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Thursday, November 24, 2005

Almost indistinguishable from a battlecruiser

I tried a 13.5in-gunned fast battleship in the alternate design series tradition (fewer guns) and I was pleased with the result. Except for having much better protection, the design is very battlecruiser-like. The speed in at least acceptable at 26.5 knots. The cruising speed is higher at 15 knots for a longer range of 5,200 nm. The armour basis is 11in. The machinery is only helped by using all-oil fired boilers but otherwise is not lightweight. This is the Springsharp report:
GB/BB/1910, Great Britain Battleship laid down 1910

Displacement:
 23,764 t light; 24,766 t standard; 26,800 t normal; 28,427 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 645.00 ft / 645.00 ft x 86.00 ft x 29.00 ft (normal load)
 196.60 m / 196.60 m x 26.21 m  x 8.84 m

Armament:
      8 - 13.50" / 343 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,230.19lbs / 558.00kg shells, 1910 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, 1 raised mount aft - superfiring
      16 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1910 Model
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 10,354 lbs / 4,696 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 80
 4 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm submerged torpedo tubes

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 11.0" / 279 mm 430.00 ft / 131.06 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: 5.00" / 127 mm 215.00 ft / 65.53 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
   Main Belt covers 103 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 430.00 ft / 131.06 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 11.0" / 279 mm 8.00" / 203 mm  11.0" / 279 mm
 2nd: 5.00" / 127 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  5.00" / 127 mm

   - Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 75,872 shp / 56,600 Kw = 26.50 kts
 Range 5,200nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 3,662 tons

Complement:
 1,046 - 1,361

Cost:
 £2.358 million / $9.431 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,294 tons, 4.8 %
 Armour: 9,500 tons, 35.4 %
    - Belts: 3,872 tons, 14.4 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 859 tons, 3.2 %
    - Armament: 2,340 tons, 8.7 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,216 tons, 8.3 %
    - Conning Tower: 212 tons, 0.8 %
 Machinery: 3,135 tons, 11.7 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,835 tons, 36.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,036 tons, 11.3 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   35,072 lbs / 15,908 Kg = 28.5 x 13.5 " / 343 mm shells or 5.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.08
 Metacentric height 4.6 ft / 1.4 m
 Roll period: 16.8 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.77
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.19

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.583
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.50 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.40 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
 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:  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Mid (67 %):  24.00 ft / 7.32 m (16.00 ft / 4.88 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
    - Stern:  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
    - Average freeboard: 21.68 ft / 6.61 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 99.7 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 158.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 39,933 Square feet or 3,710 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 167 lbs/sq ft or 815 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.41
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

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