A Swiss Fisher Folly...

[Desertfox]

Had a pair of spare 12" guns so:

Furious class, New Switzerland Gunship laid down 1907 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   4,850 t light; 5,179 t standard; 5,544 t normal; 5,836 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   440.00 ft / 440.00 ft x 70.00 ft x 10.50 ft (normal load)
   134.11 m / 134.11 m x 21.34 m  x 3.20 m

Armament:
      2 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns in single mounts, 900.00lbs / 408.23kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      12 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1907 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 2,200 lbs / 998 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 170

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   300.00 ft / 91.44 m   8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 105 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   5.00" / 127 mm   3.00" / 76 mm      5.00" / 127 mm

   - Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm, Conning tower: 5.00" / 127 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 17,431 shp / 13,003 Kw = 22.00 kts
   Range 5,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 657 tons

Complement:
   320 - 417

Cost:
   £0.504 million / $2.016 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 266 tons, 4.8 %
   Armour: 937 tons, 16.9 %
      - Belts: 312 tons, 5.6 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 175 tons, 3.1 %
      - Armour Deck: 417 tons, 7.5 %
      - Conning Tower: 34 tons, 0.6 %
   Machinery: 792 tons, 14.3 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,755 tons, 49.7 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 694 tons, 12.5 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 1.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     8,919 lbs / 4,046 Kg = 10.3 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 1.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.32
   Metacentric height 4.8 ft / 1.5 m
   Roll period: 13.4 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.23
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.01

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.600
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.29 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 20.98 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 69
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      21.00 ft / 6.40 m
      - Forecastle (30 %):   14.00 ft / 4.27 m
      - Mid (50 %):      12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Stern:      12.00 ft / 3.66 m
      - Average freeboard:   13.64 ft / 4.16 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 86.5 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 165.8 %
   Waterplane Area: 22,527 Square feet or 2,093 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 117 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 101 lbs/sq ft or 495 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.98
      - Longitudinal: 1.13
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform

[Ithekro]

And what shallow waterways do you expect to take this vessel to make herself useful?

[Desertfox]

The coast of China...(Imperial March)

[Ithekro]

You could probably get up the rivers with that draft...though I don't know if ou could turn around with that length.

[Desertfox]

Just have a tug pull her back!

Back to reality, other uses for her would be defending minefields, blasting holes in enemy light forces (inmune to regular torpedoes), supporting minesweepers, and making a nuisance of her. Nice raider too, can hide in shallow waters.

[maddox]

The Middle Kingdom is equipping most of the big ships with towing gear.  Maybe you could ask nicely to use this equipment when the Yangtze is fickle and low.

[The Rock Doctor]

It'd be a folly.  Not armored enough to cover minefield or minesweepers against enemy guns, and the two big guns will have a heck of a time trying to land a hit on something small and fast.

I suppose raiding is an option, but the hull strikes me as being only barely capable of oceanic work, and she'd be fodder for any AC that happened along.

[P3D]

It will not be immune to torpedoes that are set for destroyers.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
If the draught of that ship is kept a secret, nobody will set their fish for 2 metres.
In WWI the Italians had a cruiser with destroyer draft, and she was torpedoed several times, with the fish passing under her.
Borys

[P3D]

lol.

[swamphen]

I agree on the armour, that's one reason why I went for 150mm on the GK1909, acting as a backstop for minefields and sniping at the enemy trying to find/sweep a way through...

With two main guns, to engage enemy ships you would either have to use predread tacitcs or have them as a supplement to a "normal" cruiser-size battery, and the secondaries here aren't heavy enough for that. The historical Large Light Cruisers were, even at the time, acknowledged to have a very slim chance at scoring hits against a maneuvering enemy target (although, as Jane's noted, "one salvo on target would likely be decisive").

What you do have here is a nice and cheap fire support ship, an overgrown gunboat, for amphibious operations, and for intimidating restless natives. What I'd suggest is dropping the speed to around 18 knots and doubling (at least) the deck armour as defense against howitzer and mortar rounds.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
I cheked Conway - it as the RN Quarto. 4 metres draft scout cruiser.
Borys

[Desertfox]

Doubt very many minesweepers have 6"+ guns. And shore targets arent moving, they should be easy to hit, considering all those hits the Chinese battleships (2 main guns) scored on my own ships.

Yes she has a 17ft draft, 25kt speed, and a 7" belt 3" deck. ;) ;D

Smaller, slower, cheaper.

Furious class, New Switzerland Gunship laid down 1907 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   3,400 t light; 3,677 t standard; 3,960 t normal; 4,187 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   400.00 ft / 400.00 ft x 55.00 ft x 10.50 ft (normal load)
   121.92 m / 121.92 m x 16.76 m  x 3.20 m

Armament:
      2 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns in single mounts, 930.00lbs / 421.84kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
     on centreline ends, evenly spread
      12 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1907 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Weight of broadside 2,260 lbs / 1,025 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150
   4 - 18.0" / 457.2 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   3.00" / 76 mm   200.00 ft / 60.96 m   8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Ends:   Unarmoured
     Main Belt covers 77 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   5.00" / 127 mm   3.00" / 76 mm      5.00" / 127 mm

   - Armour deck: 1.50" / 38 mm, Conning tower: 5.00" / 127 mm

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 5,296 shp / 3,951 Kw = 17.00 kts
   Range 5,000nm at 10.00 kts
   Bunker at max displacement = 510 tons

Complement:
   249 - 324

Cost:
   £0.376 million / $1.504 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 266 tons, 6.7 %
   Armour: 847 tons, 21.4 %
      - Belts: 219 tons, 5.5 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 155 tons, 3.9 %
      - Armour Deck: 447 tons, 11.3 %
      - Conning Tower: 27 tons, 0.7 %
   Machinery: 241 tons, 6.1 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,946 tons, 49.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 560 tons, 14.1 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 2.5 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     6,208 lbs / 2,816 Kg = 7.2 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 1.6 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.20
   Metacentric height 2.9 ft / 0.9 m
   Roll period: 13.7 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.49
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.02

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.600
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.27 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 20.00 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 37 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 69
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      14.00 ft / 4.27 m
      - Forecastle (30 %):   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
      - Mid (50 %):      10.00 ft / 3.05 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   10.00 ft / 3.05 m
      - Stern:      10.00 ft / 3.05 m
      - Average freeboard:   10.48 ft / 3.19 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 75.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 111.8 %
   Waterplane Area: 16,090 Square feet or 1,495 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 111 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 97 lbs/sq ft or 475 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 1.00
      - Longitudinal: 1.01
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform

[The Rock Doctor]

I don't think the hull is deep enough to hold a 12" turret and barbette. 

[swamphen]

Hmm, 6.25m = 3 decks?