A proposed rebuild for the Howe Class of heavy cruisers to keep them competitive.
Howe Class, Great Britain Heavy Cruiser laid down 1927 (Engine 1942)
Displacement:
9,910 t light; 10,387 t standard; 11,865 t normal; 13,048 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
615.64 ft / 610.00 ft x 68.25 ft x 19.00 ft (normal load)
187.65 m / 185.93 m x 20.80 m x 5.79 m
Armament:
8 - 8.00" / 203 mm guns (4x2 guns), 290.00lbs / 131.54kg shells, 1927 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 4.50" / 114 mm guns (4x2 guns), 45.56lbs / 20.67kg shells, 1938 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships
8 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1941 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1941 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 2,753 lbs / 1,249 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
6 - 24.5" / 622.3 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 300.00 ft / 91.44 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Ends: 4.00" / 102 mm 100.00 ft / 30.48 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
210.00 ft / 64.01 m Unarmoured ends
Main Belt covers 76 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 3.00" / 76 mm 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm 0.50" / 13 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
3rd: 0.50" / 13 mm 0.50" / 13 mm -
4th: 0.50" / 13 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 1.00" / 25 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 88,058 shp / 65,692 Kw = 31.35 kts
Range 10,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,662 tons
Complement:
567 - 738
Cost:
£3.380 million / $13.519 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 310 tons, 2.6 %
Armour: 1,780 tons, 15.0 %
- Belts: 496 tons, 4.2 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 222 tons, 1.9 %
- Armour Deck: 1,050 tons, 8.9 %
- Conning Tower: 11 tons, 0.1 %
Machinery: 2,300 tons, 19.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 5,390 tons, 45.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,955 tons, 16.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 130 tons, 1.1 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
20,264 lbs / 9,191 Kg = 79.2 x 8.0 " / 203 mm shells or 2.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.19
Metacentric height 3.9 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 14.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 69 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.63
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.40
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.525
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.94 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.70 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 49
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
- Mid (50 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Stern: 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Average freeboard: 25.18 ft / 7.67 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 85.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 201.7 %
Waterplane Area: 28,384 Square feet or 2,637 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 132 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 116 lbs/sq ft or 567 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.92
- Longitudinal: 2.00
- 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 Notes:
Replacement of 4in twins with 4,5in DP twin mounts
Replacement of 2pdr octuple mounts with 6pdr twin mounts
Addition of six twin 2pdr L/70 mounts
Removal of third aircraft
2 inch extra armour on main turret fronts and 1 inch on the roofs
1 inch extra armour on the main deck
New turbines and boilers
Two HACS Mk.IV
Radio-Location sets: one Type 284, one Type 285M, two Type 282M, one Type 283, one Type 276, one Type 271M, Passive Radio Intercept Type 293 (P,Q,M) and Passive RDF Intercept Type 294 and 294M