Gran Colombian Ships for H2/07

[The Rock Doctor]

The Westmoreland class belted cruiser is an improvement on the Puerta Espana II design laid down in 1905.  Superficially, the design has one less main gun, and two additional quick-firing weapons.  On the other hand, the armor protection is improved and, more importantly, the ship is five knots faster, courtesy of a major step forward in GC turbine design (which is to say, getting to engine year 1909).

The class is expected to work with the Armada's armored cruisers, using their speed to shadow and harass heavier units or their armament and armor to preven torpedo attacks against the armored cruisers.

The name of the lead unit, and probably one other, will come from Jamaican parishes; other units will be named for administrative districts in the Heartland.



Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1907 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   3,875 t light; 4,019 t standard; 4,507 t normal; 4,898 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   444.98 ft / 442.91 ft x 44.29 ft x 18.70 ft (normal load)
   135.63 m / 135.00 m x 13.50 m  x 5.70 m

Armament:
      3 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.97kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, majority aft, 1 raised mount aft
      2 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.97kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on side, all amidships
      6 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1907 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
      4 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1907 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 438 lbs / 199 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 200
   4 - 18.0" / 457 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   2.95" / 75 mm   347.77 ft / 106.00 m   7.97 ft / 2.43 m
   Ends:   0.98" / 25 mm     95.14 ft / 29.00 m   7.97 ft / 2.43 m
     Main Belt covers 121 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.98" / 25 mm      1.97" / 50 mm
   2nd:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.98" / 25 mm      1.97" / 50 mm
   3rd:   0.98" / 25 mm         -               -
   4th:   0.47" / 12 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.18" / 30 mm, Conning tower: 2.95" / 75 mm

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 30,000 shp / 22,380 Kw = 27.36 kts
   Range 6,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 879 tons)

Complement:
   274 - 357

Cost:
   £0.392 million / $1.566 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 55 tons, 1.2 %
   Armour: 673 tons, 14.9 %
      - Belts: 358 tons, 7.9 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 29 tons, 0.6 %
      - Armour Deck: 269 tons, 6.0 %
      - Conning Tower: 17 tons, 0.4 %
   Machinery: 1,500 tons, 33.3 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,565 tons, 34.7 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 632 tons, 14.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 83 tons, 1.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     3,718 lbs / 1,686 Kg = 44.4 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.27
   Metacentric height 2.3 ft / 0.7 m
   Roll period: 12.3 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.25
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.34

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.430
   Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 21.05 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 52
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: -3.28 ft / -1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   19.69 ft / 6.00 m
      - Mid (40 %):      19.69 ft / 6.00 m (11.81 ft / 3.60 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Stern:      11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Average freeboard:   15.28 ft / 4.66 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 119.8 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 109.3 %
   Waterplane Area: 12,319 Square feet or 1,144 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 107 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 72 lbs/sq ft or 350 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.94
      - Longitudinal: 1.68
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

[P3D]

Nitpicking about the drawing.
While lowering the base of the TTs a bit below the deck looks great on the drawing, it produces a big hole on the weather deck, compromising hull strength. While the deck can be strengthened around, I think the designers would rather opt for a flat weather deack with as few holes as possible.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
Nice. I am a fan of the 5,5" calibre.
Borys

[The Rock Doctor]

I'll have a look at alternate options for the torpedos, then.

Always good to have the Borys Seal of Approval. 

[Borys]

blushes, batts eyelids

[P3D]

Just bolt the TTs on the deck ,everyone did that.

[Ithekro]

That would probably block his guns cross dack fire.

[P3D]

In that case he should put the TTs below the weather deck or just raise the guns

[The Rock Doctor]

How about this, then?  No cross deck guns, but I can't for the life of me find a torpedo arrangement that would work better than what I'd drawn.  So here's a different take on the design.



Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1907 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
   3,875 t light; 4,019 t standard; 4,507 t normal; 4,898 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   444.98 ft / 442.91 ft x 44.29 ft x 18.70 ft (normal load)
   135.63 m / 135.00 m x 13.50 m  x 5.70 m

Armament:
      3 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.97kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline ends, majority aft, 1 raised mount aft
      2 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.97kg shells, 1907 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
     on centreline, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      6 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1907 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
      4 - 0.31" / 8.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.02lbs / 0.01kg shells, 1907 Model
     Machine guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
   Weight of broadside 438 lbs / 199 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 200
   8 - 18.0" / 457 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:      Width (max)   Length (avg)      Height (avg)
   Main:   2.95" / 75 mm   347.77 ft / 106.00 m   7.97 ft / 2.43 m
   Ends:   0.98" / 25 mm     95.14 ft / 29.00 m   7.97 ft / 2.43 m
     Main Belt covers 121 % of normal length

   - Gun armour:   Face (max)   Other gunhouse (avg)   Barbette/hoist (max)
   Main:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.98" / 25 mm      1.97" / 50 mm
   2nd:   0.98" / 25 mm   0.98" / 25 mm      1.97" / 50 mm
   3rd:   0.98" / 25 mm         -               -
   4th:   0.47" / 12 mm         -               -

   - Armour deck: 1.18" / 30 mm, Conning tower: 2.95" / 75 mm

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, steam turbines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 30,000 shp / 22,380 Kw = 27.36 kts
   Range 6,000nm at 10.00 kts (Bunkerage = 879 tons)

Complement:
   274 - 357

Cost:
   £0.392 million / $1.566 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 55 tons, 1.2 %
   Armour: 673 tons, 14.9 %
      - Belts: 358 tons, 7.9 %
      - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
      - Armament: 29 tons, 0.7 %
      - Armour Deck: 269 tons, 6.0 %
      - Conning Tower: 17 tons, 0.4 %
   Machinery: 1,500 tons, 33.3 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,583 tons, 35.1 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 632 tons, 14.0 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 64 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     3,722 lbs / 1,688 Kg = 44.5 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.25
   Metacentric height 2.2 ft / 0.7 m
   Roll period: 12.5 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.28
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.33

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   Block coefficient: 0.430
   Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 21.05 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: -3.28 ft / -1.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:      23.62 ft / 7.20 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):   19.69 ft / 6.00 m
      - Mid (40 %):      19.69 ft / 6.00 m (11.81 ft / 3.60 m aft of break)
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Stern:      11.81 ft / 3.60 m
      - Average freeboard:   15.28 ft / 4.66 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 119.4 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 96.7 %
   Waterplane Area: 12,319 Square feet or 1,144 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 108 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 73 lbs/sq ft or 355 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 0.94
      - Longitudinal: 1.69
      - Overall: 1.00
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily