WesWorld

I´ve been playing around with the capital ship tonnage allowed to the RN, and after reaching what I thought was a nice option, I realized that I had still 24800t left. If I count that tonnage I can build either 2 35000t ships and that 24800 tonner or 3 31600t ships. I think I´ll go with the 35000 tonners (replacing the old Iron Dukes) so the other option is something like this, make me know what you think.

HMAS Australia, Australian Battlecruiser/Light Battleship laid down 1933

Displacement:
23.713 t light; 24.800 t standard; 28.682 t normal; 31.673 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
765,16 ft / 750,00 ft x 90,00 ft x 28,60 ft (normal load)
233,22 m / 228,60 m x 27,43 m x 8,72 m

Armament:
6 - 14,00" / 356 mm guns (2x3 guns), 1.372,00lbs / 622,33kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
4 - 4,50" / 114 mm guns (2x2 guns), 45,56lbs / 20,67kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 4,50" / 114 mm guns (6x2 guns), 45,56lbs / 20,67kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, evenly spread
32 - 1,57" / 40,0 mm guns (8x4 guns), 1,95lbs / 0,89kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
32 - 0,79" / 20,0 mm guns (16x2 guns), 0,24lbs / 0,11kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 9.031 lbs / 4.097 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 100

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 14,0" / 356 mm 470,00 ft / 143,26 m 10,00 ft / 3,05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 96 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1,00" / 25 mm 480,00 ft / 146,30 m 24,00 ft / 7,32 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 16,0" / 406 mm 6,50" / 165 mm 8,00" / 203 mm
2nd: 3,50" / 89 mm 1,00" / 25 mm 2,00" / 51 mm
3rd: 3,50" / 89 mm 1,00" / 25 mm 2,00" / 51 mm
4th: 0,50" / 13 mm - -
5th: 0,50" / 13 mm - -

- Armour deck: 4,10" / 104 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 134.299 shp / 100.187 Kw = 31,00 kts
Range 11.035nm at 18,00 kts (Bunkerage = 6.988 tons)

Complement:
1.101 - 1.432

Cost:
£10,996 million / $43,984 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1.129 tons, 3,9 %
Armour: 7.903 tons, 27,6 %
- Belts: 2.806 tons, 9,8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 426 tons, 1,5 %
- Armament: 1.319 tons, 4,6 %
- Armour Deck: 3.352 tons, 11,7 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0 %
Machinery: 3.913 tons, 13,6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 10.668 tons, 37,2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4.969 tons, 17,3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 0,3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
30.244 lbs / 13.718 Kg = 22,0 x 14,0 " / 356 mm shells or 3,8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,25
Metacentric height 6,4 ft / 2,0 m
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,41
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1,20

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0,520
Length to Beam Ratio: 8,33 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27,39 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0,00 ft / 0,00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 32,50 ft / 9,91 m
- Forecastle (40 %): 24,00 ft / 7,32 m (19,00 ft / 5,79 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 19,00 ft / 5,79 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Stern: 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Average freeboard: 22,04 ft / 6,72 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 96,1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 142,3 %
Waterplane Area: 44.191 Square feet or 4.105 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 115 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 161 lbs/sq ft or 784 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,97
- Longitudinal: 1,23
- Overall: 1,00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Very nice!

Hi there...

She´s an interesting "little" creature with good seakeeping and should be able to fight most old BBs and other light BBs on even terms. That she´s no match for a full-sized BB is hardly a surprise even though her armor and guns doesn´t make her look to bad.

What makes me wonder is if her barbet armor is not a little bit too think. Surely, she has no barbet above deck but a heavy shell could still reach that barbet quite easily when penetrating the hull above main belt level or through her decks (which is not that thick too).

In a world with many large BBs all armed with 9-12 15" guns and enough speed to keep up with her 8" of armor just asks for a devestating hit against her barbets.

Compared to belts, barbets and armored deck her turret face plates are quite thick. 406mm should be bullet proof even against most large shells at reasonable ranges but still I think it´s just a sign that shows her amor suit is not balanced in general.

On the other hand her secondaries are well protected against ligh guns up to 130mm. I like that.

Her range is somewhat extreme, methinks. Surely, the RN is lacking bases in WesWorld she had historically but 11+kmiles at 18kn is really a lot. Helps to keep her displacement down, though.

Final nit picking: Her block coefficient seems at the lower edge....

Regards,

HoOmAn

HMAS Australia, Australian Battlecruiser laid down 1933

Displacement:
23.723 t light; 24.800 t standard; 28.179 t normal; 30.769 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
756,32 ft / 740,00 ft x 86,60 ft x 28,50 ft (normal load)
230,53 m / 225,55 m x 26,40 m x 8,69 m

Armament:
6 - 14,00" / 356 mm guns (2x3 guns), 1.372,00lbs / 622,33kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
4 - 4,50" / 114 mm guns (2x2 guns), 45,56lbs / 20,67kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 4,50" / 114 mm guns (6x2 guns), 45,56lbs / 20,67kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, evenly spread
32 - 1,57" / 40,0 mm guns (8x4 guns), 1,95lbs / 0,88kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
32 - 0,79" / 20,0 mm guns (16x2 guns), 0,24lbs / 0,11kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 9.031 lbs / 4.096 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 100

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 14,0" / 356 mm 475,00 ft / 144,78 m 10,00 ft / 3,05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1,00" / 25 mm 475,00 ft / 144,78 m 23,00 ft / 7,01 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 15,0" / 381 mm 6,00" / 152 mm 10,0" / 254 mm
2nd: 3,50" / 89 mm 1,00" / 25 mm 2,00" / 51 mm
3rd: 3,50" / 89 mm 1,00" / 25 mm 2,00" / 51 mm
4th: 0,50" / 13 mm - -
5th: 0,50" / 13 mm - -

- Armour deck: 4,50" / 114 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 134.158 shp / 100.082 Kw = 31,00 kts
Range 9.640nm at 18,00 kts (Bunkerage = 6.082 tons)

Complement:
1.086 - 1.413

Cost:
£10,995 million / $43,980 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1.129 tons, 4,0 %
Armour: 8.213 tons, 29,1 %
- Belts: 2.820 tons, 10,0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 404 tons, 1,4 %
- Armament: 1.418 tons, 5,0 %
- Armour Deck: 3.571 tons, 12,7 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0 %
Machinery: 3.909 tons, 13,9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 10.397 tons, 36,9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4.456 tons, 15,8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 0,3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
28.231 lbs / 12.805 Kg = 20,6 x 14,0 " / 356 mm shells or 3,5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,20
Metacentric height 5,7 ft / 1,7 m
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,48
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1,20

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0,540
Length to Beam Ratio: 8,55 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27,20 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0,00 ft / 0,00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 35,00 ft / 10,67 m
- Forecastle (40 %): 26,00 ft / 7,92 m (19,00 ft / 5,79 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 19,00 ft / 5,79 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Stern: 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Average freeboard: 22,92 ft / 6,98 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 98,7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140,0 %
Waterplane Area: 42.895 Square feet or 3.985 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 112 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 158 lbs/sq ft or 772 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,97
- Longitudinal: 1,28
- Overall: 1,00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Btw, I forgot to mention your first design had another odd feature and coincidentally you seem to have fixed it.

Her original raised forecastle was less than a deck higher than her main deck (5,79m to 7,32m). However, your second design features a deck jump of of at least 2,2m - still not very much but better than what you had before.

In general I think your second design is more balanced. Below her armored deck those barbets should be pretty save now. Above.... Well, at least the window for a golden twinkee is much smaller now. For a 24,8kts design she is really good armored.

A good design.

Regards,

HoOmAn

They're pretty good designs, and I could see one serving as flagship to a cruiser/destroyer force.

However, the 2x3 layout seems like a deviation from British practice. I'd be more expecting a 3x2 mini-Renown.

Regardless, India would have trouble dealing with her, and from the Australian perspective, that can't be a bad thing.

Quoted

the 2x3 layout seems like a deviation from British practice

I know, but the reason behid these turrets is that they were the same to the others designed for these 35000 tonners I mentioned.

These BBs were going to have 10 14in guns in a quite odd layout, 2 triple turrets superfiring forward and a quadruple aft... but I´m not sure about this, I think I´m going to go for standarization in the RN, all 15 in guns, with this ship (the Australia) beign built as an exception.

As for hypothetical battle scenarios between the RN and the Indian Navy... well the Akbar is a close match even if she´s a bit slower, she´s more armoured. It would be an interesting fight...

Well, there's something to be said for standardized equipment. I take it that a KGV knock-off doesn't appeal to you for the ten gun layout?

It would be an interesting fight, to be sure. Some time you and I will have to talk about Anglo-Indian relations...

Nope, I don´t really like the KGV layout, I don´t know why, perhaps I feel it a bit unbalanced... well anyway, I think I´ll try something with 15in guns for these 35000t BBs.

As for Anglo-Indian relations, we can talk whenever you want.

Greets.

...since we're discussing Australia again.