The new heavy oceanic destroyer.
HMAS Charon, Australia Oceanic Destroyer laid down 1943
Displacement:
3,001 t light; 3,176 t standard; 3,771 t normal; 4,247 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
445.94 ft / 440.00 ft x 44.00 ft x 17.00 ft (normal load)
135.92 m / 134.11 m x 13.41 m x 5.18 m
Armament:
10 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns (5x2 guns), 52.58lbs / 23.85kg shells, 1943 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority aft, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
12 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (3x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1943 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline, evenly spread
20 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1943 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 554 lbs / 251 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 310
8 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.20" / 30 mm - -
- Conning tower: 1.20" / 30 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 4 shafts, 47,971 shp / 35,786 Kw = 33.00 kts
Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,071 tons
Complement:
239 - 312
Cost:
£2.204 million / $8.815 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 69 tons, 1.8 %
Armour: 33 tons, 0.9 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 27 tons, 0.7 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 6 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,239 tons, 32.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,240 tons, 32.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 769 tons, 20.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 420 tons, 11.1 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
2,066 lbs / 937 Kg = 39.3 x 4.7 " / 120 mm shells or 0.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.09
Metacentric height 1.7 ft / 0.5 m
Roll period: 14.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.55
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.24
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.401
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.26 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 61 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 57
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.46 ft / 0.75 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Forecastle (15 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
- Mid (50 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Stern: 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Average freeboard: 17.88 ft / 5.45 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 134.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 127.0 %
Waterplane Area: 12,375 Square feet or 1,150 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 108 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 53 lbs/sq ft or 261 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.62
- Longitudinal: 2.01
- Overall: 0.70
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Misc weight:
100t improved crew facilities
100t radar/electronics suite
100t ASW armament
100t reserve/cargo
20t aircraft facilities (no hangar, no embarked aircraft, can carry 1 autogyro)