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Saturday, March 18, 2006

The French F/BB/1916 battleship design

Compared to some of the other designs that I have produced for this date, this seems to be an under-achiever, although it seems reasonable, given contemporary French ideas. I was able to raise the speed to 25 knots, and the armament to 16-13.4in guns (34cm). The design seems very suitable for Mediterranean naval warfare. Ships with this armament were actually planned. Perhaps the caliber should have been increased to 14.6in, but that will have to wait, if it happens at all. This is the Springsharp report:
F/BB/1916, France Battleship laid down 1916

Displacement:
 30,831 t light; 31,507 t standard; 33,800 t normal; 35,635 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 635.00 ft / 635.00 ft x 95.00 ft x 30.00 ft (normal load)
 193.55 m / 193.55 m x 28.96 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
      16 - 13.39" / 340 mm guns (4x4 guns), 1,199.24lbs / 543.97kg shells, 1916 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
   Main guns limited to end-on fire
   Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
      16 - 5.51" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.72lbs / 37.98kg shells, 1916 Model
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts 
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      4 - 3.54" / 90.0 mm guns in single mounts, 22.24lbs / 10.09kg shells, 1916 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships
      16 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1916 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 20,667 lbs / 9,374 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 0

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 480.00 ft / 146.30 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: 5.00" / 127 mm 110.00 ft / 33.53 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
   45.00 ft / 13.72 m Unarmoured ends
   Main Belt covers 116 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 480.00 ft / 146.30 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  13.0" / 330 mm
 2nd: 5.00" / 127 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  5.00" / 127 mm

   - Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm, Conning tower: 13.00" / 330 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 73,019 shp / 54,472 Kw = 25.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,128 tons

Complement:
 1,246 - 1,620

Cost:
 £5.940 million / $23.760 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,583 tons, 7.6 %
 Armour: 12,077 tons, 35.7 %
    - Belts: 4,468 tons, 13.2 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 959 tons, 2.8 %
    - Armament: 3,784 tons, 11.2 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,573 tons, 7.6 %
    - Conning Tower: 293 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 2,721 tons, 8.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 13,450 tons, 39.8 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,969 tons, 8.8 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   39,754 lbs / 18,032 Kg = 33.1 x 13.4 " / 340 mm shells or 5.9 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
 Metacentric height 4.9 ft / 1.5 m
 Roll period: 18.1 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 57 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 1.09
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.14

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.654
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.68 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.20 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -2.00 ft / -0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  27.00 ft / 8.23 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: 21.60 ft / 6.58 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 101.1 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 154.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 46,369 Square feet or 4,308 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 89 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 207 lbs/sq ft or 1,010 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.57
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

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