Forty kilotonner

[The Rock Doctor]

So I'm playing with 40,000 t designs.  Pretty much figure it'll be an armored cruiser class, because I can build unpleasant battleships on 35,000 t just fine.

One option is a nice 29 knot, 8x400mm ship.  Alternately, I can do this, with alternate armaments of either 4x4 - 305mm or 3x4 - 350mm.  The twelve-inchers wouldn't be so useful for punching through capital ship armor, but the trend to all-or-nothing leaves a lot of unprotected space and lots of nice superstructure for mission-kills.

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1921 (Engine 1923)

Displacement:
   40,381 t light; 42,095 t standard; 45,067 t normal; 47,445 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   799.17 ft / 793.96 ft x 107.94 ft x 30.68 ft (normal load)
   243.59 m / 242.00 m x 32.90 m  x 9.35 m

Armament:
      15 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns (5x3 guns), 865.70lbs / 392.68kg shells, 1921 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, majority forward, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      16 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.97kg shells, 1921 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on side, all amidships, 8 raised mounts - superfiring
      4 - 2.56" / 65.0 mm guns in single mounts, 8.38lbs / 3.80kg shells, 1921 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      4 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1921 Model
     Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 14,365 lbs / 6,516 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 100

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   13.8" / 350 mm   515.09 ft / 157.00 m   16.01 ft / 4.88 m
   Ends:   7.87" / 200 mm   137.80 ft / 42.00 m   10.50 ft / 3.20 m
     141.08 ft / 43.00 m Unarmoured ends
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
      1.97" / 50 mm   543.31 ft / 165.60 m   29.07 ft / 8.86 m

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   15.0" / 380 mm   7.87" / 200 mm      15.0" / 380 mm
   3rd:   1.97" / 50 mm         -               -
   4th:   0.98" / 25 mm         -               -
   5th:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 3.94" / 100 mm, Conning tower: 13.78" / 350 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 162,000 shp / 120,852 Kw = 30.06 kts
   Range 20,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 5,350 tons)

Complement:
   1,546 - 2,010

Cost:
   £9.366 million / $37.466 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1,796 tons, 4.0 %
   Armour: 15,803 tons, 35.1 %
      - Belts: 5,321 tons, 11.8 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,150 tons, 2.6 %
      - Armament: 4,391 tons, 9.7 %
      - Armour Deck: 4,565 tons, 10.1 %
      - Conning Tower: 376 tons, 0.8 %
   Machinery: 5,414 tons, 12.0 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 16,880 tons, 37.5 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,686 tons, 10.4 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 488 tons, 1.1 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     52,291 lbs / 23,719 Kg = 60.4 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 7.1 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.08
   Metacentric height 6.5 ft / 2.0 m
   Roll period: 17.8 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 59 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.53
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.07

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.600
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.36 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 28.18 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 55
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: -3.28 ft / -1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      29.53 ft / 9.00 m
      - Forecastle (16 %):   23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Mid (50 %):      23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Stern:      23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Average freeboard:   24.00 ft / 7.32 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 86.7 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 182.4 %
   Waterplane Area: 62,680 Square feet or 5,823 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 109 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 195 lbs/sq ft or 953 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 1.01
      - Longitudinal: 1.14
      - Overall: 1.02
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

[TexanCowboy]

Might as well introduce the quad 12'' mount to the world....

[Tanthalas]

Ironicly I have considerd doing that exact same thing Rock...

[The Rock Doctor]

I haven't got a quad 12" yet, but it could easily be done before I got around to laying such things down.  Might match it with Iberian 305/50cal guns rather than use my existing 45cals.

Tan:  Wouldn't surprise me, as Rohan is also fond of large numbers of guns.

[Logi]

Why not a quad 14" instead? :D

[The Rock Doctor]

As noted, I can do that on essentially the same hull.  I'll be finishing a quad 35cm in 1919.

[Ithekro]

You aren't going for the six gun turrets yet? (American Tillman-Maxium Battleship designed to fit the Panama canal at 975ft x 108ft x 32 ft, at a whopping 80,000 tons, a radius of 12,000nm at 10 knots and 24 (in four turrets) 16" guns.  (designed in 1916).

[Nobody]

Scary.

But 162000 hp is just a tad too much for the 1917 engine tech (40k per shaft).

The hull resembles the Scharnhorst in size, which however had only 3 triple turrets of smaller caliber and newer engines. So despite what SpringSharp says, I can't imagine 5 centerline turrets and a huge engine to fit into it.

[TexanCowboy]

The heavier BC should make it possible.

[Guinness]

You aren't going for the six gun turrets yet? (American Tillman-Maxium Battleship designed to fit the Panama canal at 975ft x 108ft x 32 ft, at a whopping 80,000 tons, a radius of 12,000nm at 10 knots and 24 (in four turrets) 16" guns.  (designed in 1916).

Isn't there sufficient evidence and consensus among most historians now that the Tillmans, while being believable enough to fool the amateur naval architects in congress, probably weren't really viable concepts in reality?

[The Rock Doctor]

She's about sixty feet longer than Scharnhorst.  Longer than high-speed designs such as the Amagis.

Good catch on the machinery though - that'll cost me around 0.2 knots, I imagine.

I wasn't really planning on sextuple turrets, and now that I'm bound to the Richmond Treaty, it would seem to be a moot point for a while yet.

Edit:  Actually, the HP reduction costs 0.04 knots.  Maybe I'll consider knocking speed down to 29.5 or so and seeing what that does for the rest of the hull.

[mentat]

this seems quite strange design for 40k tons

   - can get a 15" gunned and well protected Fast BB at this size - which seems a better return on the cost involved

alternatively - to be a Fast AC - really need 31/32 knots - to get this on 160k shp needs a smaller ship - maybe lower BC - and fewer guns

  vs S & G (775') - this design is only +18' - and like I do wonder if 5 Centerline Triples will fit - I would think for 160 k shp ship might need to be a bit longer say 810-820' (like Vanguard/Bismarck size) to fit 4 Triples - interesting to see a pic  ;)