are old fashioned broadside ships, with 8 x 10 cm and a top speed of 18.4 knots.

I'm contemplating refitting two or three to a new "colonial cruiser" standard, for patrols and flag-waving primarily at Coquimbo, which has adequate facilities (Valparaiso) to support their deployment.  The refit, which I reckon to be a 15% job by Swampy's proposed rule set, would include:

-Replacement of the old 1893 VTE engines with more powerful, but still less massive, 1909 VTE machinery (turbines rejected due to cost - might as well build new)

-Replacement of the centreline 10 cm guns with 14 cm guns, and additional of ammo hoists for all medium guns

-Replacement of internal, above waterline torps with two twin carriages

-Life-extension refit

-Fitting of wireless and limited flag facilities

As a 15% job, it would cost 0.3 BP, it leaves an updated ship capable of dealing with pirates and smaller warships.  It doesn't let them take on modern warships larger than they are, but that's not their task.  Is it worth the effort?


Darien Class, laid down 1893 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   2,039 t light; 2,122 t standard; 2,370 t normal; 2,568 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   382.22 ft / 382.22 ft x 39.37 ft x 13.12 ft (normal load)
   116.50 m / 116.50 m x 12.00 m  x 4.00 m

Armament:
      2 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.98kg shells, 1908 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      4 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns in single mounts, 30.51lbs / 13.84kg shells, 1908 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1908 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      2 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1893 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 302 lbs / 137 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 190
   4 - 18.0" / 457 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm         -         0.98" / 25 mm
   2nd:   0.98" / 25 mm         -               -
   3rd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.18" / 30 mm, Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 8,500 ihp / 6,341 Kw = 21.63 kts
   Range 4,700nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 445 tons)

Complement:
   169 - 220

Cost:
   £0.195 million / $0.779 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 38 tons, 1.6 %
   Armour: 229 tons, 9.7 %
      - Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 16 tons, 0.7 %
      - Armour Deck: 205 tons, 8.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 8 tons, 0.3 %
   Machinery: 654 tons, 27.6 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 987 tons, 41.6 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 331 tons, 14.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 132 tons, 5.6 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2,757 lbs / 1,250 Kg = 32.9 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.31
   Metacentric height 2.0 ft / 0.6 m
   Roll period: 11.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.25
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.61

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.420
   Length to Beam Ratio: 9.71 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19.55 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 43 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 44
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -5.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: -3.28 ft / -1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      12.47 ft / 3.80 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   12.47 ft / 3.80 m
      - Mid (50 %):      12.47 ft / 3.80 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   12.47 ft / 3.80 m
      - Stern:      12.47 ft / 3.80 m
      - Average freeboard:   12.47 ft / 3.80 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 108.6 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 114.1 %
   Waterplane Area: 9,381 Square feet or 872 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 120 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 65 lbs/sq ft or 320 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.96
      - Longitudinal: 1.41
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

[swamphen]

I'll let others speak on the worthiness, but it makes an interesting comparision to the direction I'm considering taking ex-Dairen...

SMS Kaiserin Augusta (ex-GCN Dairen), Brandenburgian (ex-Gran Colombian) Kleiner Kreuzer laid down 1893 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   2,050 t light; 2,117 t standard; 2,370 t normal; 2,572 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   385.50 ft / 382.22 ft x 39.37 ft x 13.12 ft (normal load)
   117.50 m / 116.50 m x 12.00 m  x 4.00 m

Armament:
      8 - 3.46" / 88.0 mm guns in single mounts, 22.05lbs / 10.00kg shells, 1900 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      4 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.86lbs / 1.75kg shells, 1903 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      1 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1905 Model
     Quick firing gun in deck mount
     on centreline amidships, 1 raised gun
      4 - 0.30" / 7.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.01lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1910 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 193 lbs / 88 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 175
   2 - 17.7" / 450 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.79" / 20 mm         -               -
   2nd:   0.79" / 20 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.18" / 30 mm, Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm

Machinery:
   Coal and oil fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 10,750 ihp / 8,020 Kw = 23.01 kts
   Range 5,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 455 tons) (90% coal)

Complement:
   169 - 220

Cost:
   £0.206 million / $0.822 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 23 tons, 1.0 %
   Armour: 227 tons, 9.6 %
      - Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 14 tons, 0.6 %
      - Armour Deck: 205 tons, 8.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 8 tons, 0.3 %
   Machinery: 819 tons, 34.6 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 926 tons, 39.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 320 tons, 13.5 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 55 tons, 2.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2,266 lbs / 1,028 Kg = 109.0 x 3.5 " / 88 mm shells or 0.7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.44
   Metacentric height 2.3 ft / 0.7 m
   Roll period: 10.9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.14
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.57

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.420
   Length to Beam Ratio: 9.71 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19.55 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 45
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -10.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      12.30 ft / 3.75 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   12.30 ft / 3.75 m
      - Mid (50 %):      12.30 ft / 3.75 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   12.30 ft / 3.75 m
      - Stern:      12.30 ft / 3.75 m
      - Average freeboard:   12.30 ft / 3.75 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 122.3 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 121.6 %
   Waterplane Area: 9,381 Square feet or 872 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 113 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 62 lbs/sq ft or 301 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.97
      - Longitudinal: 1.32
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

[P3D]

I won't really bother. Spend the refit cost, strip out half the guns and use them as minelayers.

[Ithekro]

I suppose that depends on how long it will take to replace the units with new built vessels with Columbia's existing infrustructure, and if whatever they replace the vessel's with would be any better than what they have for the job.

[The Rock Doctor]

I figure a minelayer either needs to be a fast and conspicuous warship, or a slow, inconspicuous merchie.  A slow, conspicuous warship is fodder for all sorts of enemy warships best avoided.

New construction is a much more expensive proposition.  On the same hull form, I can use turbines and add a 65 mm armor belt - but that costs almost six time as much, as a result.  And I'd still have a slow cruiser afterward.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
I have a similar problem with the Graz class.
Hull from 1900, 500 crew, 4 (!) four inch guns, 1885 engines. And 2 inch armour.
I'm thinking of plopping 10-12 5'5 guns on them, keeping the speed at 21-22 knots, and using them with the battleine - for torpedo boat protection.

Borys

[The Rock Doctor]

You may as well give it a whirl.  It's a remarkably unimpressive vessel otherwise.