Gents,
the RSAN in her current fight against Argentinean and Brazilian aggression has to defend her vital shipping lanes. Available for this job are
- a mix of several destroyer or torpedoboat classes of which especially the latter lack range and are not well suited to hunt submarines
- ~20 light destroyer of 600ts to 750ts which are build to fight surface targets and have limited seagoing capabilities
- 16 600ts frigates laid down 1925 which are purpose build for the role
- 6 units of the Guard class patrol crafts laid down 1922 which are multi-role vessels
- 4 multi-purpose sloops of 1000ts laid down 1929 and meant to act as fishery patrol vessel and escort
- 4 new multi-purpose sloops of 1500ts and designed for arctic environment
Additional ships like submarine chasers, minesweepers etc. are available for coastal use.
From the above I´d say the RSAN is short of true escorts of reasonable size and capabilities. Would you agree?
If so, does the design below fill the gap? If you would use a different design, why?
South African Frigate laid down 1935
Displacement:
885 t light; 935 t standard; 1.271 t normal; 1.540 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
262,82 ft / 255,91 ft x 31,17 ft x 11,15 ft (normal load)
80,11 m / 78,00 m x 9,50 m x 3,40 m
Armament:
4 - 4,13" / 105 mm guns (2x2 guns), 35,32lbs / 16,02kg shells, 1935 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 - 1,57" / 40,0 mm guns (1x2 guns), 1,95lbs / 0,89kg shells, 1935 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
2 - 0,79" / 20,0 mm guns in single mounts, 0,24lbs / 0,11kg shells, 1935 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on centreline, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 146 lbs / 66 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 300
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1,38" / 35 mm 0,98" / 25 mm -
2nd: 0,59" / 15 mm - -
3rd: 0,39" / 10 mm - -
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 5.362 ihp / 4.000 Kw = 20,23 kts
Range 7.000nm at 15,00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 605 tons
Complement:
106 - 138
Cost:
£0,449 million / $1,797 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 18 tons, 1,4%
Armour: 13 tons, 1,0%
- Belts: 0 tons, 0,0%
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
- Armament: 13 tons, 1,0%
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0,0%
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0,0%
Machinery: 300 tons, 23,6%
Hull, fittings & equipment: 469 tons, 36,9%
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 386 tons, 30,4%
Miscellaneous weights: 85 tons, 6,7%
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
2.068 lbs / 938 Kg = 58,6 x 4,1 " / 105 mm shells or 0,7 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,39
Metacentric height 1,6 ft / 0,5 m
Roll period: 10,5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,16
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2,00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0,500
Length to Beam Ratio: 8,21 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 16,00 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 1,64 ft / 0,50 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 19,69 ft / 6,00 m
- Forecastle (20%): 15,09 ft / 4,60 m
- Mid (75%): 15,09 ft / 4,60 m (7,22 ft / 2,20 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15%): 7,22 ft / 2,20 m
- Stern: 7,22 ft / 2,20 m
- Average freeboard: 13,49 ft / 4,11 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 96,4%
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 132,6%
Waterplane Area: 5.314 Square feet or 494 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 151%
Structure weight / hull surface area: 45 lbs/sq ft or 222 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,88
- Longitudinal: 3,94
- Overall: 1,03
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
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather