New New Zion ships for 1914

[Desertfox]

Oh you were actually expecting something?

;D

Ok, ok, I'll come up with something.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Hmm either you played a good joke, or are working on stealth technology already...

[The Rock Doctor]

It's an underwater view of the latest Zionite submarine.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Wait ... it's sky blue... obviously an Air ship

[ctwaterman]

I heard that New Zion was developing a Stealth Airship with a twin 16" turret or maybe it was one of the China I cant remember which
:o ???

[Desertfox]

Hey! How did you guys get access to my notes? :P

It's just that all New Zionite ships will be painted a nice light blue color that 'just happens' to match the background color. ;D

Getting serious, I'm trying to decide what I should do for next half but my mind is just blank. I have 1,200 tons worth of material to spend but what should I spend it on?

1.- Refit all those torpedo boats I have bought. Definately neccessary, but I dont have enough slips to do them all at once.

2.- Build a cruiser. However, at this moment I would like to wait a year so I can use improved engines.

3.- Order some submarines. NZ is looking at getting 3 oceangoing submarines, but that doesn't help with spending own BPs.

I can't store said BP, so any ideas as to how to spend it?

[The Rock Doctor]

-Army ammunition

-Patrol Craft

-Tenders

-Railroads

-Plus refits, as noted above.

-Manufacture exportable goods in exchange for cash from somebody else.

[Desertfox]

Ammunition? Any war between NZ and someone else will be decided relatively fast before ammo becomes a concern. If it becomes prolonged, NZ will be toast anyway.

Patrol craft, I got 10 old TBs from Egypt, those will be reffited as PBs.

Tenders? I am not going anywhere, tenders for NZ are a luxury I cannot afford.

Railroads, well most of my population is concentrated in a small area. Plus it will take a while to figure out where I would need them.

I could sell them, but I have so little BPs in the first place, that I would only sell them if I got the equivalent later on.

[The Rock Doctor]

I'd have said that predreadnoughts were a luxury you couldn't afford, but there they are.

Look at the railway situation this way:  the population may be crunched into a small area, but there's still the rest of the country and whatever good stuff lies underneath it.  You want that oil so recently discovered, but it is easily transported to your industrial centres at this moment?

Personally, I think you need cash more than you need BP right now.  You'd probably find there's a market out there for something.

[Guinness]

How far would that BP get NZ toward building defensive works against those sneaky Italians?

[The Rock Doctor]

The Zionites are too manly to use fortifications.  Plus, of course, they have no cash.

[Desertfox]

Oh but we do have fortifications, don't forget the impregnable Masada! Speaking of fortifications, Rocky would you consider selling those 4 guns you have for BPs?

And finally a new ship:

A dynamite gunship for Lake Viktoria. The 8 misc tons are for "flagship" facilities.

Dead Sea, New Zion Dynamite Gun Ship laid down 1912

Displacement:
   550 t light; 592 t standard; 602 t normal; 610 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   190.00 ft / 190.00 ft x 29.00 ft x 9.10 ft (normal load)
   57.91 m / 57.91 m x 8.84 m  x 2.77 m

Armament:
      2 - 10.00" / 254 mm guns in single mounts, 500.00lbs / 226.80kg shells, 1912 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      2 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1912 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      2 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1912 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      2 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.81lbs / 1.73kg shells, 1912 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
      4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1912 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 1,062 lbs / 482 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 50

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

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 3,647 shp / 2,720 Kw = 20.00 kts
   Range 500nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 18 tons

Complement:
   59 - 78

Cost:
   £0.141 million / $0.562 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 133 tons, 22.1 %
   Armour: 13 tons, 2.2 %
      - Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 13 tons, 2.2 %
      - Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 70 tons, 11.7 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 326 tons, 54.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 52 tons, 8.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 8 tons, 1.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     194 lbs / 88 Kg = 0.4 x 10.0 " / 254 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.35
   Metacentric height 1.3 ft / 0.4 m
   Roll period: 10.6 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.85
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 0.93

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.420
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.55 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 13.78 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 62 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 54
   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:      11.00 ft / 3.35 m
      - Forecastle (50 %):   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
      - Mid (50 %):      7.00 ft / 2.13 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   7.00 ft / 2.13 m
      - Stern:      7.00 ft / 2.13 m
      - Average freeboard:   8.70 ft / 2.65 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 196.4 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 77.6 %
   Waterplane Area: 3,435 Square feet or 319 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 44 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 61 lbs/sq ft or 297 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.86
      - Longitudinal: 4.01
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
   Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather

[The Rock Doctor]

I'm thinking it may not be a good idea.

[Desertfox]

Selling the guns or this ship?

[The Rock Doctor]

Selling the guns.  The ship may be alright, if you don't mind an arms race with the DKB on the lake.