The unfinished 'I'

[Blooded]

Hello Gang!

As the proud new owner of the I Class Ships, I have a minor quandry as to how to finish the incomplete final ship.

In theory she is half done. As she comes in at 24,000 light I assume 12,000 tons are complete. She has been floated and is waiting for me to pick her up.

The questions are many, but first what do you think would be completed at this stage?

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,128 tons, 4.0 %
   Armour: 8,991 tons, 31.9 %
      - Belts: 5,319 tons, 18.9 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 608 tons, 2.2 %
      - Armament: 1,242 tons, 4.4 %
      - Armour Deck: 1,602 tons, 5.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 219 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,189 tons, 11.3 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,306 tons, 36.6 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,137 tons, 14.7 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 400 tons, 1.4 %

My thoughts are that most/all of the Torpedo Bulkhead and armor deck would be done.  What else would be complete as of now? Barbettes? Some of the engine?

My first guess ran along the line of(completed/projected):
Hull: 9500/10306 Tons
TB: 500/608 Tons
Deck: 1200/1602 Tons
Engines: 800/3189 Tons

As this is the perfect time for any redesign decisions, it would be good to know what I am working with.

The next question would be how would I pay for 'new' changes. Would I use the ship reconstruction rules? Then Guns and machinery would be 2x cost. If so then perhaps that should apply to the original costs(ie hull is only 50% cost) so more hull, armor and machinery or guns would be finished.

Any help would be appreciated.

[TexanCowboy]

A. I would assume that the majority of the hull and the engines, perhaps the torpedo bulkhead, were complete. The engines normally go in first.

B. I say just pay what you would normally pay, 1 BP and $1 per 1,000 tons.

[Guinness]

What's done (in my opinion):

Hull itself substantially complete. Turbines and prop shafts fitted. Most of the belt armor  and torpedo bulkheads. Some of the boilers and other machinery equipment.

What's not:

Armament, armored deck, control systems, the rest of the boilers and machinery, most of the superstructure, most of the details and crew service equipment.

So maybe:

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
  Armament: 0 tons
  Armour: 5600 tons
     - Belts: 5000 tons
     - Torpedo bulkhead: 600 tons
     - Armament: 0 tons
     - Armour Deck: 0 tons
     - Conning Tower: 0 tons
  Machinery: 1500 tons
  Hull, fittings & equipment: 6500 tons
  Fuel, ammunition & stores: 0 tons
  Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons

That comes out around 13600 tons. Certainly if you wanted to change the main armament and it's armor, conning tower, control systems, and superstructure, you probably still could. I agree that surcharges probably don't apply. With the armored deck not yet fitted, many changes could be made, provided you didn't want to move bulkheads around much.

[Blooded]

Hmmm...

In checking up on previous reports, I discovered that the 3rd I Class is farther along than previously thought. Unfortunately the first two never officially were completed. I imagine they were allowed to be completed during the missing 3 half years.

AS of 1/15:
           $Spent    Tons    BPSpent
BC 1     $23.8    23800   20.00       Payed off H214   ($0.20/4BP remaining)
BC 2     $23.8    23800   20.00       Payed off H214   ($0.20/4BP remaining)
BC 3     $21.8    23800   15.00             ($2.20/9BP remaining)

The $0.20 is from the slight(200ton) increase they got from DFs redo.

That means #3 has had 15BP spent of the 24, a bit better. But she is almost paid off!
Looking around the web, I have seen many pictures of launchings showing the belt armor to be missing. I imagine that it took a long time to produce(as well as machinery and guns) so it was probably waiting for fitting out.

I wasn't aware that they launched with the machinery. Thanks for the info! It also seemed odd that the deck armor wasn't fitted yet( i figured it was a substantial part of the ships strength) but then how would you fit large item below with it in the way, ooops should have thought it through.

[Nobody]

...
In theory she is half done. As she comes in at 24,000 light I assume 12,000 tons are complete. She has been floated and is waiting for me to pick her up.

The questions are many, but first what do you think would be completed at this stage?
...

If I may refer to how the German ships of WWII were constructed:
1. Hull bottom
2. Hull sides and all bulkheads up to the armor deck
3. main machinery (boilers & turbines, because you can't access them anymore once the armor deck is fitted)
4. armor deck, remaining hull parts and barbeettes
5. ship is launched
6. superstructure, guns props and the side armor etc.

You might want to take a look here at the first dozen or so photographs.