Transport A - Mercantile Conversion
German Amphibious Transport laid down 1938, converted 1941
Displacement: 8,729 t light; 9,095 t standard; 17,610 t normal; 24,423 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
502.66 ft / 488.85 ft x 61.35 ft x 28.54 ft (normal load) [153.21 m / 149.00 m x 18.70 m x 8.70 m]
Armament:
2 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns in single mounts, 35.32lbs / 16.02kg shells, 1938 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
8 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1938 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1938 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 85 lbs / 39 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250
Armour:
Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
2nd: 0.39" / 10 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors, Geared drive, 1 shaft, 9,666 shp / 7,211 Kw = 16.00 kts
Range 62,000nm at 14.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 15,328 tons
Complement: 763 - 993
Cost: £1.981 million / $7.925 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 11 tons, 0.1 %
Armour: 6 tons, 0.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 6 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 265 tons, 1.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,947 tons, 22.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 8,881 tons, 50.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,500 tons, 25.6 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship): 55,148 lbs / 25,014 Kg = 1,561.3 x 4.1 " / 105 mm shells or 6.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 3.1 ft / 1.0 m
Roll period: 14.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 54 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.01
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0.720
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.97: 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.11 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 35 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 27
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 19.65 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 29.49 ft / 8.99 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 27.85 ft / 8.49 m (24.57 ft / 7.49 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 26.21 ft / 7.99 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 26.21 ft / 7.99 m
- Stern: 27.85 ft / 8.49 m
- Average freeboard: 26.59 ft / 8.11 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 34.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 157.0 %
Waterplane Area: 24,373 Square feet or 2,264 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 344 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 85 lbs/sq ft or 417 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.88
- Longitudinal: 3.18
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
High stowed cargo and deck equipment simmed as miscellaneous weight
Low stowed cargo simmed as additional bunkers
Bunkers for normal range of 18,000 nm = 2,535 tons; total low-stowed cargo 5,000 tons
Breakdown of miscellaneous weight:
Two Pionier Landungsboot 40 (@62 tons) plus handling gear - 180 tons
Twelve Sturm Landungsboot 40 (@20 tons) plus handling gear - 420 tons
Troop accommodation for 64 officers and 1136 other ranks - 2,500 tons
Recreational and training spaces for landing force - 300 tons
Heavy lift cargo gear - 300 tons
Boat maintenance shop - 300 tons
Enhanced command and control facilities - 250 tons
Provision for additional deck cargo - 250 tons
Cost to acquire and refit - 2,182 tons. Time for conversion - 125 days.
Landing craft must be acquired separately
Frundsberg – Conversion begun 1 Jan 1942; Conversion complete 6 May 1942
Schwartzenberg – Conversion begun 1 Jan 1942; Conversion complete 6 May 1942
Arenberg - Conversion begun 1 Apr 1942; Conversion complete 4 Aug 1942
Starhemberg - Conversion begun 1 Apr 1942; Conversion complete 4 Aug 1942
Daun - Conversion begun 1 Jan 1943; Conversion complete 6 May 1943;
Laudon - Conversion begun 1 April 1943; Conversion complete 4 Aug 1943
Montecuccoli - Conversion begun 1 Aug 1943; Conversion complete 3 Nov 1943
Trauttmannsdorff - Conversion begun 1 Aug 1943; Conversion complete 3 Nov 1943