Lil' Canonero

[The Rock Doctor]

I'm contemplating a few of these for patrols in areas where piracy is an issue.  Cheaper than a torpedo-boat, but with close to the same firepower.  As a bonus, I can run it up my major rivers too.  Whatcha think?

Gunboat, laid down 1916

Displacement:
   493 t light; 518 t standard; 555 t normal; 585 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   164.04 ft / 164.04 ft x 26.25 ft x 8.20 ft (normal load)
   50.00 m / 50.00 m x 8.00 m  x 2.50 m

Armament:
      3 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns in single mounts, 30.51lbs / 13.84kg shells, 1916 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount
      2 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1916 Model
     Breech loading anti-airship guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1916 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 95 lbs / 43 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 250

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   1.97" / 50 mm     96.78 ft / 29.50 m   11.48 ft / 3.50 m
   Ends:   0.98" / 25 mm     67.22 ft / 20.49 m   11.48 ft / 3.50 m
     Main Belt covers 91 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.39" / 10 mm            -
   2nd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -
   3rd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 0.79" / 20 mm, Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 1,200 shp / 895 Kw = 14.92 kts
   Range 3,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 67 tons)

Complement:
   56 - 74

Cost:
   £0.055 million / $0.219 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 12 tons, 2.1 %
   Armour: 178 tons, 32.1 %
      - Belts: 126 tons, 22.7 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 6 tons, 1.0 %
      - Armour Deck: 44 tons, 7.9 %
      - Conning Tower: 3 tons, 0.5 %
   Machinery: 45 tons, 8.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 200 tons, 36.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 62 tons, 11.1 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 58 tons, 10.5 %
   -25 t:  Fire Control
   -25 t:  Long-range Wireless
   -4 t:  12 Depth Charges
   -4 t:  Weight Reserve

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     1,479 lbs / 671 Kg = 48.5 x 3.9 " / 100 mm shells or 1.0 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.16
   Metacentric height 0.9 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 11.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.25
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.550
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.25 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 12.81 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
   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:      14.44 ft / 4.40 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   11.48 ft / 3.50 m
      - Mid (50 %):      11.48 ft / 3.50 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   11.48 ft / 3.50 m
      - Stern:      11.48 ft / 3.50 m
      - Average freeboard:   11.72 ft / 3.57 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 56.1 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 117.4 %
   Waterplane Area: 3,005 Square feet or 279 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 132 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 35 lbs/sq ft or 171 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.82
      - Longitudinal: 5.64
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

[Guinness]

Huh. If anything, she might be overarmored. Or do we think there are a lot of pirates out there with something that needs 50mm belt armor to defend against?

I'd be tempted to bump her to 500t light and try to cram in a 4th gun. Maybe giving up a little freeboard is possible?

[mentat]

Handy Little Ship.

Against Pirates (have to Inspect close-up if they are masquerading) and for River work - maybe some splinter protection (vs Machine gun fire) around the Bridge and a few more light pop-guns/MGs

[The Rock Doctor]

The freeboard does give an unnecessarily high seaboat rating, but in itself, it averages out to about the same as a torpedo-boat.

I thought about a fourth gun, and I'm sure SS could make it work, but I have doubts it really would fit.  There'd be a lot of gunners on a pretty small vessel.

I'll contemplate adding a couple of 47mm QF guns on the sides somewhere - maybe in place of the AA guns.  Ditto an upper belt - should be possible if I shave the deck to 15mm, which'll still be enough to protect against small arms fire and grenades, I'd think.

[ciders]

Only 3000 nm ? Maybe it's too short for a patrol boat.

I'll contemplate adding a couple of 47mm QF guns on the sides somewhere - maybe in place of the AA guns

I agree. It seems that pirates haven't bombers planes. Two 47 mm QF guns would increase usefully the firepower of your ship.

[The Rock Doctor]

I thought the range was okay for a coastal patrol function.  It's about twelve days worth of steaming, enough to circuit the Caribbean.

[The Rock Doctor]

New variant.  Longer, as a sketch suggests it's about the minimum amount possible in which to stuff the armament.  The armor scheme is basically small-arms protection, but very extensive.

I might dump the Fire Control now, and use it for a dedicated boarding team instead.

The two muzzle-loading 8mm guns are, in my mind, pivot-mounted rifles with a supply of tear gas rifle grenades.  Not sure how useful they'd be, but a browse of Wikipedia suggests the tech is possible at this time.

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1916

Displacement:
   494 t light; 516 t standard; 558 t normal; 592 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   177.17 ft / 177.17 ft x 26.90 ft x 8.20 ft (normal load)
   54.00 m / 54.00 m x 8.20 m  x 2.50 m

Armament:
      2 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns in single mounts, 30.51lbs / 13.84kg shells, 1916 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      2 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1916 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on centreline, all forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      2 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1916 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      4 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1916 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      2 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1916 Model
     Muzzle loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 74 lbs / 33 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 250

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm   115.16 ft / 35.10 m   15.42 ft / 4.70 m
   Ends:   0.98" / 25 mm     61.98 ft / 18.89 m   11.48 ft / 3.50 m
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.39" / 10 mm            -
   2nd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -
   3rd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -
   4th:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 0.59" / 15 mm, Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 1,500 shp / 1,119 Kw = 15.99 kts
   Range 3,500nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 76 tons)

Complement:
   56 - 74

Cost:
   £0.054 million / $0.215 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 9 tons, 1.7 %
   Armour: 144 tons, 25.8 %
      - Belts: 102 tons, 18.2 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 5 tons, 0.9 %
      - Armour Deck: 35 tons, 6.2 %
      - Conning Tower: 3 tons, 0.5 %
   Machinery: 56 tons, 10.0 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 213 tons, 38.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 64 tons, 11.5 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 72 tons, 12.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     1,408 lbs / 639 Kg = 46.1 x 3.9 " / 100 mm shells or 0.9 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.16
   Metacentric height 0.9 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 11.8 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.17
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.500
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.59 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 13.31 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 55 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
   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:      15.42 ft / 4.70 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   15.75 ft / 4.80 m
      - Mid (50 %):      15.75 ft / 4.80 m (7.87 ft / 2.40 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   7.87 ft / 2.40 m
      - Stern:      7.87 ft / 2.40 m
      - Average freeboard:   11.78 ft / 3.59 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 61.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 124.3 %
   Waterplane Area: 3,176 Square feet or 295 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 139 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 35 lbs/sq ft or 172 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.83
      - Longitudinal: 5.08
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

[maddox]

Grenade rifles are perfectly possible, even with an 8mm bullet.

[TexanCowboy]

That is pretty small, though. How about a 15 mm

[The Rock Doctor]

The grenade itself is probably an inch or more wide, but the rifle round used to propel it would be 8mm.

[The Bushranger]

I believe it was around this time historically that the Dutch built their "kanonbooten" that were armoured and had 4 x 100mm on a ~500t hull?

Always liked those boats - which means I like these, too. :D

[The Rock Doctor]

Yes - and you'll be pleased to know that I had the DKB build analogues prior to Sachmle's start there.

[Kaiser Kirk]

I believe it was around this time historically that the Dutch built their "kanonbooten" that were armoured and had 4 x 100mm on a ~500t hull?

Always liked those boats - which means I like these, too. :D

Yep the Gruno class. 4 single mounts, 1 ea. fore/aft, 2 waist. I built a version for the Wesworld Dutch.

Overall I like the gunboat concept, fits the riparian needs, good for patrol and potential gunfire support.