What size of small minelayers do you have in mind ?Nah, not worth it. Just do smaller mine layers and an un-rep ship to serve as a minelayer tender.
What size of small minelayers do you have in mind ?Nah, not worth it. Just do smaller mine layers and an un-rep ship to serve as a minelayer tender.
Somewhere between destroyer and torpedo boat size.What size of small minelayers do you have in mind ?
Maybe size and type of a raumboote ?Somewhere between destroyer and torpedo boat size.
I thought you wanted something fast?Maybe size and type of a raumboote ?
Yes , so maybe that size but better enginesI thought you wanted something fast?
Think this was missed, I could see the RN going two routes with this Resistance.In June 1916 work of the last of the Renown Class Battlecruisers HMS Resistance is suspended while the design is modified to have armour that matches that of HMS Tiger and bulges are added to compensate for the extra weight. The heavy conning tower is also removed from the design as they were rarely used. This brings the top speed of the ship down to 29.5 knots when she commissions early in 1918.
In June 1916 work of the last of the Renown Class Battlecruisers HMS Resistance is suspended while the design is modified to have armour that matches that of HMS Tiger and bulges are added to compensate for the extra weight. The heavy conning tower is also removed from the design as they were rarely used. This brings the top speed of the ship down to 29.5 knots when she commissions early in 1918.
Extra RN fast capital ship, possibly butterflies an Outrageous. Her presence as another fast ship might allow Hood to get her rebuild prior to WWII as well.Think this was missed, I could see the RN going two routes with this Resistance.
1) using her as the standard for the refits of Renown and Repulse, essentially their early refits are what this ship is.
2) using her as a running mate for Tiger on rotation with Hood. Basically letting the RN keep four fast capital ships in service at almost all times.
That is always a possibility.Extra RN fast capital ship, possibly butterflies an Outrageous. Her presence as another fast ship might allow Hood to get her rebuild prior to WWII as well.
If she is similar to Tiger but with 15” guns it seems more likely that she would take Tigers spot in the post war Fleet. The Admiralty are probably going to take the opportunity of removing a BC with 13.5” guns before scrapping a fairly new BB with 15” guns.Resistance being built means either goes to the scrapyard with the rest of the Cats or is converted to a training ship instead of Iron Duke.
Being relatively new ships none of the retained Battlecruisers are discarded due to the London Naval Treaty, instead one of the Revenge class is scrapped. By September 1939 at least 2 of the Battlecruisers have been rebuilt though whether the diplomats will allow Hood to be withdrawn for the years this would take is questionable. I would say doing so would be preferable to rebuilding one of the Queen Elizabeths. Money as ever would be the issue.
Sorry that's what I meant. Unfortunately my brain got ahead of my fingers and I skipped typing Tiger. I've corrected that now. When it comes to extra rebuilds in the 30's I suspect that the choice will be made to rebuild either Repulse or Resistance rather than Hood as Hood was always more of a symbol and the diplomats won't want to lose her for the three years a rebuild would take. I stand by what I said though, if it came to a choice between rebuilding Hood or a QE I'd pick Hood.If she is similar to Tiger but with 15” guns it seems more likely that she would take Tigers spot in the post war Fleet. The Admiralty are probably going to take the opportunity of removing a BC with 13.5” guns before scrapping a fairly new BB with 15” guns.
Unusual that Britain never used much coal tar oil in their ship boilers, unlike Germany. Perhaps it was not as economically efficient as coal, as this discussion deals with modified commercial designs rather than purpose-built warships.It seems that ideas were sought from several builders but details have only survived for the successful candidate from Smith’s Dock. This was a well-known shipbuilder on the Tees specialising in fishing vessels and most notable for its whale catchers. Their managing director, Mr W Reed, pointed out that they had been building A/S vessels since the ‘Zed’ whalers of 1915, followed by the ‘Kil’ class boats, also of World War I. These ‘Kils’ were originally intended to have oil-fired, water-tube boilers for a speed of seventeen to eighteen knots, remarkably similar to the Flowers of World War II. However, oil was scarce, as were skilled personnel, and they completed with coal-fired Scotch-type boilers and a speed of fourteen knots.
Go to the UK, see what they are willing to sell from their WWI leftovers.For the moment however tensions with your neighbors mean that you have been directed to purchase existing vessels off the major navies. A pair of battleships are desired, as well as a pair of cruisers, a flotilla of destroyers, and a quartet of submarines. To ensure ease of repair all ships are desired to be purchased from the same source nation, the cruisers and submarines can be newly built ships but must be based on an existing design with little modification. The battleships and destroyers must be classes already in service that your nation of choice is willing to scrap now or in the near future.
What ships do you buy?
Timing wise the best possible choice would probably be two Iron Dukes: Just stricken from the RN, but not yet scrapped. Destroyers probably Clemsons if you really want used ones, as the US has tons of them and will need to get rid of some after the LNT. That said with building times for destroyers (and subs) you might be better of to get license for off-the shelf designs from one of the major powers (or for subs one of the German design bureaus). For cruisers I have no idea, as at that point I don´t think there are any useful second hand cruisers available. I mean you might get your hand on some German Gazelles, but are they really worth the money? (then again Yugoslavia clearly thought so a few years earlier)Challenge.
The year is 1930 and you are the naval minister of a minor but still sizeable navy (Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, SA powers etcetera) and your government has approved a major increase in finding for your navy with the aim of eventually bringing your fleet up several rings of the ladder of naval heirarchy. With money planned to go towards a class of proper battleships built domestically, as well as supporting cruisers and destroyers.
For the moment however tensions with your neighbors mean that you have been directed to purchase existing vessels off the major navies. A pair of battleships are desired, as well as a pair of cruisers, a flotilla of destroyers, and a quartet of submarines. To ensure ease of repair all ships are desired to be purchased from the same source nation, the cruisers and submarines can be newly built ships but must be based on an existing design with little modification. The battleships and destroyers must be classes already in service that your nation of choice is willing to scrap now or in the near future.
What ships do you buy?
Minimum modernisation for an Iron duke would be torpedo bulges, improved fire control, shift of the secondary at least partially from casemates to turrets. If one really could go all out on the Iron Duke and with a bit of hindsight additionally get rid of the Q turret and use the gained space and weight for more speed by replacing engines, up-armour against bombs/plunging fire, replace the casemates with DP turrets and add a signicant number of AA-guns. New cruisers depend greatly on politics, strategic situation and available budget. Same for destroyers and subs if you really bought old ones, otherwise just improve on the original order.Furthermore in 1935 your government decides to cancel it's plans to buy new battleships in favor of rebuilding the ships it already ordered, as well as buying a further trio of cruisers, twelve destroyers, and two dozen submarines. Now though all ships ordered are allowed to be newly built so long as they are based on already building types and your nation of choice is willing to give you a license to build some of them domestically. If another one or two ships of the class of battleship you ordered in 1930 are still available your government may also pay to rebuild them similarly to the initial ships you ordered.
So how do you go about rebuilding your battleships, and what new ships do you order?
Old Cruisers:Challenge.
The year is 1930 and you are the naval minister of a minor but still sizeable navy (Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, SA powers etcetera) and your government has approved a major increase in finding for your navy with the aim of eventually bringing your fleet up several rings of the ladder of naval heirarchy. With money planned to go towards a class of proper battleships built domestically, as well as supporting cruisers and destroyers.
For the moment however tensions with your neighbors mean that you have been directed to purchase existing vessels off the major navies. A pair of battleships are desired, as well as a pair of cruisers, a flotilla of destroyers, and a quartet of submarines. To ensure ease of repair all ships are desired to be purchased from the same source nation, the cruisers and submarines can be newly built ships but must be based on an existing design with little modification. The battleships and destroyers must be classes already in service that your nation of choice is willing to scrap now or in the near future.
What ships do you buy?
Furthermore in 1935 your government decides to cancel it's plans to buy new battleships in favor of rebuilding the ships it already ordered, as well as buying a further trio of cruisers, twelve destroyers, and two dozen submarines. Now though all ships ordered are allowed to be newly built so long as they are based on already building types and your nation of choice is willing to give you a license to build some of them domestically. If another one or two ships of the class of battleship you ordered in 1930 are still available your government may also pay to rebuild them similarly to the initial ships you ordered.
So how do you go about rebuilding your battleships, and what new ships do you order?