This year, the Royal Navy will lay down two or three (probably the latter) new classes of ship. These will be of the following types:
1. A new heavy cruiser, developed from the earlier Howe class.
2. A new destroyer, using the twin 4.7" gun mounting trialled on the Yeoman class of 1928.
3. An oceanic escort, capable of general escort duties. There's 10 points up for grabs for whoever figures out where the name came from.
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HMS Anson, Royal Navy Heavy Cruiser laid down 1930
Displacement:
9,752 t light; 10,216 t standard; 11,865 t normal; 13,185 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, 1930 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns (4x2 guns), 35.00lbs / 15.88kg shells, 1930 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships
16 - 1.59" / 40.5 mm guns (4x4 guns), 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 2,632 lbs / 1,194 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.50" / 89 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 101 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
- Armour deck: 1.00" / 25 mm, Conning tower: 1.00" / 25 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 88,002 shp / 65,649 Kw = 31.35 kts
Range 10,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,968 tons
Complement:
567 - 738
Cost:
£4.014 million / $16.058 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 292 tons, 2.5 %
Armour: 1,392 tons, 11.7 %
- Belts: 706 tons, 6.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 149 tons, 1.3 %
- Armour Deck: 525 tons, 4.4 %
- Conning Tower: 11 tons, 0.1 %
Machinery: 2,667 tons, 22.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 5,312 tons, 44.8 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,113 tons, 17.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 90 tons, 0.8 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
18,759 lbs / 8,509 Kg = 73.3 x 8.0 " / 203 mm shells or 2.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.23
Metacentric height 4.1 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 14.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 72 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.61
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.47
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): 93.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 210.1 %
Waterplane Area: 28,384 Square feet or 2,637 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 130 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 114 lbs/sq ft or 559 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.92
- Longitudinal: 2.06
- 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
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Misc. Weight includes:
3 aircraft and support fittings (only 2 normally carried)
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A Class, Royal Navy Destroyer laid down 1930
Displacement:
1,524 t light; 1,596 t standard; 1,759 t normal; 1,889 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
382.64 ft / 375.00 ft x 33.00 ft x 12.50 ft (normal load)
116.63 m / 114.30 m x 10.06 m x 3.81 m
Armament:
6 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (3x2 guns), 62.00lbs / 28.12kg shells, 1930 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority aft, 1 raised mount aft - superfiring
2 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (1x2 guns), 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
4 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 377 lbs / 171 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 175
8 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.50" / 13 mm - -
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 35,791 shp / 26,700 Kw = 34.00 kts
Range 6,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 293 tons
Complement:
135 - 176
Cost:
£0.862 million / $3.448 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 40 tons, 2.2 %
Armour: 7 tons, 0.4 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 7 tons, 0.4 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 854 tons, 48.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 573 tons, 32.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 235 tons, 13.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 2.8 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
478 lbs / 217 Kg = 9.2 x 4.7 " / 119 mm shells or 0.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.22
Metacentric height 1.4 ft / 0.4 m
Roll period: 11.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.68
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.01
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.398
Length to Beam Ratio: 11.36 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.17 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 64 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 59
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m
- Mid (34 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m (11.00 ft / 3.35 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Stern: 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Average freeboard: 14.14 ft / 4.31 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 177.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 79.9 %
Waterplane Area: 7,896 Square feet or 734 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 69 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 37 lbs/sq ft or 182 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.52
- Longitudinal: 1.67
- Overall: 0.58
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
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HMS Ben Alder, Royal Navy Oceanic Escort laid down 1930
Displacement:
1,347 t light; 1,404 t standard; 1,593 t normal; 1,744 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
312.45 ft / 306.50 ft x 37.00 ft x 8.25 ft (normal load)
95.24 m / 93.42 m x 11.28 m x 2.51 m
Armament:
4 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns (2x2 guns), 35.00lbs / 15.88kg shells, 1930 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, evenly spread
4 - 1.59" / 40.5 mm guns (2x2 guns), 2.03lbs / 0.92kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all aft, 1 raised mount - superfiring
8 - 0.55" / 14.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.08lbs / 0.04kg shells, 1930 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 149 lbs / 67 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 300
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 9,999 shp / 7,459 Kw = 22.85 kts
Range 7,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 340 tons
Complement:
125 - 163
Cost:
£0.435 million / $1.738 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 17 tons, 1.1 %
Armour: 7 tons, 0.5 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 7 tons, 0.5 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 303 tons, 19.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 944 tons, 59.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 246 tons, 15.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 4.7 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
4,385 lbs / 1,989 Kg = 137.0 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 1.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.04
Metacentric height 1.2 ft / 0.4 m
Roll period: 14.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.37
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0.596
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.28 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 17.51 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 58 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 12.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Mid (65 %): 23.00 ft / 7.01 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Stern: 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
- Average freeboard: 21.37 ft / 6.51 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 76.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 267.3 %
Waterplane Area: 8,263 Square feet or 768 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 193 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 50 lbs/sq ft or 246 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.77
- Longitudinal: 10.74
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
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