WesWorld

A refit to bring Caracciolo up to a first class fighting ship, as the design was first laid down in 1914. A number of improvements are required to ensure her combat effectiveness.


- Replacement of superstructure with something more substantial.

- More modern FC systems

- Vastly increased range

- Removal of 152mm casemated guns. Plated over the casemates.

- Addition of 100/65 AA guns and 47 AA.

- Extra magazine capacity. New shells for guns. Increased gun elevation to 35 degrees.


Francesco Caracciolo, Italian Battleship laid down 1914 (Engine 1920)

Displacement:
29,745 t light; 31,438 t standard; 34,209 t normal; 36,426 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
706.61 ft / 695.54 ft x 97.11 ft x 31.82 ft (normal load)
215.38 m / 212.00 m x 29.60 m x 9.70 m

Armament:
8 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,951.09lbs / 885.00kg shells, 1914 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
20 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (10x2 guns), 33.07lbs / 15.00kg shells, 1914 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns (4x3 guns), 3.17lbs / 1.44kg shells, 1928 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 16,308 lbs / 7,397 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 110

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 11.8" / 300 mm 444.55 ft / 135.50 m 11.81 ft / 3.60 m
Ends: 5.91" / 150 mm 164.04 ft / 50.00 m 11.81 ft / 3.60 m
86.94 ft / 26.50 m Unarmoured ends
Upper: 8.66" / 220 mm 310.04 ft / 94.50 m 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Main Belt covers 98 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.38" / 35 mm 444.55 ft / 135.50 m 28.97 ft / 8.83 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 15.7" / 400 mm 7.87" / 200 mm 11.8" / 300 mm
3rd: 1.18" / 30 mm 0.98" / 25 mm -
4th: 0.79" / 20 mm - -

- Armour deck: 3.60" / 91 mm, Conning tower: 2.76" / 70 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 105,000 shp / 78,330 Kw = 27.92 kts
Range 4,600nm at 20.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 4,989 tons

Complement:
1,257 - 1,635

Cost:
£3.870 million / $15.480 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,769 tons, 5.2 %
Armour: 11,037 tons, 32.3 %
- Belts: 4,348 tons, 12.7 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 657 tons, 1.9 %
- Armament: 2,811 tons, 8.2 %
- Armour Deck: 3,158 tons, 9.2 %
- Conning Tower: 63 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 3,671 tons, 10.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 13,169 tons, 38.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,464 tons, 13.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 0.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
41,679 lbs / 18,905 Kg = 24.7 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 6.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 5.5 ft / 1.7 m
Roll period: 17.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.72
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.03

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.557
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.16 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 26.37 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 49
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 25.59 ft / 7.80 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.67 ft / 6.30 m
- Mid (50 %): 19.03 ft / 5.80 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 19.03 ft / 5.80 m
- Stern: 20.67 ft / 6.30 m
- Average freeboard: 20.12 ft / 6.13 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 94.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 139.5 %
Waterplane Area: 47,450 Square feet or 4,408 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 105 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 196 lbs/sq ft or 956 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.37
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

I don't think you can change main gun elevation under the treaty.

It would probably be counted under "general type of mounting"...which ist verboten.

But as long as it isn't "officially" announced, I don't think anyone will be taking an inclinometer to the main battery...

Ah, but that can be more fodder for the upcoming treaty talks.

Would improvements like that require a new turret design? The guns look farther apart in the rebuilt version.

Quoted

Entertainment value

True, especially if you're a Japanese Inspector. ^_^

Quoted

Originally posted by Swamphen
which ist verboten .

Huh?

Since when are you talking German?

It doesn't specifically say that.

The turrets look different because I re-drew the design. I prefer her looks this way.

The elevation is changed by cutting pieces from the top of the turret. You can just see it on my turrets and on Vanguard's.

Quoted

Huh?

Since when are you talking German?

When it's appropiate. ;-)

I know little bits of Spanish, German, and Russian...would like to be fluent in all but have a mental block when it comes to learning. :-(

Quoted

Originally posted by Swamphen

When it's appropiate. ;-)

I know little bits of Spanish, German, and Russian...would like to be fluent in all but have a mental block when it comes to learning. :-(

ah si? hablas español? interesante, interesante...

Parece que muchos hablamos Espanol aqui.

Yo quiero Taco Bell! ^_^

Two years of high school Spanish and two years of middle school Spanish....still very lacked on my Spanish, but then I wanted to take German...just they'd removed it from the schools about two years before I got there.

But then it would be Mexican Spanish and Argentinian Spanish, not Spanish proper.

So, will the ship be "legal" to refit that way?