United Kingdom start-up 1870

[KWorld]

Rams make some sense, given the limitations of the 1860s.  By the mid 1870s, they're starting to be less useful, because LARGE (like the 450mm RML) guns can overwhelm the armor of the day, and torpedoes start to become an issue.

[Darman]

How do my other vessels look?  The Monarch especially.  But the Beacon as well. 

[KWorld]

I'd somehow missed Monarch.  Looks OK from here, the 7" turrets are a-historical but but should work OK.  The forward rigging would also prevent a 7" turret on the foredeck from firing forward (that's why the historical ship had its forward guns in the hull).

Beacon looks OK for it's role, especially for riverine operations.

[Darman]

I'd somehow missed Monarch.  Looks OK from here, the 7" turrets are a-historical but but should work OK.  The forward rigging would also prevent a 7" turret on the foredeck from firing forward (that's why the historical ship had its forward guns in the hull).

Good point.  Would that be a forward facing casemate then?  Or deck mount but in the hull?

[KWorld]

I'd somehow missed Monarch.  Looks OK from here, the 7" turrets are a-historical but but should work OK.  The forward rigging would also prevent a 7" turret on the foredeck from firing forward (that's why the historical ship had its forward guns in the hull).

Good point.  Would that be a forward facing casemate then?  Or deck mount but in the hull?

The historical guns would be side-mounted casemates installed as far forward as you could get.  Rather like bow chasers on a sailing ship.

[Darman]

okay.  I'll alter the plan to reflect that

[Darman]

Vixen, United Kingdom Armored Gunboat laid down 1870
Armoured Corvette (Broadside ironclad)

Displacement:
   1,275 t light; 1,355 t standard; 1,449 t normal; 1,524 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (200.00 ft / 200.00 ft) x 32.00 ft x (13.00 / 13.56 ft)
   (60.96 m / 60.96 m) x 9.75 m  x (3.96 / 4.13 m)

Armament:
      8 - 7.00" / 178 mm 16.0 cal guns - 115.00lbs / 52.16kg shells, 100 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     8 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      Weight of broadside 920 lbs / 417 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   4.50" / 114 mm   130.00 ft / 39.62 m   6.79 ft / 2.07 m
   Ends:   3.00" / 76 mm     69.98 ft / 21.33 m   6.79 ft / 2.07 m
   Upper:   4.50" / 114 mm   130.00 ft / 39.62 m   8.00 ft / 2.44 m
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Conning towers: Forward 5.00" / 127 mm,  Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 377 ihp / 281 Kw = 9.00 kts
   Range 2,000nm at 7.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 169 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
   116 - 152

Cost:
   £0.075 million / $0.298 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 46 tons, 3.2 %
   Armour: 447 tons, 30.9 %
      - Belts: 433 tons, 29.9 %
      - Conning Tower: 14 tons, 1.0 %
   Machinery: 92 tons, 6.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 524 tons, 36.2 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 174 tons, 12.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 165 tons, 11.4 %
      - Above deck: 165 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2,631 lbs / 1,193 Kg = 21.9 x 7.0 " / 178 mm shells or 1.4 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
   Metacentric height 1.0 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 13.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 86 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.90
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.72

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.610 / 0.615
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.25 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 14.14 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 28 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 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 %,  12.00 ft / 3.66 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Average freeboard:      9.24 ft / 2.82 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 35.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 69.8 %
   Waterplane Area: 4,723 Square feet or 439 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 151 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 74 lbs/sq ft or 360 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.90
      - Longitudinal: 2.52
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Half of natural speed (14 knots) is 7 knots for 5% of normal displacement, plus 6% of normal displacement to bring sailing speed up to 13 knots under sail, which totals 11% of normal displacement is allocated to sails and rigging.

[KWorld]

You could probably move 2 of the guns to centerline pivot mounts, to increase your broadside by 1 gun.  Other than that, looks solid.

[Darman]

Vixen, United Kingdom Armored Gunboat laid down 1870
Armoured Corvette (Broadside ironclad)

Displacement:
   1,275 t light; 1,355 t standard; 1,449 t normal; 1,524 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (200.00 ft / 200.00 ft) x 32.00 ft x (13.00 / 13.56 ft)
   (60.96 m / 60.96 m) x 9.75 m  x (3.96 / 4.13 m)

Armament:
      6 - 7.00" / 178 mm 16.0 cal guns - 115.00lbs / 52.16kg shells, 100 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     6 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      2 - 7.00" / 178 mm 16.0 cal guns - 115.00lbs / 52.16kg shells, 100 per gun
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts, 1870 Model
     2 x Single mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
      Weight of broadside 920 lbs / 417 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   4.50" / 114 mm   130.00 ft / 39.62 m   6.79 ft / 2.07 m
   Ends:   3.00" / 76 mm     69.98 ft / 21.33 m   6.79 ft / 2.07 m
   Upper:   4.50" / 114 mm   130.00 ft / 39.62 m   8.00 ft / 2.44 m
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Conning towers: Forward 5.00" / 127 mm,  Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 377 ihp / 281 Kw = 9.00 kts
   Range 2,000nm at 7.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 169 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
   116 - 152

Cost:
   £0.075 million / $0.298 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 48 tons, 3.3 %
   Armour: 447 tons, 30.9 %
      - Belts: 433 tons, 29.9 %
      - Conning Tower: 14 tons, 1.0 %
   Machinery: 92 tons, 6.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 522 tons, 36.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 174 tons, 12.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 165 tons, 11.4 %
      - Above deck: 165 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2,630 lbs / 1,193 Kg = 21.9 x 7.0 " / 178 mm shells or 1.4 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
   Metacentric height 1.0 ft / 0.3 m
   Roll period: 13.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 86 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.90
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.72

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.610 / 0.615
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.25 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 14.14 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 28 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 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 %,  12.00 ft / 3.66 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m,  9.00 ft / 2.74 m
      - Average freeboard:      9.24 ft / 2.82 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 35.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 69.8 %
   Waterplane Area: 4,723 Square feet or 439 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 151 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 74 lbs/sq ft or 360 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.90
      - Longitudinal: 2.52
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Half of natural speed (14 knots) is 7 knots for 5% of normal displacement, plus 6% of normal displacement to bring sailing speed up to 13 knots under sail, which totals 11% of normal displacement is allocated to sails and rigging.

[Darman]

Inconstant, Great Britain Screw Frigate laid down 1870
Frigate (Unarmoured)

Displacement:
   3,920 t light; 4,133 t standard; 4,993 t normal; 5,681 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (338.00 ft / 338.00 ft) x 51.00 ft x (25.00 / 27.39 ft)
   (103.02 m / 103.02 m) x 15.54 m  x (7.62 / 8.35 m)

Armament:
      10 - 9.00" / 229 mm 15.0 cal guns - 270.13lbs / 122.53kg shells, 50 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     10 x Single mounts on sides amidships
      10 hull mounts on upper deck- Limited use in heavy seas
      6 - 7.00" / 178 mm 16.0 cal guns - 115.00lbs / 52.16kg shells, 100 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     6 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      Weight of broadside 3,391 lbs / 1,538 kg

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 1 shaft, 5,575 ihp / 4,159 Kw = 16.00 kts
   Range 5,000nm at 9.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 1,548 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
   296 - 386

Cost:
   £0.383 million / $1.534 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 148 tons, 3.0 %
   Machinery: 1,366 tons, 27.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,933 tons, 38.7 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,073 tons, 21.5 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 472 tons, 9.5 %
      - Hull above water: 20 tons
      - Above deck: 452 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     3,000 lbs / 1,361 Kg = 11.8 x 9.0 " / 229 mm shells or 0.7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.24
   Metacentric height 2.7 ft / 0.8 m
   Roll period: 13.0 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 72 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.45
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.43

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.406 / 0.421
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.63 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 18.38 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 36 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 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 %,  17.50 ft / 5.33 m,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
      - Average freeboard:      16.12 ft / 4.91 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 101.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 103.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 10,073 Square feet or 936 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 134 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 118 lbs/sq ft or 576 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.89
      - Longitudinal: 2.62
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Half of natural speed (18 knots) is 9 knots for 5% of normal displacement, plus 4% of normal displacement to bring sailing speed up to 13 knots under sail, which totals 9% of normal displacement is allocated to sails and rigging.
20 tons in hull above water for 10 marines. 

[Darman]

Endymion, United Kingdom Screw Frigate laid down 1870
Corvette (Unarmoured)

Displacement:
   2,700 t light; 2,833 t standard; 3,422 t normal; 3,893 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (260.00 ft / 260.00 ft) x 48.00 ft x (19.00 / 21.05 ft)
   (79.25 m / 79.25 m) x 14.63 m  x (5.79 / 6.42 m)

Armament:
      6 - 9.00" / 229 mm 15.0 cal guns - 270.13lbs / 122.53kg shells, 50 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     6 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 - 7.00" / 178 mm 16.0 cal guns - 115.00lbs / 52.16kg shells, 75 per gun
     Muzzle loading guns in broadside mounts, 1870 Model
     4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 2,081 lbs / 944 kg

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 1 shaft, 3,803 ihp / 2,837 Kw = 15.00 kts
   Range 4,500nm at 9.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 1,060 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
   223 - 290

Cost:
   £0.259 million / $1.035 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 91 tons, 2.7 %
   Machinery: 932 tons, 27.2 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,307 tons, 38.2 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 722 tons, 21.1 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 370 tons, 10.8 %
      - Hull above water: 20 tons
      - Above deck: 350 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     2,476 lbs / 1,123 Kg = 9.7 x 9.0 " / 229 mm shells or 0.6 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.41
   Metacentric height 3.0 ft / 0.9 m
   Roll period: 11.6 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 96 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.52
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.92

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.505 / 0.519
   Length to Beam Ratio: 5.42 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 16.12 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 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 %,  14.72 ft / 4.49 m,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  11.00 ft / 3.35 m,  11.00 ft / 3.35 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:      11.30 ft / 3.44 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 99.7 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 75.5 %
   Waterplane Area: 8,037 Square feet or 747 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 134 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 106 lbs/sq ft or 519 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.88
      - Longitudinal: 3.19
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Half of natural speed (16 knots) is 8 knots for 5% of normal displacement, plus 5% of normal displacement to bring sailing speed up to 13 knots under sail, which totals 10% of normal displacement is allocated to sails and rigging.
20 tons in hull above water for 10 marines. 

[KWorld]

These two are intended as commerce protectors?

Rules-wise, they seem fine.

[Darman]

Commerce protectors and as well as potential cruisers. 

[KWorld]

Should be fine in those roles, they should avoid tangling with anything ironclad, but that's a good rule for any unarmored ship at this time (and sometimes, like SMS Kaiser at Lissa, you can come out well even if you're unarmored and up against armored foes).

[Darman]

Should be fine in those roles, they should avoid tangling with anything ironclad, but that's a good rule for any unarmored ship at this time (and sometimes, like SMS Kaiser at Lissa, you can come out well even if you're unarmored and up against armored foes).

I'm looking at building 5 lightly armored corvettes as well.  Not as fast though, but they will provide convoy protection when needed.