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In 1940, funds become available for the repair/refit of the Battleship Independiente (Ex-Brazilian Minas Gerais). Secondary guns have been grouped together in one weapons slot to free up an additional slot for 40mm and 20mm guns.

The only notable changes are similar to the historical refit for these ships in that both funnels are trunked into one and minor deck changes made to the fore and aft superstructures. The dirrectors have also been moved from the superimposed main guns to the superstructure. Given the ship is at 70%, the refit is at the 25% level but costs 30%.

Independiente (ex-Minas Gerais), Colombian (Ex-Brazilian) Battleship laid down 1907

Displacement:
18,175 t light; 19,570 t standard; 20,875 t normal; 21,919 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
533.00 ft / 533.00 ft x 83.00 ft x 24.65 ft (normal load)
162.46 m / 162.46 m x 25.30 m x 7.51 m

Armament:
8 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns (4x2 guns), 850.00lbs / 385.55kg shells, 1907 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 12.01" / 305 mm guns (2x2 guns), 850.00lbs / 385.55kg shells, 1907 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, all amidships
22 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns in single mounts, 45.00lbs / 20.41kg shells, 1907 Model
Quick firing guns in casemate mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
14 guns in hull casemates - Limited use in heavy seas
8 - 1.58" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1940 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
40 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (16 mounts), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1917 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all aft, 12 raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 11,215 lbs / 5,087 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 346.34 ft / 105.56 m 10.93 ft / 3.33 m
Ends: 6.00" / 152 mm 186.64 ft / 56.89 m 10.93 ft / 3.33 m
Upper: 9.00" / 229 mm 346.34 ft / 105.56 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.50" / 38 mm 346.34 ft / 105.56 m 23.80 ft / 7.25 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 9.00" / 229 mm 5.00" / 127 mm 9.00" / 229 mm
2nd: 9.00" / 229 mm 5.00" / 127 mm 9.00" / 229 mm

- Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 12.00" / 305 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 24,538 shp / 18,305 Kw = 20.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,350 tons

Complement:
867 - 1,128

Cost:
£2.047 million / $8.187 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,447 tons, 6.9 %
Armour: 6,957 tons, 33.3 %
- Belts: 3,046 tons, 14.6 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 457 tons, 2.2 %
- Armament: 1,981 tons, 9.5 %
- Armour Deck: 1,277 tons, 6.1 %
- Conning Tower: 196 tons, 0.9 %
Machinery: 1,394 tons, 6.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 8,326 tons, 39.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,700 tons, 12.9 %
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 0.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
25,360 lbs / 11,503 Kg = 29.3 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 4.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.05
Metacentric height 4.1 ft / 1.3 m
Roll period: 17.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.90
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.32

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.670
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.42 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23.09 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 45 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Forecastle (18 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Quarterdeck (18 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Stern: 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Average freeboard: 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 100.0 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 128.9 %
Waterplane Area: 34,514 Square feet or 3,206 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 98 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 178 lbs/sq ft or 870 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.00
- Longitudinal: 1.44
- Overall: 1.04
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

Colombia has also purchased the armoured cruiser Capitan Oyama. Its planned that her sister will also be purchased and funds have been set aside.


[SIZE=1]Image by wes/thesmilingassassin and heavily modified by Brockpaine.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Capitan Oyama-class, Colombia (Ex-Chilean) Armoured Cruiser laid down 1930/1933[/SIZE]

Displacement:
22,745 t light; 23,671 t standard; 27,000 t normal; 29,555 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
738.00 ft / 720.00 ft x 92.00 ft x 29.00 ft (normal load)
224.94 m / 219.46 m x 28.04 m x 8.84 m

Armament:
9 - 10.00" / 254 mm guns (3x3 guns), 500.00lbs / 226.80kg shells, 1930 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
20 - 4.33" / 110 mm guns (10x2 guns), 40.61lbs / 18.42kg shells, 1930 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
24 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (12x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1930 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 6 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 5,349 lbs / 2,426 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 125

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.50" / 216 mm 470.00 ft / 143.26 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 470.00 ft / 143.26 m 26.00 ft / 7.92 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.50" / 216 mm 4.13" / 105 mm 8.00" / 203 mm
2nd: 4.13" / 105 mm 4.13" / 105 mm 4.00" / 102 mm
3rd: 0.25" / 6 mm - -

- Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 8.50" / 216 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric cruising motors plus geared drives, 3 shafts, 150,000 shp / 111,900 Kw = 33.41 kts
Range 8,000nm at 20.00 kts (Bunkerage = 5,991 tons)

Complement:
1,053 - 1,369

Cost:
£8.339 million / $33.356 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 669 tons, 2.5 %
Armour: 7,382 tons, 27.3 %
- Belts: 2,038 tons, 7.5 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 452 tons, 1.7 %
- Armament: 1,356 tons, 5.0 %
- Armour Deck: 3,371 tons, 12.5 %
- Conning Tower: 165 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 4,545 tons, 16.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,074 tons, 37.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,255 tons, 15.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 75 tons, 0.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
31,655 lbs / 14,359 Kg = 63.3 x 10.0 " / 254 mm shells or 4.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 5.3 ft / 1.6 m
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.39
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.08

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.492
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.83 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 31.27 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 65
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25.82 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.00 ft / 0.91 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.00 ft / 9.45 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Mid (50 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Stern: 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Average freeboard: 23.86 ft / 7.27 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 95.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 193.0 %
Waterplane Area: 45,554 Square feet or 4,232 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 123 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 152 lbs/sq ft or 744 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.46
- 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

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
N/A

Ships in Class:
- Capitan Oyama (AC-4) - 1930
- General O'Higgins (AC-5) - 1933

Given the purchase of the Capitan Oyama, and maybe more of them, and their displacement, guns and armour and speed advantages over the old Independiente I wonder if the expense is worth it.
Comparing the SS reports both are roughly the same class despite their designations of battleship and heavy cruiser. The Independiente might not repay her refit costs and is rapidly reaching obsolecence.

In any other fleet, sure the Independiente would be obsolete but Colombia's already broke the bank purchasing the Rio's and Oyama's so a new battleship is almost certainly out of the question. The two Oyama's will most likely be deployed to the Pacific coast leaving the Indipendiente to deploy to the Caribbean coast. The Rio's will not be in service for some time.