CSA Speculative Design Studies

[Guinness]

New crazy concept: An idea for a small(ish) cruiser meant explicitly for scouting for the battlefleet.

The armor scheme probably looks strange. The idea is the 3" end belt covers the magazines, while the 1" belt covers the machinery spaces.

In theory, the advantage of this idea is this ship would have significantly better seakeeping than a destroyer, making it better suited to the blue-water scouting mission, while still being reasonably cheap. The trade-off, of course, is less armor and range than a cruiser suited to raiding or trade protection.

Scout Cruiser, CSA Scout Cruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   3,700 t light; 3,824 t standard; 4,295 t normal; 4,673 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   448.00 ft / 435.00 ft x 44.50 ft x 16.52 ft (normal load)
   136.55 m / 132.59 m x 13.56 m  x 5.04 m

Armament:
      6 - 4.75" / 121 mm guns (4 mounts), 50.00lbs / 22.68kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      2 - 1.50" / 38.1 mm guns in single mounts, 1.00lbs / 0.45kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      4 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (2x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 304 lbs / 138 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 220
   6 - 30.0" / 762 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   1.00" / 25 mm   225.00 ft / 68.58 m   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
   Ends:   3.00" / 76 mm   130.00 ft / 39.62 m   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
     80.00 ft / 24.38 m Unarmoured ends
     Main Belt covers 80 % of normal length
     Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   1.00" / 25 mm         -         1.25" / 32 mm

   - Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 37,800 shp / 28,199 Kw = 29.00 kts
   Range 4,000nm at 15.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 849 tons

Complement:
   264 - 344

Cost:
   £0.477 million / $1.908 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 41 tons, 1.0 %
   Armour: 467 tons, 10.9 %
      - Belts: 217 tons, 5.1 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 17 tons, 0.4 %
      - Armour Deck: 232 tons, 5.4 %
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 1,507 tons, 35.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,532 tons, 35.7 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 595 tons, 13.9 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 153 tons, 3.6 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     3,400 lbs / 1,542 Kg = 63.4 x 4.8 " / 121 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.18
   Metacentric height 2.0 ft / 0.6 m
   Roll period: 13.2 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.22
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.11

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.470
   Length to Beam Ratio: 9.78 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 20.86 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 58 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 63
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 22.62 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.00 ft / 0.91 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      24.00 ft / 7.32 m
      - Forecastle (12 %):   20.00 ft / 6.10 m
      - Mid (41 %):      15.50 ft / 4.72 m
      - Quarterdeck (12 %):   13.00 ft / 3.96 m
      - Stern:      14.00 ft / 4.27 m
      - Average freeboard:   16.06 ft / 4.89 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 125.3 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 79.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 12,558 Square feet or 1,167 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 108 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 70 lbs/sq ft or 342 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.94
      - Longitudinal: 1.63
      - Overall: 1.00
   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

Misc Weights:

100t: Fire Control
6t: Torpedoes
25t: Long Range Marconi
26t: Reserve

Range at Max speed: 670 nm or 23 hours
Range at 25 knots: 1046 nm or 36 hours
Range at 15 knots: 4000 nm
Range at 12 knots: 6650 nm

[Guinness]

Better alternative: a 4000t cruiser based on Charlotte, but with 2 knots more speed and a 6th 5.5" gun:

Charlotte Follow On, CSA  Cruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   4,000 t light; 4,143 t standard; 4,599 t normal; 4,963 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   425.00 ft / 425.00 ft x 40.00 ft x 19.10 ft (normal load)
   129.54 m / 129.54 m x 12.19 m  x 5.82 m

Armament:
      6 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns (4 mounts), 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      8 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      2 - 1.50" / 38.1 mm guns in single mounts, 1.00lbs / 0.45kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 456 lbs / 207 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 200
   4 - 20.0" / 508 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   351.00 ft / 106.98 m   11.00 ft / 3.35 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 127 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   1.00" / 25 mm         -         2.00" / 51 mm
   2nd:   0.50" / 13 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 40,000 shp / 29,840 Kw = 29.00 kts
   Range 6,100nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 820 tons

Complement:
   278 - 362

Cost:
   £0.530 million / $2.120 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 63 tons, 1.4 %
   Armour: 694 tons, 15.1 %
      - Belts: 464 tons, 10.1 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 22 tons, 0.5 %
      - Armour Deck: 209 tons, 4.5 %
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 1,595 tons, 34.7 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,499 tons, 32.6 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 599 tons, 13.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 148 tons, 3.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     3,058 lbs / 1,387 Kg = 36.8 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.13
   Metacentric height 1.6 ft / 0.5 m
   Roll period: 13.3 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.44
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.20

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.496
   Length to Beam Ratio: 10.63 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 20.62 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 58 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 58
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      24.00 ft / 7.32 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   21.00 ft / 6.40 m
      - Mid (40 %):      20.00 ft / 6.10 m (12.00 ft / 3.66 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Stern:      12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Average freeboard:   15.70 ft / 4.78 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 126.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 95.9 %
   Waterplane Area: 11,283 Square feet or 1,048 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 101 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 68 lbs/sq ft or 333 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.92
      - Longitudinal: 2.05
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Misc Weights:
100t: Fire Control
25t: Long Range Marconi
4t: Torpedoes
19t: Reserve

Range at 15 knots: 3660 nm
Range at 25 knots: 960 nm
Range at top speed: 608 nm or 20.9 hours

[Guinness]

The problem: other navies have rather imposing BCs capable of 27 knots, and shipping broadsides of at least 8000 pounds.

So, any AC replacement likely has to also be capable of 27 knots. Thus, here are three versions of a possible CSA BC. All three have theoretical immunity to the CSA 13.5" 1500 pound round between about 17,000 yards and 20,000 yards. All have (for the CSA) very very long legs, with an eye toward (somewhat) independent operations.

The first has 8x13.5" 1500 pound guns, of the type that has equipped all recent CSA battleships. The second two are equipped with the new 15" 2000 pounder, either in twins (ABY) or triples (AY).

1914 BC 13.5 Inch, CSA Battlecruisers laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   24,830 t light; 26,288 t standard; 28,093 t normal; 29,536 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   714.00 ft / 690.00 ft x 96.00 ft x 29.99 ft (normal load)
   217.63 m / 210.31 m x 29.26 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
      8 - 13.50" / 343 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,500.00lbs / 680.39kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      16 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in casemate mounts
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 1.50" / 38.1 mm guns in single mounts, 1.00lbs / 0.45kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      10 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (5x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 13,209 lbs / 5,992 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 120

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   9.50" / 241 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   15.00 ft / 4.57 m
   Ends:   4.00" / 102 mm   228.00 ft / 69.49 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     20.00 ft / 6.10 m Unarmoured ends
   Upper:   4.00" / 102 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.50" / 38 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   24.00 ft / 7.32 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   12.0" / 305 mm   6.00" / 152 mm      10.0" / 254 mm
   2nd:   4.00" / 102 mm   4.00" / 102 mm      3.00" / 76 mm
   3rd:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -
   4th:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -

   - Armour deck: 3.25" / 83 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp / 59,680 Kw = 27.02 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 3,249 tons

Complement:
   1,084 - 1,410

Cost:
   £3.169 million / $12.676 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,398 tons, 5.0 %
   Armour: 9,220 tons, 32.8 %
      - Belts: 3,808 tons, 13.6 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 589 tons, 2.1 %
      - Armament: 1,962 tons, 7.0 %
      - Armour Deck: 2,642 tons, 9.4 %
      - Conning Tower: 219 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,190 tons, 11.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,622 tons, 37.8 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,262 tons, 11.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 400 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     34,354 lbs / 15,583 Kg = 27.9 x 13.5 " / 343 mm shells or 5.4 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
   Metacentric height 6.0 ft / 1.8 m
   Roll period: 16.5 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.51
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.20

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.495
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.19 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 26.27 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 58
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25.77 degrees
   Stern overhang: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      29.00 ft / 8.84 m
      - Forecastle (17 %):   21.00 ft / 6.40 m
      - Mid (45 %):      16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   17.00 ft / 5.18 m
      - Stern:      18.00 ft / 5.49 m
      - Average freeboard:   18.52 ft / 5.64 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 97.5 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 133.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 43,934 Square feet or 4,082 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 173 lbs/sq ft or 845 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.97
      - Longitudinal: 1.28
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Misc Weights:
250 t Fire Control
25 t Marconi
10 t Marconi
65 t Flag Facilities
50 t Reserve

Range at 10 knots: 11690nm
Range at 15 knots: 4900nm
Range at 20 knots: 2457nm
Range at max speed: 1091nm

1914 BC 15 inch 3 turrets, CSA Battlecruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   24,830 t light; 26,288 t standard; 28,093 t normal; 29,536 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   714.00 ft / 690.00 ft x 96.00 ft x 29.99 ft (normal load)
   217.63 m / 210.31 m x 29.26 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
      6 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (3x2 guns), 2,000.00lbs / 907.18kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
      16 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in casemate mounts
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 1.50" / 38.1 mm guns in single mounts, 1.00lbs / 0.45kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      10 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (5x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 13,209 lbs / 5,992 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 120

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   8.50" / 216 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   15.00 ft / 4.57 m
   Ends:   4.00" / 102 mm   228.00 ft / 69.49 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     20.00 ft / 6.10 m Unarmoured ends
   Upper:   4.00" / 102 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.50" / 38 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   24.00 ft / 7.32 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   12.0" / 305 mm   6.00" / 152 mm      9.00" / 229 mm
   2nd:   4.00" / 102 mm   4.00" / 102 mm      3.00" / 76 mm
   3rd:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -
   4th:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -

   - Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp / 59,680 Kw = 27.02 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 3,249 tons

Complement:
   1,084 - 1,410

Cost:
   £3.207 million / $12.828 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,433 tons, 5.1 %
   Armour: 8,523 tons, 30.3 %
      - Belts: 3,523 tons, 12.5 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 589 tons, 2.1 %
      - Armament: 1,754 tons, 6.2 %
      - Armour Deck: 2,438 tons, 8.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 219 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,190 tons, 11.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 11,284 tons, 40.2 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,262 tons, 11.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 400 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     34,204 lbs / 15,515 Kg = 20.3 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 5.3 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
   Metacentric height 5.7 ft / 1.7 m
   Roll period: 16.9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.60
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.22

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.495
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.19 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 26.27 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 57
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25.77 degrees
   Stern overhang: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      29.00 ft / 8.84 m
      - Forecastle (17 %):   22.00 ft / 6.71 m
      - Mid (50 %):      16.50 ft / 5.03 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   17.50 ft / 5.33 m
      - Stern:      19.00 ft / 5.79 m
      - Average freeboard:   19.26 ft / 5.87 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 98.5 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 139.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 43,934 Square feet or 4,082 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 105 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 183 lbs/sq ft or 891 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.96
      - Longitudinal: 1.37
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Misc Weights:
250 t Fire Control
25 t Marconi
10 t Marconi
65 t Flag Facilities
50 t Reserve

Range at 10 knots: 11690nm
Range at 15 knots: 4900nm
Range at 20 knots: 2457nm
Range at max speed: 1091nm

1914 BC 15 inch 2 turrets a and y, CSA Battleship laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   24,830 t light; 26,288 t standard; 28,093 t normal; 29,536 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   714.00 ft / 690.00 ft x 96.00 ft x 29.99 ft (normal load)
   217.63 m / 210.31 m x 29.26 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
      6 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (2x3 guns), 2,000.00lbs / 907.18kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      16 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in casemate mounts
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 1.50" / 38.1 mm guns in single mounts, 1.00lbs / 0.45kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      10 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (5x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 13,209 lbs / 5,992 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 120

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   9.50" / 241 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   15.00 ft / 4.57 m
   Ends:   4.00" / 102 mm   228.00 ft / 69.49 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     20.00 ft / 6.10 m Unarmoured ends
   Upper:   4.00" / 102 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
     Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.50" / 38 mm   442.00 ft / 134.72 m   24.00 ft / 7.32 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   12.0" / 305 mm   6.00" / 152 mm      10.0" / 254 mm
   2nd:   4.00" / 102 mm   4.00" / 102 mm      3.00" / 76 mm
   3rd:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -
   4th:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -

   - Armour deck: 3.25" / 83 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp / 59,680 Kw = 27.02 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 3,249 tons

Complement:
   1,084 - 1,410

Cost:
   £3.207 million / $12.828 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,433 tons, 5.1 %
   Armour: 8,712 tons, 31.0 %
      - Belts: 3,808 tons, 13.6 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 589 tons, 2.1 %
      - Armament: 1,455 tons, 5.2 %
      - Armour Deck: 2,642 tons, 9.4 %
      - Conning Tower: 219 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,190 tons, 11.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 11,094 tons, 39.5 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,262 tons, 11.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 400 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     34,444 lbs / 15,623 Kg = 20.4 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 5.3 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.16
   Metacentric height 6.2 ft / 1.9 m
   Roll period: 16.1 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.50
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.22

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.495
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.19 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 26.27 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 58
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25.77 degrees
   Stern overhang: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      29.00 ft / 8.84 m
      - Forecastle (17 %):   21.00 ft / 6.40 m
      - Mid (45 %):      16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   17.00 ft / 5.18 m
      - Stern:      18.00 ft / 5.49 m
      - Average freeboard:   18.52 ft / 5.64 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 98.5 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 133.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 43,934 Square feet or 4,082 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 104 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 181 lbs/sq ft or 883 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.97
      - Longitudinal: 1.37
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Misc Weights:
250 t Fire Control
25 t Marconi
10 t Marconi
65 t Flag Facilities
50 t Reserve

Range at 10 knots: 11690nm
Range at 15 knots: 4900nm
Range at 20 knots: 2457nm
Range at max speed: 1091nm

[P3D]

I'd reduce armor belt to 3" for gamey reasons - that 0.25" is ignored by most (all?) wargames. Same for the 0.50" increments of belt.

Your main adversary is Gran Colombia, with 14" gunned battleships, so 15" should not be necessary - unless you want the BCs to engage the battleline - but then armor would be inadequate. That extra two guns and 240 shells might be decisive if fighting against the large number of Colombian cruisers and destroyers.

[The Rock Doctor]

Of the three, the 13.5" would be my choice if I were building one. 

The 2x3 design might benefit from 75mm deck armor and heavier barbette/face place protection for the main battery to reduce the odds of losing half the battery to a hit.

Are the unarmored ends an intentional feature, or a consequence of enlarging the design late in the game?

[Jefgte]

P3D wrote:

...Your main adversary is Gran Colombia...

That's clear !!!

[The Rock Doctor]

What?  No.  Not at all.  But some monks in Tibet have been saying nasty things about CSA lately.

[Guinness]

Actually, all the talk of conflict with GC is just to disguise CSA intentions for Peru :)

The 20 foot unarmored ends (like the 4" end and upper belts) are intentional features of CSA design of late. It's felt better to cap the ends with bulkheads and leave the extreme ends unarmored, as the hull is particularly narrow in these areas (especially fore). Frankly, I'm also trying to establish an evolution toward AoN protection in the future.

I still can't decide if I really want to build any BCs. I believe that with 1916 engine tech, true fast BBs will be possible, so given I've already got 8 dreadnoughts comissioned or in the works, I probably can just wait. On the other hand though, I've got nothing that could deal with GC's ACs in a commerce war, and I think that any BC with at least some immunity to 13.5/14 inch fire could also be useful as the nucleus of a fleet scouting formation.

Sure, there's lots of stuff I could build instead between the completion of the Alabamas and whenever construction starts on BBs with 1916 engines, but my instinct is to fill the gap with something. Given that crewing and maintaining these new ships will demand retiring something else, and my big ACs are the most likely candidates, it seems logical to build some BCs.

So at any rate, I embarked on this exercise to see just how much BC I could get.

[maddox]

The peacefull, prosperous democratic republic of Gran Colombia an antagonist? I can't believe that for a second.

I would sue for slander, Rocky.

[Jefgte]

I agree, He is soft like a lamb.


Jef  ;)

[The Rock Doctor]

Calling GC democratic might get you sued.

[Korpen]

The 20 foot unarmored ends (like the 4" end and upper belts) are intentional features of CSA design of late. It's felt better to cap the ends with bulkheads and leave the extreme ends unarmored, as the hull is particularly narrow in these areas (especially fore). Frankly, I'm also trying to establish an evolution toward AoN protection in the future.

A thing about how springsharp works:
The weight of the main and upper belts includes the weight of transverse armoured bulkheads, with a length equal to the maximum beam (excluding bulges).
The end belts do not include that, so they are stricktly sides only armour.

[Guinness]

Hmm. Ok, I imagine I can work a little bit of misc weight in for that, or just lengthen the belts.

[Tanthalas]

the 1916 engine tech makes the FAB a totaly realistic proposistion, lump it with the sloped/aon tech and you can build some realy decent ships (although I personaly wont be going AoN yet, just sloped)

[Korpen]

the 1916 engine tech makes the FAB a totaly realistic proposistion, lump it with the sloped/aon tech and you can build some realy decent ships (although I personaly wont be going AoN yet, just sloped)

What on earth do the Feline Advisory Bureau have to do with anything?

As for sloped armour and all-or-nothing protection schemes, remember that they have some significant drawbacks to them as well, Sloped armour might deflect shells down so that the detonate at the waterline or smash into the torpedo defence, and All-or-noting leaves much of the ship unprotected. In short it is protections against the odd large calibre hit, while they are quite poor if lots of hits are expected (such as at a short rang fight).