UNK Ships and Studies for 1916 onward

[The Bushranger]

Hmm. *eyes and makes notes*...

[Carthaginian]

Hey... if you're playing again, let me know who you are and we might be able to work something out. ;0

[Carthaginian]

After eyeing their Southern ally's new Monroe class cruisers with envious eyes, the United Norman Kingdom authorized a new cruiser similar in design, but larger and more heavily armed and armored. The Richmond class will serve as the eyes and ears of the fleet in battle and as a cruiser squadron flagship in peacetime.



Richmond, United Norman Kingdom Protected Cruiser laid down 1917 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
   5,200 t light; 5,416 t standard; 5,924 t normal; 6,330 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   460.00 ft / 450.00 ft x 45.00 ft x 22.00 ft (normal load)
   140.21 m / 137.16 m x 13.72 m  x 6.71 m

Armament:
      8 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns (4x2 guns), 75.00lbs / 34.02kg shells, 1917 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      6 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 12.00lbs / 5.44kg shells, 1917 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
      4 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm guns in single mounts, 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 1917 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 674 lbs / 306 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 250

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   367.00 ft / 111.86 m   14.00 ft / 4.27 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 125 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   1.00" / 25 mm      3.00" / 76 mm
   2nd:   1.00" / 25 mm         -               -
   3rd:   0.25" / 6 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm, Conning tower: 3.00" / 76 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Electric motors, 3 shafts, 52,600 shp / 39,240 Kw = 30.05 kts
   Range 6,825nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 914 tons

Complement:
   336 - 438

Cost:
   £0.973 million / $3.891 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 94 tons, 1.6 %
   Armour: 946 tons, 16.0 %
      - Belts: 619 tons, 10.4 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 64 tons, 1.1 %
      - Armour Deck: 242 tons, 4.1 %
      - Conning Tower: 21 tons, 0.4 %
   Machinery: 1,960 tons, 33.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,061 tons, 34.8 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 724 tons, 12.2 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 140 tons, 2.4 %
      100t - Fire Control (1912)
        25t - Long-Range Marconi
        15t - Weight Reserve

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     4,329 lbs / 1,964 Kg = 52.0 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
   Metacentric height 1.8 ft / 0.6 m
   Roll period: 13.9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.50
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.30

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.465
   Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 21.21 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 59 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 54
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 22.62 degrees
   Stern overhang: -5.00 ft / -1.52 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      24.00 ft / 7.32 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   22.00 ft / 6.71 m
      - Mid (45 %):      22.00 ft / 6.71 m (14.00 ft / 4.27 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   14.50 ft / 4.42 m
      - Stern:      15.00 ft / 4.57 m
      - Average freeboard:   17.97 ft / 5.48 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 122.7 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 127.8 %
   Waterplane Area: 13,085 Square feet or 1,216 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 79 lbs/sq ft or 384 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.90
      - Longitudinal: 2.57
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

New York to London (3150 n. mi. with 350 n. mi. reserve) @ 16 knots

[P3D]

Decent ship of the 'good enough' (as opposed to the 'best') school, this also means you can afford a number of them - unlikely if you push for 31+kts more guns and range.
Range is on the short side, but UNK does not need it as much as others - another few hundred ton of savings or so.

The freeboard is IMHO too high on a 5000t cruiser, 12-13' aft should be OK.

[Guinness]

Even when I'm not sharing designs with my allies, they seem to be peeking in my files... This is pretty similar to a follow-up to the Chattanooga/Monroe class in development. :)

Now for (minor) art criticism: neither mast looks tall enough to my eyes. Especially on a cruiser, you want to get those aerials up there a bit for useful range.

[Carthaginian]

The freeboard is, accidental; its there for 2 reasons:
1.) a function of deck height and draft (4' bilges, one 10' lower deck, one 8' middeck + one 8' upper deck forward)
2.) the desire to make things a little bit dryer on the aft gun crews... though this is wishful thinking in the Atlantic.

And you're very right about the armament/speed issue... to make these ships capable of 31+ knots actually makes it economically unfeasible to build them as a 4x2x5.5" vessel. If they were to get into that size range, I'd have to up the armament to 10 (or even 12) 5.5" guns or 4x2x7.5".

[Carthaginian]

Even when I'm not sharing designs with my allies, they seem to be peeking in my files... This is pretty similar to a follow-up to the Chattanooga/Monroe class in development. :)

Now for (minor) art criticism: neither mast looks tall enough to my eyes. Especially on a cruiser, you want to get those aerials up there a bit for useful range.

It should look familiar, it was intended to be part of that linage since I built the original Charlotte class. ;)
Sorry if I swung away when I should have bunted... but it just seemed like time for the UNK to ask "if you can do 'all centerline turrets, all big guns' with battleships, why not try it with cruisers?"

And the masts are 62' off the water at the top... that not enough?

[Guinness]

I think it's sensible since you have the right cruiser tech. Norman designers are likely privy to Confederate experiments with the twin mounts with hoists as it is, and may have more confidence in them now than we do.

I don' t think these are too out of place in the era either. After all, they won't enter service until 1919 as it is. The Normans should have as much motivation as anyone to experiment with enclosed gunhouses.

[Guinness]

Oh and masts: Chattanooga's spotting position's floor is 79 feet above the waterline, the very top of her foremast is 123 feet. I got to those heights through a combination of some photo study of ships of the era OTL, especially some pictures of US DDs with long range radios in Friedman's destroyers, and by figuring out how far out the visible horizon would be (for the spotting position).

After all, these are scouting ships, so a higher position from which to observe the enemy is an asset.

[Carthaginian]

Cool... one day when I get motivated (and sort out my other issues) I'll redraw them.
Thanks for the heads up on that.

[miketr]

Looks good... about the same out of what I got for cruisers of the same size.  I had a bit more deck armor and heavier guns and 2 knots less speed.

Michal

[maddox]

The UNK and France are also closely connected in the ship building.  Since the Treaty of new York, French ships use UNK designed turbines, and even now, when France can build its own turbines, those still tell the UNK lineage. And the UNK uses except for the liner, the French 340mm (or a bit relined 13.5") and 380mm gun.
Even designing their own turrets around these guns.

The Demarce III and Demarce III B Volcano classs are in the same size range.
Main differences more and heavier guns, way longer range and higher cruise speed, but lower top speed.

[mentat]

I like them :) lots of character with the Nippon funnels - but surprised no TTs

The lack of topmast sections- designed to go under bridges I guess .....

[Carthaginian]

Thanks... I was happy with the way the funnels turned out here- first time that has happened.

There were supposed to be 6 TT's (2xTriples), but I couldn't find room for them.
I might rearrange the boats some and add them in later, though.