I like this cruiser a lot. First it looks plausible and entirely fitting with the designs of that era.
Thanks. I try my best.
="Hood"]The masts look ok, fighting tops were still in use in this period but I can see Thiel removing them and replacing the masts with pole masts on a later refit drawing.
The plan right now is that they'll be fitted with a heavy pole-mast with a proper spotting top and rangefinder around 1908-19012.
A proper enclosed bridge and heightened funnels will follow at the same time.
The armour scheme looks good. The bow seems ok to me, by 1900 ram bows were phasing out, although some ships still had them. If it was an 1890 design I'd agree a ram bow would be better.
Well to be honest the straight bow was purely a stand-in while I fumbled with the bow I really wanted.
Yes, that's an ice breaking bow. The single greatest military asset Denmark has is the Sounds and Belts. They forces the enemy's navy to stay away or face the RDN on their terms and they are practically impassable for an enemy army. So long as they don't freeze over.
Historically the biggest threat to the RDN, next to indifferent politicians, has been the ice and so it makes sense (to me anyway) to build ships that can navigate through it. The fact that these ships will spend a fair amount of time on the Greenland Station doesn't hurt either.
Additionally, ramming was always a fleet tactic and since these ships will spend most of its time away from the fleet on overseas deployment, it makes little sense to fit them with the structurally inferior ram bow (Though I agree it looks nice)
Additionally by 1900 mine warfare has developed to the point where it's becoming the dominant consideration of the RDN.
The tactics required to bring about a ramming scenario is far too different to the ones needed to utilize a minefield to its full potential.
Thiel, what torpedo battery do you have planned? I'm guessing about four tubes based on historical cruisers of that period, some submerged and some above water but you might have other ideas.
I'm not really sure. The bow precludes bow tubes so that's not an option.
Right now I'm thinking two submerged broadside tubes or three rotating tubes on the quarter deck. The latter would undoubtedly be the most useful, but on the other hand it puts a couple of tons of high explosives on the quarter deck and it'll block the aft guns field of fire.
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