WesWorld

The Development of the Indochinese Patrouille Navale
At present, the PNI is composed of twenty-eight boats and a bit under three hundred men. Logistics are currently handled by the Marine Nationale's Forces Navales d'Extrême-Orient, which controls the vast share of the naval missions in Indochina's operational sphere. At present, the Patrouille Navale is little more than a supplemental force, despite its incremental growth over the last year. However, they are recruiting from ethnic Indochinese within the ranks of the Marine Nationale. Some MN units based in Indochina, such as the coast defense ships, have strong and relatively well-trained contingents of Indochinese personnel.

Although small, the Patrouille Navale is carrying out a program of aggressive but measured expansion. French naval officers have been placed in charge of the various boats (most of which are French designs built in Saigon) and have started training both junior officers and enlisted men. A number of ethnic Indochinese military officers of good character have been sent to various technical and training schools in France to learn major command skills. Effective January 1st, 1943, the Patrouille Navale's commander (a French officer on loan) will take operational control of all Marine Nationale coastal and riverine units south of the 18th Parallel.

In late 1942, six VP11 type patrol craft were transferred by the German government as defense assistance. At 337t normal, they will briefly become the largest warships in Indochinese service. French officers will take over command of the boats until Indochinese officers advance sufficiently in rank to replace them. As the boats are equipped with German armament, they will be refitted comprehensively to mount French guns (75mm DP instead of 88mm, French 40mm instead of German 37mm, and so on). Once incrementally refitted into Indochinese service, they will be renamed the Song Me Kong class and will assist the Forces Navales d'Extrême-Orient in coastal patrol.

In addition to expanding the patrol capabilities of the PNI, the French Navy has assigned the unit to begin taking on supporting missions in the South China Sea, specifically with respect to assisting ships in distress. With this in mind, the Patrouille Navale will acquire two of the Marine Nationale's Cephee-class salvage tugs. Which, perhaps somewhat disturbingly, are as well-armed as the rebuilt Song Me Kong class. The PNI will also assume the mission of hydrographic survey, with the construction of the Trung Trac. Trung Trac willl start out her life with a few different missions: first, she will be the PNI's first school-ship, allowing newly commissioned officers and enlisted personnel the chance to exercise their new skills at sea. Second, she will conduct training of divers for salvage missions. And finally, her (ostensibly primary) role as a coastal survey vessel, improving the charts of coastal and riverine regions.

The Patrouille Navale's leadership has also received the authorization to construct a second and far more grandiose ship, the Tran Nhat Duat. Although this ship will be built in Saigon, it is a French design that the Marine Nationale dithered about building. Designed as a seaplane tender, the design was lengthened and substantially improved to mount a somewhat respectable amount of firepower: 2x100mm + 2x57mm. The ship will serve as the titular flagship of the PNI once it's commissioned, and will begin training officers in "real ships", at least by Wesworld standards. In most anticipated occasions, she will actually not be used as a seaplane tender, but rather a training vessel or minelayer. If the design proves successful and the PNI feels their mission permits it, more vessels of the class may be ordered.

Additionally, a number of Indochinese officers will begin attending the French Navy's submarine school in order, as well as naval aviator training. No submarine or naval air units are currently planned, but the PNI leadership feels the experience may be beneficial nevertheless.

OOC Comments:
As I've said before, my goal with the Patrouille Navale is to show a train of very defined incremental improvements in personnel and operational capabilities. If Indochina votes for independence in 1945, then they will have a fully-formed and operational, albeit littoral-focused, professional naval force. With the exception of the price-is-right VP11 patrol boats, everything the Indochinese get will be new-built. If Indochina becomes independent in 1945, though, the French riverine ships in Indochina will be transferred to the Patrouille Navale.

[SIZE=3]Tran Nhat Duat, Indochinese Training Frigate laid down 1943[/SIZE]

Displacement:
1,400 t light; 1,465 t standard; 1,725 t normal; 1,933 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
355.29 ft / 344.49 ft x 39.37 ft x 10.50 ft (normal load)
108.29 m / 105.00 m x 12.00 m x 3.20 m

Armament:
2 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (1x2 guns), 39.68lbs / 18.00kg shells, 1943 Model
Dual purpose guns in a deck mount with hoist
on centreline forward
2 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns (1x2 guns), 6.61lbs / 3.00kg shells, 1943 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in a deck mount with hoist
on centreline forward, all raised guns - superfiring
4 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (2x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1943 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 94 lbs / 42 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 550

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.39" / 10 mm 0.39" / 10 mm
2nd: 0.59" / 15 mm 0.20" / 5 mm 0.20" / 5 mm

- Conning tower: 0.98" / 25 mm

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 5,417 shp / 4,041 Kw = 20.00 kts
Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 467 tons

Complement:
133 - 173

Cost:
£0.499 million / $1.997 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 9 tons, 0.5 %
Armour: 7 tons, 0.4 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 4 tons, 0.2 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 3 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 140 tons, 8.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 794 tons, 46.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 325 tons, 18.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 450 tons, 26.1 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
4,337 lbs / 1,967 Kg = 142.1 x 3.9 " / 100 mm shells or 1.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.13
Metacentric height 1.6 ft / 0.5 m
Roll period: 13.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.12
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0.424
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.75 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 18.56 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 43 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 20.67 ft / 6.30 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 19.36 ft / 5.90 m
- Mid (50 %): 18.04 ft / 5.50 m (9.84 ft / 3.00 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
- Stern: 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
- Average freeboard: 14.57 ft / 4.44 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 61.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 164.3 %
Waterplane Area: 8,479 Square feet or 788 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 213 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 56 lbs/sq ft or 276 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.98
- Longitudinal: 2.33
- Overall: 1.07
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 30 tons for electronics
- 9 tons for depth charges (32x573-lb bombs)
- 16 tons for miscellaneous radio, electronics and ECM gear
- 10 tons for HVAC
- 10 tons for aft crane
- 100 tons for up to four floatplanes or mines
- 5 tons for minesweeping paravanes
- 20 tons for crew comforts
- 250 tons for cadets
450 tons total miscellaneous weight

Electronics:
- DRBV-9 surface and air search radars (1 radar, 7 tons)
- DRBN-1 navigational surface and air search radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- DRBC-3B fire-control radar (1 radar, 4 tons)
- DRBI-2R height-finding radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- DUBV-7 Hull Sonar (5 tons)
- SAGEM HF/DF (3 tons)
- Diesel electric generator set (5 tons)
- Gunnery Computer for 100mm and 40mm guns (2 tons)

Ships in Class:
- Tran Nhat Duat: Laid down at Saigon January 1943, completed November 1943

Notes:
Electronics fit is the same as that aboard the Le Breton-class escorteur rapide.

[SIZE=3]Song Me Kong class, Indochinese Patrol Boat laid down 1935[/SIZE]
Ex-German patrol boats.

Displacement:
287 t light; 299 t standard; 337 t normal; 366 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
180.45 ft / 180.45 ft x 18.04 ft x 6.89 ft (normal load)
55.00 m / 55.00 m x 5.50 m x 2.10 m

Armament:
1 - 2.95" / 75.0 mm guns in single mounts, 12.87lbs / 5.84kg shells, 1943 Model
Dual purpose gun in deck mount
on centreline forward
2 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (1x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1943 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1935 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 19 lbs / 8 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 380

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.79" / 20 mm - -
2nd: 0.79" / 20 mm - -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -

- Conning tower: 1.18" / 30 mm

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 5,598 shp / 4,176 Kw = 25.00 kts
Range 4,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 67 tons

Complement:
39 - 51

Cost:
£0.168 million / $0.672 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2 tons, 0.7 %
Armour: 3 tons, 1.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 2 tons, 0.6 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 1 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 150 tons, 44.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 112 tons, 33.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 49 tons, 14.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 20 tons, 5.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
128 lbs / 58 Kg = 9.9 x 3.0 " / 75 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.16
Metacentric height 0.5 ft / 0.2 m
Roll period: 10.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 61 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.12
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.52

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.525
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 15.29 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 72 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 40
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 20.51 ft / 6.25 m
- Forecastle (35 %): 19.69 ft / 6.00 m (8.20 ft / 2.50 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Stern: 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Average freeboard: 12.34 ft / 3.76 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 156.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 92.5 %
Waterplane Area: 2,310 Square feet or 215 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 93 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 16 lbs/sq ft or 80 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.50
- Longitudinal: 8.98
- Overall: 0.66
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 2 tons for DRBN-1 navigational surface and air search radar
- 2 tons for hydrophones
- 10 tons for depth charges (36x573-lb bombs)
- 6 tons for tropicalization

Ships in Class:
- Song Me Kong
- Song Hau
- Song Huong
- Song Hong
- Song Lo
- Song Da

List of Changes:
- 2x88mm guns replaced with one 75mm gun.
- Radar added and hydrophones updated.
- Modernization of living spaces.
- 43 tons each to refit.

[SIZE=3]Trung Trac, Indochinese Coastal Surveying Vessel laid down 1943[/SIZE]

Displacement:
138 t light; 142 t standard; 176 t normal; 203 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
139.17 ft / 131.23 ft x 18.70 ft x 4.92 ft (normal load)
42.42 m / 40.00 m x 5.70 m x 1.50 m

Armament:
1 - 0.59" / 15.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.10lbs / 0.05kg shells, 1943 Model
Machine gun in deck mount
on centreline forward
Weight of broadside 0 lbs / 0 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 3,000

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 1 shaft, 266 shp / 198 Kw = 12.00 kts
Range 5,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 62 tons

Complement:
23 - 31

Cost:
£0.038 million / $0.152 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 7 tons, 3.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 91 tons, 51.8 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 38 tons, 21.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 40 tons, 22.7 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
720 lbs / 327 Kg = 6,994.1 x 0.6 " / 15 mm shells or 1.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 0.5 ft / 0.1 m
Roll period: 11.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.510
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.02 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 11.46 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 30
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 12.80 ft / 3.90 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 10.17 ft / 3.10 m
- Mid (50 %): 7.22 ft / 2.20 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 7.22 ft / 2.20 m
- Stern: 7.22 ft / 2.20 m
- Average freeboard: 8.46 ft / 2.58 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 38.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 104.0 %
Waterplane Area: 1,589 Square feet or 148 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 327 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 29 lbs/sq ft or 143 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.12
- Longitudinal: 6.88
- Overall: 1.34
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
Not yet available. Nothing really fancy.

The Tran Nhat Duat looks to be an interesting design and well fitted to her intended tasks.

One small note, the VP11 class patrol craft are being transferred early in 1943; no real impact on their refit - just wanted to keep the accounting straight.

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan
The Tran Nhat Duat looks to be an interesting design and well fitted to her intended tasks.

Thank you. I designed her last night on the basis of the historical Sans Souci class floatplane tender; the big difference was her length and armament, of course. I rather took a shine to her...

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan
One small note, the VP11 class patrol craft are being transferred early in 1943; no real impact on their refit - just wanted to keep the accounting straight.

Oh, okay. I'll just have to refit them later in Q1, then...