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Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Another "Maximum" Battleship Design: US/BB/1943

I was testing the upper limits on what could be done with large battleships. Springsharp doesn't like 24in guns, but it does the calculations despite that. I tried a 1,350ft long ship with 9-24in guns. I wanted only a modest speed: 30 knots. It makes for a very nice design. It about the size of a modest supertanker, except faster:
US/BB/1943, United States Battleship laid down 1943 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 162,468 t light; 169,242 t standard; 177,915 t normal; 184,853 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 1,353.40 ft / 1,350.00 ft x 168.00 ft x 39.00 ft (normal load)
 412.52 m / 411.48 m x 51.21 m  x 11.89 m

Armament:
      9 - 24.00" / 610 mm guns (3x3 guns), 6,912.00lbs / 3,135.23kg shells, 1943 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      24 - 5.10" / 130 mm guns (12x2 guns), 66.33lbs / 30.08kg shells, 1943 Model
   Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      64 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (16x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1943 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 63,925 lbs / 28,996 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 875.00 ft / 266.70 m 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  5.00" / 127 mm 875.00 ft / 266.70 m 35.00 ft / 10.67 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 20.0" / 508 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  18.0" / 457 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 10.00" / 254 mm, Conning tower: 18.00" / 457 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 8 shafts, 335,444 shp / 250,241 Kw = 30.00 kts
 Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 15,612 tons

Complement:
 4,330 - 5,630

Cost:
 £88.916 million / $355.664 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 7,991 tons, 4.5 %
 Armour: 63,893 tons, 35.9 %
    - Belts: 12,840 tons, 7.2 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 5,666 tons, 3.2 %
    - Armament: 10,410 tons, 5.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 33,750 tons, 19.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 1,227 tons, 0.7 %
 Machinery: 8,471 tons, 4.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 82,114 tons, 46.2 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 15,447 tons, 8.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   381,015 lbs / 172,826 Kg = 55.1 x 24.0 " / 610 mm shells or 100.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.18
 Metacentric height 14.7 ft / 4.5 m
 Roll period: 18.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 63 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.60
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.26

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.704
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.04 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 36.74 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 39 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  40.00 ft / 12.19 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Mid (50 %):  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Stern:  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Average freeboard: 33.56 ft / 10.23 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 56.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 264.8 %
 Waterplane Area: 182,434 Square feet or 16,949 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 123 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 352 lbs/sq ft or 1,720 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 1.15
  - Longitudinal: 0.95
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Warning: Calibre too large - Main battery

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