WesWorld

What do you think of this design for the EAS? The triples are stuffed into duple gun turrets for quickness of development. I think I maybe should have gone for higher hull strength as well.



Graculus, EAS Cruiser laid down 1928

Displacement:
5,702 t light; 5,960 t standard; 7,101 t normal; 8,015 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
505.56 ft / 492.13 ft x 55.77 ft x 19.69 ft (normal load)
154.09 m / 150.00 m x 17.00 m x 6.00 m

Armament:
6 - 5.98" / 152 mm guns (2x3 guns), 110.23lbs / 50.00kg shells, 1928 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on side, all amidships
4 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (2x2 guns), 30.42lbs / 13.80kg shells, 1928 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline, all forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
4 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (2x2 guns), 30.42lbs / 13.80kg shells, 1928 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline, all aft
12 - 1.85" / 47.0 mm guns (4x3 guns), 3.86lbs / 1.75kg shells, 1928 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 951 lbs / 431 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.94" / 100 mm 383.86 ft / 117.00 m 9.19 ft / 2.80 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 120 % of normal length

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 5.31" / 135 mm 2.76" / 70 mm 3.94" / 100 mm
2nd: 0.79" / 20 mm 0.79" / 20 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -

- Armour deck: 1.38" / 35 mm, Conning tower: 2.76" / 70 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 71,600 shp / 53,414 Kw = 31.75 kts
Range 18,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 2,055 tons

Complement:
386 - 502

Cost:
£2.324 million / $9.298 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 116 tons, 1.6 %
Armour: 1,184 tons, 16.7 %
- Belts: 565 tons, 8.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 147 tons, 2.1 %
- Armour Deck: 450 tons, 6.3 %
- Conning Tower: 22 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 2,229 tons, 31.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,873 tons, 26.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,399 tons, 19.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 300 tons, 4.2 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
3,928 lbs / 1,782 Kg = 36.7 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 1.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.33
Metacentric height 3.5 ft / 1.1 m
Roll period: 12.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.16
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.01

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle, raised quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.460
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.82 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.18 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 61 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 27.89 ft / 8.50 m
- Forecastle (30 %): 21.33 ft / 6.50 m (11.48 ft / 3.50 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Quarterdeck (30 %): 21.33 ft / 6.50 m (11.48 ft / 3.50 m before break)
- Stern: 21.33 ft / 6.50 m
- Average freeboard: 18.18 ft / 5.54 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 119.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 100.0 %
Waterplane Area: 17,654 Square feet or 1,640 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 65 lbs/sq ft or 317 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.72
- Longitudinal: 1.24
- Overall: 0.76
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate

Why no all forward design, or at least 1 turret firing forward, one in Q position?

Space for the seaplanes.

This provides better arcs of fire. 6 fore, 6 aft and 6 broadside.

I think some of the criticism that applied to the Indian patrol cruiser will apply here as well.

True, she's faster by a great deal, but still not fast enough to avoid destroyers or most cruisers if they chase her. She can stand up reasonably well in a gunfight but the aviation facilities are still a potential liability.

Does the EAS need something like this for what is essentially coastal patrol work? I'd have thought EAS could get by with some MAS, subchasers, and a few coastal defence armorclads like you'd already supplied.

There are a lack of airfields and ancorages for operating landplanes or seaplanes. She serves as a mobile seaplane base. Amphibious aircraft operating overland and overwater.

The 152mm guns are used instead of 4x203mm because it would look a bit stupid with 4 main guns. The extra 152mm guns and seaplanes will be more useful when patrolling the Red Sea and that part of the Indian Ocean. Think of her more as a policing ship than a military vessel.

Quoted

True, she's faster by a great deal, but still not fast enough to avoid destroyers or most cruisers if they chase her. She can stand up reasonably well in a gunfight but the aviation facilities are still a potential liability.

She has no real place in a wartime scenario, but as a peacetime vessel she is far better suited. In wartime her job is to scout, the aircraft hopefully allowing her to run away or evade any threat.

Would the cross deck fire cause structural damage, or has that problem been solved?

I can't see it really. They're only 152mm shells and there isn't a lot of superstructure to get in the way.

This bears a resemblance to some French BC designs. Since the seaplane facilities are aft, this design does help with weight distribution. But it looks extremely akward.
With seaplanes, is it really essential to have the aviation facilities at the stern. Maybe the balance would be possible by keeping the aviation facilities amidships.
What types of surface ships would this vessel come in contact with?

I like it.

I'd cut off the corners of the deckhiouses on the far side of the guns and give myself a few more degrees firing angle. Apart from that it's a nice colonial cruiser IMO. And a very nice weird*ss Wesworld design.

I agree with LA (or is that Mr 'C'. ; )...however you'll never make an evil overlord if you do foolish things like having your turrets so they can be trained on each other.

Cheers,

*forsees an interesting scenario with Jaime Bond, Iberia's top secret agent, involved*

Quoted

Originally posted by alt_naval
I agree with LA (or is that Mr 'C'. ; )...however you'll never make an evil overlord if you do foolish things like having your turrets so they can be trained on each other.

Cheers,

Lol, IIRC one of the Japanese CA turret farms did just such a thing.

Quoted

Lol, IIRC one of the Japanese CA turret farms did just such a thing.

See, it's the loser thing to do ; )
Your five year old child adviser should spot it in a flash.

Cheers,