Why rebuild old when you can build or order new?
Why? Because it is a lot cheaper to do so. Mexico got 9 of these at only 340tons a piece (including reffit cost):
E-07 (ex-1915 type), Mexico (ex-Nordmark) Destroyer laid down 1915
Displacement:
1,145 t light; 1,201 t standard; 1,347 t normal; 1,464 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
315.00 ft / 315.00 ft x 28.00 ft x 11.75 ft (normal load)
96.01 m / 96.01 m x 8.53 m x 3.58 m
Armament:
4 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1932 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 1.10" / 27.9 mm guns (1x4 guns), 0.67lbs / 0.30kg shells, 1932 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on centreline amidships
8 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1915 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 255 lbs / 115 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
4 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm 0.50" / 13 mm -
- Conning tower: 1.00" / 25 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 27,565 shp / 20,563 Kw = 31.00 kts
Range 2,750nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 263 tons
Complement:
110 - 144
Cost:
£0.238 million / $0.951 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 32 tons, 2.4 %
Armour: 13 tons, 1.0 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 10 tons, 0.8 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 3 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 690 tons, 51.2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 391 tons, 29.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 202 tons, 15.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 20 tons, 1.5 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
320 lbs / 145 Kg = 5.1 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.29
Metacentric height 1.2 ft / 0.4 m
Roll period: 10.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.73
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.01
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.455
Length to Beam Ratio: 11.25 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 17.75 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 66 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 20.00 ft / 6.10 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 12.50 ft / 3.81 m
- Mid (50 %): 12.50 ft / 3.81 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 12.50 ft / 3.81 m
- Stern: 12.50 ft / 3.81 m
- Average freeboard: 13.10 ft / 3.99 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 185.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 84.1 %
Waterplane Area: 5,649 Square feet or 525 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 57 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 32 lbs/sq ft or 155 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.50
- Longitudinal: 1.96
- Overall: 0.58
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
Also, when you have only a total of 4 capital ships (and one of those under construction) why would I need something 'bigger' and more 'multi-role'? Siam needs an AA escort and perhaps something able to attack older capital ships that might be used in such a generally secondary theater
Precisely because you only have 4 capital ships. Something bigger can operate independantly, plus it actually stands a chance against true destroyers. The light gunboat is probably a better idea, combined with a true destroyer and some heavy TBs like the Mexican 100 tonners (of which Mexico is willing to sell the license to Siam...).