The Blucher class large cruisers, Blucher and Von der Tann, require minor refit to bring them up to current standards. This will be accomplished in 1943, following the proposal below.
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Blucher, German Large Cruiser laid down 1931
Displacement: 20,038 t light; 20,982 t standard; 22,598 t normal; 23,890 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
711.67 ft / 688.98 ft x 82.84 ft x 25.43 ft (normal load) [216.92 m / 210.00 m x 25.25 m x 7.75 m]
Armament:
9 - 11.14" / 283 mm guns (3x3 guns), 727.53lbs / 330.00kg shells, 1931 Model Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes) on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
16 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns (8x2 guns), 35.32lbs / 16.02kg shells, 1931 Model Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists on side, evenly spread
2 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns (1x2 guns), 35.32lbs / 16.02kg shells, 1931 Model Dual purpose guns in a deck mount with hoist on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1938 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
16 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1938 Model Breech loading guns in deck mounts on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 7,212 lbs / 3,271 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 120
Armour:
Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.27" / 210 mm 444.39 ft / 135.45 m 10.93 ft / 3.33 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length
Torpedo Bulkhead: 1.18" / 30 mm 444.39 ft / 135.45 m 23.26 ft / 7.09 m
Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 9.45" / 240 mm 5.51" / 140 mm 8.27" / 210 mm
2nd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
3rd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
4th: 0.79" / 20 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
Armour deck: 3.54" / 90 mm, Conning tower: 6.69" / 170 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines plus diesel motors, Electric motors, 4 shafts, 104,837 shp / 78,208 Kw = 31.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,908 tons
Complement: 921 - 1,198
Cost: £8.132 million / $32.527 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 861 tons, 3.8 %
Armour: 6,430 tons, 28.5 %
- Belts: 1,705 tons, 7.5 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 452 tons, 2.0 %
- Armament: 1,452 tons, 6.4 %
- Armour Deck: 2,705 tons, 12.0 %
- Conning Tower: 115 tons, 0.5 %
Machinery: 3,135 tons, 13.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,492 tons, 42.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,560 tons, 11.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 120 tons, 0.5 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship): 35,350 lbs / 16,035 Kg = 51.1 x 11.1 " / 283 mm shells or 4.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 4.5 ft / 1.4 m
Roll period: 16.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.72
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.20
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.545
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.32: 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.24 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 55 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 33.63 ft / 10.25 m
- Forecastle (21 %): 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Mid (50 %): 23.79 ft / 7.25 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 23.79 ft / 7.25 m
- Stern: 23.79 ft / 7.25 m
- Average freeboard: 24.84 ft / 7.57 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 99.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 204.6 %
Waterplane Area: 41,271 Square feet or 3,834 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 115 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 156 lbs/sq ft or 761 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.95
- Longitudinal: 1.53
- 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
Level 2 Minor Refit comprising
Replacement of 37mm LAA battery with more modern Model 38 guns
Addition of 20mm LAA battery
Installation of radar
Breakdown of miscellaneous weight
Two aircraft and aircraft handling facilities - 80 tons
Search and fire control radars - 40 tons
Projected cost to refit 1,002 tons
Projected time to refit 44 days
Edit: Cost and time updated to reflect changes to refit costs made since the original scheme was drawn up.
This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "BruceDuncan" (Jan 24th 2013, 11:43pm)