WesWorld

"Today the newly completed cruise liner Normandie left the fitting-out yard of Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire to begin her sea trials. Fittingly, the day was slightly overcast, so her unprecedented navigation aid suite was of some assistance to her Navigator. Once her trials finish in June, travellers will be able to steam to New York and back with unprecedented speed, luxury, and safety."

However, on the bridge not everything was as related by the official news release. This reporter spoke to some whose duties took them to the navigation bridge at various times. "Yes, I saw the new navigation aid, and you could see the coastline, as well as the few ships in the vicinity. But you could also see several phantoms, objects that were visible on the screen but existing nowhere in the the world. Once a return was indicated dead ahead, and a course change was ordered by the operator, but countermanded by the Navigator, who could see that it clearly was not required. Still, in a North Atlantic fog, I suppose it is better to steer to avoid objects that are not there, than collide with unseen objects which are."

Normandie, French Luxury Liner laid down 1930

Displacement:
38,632 t light; 39,575 t standard; 47,146 t normal; 53,202 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
922.57 ft / 885.83 ft x 91.86 ft (Bulges 101.71 ft) x 33.30 ft (normal load)
281.20 m / 270.00 m x 28.00 m (Bulges 31.00 m) x 10.15 m

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Ends: Unarmoured

- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
0.39" / 10 mm 623.36 ft / 190.00 m 32.81 ft / 10.00 m

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 217,177 shp / 162,014 Kw = 34.00 kts
Range 4,000nm at 32.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 13,627 tons

Complement:
1,599 - 2,079

Cost:
£9.507 million / $38.029 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Armour: 298 tons, 0.6 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 298 tons, 0.6 %
- Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 6,581 tons, 14.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 16,573 tons, 35.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 8,514 tons, 18.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 15,180 tons, 32.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
76,453 lbs / 34,679 Kg = 707.9 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 7.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.04
Metacentric height 4.8 ft / 1.5 m
Roll period: 19.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.550
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.71 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 34.14 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: -6.56 ft / -2.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 63.65 ft / 19.40 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 43.96 ft / 13.40 m
- Mid (70 %): 43.96 ft / 13.40 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 43.96 ft / 13.40 m
- Stern: 43.96 ft / 13.40 m
- Average freeboard: 45.93 ft / 14.00 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 103.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 309.6 %
Waterplane Area: 59,125 Square feet or 5,493 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 165 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 132 lbs/sq ft or 645 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.86
- Longitudinal: 3.98
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

800 First Class passengers
2,000 Steerage Class passengers


Equipped with an early model RADAR as a navigation aid.

And their capacity, speed, and luxury must as well.

As a private venture, Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire will lay down Brittany as a private venture.

The construction of Normandie was 50% subsidized by the French government, and may be taken over by the French government if necessary. Brittany will not be subsidized.

Brittany, French Passenger Liner laid down 1934

Displacement:
48,425 t light; 49,722 t standard; 64,838 t normal; 76,930 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
1,049.29 ft / 1,033.47 ft x 98.43 ft (Bulges 111.55 ft) x 32.81 ft (normal load)
319.82 m / 315.00 m x 30.00 m (Bulges 34.00 m) x 10.00 m

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Ends: Unarmoured

- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
0.91" / 23 mm 754.59 ft / 230.00 m 32.81 ft / 10.00 m

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 6 shafts, 322,408 shp / 240,516 Kw = 36.00 kts
Range 5,050nm at 36.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 27,208 tons

Complement:
2,031 - 2,641

Cost:
£14.695 million / $58.780 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Armour: 829 tons, 1.3 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 829 tons, 1.3 %
- Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 9,275 tons, 14.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 22,171 tons, 34.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 16,413 tons, 25.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 16,150 tons, 24.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
121,681 lbs / 55,194 Kg = 1,126.7 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 13.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.18
Metacentric height 6.7 ft / 2.0 m
Roll period: 18.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.600
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.26 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 36.52 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 59.06 ft / 18.00 m
- Forecastle (22 %): 45.93 ft / 14.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 45.93 ft / 14.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 37.73 ft / 11.50 m (45.93 ft / 14.00 m before break)
- Stern: 39.37 ft / 12.00 m
- Average freeboard: 45.98 ft / 14.01 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 93.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 334.0 %
Waterplane Area: 77,537 Square feet or 7,203 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 182 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 147 lbs/sq ft or 718 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.90
- Longitudinal: 2.57
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily