Another "Maximum" Battleship Design: US/BB/1943

I was testing the upper limits on what could be done with large battleships. Springsharp doesn't like 24in guns, but it does the calculations despite that. I tried a 1,350ft long ship with 9-24in guns. I wanted only a modest speed: 30 knots. It makes for a very nice design. It about the size of a modest supertanker, except faster:

US/BB/1943, United States Battleship laid down 1943 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 162,468 t light; 169,242 t standard; 177,915 t normal; 184,853 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 1,353.40 ft / 1,350.00 ft x 168.00 ft x 39.00 ft (normal load)
 412.52 m / 411.48 m x 51.21 m  x 11.89 m

Armament:
      9 - 24.00" / 610 mm guns (3x3 guns), 6,912.00lbs / 3,135.23kg shells, 1943 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      24 - 5.10" / 130 mm guns (12x2 guns), 66.33lbs / 30.08kg shells, 1943 Model
   Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
      64 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (16x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1943 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 63,925 lbs / 28,996 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 875.00 ft / 266.70 m 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  5.00" / 127 mm 875.00 ft / 266.70 m 35.00 ft / 10.67 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 20.0" / 508 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  18.0" / 457 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 10.00" / 254 mm, Conning tower: 18.00" / 457 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 8 shafts, 335,444 shp / 250,241 Kw = 30.00 kts
 Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 15,612 tons

Complement:
 4,330 - 5,630

Cost:
 £88.916 million / $355.664 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 7,991 tons, 4.5 %
 Armour: 63,893 tons, 35.9 %
    - Belts: 12,840 tons, 7.2 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 5,666 tons, 3.2 %
    - Armament: 10,410 tons, 5.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 33,750 tons, 19.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 1,227 tons, 0.7 %
 Machinery: 8,471 tons, 4.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 82,114 tons, 46.2 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 15,447 tons, 8.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   381,015 lbs / 172,826 Kg = 55.1 x 24.0 " / 610 mm shells or 100.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.18
 Metacentric height 14.7 ft / 4.5 m
 Roll period: 18.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 63 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.60
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.26

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.704
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.04 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 36.74 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 39 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  40.00 ft / 12.19 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Mid (50 %):  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Stern:  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Average freeboard: 33.56 ft / 10.23 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 56.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 264.8 %
 Waterplane Area: 182,434 Square feet or 16,949 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 123 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 352 lbs/sq ft or 1,720 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 1.15
  - Longitudinal: 0.95
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Warning: Calibre too large - Main battery

The battleship analog to the very large battlecruiser

I have always thought in terms of having a battleship corresponding to a battlecruiser design. I just tried out a very large battleship that is similar in concept, except having more battleship properties, to the very large battlecruiser. This is the Springsharp report:

US/BB/1941 large, United States Battleship laid down 1941 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 102,922 t light; 107,375 t standard; 113,714 t normal; 118,785 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 1,153.33 ft / 1,150.00 ft x 145.00 ft x 36.00 ft (normal load)
 351.53 m / 350.52 m x 44.20 m  x 10.97 m

Armament:
      9 - 21.00" / 533 mm guns (3x3 guns), 4,630.50lbs / 2,100.36kg shells, 1941 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      24 - 5.10" / 130 mm guns (12x2 guns), 66.33lbs / 30.08kg shells, 1941 Model
   Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 43,266 lbs / 19,625 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 565.00 ft / 172.21 m 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 76 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  4.00" / 102 mm 565.00 ft / 172.21 m 36.00 ft / 10.97 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 20.0" / 508 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  18.0" / 457 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 9.00" / 229 mm, Conning tower: 18.00" / 457 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 8 shafts, 259,618 shp / 193,675 Kw = 30.00 kts
 Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 11,410 tons

Complement:
 3,096 - 4,025

Cost:
 £56.026 million / $224.105 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 5,408 tons, 4.8 %
 Armour: 41,997 tons, 36.9 %
    - Belts: 8,302 tons, 7.3 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 3,010 tons, 2.6 %
    - Armament: 8,251 tons, 7.3 %
    - Armour Deck: 21,523 tons, 18.9 %
    - Conning Tower: 910 tons, 0.8 %
 Machinery: 6,556 tons, 5.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 48,961 tons, 43.1 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 10,792 tons, 9.5 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   214,870 lbs / 97,463 Kg = 46.4 x 21.0 " / 533 mm shells or 43.6 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
 Metacentric height 10.7 ft / 3.3 m
 Roll period: 18.6 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 66 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.72
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.32

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.663
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.93 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 33.91 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 43 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  38.00 ft / 11.58 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Mid (50 %):  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Stern:  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Average freeboard: 30.64 ft / 9.34 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 63.7 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 238.6 %
 Waterplane Area: 129,267 Square feet or 12,009 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 116 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 288 lbs/sq ft or 1,407 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 1.02
  - Longitudinal: 0.99
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Photo of the very large battlecruiser: US/CB/1941 large

This is my photoart piece of the 1,250ft long battlecruiser:

My concept of the "ultimate gun", the 24in/45 BLR

My concept of the biggest gun suitable for shipboard use (on super-large ships) is the 24in/45 BLR. By my calculations, a single gun would weight 400 tons. It is possible that it could be lighter, but that is a workable figure, based on one example gun. The 21in/45 would weight 268 tons. A 20in/45 gun would weigh 231.5 tons. A 16.5in/45 would weigh 130 tons.

     Caliber = 24.0 inch (61.0 cm) 
     Shell weight = 7472 lbs (3390 kg) 
     Muzzle velocity = 2574 fps (785 m/s) 

     Relative ballistic performance: 1.00 

     Muzzle energy = 1043.7 megajoules = 384592.8 foot-tons 

     Relative muzzle energy: 0.87 

     Barrel length: 45 calibers 


     Elevation          Range        Time      Velocity   Fall Angle 

       2.5 deg        5600 yards     6.9 sec   2358 fps     2.7 deg 
       5.0 deg       10700 yards    13.6 sec   2185 fps     5.6 deg 
       7.5 deg       15200 yards    20.1 sec   2049 fps     8.8 deg 
      10.0 deg       19200 yards    26.4 sec   1944 fps    12.1 deg 
      12.5 deg       22900 yards    32.5 sec   1864 fps    15.5 deg 
      15.0 deg       26300 yards    38.5 sec   1804 fps    18.9 deg 
      20.0 deg       32200 yards    50.0 sec   1734 fps    25.7 deg 
      25.0 deg       37100 yards    61.0 sec   1712 fps    32.0 deg 
      30.0 deg       41100 yards    71.5 sec   1721 fps    37.8 deg 
      35.0 deg       44200 yards    81.5 sec   1749 fps    43.0 deg 
      40.0 deg       46300 yards    91.0 sec   1787 fps    47.8 deg 
      45.0 deg       47300 yards    99.9 sec   1830 fps    52.2 deg 
      50.0 deg       47000 yards   108.2 sec   1873 fps    56.4 deg 


          Armor Penetration - Vertical Belt Armor 

               (Relative armor quality, 1.00) 

               Maximum penetration: 44.56 inches 


     Elevation          Range            Belt       Deck 

       1.2 deg        2800 yards         42 in
       2.3 deg        5100 yards         40 in
       2.5 deg        5600 yards          ...        1 in 
       3.4 deg        7600 yards         38 in
       4.4 deg        9500 yards          ...        2 in 
       4.7 deg       10100 yards         36 in
       6.2 deg       12800 yards         34 in
       6.3 deg       13000 yards          ...        3 in 
       7.8 deg       15700 yards         32 in
       8.2 deg       16400 yards          ...        4 in 
       9.7 deg       18800 yards         30 in
      10.3 deg       19700 yards          ...        5 in 
      12.0 deg       22200 yards         28 in
      12.6 deg       23100 yards          ...        6 in 
      14.7 deg       25800 yards         26 in
      15.4 deg       26700 yards          ...        7 in 
      17.9 deg       29800 yards         24 in
      18.7 deg       30700 yards          ...        8 in 
      20.8 deg       33000 yards          ...        9 in 
      22.0 deg       34200 yards         22 in
      22.8 deg       35000 yards          ...       10 in 
      24.8 deg       36900 yards          ...       11 in 
      26.9 deg       38700 yards          ...       12 in 
      27.1 deg       38900 yards         20 in
      28.9 deg       40300 yards          ...       13 in 
      31.0 deg       41800 yards          ...       14 in 
      33.0 deg       43100 yards          ...       15 in 
      33.4 deg       43300 yards         18 in
      35.1 deg       44300 yards          ...       16 in 
      37.2 deg       45300 yards          ...       17 in 
      39.3 deg       46100 yards          ...       18 in 
      40.5 deg       46500 yards         16 in
      41.4 deg       46700 yards          ...       19 in 
      43.6 deg       47200 yards          ...       20 in 
      45.8 deg       47300 yards          ...       21 in 
      47.5 deg       47300 yards         14 in
      48.1 deg       47300 yards          ...       22 in 


     Maximum range = 47300 yards at 46.4 deg elevation 

The 21in/45 gun from Rick Robertson's Big Gun DOS program

Just for fun, I reran Rick Robertson's Big Gun DOS program for the 21in/45 gun. This is the report:

     Caliber = 21.0 inch (53.3 cm) 
     Shell weight = 5006 lbs (2271 kg) 
     Muzzle velocity = 2574 fps (785 m/s) 

     Relative ballistic performance: 1.00 

     Muzzle energy = 699.2 megajoules = 257647.2 foot-tons 

     Relative muzzle energy: 0.87 

     Barrel length: 45 calibers 


     Elevation          Range        Time      Velocity   Fall Angle 

       2.5 deg        5600 yards     6.9 sec   2330 fps     2.7 deg 
       5.0 deg       10500 yards    13.6 sec   2139 fps     5.7 deg 
       7.5 deg       14900 yards    20.0 sec   1993 fps     8.9 deg 
      10.0 deg       18800 yards    26.2 sec   1882 fps    12.3 deg 
      12.5 deg       22300 yards    32.2 sec   1798 fps    15.8 deg 
      15.0 deg       25400 yards    38.1 sec   1736 fps    19.4 deg 
      20.0 deg       31000 yards    49.4 sec   1664 fps    26.3 deg 
      25.0 deg       35600 yards    60.2 sec   1642 fps    32.8 deg 
      30.0 deg       39400 yards    70.5 sec   1652 fps    38.7 deg 
      35.0 deg       42300 yards    80.3 sec   1680 fps    43.9 deg 
      40.0 deg       44300 yards    89.6 sec   1720 fps    48.7 deg 
      45.0 deg       45200 yards    98.4 sec   1764 fps    53.1 deg 
      50.0 deg       44900 yards   106.5 sec   1807 fps    57.2 deg 


          Armor Penetration - Vertical Belt Armor 

               (Relative armor quality, 1.00) 

               Maximum penetration: 38.99 inches 


     Elevation          Range            Belt       Deck 

       1.4 deg        3300 yards         36 in
       2.6 deg        5700 yards         34 in
       2.8 deg        6200 yards          ...        1 in 
       3.8 deg        8200 yards         32 in
       5.0 deg       10500 yards          ...        2 in 
       5.2 deg       10900 yards         30 in
       6.9 deg       13800 yards         28 in
       7.2 deg       14400 yards          ...        3 in 
       8.8 deg       17000 yards         26 in
       9.6 deg       18100 yards          ...        4 in 
      11.1 deg       20300 yards         24 in
      12.3 deg       21900 yards          ...        5 in 
      13.9 deg       24100 yards         22 in
      15.5 deg       26100 yards          ...        6 in 
      17.5 deg       28300 yards         20 in
      19.1 deg       30100 yards          ...        7 in 
      21.6 deg       32500 yards          ...        8 in 
      22.2 deg       33100 yards         18 in
      23.9 deg       34700 yards          ...        9 in 
      26.3 deg       36700 yards          ...       10 in 
      28.2 deg       38200 yards         16 in
      28.7 deg       38500 yards          ...       11 in 
      31.1 deg       40200 yards          ...       12 in 
      33.6 deg       41600 yards          ...       13 in 
      36.1 deg       42800 yards         14 in      14 in 
      38.6 deg       43900 yards          ...       15 in 
      41.2 deg       44600 yards          ...       16 in 
      43.8 deg       45100 yards          ...       17 in 
      44.8 deg       45200 yards         12 in
      46.4 deg       45300 yards          ...       18 in 
      49.3 deg       45100 yards          ...       19 in 


     Maximum range = 45300 yards at 46.4 deg elevation 

A British "super-destroyer" design

I tried a British super-destroyer design with 5.1in guns, as they considered at one point in the 1930's. This design was inspired by the largest Japanese destroyers of similar size, although greater displacement. The length is 440ft and the displacement on the order of 3,000 tons. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/DL/1941, Great Britain Large Destroyer laid down 1941 (Engine 1950)

Displacement:
 2,538 t light; 2,662 t standard; 3,004 t normal; 3,277 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 440.84 ft / 440.00 ft x 44.00 ft x 15.00 ft (normal load)
 134.37 m / 134.11 m x 13.41 m  x 4.57 m

Armament:
      8 - 5.10" / 130 mm guns (4x2 guns), 66.33lbs / 30.08kg shells, 1941 Model
   Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
      12 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1941 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      16 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1941 Model
   Breech loading guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 558 lbs / 253 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 200
 10 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 68,837 shp / 51,353 Kw = 36.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 614 tons

Complement:
 202 - 263

Cost:
 £2.202 million / $8.807 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 70 tons, 2.3 %
 Machinery: 1,491 tons, 49.6 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 977 tons, 32.5 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 466 tons, 15.5 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   887 lbs / 402 Kg = 13.4 x 5.1 " / 130 mm shells or 0.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.45
 Metacentric height 2.8 ft / 0.8 m
 Roll period: 11.1 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 53 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.41
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.05

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.362
 Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 20.98 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 64 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
    - Mid (37 %):  22.00 ft / 6.71 m (14.00 ft / 4.27 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Stern:  14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Average freeboard: 17.12 ft / 5.22 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 178.7 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 114.9 %
 Waterplane Area: 11,751 Square feet or 1,092 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 78 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 46 lbs/sq ft or 225 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.50
  - Longitudinal: 1.55
  - Overall: 0.56
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate

A very large battlecruiser: US/CB/1941 large

I was looking at my pencil drawing for a very large American battleship that I had drawn in 2001. I have sketched out similar battlecruisers in the latter 1990's, as well. This is my Springsharp report for such a battlecruiser. It shows just how much can be done, if you are willing to "go large":

US/CB/1941 large, United States Battlecruiser laid down 1941 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 120,647 t light; 125,724 t standard; 132,804 t normal; 138,467 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 1,253.40 ft / 1,250.00 ft x 150.00 ft x 37.00 ft (normal load)
 382.04 m / 381.00 m x 45.72 m  x 11.28 m

Armament:
      9 - 21.00" / 533 mm guns (3x3 guns), 4,630.50lbs / 2,100.36kg shells, 1941 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      24 - 5.10" / 130 mm guns (12x2 guns), 66.33lbs / 30.08kg shells, 1941 Model
   Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 43,266 lbs / 19,625 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 100

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 15.0" / 381 mm 815.00 ft / 248.41 m 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  4.00" / 102 mm 815.00 ft / 248.41 m 32.00 ft / 9.75 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 17.0" / 432 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  15.0" / 381 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 8.00" / 203 mm, Conning tower: 15.00" / 381 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 8 shafts, 501,490 shp / 374,112 Kw = 35.00 kts
 Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 12,744 tons

Complement:
 3,477 - 4,521

Cost:
 £65.147 million / $260.589 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 5,408 tons, 4.1 %
 Armour: 43,148 tons, 32.5 %
    - Belts: 9,382 tons, 7.1 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 3,860 tons, 2.9 %
    - Armament: 7,415 tons, 5.6 %
    - Armour Deck: 21,650 tons, 16.3 %
    - Conning Tower: 841 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 12,664 tons, 9.5 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 59,426 tons, 44.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 12,157 tons, 9.2 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   231,870 lbs / 105,175 Kg = 50.1 x 21.0 " / 533 mm shells or 44.1 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
 Metacentric height 12.3 ft / 3.8 m
 Roll period: 17.9 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 59 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.60
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.18

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.670
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.33 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 35.36 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  40.00 ft / 12.19 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Mid (50 %):  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Stern:  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Average freeboard: 32.64 ft / 9.95 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 71.8 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 256.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 146,281 Square feet or 13,590 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 119 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 308 lbs/sq ft or 1,504 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 1.11
  - Longitudinal: 0.97
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

This is the photo of one of the 48,000 ton battlecruisers

I now have a photoart piece showing the British 1921-style battlecruiser that was nominally 48,000 tons. This has gradually been revised since earlier today. I have been working to capture the essence of my original 1971 pencil drawing, and this is closer than anything that I have been able to do until now.

The British 48,000 ton (nominal) battlecruiser

I had a sketch design and pencil drawing from 1971 of my concept for a 48,000 ton battlecruiser "1921-style". This is my latest attempt at a Springsharp design for it:

GB/CB/1921-48000tons, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1921 (Engine 1941)

Displacement:
 46,750 t light; 48,787 t standard; 52,039 t normal; 54,640 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 856.05 ft / 855.00 ft x 105.00 ft x 32.00 ft (normal load)
 260.92 m / 260.60 m x 32.00 m  x 9.75 m

Armament:
      9 - 16.00" / 406 mm guns (3x3 guns), 2,048.00lbs / 928.96kg shells, 1921 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      20 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (10x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1921 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 19,682 lbs / 8,928 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 101 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 29.00 ft / 8.84 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 7.00" / 178 mm  14.0" / 356 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 5.00" / 127 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 194,421 shp / 145,038 Kw = 31.00 kts
 Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 5,853 tons

Complement:
 1,722 - 2,239

Cost:
 £11.256 million / $45.026 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,460 tons, 4.7 %
 Armour: 17,856 tons, 34.3 %
    - Belts: 5,349 tons, 10.3 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,803 tons, 3.5 %
    - Armament: 4,105 tons, 7.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 6,269 tons, 12.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 330 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 5,138 tons, 9.9 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 21,295 tons, 40.9 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,289 tons, 10.2 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   76,038 lbs / 34,490 Kg = 37.1 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 11.8 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
 Metacentric height 5.6 ft / 1.7 m
 Roll period: 18.6 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 56 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.99
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.13

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.634
 Length to Beam Ratio: 8.14 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 29.24 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -1.00 ft / -0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Mid (50 %):  26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Stern:  26.00 ft / 7.92 m
    - Average freeboard: 26.32 ft / 8.02 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 83.8 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 194.9 %
 Waterplane Area: 67,768 Square feet or 6,296 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 109 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 221 lbs/sq ft or 1,077 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.98
  - Longitudinal: 1.21
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

The Ger/CS/1909 scout photo

This is my first cut at the photoart piece for the German scout of the type Ger/CS/1909. The original intent was to have a 2,100 ton vessel that could make at least 35 knots. The armament was 4-5in/50 QF guns and 2-21in TT. The original designed dimensions were 350ft x 37ft x 12ft. This is the photo:

The flush-decked 1905 battlecruiser

I looked up the characteristics of the ship whose photo I just posted. The dimensions are 570ft x94ft x 28ft, with 8-12in/45 BLR and 12-6in/45 QF guns, 10in armor basis, and a speed of 27 knots (if we let the displacement balloon). It is just over a hundred feet shorter than the Derfflinger (at 689ft).

An early version of a Ger/CB/1905 flush-decked photo

This is very early in the development process, but it looked interesting enough that I thought it worth posting. It is the battlecruiser analog to what I had posted starting yesterday: a flush-decked ship from 1905 with 8-12in/45 and 12-6in/45 guns.

My latest attempt in Springsharp to get the Ger/CS/1909 to work

The Ger/CS/1909 design is very much like some of the large Italian destroyers which were used as scouts. That was the inspiration for the design. I was barely able to make it work in Springsharp:

Ger/CS/1909, Germany Scout Cruiser laid down 1909 (Engine 1941)

Displacement:
 1,986 t light; 2,066 t standard; 2,273 t normal; 2,439 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 350.42 ft / 350.00 ft x 37.00 ft x 16.00 ft (normal load)
 106.81 m / 106.68 m x 11.28 m  x 4.88 m

Armament:
      4 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1909 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
 Weight of broadside 250 lbs / 113 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 250
 2 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 67,864 shp / 50,626 Kw = 36.00 kts
 Range 4,200nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 372 tons

Complement:
 163 - 213

Cost:
 £0.285 million / $1.138 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 31 tons, 1.4 %
 Machinery: 1,348 tons, 59.3 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 607 tons, 26.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 287 tons, 12.6 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   419 lbs / 190 Kg = 6.7 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.3 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.49
 Metacentric height 2.2 ft / 0.7 m
 Roll period: 10.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.29
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.00

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.384
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.46 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 18.71 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 71 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 1.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Forecastle (36 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
    - Mid (36 %):  22.00 ft / 6.71 m (14.00 ft / 4.27 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Stern:  14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Average freeboard: 17.17 ft / 5.23 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 202.4 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 115.6 %
 Waterplane Area: 7,908 Square feet or 735 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 59 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 35 lbs/sq ft or 170 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.43
  - Longitudinal: 2.75
  - Overall: 0.52
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is extremely poor
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate

This is a work in progress--UPDATED some more

This is a work in progress: a photo of the German flush-decked 1905 battleship of which I have previously written. The ship has 8-12in/45 BLR and 12-6in/45 QF guns. The belt is 12in. The dimensions are 490ft x 90ft x 28ft. I have worked on this some more, since I originally posted it. I fixed the perspective (hopefully) and added boats.

I keep making incremental improvements to photos

The latest piece of photoart to the improved treatment is the Ger/CS/1905 drawing that shows the ship in profile, steaming at moderate speed.

The new GB/BB/1906 fast battleship photo

I had tried to post this earlier, but Blogger was down for a good part of the day. This is my upgraded photoart piece of the GB/BB/1906 battleship steaming at high speed. There were perspective and proportion issues that I had wanted to fix, so the picture would match the outboard profile drawing.

The new, improved Ger/CS/1905 scout cruiser steaming

This is the revised scout cruiser (Ger/CS/1905 design) in profile.

New GB/PG/1915 fast gunboat pictures

These are reworkings of what I have been working on previously. The bottom is closer to the original piece, an A-H torpedo boat.

I had an alternate design for the GB/BB/1915 battleship

In 2002, I had an alternate design and look for the GB/BB/1915 battleship. The look was like the Hood, except for a flush deck and triple turrets. The displacement was planned to be 70,000 tons, but Springsharp doesn't think that much displacement is necessary, so it comes out considerably lighter:

GB/BB/1915 alternate 1, GB/BB/1915 Battleship laid down 1915 (Engine 1927)

Displacement:
 57,095 t light; 60,253 t standard; 63,410 t normal; 65,935 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 801.05 ft / 800.00 ft x 135.00 ft x 36.50 ft (normal load)
 244.16 m / 243.84 m x 41.15 m  x 11.13 m

Armament:
     9 - 20.00" / 508 mm guns (3x3 guns), 4,000.00lbs / 1,814.37kg shells, 1915 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward
     24 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (12x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1915 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 37,500 lbs / 17,010 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
  - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 440.00 ft / 134.11 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 85 % of normal length

  - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 440.00 ft / 134.11 m 35.00 ft / 10.67 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 8.00" / 203 mm  18.0" / 457 mm

  - Armour deck: 7.00" / 178 mm, Conning tower: 18.00" / 457 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 91,018 shp / 67,899 Kw = 24.50 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 5,683 tons

Complement:
 1,997 - 2,597

Cost:
 £9.219 million / $36.876 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 4,688 tons, 7.4 %
 Armour: 23,503 tons, 37.1 %
    - Belts: 6,185 tons, 9.8 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,709 tons, 2.7 %
    - Armament: 5,112 tons, 8.1 %
    - Armour Deck: 9,880 tons, 15.6 %
    - Conning Tower: 617 tons, 1.0 %
 Machinery: 2,873 tons, 4.5 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 26,031 tons, 41.1 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 6,315 tons, 10.0 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   88,362 lbs / 40,080 Kg = 22.1 x 20.0 " / 508 mm shells or 15.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.18
 Metacentric height 10.7 ft / 3.2 m
 Roll period: 17.4 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 73 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.56
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.46

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.563
 Length to Beam Ratio: 5.93 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 28.28 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -1.00 ft / -0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Mid (50 %):  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Stern:  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Average freeboard: 23.83 ft / 7.26 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 82.3 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 169.1 %
 Waterplane Area: 76,297 Square feet or 7,088 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 95 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 259 lbs/sq ft or 1,266 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.58
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

The Ger/CB/1905 design (the Bluecher)

This is my photoart for the German battlecruiser Blücher, built to the Ger/CB/1905 design. The ship is 700ft long with 4-12in/45 BLR and 12-4in QF guns. The side armor is just 4in. The speed is 31 knots. Only the one ship was to be built to this design. Here is the picture:

New Ger/CS/1905 profile drawing

This is the too small version of the Ger/CS/1905 drawing, the outboard profile. This matches the recent photoart pieces better than what I had. Also, rigging really doesn't work in the 1 pixel to 6in scale, so I removed it. Flag hoists can't be 6in in diameter.

Yet another Ger/CS/1905 photo

I have a new photoart piece for the Ger/CS/1905 design. This one sort of looks like an illustration from the 1894 Brassey's Naval Annual. I hope it looks more photographic than that, but I'm not sure it does. This one is from the side and is pretty accurately measured. The length, as you might know, is 370 ft, the armament is 5-4in QF and 2-18in TT and the speed is 36 knots. This is the picture:

My newest photoart piece ended up more as a drawing: Ger/CS/1905

This is the current version of my new drawing of a Ger/CS/1905 scout cruiser. This is a 370ft vessel with 5-4in QF guns and 2-18in TT. The designed speed is 36 knots. There are patches of 2in armor over the machinery spaces. I'm still hoping that I can make it more photo-like, but this is the crurent state.

The new version of my GB/PG/1915 fast gunboat photo

I've not totally abandoned this picture, but it is such a low-resolution photo and I necesssarily had to do a great deal of drawing on it. This is what it looks like, so far:

The tiny Ger/DD/1911 design

I was surprised that I could make the Ger/DD/1911 design work in Springsharp. The problem is that the destroyer is only 240ft long and nominally 800 tons. The speed is a moderate 32 knots. It carries 2-4in QF guns 4-21inTT and 20 mines. This was the first of my designs from 1971 to carry mines, and I continued that, as it is very much a part of German smallcraft. To make the design work in Springsharp, it has the usual exaggerated draft. This is the Springsharp report:

Ger/DD/1911, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1911 (Engine 1937)

Displacement:
 658 t light; 682 t standard; 770 t normal; 841 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 242.33 ft / 240.00 ft x 26.00 ft x 12.00 ft (normal load)
 73.86 m / 73.15 m x 7.92 m  x 3.66 m

Armament:
      2 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1911 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts 
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 64 lbs / 29 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 250
 4 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 2 shafts, 25,440 shp / 18,978 Kw = 32.00 kts
 Range 3,200nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 159 tons

Complement:
 73 - 95

Cost:
 £0.086 million / $0.344 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 8 tons, 1.0 %
 Machinery: 401 tons, 52.1 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 223 tons, 29.0 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 112 tons, 14.6 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 25 tons, 3.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   191 lbs / 86 Kg = 6.0 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.29
 Metacentric height 1.0 ft / 0.3 m
 Roll period: 10.7 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 52 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.15
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.03

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.360
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.23 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 15.49 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 72 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 1.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Forecastle (22 %): 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
    - Mid (22 %):  18.00 ft / 5.49 m (12.00 ft / 3.66 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
    - Stern:  12.00 ft / 3.66 m
    - Average freeboard: 13.41 ft / 4.09 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 180.2 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 66.2 %
 Waterplane Area: 3,787 Square feet or 352 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 51 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 24 lbs/sq ft or 117 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.42
  - Longitudinal: 4.54
  - Overall: 0.53
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped

Springsharp gives a glowing report to the Ger/BB/1910 design

The Ger/BB/1910 design was intended to be about a 32,000 ton vessel with 14in armor and 9-12in/50 BLR with 8-6in/50 QF guns. The designed speed was 23 knots. The Springsharp report is quite glowing, and was easy to finalize. I only had to raise the displacement to 33,350 tons normal displacement to achieve suffiicent structural strength.

Ger/BB/1910, Germany Battleship laid down 1910 (Engine 1921)

Displacement:
 29,717 t light; 31,116 t standard; 33,350 t normal; 35,137 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 645.00 ft / 645.00 ft x 106.00 ft x 30.00 ft (normal load)
 196.60 m / 196.60 m x 32.31 m  x 9.14 m

Armament:
     9 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns (3x3 guns), 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1910 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
     8 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1910 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 8,640 lbs / 3,919 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
  - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 435.00 ft / 132.59 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 104 % of normal length

  - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 435.00 ft / 132.59 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 6.00" / 152 mm  14.0" / 356 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

  - Armour deck: 6.00" / 152 mm, Conning tower: 14.00" / 356 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 51,219 shp / 38,209 Kw = 23.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,022 tons

Complement:
 1,233 - 1,604

Cost:
 £2.194 million / $8.777 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,080 tons, 3.2 %
 Armour: 13,852 tons, 41.5 %
    - Belts: 4,241 tons, 12.7 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 901 tons, 2.7 %
    - Armament: 3,005 tons, 9.0 %
    - Armour Deck: 5,392 tons, 16.2 %
    - Conning Tower: 313 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 1,764 tons, 5.3 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 13,021 tons, 39.0 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,633 tons, 10.9 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   84,733 lbs / 38,434 Kg = 98.1 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 18.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
 Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
 Roll period: 18.5 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 100 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.76
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.569
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.08 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.40 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Mid (68 %):  30.00 ft / 9.14 m (23.00 ft / 7.01 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Stern:  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Average freeboard: 27.92 ft / 8.51 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 53.5 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 211.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 48,577 Square feet or 4,513 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 128 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 186 lbs/sq ft or 911 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.92
  - Longitudinal: 2.21
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

The GB/PG/1915 photoart really looks drawn

You really can tell that the GB/PG/1915 fast gunboat photo looks drawn, not so much like a photograph. The design is nominally 800 tons, 265ft long, capable of 32 knots, and carries 4-4in/50 QF guns as its sole armament. This is the companion design to the GB/CS/1915 design.

A new version of my super-fast battlecruiser photo

This is a new version of my super-fast battlecruiser photoart. I worked at trying to make the photo match my pencil drawing more closely. These are 800ft long and carry 4-17in/45 BLR and 16-4in/50 QF guns. The side armor is 8in and the designed speed is about 37 knots. I would lay down four of these in 1916 (Achilles, Swiftsure, Garland, and Bonaventure). They are intended to replace the original group of 12in-gunned 33 knot vessels built starting in 1905 (such as the Essex and Sussex, the original pair).

The photo of the GB/CS/1915 scout cruiser

This is my photoart for the British scout cruiser type GB/CB/1915. As the war progressed, the type would be produced in numbers, and a few of a similar but larger type would be built as well. These would be used both with the fleet and with organizations such as the Harwich Force and Dover Patrol. The type is 405ft long and has 4-6in QF guns with 4-21in TT. The designed speed is 32 knots.

This just goes to show how critical SHP/ton is: GB/PG/1915

The GB/PG/1915 fast gunboat really works well with a high SHP/ton. High is a relative term, as in this case, it means 61.74 SHP/ton. The Swift from 1905-1907 could be pressed to 64 SHP/ton. This design was intended to be 800 tons, 260ft x 27ft x 9.5ft, 4-4in QF guns, and 32 knots. This is the resulting Springsharp report:

GB/PG/1915, Great Britain Fast Gunboat laid down 1915 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 790 t light; 819 t standard; 909 t normal; 981 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 261.70 ft / 260.00 ft x 27.00 ft x 10.00 ft (normal load)
 79.77 m / 79.25 m x 8.23 m  x 3.05 m

Armament:
      4 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1915 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
   Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
 Weight of broadside 128 lbs / 58 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 2 shafts, 28,464 shp / 21,234 Kw = 32.00 kts
 Range 3,200nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 162 tons

Complement:
 82 - 107

Cost:
 £0.154 million / $0.614 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 16 tons, 1.8 %
 Machinery: 461 tons, 50.7 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 313 tons, 34.5 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 119 tons, 13.1 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   265 lbs / 120 Kg = 8.3 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.21
 Metacentric height 1.0 ft / 0.3 m
 Roll period: 11.3 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 53 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.70
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.07

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.453
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.63 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 16.12 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 74 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 1.00 ft / 0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  20.00 ft / 6.10 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Mid (50 %):  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Stern:  13.00 ft / 3.96 m
    - Average freeboard: 15.54 ft / 4.74 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 177.1 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 158.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 4,489 Square feet or 417 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 58 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 27 lbs/sq ft or 132 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.41
  - Longitudinal: 5.44
  - Overall: 0.53
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

