Just put out there for consideration, here's another concept that was borne of the creations of one Admiral Craig "U Furashita" Burke - the Chichibu, an IJN Panzerschiffe. Granted, she's a little meaner than the Deutschlands. So, here we go. Based off a Mogami - I even built a model of this monster. For the record, her 16" guns are Superfiring over the 155mm mounts to close in the major guns' magazines under the belt space.
Chichibu, Japan Battlecruiser laid down 1939
Displacement:
24,543 t light; 25,550 t standard; 27,287 t normal; 28,676 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(664.29 ft / 661.42 ft) x 59.06 ft (Bulges 82.02 ft) x (19.32 / 20.59 ft)
(202.47 m / 201.60 m) x 18.00 m (Bulges 25.00 m) x (5.89 / 6.28 m)
Armament:
4 - 15.98" / 406 mm 45.0 cal guns - 2,249.00lbs / 1,020.13kg shells, 75 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1914 Model
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline, evenly spread
2 raised mounts
6 - 6.10" / 155 mm 60.0 cal guns - 124.45lbs / 56.45kg shells, 150 per gun
Dual purpose guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1930 Model
2 x 3-gun mounts on centreline, evenly spread
8 - 3.94" / 100.0 mm 65.0 cal guns - 33.83lbs / 15.35kg shells, 150 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1938 Model
4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
48 - 0.98" / 25.0 mm 60.0 cal guns - 0.52lbs / 0.24kg shells, 150 per gun
Machine guns in deck mounts, 1935 Model
16 x Triple mounts on sides, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 10,038 lbs / 4,553 kg
Main Torpedoes
16 - 24.0" / 610 mm, 29.53 ft / 9.00 m torpedoes - 2.480 t each, 39.680 t total
In 4 sets of deck mounted side rotating tubes
2nd Torpedoes
32 - 24.0" / 610 mm, 29.53 ft / 9.00 m torpedoes - 2.480 t each, 79.359 t total
In 4 sets of deck mounted reloads
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 6.00" / 152 mm 529.61 ft / 161.43 m 9.22 ft / 2.81 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 123 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
5.00" / 127 mm 429.92 ft / 131.04 m 19.25 ft / 5.87 m
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 35.00 ft / 10.67 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 10.0" / 254 mm 5.00" / 127 mm 5.00" / 127 mm
2nd: 8.00" / 203 mm 6.00" / 152 mm 5.00" / 127 mm
- Protected deck - multiple decks:
For and Aft decks: 5.00" / 127 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 5.00" / 127 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 135,324 shp / 100,952 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 14.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,126 tons
Complement:
1,060 - 1,379
Cost:
£13.123 million / $52.491 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,190 tons, 8.0 %
- Guns: 2,011 tons, 7.4 %
- Weapons: 179 tons, 0.7 %
Armour: 6,978 tons, 25.6 %
- Belts: 1,202 tons, 4.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,531 tons, 5.6 %
- Armament: 1,336 tons, 4.9 %
- Armour Deck: 2,812 tons, 10.3 %
- Conning Tower: 98 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 3,661 tons, 13.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 11,614 tons, 42.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,744 tons, 10.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 0.4 %
- On freeboard deck: 100 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
47,974 lbs / 21,761 Kg = 23.5 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 3.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.28
Metacentric height 3.5 ft / 1.1 m
Roll period: 18.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 36 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 1.07
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.10
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise aft of midbreak, low quarterdeck ,
a normal bow and small transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.911 / 0.898
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.06 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27.33 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 24
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 17.50 %, 32.81 ft / 10.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Forward deck: 12.50 %, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Aft deck: 52.50 %, 32.81 ft / 10.00 m, 32.81 ft / 10.00 m
- Quarter deck: 17.50 %, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m, 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Average freeboard: 30.15 ft / 9.19 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 123.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 192.5 %
Waterplane Area: 38,396 Square feet or 3,567 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 120 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 165 lbs/sq ft or 806 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.89
- Longitudinal: 2.91
- Overall: 1.00
Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
Obviously, firing an alpha strike broadside would be a Bad idea in this ship, but given a more rolling fire broadside, I would imagine she might not be so bad. Thoughts?