Vilnius Union Ships, 1920+: Electric Drive Boogaloo

[The Rock Doctor]

New decade, new thread.  Standby.

[The Rock Doctor]

I'm probably not going to build this, but it was a fun diversion to design and sketch:  A small monitor using or re-using a twin 200mm turret for local coastal defence and shore bombardment.

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1920

Displacement:
   2,010 t light; 2,134 t standard; 2,267 t normal; 2,373 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (221.37 ft / 213.25 ft) x 59.06 ft x (10.50 / 10.90 ft)
   (67.47 m / 65.00 m) x 18.00 m  x (3.20 / 3.32 m)

Armament:
      2 - 7.87" / 200 mm 45.0 cal guns - 246.18lbs / 111.66kg shells, 150 per gun
     Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mount, 1920 Model
     1 x Twin mount on centreline, forward deck aft
      1 raised mount
      4 - 5.12" / 130 mm 45.0 cal guns - 67.61lbs / 30.67kg shells, 250 per gun
     Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1920 Model
     2 x Twin mounts on centreline, aft evenly spread
      1 raised mount
      4 - 0.39" / 10.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 0.03lbs / 0.01kg shells, 4,000 per gun
     Machine guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
     4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 763 lbs / 346 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   2.95" / 75 mm   138.62 ft / 42.25 m   11.81 ft / 3.60 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   3.94" / 100 mm   1.97" / 50 mm      3.94" / 100 mm
   2nd:   1.97" / 50 mm   0.79" / 20 mm      1.97" / 50 mm

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks:
   For and Aft decks: 1.97" / 50 mm
   Forecastle: 0.98" / 25 mm  Quarter deck: 1.97" / 50 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 2.95" / 75 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Geared drive, 2 shafts, 1,341 shp / 1,000 Kw = 12.21 kts
   Range 5,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 238 tons

Complement:
   163 - 213

Cost:
   £0.352 million / $1.408 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 169 tons, 7.5 %
      - Guns: 169 tons, 7.5 %
   Armour: 667 tons, 29.4 %
      - Belts: 236 tons, 10.4 %
      - Armament: 97 tons, 4.3 %
      - Armour Deck: 323 tons, 14.3 %
      - Conning Tower: 11 tons, 0.5 %
   Machinery: 47 tons, 2.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,041 tons, 45.9 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 257 tons, 11.3 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 86 tons, 3.8 %
      - On freeboard deck: 45 tons
      - Above deck: 41 tons

Fittings: 
-25 t:  L/R wireless
-17 t:  1912 fire control (probably need 41 tons above deck total but oh well)
-44 t:  Weight reserve

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     8,995 lbs / 4,080 Kg = 36.8 x 7.9 " / 200 mm shells or 3.3 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.45
   Metacentric height 4.3 ft / 1.3 m
   Roll period: 11.9 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 100 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.36
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.600 / 0.605
   Length to Beam Ratio: 3.61 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 14.60 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 45 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
            Fore end,    Aft end
      - Forecastle:   20.00 %,  18.04 ft / 5.50 m,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m,  13.12 ft / 4.00 m
      - Average freeboard:      13.52 ft / 4.12 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 38.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 141.3 %
   Waterplane Area: 9,211 Square feet or 856 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 148 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 96 lbs/sq ft or 467 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.83
      - Longitudinal: 4.98
      - Overall: 1.00
   Excellent 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

[Jefgte]

I also like to reuse old turrets.
I did this with the Harad class (AC8-6950t-2T2x234 + 10x152-27kts).

If you double the speed, you can make it an escort.

[The Rock Doctor]

I think the main battery is insufficient to be a useful escort.  I'd probably scale up to something like this for the "escort cruiser" function.

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1920

Displacement:
   5,603 t light; 5,971 t standard; 6,410 t normal; 6,761 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (373.13 ft / 360.89 ft) x 68.90 ft x (18.04 / 18.79 ft)
   (113.73 m / 110.00 m) x 21.00 m  x (5.50 / 5.73 m)

Armament:
      6 - 7.87" / 200 mm 45.0 cal guns - 246.19lbs / 111.67kg shells, 200 per gun
     Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1920 Model
     3 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, majority aft
      1 raised mount aft - superfiring
      8 - 5.12" / 130 mm 45.0 cal guns - 67.62lbs / 30.67kg shells, 250 per gun
     Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1920 Model
     4 x Twin mounts on sides, forward deck aft
      2 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 3.86lbs / 1.75kg shells, 150 per gun
     Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
     2 x Single mounts on sides amidships
      2 raised mounts
      4 - 0.39" / 10.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 0.03lbs / 0.01kg shells, 4,000 per gun
     Machine guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
     4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 2,026 lbs / 919 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   5.91" / 150 mm   234.58 ft / 71.50 m   16.11 ft / 4.91 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   7.87" / 200 mm   3.94" / 100 mm      5.91" / 150 mm
   2nd:   1.97" / 50 mm   0.79" / 20 mm      1.97" / 50 mm
   3rd:   0.79" / 20 mm   0.39" / 10 mm            -

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks:
   For and Aft decks: 1.97" / 50 mm
   Forecastle: 1.18" / 30 mm  Quarter deck: 1.97" / 50 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 5.91" / 150 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Geared drive, 2 shafts, 16,086 shp / 12,000 Kw = 21.11 kts
   Range 10,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 790 tons

Complement:
   357 - 465

Cost:
   £1.100 million / $4.400 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 533 tons, 8.3 %
      - Guns: 533 tons, 8.3 %
   Armour: 2,034 tons, 31.7 %
      - Belts: 997 tons, 15.5 %
      - Armament: 407 tons, 6.3 %
      - Armour Deck: 586 tons, 9.1 %
      - Conning Tower: 44 tons, 0.7 %
   Machinery: 562 tons, 8.8 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,199 tons, 34.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 807 tons, 12.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 274 tons, 4.3 %
      - On freeboard deck: 149 tons
      - Above deck: 125 tons

Fittings:
-54 t:  Fire control
-25 t:  L/R wireless
-50 t:  Command facilities
-25 t:  Maybe a floatplane if there's deckspace for it
-Rest:  Weight reserve or other things

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     12,766 lbs / 5,790 Kg = 52.3 x 7.9 " / 200 mm shells or 2.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.24
   Metacentric height 4.2 ft / 1.3 m
   Roll period: 14.1 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.33
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.27

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.500 / 0.507
   Length to Beam Ratio: 5.24 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19.00 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 55
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
            Fore end,    Aft end
      - Forecastle:   20.00 %,  24.61 ft / 7.50 m,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m
      - Forward deck:   25.00 %,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m
      - Aft deck:   40.00 %,  11.81 ft / 3.60 m,  11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  11.81 ft / 3.60 m,  11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Average freeboard:      15.75 ft / 4.80 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 58.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 131.2 %
   Waterplane Area: 16,567 Square feet or 1,539 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 122 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 109 lbs/sq ft or 533 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.90
      - Longitudinal: 2.54
      - Overall: 1.00
   Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
   Excellent accommodation and workspace room
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

[Desertfox]

Or you can split the difference and make a Thonburi.

[The Rock Doctor]

S'pose I could.

Might play with that one a bit more - maybe shave a metre or two off the beam and add depth/BC instead. 

[The Rock Doctor]

Initial sketching suggests there's no way in hell I'm getting a floatplane aboard that one.

[Jefgte]

I consider my 21 kts cruisers like gunboats for the colonies. They have insufficient speed to work with battleships.

If you want a cruiser useful to the future:
- 24kts for an Escort Cruiser.
- 27kts for a squadron Cruiser
- 30kts is better (Magdala & Bug II).
Just my opinion
;)

[The Rock Doctor]

At this point, I need any new cruisers working with the battleline to make 30 knots.  That's only a margin of 4 on the battleships, and will be just even with the big armored cruisers.

This thing is strictly a trade defence vessel.  Theoretically sturdy enough to fight or deter most typical raiders, short of a capital ship.  It'd probably work fine in the shore bombardment role as well, of course.

[Desertfox]

Initial sketching suggests there's no way in hell I'm getting a floatplane aboard that one.

You are just not trying hard enough, there is always a way...

[The Rock Doctor]

Initial sketching suggests there's no way in hell I'm getting a floatplane aboard that one.

You are just not trying hard enough, there is always a way...

[Desertfox]

You could probably stick another two on the fantail. maybe add sponsons where the boats are and fit a couple more!

[The Rock Doctor]

Then I'd have more than six aircraft and it would qualify as a carrier.

[The Rock Doctor]

Speaking of carriers:

The Union's initial at-sea carrier testing program consisted of plunking a flying-off deck and a seaplane hanger on the ancient armored cruiser Dragon and letting it poke around the Baltic breaking aircraft for the last couple of years.

Now that the navy has a bit better sense of what it's all about (which is to say, the 1915 tech will be finished at the end of 1919), there are plans to expand the experimental program for a year or two of additional trials before any major construction is contemplated.  This will consist of:

-A minor refit to the training cruiser Danube, which has the necessary weight reserve and a clear quarterdeck to accommodate temporary facilities for one unarmed recce floatplane.  Danube will deploy on a lengthy cruise to the Caribbean afterward and work up with the squadron there, the first time the Union's had a seaborne aircraft aboard a modern, fast-ish cruiser.  This'll largely be about developing aerial scouting tactics.

-An experimental seaplane carrier with a flying-off deck forward and a hanger aft.  Here the point is to learn about operating a group of seaplanes and how to lay out the hanger and deck space for it.  The navy's not expecting this to be a combat unit or even necessarily a long-serving unit, so it'll be new-built but with early-generation turbine machinery recycled from a cruiser, saving almost a third of the cost.

-And this:

The army's come to appreciate the utility of aircraft as recce and observation tools, but where it most needs them - the colonial frontiers - is often the hardest to actually operate them.  There's no infrastructure to bring up parts or fuel, and just surveying and cutting an airstrip can be laborious.  Given the size of some of the rivers in South America and Africa, however, and the army's history of successfully cooperating with the navy in riverine operations, the army proposed that the navy develop a small floatplane tender for riverine operations - essentially using the rivers themselves as airstrips and relying on river steamers to provide the fuel and parts supply.

The Wezownik (the Polish name for Ophiuchus, the snake-bearer - maybe an in-joke about snakes and jungles) will allow forward-deployment of up to three armed floatplanes along a major river such as the [Niger] or [Parana].  There's a hanger allowing for two aircraft to be stowed with wings folded or removed, and deck space to allow one other to be parked.  It'll be a crowded set-up, and it's possible one or two of the aircraft will be kept on the river, tied up to the side of the ship, rather than being stowed aboard.

The provision for munitions is more a contingency than anything else; the primary use of the air group would be scouting, aerial photography, troop liaison, air mail, med-evac, and other non-combat functions.

The ship is armored against small-arms fire and splinters over her machinery room and magazine.  Armament is minimal and self-defensive in nature.  Bunkerage reflects a preference for oil, but allows for coal usage where circumstances require it.

Notionally Wezownik might be the first of several such vessels operating together in South Erika and Africa.

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1920

Displacement:
   310 t light; 317 t standard; 329 t normal; 337 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
   (204.00 ft / 196.85 ft) x 29.53 ft x (2.95 / 3.02 ft)
   (62.18 m / 60.00 m) x 9.00 m  x (0.90 / 0.92 m)

Armament:
      1 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm 45.0 cal gun - 3.85lbs / 1.74kg shells, 250 per gun
     Quick firing gun in deck mount, 1920 Model
     1 x Single mount on centreline, forward deck forward
      1 raised mount
      5 - 0.39" / 10.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 0.03lbs / 0.01kg shells, 4,000 per gun
     Machine guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
     4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
      4 raised mounts
     1 x Single mount on centreline, aft deck aft
      1 raised mount
      Weight of broadside 4 lbs / 2 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   0.79" / 20 mm     16.40 ft / 5.00 m   7.87 ft / 2.40 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 13 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   2nd:   0.79" / 20 mm   0.39" / 10 mm            -
   3rd:   0.39" / 10 mm         -               -

   - Box over machinery & magazines:
   0.79" / 20 mm

Machinery:
   Coal and oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Geared drive, 2 shafts, 241 shp / 180 Kw = 10.05 kts
   Range 1,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 20 tons (18% coal)

Complement:
   38 - 50

Cost:
   £0.029 million / $0.117 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 1 tons, 0.3 %
      - Guns: 1 tons, 0.3 %
   Armour: 32 tons, 9.7 %
      - Belts: 10 tons, 3.2 %
      - Armament: 7 tons, 2.1 %
      - Armour Deck: 14 tons, 4.4 %
   Machinery: 9 tons, 2.6 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 159 tons, 48.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 19 tons, 5.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 110 tons, 33.5 %
      - On freeboard deck: 85 tons
      - Above deck: 25 tons

Fittings:
-75 t:  Facilities for three armed floatplanes (FD)
-25 t:  L/R wireless (AD)
-10 t:  Weight reserve or deck cargo

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     5,690 lbs / 2,581 Kg = 186.5 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 7.5 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.22
   Metacentric height 1.2 ft / 0.4 m
   Roll period: 11.6 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.01
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.12

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has raised forecastle,
     a normal bow and a cruiser stern
   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.670 / 0.672
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.67 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 14.03 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 25 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 62
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
            Fore end,    Aft end
      - Forecastle:   20.00 %,  14.44 ft / 4.40 m,  14.44 ft / 4.40 m
      - Forward deck:   30.00 %,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m
      - Aft deck:   35.00 %,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m
      - Quarter deck:   15.00 %,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m,  6.56 ft / 2.00 m
      - Average freeboard:      8.14 ft / 2.48 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 11.4 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 149.1 %
   Waterplane Area: 4,535 Square feet or 421 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 203 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 28 lbs/sq ft or 138 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.97
      - Longitudinal: 1.30
      - Overall: 1.00
   Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
   Excellent accommodation and workspace room
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform

[TacCovert4]

I like it.  Of course you're looking at floatplanes that are dropping glorified grenades and firing maybe a lone machine gun.  But it's a good pick for riverine stuff.  Fortunately for me, the terrain of most of my more colonial bits, especially those that could be contested, is suited to aircraft operation from barely improved fields.