A very conservative version of the GB/CB/1905 design

By accepting somewhat lighter weight machinery, we can build a very fine version of the GB/CB/1905 battlecruiser design. My friend Cliff's original concept was for a ship with oil fuel, abnormally early in the century, admittedly. I have tried to make this version adhere quite closely to his original design, and it works quite well. I have a number of different depictions of the two ships (Essex and Sussex, Cliff named them). This a picture of the Essex. This is its sister ship, the Sussex. This is a line drawing of the inboard profile and deck plan. This is a drawing that was intended for use as part of a wargaming piece. This is a more generic photograph showing a broadside view:

This is the corresponding Springsharp report (for Springsharp 3.0b1 Beta):

GB/CB/1905, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1905 (Engine 1909)

Displacement:
 23,063 t light; 23,856 t standard; 27,410 t normal; 30,252 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (778.00 ft / 770.00 ft) x 85.00 ft x (27.50 / 29.71 ft)
 (237.13 m / 234.70 m) x 25.91 m  x (8.38 / 9.06 m)

Armament:
      4 - 12.00" / 305 mm 45.0 cal guns - 850.00lbs / 385.55kg shells, 90 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts , 1905 Model
   2 x Twin mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
      9 - 6.00" / 152 mm 50.0 cal guns - 100.00lbs / 45.36kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts , 1905 Model
   8 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
   1 x Single mount on centreline, aft evenly spread
 Weight of broadside 4,300 lbs / 4,300 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 540.00 ft / 164.59 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
 Upper: 4.00" / 102 mm 380.00 ft / 115.82 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.50" / 38 mm 420.00 ft / 128.02 m 27.50 ft / 8.38 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 6.00" / 152 mm  8.00" / 203 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.00" / 51 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 6.00" / 152 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 164,897 shp / 123,013 Kw = 33.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 16.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 6,396 tons

Complement:
 1,064 - 1,384

Cost:
 £2.290 million / $9.160 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 923 tons, 3.4 %
 Armour: 4,637 tons, 16.9 %
    - Belts: 1,254 tons, 4.6 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 641 tons, 2.3 %
    - Armament: 961 tons, 3.5 %
    - Armour Deck: 1,663 tons, 6.1 %
    - Conning Tower: 118 tons, 0.4 %
 Machinery: 7,495 tons, 27.3 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,415 tons, 38.0 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,346 tons, 15.9 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   34,633 lbs / 15,709 Kg = 40.1 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 3.7 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.22
 Metacentric height 5.7 ft / 1.7 m
 Roll period: 15.0 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 76 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.44
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.43

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has low quarterdeck ,
   a ram bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.533 / 0.544
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.06 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 27.75 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 54 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 20.00 %,  34.00 ft / 10.36 m,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Aft deck: 20.00 %,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Quarter deck: 30.00 %,  22.00 ft / 6.71 m,  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Average freeboard:  28.61 ft / 8.72 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 134.9 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 246.3 %
 Waterplane Area: 44,956 Square feet or 4,177 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 115 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 146 lbs/sq ft or 710 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.51
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily