Royal Navy Super Battleships and Battlecruisers
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:44 am
Precisely, in 1921, the Director of Naval Construction of the RN came to apply the lessons of the war to the real life and Britain´s new battlefleet. Only the British and the Germans had this expertise, hence they were the only ones with fleet action experience. Japan´s Tsushima was too far away, not in years but in technology and the US did not engaged in fleet combat operations during WWI. Germany surrendered and lost its fleet. So, only the Britons had the "know how".
Of course, it was before politics got in the way and the Treaties spoil all the fun. After the Treaties naval advance never was the same. Nelson, Rodney, Graf Spee, Richelieus, Bismarck, North Carolina or South Dakota are pale and diminish bearers of a more mightier (and never born) tradition.
1921 saw the following RN designs. Each of them could have taken any "modern" WWII ship as a toy:
K2 885 feet, 53,100 tons, 144,000 shp, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
K3 885 feet, 52,000 tons 144,000 shp, 9 x 18" 12 x 6"
J3 860 feet, 43,100 tons 151,000 shp 9 x 15" 12 x 6"
I3 925 feet, 51,750 tons 180,000 shp 9 x 18" 16 x 6"
H3c 860 feet, 46,500 tons 180,000 shp 6 x 18" 16 x 6"
The chosen one:
G3
860 feet
46,500 tons
180,000 shp
33 knots
9 x 16.5"
16 x 6"
Three turrets located in the bow section, around the conning tower. Triple towers.
We also have the Battleships
L2 860 feet, 52,100 tons, 70,000 shp, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
L3 860 feet, 51,100 tons, 70,000 shp, 9 x 18" 16 x 6"
M3 775 feet, 46,000 tons, not availabe, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
M2 815 feet, 48,750 tons, not avaible, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
These were the Battleship Killers the RN was preparing for their "Second to None" fleet: for facing the USN and the IJN together (believe it or not some believed that USN will have to face an anglo japanese naval aliance or, in the other side of the Atlantic, a dual menace from the USN and IJN).
The M3, which with the G3, would have been the flagships of this navy could have been the slayers of the Yamatos. As with the Montanas they never came as a reality, a pitty. But they would have been greater than anything the world saw in WWII, nor German, British, Japanese or American.
But the Treaty, the damn treaty left the RN with O3 designs: Nelson and Rodney. "Just" 35,000 tons. 23 knots. Shallow belts.
Best regards,
Of course, it was before politics got in the way and the Treaties spoil all the fun. After the Treaties naval advance never was the same. Nelson, Rodney, Graf Spee, Richelieus, Bismarck, North Carolina or South Dakota are pale and diminish bearers of a more mightier (and never born) tradition.
1921 saw the following RN designs. Each of them could have taken any "modern" WWII ship as a toy:
K2 885 feet, 53,100 tons, 144,000 shp, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
K3 885 feet, 52,000 tons 144,000 shp, 9 x 18" 12 x 6"
J3 860 feet, 43,100 tons 151,000 shp 9 x 15" 12 x 6"
I3 925 feet, 51,750 tons 180,000 shp 9 x 18" 16 x 6"
H3c 860 feet, 46,500 tons 180,000 shp 6 x 18" 16 x 6"
The chosen one:
G3
860 feet
46,500 tons
180,000 shp
33 knots
9 x 16.5"
16 x 6"
Three turrets located in the bow section, around the conning tower. Triple towers.
We also have the Battleships
L2 860 feet, 52,100 tons, 70,000 shp, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
L3 860 feet, 51,100 tons, 70,000 shp, 9 x 18" 16 x 6"
M3 775 feet, 46,000 tons, not availabe, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
M2 815 feet, 48,750 tons, not avaible, 8 x 18" 16 x 6"
These were the Battleship Killers the RN was preparing for their "Second to None" fleet: for facing the USN and the IJN together (believe it or not some believed that USN will have to face an anglo japanese naval aliance or, in the other side of the Atlantic, a dual menace from the USN and IJN).
The M3, which with the G3, would have been the flagships of this navy could have been the slayers of the Yamatos. As with the Montanas they never came as a reality, a pitty. But they would have been greater than anything the world saw in WWII, nor German, British, Japanese or American.
But the Treaty, the damn treaty left the RN with O3 designs: Nelson and Rodney. "Just" 35,000 tons. 23 knots. Shallow belts.
Best regards,