WesWorld

Vadodara and Varanasi use up what remains of India's heavy cruiser allocation (the three Hyderabads using the others). It is anticipated that the two will replace the older heavy cruisers Bangalore and Male as the heavy units of the Eastern Maritime District, the older cruisers henceforth being deployed elsewhere.

In Indian minds, the class represents a good compromise between cost, speed, protection, and firepower.



Vadodara, laid down 1928

Length, 197.0 m x Beam, 20.1 m x Depth, 6.6 m
12649 tonnes normal displacement (11702 tonnes standard)

Main battery: 8 x 21.0-cm (4 x 2; 2 superfiring)
Secondary battery: 10 x 12.5-cm (5 x 2)
AA battery: 12 x 3.5-cm (4x2 & 2x1)
Light battery: 8 x 1.5-cm (2x4)

Weight of broadside: 1306 kg

8 TT, 55.0 cm (2x4)

Main belt, 13.0 cm; ends unarmored
Armor deck, average 5.0 cm
Conning tower, 13.0 cm

Battery armor:
Main, 13.0 cm / secondary, 3.0 cm
AA, 2.0 cm shields / light guns, 2.0 cm shields

Maximum speed for 70008 shaft kw = 32.01 knots
Approximate cruising radius, 10000 nm / 12 knots

Typical complement: 596-775


Estimated cost, $16.844 million (£4.211 million)

Remarks:

Relative extent of belt armor, 98 percent of 'typical' coverage.

Ship is roomy, with superior accommodation and working space.


Distribution of weights:
Percent
normal
displacement:

Armament ......................... 359 tonnes = 3 pct
Armor, total ..................... 2607 tonnes = 21 pct

Belt 843 tonnes = 7 pct
Deck 949 tonnes = 8 pct
C.T. 60 tonnes = 0 pct
Armament 755 tonnes = 6 pct

Machinery ........................ 2921 tonnes = 23 pct
Hull and fittings; equipment ..... 5273 tonnes = 42 pct
Fuel, ammunition, stores ......... 1439 tonnes = 11 pct
Miscellaneous weights ............ 50 tonnes = 0 pct
-----
12649 tonnes = 100 pct

Estimated metacentric height, 0.9 m

Displacement summary:

Light ship: 11210 tonnes
Standard displacement: 11702 tonnes
Normal service: 12649 tonnes
Full load: 13356 tonnes

Loading submergence 2442 tonnes/metre

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Estimated overall survivability and seakeeping ability:

Relative margin of stability: 1.05

Shellfire needed to sink: 6578 kg = 51.2 x 21.0-cm shells
(Approximates weight of penetrating
shell hits needed to sink ship,
not counting critical hits)

Torpedoes needed to sink: 1.8
(Approximates number of 'typical'
torpedo hits needed to sink ship)

Relative steadiness as gun platform, 66 percent
(50 percent is 'average')

Relative rocking effect from firing to beam, 0.58

Relative quality as a seaboat: 1.10

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Hull form characteristics:

Block coefficient: 0.48
Sharpness coefficient: 0.33
Hull speed coefficient 'M' = 8.48
'Natural speed' for length = 25.4 knots
Power going to wave formation
at top speed: 53 percent


Estimated hull characteristics and strength:

Relative underwater volume absorbed by
magazines and engineering spaces: 98 percent

Relative accommodation and working space: 144 percent


Displacement factor: 112 percent
(Displacement relative to loading factors)


Relative cross-sectional hull strength: 0.98
(Structure weight per square
metre of hull surface: 602 kg)

Relative longitudinal hull strength: 1.21
(for 6.10 m average freeboard;
freeboard adjustment +1.26 m)

Relative composite hull strength: 1.00

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

646.16 x 65.93 x 21.65; 20.01 -- Dimensions
0.48 -- Block coefficient
1928 -- Year laid down
32.01 / 10000 / 12.00; Oil-fired turbine or equivalent -- Speed / radius / cruise
50 tons -- Miscellaneous weights
++++++++++
8 x 8.27; 4; 2 -- Main battery; turrets; superfiring
:
10 x 4.92; 5 -- Secondary battery; turrets
:
12 x 1.38 -- Tertiary (QF/AA) battery
Gun-shields
:
8 x 0.59 -- Fourth (light) battery
8 / 0 / 21.65 -- TT / submerged / size
++++++++++
5.12 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 0.00; 98 -- Belt armor; relative extent
1.97 / 5.12 -- Deck / CT
5.12 / 1.18 / 0.79 / 0.79 -- Battery armor


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


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Nice, I like!!

Forwards superstructure is a tad blocky for my taste, but otherwise... :-)


But isn't the aft mast a tick close to the funnel?

Nice drawing.

Main armament is adequate for a Class A cruiser, but the secondaries are quite powerful. AA armament is also good.

A question about the torpedos though, isn't the desired range for engaging with 210mm guns rather greater than the range of 55cm torpedos? If a ship is going to carry both powerful guns and torpedos, both ought to be usable at the intended range.

Very good design and drawing. I really like her. You also kept those features that make her typically Indian like the midship configuration and bridge.

I think TT on such a cruiser are okay. You don´t always have good visual range for your guns - at least not at night.

Her masts could be a tid bit higher, methinks. Just nit picking...

Quoted

But isn't the aft mast a tick close to the funnel?

Uh...perhaps. Too late now!

Adm K, I'm not sure if you're advocating no torpedoes or larger torpedoes. The former case is not an option; all Indian cruisers will carry torpedoes for use in both day and night actions. As for the latter case, the 55 cm torpedo is the largest Indian torpedo in service and the Navy rather likes the balance between size and number carried.

I think she might be a bit too slim forwards. She seems fairly average compared to her contemporaries. A good blend of armour, speed and firepower.

So that'd be a qualified thumbs-up or what?

Nobody raised the issue of the slim hull. I'll look into that.

Its a "good enough, but nothing stellar" Zara is about the same size, 0.5knts less, no heavy 2ndry but better armour.

The slim hull forwards on Akbar might give problems as well. It would be vulnerable to flooding, torpedo hits and makes a wetter seaboat.

Quoted

It would be vulnerable to flooding, torpedo hits and makes a wetter seaboat.

Mentioning "Torpedo" reminds me of the picture of the Greisenau, hit in the bow by a torpedo fired by HMS Clyde.
For those who don't know, see:
http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/gneisena…gneisejuno.html

Quoted

Its a "good enough, but nothing stellar"

Fair enough. I couldn't see how to build a ship on 11,700 t that was stellar without compromising something else or introducing something really weird. Though I did look at using quads and/or using Chesapeake-style non-superfiring turrets.

If you can't see it at first click "view image" and it should work.

Invincible-like cruiser with quads and no centerline turrets.

Quoted

Originally posted by Ithekro
Invincible-like cruiser with quads and no centerline turrets.

Strangely, I actually like this arrangement. Don't know why.

RLBH

That means the Navalism Confederate Navy will want one when it can build quads.

Nice paint jobs for India.

As the petty officer said in the news, "we paint the (censored) hull". Might as well look good when it's done.

Never did post this here: this is the ten gun version I decided couldn't necessarily be simmed accurately.

I like the French design as well. 8 guns firing fore and aft. 8 gun broadside. Loads of space for AAA and aircraft.

I told you how to sim the 10 gun version. However with the slim hull and 3 turrets forward I think her hull description would be "wave digger"

Quoted

Originally posted by The Rock Doctor
As the petty officer said in the news, "we paint the (censored) hull". Might as well look good when it's done.

Never did post this here: this is the ten gun version I decided couldn't necessarily be simmed accurately.

Damn, I wanted to post the first drawing of a DIDO type layout!!

I Like It LOTS!!!!

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral


If you can't see it at first click "view image" and it should work.

Different!!

Quoted

Damn, I wanted to post the first drawing of a DIDO type layout!!

You might still be. I think this is a bit more like a Mogami type layout (latter version) with a Dido-style facelift. :-)

Quoted

However with the slim hull and 3 turrets forward I think her hull description would be "wave digger"

At least it'll keep the deck clean. :-)