WesWorld

[Warning: the following post contains mathematics, and rambles at times.]

So India's got herself five drydocks at the moment, 1xT0, 1xT1, 2xT2, and 1xT3. Another T1 is going to be finished in Q4, and will be counted in the discussion that follows.

I've also targeted about 12 pts between 1929 and 1935 to expand this capacity. Question is, how to use them?

I tallied up the approximate tonnage I expected to use each size of drydock (assuming I build up to my treaty limits by 1935):

T3: BB, CV, CA: ~170,000 t
T2: CL, CVS, AO, repair ships: ~130,000 t
T1: DD, ML, MT, DE, tenders; larger SL, SS, AM: ~110,000 t
T0: Smaller SS, AM, SL, and ASW launches: ~31,000 t

I then assumed that in a worst-case scenario, I'd only repair a ship that was at or better than 20%, and would be able to work on a ship while free-floating once it got about 80%. So that leaves 60% of the overall figures to be tackled by my docks

T3: 102,000 t, at around 6400 to 8800 t per year (low end for CA, high end for BB)
T2: 78,000 t, at an average of 5600 t per year (based on Agra CL)
T1: 66,000 t, at an average of 1200 t per year (~4000 for the tenders and monitor)
T0: 18,600 t, at an average of 1200 t per year (as the construction rates for these < 500 t ships is accelerated)

At current levels of infrastructure, this is how long it would take to repair all of my tonnage as described above:

T3: 16 years
T2: 7 years
T1: 27 years
T0: 15 years

None of these situations is particularly good. The T3 situation isn't great, and needs some work. A second T3 dock halves the waiting period to 8 years, at a cost of 4 pts.

The T2 situation is the best of the bunch - so I'll not budget anything for it. In the event of a gut of damaged CLs, the T3 docks may be able to absorb some of the load anyway.

The T1 situation is the worst in general terms, and also the most dangerous. Whereas delays at my T3 docks impair my ability to operate offensively, delays at the T1 docks impair my abiilty to operate defensively, for it's the meat and potatoes of the fleet - destroyers and the larger sweepers, subs, and sloops - that are affected. Let's budget for four new docks for a total of 8 pts.

The T0 situation is, on paper, as bad as the capital ship situation, and I need those vessels for local defence as well. But really, the situation's not as dire; these small subs, sweepers, and sloops are all under 500 t standard, so can be built quickly. And that's good, because these are one-shot wonders in their roles. Coastal subs with holes in them won't be coming home. Nor will a small sloop or ASW launch that blocks a torpedo, or a small minesweeper that detects a mine the hard way. So the one dock I have is probably adequate, and more for scrapping or rebuilding than for repair.

That leaves me at:

T3: 8 years
T2: 7 years
T1: 9 years
T0: 15 years

So, by 1936, I will have the capacity to repair one quarter of my fleet every two years.

Thoughts? Is this analysis whacked? Am I out-building my capacity to repair ships? How does your fleet compare?

I have a feeling that my situation is probably as bad as yours... which makes it a good thing that I didn't start out with a Japanese Navy that was similar to the historical one.
I try not to worry too much about it, but when the time comes, it might be too late.
^_^;;

I´m not sure I can follow your math but have you considered that larger docks do also server the purpose to repair smaller units and how does this influence your logic?

I think the main problem for Rocky is that with 1xT0, 2xT1, 2xT2, and 1xT3 his bigger docks will be completely tied up by the bigger ships so they can't be used for the smaller stuff. Maybe at the end but not at the beginning. It would definitely need some good planning as to determine which ships need to be docked first and which ships are important.

I have considered that a larger dock can fix a smaller ship. Unfortunately, a T3 dock doesn't fix a sloop any faster than a T0 dock, and in the mean time, it's one less big dock that my capital ships can use.

The point I'm making is that while I can weather small engagements, I do not have the depth of infrastructure necessary to see me through a prolonged conflict. A single action involving a few of my major units will plug up my big docks for years. If that happens, I'll quickly run out of undamaged warships to use against my opponent.

I should probably do a similar calculation for my own docks.

This is what I get. I have 17 drydocks. If I pair up 1 factory to one drydock i can repair 4000tons of ships in each dock per year=68,000tons total. Assuming my fleet is equally damaged it would take 7 years to repair every single ship to 80%. Individually the Type 4 situation is best. I have 2 drydocks and 2 ships that need them. So i can repair them simultaneously. The T3 situation is worst, but not especially bad if I don't repair the older ships. 8 drydocks, increasing to 10 with the extra 2 T4. So i can repair 10 ships at once. However i don't have enough factories to do this to the maximum. I can only repair 6 ships at 12000tons/year, but that is still fairly quick.

Let's bump a nine year old thread.

Bharati infrastructure as of the end of 1944 will be:

S3: 2
S2.5: 1
S2: 1
S1: 7
S0: 2

D4: 1
D3.5: 1
D3: 2
D2: 1
D1: 3

I'm eyeballing around 5.0 IP in infrastructure development over the remainder of the 1940s, with the following issues in mind:

-Bharat figures it will need two D4 - one of which will be sporadically occupied by capital ship construction. That D3.5 will need to be expanded to D4 - just not yet.

-Large slip and dock numbers are otherwise probably okay. I'm planning construction with ongoing, efficient use in mind, rather than with binges and gaps.

-Destroyer construction will cause a problem...sometime. I reckon the next batch of destroyers could fit into S1/D1 infrastructure, but 1.5 might be better. Sooner or later, I need to make some substantial investments to some of the class 1 infrastructure.

-There really aren't enough small docks out there. The big Escort Refurbishment Program was evidence of that - I had four docks in solid use for years. Didn't leave much for scrapping or repair work. I need more.

-Karachi and the new territories have no infrastructure. Is there important political capital to be gained from plunking a dock down in Karachi? Is a strategically useful site for a dock? It is halfway between Mumbai and Bandar-e-Abbas.

I'm tentatively thinking, in approximate chronological order:

-Expand Mumbai's S1 to S1.5 (0.5 IP)
-Expand Male's D1 to D1.5 (0.5 IP)
-Build D0 at Trincomalee; central location for small craft work. (1 IP)
-Build D1 at Karachi (2 IP)
-Expand Sittwe's D1 to D1.5 (0.5 IP)
-Expand Mumbai's D3.5 to D4 (0.5 IP)

Thoughts?

Quoted from "The Rock Doctor"

-Karachi and the new territories have no infrastructure. Is there important political capital to be gained from plunking a dock down in Karachi? Is a strategically useful site for a dock? It is halfway between Mumbai and Bandar-e-Abbas.

I'd suggest a floating drydock. True, not capable of quite as much, but I think it'd be a good asset to have in Karachi, rather than a full-service facility. The kicker for me is what you're saying about it being halfway between Mumbai and Bandar-e-Abbas - just make something there that's capable of repairing a ship a bit, then sending it onward to a major shipyard.

Yeah, the repair function is the major one - there's plenty of slipways for construction of similarly-sized ships.

I should consider that a bit more, given the cost difference.

Quoted from "The Rock Doctor"

Yeah, the repair function is the major one - there's plenty of slipways for construction of similarly-sized ships.

I should consider that a bit more, given the cost difference.

It would be quite a savings - if you kept the expenditure the same, you could build two FD1s or an FD3 instead of just a single D1. Or you could just trim everything down to half cost. Since it seems you've got most of the major bases covered and just want something applicable to one location... well, it'd certainly tempt me.

I am with Brock on this one; while you cannot build a new vessel in a floating dry dock (per our rules) they are fine for refits and repairs. Germany has opted for them, and Yugoslavia will be doing so when it can afford to do so.

I also agree with you on the Type 1.0 limitation for destroyers - you do reach the point that the extra foot or two makes a difference to a design and necessitates a larger dock.

So with the same 5.0 IP, I could do:

Expand Mumbai S1 to S1.5: 0.5 IP
Expand Chennai S1 to S1.5: 0.5 IP
Add FD1.5 at Karachi: 1.25 IP
Add FD1.5 at Trincomalee: 1.25 IP
Add FD0 at Trincomalee: 0.5 IP
Add FD0 at Sittwe: 0.5 IP
Expand Mumbai D3.5 to D4: 0.5 IP

All the actual new infrastructure is going to the smaller ports because all indications are that Chennai and Mumbai should be pretty "full" from military and commercial use. Trincomalee, Sittwe, and Karachi should have more room for new stuff.

Sounds like a very balanced program to me. Too bad you can't squeeze in a dedicated shipbreaking operation at Alang.

I've got beaches there. What else do I need?

Quoted from "The Rock Doctor"

I've got beaches there. What else do I need?

If you want to recover only 7.5%, nothing. But I am going to report you to the tree-huggers. :P

Brock can send me a worn-out aircraft carrier and we can do the asbestos controversy half a century earlier than historical...