The F/CL/1914 design

We now start a series of light cruiser designs for the French. The first is the F/CL/1914 design, with an archaic armament layout, but otherwise a good ship. The speed is moderate at 29 knots, and the gun caliber is just 5.5in, but British opinion, at one point, thought that caliber superior to the 6in gun, in that the shells were more easily handled, as light cruiser guns were hand-worked in WWI. Since the real French ships were coal-fired for a long time, using oil fuel in these is somewhat "edgy". This is the Springsharp report:

F/CL/1914, France Light Cruiser laid down 1914 (Engine 1918)

Displacement:
 6,155 t light; 6,366 t standard; 7,050 t normal; 7,598 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 515.36 ft / 512.00 ft x 52.00 ft x 16.00 ft (normal load)
 157.08 m / 156.06 m x 15.85 m  x 4.88 m

Armament:
      2 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.19lbs / 37.73kg shells, 1914 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, evenly spread
      8 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.19lbs / 37.73kg shells, 1914 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, evenly spread
      2 - 3.54" / 90.0 mm guns in single mounts, 22.24lbs / 10.09kg shells, 1914 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      8 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1914 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 902 lbs / 409 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 120
 4 - 21.7" / 549.9999 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 3.00" / 76 mm 380.00 ft / 115.82 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
 Ends: 2.00" / 51 mm 132.00 ft / 40.23 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 114 % of normal length

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

   - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 3.00" / 76 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 2 shafts, 50,551 shp / 37,711 Kw = 29.00 kts
 Range 5,400nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 1,232 tons

Complement:
 384 - 500

Cost:
 £0.720 million / $2.878 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 113 tons, 1.6 %
 Armour: 1,480 tons, 21.0 %
    - Belts: 639 tons, 9.1 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Armament: 111 tons, 1.6 %
    - Armour Deck: 707 tons, 10.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 24 tons, 0.3 %
 Machinery: 1,824 tons, 25.9 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,738 tons, 38.8 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 895 tons, 12.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   10,528 lbs / 4,775 Kg = 126.6 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 1.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.22
 Metacentric height 2.7 ft / 0.8 m
 Roll period: 13.3 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 74 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.43
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.48

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.579
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.85 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 22.63 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
 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 (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Mid (67 %):  23.00 ft / 7.01 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Stern:  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Average freeboard: 20.60 ft / 6.28 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 96.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 175.2 %
 Waterplane Area: 19,098 Square feet or 1,774 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 117 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 83 lbs/sq ft or 407 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.94
  - Longitudinal: 1.89
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily