Shipbucket

Edited in page 33 the Sukhoi Su-35H and the helicopters/aircrafts of Hellenic Army (AU).

And a note from that page about the Agamemnon Class helicopter cruisers (CLH):

These light cruisers were a pre-WW2 design, built with an amidships hangar for 3 fighter-seaplanes and a rotating catapult. Four units built and split between Aegean and Black Sea Naval Commands. All survived the war and for some years were laid up, until navy decide to remove the catapult and built there a helipad, converting them to light helicopter cruisers (CLH), a first for RHN. They also were armed with a primitive, pulse-jet powered missile, the SSM-14 Artemis in early 1960's (which was more successful in Coastal Defense than ship mounted), losing the rear 6" guns. That missile had also a target variant which used in Sea Falcon tests and later in firing, simulated Styx and Kometa missiles.

The conversion to helicopter carriers made in Salamis and Messimvria Naval Bases in 1957-1960, the helicopter carried was the indigenous HC-120, which entered service in 1962. These cruisers never had sonar and the helicopters were used for scout or attack missions (RHN made tests with 2.75" rockets from 1964 to attack enemy ships). The amidships helipad was not an ideal position, but the Agamemnons were a big school for Hellenic Naval Aviation in flying and supporting helicopters.
From 1962 also the HC-240 and HC-270 helicopters were used, until 1976, when the last of these cruisers decommissioned.

The design of the helicopter will follow soon.

Two thoughts - putting just a landing pad on it wouldn't make it CLH - there needs to be a hangar etc. (and I don't think it would be practical to do so for just one small helo - think of Tiger or later Italian cruisers that could take several of these), and in turn such arrangement amidships doesn't look good for operations - after all there's a reason why helicopter facilities are usually on the stern. But then again, You want to put the missiles there...
Also: helicopters as sonar carriers and to attack enemy ships? If You will use them to anti-ship duties You'll risk losing Your sonar capability, and considering that helicopter is a slow-moving target (compared to jet or missile), which, if using 2.75" rockets would have to fly more-or-less within the range of enemy ships AAA, that's just something sure to happen. It would make more sense to use helicopter only to attack small vessels (like patrol boats), but then again any gun cruiser would have no problem with dealing with these on its own.

The Agamemnon Class carried 4 helicopters, not only one. And the hangar was retained, the helipad replaced the catapult. Both the HC-270 and the HC-120 did not had sonar, they were attack/scout helicopters only. The first ASW helicopter of RHN was the Allouette III, which entered service in 1968. As for range, the 2.75" rocket can fired outside the range of any medium AA gun (20-40mm) and even modern CIWS cannot counter a large number of incoming rockets. The idea was indeed to attack and destroy missile boats and light armed patrol vessels outside the range of the 152mm guns (based on the British 6" gun of Town Class but double instead of triple).

Also these cruisers did not fitted with hull sonar and escorted always by destroyers of frigates.

The SSM-14 Artemis was actually designed before WW2, but remained a paper project because its engine was beyond Hellenic Kingdom's manufacturing capabilities at that era. The missile was manufactured when the engine was found, the Swedish-designed pulse-jet from the Robot 315. The venerable Adis I was also a variant of that missile powered by a two stage solid rocket, guided by the radar of Rb04 (nose of Adis I and Rb04 are identical, despite Adis is 2m longer). The four Agamemnon Mk2 class (Black Sea) was designed for the Artemis missile in 1938, to have a reloader with 16 missiles at rear, but because the missile was not built (the prototype tested with a 6-clustered rocket engine from Thunder I 4" rocket, the only available, far from adequate) the cruisers had guns at rear (one 152mm and two sideways 102mm). The removal of the guns and the mast was quite easy and the Artemis reloader was dropped in, creating something similar with US CLG's. The Agamemnon Mk1 (Aegean) had different, horizontal reloader into the hangar holding 8 missiles and retain all guns with only a small helipad at the rear without hangar.

The CLH's were the Mk2 type in Black Sea, the Agamemnon Mk1 was recommissioned as "CLM" (Missile Light Cruiser ). The "G" in RHN classification refers in an AAW ship, not equipped with anti-ship missiles.

The AHEAD 35 mm ammunition, used by the Oerlikon Millennium CIWS, could potentially defeat a large swarm of rockets by launching 152 tungsten sub-projectiles at the incoming threat.

