The Bangalore class cruisers are the largest light cruisers laid down by the BNS to date. A pair of units - Bangalore and Karachi - will be laid down in 1945 and 1946 respectively, and will likely form the heavy escort for the aircraft carrier Trishula once all are in service.
The class is designed around the twin 150mm automatic gun designed in collaboration with the RSAN and tested on the monitor Chandragupta. While the test mount has naturally experienced teething difficulties, these are gradually being resolved and it is felt that the mount will be ready for service by the time Bangalore completes trials in early 1947. Some consideration was given towards shipping a fifth turret aft, but the type was considered to be expensive enough as it was.
At this time, the 150 mm auto is considered to be an anti-surface weapon with limited anti-air capability. There is some skepticism about developing a true dual-purpose weapon, given the potential difficulty of tracking fast aerial targets with such heavy mountings and the overkill of 150mm shells against most conceivable aircraft. Consequently, a medium AA battery continues to be carried, along with a light battery of 57mm and 25mm guns.
Protection is improved in all respects over the previous Dombivli class, and speed and endurance are effectively the same. No aircraft are embarked, as the scouting function will be conducted by the screened carrier; that said, the quarterdeck may allow for autogyro landings.
Enter ship name, Enter country Enter ship type laid down 1945
Displacement:
10,902 t light; 11,670 t standard; 13,567 t normal; 15,084 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
620.39 ft / 603.67 ft x 60.70 ft x 25.92 ft (normal load)
189.09 m / 184.00 m x 18.50 m x 7.90 m
Armament:
8 - 5.91" / 150 mm guns (4x2 guns), 110.23lbs / 50.00kg shells, 1945 Model
Automatic rapid fire guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 4.92" / 125 mm guns (2x2 guns), 59.59lbs / 27.03kg shells, 1945 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts
8 - 4.92" / 125 mm guns (4x2 guns), 59.59lbs / 27.03kg shells, 1945 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread
26 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns (13x2 guns), 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1945 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 12 raised mounts
32 - 0.98" / 25.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.48lbs / 0.22kg shells, 1945 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 18 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,759 lbs / 798 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 450
8 - 21.7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 4.72" / 120 mm 393.70 ft / 120.00 m 16.01 ft / 4.88 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 5.91" / 150 mm 1.97" / 50 mm 4.72" / 120 mm
2nd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
3rd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 1.97" / 50 mm
4th: 0.79" / 20 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
5th: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2.56" / 65 mm, Conning tower: 4.72" / 120 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 99,196 shp / 74,000 Kw = 32.99 kts
Range 15,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,414 tons
Complement:
628 - 817
Cost:
£6.413 million / $25.652 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 233 tons, 1.7 %
Armour: 2,939 tons, 21.7 %
- Belts: 1,239 tons, 9.1 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 440 tons, 3.2 %
- Armour Deck: 1,202 tons, 8.9 %
- Conning Tower: 58 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 2,505 tons, 18.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 4,761 tons, 35.1 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,664 tons, 19.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 464 tons, 3.4 %
-230 t: Extra weight for four twin 150mm automatic turrets
-200 t: Electronics and fire control
-34 t: Weight reserve
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
19,411 lbs / 8,804 Kg = 188.5 x 5.9 " / 150 mm shells or 2.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 2.7 ft / 0.8 m
Roll period: 15.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.53
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.15
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.500
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.95 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 28.05 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 58 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 52
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 27.89 ft / 8.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 15.09 ft / 4.60 m (22.97 ft / 7.00 m before break)
- Stern: 15.09 ft / 4.60 m
- Average freeboard: 21.78 ft / 6.64 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 80.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 148.6 %
Waterplane Area: 25,387 Square feet or 2,359 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 132 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 108 lbs/sq ft or 528 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.93
- Longitudinal: 1.82
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent