This is that last ship in my current queue. I'm gonna have to figure out what to draw next... All ideas are welcome.
Anyways, this is the final and largest battleship built for Denton, BB-6 Paerau.
I decided to finish this ship, which was originally in a Dunkerque/Richelieu configuration, a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to stick with a main battery forward layout, much like the Nelsons and the French BBs, but I wanted it to be more unique. As I was looking at the North Carolina Class Battleship page, I came across the proposed designs and the first one, Scheme A caught my eye. It was exactly what I was looking for and I decided to stick to the design as close as possible, with the major exception being the secondary armaments. Of course, naturally, I had issues with the SS Report, coming up with multiple revisions and iterations until it finally came out in a balanced form, but I'm pleased with what I ended with.
Undoubtedly, there will be someone who will say to change up the layout, but my intention was to go for uniqueness and to stick with this design as close as I could, so the arrangement is final.
Concept Design for North Carolina Class Battleship
Several notes:
Laid down in 1935 at Newport News Shipyard, launched in 1937, steamed to Denton for outfitting, and commissioned in late 1938.
There is no aircraft on the drawing, primarily because I have not drawn it yet. It will likely be based on the Curtiss SOC Seagull. The hangar will be in the stern, like the USN battleships. I did measure it out and there should be enough room for 2 aircraft in the hangar, plus 1 or 2 on the catapults.
Since I am still working on the timeline for WWII, I don't know much, but I do a little bit, when BB-6 is heavily damaged by an NSWE torpedo boat and multiple air attacks in 'NSWE's Last Stand.' She listed heavily to starboard, almost capsizing but was able to get the flooding under control, before steaming back to Denton for repairs. She would not participate in the war to it's end.
In the 1950s, her configuration allowed her to be turned into a half-deck aircraft carrier, which was seriously considered by the DN, but was never approved.
DNS Paerau BB-6, Denton Battleship laid down 1935
Displacement:
35,107 t light; 36,801 t standard; 38,346 t normal; 39,582 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
731.00 ft / 702.00 ft x 104.00 ft x 31.00 ft (normal load)
222.81 m / 213.97 m x 31.70 m x 9.45 m
Armament:
9 - 14.00" / 356 mm guns (3x3 guns), 1,372.00lbs / 622.33kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline, all forward, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
20 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (10x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, all amidships, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
24 - 1.45" / 36.8 mm guns (6x4 guns), 1.52lbs / 0.69kg shells, 1935 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 13,634 lbs / 6,184 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 120
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 453.00 ft / 138.07 m 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
Ends: 6.00" / 152 mm 249.00 ft / 75.90 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 470.00 ft / 143.26 m 31.00 ft / 9.45 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 16.0" / 406 mm 8.00" / 203 mm 14.0" / 356 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
3rd: 0.50" / 13 mm - -
- Armour deck: 5.50" / 140 mm, Conning tower: 16.00" / 406 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 100,003 shp / 74,602 Kw = 28.00 kts
Range 13,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,781 tons
Complement:
1,369 - 1,781
Cost:
£15.569 million / $62.274 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,704 tons, 4.4 %
Armour: 15,634 tons, 40.8 %
- Belts: 5,059 tons, 13.2 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,078 tons, 2.8 %
- Armament: 3,479 tons, 9.1 %
- Armour Deck: 5,625 tons, 14.7 %
- Conning Tower: 392 tons, 1.0 %
Machinery: 2,841 tons, 7.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 14,758 tons, 38.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,239 tons, 8.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 170 tons, 0.4 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
65,878 lbs / 29,882 Kg = 48.0 x 14.0 " / 356 mm shells or 11.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.05
Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
Roll period: 18.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 58 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.65
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.16
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.593
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.75 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.91 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 38.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Mid (50 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Quarterdeck (16 %): 16.00 ft / 4.88 m (24.00 ft / 7.32 m before break)
- Stern: 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
- Average freeboard: 23.33 ft / 7.11 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 184.6 %
Waterplane Area: 55,280 Square feet or 5,136 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 109 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 196 lbs/sq ft or 959 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.94
- Longitudinal: 1.60
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
-Ethan