How about a mini-Minotaur with 2x2 19cm guns, say 8 12-pounders, similar armor, and turbines to make 26 knots with Devonshire's range? The 19cm guns can hurt a true armored cruiser and beat a CL, the armor is fairly standard for RN armored cruisers, and the speed allows you to overtake CL's and shadow larger ships. VTE and 23 knots would be a lot cheaper, and would be a more realistic option if the original design is too expensive. Just my two cents.
Take a look at these:
Fury (VTE), UK Export Armored Cruiser laid down 1908
Displacement:
6,044 t light; 6,272 t standard; 6,688 t normal; 7,021 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
500.00 ft / 500.00 ft x 55.00 ft x 16.00 ft (normal load)
152.40 m / 152.40 m x 16.76 m x 4.88 m
Armament:
4 - 7.50" / 191 mm guns (2x2 guns), 210.94lbs / 95.68kg shells, 1908 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
10 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
12 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns in single mounts, 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,047 lbs / 475 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
2 - 18.0" / 457.2 mm submerged torpedo tubes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 350.00 ft / 106.68 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Ends: 2.00" / 51 mm 100.00 ft / 30.48 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
50.00 ft / 15.24 m Unarmoured ends
Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.50" / 64 mm 4.00" / 102 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
3rd: 0.50" / 13 mm - -
- Armour deck: 1.50" / 38 mm, Conning tower: 6.00" / 152 mm
Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 19,684 ihp / 14,685 Kw = 23.00 kts
Range 4,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 750 tons (100% coal)
Complement:
369 - 480
Cost:
£0.572 million / $2.288 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 131 tons, 2.0 %
Armour: 1,238 tons, 18.5 %
- Belts: 524 tons, 7.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 144 tons, 2.2 %
- Armour Deck: 524 tons, 7.8 %
- Conning Tower: 46 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 1,789 tons, 26.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,836 tons, 42.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 644 tons, 9.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 0.7 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
6,387 lbs / 2,897 Kg = 30.3 x 7.5 " / 191 mm shells or 1.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.41
Metacentric height 3.7 ft / 1.1 m
Roll period: 12.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 61 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.15
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.02
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.532
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.09 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.36 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 60
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: -3.00 ft / -0.91 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Mid (50 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Stern: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Average freeboard: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 105.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 97.4 %
Waterplane Area: 18,872 Square feet or 1,753 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 113 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 111 lbs/sq ft or 543 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.42
- Longitudinal: 0.89
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
TT's in bow and stern.
Works quite well
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Fury (Turbine), UK Export Armored Cruiser laid down 1908
Displacement:
6,014 t light; 6,241 t standard; 6,688 t normal; 7,046 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
500.00 ft / 500.00 ft x 55.00 ft x 16.00 ft (normal load)
152.40 m / 152.40 m x 16.76 m x 4.88 m
Armament:
4 - 7.50" / 191 mm guns (2x2 guns), 210.94lbs / 95.68kg shells, 1908 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
10 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
12 - 2.24" / 57.0 mm guns in single mounts, 5.65lbs / 2.56kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 8 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 1,047 lbs / 475 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
2 - 18.0" / 457.2 mm submerged torpedo tubes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 350.00 ft / 106.68 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Ends: 2.00" / 51 mm 100.00 ft / 30.48 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
50.00 ft / 15.24 m Unarmoured ends
Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.50" / 64 mm 4.00" / 102 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
3rd: 0.50" / 13 mm - -
- Armour deck: 1.50" / 38 mm, Conning tower: 6.00" / 152 mm
Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, steam turbines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 31,618 shp / 23,587 Kw = 26.00 kts
Range 4,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 804 tons (100% coal)
Complement:
369 - 480
Cost:
£0.566 million / $2.265 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 131 tons, 2.0 %
Armour: 1,238 tons, 18.5 %
- Belts: 524 tons, 7.8 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 144 tons, 2.2 %
- Armour Deck: 524 tons, 7.8 %
- Conning Tower: 46 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 1,757 tons, 26.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,839 tons, 42.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 674 tons, 10.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 0.7 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
6,573 lbs / 2,981 Kg = 31.2 x 7.5 " / 191 mm shells or 1.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.41
Metacentric height 3.7 ft / 1.1 m
Roll period: 12.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 49 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.14
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 0.79
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.532
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.09 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.36 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 60
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -15.00 degrees
Stern overhang: -3.00 ft / -0.91 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Mid (50 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Stern: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Average freeboard: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 104.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 97.4 %
Waterplane Area: 18,872 Square feet or 1,753 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 114 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 111 lbs/sq ft or 544 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.40
- Longitudinal: 0.89
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather
TT's in bow and stern.
Still works but seakeeping tanks at 26 knots, probably good up to 23.5-24 knots though...
*****
I adore Armored Cruisers, thanks for giving me a good reason to design some more!