CSA 1914 New Designs

[Guinness]

For the 1914 program, the CSA included an appropriations request for two battleships following a natural evolution from the Alabama class. Congress, however, swayed by arguments from outside the Navy Department (but likely originating within), instead specified two "fast armored cruisers of the type known elsewhere alternately as armored cruisers, armored frigates, or battle cruisers, to displace not more than 30,000 tons in light condition, and capable of no less than a speed of twenty-seven nautical miles per hour".

Naval department designers, faced with an engineering constraint of 20,000 shp, and the practical limitation of no more than four screws per ship, opted for a more limited design than hinted at by Congress. While officially termed "armored cruisers (First Class)", the new ships carry neither traditional first class cruiser names, nor traditional battleship names. Many are already optimistically referring to them as "fast battleships".

Two ships are authorized, the name ship, Enterprise and her sister Independence, both to be laid down in 1914.

(Click on all images below to see full-resolution version.)











CSS Enterprise, CSA Armored Cruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   25,345 t light; 26,814 t standard; 28,650 t normal; 30,118 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   721.00 ft / 708.00 ft x 96.00 ft x 29.74 ft (normal load)
   219.76 m / 215.80 m x 29.26 m  x 9.07 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, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      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
      12 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (6x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 13,210 lbs / 5,992 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 120

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   11.0" / 279 mm   441.00 ft / 134.42 m   14.00 ft / 4.27 m
   Ends:   4.00" / 102 mm   267.00 ft / 81.38 m   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
   Upper:   4.00" / 102 mm   171.00 ft / 52.12 m   21.50 ft / 6.55 m
     Main Belt covers 96 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.50" / 38 mm   441.00 ft / 134.42 m   32.00 ft / 9.75 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   13.0" / 330 mm   4.00" / 102 mm      11.5" / 292 mm
   2nd:   4.00" / 102 mm         -         1.50" / 38 mm
   3rd:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -
   4th:         -      1.00" / 25 mm            -

   - Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 12.00" / 305 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp / 59,680 Kw = 27.00 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 3,305 tons

Complement:
   1,100 - 1,431

Cost:
   £3.192 million / $12.768 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,398 tons, 4.9 %
   Armour: 9,633 tons, 33.6 %
      - Belts: 4,154 tons, 14.5 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 783 tons, 2.7 %
      - Armament: 1,949 tons, 6.8 %
      - Armour Deck: 2,504 tons, 8.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 242 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,190 tons, 11.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,711 tons, 37.4 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,305 tons, 11.5 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 413 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     35,005 lbs / 15,878 Kg = 28.5 x 13.5 " / 343 mm shells or 5.7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
   Metacentric height 6.1 ft / 1.8 m
   Roll period: 16.4 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.48
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.20

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.496
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.38 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 26.61 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 58
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 23.43 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      30.00 ft / 9.14 m
      - Forecastle (22 %):   23.00 ft / 7.01 m
      - Mid (52 %):      19.00 ft / 5.79 m (11.00 ft / 3.35 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (17 %):   13.00 ft / 3.96 m
      - Stern:      15.50 ft / 4.72 m
      - Average freeboard:   18.12 ft / 5.52 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 95.7 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 128.3 %
   Waterplane Area: 45,121 Square feet or 4,192 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 104 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 171 lbs/sq ft or 835 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.98
      - Longitudinal: 1.17
      - 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

Note: Tall upper  belt covers casemates as well.
Note: There is a 1" armored deck above the casemates, with a 2" main
armored deck below. Main armored deck is 3" fore and aft of casemates.

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

Range at 10 knots: 11700nm
Range at 15 knots: 4950nm
Range at 20 knots: 2500nm
Range at max speed: 1125nm


Immunity zone:

Approx 16,700 to 20,450 yards (against own guns)
Beyond 14,000 yards (against German 12" gun)

[The Rock Doctor]

Very nice.  A shame about Congress being swayable, but what can you do...

Interesting that we're going to have two battlecruisers called Independence.

How much miscellaneous weight is being assigned to the potato peeling room?

[Guinness]

You should see the Mark 2 potato peeler. It weighs at least 10 tons. Can peel 32 potatoes a minute though. :)

Seriously though, that's sort of an homage to some South Dakota (BB 49) constructors drawings I've been staring at a lot lately, where the Potato Peeler room is clearly marked at the end of the superstructure.

The Swiss already have an Independence, don't they. Hrm. I guess I could come up with another name. I'd originally imagined calling them Enterprise and Columbia, but decided that didn't work either.

[The Rock Doctor]

It might make me reluctant to shoot at her, for what that's worth.

How about something like...I dunno...Liberty? 

[P3D]

The Swiss already have an Independence, don't they. Hrm. I guess I could come up with another name. I'd originally imagined calling them Enterprise and Columbia, but decided that didn't work either.

A Colombian friend of mine insists that Colombia is the country, and Columbia is the river - but the latter is non-existent in N-Verse with the NW being Middle Earth.

I'd decrease the beam a bit.

[Guinness]

Some of my BC name ideas include:

Qualities Confederates find important:

Enterprise
Independence
Liberty

Names referring to the region or to the CSA itself:
America
Columbia
Dixie

Names referring to our way of government, etc.:
Congress
President
Constitution
Republic

Sort of started at the top, I suppose. America would itself make a fine name, but I was sort of saving it. I thought Congress through Republic might better be saved for a future class as well.

