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Monday, October 23, 2006

My attempt at a battlecruiser analog to the Queen Elizabeth class

The initial plan was to build a battlecruiser in 1912 to go with the battleships to be built. In the event, only the four battleships were built, with a fifth funded by Malaya. This is my concept of what a battlecruiser laid down in 1912, with 8-15in BLR and 16-6in QF guns, with a 9in armour basis and a 29 knot speed might be like:
GB/CB/1912, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1912

Displacement:
 28,447 t light; 29,872 t standard; 32,500 t normal; 34,602 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 765.00 ft / 765.00 ft x 94.00 ft x 27.00 ft (normal load)
 233.17 m / 233.17 m x 28.65 m  x 8.23 m

Armament:
      8 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,687.50lbs / 765.44kg shells, 1912 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      16 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1912 Model
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts 
   on side, all amidships
   12 guns in hull casemates - Limited use in heavy seas
 Weight of broadside 15,228 lbs / 6,907 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 485.00 ft / 147.83 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: 4.00" / 102 mm 280.00 ft / 85.34 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Upper: 6.00" / 152 mm 485.00 ft / 147.83 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 98 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.50" / 38 mm 485.00 ft / 147.83 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 7.00" / 178 mm  9.00" / 229 mm
 2nd: 6.00" / 152 mm 6.00" / 152 mm  6.00" / 152 mm

   - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 9.00" / 229 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 114,576 shp / 85,474 Kw = 29.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,730 tons

Complement:
 1,209 - 1,573

Cost:
 £3.234 million / $12.937 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,904 tons, 5.9 %
 Armour: 8,209 tons, 25.3 %
    - Belts: 2,822 tons, 8.7 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 727 tons, 2.2 %
    - Armament: 2,542 tons, 7.8 %
    - Armour Deck: 1,920 tons, 5.9 %
    - Conning Tower: 197 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 4,568 tons, 14.1 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 13,766 tons, 42.4 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,053 tons, 12.5 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   39,535 lbs / 17,933 Kg = 23.4 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 5.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
 Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
 Roll period: 16.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 57 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.80
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.15

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.586
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.14 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 27.66 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:  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Mid (67 %):  25.00 ft / 7.62 m (17.00 ft / 5.18 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Stern:  17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Average freeboard: 22.60 ft / 6.89 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 113.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 186.3 %
 Waterplane Area: 51,903 Square feet or 4,822 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 100 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 188 lbs/sq ft or 920 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.99
  - Longitudinal: 1.10
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

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