The GB/CS/1915 scout cruiser in Springsharp

I have a photoart piece showing Cliff's British scout cruiser design GB/CS/1915, so I thought I would try Springsharp to see if I could get a better result. The dimensions were 405ft x 41ft x 14ft, with a normal displacement of 3,200 tons. The armament was 4-6in QF guns with 4-21in TT. There was no protection except gun shields and splinter protection on the bridge structure. The intended power was 40,000 SHP with a desired speed of 32 knots. The machinery is built to destroyer standards, and the vessel is very much like a large destroyer with cruiser guns. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/CS/1915, Great Britain Scout Cruiser laid down 1915 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 3,284 t light; 3,395 t standard; 3,753 t normal; 4,039 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 406.84 ft / 405.00 ft x 41.00 ft x 14.00 ft (normal load)
 124.00 m / 123.44 m x 12.50 m  x 4.27 m

Armament:
      4 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1915 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 432 lbs / 196 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 150
 4 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 1.00" / 25 mm       -         -

   - Conning tower: 1.00" / 25 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 57,137 shp / 42,624 Kw = 32.00 kts
 Range 5,600nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 644 tons

Complement:
 239 - 311

Cost:
 £0.527 million / $2.108 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 54 tons, 1.4 %
 Armour: 19 tons, 0.5 %
    - Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Armament: 14 tons, 0.4 %
    - Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 5 tons, 0.1 %
 Machinery: 1,443 tons, 38.4 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,768 tons, 47.1 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 469 tons, 12.5 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   3,053 lbs / 1,385 Kg = 28.3 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 0.7 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
 Metacentric height 1.6 ft / 0.5 m
 Roll period: 13.5 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 65 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.67
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.29

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak, low quarterdeck 
 Block coefficient: 0.565
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.88 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 20.12 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 67 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 1.00 ft / 0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Mid (20 %):  22.00 ft / 6.71 m (21.00 ft / 6.40 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m (20.00 ft / 6.10 m before break)
    - Stern:  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Average freeboard: 20.86 ft / 6.36 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 135.7 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 160.1 %
 Waterplane Area: 11,753 Square feet or 1,092 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 112 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 70 lbs/sq ft or 342 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.84
  - Longitudinal: 4.75
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Another version of the GB/BB/1915 photoart

I have worked some more on the GB/BB/1915 battleship photoart, and have a slightly improved version. Mostly, I needed to do more Gimp work to fix the sky, water, and background. This is the photoart:

A GB/PG/1914 riding at anchor

This is another view of a GB/PG/1914 fast gunboat with 3-5in/50 QF guns and a top speed of 36 knots. This gunboat is at anchor. They functioned much as destroyers in the anti-torpedo role, but lacked torpedoes of their own. They really fulfilled one typical British view from 1914 that the only important role for destroyers was to protect larger ships from attack. The attack role was de-emphasized for British destroyers.

My first attempt at a photograph of a GB/PG/1914 fast gunboat

I have to give thanks to Mike at World War 2 Cruiser Operations for his fine site, with an amazing collection of photos. The photoart for the GB/PG/1914 fast gunboat at high speed is one of several that started with a picture from his site, and then I did a lot of drawing with MS Paint and Gimp (the Gnu Image Manipulation Program). The latter is an amazing free graphics tool that I increasingly rely upon. Anyway, this is my current version of a GB/PG/1914 gunboat. As I flesh things out, I intend to assign names to go with all the destroyer types that only have "hull numbers". This is a 275ft long ship (on the waterline) that carries 3-5in/50 QF guns and can make 36 knots:

My latest photoart for the GB/BB/1908

I have been studying the original pencil drawing from 1971 for the GB/BB/1908, and used that to revise my photoart of the design. The primary differences are that the 8-6in guns should be all on the upper deck level, and distributed equally between fore and aft. The funnels and superstructure are also lower. I noticed, too, that there should be a deckhouse just aft the mainmast. This is how the revised picture looks:

Another attempt to calculate the GB/PG/1914 fast gunboat

I have a (moderately) successful Springsharp report for the GB/PG/1914 design for a fast gunboat (36 knots). The proportions are somewhat strange, as the draft is too deep, but it is what is necessary to get an acceptable Springsharp report. The armament is 3-5in/50 QF guns, with two guns forward and one aft. The forecastle is raised and there are two funnels, with three boilers, with two trunked into the first funnel. I suspect that the strangeness is due to the inability of Springsharp to have a high-enough SHP/ton, plus the empirical power calculation equation wants to high a power for the speed. This is the report:

GB/PG/1914, Great Britain Fast Gunboat laid down 1914 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 1,087 t light; 1,137 t standard; 1,189 t normal; 1,231 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 275.80 ft / 275.00 ft x 29.00 ft x 15.00 ft (normal load)
 84.06 m / 83.82 m x 8.84 m  x 4.57 m

Armament:
    3 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1914 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, majority forward
 Weight of broadside 188 lbs / 85 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 250

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
 Geared drive, 2 shafts, 51,135 shp / 38,147 Kw = 36.00 kts
 Range 2,500nm at 12.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 95 tons

Complement:
 100 - 131

Cost:
 £0.194 million / $0.777 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 23 tons, 2.0 %
 Machinery: 678 tons, 57.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 386 tons, 32.4 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 102 tons, 8.6 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   213 lbs / 97 Kg = 3.4 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.27
 Metacentric height 1.2 ft / 0.4 m
 Roll period: 11.1 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.47
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.02

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.348
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.48 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 16.58 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 74 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Forecastle (34 %): 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
    - Mid (34 %):  21.00 ft / 6.40 m (13.00 ft / 3.96 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 13.00 ft / 3.96 m
    - Stern:  13.00 ft / 3.96 m
    - Average freeboard: 15.99 ft / 4.87 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 199.8 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 119.9 %
 Waterplane Area: 4,843 Square feet or 450 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 43 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 30 lbs/sq ft or 145 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.38
  - Longitudinal: 5.81
  - Overall: 0.50
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate

A British torpedo boat (GB/DT/1914) at high speed

This is my first attempt at depicting a torpedo boat of the GB/DT/1914 design. This piece of photoart shows one of the vessels at high speed, as if attacking. The GB/DT/1914 design was intended to be 900 tons normal displacement, to have a top speed of 32 knots, and to carry 1-4in QF gun and 9-21 inch torpedo tubes in triple mounts, aft. The gun is forward on the flush-decked hull, just forward of the enclosed pilot house with open bridge wings. There is a single, trunked stack, reminiscent of a German WWII torpedo boat.

My latest Springsharp attempt for the GB/CB/Super Fast Original design

I just played around with Springsharp to see what I might be able to achieve for a "super fast battlecruiser" of the "light" type, in that it only has 4 large caliber guns. I was able to have an 8in belt and 37 knots maximum speed. I was happy with that, as the displacement stayed low. The original intent was to have a normal displacement of 32,000 tons. I am embarrassed to say that intended maximum speed was 52 knots. That was based on a misunderstanding, back in 1973, of the effects of friction, in particular. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/CB/Super Fast Original Concept A0, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1921 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
 30,839 t light; 31,932 t standard; 32,866 t normal; 33,613 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 800.58 ft / 800.00 ft x 102.00 ft x 38.00 ft (normal load)
 244.02 m / 243.84 m x 31.09 m  x 11.58 m

Armament:
     4 - 17.00" / 432 mm guns (2x2 guns), 2,456.50lbs / 1,114.25kg shells, 1921 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
     16 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns (8x2 guns), 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1921 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 10,338 lbs / 4,689 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 75

Armour:
  - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 520.00 ft / 158.50 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

  - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.50" / 38 mm 520.00 ft / 158.50 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 6.00" / 152 mm  8.00" / 203 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

  - Armour deck: 2.50" / 64 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
 Geared drive, 8 shafts, 271,218 shp / 202,329 Kw = 37.00 kts
 Range 5,600nm at 12.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 1,681 tons

Complement:
 1,219 - 1,586

Cost:
 £7.951 million / $31.805 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,292 tons, 3.9 %
 Armour: 7,330 tons, 22.3 %
    - Belts: 2,799 tons, 8.5 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 808 tons, 2.5 %
    - Armament: 1,428 tons, 4.3 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,295 tons, 7.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
 Machinery: 6,849 tons, 20.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 15,367 tons, 46.8 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,027 tons, 6.2 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   32,537 lbs / 14,758 Kg = 13.2 x 17.0 " / 432 mm shells or 4.5 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.06
 Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
 Roll period: 17.8 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 54 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.48
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.01

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.371
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.84 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 28.28 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 55 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 1.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -1.00 ft / -0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
    - Forecastle (40 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
    - Mid (40 %):  30.00 ft / 9.14 m (20.00 ft / 6.10 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m
    - Stern:  20.00 ft / 6.10 m
    - Average freeboard: 24.48 ft / 7.46 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 120.4 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 155.0 %
 Waterplane Area: 49,612 Square feet or 4,609 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 105 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 202 lbs/sq ft or 984 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.93
  - Longitudinal: 1.84
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

Draft photoart for the GB/CB/Super Fast Battlecruiser (original concept)

These evening, I started a photoart piece for the British Superfast Battlecruiser, as I have called it. The original concept was for a speed beyond what is feasible. With Springsharp, it seems like a speed of as much as 40 knots would be possible. For those who don't remember, this type has 4-17in/45 BLR and 16-4in/50 QF guns. The armor is on the order of 8in on the belt. The whole purpose was to explore the limits of speed and striking power. I will probably continue to tweak and refine the drawing. I say that, because that is the pattern I have been following, as I learn the art of drawing on photographs.

The Ger/BB/1905 photoart

I liked this one photograph,mostly due to the water. The ship is too much a silhouette, but I used it anyway, partly because I didn't realize just how dark it was. This is my current version, much hacked upon.

One BBX underway (the GB/BB/1915)

I created my initial photoart version of a battleship of the BBX type (GB/BB/1915). I keep using the same basic ingredients, as I like the contrast and shades of gray that are involved. The BBX is an expansion of the GB/BB/1914 type, except with more beam and 9-20in/45 and 24-5in/50 QF guns. The armor and speed are comparable. They are also both 800 feet long.

My new GB/CB/1905 photoart

I reconsidered the proportions on my photoart for the GB/CB/1905 design (the Essex and Sussex). I thought that what I had was too long and low, with too small a turret. This is my revision:

I finally have my new picture of the Macbeth class (GB/BB/1912) battleships

My friend Cliff named his battleships in the big 1912 estimates after Shakespearian characters. The lead ship was the MacBeth. The ships were 700 feet long, were intended for 22 knots, but could make something more like 25 knots. They armament was 9-15in/42 and 12-6in/50 QF guns. The belt was 14in with a 7in deck. They turned out to be larger than Cliff had hoped. He had hoped for 32,500 tons, but they were much bigger. They ended up 42,620 tons normal displacement. Considering what they were trying to be, that is not unreasonable.

The "BBX" design revisited yet again: GB/BB/1915

I was looking at the specification for the GB/BB/1915, which my friend Cliff called the "BBX". I noticed that the intended SHP/ton was 30, so I took that and started working in Springsharp. I kept lowering the date, as the SHP/ton was "too good" for later dates. I finally ended up with 1921, which actually produced too low a number, but not too bad, either. The final figure was 29.04 SHP/ton. The specifications that I started with were:

• Displacement: 70,000 tons
• Length: 800 ft
• Beam: 135 ft
• Draft: 36.5 ft
• Belt: 18 inches
• Deck: 7 inches
• Speed: 20 knots, but expecting to reach 24 knots
• SHP: 90,000
• Armament: 9-20in/45, 24-5in/45 QF

The final Springsharp report is pretty glowing:

GB/BB/1915 (BBX), Great Britain Enter ship type laid down 1915 (Engine 1921)

Displacement:
 64,918 t light; 68,245 t standard; 71,879 t normal; 74,785 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 803.01 ft / 800.00 ft x 135.00 ft x 38.00 ft (normal load)
 244.76 m / 243.84 m x 41.15 m  x 11.58 m

Armament:
      9 - 20.00" / 508 mm guns (3x3 guns), 4,000.00lbs / 1,814.37kg shells, 1915 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      24 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (12x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1915 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts 
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 37,500 lbs / 17,010 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 535.00 ft / 163.07 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 103 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 535.00 ft / 163.07 m 34.00 ft / 10.36 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 9.00" / 229 mm  18.0" / 457 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 7.00" / 178 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 92,297 shp / 68,853 Kw = 24.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 6,540 tons

Complement:
 2,194 - 2,853

Cost:
 £9.679 million / $38.718 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 4,688 tons, 6.5 %
 Armour: 26,673 tons, 37.1 %
    - Belts: 7,185 tons, 10.0 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 2,019 tons, 2.8 %
    - Armament: 6,706 tons, 9.3 %
    - Armour Deck: 10,354 tons, 14.4 %
    - Conning Tower: 410 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 3,178 tons, 4.4 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 30,379 tons, 42.3 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 6,961 tons, 9.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   102,978 lbs / 46,710 Kg = 25.7 x 20.0 " / 508 mm shells or 19.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
 Metacentric height 8.3 ft / 2.5 m
 Roll period: 19.7 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 73 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.85
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.45

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has a flush deck
 Block coefficient: 0.613
 Length to Beam Ratio: 5.93 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 28.28 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  29.00 ft / 8.84 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Mid (50 %):  25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Stern:  25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Average freeboard: 25.32 ft / 7.72 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 74.5 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 173.5 %
 Waterplane Area: 79,953 Square feet or 7,428 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 102 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 285 lbs/sq ft or 1,394 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.64
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

The GB/BB/1908 battleship photoart (Updated)

This is my first attempt at the GB/BB/1908 battleship photoart (although slightly updated this evening). The ship has 9-12in/50 and 8-6in/50 QF guns. The belt is 13in and I believe that the deck armor is 4in. The nominal top speed is 25 knots. I had hoped to have the GB/BB/1912 photoart done tonight, but the image did not get sent "home".

How about "The World's Warships" for an annual name

I have long wanted to make a naval annual for imaginery ships. It seems pretty obvious that the real name can't be used, but how about "The World's Warships 1919".

The GB/BB/1914 photoart-first draft

This is my first cut (well, a slightly improved version) of a photograph of the GB/BB/1914 design that has the last Springsharp report posted. I worked from the original pencil drawing from 1971 when I did the grapic editing. I worked from one of my favorite starting points, and did a whole lot of drawing to get to this point. I probably could have posted a slightly larger picture, and the higher resolution picture is availble in the usual directory on the server.

Another run at the GB/BB/1914 design in Springsharp

Cliff's GB/BB/1914 design was supposed to be somewhere between 45,000 and 48,500 tons normal displacement. To make it work in Springsharp, with the sort of minimal specs I used, the design ended more on the order of 60,000 tons, except with a greater draft (35ft). I was able to make the 18in belt work. I just found the original drawing, and it shows a flush deck, probably with a transom stern, a single, trunked funnel, and a tower mast (very anachronistic, but that's the breaks). I keep wanting to recalculate ships, for better or worse. This is the new Springsharp report:

GB/BB/1914, Great Britain Battleship laid down 1914 (Engine 1921)

Displacement:
 55,114 t light; 57,560 t standard; 60,672 t normal; 63,161 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 801.08 ft / 800.00 ft x 120.00 ft x 35.00 ft (normal load)
 244.17 m / 243.84 m x 36.58 m  x 10.67 m

Armament:
      9 - 18.00" / 457 mm guns (3x3 guns), 2,916.00lbs / 1,322.68kg shells, 1914 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      20 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (10x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1914 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 27,494 lbs / 12,471 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 80

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 540.00 ft / 164.59 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 104 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 540.00 ft / 164.59 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 8.00" / 203 mm  15.0" / 381 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 7.00" / 178 mm, Conning tower: 9.00" / 229 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 85,368 shp / 63,685 Kw = 25.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 5,601 tons

Complement:
 1,932 - 2,512

Cost:
 £6.653 million / $26.612 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 3,437 tons, 5.7 %
 Armour: 23,915 tons, 39.4 %
    - Belts: 7,154 tons, 11.8 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,618 tons, 2.7 %
    - Armament: 5,074 tons, 8.4 %
    - Armour Deck: 9,769 tons, 16.1 %
    - Conning Tower: 299 tons, 0.5 %
 Machinery: 2,940 tons, 4.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 24,822 tons, 40.9 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,558 tons, 9.2 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   98,124 lbs / 44,508 Kg = 33.7 x 18.0 " / 457 mm shells or 17.7 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
 Metacentric height 6.9 ft / 2.1 m
 Roll period: 19.2 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 74 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.94
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.48

