Image by Wes/thesmilingassassin and modified by me.
CNS Libertad, Chilean Fleet Carrier laid down 1938
In early 1935 the Armada de Chile began a program to investigate replacement of the obsolescent predreadnought battleships
Constitucion and
Libertad. Initially, the Navy proposed a pair of 9x13.4"-gunned battlecruisers or a second pair of
Capitan Oyama-class armoured cruisers, but the Naval Design Board proposed instead a fast fleet carrier and a matched heavy cruiser, with the carrier to build on the operational experience of Chile's Atlantean-built carrier
Mapuche. A number of designs were proposed, but the designs for the
Libertad had not been finished when the cruiser
Constitucion was laid down. In 1937, further experience from the Peruvian War prompted the Armada's leadership to approve a much larger carrier than they first proposed. This larger carrier would include a high maximum speed, a large air wing, good vertical and anti-torpedo protection, and dedicated fleet flagship facilities.
The
Libertad's size was driven in part by the expectation of the increasing size and capability of naval aircraft. The ship was equipped with Austral naval turbines and turboelectric drives which powered four five-blade propellers. In addition, a pair of Voith-Schneider propellers were installed in retractable pods under the bow. Voith-Schneider propellers could direct thrust in any direction almost instantaneously, and they were designed to substantially increase the handling of the ship during low-speed, intricate maneuvers such as docking.
*****
Libertad, Chilean Fleet Carrier laid down 1938 (Engine 1949)
As refitted.
Displacement:
25,566 t light; 26,430 t standard; 29,428 t normal; 31,826 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
846.90 ft / 804.00 ft x 84.00 ft (Bulges 88.00 ft) x 28.00 ft (normal load)
258.14 m / 245.06 m x 25.60 m (Bulges 26.82 m) x 8.53 m
Armament:
16 - 5.12" / 130 mm guns (8x2 guns), 67.03lbs / 30.40kg shells, 1938 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
48 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (12x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1938 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
32 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (8x4 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1938 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,174 lbs / 532 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 400
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Ends: Unarmoured
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
2.00" / 51 mm 561.00 ft / 170.99 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 3.50" / 89 mm, Conning tower: 4.00" / 102 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 147,441 shp / 109,991 Kw = 33.00 kts
Range 15,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 5,396 tons
Complement:
1,123 - 1,460
Cost:
£8.551 million / $34.205 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 147 tons, 0.5 %
Armour: 4,428 tons, 15.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,162 tons, 3.9 %
- Armament: 96 tons, 0.3 %
- Armour Deck: 3,087 tons, 10.5 %
- Conning Tower: 82 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 3,565 tons, 12.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,927 tons, 33.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,862 tons, 13.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 7,500 tons, 25.5 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
51,727 lbs / 23,463 Kg = 771.7 x 5.1 " / 130 mm shells or 7.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
Metacentric height 4.7 ft / 1.4 m
Roll period: 17.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.14
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.86
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.520
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.14 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 32.51 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 38
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 50.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 36.00 ft / 10.97 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
- Mid (50 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Stern: 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Average freeboard: 31.29 ft / 9.54 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 94.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 248.2 %
Waterplane Area: 47,679 Square feet or 4,430 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 145 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 124 lbs/sq ft or 607 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.94
- Longitudinal: 1.72
- 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
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights (1949 Refit):
- 6561 tons: Airgroup of 81 prop planes (Room for 90 planes) or 54 jets
- 90 tons: Electronics Suite (dated 1949)
- 120 tons: crew comforts (HVAC, movie theatre equipment, ice cream machines, etc)
- 90 tons: flag bridge
- 200 tons: two steam catapults and associated gear
- 300 tons: damage control systems, fireproof partitions, etc
- 39 tons: two forward Voith-Schneider maneuvering shafts
- 100 tons: aircraft workshop
Total: 7500 tons
1948-1949 Refit:
- Engines replaced with 1949 models.
- Steam catapults replace original hydraulic catapults.
- Most electronics updated or replaced with more modern equivalents.
- Significant increase in damage control equipment
12783 tons to refit; 17.3 months
*****
CNS Libertad, Chilean Fleet Carrier laid down 1938
As originally designed.
Displacement:
25,275 t light; 26,140 t standard; 29,428 t normal; 32,058 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
846.90 ft / 804.00 ft x 84.00 ft (Bulges 88.00 ft) x 28.00 ft (normal load)
258.14 m / 245.06 m x 25.60 m (Bulges 26.82 m) x 8.53 m
Armament:
16 - 5.12" / 130 mm guns (8x2 guns), 67.03lbs / 30.40kg shells, 1938 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
48 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (12x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1938 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
32 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (8x4 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1938 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,174 lbs / 532 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 400
Aircraft:
- 36 Spartan/FMA/ENAER I-02 fighters
- 36 ENAER Alicanto bombers
- 9 other aircraft
Armour:
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
2.00" / 51 mm 561.00 ft / 170.99 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 3.50" / 89 mm, Conning tower: 4.00" / 102 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 4 shafts, 147,448 shp / 109,996 Kw = 33.00 kts
Range 15,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 5,918 tons
Complement:
1,123 - 1,460
Cost:
£8.867 million / $35.468 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 147 tons, 0.5 %
Armour: 4,428 tons, 15.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,162 tons, 3.9 %
- Armament: 96 tons, 0.3 %
- Armour Deck: 3,087 tons, 10.5 %
- Conning Tower: 82 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 4,037 tons, 13.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,908 tons, 33.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,153 tons, 14.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 6,756 tons, 23.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
50,604 lbs / 22,954 Kg = 754.9 x 5.1 " / 130 mm shells or 6.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.14
Metacentric height 4.9 ft / 1.5 m
Roll period: 16.7 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.14
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.87
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.520
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.14 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 32.51 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 52 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 38
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 50.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 36.00 ft / 10.97 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 33.00 ft / 10.06 m
- Mid (50 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Stern: 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Average freeboard: 31.29 ft / 9.54 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 98.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 248.2 %
Waterplane Area: 47,679 Square feet or 4,430 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 144 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 124 lbs/sq ft or 605 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.94
- Longitudinal: 1.71
- 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
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
Weight for 81 planes: 6561 tons (Room for 90 planes)
Suite C-41 command and electronics suite: 70 tons
Air conditioning/Heating - 10 tons
Crew Comforts, movie theatre, ice cream machines - 10 tons
Flag Bridge - 90 tons
Other gear - 15 tons
(195 tons non-aircraft)
6741 total
Electronics:
- Type 101 Mainsail-II surface search dradis
- Type 102 Cactus surface/air search dradis
- Type 200 Moonraker air search dradis
- Type 301 Boldo fire-control dradis
- Mk41 Nevada Gunnery Computer
- Roth-389 Emergency Electrical Generator Set
- Type 600 Dinner Bell navigational beacon
- Air Wing Command facilities and communications
Ships in Class:
-
Libertad (PA-02) - 1938
Officially-Acknowledged Specifications:
- Length: 225m waterline
- Beam: 22m
- Draft: 9m
- Displacement: 15,000 tons standard
- Speed: 30 knots
- Armament: 10x5.12" DP
- Aircraft: 48 planes