My idea of the Hood as it might have been built: GB/CB/1915

The basis for the original Hood concept in 1915 has always interested me. Here is another attempt at such a ship: the GB/CB/1915 design with 8-15in/42 BLR, 16-5.5in QF, an armour basis of 8in and a speed of 32 knots. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/CB/1915, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1915 (Engine 1919)

Displacement:
 41,011 t light; 43,359 t standard; 46,714 t normal; 49,398 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (860.06 ft / 855.00 ft) x 105.00 ft x (29.00 / 30.39 ft)
 (262.15 m / 260.60 m) x 32.00 m  x (8.84 / 9.26 m)

Armament:
      8 - 15.00" / 381 mm 42.0 cal guns - 1,950.00lbs / 884.51kg shells, 150 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1915 Model
   4 x Twin mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
  2 raised mounts - superfiring
      16 - 5.50" / 140 mm 50.0 cal guns - 85.00lbs / 38.56kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1915 Model
   16 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
  4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 16,960 lbs / 7,693 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 600.00 ft / 182.88 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
 Ends: 4.00" / 102 mm 255.00 ft / 77.72 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
   Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
   Main Belt inclined 12.00 degrees (positive = in)

   - Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
  2.00" / 51 mm 600.00 ft / 182.88 m 29.00 ft / 8.84 m
 Beam between torpedo bulkheads 70.00 ft / 21.34 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 10.0" / 254 mm 7.00" / 178 mm  10.0" / 254 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.00" / 51 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks:
 For and Aft decks: 3.00" / 76 mm
 Forecastle: 3.00" / 76 mm  Quarter deck: 3.00" / 76 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 10.00" / 254 mm, Aft 8.00" / 203 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 207,000 shp / 154,422 Kw = 32.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 17.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 6,039 tons

Complement:
 1,588 - 2,065

Cost:
 £5.458 million / $21.830 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,446 tons, 5.2 %
    - Guns: 2,446 tons, 5.2 %
 Armour: 12,626 tons, 27.0 %
    - Belts: 3,863 tons, 8.3 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,288 tons, 2.8 %
    - Armament: 3,209 tons, 6.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 3,764 tons, 8.1 %
    - Conning Towers: 503 tons, 1.1 %
 Machinery: 7,351 tons, 15.7 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 18,588 tons, 39.8 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,703 tons, 12.2 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   73,288 lbs / 33,243 Kg = 43.4 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 9.6 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
 Metacentric height 7.2 ft / 2.2 m
 Roll period: 16.5 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 58 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.81
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.17

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has low quarterdeck ,
   a normal bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.628 / 0.634
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.14 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 29.24 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 8.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -3.00 ft / -0.91 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 28.00 %,  36.00 ft / 10.97 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: 14.00 %,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Quarter deck: 28.00 %,  20.00 ft / 6.10 m,  22.00 ft / 6.71 m
    - Average freeboard:  28.79 ft / 8.77 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 116.9 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 248.0 %
 Waterplane Area: 67,393 Square feet or 6,261 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 118 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 203 lbs/sq ft or 991 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.98
  - Longitudinal: 1.22
  - Overall: 1.00
 Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
 Excellent accommodation and workspace room