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
   and transom stern
 Block coefficient: 0.632
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.67 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 32.89 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 45 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  31.00 ft / 9.45 m
    - Forecastle (18 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Mid (0 %):  25.00 ft / 7.62 m (24.00 ft / 7.32 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (18 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Stern:  25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Average freeboard: 25.01 ft / 7.62 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 70.0 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 181.2 %
 Waterplane Area: 75,437 Square feet or 7,008 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 106 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 249 lbs/sq ft or 1,213 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.49
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

The GB/BB/1908 battleship design (Hindustan)

My friend Cliff's 1908 battleship design had three triple 12in gun turrets. The maximum speed was 25 knots with the armor basis being 13in. The ship was intended to fill the battleship-cruiser role. Hopefully, there are no glaring errors that I'm not seeing. This is the Springsharp report:

GB/BB/1908, Great Britain Battleship laid down 1908 (Engine 1917)

Displacement:
 25,937 t light; 27,011 t standard; 29,298 t normal; 31,128 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 650.00 ft / 650.00 ft x 100.00 ft x 29.00 ft (normal load)
 198.12 m / 198.12 m x 30.48 m  x 8.84 m

Armament:
      9 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns (3x3 guns), 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1908 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      8 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1908 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 8,640 lbs / 3,919 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 100

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 430.00 ft / 131.06 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 102 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 430.00 ft / 131.06 m 27.00 ft / 8.23 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 7.00" / 178 mm  13.0" / 330 mm
 2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 9.00" / 229 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 63,971 shp / 47,722 Kw = 25.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,117 tons

Complement:
 1,119 - 1,455

Cost:
 £2.143 million / $8.573 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,080 tons, 3.7 %
 Armour: 11,160 tons, 38.1 %
    - Belts: 4,118 tons, 14.1 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 859 tons, 2.9 %
    - Armament: 2,660 tons, 9.1 %
    - Armour Deck: 3,338 tons, 11.4 %
    - Conning Tower: 184 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 2,345 tons, 8.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 11,352 tons, 38.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,361 tons, 11.5 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   50,076 lbs / 22,714 Kg = 58.0 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 10.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
 Metacentric height 5.3 ft / 1.6 m
 Roll period: 18.2 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 83 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.54
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.66

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.544
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.50 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.50 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -1.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -1.00 ft / -0.30 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  31.00 ft / 9.45 m
    - Forecastle (67 %): 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Mid (67 %):  28.00 ft / 8.53 m (19.00 ft / 5.79 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Stern:  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Average freeboard: 25.83 ft / 7.87 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 68.2 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 145.9 %
 Waterplane Area: 45,109 Square feet or 4,191 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 120 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 174 lbs/sq ft or 850 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.94
  - Longitudinal: 1.83
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

A new photoart piece of the GB/CB/1905 from the side

I have been working on a broadside view of one of the GB/CB/1905 battlecruisers. My wife liked this the best of the three that I have just posted. This is either the Essex or Sussex at anchor, and viewed from directly broadside. I have been working to get this and the other GB/CB/1905 photoart piece to match as closely as I could achieve.

My latest version of the GB/CB/1905 photoart

I have been revising my original photoart piece for the GB/CB/1905 design (Essex and Sussex). The intermediate versions are largely online at Graphic-Artist-2.com. The higher resolution version is also there. I have been trying my hand at photoart for just over two weeks, after reading mail from David Briedis at Wolf's Den. He told me that he only uses MS Paint, and I was impressed that he could do so well with so simple a tool.

New GB/DL/1906 photoart

This is the lower resolution picture for the GB/DL/1906 design. Thanks to Mike, at World War 2 Cruiser Operations, for the picture of the W-class destroyer Windsor, which was what I used as grist for my photo-manipulation to produce this picture. My friend Cliff didn't name the ships. They only had "hull numbers" (the 1906 program ships were DL-100 to DL-103). You can see the higher-resolution version at Graphic-Artist-2.com/images/shipart/.

HMS Swift in Springsharp

The main problem with the existing Springsharp program is that SHP/ton is too low for destroyers, regardless of where you set the date. That may not be universally a problem, but for HMS Swift, it certainly is an issue. The real ship, launched in 1907, could generate 50,000 SHP from machinery weighing about 781 tons (boilers weighed 420 tons and engines weighed 361 tons). With the machinery year set to 1950, all I could get was 53.08 SHP/ton. The real ship could generate about 64 SHP/ton when pressed. I don't have the guns specified right, but I don't think it affects the outcome by much. By reducing the displacement to 1,853 tons normal, the design "worked" in Springsharp:

Swift, Great Britain Destroyer Leader laid down 1906 (Engine 1950)

Displacement:
 1,668 t light; 1,722 t standard; 1,853 t normal; 1,957 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 345.40 ft / 345.00 ft x 34.10 ft x 12.50 ft (normal load)
 105.28 m / 105.16 m x 10.39 m  x 3.81 m

Armament:
      4 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1906 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 128 lbs / 58 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 250
 2 - 18.0" / 457.2 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 54,519 shp / 40,671 Kw = 35.00 kts
 Range 3,200nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 235 tons

Complement:
 140 - 183

Cost:
 £0.215 million / $0.859 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 16 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 1,020 tons, 55.1 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 631 tons, 34.1 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 185 tons, 10.0 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   535 lbs / 243 Kg = 16.7 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 0.3 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.35
 Metacentric height 1.7 ft / 0.5 m
 Roll period: 11.0 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.22
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.01

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.441
 Length to Beam Ratio: 10.12 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 18.57 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 71 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 1.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Forecastle (34 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
    - Mid (34 %):  22.00 ft / 6.71 m (14.00 ft / 4.27 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Stern:  14.00 ft / 4.27 m
    - Average freeboard: 16.86 ft / 5.14 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 184.8 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 129.7 %
 Waterplane Area: 7,450 Square feet or 692 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 68 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 38 lbs/sq ft or 185 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.54
  - Longitudinal: 3.25
  - Overall: 0.65
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

I have new pictures that I will post tomorrow

I have a new GB/DL/1906 picture that is derived, thanks to Mike at World War 2 Cruiser Operations, from a W-class destroyer photo. I have radically altered it, of course, to be a three-stack vessel with higher freeboard, less bow flare, and less bow rake. The armament is now 4-2opdr (88mm) guns and 2-21in TT. I have also revised my GB/CB/1905 photoart picture and have new picture derived from an Indomitable photo, again of the GB/CB/1905 battlecruiser. It is a port side view, anchored.

Another run at the GB/PGL/1906

I thought I would try again to produce an acceptable design for the GB/PGL/1906. This was my friend Cliff's idea of a large, fast, destroyer-like vessel armed with 3-5in QF guns with no torpedo tubes. The ship would be able to make a top speed of 36 knots and would be 340ft long. I tried cranking the year for the machinery out to 1937, but could only muster a power to weight ratio of not quite 56 SHP/ton. Remember that the real British super-destroyer Swift could do as much as 64 SHP/ton, when pressed. That was in 1907! Here is the Springsharp report:

GB/PGL/1906, Great Britain Fast Large Gunboat laid down 1906 (Engine 1937)

Displacement:
 1,504 t light; 1,552 t standard; 1,627 t normal; 1,687 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 340.87 ft / 340.00 ft x 35.00 ft x 15.00 ft (normal load)
 103.90 m / 103.63 m x 10.67 m  x 4.57 m

Armament:
      3 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1906 Model
   Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on centreline ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 188 lbs / 85 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 52,813 shp / 39,398 Kw = 36.00 kts
 Range 2,750nm at 12.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 134 tons

Complement:
 127 - 166

Cost:
 £0.205 million / $0.818 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 23 tons, 1.4 %
 Machinery: 944 tons, 58.0 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 536 tons, 33.0 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 123 tons, 7.6 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   311 lbs / 141 Kg = 5.0 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.40
 Metacentric height 1.9 ft / 0.6 m
 Roll period: 10.8 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.20
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.02

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak, raised quarterdeck 
 Block coefficient: 0.319
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.71 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 18.44 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 67 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Forecastle (36 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
    - Mid (36 %):  23.00 ft / 7.01 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m (3.00 ft / 0.91 m before break)
    - Stern:  15.00 ft / 4.57 m
    - Average freeboard: 15.23 ft / 4.64 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 198.2 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 99.4 %
 Waterplane Area: 7,367 Square feet or 684 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 52 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 36 lbs/sq ft or 176 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.50
  - Longitudinal: 2.70
  - Overall: 0.59
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate

I'm working on photoart for the GB/DL/1906

It has an anachronistic look, but it fits my friend Cliff's vision for the class of large, fast destroyers. The GB/DL/1906 design was edgy, in that it could make 35 knots, was big, 326ft long, and had a light armament (4-20pdrs) arranged with superfiring guns before it was in vogue. I started with a "V" class ship, and started hacking. I should have it posted by tomorrow night, if not before. I'm still amazed at how good hacked photos can look.

I had not realized that the cruiser Exeter originally had raked funnels

I only realized definitively, from viewing the pictures on World War 2 Cruiser Operations, that the British cruiser Exeter had raked funnels. You can see, from the picture at Port Stanley, in late 1939, that her funnels were raked. In the picture after the long repair and modernization up to March 1941, that she seems to have emerged with vertical funnels (or else the steam pipes make it appear that way). The almost dark silhouette picture from earlier really makes the superstructure look light and the funnels seem slim and raked. If she really did have raked funnels, it must have been slight, compared to the York, her half-sister.

World War Two Cruiser Operations

Mike, who has the World War 2 Cruiser Operations site, has assembled a very impressive collection of photographs. I have always found the site to be a bit quirky, as it is very dynamic, and works against my natural way of operating. Still, it is worth wading through, as he is probably leading the competition for the best WWII ship pictures still available. A lot has evaporated in the last two years, so I am grateful that his site is still available. The site is very protective of its content, as it is the best thing still left. The reason that others have been driven out of the picture business that people will either rip off the pictures, directly, or almost worse, link directly to pictures, and not give credit. That is sort of the worst of both worlds, in that you get hit for bandwidth charges, but no one knows that they are seeing content from your site.

I have my high-res GIF drawings online

It isn't pretty, but I have my high-resolution (one pixel=6 inches) GIF drawings online at Graphic-Artist-2.com. You have to go to the directory, and they are all there, including the composite sheets. I realized that this was the quickest way to get the color GIFs available for download. These could easily be made into wargame pieces. The composite sheets are not in that form, but could easily be modified to have pieces in the form of "tents" (to fold in half). All my photoart is there, as well, in a different directory, including earlier versions of my first drawing. There should be Springsharp reports for everything on this blog (Dreadnought Cruisers), so that should be enough to prepare data sheets for a wargame. Sorry about things being slow, but I have been putting a good deal of time in the last few days into drawing, especially photoart.

A German scout cruiser of the Ger/CS/1905 type

The Frankfurt was one of the first scout cruisers built to the Ger/CS/1905 design in the 1905 building program. This is a picture of the Frankfurt in a seaway, which limits the maximum speed to about 28 knots, instead of the still-water maximum of 36 knots. The type was capable of 36 knots, had 5-4in QF guns and 2-18in TT. They had patches of 2in armor over the machinery spaces. They were 370ft long on the waterline, to reduce the power needed to make 36 knots.

(of course, this was in our Anglo-German naval race game played in 1971)

More "photoart" at Graphic-Artist-2.com

I have another altered photograph at Graphic-Artist-2.com. This time it is the Britannia, the lead ship of the GB/BB/1906 type. The ship is show steaming at top speed, something in excess of 24 knots. 24 knots was the original specified top speed, but the design was clearly able to exceed that figure by several knots.

My first attempt at "PhotoArt" (GB/CB/1905)

I just finished my first attempt at "Photo Art" (meaning art derived from photographic sources). I did a drawing of one of the GB/CB/1905 battlecruisers (Essex and Sussex, as my friend Cliff named them). The ships have 4-12in/45 BLR and 9-6in/50 QF guns. They have 4in side armor and have a maximum speed of 33 knots at normal load. This is my slightly updated first attempt.

"Alt Naval" is another really good site

The proprietor of "Alt Naval" has done some really good "Photoshop work" (whether he actually used Photoshop or another tool). His photoart of never completed and never laid down ships is excellent. Where else could you see a "photograph" of a French Normandie class battleship from right before WWI? It's all good stuff, but I really liked the American battlecruiser, as well (Lexington class).

How about "photographs" of our own ship designs?

After I saw this example, today, of photo-art, I resolved to do the same: "Queen Victoria class battleship". I would like to not only have high-quality drawings, but have always wanted the accompanying photographs, as well.

I made a failed attempt to implement Colonel Cuniberti's Ideal Battleship in Springsharp

I'm sorry to say that my attempt to implement Colonel Cuniberti's Ideal Battleship for the British Navy did not work so well in Springsharp. I cheated and modified the specifications until the design "worked" to my idea of what such a ship would be. What I ended up with was a "Battleship-Cruiser" along the lines proposed by William Hovgaard. The main shortcoming is that the belt is too thin (9in). I recklessly increased dimensions, as 521.5ft x 82ft x 28ft was too small for ship that could make 24 knots and had 12-12in guns. This is the Springsharp report:

Colonel Cuniberti's Ideal Battleship, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1903 (Engine 1914)

Displacement:
 19,965 t light; 20,885 t standard; 21,800 t normal; 22,532 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 567.00 ft / 567.00 ft x 90.00 ft x 27.00 ft (normal load)
 172.82 m / 172.82 m x 27.43 m  x 8.23 m

Armament:
      8 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns (4x2 guns), 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1903 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on side ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
      4 - 12.00" / 305 mm guns in single mounts, 864.00lbs / 391.90kg shells, 1903 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      12 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1903 Model
   Quick firing guns in casemate mounts 
   on side, evenly spread
   12 guns in hull casemates - Limited use in heavy seas
      6 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1903 Model
   Quick firing guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 10,539 lbs / 4,781 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 80

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 420.00 ft / 128.02 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
 Ends: 9.00" / 229 mm   90.00 ft / 27.43 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
   57.00 ft / 17.37 m Unarmoured ends
   Main Belt covers 114 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 420.00 ft / 128.02 m 26.00 ft / 7.92 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  9.00" / 229 mm
 2nd: 9.00" / 229 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  9.00" / 229 mm
 3rd: 2.00" / 51 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 9.00" / 229 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 47,906 shp / 35,738 Kw = 24.00 kts
 Range 5,000nm at 12.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 1,647 tons

Complement:
 896 - 1,166

Cost:
 £2.064 million / $8.255 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,317 tons, 6.0 %
 Armour: 7,500 tons, 34.4 %
    - Belts: 2,282 tons, 10.5 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,212 tons, 5.6 %
    - Armament: 2,532 tons, 11.6 %
    - Armour Deck: 1,322 tons, 6.1 %
    - Conning Tower: 151 tons, 0.7 %
 Machinery: 1,845 tons, 8.5 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,302 tons, 42.7 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,835 tons, 8.4 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   26,454 lbs / 11,999 Kg = 30.6 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 5.3 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
 Metacentric height 4.4 ft / 1.3 m
 Roll period: 18.0 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 48 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.65
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.06

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.554
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.30 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 23.81 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 43
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -2.00 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 (36 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
    - Mid (36 %):  25.00 ft / 7.62 m (16.00 ft / 4.88 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
    - Stern:  16.00 ft / 4.88 m
    - Average freeboard: 19.38 ft / 5.91 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 93.4 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 121.6 %
 Waterplane Area: 35,740 Square feet or 3,320 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 100 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 186 lbs/sq ft or 908 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.55
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

More than ever, I see a need for a family of 3D modeling tools

What I would like to have is a family of 3D modeling tools, each optimized for doing a specific era and type. I would like to do 3d models of sailing ships, Dreadnought-era ships, and armoured fighting vehicles. I want to be able to drag and drop components. If I don't have a component, I want to be able to loft that component, and then reuse it in the future.

One decision we made was to use "oil fuel only"

When we decided on the ground rules for our naval race game in 1971, we opted for oil fuel only, even though in 1905, it was only starting to be adopted, and the first ships, outside of the Black Sea, with oil fuel only were generally destroyers. I suspect that the decision was in part due to our desire to "push the limits" on what could be done with warship design. Remember that in 1971, we preceded the widespread use of calculators, and all our design work needed to be calculated by hand, with pencil on paper. We lived with my copies of the Jane's Fighting Ships reprints from Arco for 1906-7, 1914, and 1919. Considering what we had to work with, we did pretty well in usually coming within 10% on power to reach a speed for ships in the normal ranges.