Currently serving as the RSANs flagship of the First Fleet stationed in Durban (1st Battle Squadron) is RSAN SOUTH AFRICA. She´s acting as flagship since mid-1919 when she finished her shake down cruise. The SOUTH AFRICA, together with her sistership CAMEROON, is the largest and most powerful warship currently sailing under the SAEs flag.
Her relatively low seakeeping is sometimes seen as a problem but in general the ship is rated as one of the best BBs afloat around the world - by south african sailors and press that is.
South Africa, laid down 1915
Displacement:
34.389 t light; 36.457 t standard; 38.997 t normal; 40.873 t full load
Loading submergence 1.555 tons/feet
Dimensions:
721,78 ft x 104,99 ft x 29,53 ft (normal load)
220,00 m x 32,00 m x 9,00 m
Armament:
8 - 14,96" / 380 mm guns (4 Main turrets x 2 guns, 2 superfiring turrets)
16 - 5,91" / 150 mm guns
12 - 3,46" / 88 mm AA guns
8 - 3,46" / 88 mm guns
Weight of broadside 15.457 lbs / 7.011 kg
Hull Armour:
Belt 13,78" / 350 mm
(Belts cover 92% of normal area, inclined 8°)
Uper belt 7,87" / 200 mm, end belts 5,91" / 150 mm
Armour deck 3,15" / 80 mm
(Allocation: Over engines and magazines - 10.0 cm; ends - 5.0 cm)
Conning tower 13,78" / 350 mm
Torpedo bulkhead 0,98" / 25 mm
Battery Armour:
Main turrets 14,96" / 380 mm
(Allocation: Front - 38.0 cm; Sides - 32.0 cm; Back - 28.0 cm, Roof - 15.0 cm)
2nd gun casemats 7,87" / 200 mm
QF gun casemats 1,97" / 50 mm
AA gun shields 0,98" / 25 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 110.012 shp / 82.069 Kw = 27,54 kts
(Trials with 15% overload for 126.503 shp / 94.371 shaft kw = 28,526 kts)
Range 10.500nm at 12,00 kts
Complement:
1.387 - 1.803
Cost:
£4,960 million / $19,840 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1.932 tons, 5,0%
Armour: 13.363 tons, 34,3%
Belts: 4.918 tons, 12,6%, Armament: 4.427 tons, 11,4%, Armour Deck: 3.171 tons, 8,1%
Conning Tower: 343 tons, 0,9%, Torpedo bulkhead: 504 tons, 1,3%
Machinery: 4.167 tons, 10,7%
Hull, fittings & equipment: 14.876 tons, 38,1%
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4.608 tons, 11,8%
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 0,1%
Metacentric height 6,2
Remarks:
Hull space for machinery, storage & compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation & workspaces is excellent
Estimated overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Relative margin of stability: 1,07
Shellfire needed to sink: 40.744 lbs / 18.481 Kg = 24,3 x 15,0 " / 380 mm shells
(Approx weight of penetrating shell hits needed to sink ship excluding critical hits)
Torpedoes needed to sink: 5,3
(Approx number of typical torpedo hits needed to sink ship)
Relative steadiness as gun platform: 51 %
(Average = 50 %)
Relative rocking effect from firing to beam: 0,49
Relative quality as seaboat: 1,00
Hull form characteristics:
Block coefficient: 0,610
Sharpness coefficient: 0,41
Hull speed coefficient 'M': 6,51
'Natural speed' for length: 26,87 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim: 51
(Maximise stabilty/flotation = 0, Maximise steadiness/seakeeping = 100)
Estimated hull characteristics & strength:
Underwater volume absorbed by magazines and engineering spaces: 90,9%
Relative accommodation and working space: 158,1%
(Average = 100%)
Displacement factor: 105%
(Displacement relative to loading factors)
Relative cross-sectional hull strength: 0,98
(Structure weight / hull surface area: 199 lbs / square foot or 972 Kg / square metre)
Relative longitudinal hull strength: 1,12
(for 21,16 ft / 6,45 m average freeboard, freeboard adjustment 1,28 ft)
Relative composite hull strength: 1,00