The original concept for Design A from January 1905

On page 21 of John Roberts' book, Battlecruisers, he has sketches of the various designs considered for the first battlecruisers, built as armoured cruisers. He shows the original concept for Design A, from January 1905, that is much more reasonable than what is in British Battleships. The design has a ram bow and only two levels. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/CB/1905 Design A-4 January 1905, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1905 (Engine 1916)

Displacement:
 15,810 t light; 16,586 t standard; 19,200 t normal; 21,291 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 564.00 ft / 564.00 ft x 77.00 ft x 26.50 ft (normal load)
 171.91 m / 171.91 m x 23.47 m  x 8.08 m

Armament:
      4 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns (2x2 guns), 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1905 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on side, all forward
      4 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns (2x2 guns), 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1905 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline, all aft, 1 raised mount - superfiring
      16 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1905 Model
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 7,424 lbs / 3,367 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 6.00" / 152 mm 310.00 ft / 94.49 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
 Ends: 4.00" / 102 mm 154.00 ft / 46.94 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
   100.00 ft / 30.48 m Unarmoured ends
   Main Belt covers 85 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.50" / 38 mm 310.00 ft / 94.49 m 26.50 ft / 8.08 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 7.00" / 178 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  7.00" / 178 mm
 2nd: 7.00" / 178 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  7.00" / 178 mm
 3rd: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armour deck: 1.50" / 38 mm, Conning tower: 7.00" / 178 mm

Machinery:
 Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 55,875 ihp / 41,683 Kw = 25.50 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,706 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
 815 - 1,060

Cost:
 £1.844 million / $7.377 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 928 tons, 4.8 %
 Armour: 3,988 tons, 20.8 %
    - Belts: 1,270 tons, 6.6 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 456 tons, 2.4 %
    - Armament: 1,286 tons, 6.7 %
    - Armour Deck: 868 tons, 4.5 %
    - Conning Tower: 108 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 3,652 tons, 19.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,242 tons, 37.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,390 tons, 17.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   20,602 lbs / 9,345 Kg = 23.8 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 2.8 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
 Metacentric height 4.6 ft / 1.4 m
 Roll period: 15.2 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.72
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.21

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.584
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.32 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 23.75 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
 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:  26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Mid (62 %):  23.00 ft / 7.01 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Stern:  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Average freeboard: 20.20 ft / 6.16 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 132.3 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 147.5 %
 Waterplane Area: 31,288 Square feet or 2,907 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 155 lbs/sq ft or 755 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.70
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily