SMS Blitzen, German Light cruiser laid down 1914
Displacement:
13 534 t light; 13 931 t standard; 15 000 t normal; 15 855 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(764,81 ft / 754,59 ft) x 62,34 ft x (29,53 / 30,58 ft)
(233,11 m / 230,00 m) x 19,00 m x (9,00 / 9,32 m)
Armament:
8 - 5,91" / 150 mm 45,0 cal guns - 99,87lbs / 45,30kg shells, 200 per gun
Breech loading guns in deck mounts, 1914 Model
6 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
2 x Single mounts on centreline, aft deck aft
1 raised mount aft - superfiring
3 - 3,46" / 88,0 mm 45,0 cal guns - 20,97lbs / 9,51kg shells, 250 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1914 Model
3 x Single mounts on centreline, evenly spread
3 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 862 lbs / 391 kg
Main Torpedoes
4 - 20,0" / 508 mm, 19,69 ft / 6,00 m torpedoes - 1,152 t each, 4,608 t total
In 2 sets of deck mounted carriage/fixed tubes
Mines
2 - 1 102,31 lbs / 500,00 kg mines + 100 reloads - 50,195 t total
in Above water - Stern racks/rails
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 2,36" / 60 mm 680,05 ft / 207,28 m 9,48 ft / 2,89 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 0,98" / 25 mm 680,05 ft / 207,28 m 8,01 ft / 2,44 m
Main Belt covers 139 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0,98" / 25 mm 0,59" / 15 mm -
- Armoured deck - multiple decks:
For and Aft decks: 2,36" / 60 mm
Forecastle: 0,39" / 10 mm Quarter deck: 0,39" / 10 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 1,57" / 40 mm, Aft 0,00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 148 098 shp / 110 481 Kw = 36,00 kts
Range 4 850nm at 12,00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1 923 tons (100% coal)
Complement:
677 - 881
Cost:
£1,775 million / $7,100 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 204 tons, 1,4 %
- Guns: 136 tons, 0,9 %
- Weapons: 69 tons, 0,5 %
Armour: 2 077 tons, 13,8 %
- Belts: 790 tons, 5,3 %
- Armament: 39 tons, 0,3 %
- Armour Deck: 1 228 tons, 8,2 %
- Conning Tower: 21 tons, 0,1 %
Machinery: 6 275 tons, 41,8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 4 977 tons, 33,2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1 466 tons, 9,8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0,0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
8 450 lbs / 3 833 Kg = 82,1 x 5,9 " / 150 mm shells or 1,2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,48
Metacentric height 4,8 ft / 1,5 m
Roll period: 11,9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,05
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1,02
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
a normal bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0,378 / 0,386
Length to Beam Ratio: 12,11 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27,47 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 48 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6,56 ft / 2,00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 4,94 %, 23,06 ft / 7,03 m, 21,56 ft / 6,57 m
- Forward deck: 30,00 %, 21,56 ft / 6,57 m, 21,56 ft / 6,57 m
- Aft deck: 60,12 %, 10,79 ft / 3,29 m, 10,79 ft / 3,29 m
- Quarter deck: 4,94 %, 10,79 ft / 3,29 m, 10,79 ft / 3,29 m
- Average freeboard: 14,58 ft / 4,45 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 138,6 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 114,9 %
Waterplane Area: 28 535 Square feet or 2 651 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 100 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 107 lbs/sq ft or 521 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1,08
- Longitudinal: 0,98
- Overall: 1,00
Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Adequate accommodation and workspace room