May 31, 1916

In my younger years, I was focused on the Battle of Jutland and the events leading up to the war at sea (1905-1918). Today is the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Jutland. This seemed like a good Jutland picture.

A fast version of the Ger/CB/1905

The Ger/CB/1905 design is the classic light battlecruiser type. The design in anachronistic and looks British, but it works well. I wanted to see how much speed I could achieve with it, and the answer is that I could get 35 knots without a lot of trouble. Of course, it relies on very light machinery:

Ger/CB/1905 Fast, Germany Light Battlecruiser laid down 1905 (Engine 1923)

Displacement:
 18,384 t light; 19,004 t standard; 20,886 t normal; 22,392 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (707.00 ft / 700.00 ft) x 80.00 ft x (24.40 / 25.77 ft)
 (215.49 m / 213.36 m) x 24.38 m  x (7.44 / 7.85 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
      12 - 4.00" / 102 mm 45.0 cal guns - 32.27lbs / 14.64kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts, 1905 Model
   6 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck aft
   6 x Single mounts on sides, aft deck forward
      Weight of broadside 3,787 lbs / 1,718 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 440.00 ft / 134.11 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
 Upper: 3.00" / 76 mm 440.00 ft / 134.11 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 97 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 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 9.00" / 229 mm, Aft 4.00" / 102 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 185,595 shp / 138,454 Kw = 35.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 17.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 3,388 tons

Complement:
 868 - 1,129

Cost:
 £1.856 million / $7.424 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 689 tons, 3.3 %
    - Guns: 689 tons, 3.3 %
 Armour: 3,897 tons, 18.7 %
    - Belts: 1,032 tons, 4.9 %
    - Armament: 498 tons, 2.4 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,154 tons, 10.3 %
    - Conning Towers: 212 tons, 1.0 %
 Machinery: 6,203 tons, 29.7 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,596 tons, 36.4 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,502 tons, 12.0 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   21,714 lbs / 9,849 Kg = 25.1 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 2.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.30
 Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
 Roll period: 14.0 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 53 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.29
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.07

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
   a ram bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.535 / 0.543
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.75 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 26.46 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -3.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -2.00 ft / -0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 32.00 %,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m,  27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Aft deck: 23.00 %,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Quarter deck: 15.00 %,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Average freeboard:  24.94 ft / 7.60 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 111.3 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 201.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 38,537 Square feet or 3,580 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 107 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 133 lbs/sq ft or 650 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.48
  - Overall: 1.00
 Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
 Excellent accommodation and workspace room

Naval Airship Command comments on my MySpace page

Naval Airship Command has posted some great pictures in the comments on my MySpace page. They include U.S. Navy blimps and dirigibles.

My latest attempt at a very fast 1921-style battlecruiser

One of my long term obsessions is with very fast 1921-style battlecruisers. This latest one relies upon the lightest weight machinery to achieve 38 knots. The battlecruiser carries 6-16in/45 guns and has a 9in belt and 3in deck armour. This is the Springsharp design:

GB/CB/1921, Great Britain Fast Battlecruiser laid down 1921 (Engine 1950)

Displacement:
 41,653 t light; 43,329 t standard; 46,991 t normal; 49,921 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (889.32 ft / 874.00 ft) x 108.00 ft x (33.00 / 34.53 ft)
 (271.07 m / 266.40 m) x 32.92 m  x (10.06 / 10.52 m)

Armament:
      6 - 16.00" / 406 mm 45.0 cal guns - 2,065.00lbs / 936.67kg shells, 90 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1921 Model
   2 x Triple mounts on centreline, forward deck forward
  1 raised mount - superfiring
      12 - 5.50" / 140 mm 50.0 cal guns - 85.00lbs / 38.56kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1921 Model
   6 x Single mounts on sides, aft deck forward
      6 - 4.70" / 119 mm 45.0 cal guns - 52.35lbs / 23.75kg shells, 150 per gun
   Anti-air guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1921 Model
   6 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck aft
  6 raised mounts
      32 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 150 per gun
   Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1921 Model
   8 x 2 row quad mounts on sides, evenly spread
      Weight of broadside 13,788 lbs / 6,254 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 580.00 ft / 176.78 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 102 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
   Main Belt inclined -10.00 degrees (positive = in)

   - Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
  2.00" / 51 mm 580.00 ft / 176.78 m 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
 Beam between torpedo bulkheads 64.00 ft / 19.51 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 10.0" / 254 mm 8.00" / 203 mm  10.0" / 254 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 3.00" / 76 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 8.00" / 203 mm, Aft 6.00" / 152 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 6 shafts, 333,404 shp / 248,720 Kw = 38.00 kts
 Range 8,500nm at 18.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 6,592 tons

Complement:
 1,595 - 2,074

Cost:
 £9.863 million / $39.453 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,448 tons, 5.2 %
    - Guns: 2,448 tons, 5.2 %
 Armour: 11,045 tons, 23.5 %
    - Belts: 2,633 tons, 5.6 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,416 tons, 3.0 %
    - Armament: 2,847 tons, 6.1 %
    - Armour Deck: 3,756 tons, 8.0 %
    - Conning Towers: 393 tons, 0.8 %
 Machinery: 7,976 tons, 17.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 20,184 tons, 43.0 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,338 tons, 11.4 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   72,600 lbs / 32,931 Kg = 35.4 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 9.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
 Metacentric height 6.8 ft / 2.1 m
 Roll period: 17.3 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 56 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.66
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.10

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
   an extended bulbous bow and large transom stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.528 / 0.536
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.09 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 34.21 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 51
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 18.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 25.00 %,  41.00 ft / 12.50 m,  36.00 ft / 10.97 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  36.00 ft / 10.97 m,  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Aft deck: 30.00 %,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Quarter deck: 15.00 %,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m,  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Average freeboard:  34.25 ft / 10.44 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 135.7 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 266.6 %
 Waterplane Area: 67,154 Square feet or 6,239 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 119 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 209 lbs/sq ft or 1,021 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.94
  - Longitudinal: 1.84
  - Overall: 1.00
 Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
 Excellent accommodation and workspace room