It is easier when you had Millenium Guns aboard, but if the attack is from two diferent directions with 19+ incoming rockets from each direction is diffucult even today. In 1960's and 1970's when those attacks were designed there weren't CIWS on ships. Island Defense Forces have armed A109H to attack landing forces with small missiles ans rockets, while the support frigates would be attacked by Naval Aviation with subsonic or supersonic missiles.
Besides, you wont attack to a frigate with rockets, but a missile boat without RAM is almost defenseless (all AA up to 40mm have 4km range in the best). When the RAM appread in Aegean and Black Sea many thing changed, because the range of the helicopter with 5" rocket and the 2.75" were right in the range of RAM (about 8.5km). Turkish Navy (AU) was AHEAD ammunition at 35mm guns on its missile boats, but so does Hellenic Kingdom (Skyguard and Artemis 30mm).

Ah, from this phrase:
I understood that they were supposed to be used for ASW as well. Ok then.

In the beggining of WW2 the only ships of RHN with sonar (ASDIC) were the large destroyers of Nearhos Class and the patrol boats of "Project Velos" ('Arrow) which were actually desinged as submarine hunters/patrol vessels.

Finishing with SSM-14, the -B variant was for Coastal Defense Forces (which renamed in 1977 to Island Defense Force). Range was 24km for SSM-14A and 36km for SSM-14C, while SSM-14B had 32km range. Missiles were hidden in caves facing sea using a reloading system based on "In Line Reloader", magazine size depended of the available space. In average those "Missile Caves" had 26 to 40 rounds and ironically they were based on similar gun installations of Nazi in Aegean during WW2. The missiles were supplemented by guns (usually the coastal variant of the HLK 6" gun and also 4" form decommisioned destroyers) all guided by radar MARAC M21 which was designed in mid 1950's for Coastal Defense. Except for these installations, Artemis was also carried by a launcher similar with those of Soviet Sopka missiles, some towed and other mounted on 6X6 trucks (MAN LKW or Mack R-series). The missile was also exported in Cyrpus and mostly installed in north coast, while mobile Cypriot Artemis missile were towed by Leyland and Bedford trucks.

From early 1970's RHN started to phase out the Artemis for the superior Adis I, some caves were modified and others closed.The last Artemis were withdrawed in 1982 from Hellenic Kingdom, while Cypriots kept them in service until 1986.

There was also the ASM-35A, a variant intended to use from SHAF R-55 bombers, but this did not entered service. Several test launches however were made in 1962-64.

Other designs coming into the weekend are:

-Light Tanks (several variants of Vickers 6-ton:equipped with the British 2-pdr gun,AA with twin 13.2mm or twin Oerlikon 20mm,artillery aiming/observation)
-Two Heavy tanks (one is something between the Vickers A1E1 and Soviet T-28 and the other is of my design, something like the tank in Indiana Jones movie!).
-Hellenic Kingdom acquired some MkIV tanks in 1918 together with Renault FT-17 (in ratio 1:4)
-Gun Carrier (based on "T-28H" hull)
-The FT-17 was developed into a tractor with diesel engine (used from Armed Forces and shipyards)

Numbers were about 350 total for all variants of Vickers 6-ton, about 80-90 "T-28H" , 50-60 Mk(IV-H and about 100 FT-17 tractors.
Engine was the same 5-lt six from 6X4/6X6 trucks, with several modifications. A moduled design from 1 to 6 cylinders, this diesel was very reliable and remain in production until mid 1970's for marine and industrial applications.



-Trucks (some of these are also real)



An armoured variant (improvement of WW1 designs, based on the truck chassis). Types were solid, in an effort to reduce bullet damage, but the ride suffered. Suspension was stiffer from the normal truck, due to added weight of about 3 tons.
Needs refinement, do not say redesigning, but any commets please of how to impove these armoured cars? Scale up the Spanish Bilbao?

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And the real ones (not sure about exact type,but made in real Hellas in late 1930's)



Also I will made the semi-truck above.

Rest follow by gradual edits in this post when I had something ready.

I revisit the Dornier Do-31, revealing a new variant with twin RR BS100 engines, replacing the four engined -B/C. This variant is using a more powerful version without the PCB of the R.1154 (this engine also retroffited to 1154 as well). The aircraft however has still a "prototype look" due to that glass nose. I am thinking of changing it, any suggestions of what nose to use?

Great job!

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Projects:
Zealandia AU
John Company AU
References and feedback is always welcome!