HMAS Coral Sea, Australia Amphibious Transport laid down 1943
Displacement:
7,501 t light; 7,694 t standard; 8,739 t normal; 9,574 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
540.00 ft / 540.00 ft x 64.00 ft x 15.00 ft (normal load)
164.59 m / 164.59 m x 19.51 m x 4.57 m
Armament:
1 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading gun in a deck mount with hoist
on centreline amidships
16 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
12 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (6x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1943 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 142 lbs / 64 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm 150.00 ft / 45.72 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 43 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 0.50" / 13 mm
Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion generators plus batteries,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 12,875 shp / 9,605 Kw = 20.00 kts
Range 10,200nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,880 tons
Complement:
451 - 587
Cost:
£2.121 million / $8.483 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 18 tons, 0.2 %
Armour: 323 tons, 3.7 %
- Belts: 78 tons, 0.9 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 4 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 241 tons, 2.8 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 333 tons, 3.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,828 tons, 32.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,238 tons, 14.2 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,000 tons, 45.8 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
15,927 lbs / 7,225 Kg = 147.5 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 2.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 2.9 ft / 0.9 m
Roll period: 15.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.02
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.52
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle, raised quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.590
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.44 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 26.61 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 37 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 46
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: 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 20.00 ft / 6.10 m (15.00 ft / 4.57 m before break)
- Stern: 20.00 ft / 6.10 m
- Average freeboard: 17.32 ft / 5.28 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 64.6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 165.3 %
Waterplane Area: 26,093 Square feet or 2,424 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 170 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 80 lbs/sq ft or 392 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.06
- Longitudinal: 0.98
- 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
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
2000 tons - 1000 Troops and equipment.
500 tons - Heavy duty cranes
700 tons - 6 LCT/I (Landing Craft, Tank/Infantry)
320 tons - 8 LCVP (Landing Craft, Personnel)
300 tons - Tanks and vehicles
150 tons - Aircraft facilities
30 tons - Radar, Radio, C3
Its designed to carry any combination of these British landing ships:
Landing Craft Vehicle LCV (1): 36 tons, 48.5ft long, one 7.77mm Vickers, able to carry one 16 ton tank or 100 troops
Landing Craft Vehicle LCV (2): 50 tons, 50ft long, able to carry one 30 ton tank or 100 troops
Landing Craft Vehicle LCV (3): 63 tons, 60ft long, able to carry one 40 ton tank or 100 troops
Landing Craft Infantry LCI (1): 100 tons, 105x21.5x3.6ft (32x6.53x1.08m), two 420hp Hall-Scot petrol engines, 14.5kts, two single .661in Vickers HMG, 15 crew, 100 troops
So while in theory it can squeeze in 6 of the 600t LCIs, it would probably carry 4 100t LCI, 4 50t LCV, and 8 30t LCVPs.
Or alternatively a full MTB squadron of 6 boats.
So two of these can show up to any unattended atoll and voila, instant base.