WesWorld

The Manila Evening Times
1 October 1926

The Marina de Filipinas today released its 1927 Building Programme.

Projected for next year are:
one aircraft carrier (to be built in India)
two light cruisers
two destroyers
four armoured gunboats
three fisheries patrol boats
six tugboats
one water tank vessel

In addition, the ex-Chinese battleship recently acquired will have its rebuild completed and join the fleet sometime in the first quarter.

***

The Manila Times
2 October 1926

Yesterday, in Japan, the MdF armoured cruiser Luzon was handed over to the Imperial Japanese Navy, for scrapping, as payment for the MdF's newest vessel - the "assault transport" Balabac, which was handed over at the same time.

***

Butuan Bugeler
5 October 1926

Six freighters were laid down today for the Philippines & Pacific Steam Ship Co. The ships have a speed of 16 knots, and will be built very closely to military specs - including a 50mm conning tower - to provide some degree of protection against the continuing pirate threat.

***

The Puerto Princesca Mariners' Gossip Gazette
11 October 1926

The report on the "Alf the 12th" pirate cruiser has been released.

Summing up the three points I mentioned in my original commentary on 5 August:

1 - "The indications found aboard the ship are consistent with its crew serving Chinese employers."

2 - This is the most interesing part. The vast majority of the "what happened to it" section is censored! What remains seems simply an elaborate way of saying, "we don't know"; but I wonder...

3 - According to the report, three of the ships' six 160mm guns are salvagable, and will be worked over at the Arsenal de Manila prior to being installed as coast artillery somewhere.

The report says that the hulk is unfit even for target pracice, so it'll be towed out to somewhere deep in the Sulu Sea, and scuttled.

***

Quezon City News
18 October 1926

With great fanfare, the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Ost (M.A.N.O.) diesel engine factory was officially opened today. The joint venture between the Filipino Government and the German macinery company is expected to produce at least 100 diesel engines - of various types - a year, for both civilian and military uses.

"This is yet another example of profitable cooperation between the Philippines and Germany," said Filipino Foreign Minister Sebastien de Varga. "This factory will become the premier supplier of diesel engines for generators, tractors, ships - whatever you need a diesel for - throughout East Asia."

"We look forward to a partnership that will bring profit to both parties", said MAN representative Ludwig Becker. "The Philippines have a growing economy, and are very industrious people, with considerable interest in marketing to the world. We see that this has considerable upside to the corporate bottomline."

***

Cebu City Courier
6 November 1926

Yesterday a strange occurance was noted in the harbour. The hulk of the old "protected cruiser" Cebu was taken in tow by a commercial tug. Officials refused to state what the purpose of the move was, but rumours are that the ancient floating scrappile will finally be sent to Davy Jones' Locker...

***

The Davao News-Press
13 November 1926

Even with the factory only half-completed, the new Skoda-Davao armament works is busy with its first projects.

Currently under development are new naval cannons of 180mm and 210mm calibers, along with an Army version of the Arsenal de Manila 155mm gun, and an experimental 25mm aircraft-mounted cannon...

***

The Manila Evening Times
22 November 1926

The Filipino Government announced today that the Boeing Airplane Co., an American builder of aircraft, has agreed to construct an aeroplane factory at Davao. The factory is expected to be complete within two years' time...

***

The Manila Times
26 November 1926

It was announced today that the Marina de Filipinas has ordered two 'Assault Transports' from Japan.

The ships, which will be based on the Japanese "Go-Ni Mk.2" design, will begin construction in the third quarter of 1928, and will use 6" and 3" guns removed and stockpiled from the old cruiser Mindao, the latter of which will be fitted with liners to use the Japanese 75mm ammunition.

(ooc: The two ships will be laid down on 1 July 1928, and the Philippines will transfer 1924t a quarter as payment (the last quarter's construction, of course, being a tad less).)

***

The Manila Evening Times
1 December 1926

It was announced today that the Marina de Filipinas has purchased a number of old cruisers from the Deutsches Reichsmarine.

The cruisers Nymphe, Niobe, Thetis, and Hamburg have been acquired.

(ooc: The transaction takes effect immediately - until delivery, the ships are "on loan" to the Reichsmarine. ;-) Nymphe and Niobe will be transferred on 1 January 1927, with Thetis and Hamburg following on 1 July. The payment will consist of 0.2 IP transferred in Q1/27, and 0.1 IP transferred in Q3/27)

***

The Manila Evening Times
7 December 1926

The Fuerza Aerea Filipinas today annouced an order for 28 Avia BH-21 fighter aircraft from Czechoslovakia...

***

The Manila Times
13 December 1926

Acting on the suggestion of a Japanese officer, the SATSUMA Powers have announced the formation of a Coast Watchers Training Centre in Mindanao.

"Capitan Yamamoto of the Imperial Japanese Navy was an observer at last years' Dutch naval exercise, and among the points in his critique was that a force of voluenteer "Coast Watchers" could be of military use," said Commodore Garcia of the MdF. "We have decided to act upon his suggestion, and as the Philippines is centrally located among SATSUMA, we have agreed to host the training centre."

Commodore Garcia noted that the training will be most comprehensive, including identification of ships and aircraft, how to avoid detection by the enemy, and how to live off the land - "this last point of course being why I will not be participating in this couse. Wine does not grow on trees, you know!"

***

The Manila Times
17 December 1926

According to unconfirmed reports, two officers in the Filipino Marines were killed in a "training accident" last week.

While nothing has been officially reported, rumour is that the men were engaged in some sort of maneuvers involving underwater demolition...

***

The Manila Times
26 December 1926

As "a Christmas gift to the nation", El Presidente yesterday announced that planning has begun for a "Pan-Philippine Highway"...

***

The Manila Evening Times
29 December 1926

Today it was announced that there is a new source for news in the Philippines. The first Filipino Radio News Station, Radio Manila, will start broadcasting on 1 January. The stations hopes to affiliate with the All World News Radio network, and will also broadcast commentary on politics, sports, and other matters...

P&PSSCo Gordita-class freighter, laid down 1926

Displacement:
8,054 t light; 8,307 t standard; 9,878 t normal; 11,135 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
489.28 ft / 482.28 ft x 60.70 ft x 19.69 ft (normal load)
149.13 m / 147.00 m x 18.50 m x 6.00 m

Armour:
- Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 6,805 shp / 5,077 Kw = 16.00 kts
Range 20,000nm at 12.00 kts (Bunkerage = 2,828 tons)

Complement:
495 - 644

Cost:
£1.231 million / $4.926 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Armour: 20 tons, 0.2 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 20 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 218 tons, 2.2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,230 tons, 32.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,824 tons, 18.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,586 tons, 46.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
15,874 lbs / 7,200 Kg = 236.8 x 5.1 " / 130 mm shells or 2.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.05
Metacentric height 2.6 ft / 0.8 m
Roll period: 15.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 47 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.08
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.55

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.600
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.95 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 21.96 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 31 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 29
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 7.00 ft / 2.13 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Stern: 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Average freeboard: 15.99 ft / 4.88 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 61.8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 124.7 %
Waterplane Area: 21,409 Square feet or 1,989 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 183 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 103 lbs/sq ft or 501 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.25
- Longitudinal: 1.50
- Overall: 1.28
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

Sorry, my brain slipped a cog while entering the subject line...

What good will a CT do a freighter against a pirate vessel?

The Philippine Navy´s becoming a weird mix of ships as it seems. Any kind of consistency in material used like guns seems to be non existent. A nightmare for those who have to take care of supplies. I really wonder if this is a wise decision - to buy whatever warship material is available and integrate it into the navy.

Related to the above - why use some old, most likely worn out 160mm guns? Are the Philippines really in the severe need for guns of all kind to "pimp up" their defences? I wonder where they will get ammo for such guns...

Regards,

HoOmAn

I would say that they're there for show.

Quoted

What good will a CT do a freighter against a pirate vessel?

Psychological, mainly.

Quoted

The Philippine Navy´s becoming a weird mix of ships as it seems. Any kind of consistency in material used like guns seems to be non existent.

Actually, the ships in question will be re-armed upon delivery with the standard Arsenal de Manila 100mm guns. Thereby becoming more consistant.

Quoted

Related to the above - why use some old, most likely worn out 160mm guns? Are the Philippines really in the severe need for guns of all kind to "pimp up" their defences? I wonder where they will get ammo for such guns...

It is possible that such guns will be fitted with barrel liners, allowing them to fire 155mm ammunition. Thereby becoming more consistant. ;-) Although, for shore defenses, such things are not quite as important as shipboard...as for ammo supply, that's what the Arsenal de Manila is for. :-)

Over the 1927-1932 period, that crazy list of Filipino naval guns will be streamlines. Coast defenses will mainly be left as-is, but shipboard "light" guns will be either relined, rebored or replaced to standardize on:
25mm
40mm
57mm
75mm (76mm guns relined to match)
100mm
130mm
152mm (if CT amended, rebored to 155mm)
155mm

I see liners mentioned all day long but wonder if it makes sense. For example you wrote above you´ll use liners to make a 76mm gun use 75mm ammo. I doubt you can reduce barrel diameter by 1mm by using a liner which would have a material thickness of 0,5mm and thus be prone to breaking with the very first shot fired....

Just my thoughts...

HoOmAn

In that case, perhaps simple replacement of the offending guns is in order.

*goes off to revise reports re: reflecting rearming*

Looking ath the picture of the muzzle here and the picture here, it would be a question of removing the old 76mm liner and replace it with a new 75mm one. It's not like you're adding a 0.5mm thick liner to get to the caliber of 75mm.

Good pictures. If you´re right and liners can be easily exchanged then Swamphy can make use of those other guns. However, I also think he will be forced to modify the gun chambers as the ammo original designed for the various guns will surely differ to quite some degree.

So in the end I still wonder if it´s wise to re-use every old peace of metal as a gun. :o/ Might cost you more money and man hours than simply building new ones - which then would be better anyway.

If you look careful, you will see that the liner goes from the muzzle all the way to the screw box. So if you were to change the thickness of the liner, you would also do this for the chamber as well.

Regarding the chamber I´m not talking about size/diameter but size/length as shells of different countries greatly differed in length historically even if they had a similar caliber.

So if your domestic 127mm shells fit into your domestic 127mm gun chambers it may be that your shells are too long for a foreign 127mm gun chamber.

That´s the problem you´re facing when using foreign equipment and why the Germans could only use French ammo for Fench guns (of which they got quite a lot in Toulouse for example) and Czech ammo for Czech guns during WW2.

...
...
...
If you look careful, you will see that the liner goes from the muzzle all the way to the screw box. So if you were to change the thickness of the liner, you would also do this for the chamber as well.

I would assume that changing thickness on the various points can help make the chamber longer or shorter... so in theory it should be possible to adapt a gun for a longer or shorter round.
However, if you have two rounds of the same caliber, but with a different case, only the one that fits can be used for that gun.

No, changing the liner is hardly enough if you have shells of different length. The difference by changing the liner would be marginal compared to different shells (body length, crh etc.).

Further more one has to keep in mind that different breech mechanisms ask for different shells (casings) to seal the gun once the shell is rammed into the chamber - at least when we´re talking about catridge guns (quick firing and automatic).

It would be interesting to have an article about what was encessary to allow older USN 16" guns to fire the new super-heavy 16" rounds...

[Edit: Forget that. The 16"/45 Mark 5 and 8 as used on the COLORADOs were never capable of using the 2700lbs shells as the shell body of those shells were too long. However, they could use the 2240lbs Mark 5 APC shells instead of the Mark 3 APC but to do so they had their chambers, liners, liner-locking rings and locking collars modified/replaced during their 30s modernizations.]

Yes I was just reading about that here.