Expensive bananas

[maddox]

Transporteur, French  Armed Banana Boat  laid down 1919 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
   1.487 t light; 1.528 t standard; 1.834 t normal; 2.079 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   393,70 ft / 390,42 ft x 35,17 ft x 9,84 ft (normal load)
   120,00 m / 119,00 m x 10,72 m  x 3,00 m

Armament:
      2 - 2,76" / 70,0 mm guns in single mounts, 10,47lbs / 4,75kg shells, 1919 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all forward
      2 - 1,46" / 37,0 mm guns in single mounts, 1,55lbs / 0,70kg shells, 1919 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
   Weight of broadside 24 lbs / 11 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 300

Armour:
   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   1,00" / 25 mm         -               -

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 3 shafts, 26.505 shp / 19.773 Kw = 30,00 kts
   Range 6.000nm at 14,00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 552 tons

Complement:
   139 - 182

Cost:
   £0,389 million / $1,557 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 3 tons, 0,2%
   Armour: 3 tons, 0,2%
      - Belts: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Armament: 3 tons, 0,2%
      - Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0%
   Machinery: 885 tons, 48,2%
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 416 tons, 22,7%
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 348 tons, 18,9%
   Miscellaneous weights: 180 tons, 9,8%

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     536 lbs / 243 Kg = 51,2 x 2,8 " / 70 mm shells or 0,3 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,39
   Metacentric height 1,9 ft / 0,6 m
   Roll period: 10,9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 77 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,01
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1,23

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has raised forecastle
   Block coefficient: 0,475
   Length to Beam Ratio: 11,10 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19,76 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 59 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 63
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -5,00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3,28 ft / 1,00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      21,33 ft / 6,50 m
      - Forecastle (30%):   18,04 ft / 5,50 m (11,48 ft / 3,50 m aft of break)
      - Mid (50%):      11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Quarterdeck (10%):   11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Stern:      11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Average freeboard:   13,85 ft / 4,22 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 167,9%
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140,8%
   Waterplane Area: 8.947 Square feet or 831 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 84%
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 27 lbs/sq ft or 131 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0,51
      - Longitudinal: 0,86
      - Overall: 0,54
   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

[Carthaginian]

LOL... dem betta be sum gud bananas, yah mon!

Expensive little transport, and barely armed enough to do any good.
Being built to destroyer standards makes her easily lost in a hurricane. But then again, if the French build a batch of mistakes, they can just throw the whole class away and start again. So, I guess, these are experimental ships that 'don't quite work right.'

[maddox]

You're right Carthaginian,  those 2 37mm AA guns won't help a damn against pirates in the caribean. 

Maybe replacing all of the guns and a tad of the cargo capacity with a single 165mm?

[Carthaginian]

That would probably work, and a pair of 57mm QF's would discourage any small boats not worthy of the big guns.

[maddox]

Let me resim that.

A 165mm/6.5" is a tad too big. But I believe France has a giant  factory shitting out the 5.5" L50's

Transporteur, French  armed banana boat laid down 1919 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
   1.499 t light; 1.545 t standard; 1.853 t normal; 2.100 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   393,70 ft / 390,42 ft x 35,17 ft x 9,84 ft (normal load)
   120,00 m / 119,00 m x 10,72 m  x 3,00 m

Armament:
     1 - 5,51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 92,59lbs / 42,00kg shells, 1919 Model
     Quick firing gun in deck mounts
     on side, all forward
     2 - 2,24" / 57,0 mm guns in single mounts, 5,65lbs / 2,56kg shells, 1919 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
   Weight of broadside 104 lbs / 47 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
  - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   2,00" / 51 mm   1,00" / 25 mm            -

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 3 shafts, 26.756 shp / 19.960 Kw = 30,00 kts
   Range 6.000nm at 14,00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 556 tons

Complement:
   140 - 183

Cost:
   £0,404 million / $1,615 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 12 tons, 0,6%
   Armour: 7 tons, 0,4%
      - Belts: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Armament: 7 tons, 0,4%
      - Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0%
   Machinery: 876 tons, 47,3%
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 424 tons, 22,9%
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 355 tons, 19,1%
   Miscellaneous weights: 180 tons, 9,7%

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     535 lbs / 243 Kg = 6,4 x 5,5 " / 140 mm shells or 0,3 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,39
   Metacentric height 1,8 ft / 0,6 m
   Roll period: 10,9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 76 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,06
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1,21

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has raised forecastle
   Block coefficient: 0,480
   Length to Beam Ratio: 11,10 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19,76 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 63
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -5,00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3,28 ft / 1,00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      21,33 ft / 6,50 m
      - Forecastle (30%):   18,04 ft / 5,50 m (11,48 ft / 3,50 m aft of break)
      - Mid (50%):      11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Quarterdeck (10%):   11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Stern:      11,48 ft / 3,50 m
      - Average freeboard:   13,85 ft / 4,22 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 168,2%
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140,4%
   Waterplane Area: 8.986 Square feet or 835 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 81%
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 27 lbs/sq ft or 133 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0,51
      - Longitudinal: 0,86
      - Overall: 0,54
   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

[TexanCowboy]

Yes! That can carry...500 men short range. Romania will take 4, please!

