WesWorld

Not much in the way of new ships for a while but Turkey is modernizing its amphibious forces with the addition of two attack transports. In addition LCM designs have been acquired for equipping these vessels.

Kara Deniz/Ak Deniz, Turkish attack transports type laid down 1945

Displacement:
9,381 t light; 9,687 t standard; 14,249 t normal; 17,899 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
479.17 ft / 465.00 ft x 66.00 ft x 26.00 ft (normal load)
146.05 m / 141.73 m x 20.12 m x 7.92 m

Armament:
4 - 2.95" / 75.0 mm guns (2x2 guns), 12.87lbs / 5.84kg shells, 1945 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread
8 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1945 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (16 mounts), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1945 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1945 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 69 lbs / 31 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 450

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
2nd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
4th: 0.39" / 10 mm - -

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 1 shaft, 13,088 shp / 9,764 Kw = 18.00 kts
Range 40,000nm at 14.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 8,212 tons

Complement:
651 - 847

Cost:
£2.638 million / $10.553 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 9 tons, 0.1 %
Armour: 7 tons, 0.1 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 7 tons, 0.1 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 331 tons, 2.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 6,076 tons, 42.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,868 tons, 34.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 2,958 tons, 20.8 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
52,007 lbs / 23,590 Kg = 4,040.2 x 3.0 " / 75 mm shells or 6.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
Metacentric height 3.3 ft / 1.0 m
Roll period: 15.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.01
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.625
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.05 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 21.56 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 41 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 30
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 35.00 ft / 10.67 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
- Mid (50 %): 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
- Stern: 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
- Average freeboard: 27.64 ft / 8.42 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 32.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 178.3 %
Waterplane Area: 22,564 Square feet or 2,096 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 386 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 144 lbs/sq ft or 703 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.44
- Longitudinal: 6.18
- Overall: 1.67
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

Cost of refit per ship 2,345 tons and 5 months refit time

Actual bunkerage is 20,000 at 14 knots, additional bunkerage represents 4,042 tons of additional low stored cargo
4042 tons plus 2,958 = 7000 tons total cargo capacity
Tonnage breakdown:
Troops - 68 officers and 1,197 troops, 2,530 tons
Below deck cargo - 2500 tons
Twenty LCM(3) - 600 tons
Cargo and boat handling equipment - 300 tons
Four LCM(4) - 208 tons
Medical facilities - 200 tons
Boat maintenance and engine repair shop - 600 tons
Crew amenities - 42 tons
Two 300kw diesel generators - 20 tons

Looks good to me.

The plus side is they are converted in a two quarter gap between serious payments for other ships. Looking back at the Turkish navy of 1921 and now, its a huge difference. Many of the older vessels retained despite their extreme age are now gone. Soon only the Museum ships will remain.