AIS Fleet

[Desertfox]

First up, a cruiser/exploration ship/colonial gunboat/minelayer. Designed to carry around and land a marines platoon or alternatively serve as a minelayer. The torpedoes simulate the space taken by the two landing craft, and the A/S mortars represent actual mortars carried to provide fire support for the marines if need be. The 3" guns are land guns carried aboard for the marines.


Bellerophon, AIS Cruiser laid down 1905

Displacement:
   2,891 t light; 3,030 t standard; 3,500 t normal; 3,876 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (403.53 ft / 400.00 ft) x 50.00 ft x (12.00 / 12.98 ft)
   (122.99 m / 121.92 m) x 15.24 m  x (3.66 / 3.96 m)

Armament:
      3 - 7.00" / 178 mm 45.0 cal guns - 172.96lbs / 78.45kg shells, 150 per gun
     Breech loading guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1905 Model
     3 x Single mounts on centreline, evenly spread
      4 - 5.00" / 127 mm 45.0 cal guns - 63.03lbs / 28.59kg shells, 150 per gun
     Breech loading guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1905 Model
     4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm 30.0 cal guns - 12.44lbs / 5.64kg shells, 150 per gun
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts, 1905 Model
     4 x Single mounts on centreline, aft deck forward
      8 - 1.00" / 25.4 mm 45.0 cal guns - 0.50lbs / 0.23kg shells, 150 per gun
     Machine guns in deck mounts, 1905 Model
     8 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 825 lbs / 374 kg
      Main Torpedoes
      4 - 24.0" / 610 mm, 50.00 ft / 15.24 m torpedoes - 3.636 t each, 14.545 t total
   In 1 sets of deck mounted carriage/fixed tubes
      Main DC/AS Mortars
      2 - 100.00 lbs / 45.36 kg trainable AS Mortars + 100 reloads - 4.554 t total

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   1.00" / 25 mm   250.00 ft / 76.20 m   5.00 ft / 1.52 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 96 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   1.00" / 25 mm      1.00" / 25 mm
   2nd:   1.00" / 25 mm   0.50" / 13 mm      0.50" / 13 mm
   4th:   1.00" / 25 mm         -               -

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks:
   For and Aft decks: 1.00" / 25 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 1.00" / 25 mm, Aft 1.00" / 25 mm

Machinery:
   Coal and oil fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 4,627 ihp / 3,452 Kw = 17.00 kts
   Range 7,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 846 tons (90% coal)

Complement:
   226 - 295

Cost:
   £0.269 million / $1.076 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 279 tons, 8.0 %
      - Guns: 211 tons, 6.0 %
      - Weapons: 68 tons, 2.0 %
   Armour: 324 tons, 9.2 %
      - Belts: 53 tons, 1.5 %
      - Armament: 57 tons, 1.6 %
      - Armour Deck: 204 tons, 5.8 %
      - Conning Towers: 10 tons, 0.3 %
   Machinery: 664 tons, 19.0 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,325 tons, 37.8 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 609 tons, 17.4 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 300 tons, 8.6 %
      - Hull below water: 50 tons
      - Hull above water: 250 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     5,740 lbs / 2,603 Kg = 33.5 x 7.0 " / 178 mm shells or 0.4 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.42
   Metacentric height 3.2 ft / 1.0 m
   Roll period: 11.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.30
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.62

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.510 / 0.523
   Length to Beam Ratio: 8.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 20.00 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 35 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 43
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
            Fore end,    Aft end
      - Forecastle:   20.00 %,  20.00 ft / 6.10 m,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m
      - Average freeboard:      14.24 ft / 4.34 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 91.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 151.5 %
   Waterplane Area: 13,453 Square feet or 1,250 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 131 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 75 lbs/sq ft or 366 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.96
      - Longitudinal: 1.41
      - Overall: 1.00
   Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space
   Excellent accommodation and workspace room
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

100 t: 2 x 20t landing craft and associated equipment
200 t: 50 marines, or cargo, or mines

[snip]

Bellerophon

My Bellerophon is bigger ;D (Well, the design might be getting a bit of a change, but the point still stands).

Edit: Opps, seems I forgot to add thoughts. Anyway, looks like a good little support ship to me. Small enough to be easily replaceable if she gets caught out by a Fleet cruiser but capable of giving a few DDs a good fight. Dosent quite have the speed to to do much front line duty, but works great for its role.

