There are a few cruiser concepts under the name '343'. These range from 32,000 ton battlecruiser to 48,000 ton battlecruiser, all fit for the pacific theatre. The family features a preference for 3 forward quad turrets under the belief that I will be able to afford more machinery that way. Additionally, it is important to 'just have more guns per ton'.
First;
343 L1
L1, NX Cruiser laid down 1940
Displacement:
28,541 t light; 30,601 t standard; 33,000 t normal; 34,919 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(797.68 ft / 771.00 ft) x 95.14 ft x (29.53 / 30.81 ft)
(243.13 m / 235.00 m) x 29.00 m x (9.00 / 9.39 m)
Armament:
12 - 13.39" / 340 mm 52.0 cal guns - 1,280.57lbs / 580.86kg shells, 150 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1940 Model
3 x Quad mounts on centreline, forward deck forward
20 - 5.00" / 127 mm 55.0 cal guns - 67.46lbs / 30.60kg shells, 150 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1940 Model
8 x 2-gun mounts on sides, evenly spread
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline, aft evenly spread
52 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm 70.0 cal guns - 1.73lbs / 0.79kg shells, 150 per gun
Auto rapid fire guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1940 Model
26 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 16,806 lbs / 7,623 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 541.34 ft / 165.00 m 11.71 ft / 3.57 m
Ends: 1.50" / 38 mm 196.85 ft / 60.00 m 11.71 ft / 3.57 m
32.81 ft / 10.00 m Unarmoured ends
Upper: 1.00" / 25 mm 442.91 ft / 135.00 m 8.01 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 442.91 ft / 135.00 m 26.90 ft / 8.20 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 9.45" / 240 mm 7.87" / 200 mm 7.87" / 200 mm
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 3.50" / 89 mm For and Aft decks
Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm Quarter deck: 1.00" / 25 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 8.00" / 203 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 152,280 shp / 113,601 Kw = 32.50 kts
Range 9,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 4,318 tons
Complement:
1,223 - 1,591
Cost:
£20.405 million / $81.621 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 3,593 tons, 10.9 %
Armour: 8,307 tons, 25.2 %
- Belts: 2,655 tons, 8.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 882 tons, 2.7 %
- Armament: 1,732 tons, 5.2 %
- Armour Deck: 2,860 tons, 8.7 %
- Conning Tower: 177 tons, 0.5 %
Machinery: 4,072 tons, 12.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 12,069 tons, 36.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,459 tons, 13.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 500 tons, 1.5 %
- Hull above water: 500 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
36,079 lbs / 16,365 Kg = 30.1 x 13.4 " / 340 mm shells or 4.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.20
Metacentric height 6.5 ft / 2.0 m
Roll period: 15.7 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 46 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.61
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 0.85
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
an extended bulbous bow and large transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.533 / 0.541
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.10 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 32.10 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 55 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 40.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
This data has been edited for '1940' originally set to '1950' because I needed the ship to work at a length 235 meters shorter and at 1400 less tons displacement. Really that difference is not that big, so I decided to post the 1940's modification.
At 33,000 tons the concept is still 1000 tons overweight, but with a cruise speed of 15 knots for 9000 nm range, it is still not especially poor. Before a recent up-armoring, the ship was capable of 9000 nm at 18 knots, however, it is important that it actually protect itself against torpedoes, and thus I was forced to make the armor there not awful.
343 R2
This ship is not as 'fit' as L1 is. It appears it is not possible to fit 3 x 4 38.5cm/52 guns, 32.5 knots and 9000 nm range at 16 knots at 40,000 tons, so I had to settle for 41,000 tons. The immediate thought I had was; if its going to be 42,000 tons why not just make it a 5000 ton vessel and improve the general characteristics? But the allure of 12 x 38.5/52 guns at 41,000 tons was too much. And thus the ship will have structural issues even before it has FCS installed.
