First, the battleships. Four are to be built, based on the good performance of the earlier Invincible class, whilst adding some refinements possible due to the fact that they are, in fact, ten years later.
Deck armour consists of a 1" burster deck covering the entire ship, for protection against light aircraft bombs as well as to initiate AP shells before reaching the citadel. The central citadel receives a main deck thickness of 5", with a 4" thickness aft over steering gear and shafts.
Turrets are protected by a 6" roof, with 9.5" sides and a 11" rear plate. Provision is made for the carriage of four floatplanes, launched from a cross-deck catapult amidships.
HMS Nile, Royal Navy Battlecruiser laid down 1932
Displacement:
38,062 t light; 39,978 t standard; 42,694 t normal; 44,866 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
811.47 ft / 806.00 ft x 106.00 ft x 31.80 ft (normal load)
247.33 m / 245.67 m x 32.31 m x 9.69 m
Armament:
9 - 15.00" / 381 mm guns (3x3 guns), 1,938.00lbs / 879.06kg shells, 1932 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
20 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns (10x2 guns), 62.00lbs / 28.12kg shells, 1932 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
48 - 1.59" / 40.5 mm guns (6x8 guns), 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1932 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
16 - 0.55" / 14.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 0.08lbs / 0.04kg shells, 1932 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
Weight of broadside 18,779 lbs / 8,518 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 100
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 480.00 ft / 146.30 m 20.00 ft / 6.10 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 92 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
1.00" / 25 mm 480.00 ft / 146.30 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 8.00" / 203 mm 7.00" / 178 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 5.24" / 133 mm, Conning tower: 6.00" / 152 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 130,950 shp / 97,689 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 4,889 tons
Complement:
1,484 - 1,930
Cost:
£16.306 million / $65.225 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,041 tons, 4.8 %
Armour: 14,664 tons, 34.3 %
- Belts: 5,857 tons, 13.7 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 497 tons, 1.2 %
- Armament: 2,134 tons, 5.0 %
- Armour Deck: 6,018 tons, 14.1 %
- Conning Tower: 158 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 3,865 tons, 9.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 17,393 tons, 40.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,631 tons, 10.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 0.2 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
66,562 lbs / 30,192 Kg = 39.4 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 9.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
Metacentric height 6.8 ft / 2.1 m
Roll period: 17.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.74
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.25
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.550
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.60 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 32.94 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 56
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.00 ft / 9.45 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
- Mid (70 %): 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Stern: 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
- Average freeboard: 23.65 ft / 7.21 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 81.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 183.9 %
Waterplane Area: 62,075 Square feet or 5,767 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 110 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 204 lbs/sq ft or 997 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.38
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily