[size=2]
Thermopylae Class Aircraft Carrier[/size]
[list]
AC-9 Thermopylae [size=1]Rebuild (ex B-4) (converted to aircraft carrier 01/Nov/36 to 11/Aug/38)[/size]
Laid down as an improved Salamis class battleship but with new Turbo Electric propultion as on the US trend at the time. Thermopylae fell foul of the Clieto Treaty and was converted to a target ship. The engines had been fitted but the number of boilers required for her designed speed had not. She was fitted with light armour and retained in a state that could be converted to a carrier at a later date.
In 1934 she was refitted with her boilers and some lower deck fixtures on the cover story that she was to be used for electricity generation at Souda Bay Naval yard. Full completion as a carrier began in 1936.
Displacement:
28,491 t light; 29,221 t standard; 30,576 t normal; 31,660 t full load
Dimensions:
Length overall / water x beam x draught
712.50 ft / 700.00 ft x 105.00 ft x 26.00 ft (normal load)
217.17 m / 213.36 m x 32.00 m x 7.92 m
Armament:
54 Fairey Firefly Fighter/Bombers in 3 squadrons of 18
18 Fairey Barracuda Bomber/Scouts in 1 squadron of 18
18 Curtiss Hawk III Dive Bombers in 1 squadron of 18
16 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (8x2 guns), 59.90lbs / 27.17kg shells, 1934 Model
Dual purpose guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
24 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (12x2 guns), 2.14lbs / 0.97kg shells, 1934 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
36 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (18x2 guns), 0.27lbs / 0.12kg shells, 1934 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,019 lbs / 462 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 6.00" / 152 mm 455.00 ft / 138.68 m 12.30 ft / 3.75 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 455.00 ft / 138.68 m 26.79 ft / 8.17 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm 2.00" / 51 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
- Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 4 shafts, 133,157 shp / 99,335 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 8,500nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,440 tons
Complement:
1,155 - 1,502
Cost:
£3.887 million / $15.546 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 132 tons, 0.4 %
Armour: 6,078 tons, 19.9 %
- Belts: 1,459 tons, 4.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 451 tons, 1.5 %
- Armament: 336 tons, 1.1 %
- Armour Deck: 3,832 tons, 12.5 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 3,831 tons, 12.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,250 tons, 30.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,085 tons, 6.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 9,200 tons, 30.1 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
45,578 lbs / 20,674 Kg = 729.3 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 6.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.09
Metacentric height 6.3 ft / 1.9 m
Roll period: 17.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 66 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.06
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.21
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.560
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.67 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 26.46 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 55 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 54
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 26.50 ft / 8.08 m
- Mid (50 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Stern: 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
- Average freeboard: 25.25 ft / 7.69 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 95.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 214.1 %
Waterplane Area: 51,778 Square feet or 4,810 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 127 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 130 lbs/sq ft or 635 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.32
- 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[/list]