WesWorld

This is not the historical K-class, I just decided to keep the names. Karlsruhe and Konigsberg (to be laid down in Q2/23) are Germany's first cruisers with dual-gun mounts, and represent the 1923 cruiser program.

Gun layout is a single mount superfiring over a twin, fore and aft; the other four singles are in pairs amidships, for a broadside of eight guns.

Karlsruhe, laid down 1923

Length, 590 ft x Beam, 59.0 ft x Depth, 17.0 ft
8623 tons normal displacement (7989 tons standard)

Main battery: 4 x 5.9-inch (2 x 2)
Secondary battery: 6 x 5.9-inch
AA battery: 6 x 3.5-inch
Light battery: 4 x 1.5-inch

Weight of broadside: 1162 lbs

12 TT, 21.0"

Main belt, 3.5 inches; ends unarmored
Armor deck, average 1.5 inches
C.T., 3.5 inches

Battery armor:
Main, 3.5" / secondary, 2.0" shields
AA, 1.0" shields / light guns, 1.0" shields

Maximum speed for 80003 shp = 32.22 knots
Approximate cruising radius, 8000 nm / 12 kts

Typical complement: 447-582


Estimated cost, $8.920 million (£2.230 million)

Remarks:

Relative extent of belt armor, 116 percent of 'typical' coverage.

Ship has slow, easy roll; a good, steady gun platform.

Magazines and engineering spaces are cramped, with poor
watertight subdivision.

Roomy upper decks; superior accommodation and working space.


Distribution of weights:
Percent
normal
displacement:

Armament ......................... 145 tons = 2 pct
Armor, total ..................... 1401 tons = 16 pct

Belt 588 tons = 7 pct
Deck 615 tons = 7 pct
C.T. 32 tons = 0 pct
Armament 166 tons = 2 pct

Machinery ........................ 2674 tons = 31 pct
Hull and fittings; equipment ..... 3400 tons = 39 pct
Fuel, ammunition, stores ......... 903 tons = 10 pct
Miscellaneous weights ............ 100 tons = 1 pct
-----
8623 tons = 100 pct

Estimated metacentric height, 3.1 ft

Displacement summary:

Light ship: 7719 tons
Standard displacement: 7989 tons
Normal service: 8623 tons
Full load: 9096 tons

Loading submergence 633 tons/foot

+++++++++++++++++++++++++


Estimated overall survivability and seakeeping ability:

Relative margin of stability: 1.18

Shellfire needed to sink: 8354 lbs = 81.3 x 5.9-inch shells
(Approximates weight of penetrating
shell hits needed to sink ship,
not counting critical hits)

Torpedoes needed to sink: 1.2
(Approximates number of 'typical'
torpedo hits needed to sink ship)

Relative steadiness as gun platform, 70 percent
(50 percent is 'average')

Relative rocking effect from firing to beam, 0.32

Relative quality as a seaboat: 1.05

+++++++++++++++++++++++++


Hull form characteristics:

Block coefficient: 0.51
Sharpness coefficient: 0.33
Hull speed coefficient 'M' = 8.80
'Natural speed' for length = 24.3 knots
Power going to wave formation
at top speed: 56 percent


Estimated hull characteristics and strength:

Relative underwater volume absorbed by
magazines and engineering spaces: 115 percent

Relative accommodation and working space: 133 percent


Displacement factor: 108 percent
(Displacement relative to loading factors)


Relative cross-sectional hull strength: 1.00
(Structure weight per square
foot of hull surface: 97 lbs)

Relative longitudinal hull strength: 1.12
(for 18.5 ft average freeboard;
freeboard adjustment +3.8 ft)

Relative composite hull strength: 1.01

+++++++++++++++++++++++++


[Machine-readable parameters: Spring Style v. 1.2.1]

590.00 x 59.00 x 17.00; 18.50 -- Dimensions
0.51 -- Block coefficient
1923 -- Year laid down
32.22 / 8000 / 12.00; Oil-fired turbine or equivalent -- Speed / radius / cruise
100 tons -- Miscellaneous weights
++++++++++
4 x 5.90; 2; 0 -- Main battery; turrets; superfiring
:
6 x 5.90; 0 -- Secondary battery; turrets
Gun-shields
:
6 x 3.50 -- Tertiary (QF/AA) battery
Gun-shields
:
4 x 1.50 -- Fourth (light) battery
12 / 0 / 21.00 -- TT / submerged / size
++++++++++
3.50 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 0.00; 116 -- Belt armor; relative extent
1.50 / 3.50 -- Deck / CT
3.50 / 2.00 / 1.00 / 1.00 -- Battery armor


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

J,

that´s a balanced cruiser you´ve designed. Good armor, decent speed and a range that is better than average.

I just wonder why you´ve choosen such an odd gun layout?

Historically EMDEN was planned with 4x2 about the same time but you´ve decided not to introduce superfiring twin turrets. Why is this?

Regards,

HoOmAn

Historical Emden was planned for 4x2, but ended up with 8x1. That was four guns on the centerline and two on either beam. That's also how the Wesworld Emden turned out.

The layout stems from a cautious design team, which is new to fast, 8,000 t ships and reckons that (rightly or wrongly) the six single shielded mounts will be less stressful than two superfiring twin turrets. So they've enlarged the original Emden and replaced the fore and aft most single guns with twins.

If I recall correctly, the historical Emden got singles in part because there was trouble in producing the twin mounts. That may also be a factor here - four twins are easier to obtain than eight.

The 1925 type will undoubtedly do away with singles when the time comes.

Quoted

Originally posted by The Rock Doctor


If I recall correctly, the historical Emden got singles in part because there was trouble in producing the twin mounts. That may also be a factor here - four twins are easier to obtain than eight.

Sources vary on the reasons why EMDEN did not receive her planned armamend. The french occupation of the Rheinland is the most obvious reason cause that´s were the guns would have been produced. The French simply did not allow to build them so the Germans had to use old 15cm guns available elsewhere. So EMDEN started her carrier with guns already fired in anger during WW1. She later received modern 15cm guns and mounts - similar to those used on the DDs.

You´ve 100ts misc weight at hand so am I right to assume there will be a floatplane onboard the Karlsruhe? Already with a Heinkel-type catapult?

Regards,

HoOmAn

The weight's been allocated for one plane, along with command facilities. However, I've got to have permission to operate military aircraft before it's actually installed.