These will be the first treaty cruisers laid down by the UK, one each quarter during 1924. They will form the new Kent class, and their provisional names will be:
HMS Kent
HMS Suffolk
HMS Sussex
HMS Norfolk
The RN has decided to go for numbers instead of size in the new cruisers. It´s also being rumoured that a improved version of this class is under evaluation as the next CAs of the RN.
HMS Kent, British Heavy Cruiser laid down 1924
Displacement:
9.568 t light; 10.000 t standard; 11.539 t normal; 12.725 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
581,19 ft / 570,00 ft x 60,00 ft x 22,71 ft (normal load)
177,15 m / 173,74 m x 18,29 m x 6,92 m
Armament:
8 - 8,00" / 203 mm guns (4x2 guns), 256,00lbs / 116,12kg shells, 1924 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
6 - 4,50" / 114 mm guns in single mounts, 45,56lbs / 20,67kg shells, 1924 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
8 - 1,57" / 40,0 mm guns (2x4 guns), 1,94lbs / 0,88kg shells, 1924 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
12 - 0,79" / 20,0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 0,24lbs / 0,11kg shells, 1924 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 2.340 lbs / 1.061 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
8 - 21,0" / 533,4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 4,50" / 114 mm 405,00 ft / 123,44 m 9,30 ft / 2,83 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 109 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 4,50" / 114 mm 1,00" / 25 mm 3,00" / 76 mm
2nd: 1,00" / 25 mm - -
3rd: 0,50" / 13 mm - -
4th: 0,50" / 13 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2,00" / 51 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 95.397 shp / 71.166 Kw = 32,00 kts
Range 10.460nm at 15,00 kts (Bunkerage = 2.771 tons)
Complement:
556 - 723
Cost:
£3,154 million / $12,617 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 292 tons, 2,5 %
Armour: 1.848 tons, 16,0 %
- Belts: 699 tons, 6,1 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0 %
- Armament: 320 tons, 2,8 %
- Armour Deck: 828 tons, 7,2 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0 %
Machinery: 3.142 tons, 27,2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 4.210 tons, 36,5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1.971 tons, 17,1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 0,6 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
11.269 lbs / 5.112 Kg = 44,0 x 8,0 " / 203 mm shells or 1,4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,20
Metacentric height 3,3 ft / 1,0 m
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 52 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,58
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1,03
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0,520
Length to Beam Ratio: 9,50 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23,87 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 59 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0,00 ft / 0,00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24,00 ft / 7,32 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 23,00 ft / 7,01 m
- Mid (50 %): 20,00 ft / 6,10 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Stern: 18,00 ft / 5,49 m
- Average freeboard: 20,48 ft / 6,24 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 108,8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 129,7 %
Waterplane Area: 22.390 Square feet or 2.080 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 109 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 110 lbs/sq ft or 535 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,95
- Longitudinal: 1,59
- Overall: 1,00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent