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HMAS Spencer (Thornycraft Type), Australia Destroyer Leader laid down 1917


Now classified as Light Destroyer

HMAS Admirality Isl, Australia Destroyer Leader laid down 1929

Displacement:
1,953 t light; 2,061 t standard; 2,477 t normal; 2,810 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
401.92 ft / 400.00 ft x 39.00 ft x 14.00 ft (normal load)
122.50 m / 121.92 m x 11.89 m x 4.27 m

Armament:
5 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns in single mounts, 52.58lbs / 23.85kg shells, 1929 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority aft, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
2 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns in single mounts, 52.58lbs / 23.85kg shells, 1929 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships
8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (2x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1929 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline, evenly spread
10 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (5x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1929 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 386 lbs / 175 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250
8 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.20" / 30 mm - -

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 38,241 shp / 28,528 Kw = 33.00 kts
Range 7,900nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 749 tons

Complement:
175 - 228

Cost:
£1.055 million / $4.220 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 48 tons, 1.9 %
Armour: 16 tons, 0.6 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 16 tons, 0.6 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 1,106 tons, 44.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 743 tons, 30.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 524 tons, 21.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 40 tons, 1.6 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
874 lbs / 396 Kg = 16.6 x 4.7 " / 120 mm shells or 0.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.36
Metacentric height 2.1 ft / 0.6 m
Roll period: 11.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.42
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.25

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.397
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.26 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23.10 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 63 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 56
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 21.90 ft / 6.68 m
- Forecastle (30 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Stern: 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Average freeboard: 16.55 ft / 5.04 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 162.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 105.0 %
Waterplane Area: 9,949 Square feet or 924 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 89 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 39 lbs/sq ft or 191 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.52
- Longitudinal: 1.79
- Overall: 0.59
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

The history of this ship dates back to 1929. On that year a plane flown by the infamous Japanese pilot Manzo crashed into HMAS Brisbane. The RAN immidietly began looking into Anti-Aircraft Cruisers. Among them there where some mostrosities sporting up to 21x4.7" guns. Fortunately saner heads prevailed.

The main and most important result of the AA program was the development of a twin Dual Purpose version of the 4.7" gun used by the RAN. The BC Tiger would be the first ship to carry these guns.

Among the many AA Cruiser proposals was a 10x4.7" DL one. While not a good AA plataform, it showed promise as a Destroyer Leader. The Current Destryer Leader the HMAS Admirality Island while a good ship was considered too small for the role as a result of having to fit within Treaty Limits. So whit Australia no longer limited by the Treaty, it was decided to go ahead with the larger Destroyer Leader.




HMAS Keeling Isl
HMAS Wessel Isl
HMAS Norfolk Isl

Keeling Isl class, Australia Destroyer Leader laid down 1933

Displacement:
2,458 t light; 2,604 t standard; 3,321 t normal; 3,895 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
426.26 ft / 420.00 ft x 41.00 ft x 15.00 ft (normal load)
129.92 m / 128.02 m x 12.50 m x 4.57 m

Armament:
10 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (5x2 guns), 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
12 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (3x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline, evenly spread
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1933 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 547 lbs / 248 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250
8 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.20" / 30 mm - -

- Conning tower: 1.20" / 30 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 46,572 shp / 34,743 Kw = 33.00 kts
Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,291 tons

Complement:
218 - 284

Cost:
£1.572 million / $6.289 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 68 tons, 2.1 %
Armour: 33 tons, 1.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 27 tons, 0.8 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 6 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,350 tons, 40.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 932 tons, 28.1 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 863 tons, 26.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 2.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,321 lbs / 599 Kg = 25.5 x 4.7 " / 119 mm shells or 0.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.32
Metacentric height 2.2 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 11.7 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.55
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.22

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.450
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.24 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23.49 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 64 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 57
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.46 ft / 0.75 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Forecastle (17 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m (17.00 ft / 5.18 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Quarterdeck (19 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Stern: 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Average freeboard: 17.78 ft / 5.42 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 150.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 115.2 %
Waterplane Area: 11,410 Square feet or 1,060 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 99 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 42 lbs/sq ft or 207 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.52
- Longitudinal: 1.78
- Overall: 0.59
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily