The presupposition of this scenario is that: France, Belgium and Great Britain are able to repulse the German advance into Belgium. The British and French forces are therefore not forced to evacuate the continent at Dunkirk, France does not fall and the War continues. Consequently the French fleet is not scuttled at Toulon and the Marine Nationale is able to continue ship building.
Due to the high cost associated with the continuing conflict the French the Conseil Superieur de la Marine, the French equivalent of the Board of Admiralty decide to cancel the construction of the battleships Gascoigne and Clemenceau; they do, however, approve of the construction of a class of Large (305mm) Cruisers, the Charles Martel-Class.
France (C6-SA1) Large Cruiser
Charles Martel
laid down 1941
Commissioned 1944
Displacement:
19,708 t light; 20,888 t standard; 23,811 t normal; 26,150 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
710.00 ft / 694.50 ft x 80.00 ft x 25.00 ft (normal load)
216.41 m / 211.68 m x 24.38 m x 7.62 m
Armament:
9 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns in single mounts, 865.70lbs / 392.67kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority aft, all raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (8x2 guns), 30.51lbs / 13.84kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
56 - 0.52" / 13.2 mm guns (14x4 guns), 0.07lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 8,308 lbs / 3,769 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 6.00" / 152 mm 416.70 ft / 127.01 m 10.73 ft / 3.27 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 3.00" / 76 mm 416.70 ft / 127.01 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 92 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 4.00" / 102 mm 6.00" / 152 mm
2nd: 3.00" / 76 mm 2.00" / 51 mm 0.20" / 5 mm
- Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 10.00" / 254 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 111,421 shp / 83,120 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 6,000nm at 22.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 5,261 tons
Complement:
957 - 1,245
Cost:
£12.862 million / $51.447 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,039 tons, 4.4 %
Armour: 6,437 tons, 27.0 %
- Belts: 1,581 tons, 6.6 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 1,670 tons, 7.0 %
- Armour Deck: 3,007 tons, 12.6 %
- Conning Tower: 178 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 2,878 tons, 12.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,354 tons, 39.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,104 tons, 17.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
32,859 lbs / 14,904 Kg = 38.0 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 3.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.03
Metacentric height 3.8 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 17.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 55 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.95
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.11
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0.600
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.68 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 26.35 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 54 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 19.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 30.50 ft / 9.30 m
- Forecastle (30 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m (20.50 ft / 6.25 m aft of break)
- Mid (60 %): 20.50 ft / 6.25 m
- Quarterdeck (10 %): 20.50 ft / 6.25 m
- Stern: 21.50 ft / 6.55 m
- Average freeboard: 22.56 ft / 6.88 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 165.8 %
Waterplane Area: 40,636 Square feet or 3,775 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 116 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 155 lbs/sq ft or 759 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.00
- Longitudinal: 1.24
- Overall: 1.02
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/XdIiDSJ.png)
