Confederate Never-were's: 1917 Emergency Program

[Guinness]

I don't think I ever posted these. Since they are done, I figured I might as well share.

When in late 1916 the CSA was seriously contemplating mobilizing over Mesoamerica, a design for a class of "Emergency Torpedo Rams" was requested, using the working title of "G-Class". These boats sacrificed sea keeping and some armament for minimal size.

It was estimated that only so many modern (ie 1916) machinery sets could be constructed at a time, and since the need was identified for a new small reasonably fast minelayer, a companion design using less modern (ie 1912) machinery was also requested, entitled the Castle class. These boats would all have been named for types of fortifications.

So these go in the never-where file and likely will only be interesting to Nverse naval historians of the future.

G-Class, CSA Torpedo Ram laid down 1917 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
   500 t light; 519 t standard; 603 t normal; 670 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   269.50 ft / 263.00 ft x 23.90 ft x 7.99 ft (normal load)
   82.14 m / 80.16 m x 7.28 m  x 2.44 m

Armament:
      3 - 3.50" / 88.9 mm guns in single mounts, 20.00lbs / 9.07kg shells, 1917 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on centreline, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
     Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
      1 - 1.58" / 40.0 mm guns in single mounts, 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1917 Model
     Anti-aircraft gun in deck mount
     on centreline amidships, 1 raised gun
      4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1917 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 62 lbs / 28 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 200
   3 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 16,000 shp / 11,936 Kw = 30.17 kts
   Range 4,539nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 151 tons

Complement:
   60 - 79

Cost:
   £0.123 million / $0.493 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 8 tons, 1.4 %
   Machinery: 310 tons, 51.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 172 tons, 28.5 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 103 tons, 17.1 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 10 tons, 1.7 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     164 lbs / 74 Kg = 7.6 x 3.5 " / 89 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.25
   Metacentric height 0.9 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 10.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.17
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 0.89

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.420
   Length to Beam Ratio: 11.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 16.22 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 68 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 79
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 18.45 degrees
   Stern overhang: 1.50 ft / 0.46 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      15.00 ft / 4.57 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Mid (51 %):      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Quarterdeck (10 %):   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Stern:      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Average freeboard:   10.31 ft / 3.14 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 178.6 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 80.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 3,919 Square feet or 364 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 48 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 22 lbs/sq ft or 110 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.50
      - Longitudinal: 1.55
      - Overall: 0.55
   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
   Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather

Trial Speed: 32.53 knots
Misc Weights:
6 tons: 3 21 inch torpedoes, 1 ton: forward gun shield (0.5"), 3 tons reserve

Range at max speed: 348 nm, 11.5 hours
Range at 28.5 knots: 420 nm, 14.7
Range at 25 knots: 635 nm, 25.4 hours
Range at 20 knots: 1231 nm
Range at 15 knots: 2650 nm
Seakeeping at 28.5 knots: 1.02

Castle Class, CSA Torpedo Ram laid down 1917 (Engine 1912)

Displacement:
   500 t light; 516 t standard; 603 t normal; 672 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   269.50 ft / 263.00 ft x 23.90 ft x 7.99 ft (normal load)
   82.14 m / 80.16 m x 7.28 m  x 2.44 m

Armament:
      2 - 3.50" / 88.9 mm guns in single mounts, 20.00lbs / 9.07kg shells, 1917 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on centreline, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
      1 - 1.58" / 40.0 mm guns in single mounts, 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1917 Model
     Anti-aircraft gun in deck mount
     on centreline amidships, 1 raised gun
      4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1917 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 42 lbs / 19 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 170

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 13,500 shp / 10,071 Kw = 28.99 kts
   Range 3,994nm at 12.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 157 tons

Complement:
   60 - 79

Cost:
   £0.118 million / $0.473 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 6 tons, 0.9 %
   Machinery: 306 tons, 50.8 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 165 tons, 27.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 103 tons, 17.1 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 23 tons, 3.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     174 lbs / 79 Kg = 8.1 x 3.5 " / 89 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.32
   Metacentric height 1.0 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 10.3 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.11
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.420
   Length to Beam Ratio: 11.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 16.22 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 66 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 70
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 18.45 degrees
   Stern overhang: 1.50 ft / 0.46 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      15.00 ft / 4.57 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Mid (51 %):      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Quarterdeck (10 %):   9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Stern:      9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Average freeboard:   10.31 ft / 3.14 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 175.4 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 120.2 %
   Waterplane Area: 3,919 Square feet or 364 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 53 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 22 lbs/sq ft or 105 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.50
      - Longitudinal: 1.52
      - Overall: 0.56
   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

Trial Speed: 31.33 knots
Misc Weights: 22 tons: 22 mines, 1 ton: half-inch armored shield for A position
Range at max speed: 342 nm, 11.7 hours
Range at 25 knots: 563 nm, 19.75 hours
Range at 20 knots: 1090 nm
Range at 15 knots: 2335 nm
Seakeeping at 28.5 knots: 1.05

[Borys]

Ahoj!
Very nice!
I think such ships could be usefull as torpedo boats/minelayers/general patrol ships in the Otranto and Sicilian Straits. Maybe the Parana Station too?
Borys

[Guinness]

Sure. The TR was designed to work with the battlefleet too to provide more numbers. Functionally it's  pretty similar to some of the bigger older boats doing that now.

But both types would be very useful in the Florida Strait etc.

The CSA and Habsburgs have cooperated on torpedo craft before. Maybe the new Confederate regime might be willing to work with the Austrians again...

[Jefgte]

Useful & economical ships for coastal work.
& always, very nice Guiness drawings.


Jef  ;)

[hooper82]

Very nice, I really like these.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
Guiness, would it be a problem for you to modify the drawing of the G-class?
- replace the pom-pom with a 3,5";
- place short rails (half the lenght of those from the Castle class) on the fantail?
- hmm, maybe place the pom-pom amidships?

It would then be an ideal multi-purpose vessel ...

Borys

[Guinness]

Swapping the pompon and the midships 3.5" is no problem. Adding mines and rails will cost something though. Probably some combination of speed and range.

[Borys]

Swapping the pompon and the midships 3.5" is no problem. Adding mines and rails will cost something though. Probably some combination of speed and range.

Can be at the cost of range  -  2x3,5", 1xpom-pom, 3x20" torpedos, 12 mines/depth charges is IMO excellent armament.
Borys