Shipbucket

In all my AU's I keep HMS Canada as being too useful a ship to let go. I would have kept it in place of Tiger (eventually deleted/scrapped 1932). Convert it to a seagoing training ship in 1930 while removing 3 of the 14" turrets and keeping just A and Y turrets, putting the other 3 into storage. While the British have to discard just about all of their 13.5" BB's, it makes sense to give the Chileans the 3 remaining King George V class BB's in compensation for Eagle and Canada. Throw in some Town class light cruisers and M class destroyers (to go with the Botha class leaders) and the Chileans have an instant battlefleet as good as any of the South American countries.

Once the Japanese abrogate the treaty the Canada can undergo a design process to rebuild it to the same standard as the other BB's and BC's of that era. What would increase its usefulness is with the removal of Q turret, a larger propulsion plant could be fitted to increase the speed to match or even slightly better the German Pocket Battleships.

I am never certain where the Canada should end up but normally if I keep Canada as a separate entity and part of the Commonwealth, I team up the Canada and Eagle and make them the focus of the Canadian Fleet. That allows the Canadian Fleet units to be either based on the Pacific or Atlantic coasts depending on the status of the war. In Esquimault base on the Pacific coast the Canadians have a first rate building and repair centre for all sizes of vessels.

I wonder: was it possible to re-bore the "Tiger" guns up to the 356-mm caliber? The italian re-bored their 305-mm guns up to the 320-mm, i.e. on 15 mm. It seems possible to upgun "Tiger" from the 343-mm to the 356-mm (on 13 mm).

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Serve the Nation! Be striped!

The Argentina, Brazil and even Peru would hit the ceiling. And this would instantly provoke the second South Americna dreadnought race.

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Serve the Nation! Be striped!

When you are working in an AU environment would that be a bad thing?

Plenty more ships to sell or build.

"possible to re-bore the "Tiger" guns up to the 356-mm caliber? "
Canada had 14in Mk I (356mm)
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_14-45_mk1.htm

I'm not sure what it gives you over Tiger really ? (Tiger will be faster and they both will lose v a real WW2 BB ?)
But with a bit of reality would it not be better to just spend the cash on finishing all the QE class rebuilds ?
I also think the treaty are worded the way they are for a reason to stop just what you are talking about doing but it would be fun (2 KVGs/IDs would rule South America).

JSB

Generally, i would prefer "Tiger" to "Canada". The "Tiger" is faster, almost as well armored and could be more usefull.

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Serve the Nation! Be striped!

It's plausible to certain extent. But I do wonder, why on earth they'd bother to rebuild the stem, when this was never done on the QE:s? Can you show this rebuild, but with original stem?

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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

Hey Bezo,

The QE's never required rebuilding the stem because there was no thought given to increase the speed or propulsion, 75,000shp for 24/25 knots was acceptable to RN. With Canada there is a lot of extra space provided for increased propulsion by the removal of Q turret and all its handling facilities. The bow form was considered not good enough to take the new speed so replaced the bow with one from the AU KGV class I would be building at the same time. 115,000shp for 28 knots (from the 40,000shp and 23 knots of the original propulsion unit).

JSB/Dilandu.
Tiger was built as a Battlecruiser with the lighter armour and building style to create the speed you talk about. Canada is built as a Battleship with the heavier armour and building style associated with battleships. It is easier to rebuild Canada to make it faster with better deck armour. To get Tiger to the same standard you need to rebuild the whole ship.

The only British Battleship that went 'boom' was Barham and that took four simultaneous torpedo hits. How many British Battlecruisers went 'boom'? (you can use your toes if you run out of fingers).You get my point?

I figure the British would have viewed Tiger as a better bet to keep long term than the Iron Dukes, but if they had kept Canada, that would have been a better keeper. As to the Canada having an odd gun size. All the Japanese 14" ships had the same mark of gun. Tiger would have been the only 13.5" ship left in service it would also be an odd gun size. Using those 20/20 hindsight glasses, the RN was already considering 14" designs in 1930, which is the time you would be making the decision to keep or discard the Canada. More battleships being built with 14" guns would be nice if the shells could be used in both weapons.

"Tiger" have 229-mm belt in citadel and 102-mm belt at the ends.

"Canada" have the same 229-mm belt in citadel and 150-to-102 at the ends. Only her turrets and barbettes was something like better armored

Generally, she wasn't a good battleship: she was more like an ultra-heavy-armed battlecruiser with limited speed. Her armor was sufficient against brazilian and argentinean 305-mm guns, but completely unsufficient for heavier artillery.
Wouldn't it be simpler to just re-arm "Tiger"?

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Serve the Nation! Be striped!