I also considered using city names like other cruisers, where most of the largest Confederate cities are still available (this is where the principal cities descriptions in the CSA encyclopedia came from), so:

Atlanta
Richmond
Houston
Los Angeles

So here we are. Enterprise and America both have nice rings to them though...

Re: Beam that looks like a good suggestion (just futzing with it in SS2). Not sure if the design department has the resources to draft a revision though. We'll see.  ;)

[P3D]

I have a long list of rivers and tribes in Africa to use on destroyers, but did not get all the way to implement it...

[Desertfox]

*places lawsuit on guiness*

Now that that's out of the way... ;D it's not as bad as Wesworld where we have about 5 ships named Enterpise! :o

[Jefgte]

Well balanced cruiser
Nice drawing studies

Bravo l'Artist
-------------------
Did you post this study on Designing & Warship Projets ?


Jef

[Guinness]

Not yet. P3D has me thinking about cutting her beam. Maybe after I get some work done today.

[Guinness]

Following the realization that a very serious calculation error had been made in these ships after their preliminary design, they had to be redesigned. The hull is still largely the same, but the delay will be lengthy and costly.

The redesigned ship (Click on all images below to see full-resolution version):









CSS Enterprise, CSA Armored Cruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   25,545 t light; 26,966 t standard; 28,650 t normal; 29,996 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   721.00 ft / 708.00 ft x 96.00 ft x 29.74 ft (normal load)
   219.76 m / 215.80 m x 29.26 m  x 9.07 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, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      14 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns (8 mounts), 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1914 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on side, all amidships
      6 - 1.58" / 40.0 mm guns in single mounts, 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1914 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on centreline, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      12 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns (6x2 guns), 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1914 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 13,068 lbs / 5,928 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 115

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   11.0" / 279 mm   458.00 ft / 139.60 m   16.00 ft / 4.88 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.50" / 38 mm   458.00 ft / 139.60 m   32.00 ft / 9.75 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   13.0" / 330 mm   4.00" / 102 mm      11.5" / 292 mm
   2nd:   1.50" / 38 mm   1.00" / 25 mm      1.50" / 38 mm

   - Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 12.00" / 305 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp / 59,680 Kw = 27.00 kts
   Range 7,280nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 3,030 tons

Complement:
   1,100 - 1,431

Cost:
   £3.179 million / $12.718 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,378 tons, 4.8 %
   Armour: 9,036 tons, 31.5 %
      - Belts: 3,453 tons, 12.1 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 813 tons, 2.8 %
      - Armament: 2,023 tons, 7.1 %
      - Armour Deck: 2,504 tons, 8.7 %
      - Conning Tower: 242 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 3,190 tons, 11.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 11,533 tons, 40.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,105 tons, 10.8 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 408 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     35,462 lbs / 16,085 Kg = 28.8 x 13.5 " / 343 mm shells or 5.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
   Metacentric height 5.7 ft / 1.7 m
   Roll period: 17.0 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 64 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.60
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.21

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.496
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.38 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 26.61 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 23.43 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      30.00 ft / 9.14 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   23.50 ft / 7.16 m
      - Mid (53 %):      19.50 ft / 5.94 m (12.00 ft / 3.66 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (17 %):   13.50 ft / 4.11 m
      - Stern:      15.50 ft / 4.72 m
      - Average freeboard:   18.61 ft / 5.67 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 94.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 135.4 %
   Waterplane Area: 45,121 Square feet or 4,192 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 107 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 183 lbs/sq ft or 895 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.97
      - Longitudinal: 1.24
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

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

Range at 10 knots: 10624nm
Range at 15 knots: 4471nm
Range at 20 knots: 2254nm
Range at max speed: 1008nm

Immunity zone:
Approx 16,500 to 20,450 yards (against own guns)
Beyond 14,000 yards (against German 12" gun)

[Ithekro]

Considering there have been a few times there has been at least two Enterprises in the world's navies (HMS Enterprise and USS Enterprise) it is reasonable.  Plus OV-101 Enterprise and CVN-65 Enterprise, plus any other existing models (VSS Enterprise in the very near future as well).

[The Rock Doctor]

It'll be interesting to see if the loss of armor and secondaries comes back to haunt them. 

Good work on the drawings.  The cage/pagoda mast intrigues me.

On names - I think Tan and I will be using Avenger for similar types of ships soon, so Enterprise isn't unique.

[Guinness]

Thanks. Long ago when this was gestating, I was looking at the fine illustration of Nagato in the Jane's Battleships of World War 2 book, and got inspired. The CSA's capital ships have been hunting for a "look", and I think I found it.

Nagato had a heptapod. Enterprise got a hexapod, mainly because it fit a little better. It does seem like an effective solution to the problem of supporting FC weights up high, while still providing plenty of working space for other functions.

Is there another "Enterprise" out there? I decided to veer off from "Independence" for now and use "America" instead.

At any rate, as I expect BCs and BBs to merge quite soon, there won't be a lot of need for BC names.

[The Rock Doctor]

It's a look I quite like as well, but have not been able to replicate very effectively.  Since I worked with it at Wesworld, I'm trying to avoid the same style here.

If you're going with America, maybe I need to build a Colombia after all.  One day they can square off in the Ultimate Naval Battle of Ultimate Destiny.