*Possibly* New GC ship for 1919

[TexanCowboy]

5 guns in turrets...or 11 in Casemates....wow, that's alot of firepower.

Might as well build some of those 380 mm guns of yours, just so you can use up the ammunition stocks left in the Congo...

[The Rock Doctor]

Huh?

[Ithekro]

Could always try for that six gun turret design the American proposed for the Tillman.

That blimp/aircraft carrier scaries me a litttle.  Wouldn't one of those off the wall Maori Catamaran designs be suited for that sort of thing....a two hulled vessel with a large hanger spanning them?

[TexanCowboy]

I was looking off of Guinness' handy CD chart...I meant a twin and a triple.

[The Rock Doctor]

I was "huh"-ing over the 380mm/Kongo comment.  Do I have a major coastal battery in Africa that I'm not aware of?

I had budgeted 16.5 BP for the big carrier, and another 4.5 BP for a second Espiritu Santo, which perhaps should be put off until the first one has been broken in a bit.  So I figure each end of the Darien Canal will get 6x350mm turrets, another dozen 140mm, and a couple dozen lighter guns, plus second-gen fire control.

There will be left-overs after that, so maybe some boosting of defences in Africa or at Pago Pago.

[TexanCowboy]

No, but the Dutch did have facilites in the Congo. Those facilities had provisions for the reprovising of the fleet, including the Dutch battlecruisers. It is concevable to believe that up to 600 shells remain, unless the Dutch removed all facilites.

[The Rock Doctor]

The base is there, but they'd have removed the ammunition.  That stuff costs money.

[TexanCowboy]

Ah...just like the wasted 12 140 mm shell's of France? Got it...

[The Rock Doctor]

Hey, I do have new ships in 1919 after all!

After a whole bunch of things blew up in Romania, President Alizandro got to asking about whether the Armada would be able to quickly assist a Colombian town following a disaster.  It turns out, the answer is, "...not really."

So this has been bodged together, based closely on the Senora-type attack transports.  One will be laid down in 1919, and a second may follow in 1920 or 1921 - allowing one to be stationed on each coast, or both in the Caribbean during hurricane season.

Hospital Ship, laid down 1909 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
   5,209 t light; 5,329 t standard; 6,009 t normal; 6,553 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   392.95 ft / 383.86 ft x 62.34 ft x 15.42 ft (normal load)
   119.77 m / 117.00 m x 19.00 m  x 4.70 m

Machinery:
   Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 12,000 shp / 8,952 Kw = 19.83 kts
   Range 14,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 1,224 tons)

Complement:
   340 - 443

Cost:
   £0.245 million / $0.980 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 447 tons, 7.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,059 tons, 34.3 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 800 tons, 13.3 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 2,703 tons, 45.0 %
   -180 t:  Eight 10 t launches plus derricks
   -60 t:  Casualty receiving/triage centres
   -80 t:  Four operating theatres (surgery) and four trauma centres (stitches, splints, etc), at 10 t each
   -875 t:  25 Intensive care beds, 50 serious care beds, 200 light care beds at 5, 3 and 3 t respectively
   -180 t:  Labs, pharmacy, offices, stockroom, laundry, janitorial, etc
   -1,296 t:  Accommodation for 432 (45 doctors, 117 nurses, 270 orderlies and technicians - yes, I charted this out)
   -25 t:  Long-range wireless
   -27 t:  Weight reserve

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     12,853 lbs / 5,830 Kg = 952.1 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 2.1 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
   Metacentric height 3.1 ft / 0.9 m
   Roll period: 15.0 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has raised forecastle
   Block coefficient: 0.570
   Length to Beam Ratio: 6.16 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 19.59 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 25
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      28.87 ft / 8.80 m
      - Forecastle (10 %):   28.87 ft / 8.80 m (24.61 ft / 7.50 m aft of break)
      - Mid (30 %):      24.61 ft / 7.50 m
      - Quarterdeck (30 %):   24.61 ft / 7.50 m
      - Stern:      24.61 ft / 7.50 m
      - Average freeboard:   25.03 ft / 7.63 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.7 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 234.6 %
   Waterplane Area: 17,016 Square feet or 1,581 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 167 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 72 lbs/sq ft or 353 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.85
      - Longitudinal: 4.11
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

[The Rock Doctor]

Of course, if a town gets trashed by a hurricane or explosion, it's reasonable to assume that its ambulances and docks will be trashed at the same time.  In order to provide supplies to the distressed, and to move casualties to shoreline evacuation stations, it will be necessary for a relief operation to transport and land its own contingent of ambulances, trucks, and other vehicles.

In looking around for a way to do this, the Colombians noticed the shallow-draft train ferries in use between Maracaibo and Santa Rica at the north end of Lago Maracaibo.  They load from the stern, and the locomotives sit low towards the centre. 

This design increases the freeboard some, and adds a ramp at the stern to allow the ship to back up to the shore and unload her cargo.  Limited maintenance facilities have been added as well.  Range and speed are adequate to cross the Caribbean, but this would not be an effective ocean-going vessel; in fact, the Caribbean might be a challenge in crappy weather.

One unit will be built.  Since I fully expect she may lead to development of an LST-type ship later on, I'm paying full military cost for her.


Vehicle Transport, type laid down 1916

Displacement:
   1,624 t light; 1,661 t standard; 1,889 t normal; 2,071 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   295.28 ft / 295.28 ft x 52.49 ft x 6.56 ft (normal load)
   90.00 m / 90.00 m x 16.00 m  x 2.00 m

Machinery:
   Diesel Internal combustion motors,
   Geared drive, 2 shafts, 2,500 shp / 1,865 Kw = 14.97 kts
   Range 3,000nm at 14.97 kts (Bunkerage = 409 tons)

Complement:
   143 - 186

Cost:
   £0.114 million / $0.457 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
   Machinery: 93 tons, 4.9 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 834 tons, 44.2 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 265 tons, 14.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 696 tons, 36.8 %
   -390 t:  Vehicle well - max capacity = 195 t; typically 36 x 3/4 ton trucks w/ cargo (3.5 t each) (126 t)
   -120 t:  Accommodation for 60 personnel
   -100 t:  Winch and ramp system
   -50 t:  Workshop and spare parts
   -20 t:  Gasoline tank and pump
   -16 t:  Weight reserve

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     7,539 lbs / 3,420 Kg = 69.8 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 2.1 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.34
   Metacentric height 3.2 ft / 1.0 m
   Roll period: 12.4 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.80

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.650
   Length to Beam Ratio: 5.63 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 17.18 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 39 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 33
   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:      18.37 ft / 5.60 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   16.40 ft / 5.00 m
      - Mid (50 %):      16.40 ft / 5.00 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   16.40 ft / 5.00 m
      - Stern:      16.40 ft / 5.00 m
      - Average freeboard:   16.56 ft / 5.05 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 57.1 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 259.5 %
   Waterplane Area: 11,874 Square feet or 1,103 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 214 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 53 lbs/sq ft or 261 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.91
      - Longitudinal: 2.30
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

[Carthaginian]

Hmmm... that is a very snazzy little ship, Rocky.
If only things between Gran Colombia and the Confederacy weren't so tense all the time... such a design could mean a lot to coastal towns in Dixie in time of need.

[Guinness]

My guess is if the Confederacy were humble enough to ask for help the colombians would gladly give it...

It's interestingn to compare the vehicle carrier to some ideas of the US Marines in the 20s. Still I wonder if in our era in a disaster zone if horses and mules would make more sense.

[Carthaginian]

My guess is if the Confederacy were humble enough to ask for help the colombians would gladly give it...

It's interestingn to compare the vehicle carrier to some ideas of the US Marines in the 20s. Still I wonder if in our era in a disaster zone if horses and mules would make more sense.

Why ask for help when you can make your own. ;)
But asking for help in that kind of situation would probably be high on the list of options... no matter where the help came from.

Mules and oxen would probably make a LOT more sense in most areas... but not the kind these ships would be responding to. These guys are going to go to Mobile, Biloxi, Miami, and New Orleans- places with infrastructure to be repaired. They wouldn't be going to Spanish Fort, D'Iberville, Port Sulphur or similar little bayou towns with nothing worth restoring.

By the 20's, most major coastal cities were already actually major coastal cities.
I think this design would work quite well.

[ctwaterman]

Rats........

Oh well My attempts at doing an SS2 of an LST style ship for landing vehicles well the first 2 attempts rolled over and sank the 3rd attempt floated but only next to the dock... :)

Charles

[Desertfox]

Nice ships, would GC be willing to export them? No hurricanes in NS but there are probably volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.