Aspern, German Air Defence Cruiser laid down 1946
Displacement: 6,200 t light; 6,696 t standard; 7,521 t normal; 8,181 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
516.26 ft / 508.53 ft x 55.77 ft x 17.22 ft (normal load) [157.36 m / 155.00 m x 17.00 m x 5.25 m]
Armament:
12 - 5.04" / 128 mm guns (6x2 guns), 63.99lbs / 29.03kg shells, 1946 Model Automatic rapid fire guns in deck mounts with hoists on centreline ends, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 2.17" / 55.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 5.08lbs / 2.30kg shells, 1945 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
4 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1940 Model Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 850 lbs / 386 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 700
8 - 21.0" / 533 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 2.36" / 60 mm 328.08 ft / 100.00 m 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 99 % of normal length
Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm 0.98" / 25 mm
2nd: 0.59" / 15 mm 0.59" / 15 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
Armour deck: 1.57" / 40 mm, Conning tower: 1.97" / 50 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, Geared drive, 2 shafts, 66,983 shp / 49,970 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 9,300nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,485 tons
Complement: 403 - 524
Cost: £3.947 million / $15.787 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 125 tons, 1.7 %
Armour: 1,041 tons, 13.8 %
- Belts: 375 tons, 5.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 56 tons, 0.7 %
- Armour Deck: 594 tons, 7.9 %
- Conning Tower: 16 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,673 tons, 22.2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,061 tons, 40.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,321 tons, 17.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 300 tons, 4.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship): 11,764 lbs / 5,336 Kg = 183.9 x 5.0 " / 128 mm shells or 1.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 2.7 ft / 0.8 m
Roll period: 14.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 67 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.41
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.29
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.539
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.12: 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.81 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 62 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 52
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 18.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 23.79 ft / 7.25 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.15 ft / 6.75 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 22.15 ft / 6.75 m
- Stern: 22.15 ft / 6.75 m
- Average freeboard: 22.50 ft / 6.86 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 93.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 173.5 %
Waterplane Area: 20,388 Square feet or 1,894 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 132 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 88 lbs/sq ft or 428 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.90
- Longitudinal: 2.49
- 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
Breakdown of miscellaneous weight:
Reserved for air search radars: 50 tons
Reserved for surface search radars: 50 tons
Reserved for director radars: 50 tons
Reserved for fire direction center - 100 tons
Reserved for future requirements: 50 tons