Tomorrow is a big anniversary: May 31, 1916, the start of the Battle of Jutland

All those enthusiasts interested in naval history and warships from 1900 to 1921 know what May 31st is about: the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Jutland in 1916. This picture, of course, shows the unfortunate loss of HMS Invincible (from Wikipedia).

The World War Two British Emergency War Programme

The British World War Two Emergency War Programme (as they say) was very inadequate for rebuilding the navy from the losses of 1941 and 1942. The Battle for Crete took a heavy toll of cruisers and destroyers. We might as why they wanted to build the Colony class cruisers. They were too small for their armament and were not able to take battle damage. They really needed to build a mix, such as larger Liverpool class ships, more Dido light cruisers, and perhaps more Leander class ships. Then again, nine-gun Colony class ships might have been equivalent.

My fast Italian six inch gunned cruiser concept

I have a photograph of what I have thought that the more modern fast Italian six inch gunned cruiser would look like. The ships would look a lot like the Attilio Regolo, except longer and lower, with eight six inch guns.

My first attempt in a Springsharp design in years

I have had the concept for a modernized version of the early Italian fast light cruisers. I can tell that I have become extremely rusty using SpringSharp. This is supposed to be a flush-decked version, sort of like the Capitani Romani ships. I thought that 8-6in guns, 8-4in DP, and 8 torpedo tubes might work. I wanted to get 36 knots out of the design. I am not even sure any more how to publish the report. I gave it some armor and machinery, but I am sure that I am doing something inappropriate:

Fast Light Cruiser, Italy Light Cruiser laid down 1941

Displacement:
 9,685 t light; 10,001 t standard; 11,129 t normal; 12,031 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (564.95 ft / 555.00 ft) x 62.00 ft x (22.00 / 23.32 ft)
 (172.20 m / 169.16 m) x 18.90 m  x (6.71 / 7.11 m)

Armament:
      8 - 5.91" / 150 mm 50.0 cal guns - 109.02lbs / 49.45kg shells, 150 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1941 Model
   4 x Twin mounts on centreline, evenly spread
  2 raised mounts
      8 - 3.94" / 100.0 mm 45.0 cal guns - 30.77lbs / 13.96kg shells, 150 per gun
   Dual purpose guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1941 Model
   8 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
  8 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 1,118 lbs / 507 kg
      Main Torpedoes
      8 - 20.9" / 530 mm, 68.90 ft / 21.00 m torpedoes - 4.227 t each, 33.817 t total
 In 4 sets of deck mounted side rotating tubes

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 350.00 ft / 106.68 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
 Ends: 1.00" / 25 mm 100.00 ft / 30.48 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
   105.00 ft / 32.00 m Unarmoured ends
   Main Belt covers 97 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
   Main Belt inclined 2.00 degrees (positive = in)

   - Torpedo Bulkhead - Strengthened structural bulkheads:
  0.75" / 19 mm 360.00 ft / 109.73 m 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
 Beam between torpedo bulkheads 54.00 ft / 16.46 m

   - Hull Bulges:
  0.50" / 13 mm 360.00 ft / 109.73 m 15.00 ft / 4.57 m

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

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks:
 For and Aft decks: 2.00" / 51 mm
 Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm  Quarter deck: 1.00" / 25 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 2.00" / 51 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 156,810 shp / 116,980 Kw = 36.00 kts
 Range 3,500nm at 22.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 2,030 tons

Complement:
 541 - 704

Cost:
 £6.396 million / $25.583 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 361 tons, 3.2 %
    - Guns: 294 tons, 2.6 %
    - Weapons: 68 tons, 0.6 %
 Armour: 1,672 tons, 15.0 %
    - Belts: 389 tons, 3.5 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 150 tons, 1.3 %
    - Bulges: 100 tons, 0.9 %
    - Armament: 216 tons, 1.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 796 tons, 7.2 %
    - Conning Tower: 21 tons, 0.2 %
 Machinery: 4,144 tons, 37.2 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,507 tons, 31.5 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,444 tons, 13.0 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   7,239 lbs / 3,284 Kg = 70.3 x 5.9 " / 150 mm shells or 0.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
 Metacentric height 2.5 ft / 0.8 m
 Roll period: 15.3 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 57 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.40
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 0.71

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck,
   an extended bulbous bow and a round stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.550 / 0.561
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.57 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 23.56 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 66 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 80
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 12.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 25.00 %,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m,  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Forward deck: 35.00 %,  23.00 ft / 7.01 m,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Aft deck: 25.00 %,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Quarter deck: 15.00 %,  17.00 ft / 5.18 m,  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Average freeboard:  20.50 ft / 6.25 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 149.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140.0 %
 Waterplane Area: 24,014 Square feet or 2,231 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 101 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 100 lbs/sq ft or 489 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.94
  - Longitudinal: 1.52
  - Overall: 0.99
 Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
 Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
 Excellent accommodation and workspace room
 Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather

Jutland

We almost got by the anniversary of the Battle of Jutland (May 31-June 1, 1916) without some mention. This Wikipedia image shows the British battle cruiser Queen Mary exploding. There is a Lion-class ship to the left.

Today was the annivesary of the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915

I noticed two good photographs from the Battle of Dogger Bank (24 January 1915). I hope that these will work for us: the Seydlitz on fire and low in the water (from www.cityofart.net/bship/gun_ops.html)

the Derfflinger, Seydlitz, and Von der Tann on the way to the battle (from www.sms-navy.com)

Cruising formations for Dutch warships?

One question that I have is if the Dutch sailed in some cruising formation with their fleet when not engaged in actual fighting. I have speculated that the ships in the same squadron sailed as a clump and that the fleet consisted of clumps, grouped by squadron. Is there a more definitive answer?

Another run at the GB/CB/1905 fast battlecruiser design

I have tended to be obsessed with Cliff's design for a fast British battlecruiser, what we called the GB/CB/1905 design. I just got a good result by using light weight machinery. I am mystified why the protection is so good, considering the armour basis of 4in:

GB/CB/1905, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1905 (Engine 1910)

Displacement:
 23,677 t light; 24,490 t standard; 27,903 t normal; 30,632 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (778.00 ft / 770.00 ft) x 80.00 ft x (27.50 / 29.67 ft)
 (237.13 m / 234.70 m) x 24.38 m  x (8.38 / 9.04 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
  1 raised mount - superfiring
      9 - 6.00" / 152 mm 50.0 cal guns - 114.33lbs / 51.86kg 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 deck aft
  1 raised mount
      Weight of broadside 4,429 lbs / 2,009 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 580.00 ft / 176.78 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 116 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
  1.50" / 38 mm 580.00 ft / 176.78 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
 Beam between torpedo bulkheads 56.00 ft / 17.07 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  8.00" / 203 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: 2.00" / 51 mm  Quarter deck: 3.00" / 76 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 8.00" / 203 mm, Aft 5.00" / 127 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 168,353 shp / 125,591 Kw = 33.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 17.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 6,142 tons

Complement:
 1,079 - 1,403

Cost:
 £2.236 million / $8.944 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 923 tons, 3.3 %
    - Guns: 923 tons, 3.3 %
 Armour: 5,984 tons, 21.4 %
    - Belts: 1,501 tons, 5.4 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 869 tons, 3.1 %
    - Armament: 1,029 tons, 3.7 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,327 tons, 8.3 %
    - Conning Towers: 258 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 6,957 tons, 24.9 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,813 tons, 35.2 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,226 tons, 15.1 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   36,559 lbs / 16,583 Kg = 42.3 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 4.1 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
 Metacentric height 4.8 ft / 1.5 m
 Roll period: 15.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 65 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.55
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.30

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has low quarterdeck ,
   a ram bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.577 / 0.587
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.63 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 27.75 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 54 %
 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: 30.00 %,  33.00 ft / 10.06 m,  29.00 ft / 8.84 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  29.00 ft / 8.84 m,  29.00 ft / 8.84 m
    - Aft deck: 10.00 %,  29.00 ft / 8.84 m,  29.00 ft / 8.84 m
    - Quarter deck: 30.00 %,  21.00 ft / 6.40 m,  22.00 ft / 6.71 m
    - Average freeboard:  27.23 ft / 8.30 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 136.1 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 225.6 %
 Waterplane Area: 44,072 Square feet or 4,094 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 116 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 145 lbs/sq ft or 706 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.97
  - Longitudinal: 1.36
  - Overall: 1.00
 Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
 Excellent accommodation and workspace room
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily