WesWorld

Q1, 1942

In Service :

1 x King Albert

Building : None

Public Information :
16,000 tons standard, 210m x 21m x 8.5m, 30knts, 12x234mm

Class names :
King Albert

Australia Bismarck-B design Heavy Escort Cruiser laid down 1936

Displacement:
15,245 t light; 16,154 t standard; 17,960 t normal; 19,405 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
682.04 ft / 675.00 ft x 75.49 ft x 26.25 ft (normal load)
207.88 m / 205.74 m x 23.01 m x 8.00 m

Armament:
12 - 9.20" / 234 mm guns (4x3 guns), 389.34lbs / 176.60kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
12 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (6x2 guns), 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1935 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
24 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (6x4 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1927 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 5,337 lbs / 2,421 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 180
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 89 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 22.00 ft / 6.71 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 7.00" / 178 mm
2nd: 1.20" / 30 mm - -
3rd: 1.20" / 30 mm - -

- Armour deck: 3.60" / 91 mm, Conning tower: 7.00" / 178 mm

Machinery:
Coal and oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 52,726 shp / 39,334 Kw = 27.00 kts
Range 13,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,251 tons (90% coal)

Complement:
775 - 1,008

Cost:
£6.958 million / $27.830 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 667 tons, 3.7 %
Armour: 5,209 tons, 29.0 %
- Belts: 1,403 tons, 7.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 317 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 1,097 tons, 6.1 %
- Armour Deck: 2,288 tons, 12.7 %
- Conning Tower: 103 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 1,611 tons, 9.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,233 tons, 40.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,715 tons, 15.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 525 tons, 2.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
30,483 lbs / 13,827 Kg = 78.3 x 9.2 " / 234 mm shells or 4.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 3.8 ft / 1.1 m
Roll period: 16.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.71
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.51

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.470
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.94 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.03 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 47
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.49 ft / 0.76 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.67 ft / 8.74 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Quarterdeck (25 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Stern: 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Average freeboard: 20.60 ft / 6.28 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 84.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 149.9 %
Waterplane Area: 34,353 Square feet or 3,192 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 126 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 139 lbs/sq ft or 681 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.36
- 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, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

9.2" & 4.7" guns are Australian made, and the 37mm are by Schneiders license-built by FRC, while the 20mm is Madsen

Ed : 2/7/12 : Misc Weight is to represent "Admiral" quarters, mid-ship Catapult + Seaplanes (2), and early radar (1936ish Dutch), and "growth room".

King Albert, Belgium Heavy Escort Cruiser laid down 1936 (Engine 1945)

Displacement:
15,454 t light; 16,361 t standard; 17,962 t normal; 19,242 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
682.03 ft / 675.00 ft x 75.49 ft x 26.25 ft (normal load)
207.88 m / 205.74 m x 23.01 m x 8.00 m

Armament:
12 - 9.20" / 234 mm guns (4x3 guns), 389.34lbs / 176.60kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
12 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (6x2 guns), 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1935 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1944 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1927 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 5,325 lbs / 2,415 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 180
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 89 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 22.00 ft / 6.71 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 7.00" / 178 mm
2nd: 1.20" / 30 mm 0.50" / 13 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
3rd: 0.25" / 6 mm 0.25" / 6 mm -
4th: 0.25" / 6 mm 0.25" / 6 mm -

- Armour deck: 3.60" / 91 mm, Conning tower: 7.00" / 178 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 70,004 shp / 52,223 Kw = 29.16 kts
Range 10,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,881 tons

Complement:
775 - 1,008

Cost:
£7.105 million / $28.419 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 666 tons, 3.7 %
Armour: 5,208 tons, 29.0 %
- Belts: 1,403 tons, 7.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 317 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 1,096 tons, 6.1 %
- Armour Deck: 2,288 tons, 12.7 %
- Conning Tower: 103 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 1,768 tons, 9.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,288 tons, 40.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,508 tons, 14.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 525 tons, 2.9 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
29,569 lbs / 13,412 Kg = 75.9 x 9.2 " / 234 mm shells or 4.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
Metacentric height 4.0 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 15.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 55 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.61
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.31

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.470
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.94 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.03 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 42
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.49 ft / 0.76 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.67 ft / 8.74 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Stern: 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Average freeboard: 20.60 ft / 6.28 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 88.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 147.6 %
Waterplane Area: 34,352 Square feet or 3,191 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 123 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 140 lbs/sq ft or 686 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.36
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Refit Changes

Replacement of qaudruple 37mm with new twin Hazemeyer IV mounts
Addition of protection to 4.7in mount hoists
Modernisation of RDF suite with two gunnery, one aerial and one surface search set
Replacement of machinery with new 70,000shp powerplant with all oil-burning boilers
Speed increased by 2.16kts
Coal bunkers refitted for oil stowage
Refurbishment of internal fittings for life extension