Mine Warfare

[Guinness]

The Confederacy only began experimenting with mine warfare after 1910 with the Minelayer #1 class of minelaying Torpedo Rams.

Soon after, a need for minesweeping was seen, resulting in the Minesweeping Sloop #1 class of minesweeper based on the successful S-01 sloop design, with a hull built to merchant standards. She carries a pair of new diesel engines and twin screws, as well as a 3.5" gun and minesweeping gear. 10 are planned as part of the 2H/1912 building program.



10 ships: MS-01 to MS-10

MS-01, CSA Minesweeping Sloop laid down 1912 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   200 t light; 207 t standard; 260 t normal; 302 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   185.00 ft / 175.00 ft x 18.00 ft x 5.58 ft (normal load)
   56.39 m / 53.34 m x 5.49 m  x 1.70 m

Armament:
      1 - 3.50" / 88.9 mm guns in single mounts, 21.44lbs / 9.73kg shells, 1912 Model
     Breech loading gun in deck mount
     on centreline forward, 1 raised gun
      2 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns in single mounts, 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1912 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, 1 raised mount
   Weight of broadside 22 lbs / 10 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   0.50" / 13 mm     81.00 ft / 24.69 m   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 71 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.50" / 13 mm         -               -
   2nd:   0.25" / 6 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 0.25" / 6 mm

Machinery:
   Diesel Internal combustion motors,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 706 shp / 527 Kw = 15.00 kts
   Range 5,250nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 95 tons

Complement:
   32 - 42

Cost:
   £0.014 million / $0.055 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 3 tons, 1.1 %
   Armour: 27 tons, 10.5 %
      - Belts: 16 tons, 6.2 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 1 tons, 0.4 %
      - Armour Deck: 10 tons, 3.8 %
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 32 tons, 12.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 128 tons, 49.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 60 tons, 23.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 10 tons, 3.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     836 lbs / 379 Kg = 39.0 x 3.5 " / 89 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
   Metacentric height 0.5 ft / 0.1 m
   Roll period: 11.1 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.25
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.517
   Length to Beam Ratio: 9.72 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 13.23 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 18.45 degrees
   Stern overhang: 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      15.00 ft / 4.57 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   14.50 ft / 4.42 m
      - Mid (50 %):      14.00 ft / 4.27 m (6.00 ft / 1.83 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   6.00 ft / 1.83 m
      - Stern:      8.00 ft / 2.44 m
      - Average freeboard:   10.37 ft / 3.16 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 53.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 124.5 %
   Waterplane Area: 2,132 Square feet or 198 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 210 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 25 lbs/sq ft or 120 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.81
      - Longitudinal: 7.48
      - Overall: 1.02
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   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

10 tons misc weight for various minesweeping gear
Armored deck represents 1" thick armored fuel tank

**** Note: twin engined ****

Costs:
$1.4*.25=0.35 (hull)
52 tons of military equipment = 0.052 BP and $0.052
Totals: 0.052 BP and $0.402

Note: adjusted trim so that she'd be more stable, while still having good steadiness.

[Guinness]

The CSA's first dedicated minelaying vessel, the TRM-01 class:

When designing the class of Torpedo Rams that would become the TR-200 class, the Navy put out to private firms for competing designs. One which was submitted and lost was chosen for further development as an experimental minelayer. Both designs used the same 12,000 SHP, single screw powerplant, but the loser in the competition displaced less for more speed, and had longer range and less freeboard.

As a minelayer, the design was stripped of all torpedoes and instead carries 20 mines and related handling gear, including mine rails from the main mine storage amidships to the stern.

3 ships were contracted to be built in navy yards, Minelayers #1 - #3.

3 ships: TRM-01 to TRM-03



Minelayer Number 1, CSA Minelayer laid down 1911 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   450 t light; 466 t standard; 546 t normal; 611 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   226.00 ft / 220.00 ft x 18.50 ft x 9.59 ft (normal load)
   68.89 m / 67.06 m x 5.64 m  x 2.92 m

Armament:
      2 - 3.50" / 88.9 mm guns in single mounts, 20.00lbs / 9.07kg shells, 1911 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on centreline ends, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
      4 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns in single mounts, 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1911 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
   Weight of broadside 42 lbs / 19 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 190

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 1 shaft, 12,000 shp / 8,952 Kw = 27.71 kts
   Range 5,110nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 145 tons

Complement:
   56 - 73

Cost:
   £0.060 million / $0.239 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 6 tons, 1.0 %
   Machinery: 281 tons, 51.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 138 tons, 25.2 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 96 tons, 17.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 26 tons, 4.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     127 lbs / 58 Kg = 5.9 x 3.5 " / 89 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
   Metacentric height 0.5 ft / 0.2 m
   Roll period: 10.6 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.28
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.07

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.490
   Length to Beam Ratio: 11.89 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 14.83 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 69 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 66
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 12.10 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.00 ft / 0.91 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      14.00 ft / 4.27 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Mid (50 %):      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Quarterdeck (20 %):   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Stern:      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Average freeboard:   10.21 ft / 3.11 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 179.1 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 85.5 %
   Waterplane Area: 2,579 Square feet or 240 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 47 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 20 lbs/sq ft or 97 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.50
      - Longitudinal: 3.09
      - Overall: 0.60
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform

Range at max speed: 300nm or 10.8 hours

Misc Weights:
20t: mines
6t: misc equipment and reserve