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Sunday, February 18, 2007

An anachronistic CSS Alabama cruiser design

I was not particularly happy with this, but Conway's did not have a displacement or draft for the CSS Alabama, and I had not looked to see if I could find it online. This is my rather unsatisfactory Alabama Springsharp design:]
CSS Alabama, anachronistic, Confederate States of America Cruiser laid down 1907

Displacement:
 1,272 t light; 1,336 t standard; 1,648 t normal; 1,898 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (227.79 ft / 220.00 ft) x 31.67 ft x (15.00 / 16.80 ft)
 (69.43 m / 67.06 m) x 9.65 m  x (4.57 / 5.12 m)

Armament:
      1 - 5.50" / 140 mm 45.0 cal gun - 83.90lbs / 38.05kg shells, 150 per gun
   Breech loading gun in deck and hoist mount , 1907 Model
   1 x Single mount on centreline, forward deck forward
   Main guns limited to end-on fire
      1 - 5.30" / 135 mm 45.0 cal gun - 75.07lbs / 34.05kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing gun in deck and hoist mount , 1907 Model
   1 x Single mount on centreline, aft deck aft
      6 - 4.00" / 102 mm 50.0 cal guns - 33.88lbs / 15.37kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts , 1907 Model
   6 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
 Weight of broadside 362 lbs / 362 kg

Armour:
   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 3.00" / 76 mm       -   2.00" / 51 mm
 2nd: 3.00" / 76 mm       -   2.00" / 51 mm
 3rd: 3.00" / 76 mm       -   2.00" / 51 mm

   - Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm

Machinery:
 Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines, 
 ERROR: Revise drives, 2 shafts, 4,386 ihp / 3,272 Kw = 18.00 kts
 Range 4,800nm at 12.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 563 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
 129 - 168

Cost:
 £0.150 million / $0.599 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 105 tons, 6.4 %
 Armour: 150 tons, 9.1 %
    - Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Armament: 60 tons, 3.6 %
    - Armour Deck: 90 tons, 5.5 %
    - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
 Machinery: 487 tons, 29.6 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 591 tons, 35.9 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 376 tons, 22.8 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   1,468 lbs / 666 Kg = 17.6 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.5 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
 Metacentric height 1.1 ft / 0.3 m
 Roll period: 12.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 100 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 1.20
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck,
   a normal bow and a round stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.552 / 0.568
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.95 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 14.83 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 58 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 6.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 6.00 ft / 1.83 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 20.00 %,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Aft deck: 35.00 %,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Quarter deck: 15.00 %,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m,  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
    - Average freeboard:  15.24 ft / 4.64 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 116.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 107.9 %
 Waterplane Area: 4,872 Square feet or 453 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 112 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 55 lbs/sq ft or 269 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.80
  - Longitudinal: 7.71
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

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