The US/CL/1937 design

The next logical step seemed to be to move to a light cruiser with 15-6in QF guns. The possibility was also there to raise the speed to 37 knots. One distortion is that the draft is too large, but by having a deep draft, Springsharp rewards us with greater strength and seakeeping ability. We use that artifice to achieve what we want. This is the Springsharp report:

US/CL/1937, United States Light Cruiser laid down 1937 (Engine 1950)

Displacement:
 15,688 t light; 16,231 t standard; 17,700 t normal; 18,875 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 681.80 ft / 677.00 ft x 66.00 ft x 26.00 ft (normal load)
 207.81 m / 206.35 m x 20.12 m  x 7.92 m

Armament:
      15 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns (5x3 guns), 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1937 Model
   Quick firing guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      8 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1937 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships
      40 - 1.10" / 27.9 mm guns (10x4 guns), 0.67lbs / 0.30kg shells, 1937 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 2,147 lbs / 974 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 150
 12 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 630.00 ft / 192.02 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 143 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.00" / 25 mm 630.00 ft / 192.02 m 24.00 ft / 7.32 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.00" / 51 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armour deck: 3.50" / 89 mm, Conning tower: 4.00" / 102 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 179,384 shp / 133,821 Kw = 37.00 kts
 Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 2,644 tons

Complement:
 766 - 997

Cost:
 £7.502 million / $30.006 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 268 tons, 1.5 %
 Armour: 4,775 tons, 27.0 %
    - Belts: 1,588 tons, 9.0 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 559 tons, 3.2 %
    - Armament: 500 tons, 2.8 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,069 tons, 11.7 %
    - Conning Tower: 59 tons, 0.3 %
 Machinery: 4,291 tons, 24.2 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 6,354 tons, 35.9 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,012 tons, 11.4 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   23,439 lbs / 10,632 Kg = 217.0 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 2.9 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.16
 Metacentric height 3.5 ft / 1.1 m
 Roll period: 14.7 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.42
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.02

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
   and transom stern
 Block coefficient: 0.533
 Length to Beam Ratio: 10.26 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 29.53 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 62 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Mid (67 %):  24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Stern:  24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Average freeboard: 24.64 ft / 7.51 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 130.5 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 155.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 31,948 Square feet or 2,968 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 114 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 116 lbs/sq ft or 565 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.68
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent