WesWorld

Another beautiful day dawns for the Marine Nationale, as the two Suffren class heavy cruisers, Suffren and Amiral Charner, join the fleet today. These fine ships, with their long range, will find their initial employment in the French Pacific Fleet after their shakedown cruises.

In a related note, the Marine Nationale announce the removal from service of the armored cruisers Marseilaise and Sully from the Pacific Fleet next Spring. Their armament will be used to reinforce French coastal defenses in the Pacific. The armored cruiser Conde will be transferred from the Pacific Fleet to join armored cruiser Gloire in the French Indian Ocean Flotilla.

The Marine Nationale also announce that in December, 3 new Audaciaux class destroyers will join each of 11th Flotilla Torpillieurs in the Atlantic Fleet and 6th Flotilla Torpilleurs in the Pacific Fleet, bringing each of these units to their full strength of 9 destroyers.

The characteristics of the Suffren class heavy cruisers are found below:

French Suffren class heavy cruisers, laid down 1921

Length, 190.0 m x Beam, 19.5 m x Depth, 6.6 m
11094 tonnes normal displacement (10106 tonnes standard)

Main battery: 8 x 20.0-cm (3 turrets; 1 superfiring)
Secondary battery: 12 x 10.0-cm
AA battery: 16 x 4.0-cm
Light battery: 6 x 1.3-cm

Weight of broadside: 1068 kg

8 TT, 53.0 cm in two quad mounts

Main belt, 10.0 cm; ends unarmored
Armor deck, average 2.0 cm
Conning tower, 10.0 cm

Battery armor:
Main, 14.0 cm / secondary, 2.5 cm shields
AA, 2.5 cm shields

Aircraft - 2 Seaplanes, 1 Catapult

Maximum speed for 68656 shaft kw = 32.50 knots
Approximate cruising radius, 10500 nm / 12 knots

Typical complement: 540-703


Estimated cost, $10.482 million (£2.620 million)

Remarks:

Relative extent of belt armor, 114 percent of 'typical' coverage.

Magazines and engineering spaces are cramped, with poor
watertight subdivision.

Roomy upper decks; superior accommodation and working space.


Distribution of weights:
Percent
normal
displacement:

Armament ......................... 294 tonnes = 3 pct
Armor, total ..................... 1661 tonnes = 15 pct

Belt 717 tonnes = 6 pct
Deck 340 tonnes = 3 pct
C.T. 42 tonnes = 0 pct
Armament 562 tonnes = 5 pct

Machinery ........................ 3168 tonnes = 29 pct
Hull and fittings; equipment ..... 4516 tonnes = 41 pct
Fuel, ammunition, stores ......... 1406 tonnes = 13 pct
Miscellaneous weights ............ 50 tonnes = 0 pct
-----
11094 tonnes = 100 pct

Estimated metacentric height, 1.1 m

Displacement summary:

Light ship: 9689 tonnes
Standard displacement: 10106 tonnes
Normal service: 11094 tonnes
Full load: 11840 tonnes

Loading submergence 2188 tonnes/metre

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Estimated overall survivability and seakeeping ability:

Relative margin of stability: 1.22

Shellfire needed to sink: 4459 kg = 40.2 x 20.0-cm shells
(Approximates weight of penetrating
shell hits needed to sink ship,
not counting critical hits)

Torpedoes needed to sink: 1.4
(Approximates number of 'typical'
torpedo hits needed to sink ship)

Relative steadiness as gun platform, 50 percent
(50 percent is 'average')

Relative rocking effect from firing to beam, 0.37

Relative quality as a seaboat: 1.00

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Hull form characteristics:

Block coefficient: 0.45
Sharpness coefficient: 0.32
Hull speed coefficient 'M' = 8.55
'Natural speed' for length = 25.0 knots
Power going to wave formation
at top speed: 54 percent


Estimated hull characteristics and strength:

Relative underwater volume absorbed by
magazines and engineering spaces: 114 percent

Relative accommodation and working space: 127 percent


Displacement factor: 107 percent
(Displacement relative to loading factors)


Relative cross-sectional hull strength: 0.99
(Structure weight per square
metre of hull surface: 574 kg)

Relative longitudinal hull strength: 1.15
(for 5.43 m average freeboard;
freeboard adjustment +0.72 m)

Relative composite hull strength: 1.00

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[Machine-readable parameters: Spring Style v. 1.2.1]

623.20 x 63.96 x 21.65; 17.81 -- Dimensions
0.45 -- Block coefficient
1921 -- Year laid down
32.50 / 10500 / 12.00; Oil-fired turbine or equivalent -- Speed / radius / cruise
50 tons -- Miscellaneous weights
++++++++++
8 x 7.87; 3; 1 -- Main battery; turrets; superfiring
:
12 x 3.94; 0 -- Secondary battery; turrets
Gun-shields
:
16 x 1.57 -- Tertiary (QF/AA) battery
Gun-shields
:
6 x 0.51 -- Fourth (light) battery
8 / 0 / 20.87 -- TT / submerged / size
++++++++++
3.94 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 0.00; 114 -- Belt armor; relative extent
0.79 / 3.94 -- Deck / CT
5.51 / 0.98 / 0.98 / 0.00 -- Battery armor


(Note: For portability, values are stored in Anglo-American units)


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Player's note: I've edited my page below to reflect these changes.

I do like that design - good armament, protection and speed, on 10,000 tons.