No feedback yet? Alright.
Currently put the carrier temporarily on hold as I've been working (in conjunction with KHT) to produce Sierans latest and ultimately final true big-gun "capital ships", the Cruiser killer design currently known solely as 'C3'.
The C3 design originated from the shift in Sieran naval policy from a traditional battlefleet intended to engage an enemies navals forces in decisive naval engagement to a fleet orientated greater around coastal and trade line defense. For the later role, vessels of long range and high average speed were required in order to provide effective 'distant' escort (operating independently or with a squadron of destroyers patrolling certain sea lanes and moving in on reported enemy positions when needed). In this role, the importance of remaining undetected by the enemy was essential and with the rise of aircraft being used for scouting, an effective AA battery was essential to destroy the scout before the position of the task force could be broadcast.
For this role, the traditional battleship was both too large and too slow to be effective. Budgetary constraints during the mid 1930s and limited recruitment possibilities meant that large battlecruisers could also not be afforded. Clearly a cruiser was most suitable. Assessment of current and future enemy vessels (ie Japanese warships) identified the Takao and Myoko class heavy cruisers as being the most likely opponents as well as the possibility of the Kongos, though the later were seen as being unlikely but possible. To this end the new cruisers would need to be able to hold their own and preferably be able to defeat their counterparts.
During the design process, members of the design committee were invited to Gotrige to view the latest developments in gunnery and rangefinding. The 240mm (9.45in) gun then in development was identified as being suitable for use whilst not officially being classed as a battleship gun. With this gun in mind, plans were drawn up for 8 gun and 9 gun variants. The 9 gun version was chosen due to the reduced displacement required for triple guns whilst also freeing up deck space.
For the secondaries and AA batteries, weapons were selected in common with other Sieranian and Gotrige vessels. A range was marked at 7,000nm to allow for extended operations into the North Pacific.
The choice of powerplants for the new vessels was lengthy and drawn out. Geared turbines were lighter and cheaper to produce however they were less efficient than the turbo-electric drive also proposed. Whilst TE drive was heavier and more costly, performance was much greater due to allowing the turbines to run constantly at their most efficient speed. Another influential factor was the fast response times to engine commands through TE Powerplants and the ability to use vessels such equipped to provide shore power when needed. After many drawn out design competitions, the TE equipped, 9 gun design proposal - C3 - was selected.
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Here is the C3 design in springsharp developed jointly by KHT and myself. I'm still undecided between having the superfiring gun fore and aft. Fore would allow greater chasing power however having the majority aft would allow for more effective combating of chasing enemy vessels.
C3, Socialist Republic of Sieran Cruiser Killer laid down 1935
Displacement:
15,775 t light; 16,616 t standard; 17,854 t normal; 18,845 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(660.39 ft / 649.61 ft) x 76.77 ft x (28.87 / 29.98 ft)
(201.29 m / 198.00 m) x 23.40 m x (8.80 / 9.14 m)
Armament:
9 - 9.45" / 240 mm 50.0 cal guns - 446.52lbs / 202.54kg shells, 100 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1935 Model
3 x Single mounts on centreline ends, majority forward
1 raised mount - superfiring
16 - 4.72" / 120 mm 45.0 cal guns - 53.18lbs / 24.12kg shells, 320 per gun
Dual purpose guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1935 Model
8 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
4 raised mounts
16 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm 39.0 cal guns - 1.85lbs / 0.84kg shells, 2,500 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1935 Model
8 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
4 raised mounts
24 - 0.98" / 25.0 mm 50.0 cal guns - 0.51lbs / 0.23kg shells, 10,000 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1935 Model
12 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
8 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 4,911 lbs / 2,228 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 6.69" / 170 mm 495.41 ft / 151.00 m 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 117 % of normal length
- Hull void:
1.18" / 30 mm 419.95 ft / 128.00 m 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 9.06" / 230 mm 5.91" / 150 mm 7.68" / 195 mm
2nd: 0.79" / 20 mm - -
- Armoured deck - multiple decks:
For and Aft decks: 4.33" / 110 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 5.91" / 150 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 115,271 shp / 85,992 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 7,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,230 tons
Complement:
771 - 1,003
Cost:
£7.700 million / $30.801 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,447 tons, 8.1 %
- Guns: 1,447 tons, 8.1 %
Armour: 4,384 tons, 24.6 %
- Belts: 1,313 tons, 7.4 %
- Armament: 1,041 tons, 5.8 %
- Armour Deck: 1,943 tons, 10.9 %
- Conning Tower: 87 tons, 0.5 %
Machinery: 3,275 tons, 18.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 6,310 tons, 35.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,079 tons, 11.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 360 tons, 2.0 %
- Hull below water: 50 tons
- Hull void weights: 200 tons
- Hull above water: 50 tons
- On freeboard deck: 20 tons
- Above deck: 40 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
22,157 lbs / 10,050 Kg = 52.5 x 9.4 " / 240 mm shells or 2.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 4.1 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 16.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 55 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.54
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.11
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
a normal bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.434 / 0.441
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.46 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.49 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 54 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 12.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.92 ft / 1.50 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 27.56 ft / 8.40 m, 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Forward deck: 45.00 %, 24.61 ft / 7.50 m, 21.65 ft / 6.60 m
- Aft deck: 15.00 %, 14.44 ft / 4.40 m, 14.44 ft / 4.40 m
- Quarter deck: 20.00 %, 14.44 ft / 4.40 m, 14.44 ft / 4.40 m
- Average freeboard: 20.62 ft / 6.28 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 86.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 162.6 %
Waterplane Area: 31,411 Square feet or 2,918 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 111 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 144 lbs/sq ft or 701 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.95
- Longitudinal: 1.68
- Overall: 1.00
Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
As always, feedback is most welcome.