WesWorld

In 1937, I will be starting a new Chilean naval strategy which will come to its completion by the end of 1940. Although I have some pet projects of mine included, the Armada de Chile will be concentrating on a realistic approach to maintaining the cutting edge. Most of the current construction will be aimed to fill in the gaps of light forces. According to my rule of thumb - eight DDs for every capital unit in the fleet - I need to acquire approximately fifty destroyers. Needless to say, I won't be doing that all at once, but the Capitan Eyzaguirre-class DDs, the first ship starting in Q4, will redress part of this perceived shortcoming.

Chile will be ascribing to a heavy CL/scout CL dichotomy, similar to what Hood is using for the Royal Navy... albeit in fewer numbers. I have a 12x6" CL design already selected, and just finished simming up two variants of a small scout cruiser to supplement it.

Armament and armour on both designs is slightly on the low end, as size, low cost, and speed will be required for its role as scout. They are not expected to engage other cruisers unless they encounter an enemy at night. Powerful torpedoes are provided to prevent pursuit from coming too close.

Design A1 features an 8x15cm armament in four twin turrets, but is slower by a quarter knot and shorter-ranged, also having slightly less miscellaneous weight for torpedoes.

Design A2 features an 8x13cm armament, being slightly faster and having more range. Stability, steadiness, and seakeeping traits are much stronger, and lead me to sharply prefer Design A2 for eventual construction.

Covadonga Design A1, Chilean Scout Cruiser laid down 1937

Displacement:
4,278 t light; 4,472 t standard; 4,930 t normal; 5,295 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
510.12 ft / 492.13 ft x 45.93 ft x 18.04 ft (normal load)
155.48 m / 150.00 m x 14.00 m x 5.50 m

Armament:
8 - 5.91" / 150 mm guns (4x2 guns), 102.98lbs / 46.71kg shells, 1937 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (2x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 844 lbs / 383 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
12 - 23.6" / 600 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 1.57" / 40 mm 426.51 ft / 130.00 m 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 133 % of normal length

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.36" / 60 mm 1.38" / 35 mm 2.36" / 60 mm

- Armour deck: 0.79" / 20 mm, Conning tower: 3.15" / 80 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 59,972 shp / 44,739 Kw = 33.75 kts
Range 6,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 823 tons

Complement:
293 - 382

Cost:
£2.570 million / $10.279 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 106 tons, 2.1 %
Armour: 615 tons, 12.5 %
- Belts: 218 tons, 4.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 164 tons, 3.3 %
- Armour Deck: 214 tons, 4.3 %
- Conning Tower: 20 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 1,662 tons, 33.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,825 tons, 37.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 651 tons, 13.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 70 tons, 1.4 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
3,121 lbs / 1,416 Kg = 30.3 x 5.9 " / 150 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.13
Metacentric height 2.0 ft / 0.6 m
Roll period: 13.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 62 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.66
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.31

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.423
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.71 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.43 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 47
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.17 ft / 9.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m (14.76 ft / 4.50 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Stern: 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Average freeboard: 19.52 ft / 5.95 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 127.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 95.0 %
Waterplane Area: 14,662 Square feet or 1,362 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 102 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 64 lbs/sq ft or 313 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.68
- Longitudinal: 2.03
- Overall: 0.76
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea (Meets WW rules even so).
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Covadonga Design A2, Chilean Scout Cruiser laid down 1937

Displacement:
4,157 t light; 4,321 t standard; 5,000 t normal; 5,543 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
510.12 ft / 492.13 ft x 45.93 ft x 18.04 ft (normal load)
155.48 m / 150.00 m x 14.00 m x 5.50 m

Armament:
8 - 5.12" / 130 mm guns (4x2 guns), 67.03lbs / 30.40kg shells, 1937 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (2x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1937 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 563 lbs / 255 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
12 - 23.6" / 600 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 1.57" / 40 mm 426.51 ft / 130.00 m 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 133 % of normal length

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.36" / 60 mm 1.38" / 35 mm 2.36" / 60 mm
2nd: 0.59" / 15 mm - -
3rd: 0.59" / 15 mm - -

- Armour deck: 0.79" / 20 mm, Conning tower: 3.15" / 80 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 62,525 shp / 46,643 Kw = 34.00 kts
Range 9,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,221 tons

Complement:
296 - 386

Cost:
£2.439 million / $9.757 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 70 tons, 1.4 %
Armour: 506 tons, 10.1 %
- Belts: 218 tons, 4.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 53 tons, 1.1 %
- Armour Deck: 215 tons, 4.3 %
- Conning Tower: 20 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 1,733 tons, 34.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,773 tons, 35.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 843 tons, 16.9 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 1.5 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
3,536 lbs / 1,604 Kg = 52.7 x 5.1 " / 130 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.21
Metacentric height 2.2 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 13.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.43
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.35

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.429
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.71 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.41 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 52
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.17 ft / 9.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m (14.76 ft / 4.50 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Stern: 14.76 ft / 4.50 m
- Average freeboard: 19.52 ft / 5.95 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 125.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 94.4 %
Waterplane Area: 14,728 Square feet or 1,368 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 108 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 62 lbs/sq ft or 303 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.71
- Longitudinal: 2.13
- Overall: 0.79
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
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

Breakdown of weights:
- Torpedo reloads: 35 tons (twelve torpedoes)
- Air search radar - 20 tons
- Surface search radar - 20 tons

Unless you've got a good deal of miscellaneous weight to put into the 15cm guns, I don't think they're going to make it as DP weapons. For a scout cruiser role, staying with the 13cm gun here might be the better choice.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
Unless you've got a good deal of miscellaneous weight to put into the 15cm guns, I don't think they're going to make it as DP weapons. For a scout cruiser role, staying with the 13cm gun here might be the better choice.

...Oh, um. They actually aren't supposed to be DP. Supposed to be turrets and barbettes, actually. Minor error because I just saved as, then changed the guns...