WesWorld

Battleships
- BVK Varna
- BVK Sofia (Scrapped 1936)

Summary
The Bulgarian battleship Varna (the former SMS Helgoland) currently serves as flagship of the Bulgarian Navy. The older predreadnought Sofia was scrapped in 1936.

[SIZE=1]Image by thesmilingassassin and heavily modified by me[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]BVK Varna, ex-SMS Helgoland, Bulgarian Battleship laid down 1907 (Engine 1933)[/SIZE]

Displacement:
23,128 t light; 24,487 t standard; 25,061 t normal; 25,520 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
552.67 ft / 546.26 ft x 93.50 ft (Bulges 98.43 ft) x 28.48 ft (normal load)
168.45 m / 166.50 m x 28.50 m (Bulges 30.00 m) x 8.68 m

Armament:
4 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns (2x2 guns), 865.70lbs / 392.67kg shells, 1907 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
8 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns (4x2 guns), 865.70lbs / 392.67kg shells, 1907 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, all amidships
14 - 5.91" / 150 mm guns in single mounts, 102.98lbs / 46.71kg shells, 1907 Model
Breech loading guns in casemate mounts
on side, evenly spread
8 - 3.46" / 88.0 mm guns in single mounts, 20.79lbs / 9.43kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 11,999 lbs / 5,443 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 120

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 11.8" / 300 mm 355.09 ft / 108.23 m 11.61 ft / 3.54 m
Ends: 5.91" / 150 mm 191.14 ft / 58.26 m 11.61 ft / 3.54 m
Upper: 7.87" / 200 mm 355.09 ft / 108.23 m 8.01 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
0.98" / 25 mm 355.09 ft / 108.23 m 26.15 ft / 7.97 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 15.7" / 400 mm 13.8" / 350 mm 13.8" / 350 mm
2nd: 15.7" / 400 mm 11.8" / 300 mm 13.8" / 350 mm
3rd: 5.91" / 150 mm - -

- Armour deck: 5.71" / 145 mm, Conning tower: 15.75" / 400 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 3 shafts, 30,978 shp / 23,110 Kw = 20.80 kts
Range 5,500nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,033 tons

Complement:
995 - 1,294

Cost:
£2.196 million / $8.783 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,500 tons, 6.0 %
Armour: 11,645 tons, 46.5 %
- Belts: 3,620 tons, 14.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 338 tons, 1.3 %
- Armament: 3,551 tons, 14.2 %
- Armour Deck: 3,846 tons, 15.3 %
- Conning Tower: 291 tons, 1.2 %
Machinery: 903 tons, 3.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 8,940 tons, 35.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,933 tons, 7.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 140 tons, 0.6 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
37,979 lbs / 17,227 Kg = 43.9 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 7.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
Metacentric height 5.6 ft / 1.7 m
Roll period: 17.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.40
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.33

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.573
Length to Beam Ratio: 5.55 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23.37 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 45
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 14.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 25.72 ft / 7.84 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Stern: 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Average freeboard: 17.15 ft / 5.23 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 74.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 114.4 %
Waterplane Area: 36,420 Square feet or 3,383 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 98 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 178 lbs/sq ft or 870 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.95
- Longitudinal: 1.59
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
N/A

Ships in Class:
- BVK Varna

[SIZE=3]BVK Sofia II, British R-class Battleship laid down 1913 (Engine 1941)[/SIZE]
Ex-Royal Oak.

Displacement:
30,008 t light; 31,801 t standard; 34,285 t normal; 36,273 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
624.50 ft / 624.50 ft x 88.50 ft (Bulges 100.00 ft) x 30.50 ft (normal load)
190.35 m / 190.35 m x 26.97 m (Bulges 30.48 m) x 9.30 m

Armament:
8 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,687.50lbs / 765.44kg shells, 1913 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
20 - 5.12" / 130 mm guns (10x2 guns), 67.03lbs / 30.41kg shells, 1941 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side ends, evenly spread
6 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1941 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
32 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x8 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1913 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
24 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x6 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1913 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 14,990 lbs / 6,799 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 130

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 15.0" / 381 mm 420.00 ft / 128.02 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 6.00" / 152 mm 310.00 ft / 94.49 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 103 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
3.50" / 89 mm 510.00 ft / 155.45 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 15.0" / 381 mm 8.00" / 203 mm 12.0" / 305 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
4th: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
5th: 1.00" / 25 mm - -

- Armour deck: 6.00" / 152 mm, Conning tower: 15.00" / 381 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 53,465 shp / 39,885 Kw = 23.00 kts
Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 4,472 tons

Complement:
1,259 - 1,637

Cost:
£3.079 million / $12.314 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,874 tons, 5.5 %
Armour: 14,061 tons, 41.0 %
- Belts: 3,941 tons, 11.5 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,849 tons, 5.4 %
- Armament: 3,316 tons, 9.7 %
- Armour Deck: 4,614 tons, 13.5 %
- Conning Tower: 341 tons, 1.0 %
Machinery: 1,413 tons, 4.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 12,311 tons, 35.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,277 tons, 12.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 350 tons, 1.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
57,892 lbs / 26,259 Kg = 34.3 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 11.7 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 5.0 ft / 1.5 m
Roll period: 18.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 62 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.80
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.48

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.630
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.25 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.99 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 42
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Mid (50 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Quarterdeck (30 %): 16.00 ft / 4.88 m (24.00 ft / 7.32 m before break)
- Stern: 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
- Average freeboard: 22.03 ft / 6.71 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 152.8 %
Waterplane Area: 41,566 Square feet or 3,862 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 106 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 196 lbs/sq ft or 956 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.94
- Longitudinal: 1.68
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Notes:
- Ship will replace the Varna; Varna will be retired to serve as a museum ship. No, it is NOT for sale.
- Some miscellaneous weight is assigned for radar, but it's possible Bulgaria will not have purchased any by the time the ship joins the fleet. We shall see.