Shipbucket

I joined the forum a couple of months ago and started to draw an imaginary heavy cruiser. I quickly got disheartened, especially after seeing the excellent 'what if' RN by the Grey Funnel gang. I drew a few real life ships to get my eye in, including a few ferries. So this is my first try at a warship. Its a bit of a beast, with a few practical problems that I would be pleased to hear some advice on.

The idea behind the ship, is that in an alternate universe, Republican Spain survived the Civil War because Britain and France abandoned the Non-Intervention treaty after the obvious involvement of Axis forces in Spain. The Republic orders a heavy cruiser form Britain to counter the Nationalist CA Canarias. The Ebro is based on a mix of ideas between County Class and Des Moines Class cruisers. Main armament is 8x8 inch guns, 2x 5.25 guns and 4 x 4.5inch guns.

I know its a bit wishy washy

This is a decent design, just requiring some further work and maybe a review of the secondaries? The main 8-in is fine, but having just the one twin 5.25 seems a bit sparse, and I'm not sold on the single 4.5-in, which, if this is what I'm looking at came into service well into WWII (so you may have problems there). AA is certainly vital here, as any cruiser in the civil war will be at great risk from air attack. You'll no doubt get lots of suggestions, but mine would be to include the 4-in twin in sufficient numbers, 40mm Bofors, and 20mm Oerliken's wherever they will fit in.

Well, most of the issues were the secondary weapons. The other is that you said that there are some influences of the Des Moines class cruisers. I can't seem to see it. It looks very much like and American cruiser albeit with 4 main turrets, but I don't see anything that specifies the Des Moines class. And a technical detail would be that the Des Moines class was ordered well into WWII, about four years ahead of the end of the Spanish Civil War. But, if you were to go with the Wichita class, then you would have a modern ship that fits the time frame, even giving an effective layout for secondary guns.

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Thanks a lot for the feedback. I wasn't too sure what I was doing with the secondary armament. The 5.25" should probably go. I was looking at Midnightnova's USS Salem, which I used for the dimensions of the hull (drew the hull myself) and influenced my decision to put secondary armament as superfiring over B turret. I'm not sure if I could make the whole secondary armament 5.25??

Another problem is no ships boats or aircraft. Where to put the crane. Maybe the stern like the US cruisers.

I don't want to be limited to the 1936-39 period so the idea is that the civil war is over with both nationalist and republicans in an uneasy truce due to the interventions of GB/France to counter axis/communist influences. This would put the design in the early 1940's.

With a hull this size, and if you're staying with the RN influence, you could always use the same 4.5-in duals that were used on the rebuilt Q.E.'s and HMS's Repair & Refit (Renown and Repulse)

Thats a rather nice design Charybdis,with a bit more detailing she could look really good.There is plenty of room at the stern or between the funnels to put the aircraft.I would have thought being buillt in the UK she would have had a bridge structure something akin to a Southhampton or Dido.If you junked the 5.25" and used Bills 4" twins from Belfast that would solve the problem of the secondaries and Bobs your uncle.

One way to fit boats on board is to carry them on a sort of scaffolding (For lack of a better word) above the torpedo tubes.

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

I agree with Bombhead. You always want to have Uncle Bob on your side! As for the boat stowage I'd stack them around the funnel bases, you can compare, say the HMS Vanguard to see how that might be resolved. Just remember to use time appropriate boats; in fact, I'd go ahead and cannibalize Alvama's excellent Spanish cruisers of the same era to get the appropriate types needed!

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Looks like a good start.
I'd go with the 4in twins, perhaps six of them. Maybe add a couple of multiple pom-poms too.
I like the bridge, perhaps alter the wings and platforms a little too. Using Alex's Spanish cruisers for parts is probably a good bit of advice.

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A very good start on a novel idea.
For a British looking vessel, you've got most things right, not counting the secondaries.
As mentioned by my esteemed colleagues, the use of the 4.5" guns is problematic, to say the least.
For a ship designed in the late 1930's I'd go for the twin Mk.19 4" mounting (found in almaost all British cruisers of that ere, HMS Belfast and others),and you can get even 6 mountings (3 each side). Torpedo tube will be on the beam (two triple mountings or twin mountings- see RN section for how to place them).
The bridge, has some elements of the one on HMS Exeter, and you can expand on that.
Life boats can be placed in the place between the funnels using a crane, or you can use the arrangement found on HMS Belfast, also using a hangar around the front funnel and an athwartship catapult. Make the main mast higher, same height as the fore-mast, it will come in handy when radar is installed in the late 1940's.
Rudder and screws need to be slightly bigger, they look too small on this ship.
The armour belt need to be extended foreward, as far as the foreward edge of the first turret/barabette, and extended aft as far as the after edge of the aftermost turret/barabette. To save weight you can make the belt stepped, like on HMS Belfast.
Be sure to have at least two DCT (main guns fire control) and at least two HACS for the AA battery. If you are going to install Pom-Poms or the Bofors 40mm guns you need directors for each mounting (the twin Bofors or quad Pom-Pom). Single 40mm guns and the Oerlikon were directed usually by the Mk.1 eyeball.
All the above said, I'd like to applaude your first try.

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"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"