343 R2, NX Cruiser Heavy laid down 1950
Displacement:
36,277 t light; 38,149 t standard; 41,000 t normal; 43,281 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(853.03 ft / 820.21 ft) x 105.64 ft x (32.81 / 34.13 ft)
(260.00 m / 250.00 m) x 32.20 m x (10.00 / 10.40 m)
Armament:
12 - 15.16" / 385 mm 52.0 cal guns - 1,859.30lbs / 843.36kg shells, 80 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
3 x Single mounts on centreline ends, majority forward
4 - 7.09" / 180 mm 45.0 cal guns - 179.46lbs / 81.40kg shells, 150 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline, aft evenly spread
Weight of broadside 23,029 lbs / 10,446 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 550.59 ft / 167.82 m 12.34 ft / 3.76 m
Ends: 1.00" / 25 mm 269.55 ft / 82.16 m 12.34 ft / 3.76 m
Upper: 1.00" / 25 mm 492.13 ft / 150.00 m 8.01 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 103 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 492.13 ft / 150.00 m 29.36 ft / 8.95 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 11.0" / 280 mm 9.45" / 240 mm 9.45" / 240 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 2.00" / 51 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 4.00" / 102 mm For and Aft decks
Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm Quarter deck: 1.00" / 25 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 10.63" / 270 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 4 shafts, 168,407 shp / 125,632 Kw = 32.50 kts
Range 9,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 5,132 tons
Complement:
1,439 - 1,872
Cost:
£33.656 million / $134.622 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 5,410 tons, 13.2 %
Armour: 11,113 tons, 27.1 %
- Belts: 2,864 tons, 7.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,069 tons, 2.6 %
- Armament: 3,187 tons, 7.8 %
- Armour Deck: 3,720 tons, 9.1 %
- Conning Tower: 272 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 4,029 tons, 9.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 15,026 tons, 36.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,723 tons, 11.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 700 tons, 1.7 %
- Hull below water: 200 tons
- Hull above water: 500 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
45,663 lbs / 20,712 Kg = 26.2 x 15.2 " / 385 mm shells or 6.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.13
Metacentric height 6.8 ft / 2.1 m
Roll period: 17.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 53 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.74
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.06
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
an extended bulbous bow and large transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.505 / 0.512
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.76 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 33.35 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 35.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 32.81 ft / 10.00 m, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Forward deck: 30.00 %, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Aft deck: 30.00 %, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Quarter deck: 20.00 %, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m, 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Average freeboard: 23.75 ft / 7.24 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 107.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 183.3 %
Waterplane Area: 60,306 Square feet or 5,603 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 94 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 208 lbs/sq ft or 1,014 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.89
- Longitudinal: 1.30
- Overall: 0.93
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
343 R3
Its 343 R2 at a seemingly more healthy kind of bloated and fat disposition. I don't enjoy the lack of 'wow' factor in the main battery but I suppose there is only so much you can afford before it becomes unreasonable.
343 R3, NX Battlecruiser laid down 1940
Displacement:
44,056 t light; 46,233 t standard; 49,718 t normal; 52,506 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(929.23 ft / 892.39 ft) x 109.06 ft x (32.81 / 34.19 ft)
(283.23 m / 272.00 m) x 33.24 m x (10.00 / 10.42 m)
Armament:
12 - 15.16" / 385 mm 52.0 cal guns - 1,859.30lbs / 843.36kg shells, 80 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1940 Model
3 x Quad mounts on centreline, forward deck forward
1 raised mount - superfiring
8 - 7.09" / 180 mm 55.0 cal guns - 192.07lbs / 87.12kg shells, 150 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1940 Model
2 x 2-gun mounts on sides, aft evenly spread
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline, aft evenly spread
16 - 4.21" / 107 mm 57.0 cal guns - 40.60lbs / 18.42kg shells, 150 per gun
Dual purpose guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1940 Model
8 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
68 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm 65.0 cal guns - 1.71lbs / 0.78kg shells, 150 per gun
Breech loading guns in deck mounts, 1940 Model
34 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 24,614 lbs / 11,165 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 10.5" / 267 mm 511.81 ft / 156.00 m 12.34 ft / 3.76 m
Ends: 1.00" / 25 mm 341.17 ft / 103.99 m 12.34 ft / 3.76 m
39.40 ft / 12.01 m Unarmoured ends
Upper: 1.00" / 25 mm 511.81 ft / 156.00 m 8.01 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 88 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
3.50" / 89 mm 511.81 ft / 156.00 m 30.12 ft / 9.18 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 11.0" / 280 mm 9.50" / 241 mm 9.50" / 241 mm
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 4.50" / 114 mm For and Aft decks
Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm Quarter deck: 1.00" / 25 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 10.50" / 267 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 178,076 shp / 132,845 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 9,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 6,272 tons
Complement:
1,664 - 2,164
Cost:
£29.274 million / $117.096 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 5,025 tons, 10.1 %
Armour: 13,338 tons, 26.8 %
- Belts: 3,198 tons, 6.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,996 tons, 4.0 %
- Armament: 2,989 tons, 6.0 %
- Armour Deck: 4,848 tons, 9.8 %
- Conning Tower: 306 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 4,761 tons, 9.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 20,532 tons, 41.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,662 tons, 11.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 400 tons, 0.8 %
- Hull above water: 400 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
67,320 lbs / 30,536 Kg = 38.7 x 15.2 " / 385 mm shells or 9.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 6.9 ft / 2.1 m
Roll period: 17.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 64 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.94
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.29
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
an extended bulbous bow and large transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.545 / 0.552
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.18 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 34.46 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 40.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 36.09 ft / 11.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Forward deck: 30.00 %, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Aft deck: 30.00 %, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Quarter deck: 20.00 %, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Average freeboard: 27.03 ft / 8.24 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 97.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 211.4 %
Waterplane Area: 70,371 Square feet or 6,538 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 102 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 226 lbs/sq ft or 1,105 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.41
- 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
Wednesday, April 17th 2024, 1:50am
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