This is the new German BB that the Nordish and British delegations watched slide down the slipway at Kiel.
Sachsen, German Battleship laid down 1935
Displacement:
63,142 t light; 66,684 t standard; 71,767 t normal; 75,834 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(908.05 ft / 885.83 ft) x 126.31 ft x (37.73 / 39.43 ft)
(276.77 m / 270.00 m) x 38.50 m x (11.50 / 12.02 m)
Armament:
9 - 17.72" / 450 mm 52.0 cal guns - 3,306.93lbs / 1,500.00kg shells, 100 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1935 Model
3 x 3-gun mounts on centreline ends, majority forward
1 raised mount - superfiring
18 - 5.91" / 150 mm 60.0 cal guns - 112.79lbs / 51.16kg shells, 180 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1925 Model
6 x Triple mounts on sides, evenly spread
22 - 4.13" / 105 mm 65.0 cal guns - 39.15lbs / 17.76kg shells, 360 per gun
Dual purpose guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1928 Model
10 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
10 raised mounts
1 x Twin mount on centreline, aft deck centre
1 raised mount
40 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm 83.0 cal guns - 1.76lbs / 0.80kg shells, 1,500 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1929 Model
18 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
8 raised mounts
2 x Twin mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 double raised mounts
64 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm 65.0 cal guns - 0.26lbs / 0.12kg shells, 2,000 per gun
Machine guns in deck mounts, 1928 Model
12 x 2 row quad mounts on sides, evenly spread
4 raised mounts
4 x 2 row quad mounts on side ends, evenly spread
4 double raised mounts
Weight of broadside 32,741 lbs / 14,851 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 20.5" / 520 mm 540.35 ft / 164.70 m 17.22 ft / 5.25 m
Ends: 3.94" / 100 mm 345.44 ft / 105.29 m 19.69 ft / 6.00 m
Upper: 3.94" / 100 mm 540.35 ft / 164.70 m 2.46 ft / 0.75 m
Main Belt covers 94 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
2.36" / 60 mm 540.35 ft / 164.70 m 35.50 ft / 10.82 m
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 119.75 ft / 36.50 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 23.6" / 600 mm 12.0" / 305 mm 17.7" / 450 mm
2nd: 4.72" / 120 mm 2.76" / 70 mm 4.72" / 120 mm
3rd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
4th: 0.79" / 20 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
5th: 0.39" / 10 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
- Armoured deck - multiple decks:
For and Aft decks: 7.09" / 180 mm
Forecastle: 1.97" / 50 mm Quarter deck: 4.72" / 120 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 13.78" / 350 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, plus diesel motors,
Electric motors, 4 shafts, 146,424 shp / 109,232 Kw = 28.00 kts
Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 9,150 tons
Complement:
2,192 - 2,850
Cost:
£30.836 million / $123.345 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 6,785 tons, 9.5 %
- Guns: 6,785 tons, 9.5 %
Armour: 27,409 tons, 38.2 %
- Belts: 9,568 tons, 13.3 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,677 tons, 2.3 %
- Armament: 5,852 tons, 8.2 %
- Armour Deck: 9,801 tons, 13.7 %
- Conning Tower: 513 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 4,160 tons, 5.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 24,308 tons, 33.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 8,625 tons, 12.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 480 tons, 0.7 %
- Hull below water: 80 tons
- On freeboard deck: 300 tons
- Above deck: 100 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
106,654 lbs / 48,377 Kg = 38.4 x 17.7 " / 450 mm shells or 18.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 8.5 ft / 2.6 m
Roll period: 18.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.65
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.23
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
a normal bow and small transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.595 / 0.602
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.01 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 32.27 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 57
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 22.00 %, 32.81 ft / 10.00 m, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m
- Forward deck: 28.00 %, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m
- Aft deck: 33.00 %, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m
- Quarter deck: 17.00 %, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m, 21.98 ft / 6.70 m
- Average freeboard: 22.93 ft / 6.99 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 64.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 153.1 %
Waterplane Area: 83,511 Square feet or 7,758 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 107 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 246 lbs/sq ft or 1,202 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.98
- Longitudinal: 1.19
- Overall: 1.00
Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Armor belt is a 100mm decapping plate, backed up by a 420mm main belt. Upper belt and end belts are extensions of the decapping plate.
80 tons reserved for aircraft
60 tons reserved for flag accomodations
100 tons reserved for radar and fire control
240 tons reserved for growth