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Thursday, September 14, 2006

The GB/BB/1912 was meant to have 15in guns

I have the drawing of the 2001 version of the GB/BB/1912 battleship design. I am certain that my friend Cliff had intended that the ships would carry 9-15in guns, not 9-12in guns. He also intended to build a class of 12 ships, as he had neglected building battleships for some time. The secondary battery consisted of 12-6in QF guns in this version. I think that the original concept had the skimpy secondary armament of 8-6in QF guns. I am also certain that the speed was intended to be 25 knots. This is the Springsharp report:
GB/BB/1912, Great Britain Battleship laid down 1912

Displacement:
 28,632 t light; 30,096 t standard; 32,700 t normal; 34,783 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 650.00 ft / 650.00 ft x 100.00 ft x 30.00 ft (normal load)
 198.12 m / 198.12 m x 30.48 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
      9 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (3x3 guns), 1,687.50lbs / 765.44kg shells, 1912 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
      8 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1912 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships
 Weight of broadside 16,052 lbs / 7,281 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
 Upper: 8.00" / 203 mm 190.00 ft / 57.91 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 92 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 30.00 ft / 9.14 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 8.00" / 203 mm  13.0" / 330 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 13.00" / 330 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 69,516 shp / 51,859 Kw = 25.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,688 tons

Complement:
 1,215 - 1,580

Cost:
 £3.076 million / $12.302 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,006 tons, 6.1 %
 Armour: 10,199 tons, 31.2 %
    - Belts: 2,468 tons, 7.5 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 866 tons, 2.6 %
    - Armament: 3,104 tons, 9.5 %
    - Armour Deck: 3,475 tons, 10.6 %
    - Conning Tower: 286 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 2,772 tons, 8.5 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 13,654 tons, 41.8 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,068 tons, 12.4 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   45,196 lbs / 20,501 Kg = 26.8 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 7.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.06
 Metacentric height 5.6 ft / 1.7 m
 Roll period: 17.8 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.90
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.41

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.587
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.50 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.50 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
 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:  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Mid (67 %):  26.00 ft / 7.92 m (18.00 ft / 5.49 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
    - Stern:  18.00 ft / 5.49 m
    - Average freeboard: 23.68 ft / 7.22 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 92.0 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 175.1 %
 Waterplane Area: 46,962 Square feet or 4,363 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 205 lbs/sq ft or 1,002 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.94
  - Longitudinal: 1.80
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

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