[KWorld]

Armor seems a bit thin compared to main gun size.

[Carthaginian]

I like the use of the torps to estimate space for the landing craft... but their weight should be stored On Deck rather than in Hull Above Water. ;) That is, unless they are in a hold, and then the cranes and such should be above deck.

For the 'actual Mortars,' just sim the mortars as guns. You can do that in SS3.

[Darman]

How do you sim mortars as guns? 

[snip]

my guess would be a really short barreled guns

[Darman]

So like caliber 20?

[Carthaginian]

So like caliber 20?

In some cases, even shorter... like 15 or even 10 calibers.

[Nobody]

So like caliber 20?

In some cases, even shorter... like 15 or even 10 calibers.

Or less.
60 cm motar was L/8.45.

[KWorld]

Definitely less: the German WWI minenwerfers had barrels as short as 3 calibers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_cm_schwerer_Minenwerfer).


I'm a bit puzzled, though, by what the point of mortars aboard ship would be:  they're short-ranged, indirect fire weapons, at a period where wireless equipment is very bulky.  If the target can be seen from the ship, direct-fire weapons will be far superior and are already mounted.  If the target can't be seen from the ship, it won't be easy for the ship to engage it because of period communications difficulties.

[Carthaginian]

Definitely less: the German WWI minenwerfers had barrels as short as 3 calibers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_cm_schwerer_Minenwerfer).


I'm a bit puzzled, though, by what the point of mortars aboard ship would be:  they're short-ranged, indirect fire weapons, at a period where wireless equipment is very bulky.  If the target can be seen from the ship, direct-fire weapons will be far superior and are already mounted.  If the target can't be seen from the ship, it won't be easy for the ship to engage it because of period communications difficulties.

UNLESS you face defensive emplacements along the shore- which will have high earthen or concrete revetments protecting them, be visible from the ship, and would thus be more vulnerable to indirect fire. ;)

I plan a mortar vessel or two, myself.

[KWorld]

Yeah, but this ship doesn't have the armor to play with those sorts of targets.

[Carthaginian]

Yeah, but this ship doesn't have the armor to play with those sorts of targets.

If they are primarily anti-infantry measures (machinegun nests) it will be OK.
If they are anything else, this ship will probably be my first test of a 'mutiny roll.' ;)

Foxy,
I'd say remove the mortars or give the ship a smidgen more armor- at least 3" sides and a 1" deck to handle light anti-ship weapons. That will ensure that you are protected against most smaller cruiser-grade weapons and some degree of light land-based mortars.

[Desertfox]

Well its more of a colonial gunboat than a true cruiser, hence the lower speed. The armor is a protected cruiser scheme.

Again going with the colonial gunboat, targets would be small infantry units or an outpost at most. The mortars would be for fire support of platoon size engagements, covering raiding parties and such. Id prefer to use the AS mortars rather than the main guns, as those identify the weapon as a mortar and we wont be using those options for another 40 years at least.

Hmm, missed that option in SS3, thought misc weight was only above and below waterline.

[Carthaginian]

Well its more of a colonial gunboat than a true cruiser, hence the lower speed. The armor is a protected cruiser scheme.

Again going with the colonial gunboat, targets would be small infantry units or an outpost at most. The mortars would be for fire support of platoon size engagements, covering raiding parties and such. Id prefer to use the AS mortars rather than the main guns, as those identify the weapon as a mortar and we wont be using those options for another 40 years at least.

Hmm, missed that option in SS3, thought misc weight was only above and below waterline.

Protected cruiser scheme... I kind of like that idea.
We'll look at that further when I get home tonight.
I like Jef's method on the 'protected cruiser'- using a 5' belt to simulate the added thickness of the belt slope.

I would prefer that we use the guns tab for a mortar.
There is a SPECIFIC reason for this- the ASW mortar doesn't subtract strength or weight. I know it says that it does, but it doesn't. Using the Guns tab ensures that the mortars actually weight something on the ship. So, this isn't a negotiable point- it is a necessity and unfortunately not up for debate. :(

You can not only put weight On Deck, Above Waterline and Below Waterline- you can put it Above the Deck as well... like boats placed on Flying Bridges.