Two proposed conversions.
My first proposed conversion to oil, buys an extra 2.16kts for King Albert and modernises some aspects but generally no armour improvements are required. This is not a priority but could be done either 1945 or 1946. This now becomes a potent heavy cruiser, a suitable coastal defence ship but also one that could fly the flag across the world too as an impressive flagship.
King Albert, Belgium Heavy Escort Cruiser laid down 1936 (Engine 1945)
Displacement:
15,093 t light; 16,000 t standard; 17,960 t normal; 19,528 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
682.03 ft / 675.00 ft x 75.49 ft x 26.25 ft (normal load)
207.88 m / 205.74 m x 23.01 m x 8.00 m
Armament:
12 - 9.20" / 234 mm guns (4x3 guns), 389.34lbs / 176.60kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
12 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (6x2 guns), 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1935 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1944 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1927 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 5,325 lbs / 2,415 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 180
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 89 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.40" / 213 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 7.00" / 178 mm
2nd: 1.20" / 30 mm 0.50" / 13 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
3rd: 0.25" / 6 mm 0.25" / 6 mm -
4th: 0.25" / 6 mm 0.25" / 6 mm -
- Armour deck: 3.60" / 91 mm, Conning tower: 7.00" / 178 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 70,000 shp / 52,220 Kw = 29.16 kts
Range 13,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,528 tons
Complement:
775 - 1,008
Cost:
£7.038 million / $28.152 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 666 tons, 3.7 %
Armour: 5,113 tons, 28.5 %
- Belts: 1,403 tons, 7.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 317 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 1,001 tons, 5.6 %
- Armour Deck: 2,288 tons, 12.7 %
- Conning Tower: 103 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 1,768 tons, 9.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,021 tons, 39.1 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,867 tons, 16.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 525 tons, 2.9 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
29,594 lbs / 13,424 Kg = 76.0 x 9.2 " / 234 mm shells or 4.7 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
Metacentric height 4.0 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 15.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.59
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.36
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.470
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.94 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 30.03 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 51
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.49 ft / 0.76 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.67 ft / 8.74 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Stern: 17.55 ft / 5.35 m
- Average freeboard: 20.60 ft / 6.28 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 88.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 147.6 %
Waterplane Area: 34,351 Square feet or 3,191 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 124 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 135 lbs/sq ft or 661 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.37
- 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
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Refit Changes
Replacement of qaudruple 37mm with new twin Hazemeyer IV mounts
Addition of protection to 4.7in mount hoists
Modernisation of RDF suite with two gunnery, one aerial and one surface search set
Replacement of machinery with new 70,000shp powerplant with all oil-burning boilers
Speed increased by 2.16kts
Coal bunkers refitted for oil stowage
Refurbishment of internal fittings for life extension
***
Conversion to oil buys the Les Quatre Class some extra range and an extra gun (now all singles). I'm surprised that this base SS report was not to Kirk's usual high standards, it lacks any flare forward on the hull, no armour for the guns (plus is simmed as majority mounts forward when I assume the guns are like Fletcher or an RN Leader), too many 37mm and has the impression of being thrown together, rather than being a decent design. So I've corrected what I can with this rebuild, by no means a stellar design it should prove ample. Nine would be converted to this standard and nine would go to the Dutch, they would refit their ships differently and I'll work on that rebuild soon.
DD-1 Les Quatre Journees Class, Belgium Destroyer laid down 1939 (Engine 1945)
Displacement:
2,115 t light; 2,203 t standard; 2,479 t normal; 2,700 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
402.54 ft / 393.70 ft x 42.65 ft x 11.48 ft (normal load)
122.69 m / 120.00 m x 13.00 m x 3.50 m
Armament:
6 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (3x2 guns), 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1939 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, majority forward, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
12 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 1.94lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1941 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1939 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 337 lbs / 153 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
8 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.38" / 35 mm 0.59" / 15 mm -
2nd: 0.39" / 10 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 51,400 shp / 38,345 Kw = 35.00 kts
Range 6,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 496 tons
Complement:
175 - 228
Cost:
£1.585 million / $6.340 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 42 tons, 1.7 %
Armour: 20 tons, 0.8 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 20 tons, 0.8 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 1,165 tons, 47.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 767 tons, 31.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 365 tons, 14.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 120 tons, 4.8 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
964 lbs / 437 Kg = 18.6 x 4.7 " / 119 mm shells or 0.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.43
Metacentric height 2.6 ft / 0.8 m
Roll period: 11.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.15
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.450
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.23 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.94 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 69 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 22.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 21.88 ft / 6.67 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 21.88 ft / 6.67 m
- Mid (50 %): 21.88 ft / 6.67 m (14.53 ft / 4.43 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 14.53 ft / 4.43 m
- Stern: 17.81 ft / 5.43 m
- Average freeboard: 18.45 ft / 5.63 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 170.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 145.8 %
Waterplane Area: 11,126 Square feet or 1,034 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 81 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 38 lbs/sq ft or 186 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.50
- Longitudinal: 2.09
- Overall: 0.57
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Refit Changes
Replacement of five single 4.7in mounts with three twin mounts
Replacement of 37mm mounts with Dutch 40mm Hazemeyer twin mounts
Replacement of coal/oil-fired machinery with new all-oil powerplant
Conversion of bunkers to oil
Refurbishment of internal fittings for life extension
Addition of one surface search and one gunnery RDF set (Dutch)