[maddox]

Men????
Bananas, pineapples, mangos ,all kinds of tropical fruits that are in high demand in Glorious France, and therefore very profitable.

[Desertfox]

Oh my! Mommy I want some!!! I should look into special version of some of my destroyer classes, could come in handy...

[maddox]

I don't get it?

[Carthaginian]

If Glorious France wanted to move men, Gents, I seriously doubt that they would only move a few dozen of them at a time on something such as this. I mean, c'mon... this is FRANCE, king of "why do it big if you can do it STUPID BIG!" You honestly think that France is gonna move troops on something like this when they already have the largest troop transport in the world?

Shesh, you guys need to start looking at the world form an economically-minded standpoint.
YOU might think these are 'troop transports,' but France just sees them as priority transports for perishable goods. After all, bananas fetch a good price in the Old World, and mangoes are one of the most exotic fruits out there.

[maddox]

Le Magnificent just came from the dock after being repaired and refitted. After all, she was in use since 1904 and torpedo'd twice.

And she takes a quarter corps in one go.

The banana boat can take a lot of banana's or a nice load of Gold Bullion, but not a regiment worth of troops.

[maddox]

To defend the expensive banana's...

Intimitadeur, French Monitor laid down 1920

Displacement:
   2.837 t light; 3.277 t standard; 3.557 t normal; 3.780 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   229,66 ft / 229,66 ft x 32,81 ft (Bulges 49,21 ft) x 14,44 ft (normal load)
   70,00 m / 70,00 m x 10,00 m (Bulges 15,00 m)  x 4,40 m

Armament:
      1 - 19,69" / 500 mm guns in single mounts, 4.409,25lbs / 2.000,00kg shells, 1920 Model
     Breech loading gun in casemate mount
     on centreline forward
      6 - 1,46" / 37,0 mm guns (2x3 guns), 1,55lbs / 0,70kg shells, 1920 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
   Weight of broadside 4.419 lbs / 2.004 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   5,00" / 127 mm   206,69 ft / 63,00 m   15,00 ft / 4,57 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 138% of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   10,0" / 254 mm   5,00" / 127 mm      10,0" / 254 mm
   2nd:   0,50" / 13 mm   0,50" / 13 mm            -

   - Armour deck: 3,00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 10,00" / 254 mm

Machinery:
   Diesel Internal combustion motors,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 3.853 shp / 2.874 Kw = 15,00 kts
   Range 5.200nm at 12,00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 503 tons

Complement:
   229 - 299

Cost:
   £1,223 million / $4,893 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 478 tons, 13,4%
   Armour: 1.190 tons, 33,5%
      - Belts: 633 tons, 17,8%
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
      - Armament: 153 tons, 4,3%
      - Armour Deck: 354 tons, 10,0%
      - Conning Tower: 50 tons, 1,4%
   Machinery: 120 tons, 3,4%
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 999 tons, 28,1%
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 720 tons, 20,2%
   Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 1,4%

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2.439 lbs / 1.106 Kg = 0,6 x 19,7 " / 500 mm shells or 0,7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,48
   Metacentric height 1,8 ft / 0,6 m
   Roll period: 15,2 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,63
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1,22

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0,763
   Length to Beam Ratio: 4,67 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 15,15 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 57
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -5,00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0,00 ft / 0,00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      13,12 ft / 4,00 m
      - Forecastle (5%):   10,60 ft / 3,23 m
      - Mid (50%):      10,60 ft / 3,23 m
      - Quarterdeck (5%):   10,60 ft / 3,23 m
      - Stern:      10,60 ft / 3,23 m
      - Average freeboard:   10,65 ft / 3,25 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 116,9%
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 56,2%
   Waterplane Area: 6.382 Square feet or 593 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 67%
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 88 lbs/sq ft or 428 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0,90
      - Longitudinal: 2,44
      - Overall: 1,00
   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
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

[Guinness]

She's.... odd. I guess that's a good thing here. :)

I wonder about the gun mount. How much could it really traverse in a casemate in a hull this size? Beam is probably only about 8m, maybe less in way of the gun mount, total hull depth is 6.63m. It may not have much room to point more than 15 degree on either beam.

Obviously it would have trouble hitting anything if moving (either it or the target), unless at really close range. If the range has to be close, elevation of the main gun won't be much of a problem, but in that case, wouldn't torpedoes do the job too cheaper?

If the mission is shore bombardment, and if the gun can be elevated high enough, it could have quite the range. In that case a mounting fixed firing on one beam might make more sense though.

I think for a general use monitor, 1 or 2 380mm or 400mm guns in a turret or gunhouse would have greater utility.

[P3D]

I the gun points forward, it cannot be realistically aimed at anything but the ocean or a smaller continent, as the roll cannot be compensated accurately (which was a real problem with firing very close to the beam). The bulge increases roll further.

It would do hell with the trim angle aimed to the beam.
Unless it has a ~3 min loading cycle moving the gun sideways or an ~50t counterweight on the other side.

[TexanCowboy]

I will buy! :)