Province-class Armored Cruiser
Contents
History
The Province-class Armored cruiser was the last generation of Armored Cruisers built for the Imperial Hrydonian Navy. It numbered 8 ships, with the first one being built in 1906 CE and the last one being built in 1910 CE. The Eastmarch is a typical member of the class, and usually the one considered as the ideal of the class. The last one was decommissioned in 1937 CE and scrapped after nearly 30 years of service; the class was mainly considered obsolete by then in comparison to the newest cruisers then entering service with foreign navies, as reported by the naval and military attaches of the time.
Armament
The Province class was armed with 4 254 mm main guns, 8 203 mm secondary guns, and 20 127 mm tertiary guns. Most naval historians, in view of the lack of files on why the 20 127 mm guns were required, consider them intended for use against torpedo boats or nearly anywhere the rate of fire would be more useful than the weight of fire.
Statistics
Eastmarch, Province-class Armored Cruiser laid down 1908
Displacement:
- 14,101 t light; 14,929 t standard; 17,179 t normal; 18,980 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
- 500.33 ft / 500.33 ft x 74.00 ft x 28.00 ft (normal load)
- 152.50 m / 152.50 m x 22.56 m x 8.53 m
Armament:
- 4 - 10.00" / 254 mm guns (2x2 guns), 500.00lbs / 226.80kg shells, 1908 Model
- Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
- on centreline ends, evenly spread
- Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
- 8 - 8.00" / 203 mm guns (2x4 guns), 256.00lbs / 116.12kg shells, 1908 Model
- Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
- on side, all amidships
- 20 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (10x2 guns), 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1908 Model
- Breech loading guns in deck mounts
- on side, evenly spread
- Weight of broadside 5,298 lbs / 2,403 kg
- Shells per gun, main battery: 150
- Breech loading guns in deck mounts
- Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
- 4 - 10.00" / 254 mm guns (2x2 guns), 500.00lbs / 226.80kg shells, 1908 Model
Armour: 12.0" / 305 mm main belt, 325.21 ft / 99.12 m avg. length and 10.32 ft / 3.15 m avg. height Ends: Unarmoured Upper: 1.50" / 38 mm upper belt 325.21 ft / 99.12 m avg. length and 8.00 ft / 2.44 m avg. height Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length Torpedo Bulkhead of 3.00" / 76 mm, with an avg. length of 325.21 ft and avg. height of 26.16 ft / 7.97 m
- Gun armour:::: Face (max):::: Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
- Main::::: 10.0" / 254 mm::5.00" / 127 mm:::: 10.0" /254 mm
- 2nd::::: 9.00" / 229 mm 6.00" / 152 mm:::: 10.0" / 254 mm
- 3rd::::: 3.00" / 76 mm 2.00" / 51 mm:::: -
- Armour deck: 3.00" / 76 mm
Machinery:
- Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
- Direct drive, 2 shafts, 30,600 ihp / 22,827 Kw = 22.00 kts
- Range 11,000nm at 11.00 kts
- Bunker at max displacement = 4,051 tons (100% coal)
Complement: 749 - 975
Cost: £1.439 million / $5.757 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
- Armament: 662 tons, 3.9 %
- Armour: 5,553 tons, 32.3 %
- - Belts: 1,919 tons, 11.2 %
- - Torpedo bulkhead: 944 tons, 5.5 %
- - Armament: 1,214 tons, 7.1 %
- - Armour Deck: 1,475 tons, 8.6 %
- Machinery: 2,782 tons, 16.2 %
- Hull, fittings & equipment: 5,105 tons, 29.7 %
- Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,078 tons, 17.9 %
- Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
- Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
- 19,635 lbs / 8,906 Kg = 39.3 x 10.0 " / 254 mm shells or 3.3 torpedoes
- Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.26
- Metacentric height 4.8 ft / 1.5 m
- Roll period: 14.1 seconds
- Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 67 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.41
- Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.34
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.41
- Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
Hull form characteristics:
- Hull has a flush deck
- Block coefficient: 0.580
- Length to Beam Ratio: 6.76 : 1
- 'Natural speed' for length: 22.37 kts
- Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 %
- Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
- Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
- No stern overhang
- Hull has a flush deck
Ship space, strength and comments:
- Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 113.8 %
- - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 105.8 %
- Waterplane Area: 26,577 Square feet or 2,469 Square metres
- Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 105 %
- Structure weight / hull surface area: 130 lbs/sq ft or 633 Kg/sq metre
- Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
- Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
- Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
- Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 113.8 %
Notes
More detailed statistics can be obtained by contacting the Hrydonian War Ministry.