WesWorld

Ships employed in strategic sealift of personnel and materials

Panipat (2 units), laid down 1942/1944

Khanwa (2 units), laid down 1943/1944

[size=3pt]Panipat Class Transport[/size]

Between recently announced Bharatiyan Thalasena training deployments to South Africa and existing mutual defence obligations to Hedjaz and Persia (and the UK, though this remains a secret part of ABUSE), the BNS has concluded the need for strategic sealift capabilities.

Contemplation was given to leasing civilian liners for this task - and this will, indeed, be the mode of operation over the short term. However, it is thought that there will be enough activity as to warrant a dedicated naval transport for the job.

The Panipat will be built to civilian standards, though with a modest battery of anti-air guns installed for defensive purposes. She will be capable of lifting 5,500 soldiers (half of a Pattern 1936 Expeditionary Division) plus a good portion of their equipment.

She is built to undertake these missions at high speed - allowing service between Mumbai and Durban or Durban to Montevideo in under eight days. An uninterrupted voyage from Mumbai to Montevideo is possible at the reduced speed of 20 knots, in eighteen days.

Panipat, AST-1, laid down 1942
Ghaghra, AST-3, laid down 1944

Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1942

Displacement:
24,411 t light; 25,073 t standard; 29,301 t normal; 32,684 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
677.00 ft / 656.17 ft x 108.27 ft x 26.25 ft (normal load)
206.35 m / 200.00 m x 33.00 m x 8.00 m

Armament:
8 - 4.92" / 125 mm guns (4x2 guns), 59.59lbs / 27.03kg shells, 1942 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 0.59" / 15.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 0.10lbs / 0.05kg shells, 1942 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 524 lbs / 238 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 56,300 shp / 42,000 Kw = 25.04 kts
Range = 5,000 nm @ 25.00 kts (Bunkerage = 6,343 t)
Simmed Range 6,000nm at 25.00 kts (Bunkerage = 7,611 tons)

Complement:
1,119 - 1,455

Cost:
£7.097 million / $28.388 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 65 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,471 tons, 5.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,674 tons, 33.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,890 tons, 16.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 13,200 tons, 45.0 %
-11,000 t: Accommodation for 5,500 personnel
-1,000 t: Amenities and training areas
-1,000 t: High-stored cargo
-180 t: Weight reserve
-20 t: Radar fit
-1,263 t: Low-stored cargo (simmed as bunkerage)

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
63,856 lbs / 28,965 Kg = 1,071.5 x 4.9 " / 125 mm shells or 5.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 6.8 ft / 2.1 m
Roll period: 17.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.04
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.550
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.06 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.34 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 41.01 ft / 12.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 36.09 ft / 11.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 36.09 ft / 11.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 36.09 ft / 11.00 m
- Stern: 36.09 ft / 11.00 m
- Average freeboard: 36.48 ft / 11.12 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 67.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 317.1 %
Waterplane Area: 51,617 Square feet or 4,795 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 176 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 129 lbs/sq ft or 628 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.90
- Longitudinal: 2.59
- Overall: 1.00
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 wea

[size=3pt]Khanwa Class Transport[/size]

While the Panipat class will serve the niche of high-speed personnel transport, the Khanwa class will fill the complementary role of high-speed vehicle/equipment transport.

The ship is intended, like the Panipat, to make cross-oceanic runs in eight days - only with 2,000 t of vehicles and dry cargo, and up to 300 personnel aboard. The ship has no amphibious capability, but is designed and built to allow the vehicles to be driven from the ship to dock in short order. She will be built to civilian standards.

Khanwa was laid down in Q1/43; a second unit is tentatively penciled in for 1944.

Thanks to Walter for the sim.

Khanwa, AST-2, laid down 1943

Khanwa, high-speed transport, laid down 1943

Displacement:
5,530 t light; 5,798 t standard; 8,778 t normal; 11,162 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
489.49 ft / 475.72 ft x 65.62 ft x 16.40 ft (normal load)
149.20 m / 145.00 m x 20.00 m x 5.00 m

Armament:
4 - 4.92" / 125 mm guns (2x2 guns), 59.59lbs / 27.03kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline, all forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1943 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
16 - 0.59" / 15.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 0.10lbs / 0.05kg shells, 1943 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, all aft, all raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 285 lbs / 129 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 540

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 37,438 shp / 27,929 Kw = 25.45 kts
Range 5,000nm at 25.00 kts (simmed as 7,000 nm @ 25 kts)
Bunker at max displacement = 3,831 t (5,364 tons simmed)

Complement:
453 - 589

Cost:
£2.349 million / $9.396 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 36 tons, 0.4 %
Armour: 24 tons, 0.3 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 24 tons, 0.3 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 967 tons, 11.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,968 tons, 33.8 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,248 tons, 37.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 1,536 tons, 17.5 %
-2,000 t: Vehicles and cargo (includes 1,533 t simmed as bunkerage) (say, 20 x 40 t medium tanks, 40 x 10 t light tanks, 60 x 5 t trucks, 50 x 2 t jeeps/light trucks)
-600 t: Accomodation for 300 vehicle personnel
-400 t: Vehicle loading equipment/ramps
-49 t: Weight reserve
-20 t: Radar suite

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
23,464 lbs / 10,643 Kg = 393.7 x 4.9 " / 125 mm shells or 3.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.41
Metacentric height 4.8 ft / 1.5 m
Roll period: 12.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.06
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.64

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.600
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.25 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 21.81 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 31
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 26.90 ft / 8.20 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Stern: 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Average freeboard: 23.28 ft / 7.10 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 59.8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 220.5 %
Waterplane Area: 22,830 Square feet or 2,121 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 232 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 85 lbs/sq ft or 414 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.91
- Longitudinal: 2.14
- 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