Shipbucket

I wanted to finish first the evolution of the belgians destroyers but the idea was too exciting......................

The initial naval program for the new belgium navy was to use small cruisers and torpedo boat to complete their futur battleship. A class of three small cruiser was ordered from France 1886.
They were based on a reduced version of the Forbin which was under construction . As it was intended to operate as training ship and royal yacht the first ship was finally enlarged to a near sistership of its french cousins.
the French builder heard about the project of replace cruiser and torpedo boat with a new design, so they rushed the construction of the cruiser to prevent the belgians from cancel it.
The ship was commissioned in 1890 (earlier than the forbin) as provisory admiral ship.

He fulfilled this role until being replaced by the Baudoin in 1892. Then operated as training ship and royal yacht, mainly in tropical waters.


In 1891, after that his second submarine project was rejected by spanish naval authorities, Isaac Peral retired from active naval duty , founding an electric company in Madrid.
He was then contacted by belgium naval authorities . the Belgian naval attaché had assisted to the 1888 trial of his submarine and made a very enthusiastic report. The belgian admiralty proposed to the former spanish officer to develop a comparable design for them.
With the oportunity to implement its company in the much more industrialised belgium and the waranty that the design would be transfered to spain if the armada show some interest in it , Peral accepted the proposition.
The result of this deal was the Espadon/Zwaardvis class of three sub comissioned in 1894.
They were operated as coast defence squadron in the north sea.


To increase the range of its submarines, the belgian navy decided to convert the l’Union into a dedicated ship. It was intended to operate as a mothership with a semi-diesel generator to increase it capacity to produce electrical power.
For long range convoying, it could carry two submarines, or it could power their electrical motor directly with it's generators through three cable connected to rafts.

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"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

An interesting concept for the sub depot ship.
I feel that a lighter shade will enhance the quality of these excellent drawing of a very interesting time line.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

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

That Eendracht is an absolutely fabulous creation! Very French and yet every bit unique! Your yacht drawing is, however, somewhat spoiled by the misspelling of the word 'Training'. As for your submarine depot ship, it's imaginative and very well executed. I do, doubt, though, that a rentention of the aft funnel would enable that submersible to comfortably ride abreast it - certainly not without some kind of sponson or outrigger structure. Unless your cruiser is short (as it is) and beamy, creating a tubby hull form, not very cruiser-like, then I'd propose you look into that arrangement some further. It'd would such a shame if such a splendid set of drawings should be rendered less valuable by such an omission of thought.

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Fantastic!

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Any help and source material is always welcome.

Excellent work!
A very interesting and plausible cruiser design.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Indeed a very nice idea.

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

Very interesting concept with the submarine, well done!

First of all, thanks all for your comments. I'm very glad you appreciate my work.
Bezo:
Of course i've fixed this double entry on the TS drawing naming (sorry for my carelessness)..........
I've added small structure on the side to help securing the submarine when loaded.
I've also changed the guns from french 100 mm to german 88 mm.
Under the treaty of london, the European powers recognized and guaranteed the independence of Belgium. In the Article VII required Belgium to remain perpetually neutral (at least on the european field i guess......).
So i decided that warship should reflect this: For french design ship, german guns.
This is real concerning the field guns, who were purchased from england or germany.

Novice:

It's true that , depending on the screen i use, the shade seem to be too dark sometimes (on smartphone and ipad screen).
I want it to be dark (as on the drawing i've get inspired from), so it's quite on the edge between perfect and too dark.
I've added here 3 version of the modified refitted L'Union:
- Original shade,

- Lighter shade,

- Even lighter shade,


I'm not sure i wish to change, but you're all invited to give your opinion.

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"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Very nice

Personally I like the bottom 2 as they allow you to see more detail than the first shade. (the last is better at this but a bit more 'dull' than the middle one)

JSB

I think the middle one looks slightly better for showing detail. Sometimes the original can look almost black depending on what screen you view it on.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft