Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

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Kiwi Imperialist
Posts: 326
Joined: December 10th, 2014, 9:38 am

Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#1 Post by Kiwi Imperialist »

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Welcome to the Embiggened Cruiser Challenge! Inspired by the Alaska class and other 'super cruiser' designs of the late 1930s and early 1940s, your task is to draw a large cruiser conforming to the requirements outlined. If you have an idea for a future challenge, remember to share it in the Future Challenge Ideas/Suggestions thread. Don't be afraid to share an idea which has been suggested by someone else. It shows that multiple people are interested in that topic.

Design Requirements
  1. Your submission must depict a fictional cruiser.
  2. The calibre of its main battery should be between 9 and 13 inches (229 and 330 mm).
  3. Standard displacement of the cruiser must be between 20,000 and 32,500 long tons (20,321 and 33,022 tonnes).
  4. The lead ship of the cruiser's class should be laid down between 1935 and 1945.

Challenge Rules
  1. Each participant may submit a single image.
  2. The image should be a Shipbucket template modified to include the participant’s art and, optionally, one of the following: ship badge, unit insignia, manufacturer logo, national flag, or naval ensign. Other elements, including data sheets and scenic elements, are not permitted. If you have specifications and blocks of text, please include them as text in your post and not in the image itself.
  3. One side-view of the participant's ship must be included. One top-view is also permitted, but not required. All other views are prohibited.
  4. If two views are included, they must depict the same individual ship in the same paint scheme, markings, and configuration.
  5. All art must be in Shipbucket scale and conform to the Shipbucket style guidelines.
  6. A textual description accompanying each submission is permitted, but not necessary.
  7. Non-serious entries, or entries substantially deviate from the challenge requirements, are not allowed.
  8. Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.

This challenge will run until Saturday 23 November 2024, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).
A countdown timer can be found at this link.

The Embiggened Cruiser Challenge has been extended indefinitely until issues relating to the Shipbucket forum have been resolved. You may continue to work on your entry, but be prepared to submit it when the issues are resolved.


A poll will be held after this date to select a winner. When it opens, please provide honest and meaningful scores for each entry. Responses which grant maximum scores to a select group of entries, and minimum scores to all other entries, will be deleted. Members of the community who manipulate the results in such a fashion may also be subject to a permanent ban. Scores will be allocated in two categories, each with a scale of 1 to 10:

  • Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
  • Design Quality -The quality of the design presented, irrespective of drawing quality. One could consider feasibility, practicality, and realism.
Last edited by Kiwi Imperialist on November 20th, 2024, 12:29 am, edited 3 times in total.
BvonTeapot
Posts: 143
Joined: November 17th, 2021, 11:50 pm

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#2 Post by BvonTeapot »

Duca di Tolone-class Cruiser "Osvaldo Paladini, Duca di Tolone"

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Due to a perceived disadvantage within the Regia Marina prior to Italy's entry into WWII, four "large cruisers" (Grande Incrociatori) were authorised by the Royal Naval Decree of early 1943 in order to provide a series of ships that would act as large surface combatants and escorts of the recently completed Vittorio Veneto-class battleships. With speed as the main focus for this class, they were armed with four triple turrets housing 12" guns but at a cost of having armour equivalent to a heavy cruiser. However, despite this sacrifice in armour, the ships were able to weigh only ~26000 tons and have remarkable speed for their size - a maximum of 33 knots. As they were primarily built to operate in the Mediterranean in order to protect Italian and Austro-Hungarian assets from French and British forces, ships in the class were named after famous admirals during the First World War with the lead ship being named after Admiral Osvaldo Paladini who led a successful operation to crush the French Navy off the coast of Toulon and effectively end the war on the seas for the Marine nationale.

During WWII, Duca di Tolone primarily operated within the Mediterranean as designed but was present for the Battle of Casablanca in 1945 which saw the United States Navy defeat a joint Commonwealth (of the Commonwealth of Great Britain)-French task force; Duca di Tolone would assist USS South Dakota in sinking the Birtish flagship CMS Cromwell. Following the war's conclusion in 1946, the ship would be chosen for continued service and eventually a refit into a missile cruiser (Grande Incrociatore Lanciamissili) which was complete in 1960. An important aspect of this refit was the installation of 4 ballistic missile launchers just aft of the second funnel, armed with 4 "Alfa" missiles that were able to deliver 3 nuclear warheads rated at 300 kilotons each. She would quickly see action, as the Southeast Asian Crisis began later that year with Imperial Japanese forces supporting rebels in German holdings in order to expand their "Prosperity Sphere." Duca di Tolone was assigned as the Italian fleet's flagship in the region, and would be successful in sinking the Japanese heavy cruiser Takao after the latter opened fire. She would also be able to test her new missile systems, scoring two kills, however her nuclear missiles were not loaded at the time.

Eventually, Duca di Tolone would see the end of her service in 2000 after multiple refits. She would remain in reserve until 2006, when she was preserved at La Spezia as a museum ship.

Stats:

Length: 239 m
Beam: 28 m
Draft: 9.5 m
Displacement: ~26000 tons
Max speed: 33 knots

Armament:

4x Triple 12" mounts
6x Twin 135mm dual-purpose mounts
4x OTO 76 SMP-3
4x Twin arm MTA-58 "Astato" missile launchers
4x "Alfa" ballistic missiles
1x SIAI SV.392 anti-submarine helicopter drone
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Karle94
Posts: 2135
Joined: November 8th, 2010, 3:07 pm
Location: Norseland

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#3 Post by Karle94 »

The Regioni class started out as a design originally inteded for export, most likely candidate being the USSR, but they chose to go their own way with the Kronshtadt class battlecruiser. While the Italian design in most ways could be considered a battlecruiser, they were called cruisers so as not to alarm the British and French to their true nature as not only cruiser-killers, but also potentially oceanic raiders, not only fast enough to overtake most cruisers (at least in rougher seas,) but also fast enough to out-run the battlecruisers and fast battleships of noth the Royal Navy and the Marine Nationale. In many ways they could be compared to the German duo Scharnhorst and Gneisenau (more specifically the 11" guns originally designed for export designs mirroring the Deutschland class.)

The ships displaced 25000t standard, and 27000t full. The oa length is 237,5m, a width of 28,1m and a draft of 8m at normal load.
The armored belt was 7" thick, and covered almost all spaces between turrets 1 and 3. Most of the remaining waterline was protected by a 2" thick strip of armor (mostly for protection against splinter damage from near missed from either shells or bombs.) The deck was protected by 3" of armor. The turrets had barbettes of 7", faces of 7", sides of 5" with the rear and top of 3" of armor. The 120mm mounts had 5" of armor on the front, and 2" on the sides and rear. The conning tower was protected by 7" of all-round armor.
The ship had 8 boilers and 4 geared turbines producing a total of 206k shp driving 4 shafts for a top speed of 35kts. At 12kts the ship had a range of 10k nm.

Main armament consists of 9x11"/50 guns in three triple turrets, two fore and one aft.
The secondary armament consists of 12x4,7"/50 DP guns in stabilized single mountings. The mountings themselves were of similar design to the 90mm gun used on the Littorio and rebuild Andrea Doria classes, and boasted great ballistic performance and had the added bonus of being large enough to fire effective star-shell ammunition (Though the casings needed reduced propellant capacity so as to not damage the rather fragile star-shells.)
The medium AA battery consists of 10x65mm guns in shielded single mounts. The 65mm gun was developed as a replacement for the 37mm guns, whose twin and quad mountings were considered less than ideal by the Regia Marina due to excessive vibrations caused by the fixed barrels and gas-operation. In addition they had low ammo-capacity in their magazines and were considered to have insufficient range and stopping power. The light AA concists of 36x20mm guns in 18 twin mounts. Generally seen quite favourably by both sides of WW2, the gun was often likened to the German 20mm gun and the Oerlikon 20mm gun for its effectiveness.
A pair of triple torpedo-launchers were to be included, but due to shifting priorities and the changing nature of naval warfare meant that they were no longer considered important, and thus not included (with the added bonus of lessened weight, and reduced fire/detonation chances.)
The Campania had an internal hangar with space for 2 Ro.43 floatplanes with optional space for two more to be stored outside on raised pedestals. Due to trauma from British aviation, the Campania (like the Littorios) would carry between 1 or 2 Re.2001 fighters in place for the same number of spotter planes for self-defense against air-attack.
Due to the late completion the ship was outfitted with the standard EC-3 ter "Gufo" radar and a pair of experimental EC-5 fire-control radars mounted to the fore and aftermost directors.

She entered service in the summer of 1943, and had completed her trials and breaking-in before the Regia Marina sailed for Malta, and later Alexandria for internment, where she along with the two remaining Littorios were considered for use by the Allies in the Pacific as escorts for the fast carrier groups, but this was ultimately rejected. The ship remained in Alexandria for the duration of the war, where she would await an uncertain fate, yet to be determined.

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LRA
Posts: 10
Joined: March 22nd, 2024, 9:07 am

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#4 Post by LRA »

Aswathama Class Battlecruiser
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Finished construction in 1937 in batch of four, name sake of the four immortals of the state religion.
Aswathama, Jambavan, Parasurama, Mahabali. Launched in January 1937, November 1937,
September 1938, January1939 respectively.
Aswathama sunk in late June 1944, Jambavan sunk in early January 1945, Parasurama sunk in late
February 1945, Mahabali scrapped late June 1979.
All ship names will be transferred to cruisers of the Kalachakran navy with Aswathama being given to
the new Aswathama class air defense cruiser 2024.

Specifications:
33k tons full load.
32kn top speed.
9x12 inch guns in three triple turrets.
16x5.25 inch DP guns in 8 dual turrets in super firing pairs.
11x1.5 inch pompoms quad mounts .
14x3.5 inch single flak mounts.

"I WALK TILL THE END , I FIGHT TILL THE END"
Motto of KS Aswathama.

Last configuration of the last of the Aswathama class ,
KS Mahabali 1974
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Last edited by LRA on November 22nd, 2024, 6:14 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Smokey455
Posts: 5
Joined: July 15th, 2022, 7:14 am

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge (Indefinitely Extended)

#5 Post by Smokey455 »

Tsukuba-class battlecruisers


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Tsukuba-Class Battlecruiser is a class of four battlecruisers built as an alternative subclass of the Tokiwa-Class (B-65 cruiser). Developed as a "Fast Supercrusier" it was a need after the events that occurred during the Second Sino-Japanese War after IJN Kongo was heavily damaged and destroyed against the Chinese navy in the earlier period. On which the Admiralty envisioned by the IJN, the cruisers were to play a key role in the Night Battle Force portion of the "Decisive battle" strategy which Japan hoped to employ in the event of war against the United States Navy. Naval Only Two battlecruisers were managed to be developed. And was limited only to operating within Southeast Asia. Lead ship IJN Tsukuba assisted in the Fall of Singapore.

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Following the Defeat of Japan, despite having managed to maintain a large sum of Terrority within Alaska and even most countries in Asia. it gave them leverage on the peace terms and allowed Japan to retain some of its military aspects. Despite losing most of their navy during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Leyte Gulf and Battle of Kuril Islands against a joint Soviet-American fleet. they had obtained surviving ships including the lead ship JN Tsukuba. her sister ship was sunk in Leyte following heavy attacks by American torpedo/Dive bombers making her one of the few capital ships to survive the conflict.

Despite surviving the war. she managed to lose her rear turret after a heavy bombing raid. despite the navy wanting to retire to maintain the survival of the country, the navy Re-commission the ship in 1952. after recent events occurred by the Soviet Union including the invasion of the Middle East and the rising communists in Southeast Asia. after years of repairs were done. the ship would receive modern radar and electronics and its rear gun would be replaced with US-made RIM-8 Talos following it being ideal due to its range and size allowing it to be capable.

Small events over Vietnam and even the recent events over India ocean during the small conflict of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. By 1992 due to heavy maintenance costs and her outdated design and replacement of the Kongo class Missile destroyers. she would retire and scrapped in the 2000s.



General characteristics

Displacement

Standard: 31,905 t (31,401 long tons)

Full-load: 35,000 t (34,000 long tons)
Length
240 m (790 ft) length at the waterline
246.2 m (808 ft) length overall

Beam 27.2 m (89 ft)

Draft 8.8 m (29 ft)

Propulsion Four sets of geared turbines and eight Kampon boilers

Endurance 8,000 mi (13,000 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)

Armament

9 × 310 mm (12.2 in)/50 caliber guns (3 × 3)

18 x 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun

15 × 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns (6 × 2)

JN Tsukuba (1972) Armament

9 × 310 mm (12.2 in)/50 caliber guns (3 × 3)

1 × 5 in (127 mm)/54 caliber guns

14 x 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun

15 × 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns (6 × 2)

1 × Mk 12 twin RIM-8 Talos SAM launchers (104 missiles)

Armor

Belt: 150 mm (5.9 in) inclined 20 degrees

Barbettes: 210 mm (8.3 in) to 190 mm (7.5 in)

Conning tower sides: 180 mm (7.1 in)

Conning tower roof: 125 mm (4.9 in)

Deck: 125 mm (5 in)
RegiaMarina1939
Posts: 441
Joined: January 12th, 2016, 8:57 pm
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge (Indefinitely Extended)

#6 Post by RegiaMarina1939 »

Re-upload:
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Planning for a large surface combatant to operate as a long-range raider was initiated by the Officine di Costruzione Navale (OCN) of the Royal Sicilian Navy as early as 1925. Planned to operate alongside Reichspakt naval forces from the German Empire and the Netherlands in the Indian Ocean from bases in Madagascar, the Dutch East Indies, and German Indochina, the idea was conceived at a time when a naval war against the Japanese Empire was still the most looming security threat to the Reichspakt alliance. Eventually, increased militarism from the French Commune and the Socialist Republic of Italy led the Sicilians to postpone such a project, and despite a temporary revival of interest in the concept by the Royal Italian Federation after that nation’s birth, the concept was finally shelved in the late 1930’s as resources were diverted to address more imminent threats. Though it never came to fruition, the design was unique in the history of Italian shipbuilding, a design conceived at a time when global commitments were the center of naval planning, but these grand visions were shortly dashed away when the threat next door came knocking. Nevertheless, the design proved interesting, and particulars were as follows:
-Displacement: 30,000 tons nominal
-Length: 235 meters (771 feet)
-Beam: 21.9 meters (72 feet)
-Draught: 15 meters (28 feet)
-Range: 8,300 nautical miles at 20 knots
As mentioned, the design was intended to function as a long-range raider, strangling Japanese commerce in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia by overcoming escorted convoys from Japanese bases and allies with its superior firepower, and fleeing from anything it couldn’t outgun. This was deemed the most affordable way to deal with the Japanese threat at sea, as it would force the Japanese to disperse their otherwise locally superior naval forces to engage Reichspakt raiders that would be scattered across the region at the outset of hostilities, freeing Reichspakt planners from having to dedicate significant naval resources to the theater when they were needed elsewhere.
To accomplish the task of outgunning anything it couldn’t outrun, the design was to be armed with nine Cannone da 280/28 quick-firing guns in three triple turrets. Based on German designs of the same caliber, they were adapted to fit in locally-designed turrets and could fire a 660-pound AP shell at a velocity of 3,000 feet per second to a distance of ~43,000 yards. No less than eight guns were actually manufactured by the ordnance factory at Mongiana, though these never saw service at sea and went on to serve as railway artillery or coast defense guns. Secondary armament consisted of 16 x Cannone da 120/35 in eight twin semi-enclosed turrets. With a maximum elevation of 75 degrees and a rate of fire of 15-18 rounds per minute, they also were intended for use against aerial targets. Anti-aircraft armament was rounded out by a very modern and ambitious fit of seven quadruple 37-mm Cannone Mitragliera da 37/34 gas-operated magazine-fed automatic cannons with a practical sustained rate of fire of around 170 rounds per minute. Also included in the armament fit, and deemed mandatory for raiding duties, were a pair of quadruple 53.3cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes in armored box launchers astern. Fire control for the secondary battery was somewhat hampered by the presence of only one director aft, as opposed to the pair forwards, which made directing the fire of the guns to both sides simultaneously practically impossible.
The hull design itself was very sleek, with an aggressively raked bow for operating in the open ocean, while two thin military pole masts and a pair of large funnels dominated the otherwise low and minimalistic silhouette. Boats were stored amidships, serviced by a large crane, while liferafts and smaller boats were to be fitted alongside the turrets and astern during regular service. A German-built catapult for a single Heinkel He 114 seaplane was also mounted astern.
Armor protection was relatively light, with the idea being that the quality of the German-made armor plate would make up for the sheer lack of thickness, and that speed would allow the vessel’s commander to break off and engage at his choosing, staying out of the range of enemy guns. Therefore, belt armor was maintained at a conservative 105mm (4.1in), deck armor at 45mm (1.8in), and turret armor at 140mm (5.5in.) Underwater protection was substantial, with the habitual excellent degree of internal compartmentalization and subdivision.
The intended design speed of 32 knots was to be achieved through a powerful plant of eight German-designed high-pressure oil-fired boilers license built at the Ferdinandea foundry supplying steam to four Brown-Boveri steam turbine sets to be imported from Switzerland via Austria-Hungary (the S.R.I. blocked any transfer of industrial or defense-related equipment to the Federation through its territory.) The engine plants were to have a rated output of 155,000shp on four shafts, each driving a three-bladed bronze propeller that was around 4.5 meters (15 feet) in diameter. Bunkerage capacity was to be sufficient for 8,300 nautical miles at 20 knots, which was believed sufficient to mount long-range raiding operations in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, both of which featured a multitude of Reichspakt bases at which the vessels could refuel and rearm.
In the end, only one of the planned pair of ships was laid down, with only the keel being laid at Castellammare di Stabia in April 1934. No progress was made nor was a name even assigned to the vessel until the decision was made to scrap the keel and divert the material towards the navy’s destroyer program. The main battery guns were diverted to serve as coastal and railway artillery pieces, while the secondary battery guns were distributed to several units of the Capitani-class destroyers, who utilized the same armament. The decision to scrap the vessels was made following the outbreak of war between the S.R.I. and the R.I.F. in 1938, as resources were desperately needed to maintain the offensive against the socialists on land, and the navy was re-oriented for combat far closer to home.
Last edited by RegiaMarina1939 on November 21st, 2024, 4:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Best regards,

RegiaMarina1939
Prinz Sterben
Posts: 3
Joined: May 20th, 2023, 1:13 pm

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge (Indefinitely Extended)

#7 Post by Prinz Sterben »

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This is my first time participating in the challenge, so I cannot prepare a detailed story. Please forgive me. :cry:
Dalene
Posts: 5
Joined: August 5th, 2024, 5:14 pm

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge (Indefinitely Extended)

#8 Post by Dalene »

Arethusa-Class Heavy Cruiser
The Arethusa-class of heavy cruisers is a trio of warships and was originally intended by the then Commonwealth of Freesia's answer to Japan's growing imperial expansion and ambition in the far east. And as well as Italy's naval expansion in the Mediterranean. As well as Germany's Deutschland-class. This vessel was to be put into service by the then Royal Freesian Navy and as part of Britain's Commonwealth Navy, with the class of three ships to be built out of the commonwealth's own money and shipyards as this was popular with nationalist politicians and a portion of the population, citing that using nothing but hand me down British warships for the RFN is not good enough.

The class itself was first planned by the Department of Ships and Naval Construction in the Commonwealth's wing of the Ministry for War in 1931 and proceeded at a steady pace in the years between. However as war clouds loomed over Europe by the mid 1930's, construction for the lead ship was prioritized with Arethusa being laid down in 1936, and her sister Gannett being laid down in 1937 and with most military planners anticipating war by 1941. However by 1939 it all came crashing down as the Germans invaded Poland, and as then the commonwealth in support of Britain's stance has unilaterally entered the conflict on the side of the allied powers.

Construction for Arethusa herself was ordered to be halted as the navy has prioritized construction of smaller warships such as licensed variations of the J-K-N class destroyers, Flower class corvettes, and Sloops to counter the U-Boats in the Atlantic. However by 1941 and early 1942, as the situation in the far east continues to look glum and the war in the Atlantic seemingly worsening, even if the Americans have joined the conflict on the side of the allies, construction for Arethusa was resumed at a slow pace as the Navy has still remained its priority to construct small escort warships and merchant vessels for the commonwealth's merchant navy.

However by 1944, Arethusa's construction would finally end after 8 years of slow work, it was originally intended for her to be equipped with an all British set up, however due to wartime restrictions and the priority of British vessels in British shipyards. Components for Arethusa was lacking, however it was pitched by Rear Admiral Thomas Andrews that the Arethusa class use American components, such as fire control for the secondary guns, anti-aircraft guns, etc.

As such after launch and a small christening ceremony in May 10, 1944. Arethusa's incomplete hull. With only her main guns and machinery and a few 40mm Bofors L/60 anti aircraft guns installed would make way to New York, in the United States at best speed. Along with her two escorting destroyers, by mid 1944. Work was now finished and Arethusa would make her way back to the Freesian mainland. However at this time, the Battle of the Atlantic was slowly but surely being won by the allies. Thus it was decided after orders from the British admiralty that she was to be sent to the Mediterranean fleet, and would later on be attached to the navy force to support the American landings in Southern France in Operation Dragoon.

By early 1945, with the European front of naval conflicts being confined to the Atlantic in anti-submarine warfare. And the Regia Marina at this point mostly neutralized in one way or another, Arethusa was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet to fight the Japanese. However at this point the Imperial Japanese Navy was pretty much a shattered shell of its former self, with most of its resources concentrated in fighting the Americans in the east. As such, Arethusa has spent most of her time in the BPF in screening duties or to act as a sea going artillery platform, supporting commonwealth troops in landings. However a considerable Japanese surface presence in the shape of the heavy cruiser Haguro in Singapore has opted local commanders to retain Arethusa's presence near the area.

As the war in the Pacific came to a close, Arethusa was sent back to the Freesian mainland for a much needed refit and overhaul, her bouncy service has definitely worn her machinery to some degree, plus with the war over. The need for Arethusa's presence in the far east was not needed. It is to be noted that by this time, her sister Gannett has just finished construction, following in her the older sister's fashion, Gannett herself is also using a lot of American components, while the third sister. Named Dryad was already laid down and construction starting.

Arethusa and Gannett would continue on serving in the immediate post war years, supporting British intervention in the Greek civil war in 1949. However after the country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in the same year, the two vessels were withdrawn from the area. However later on in 1950, the young nation keen to prove itself in the world stage would send the two ships to contribute as much to the allied naval force in the Korean war as part of the UN response to North Korea's invasion of South Korea, with the two vessels being used to screen American capital warships or bombarding North Korean coastal positions, where one case Gannett dueled a North Korean coastal artillery battery for an hour. Though the ship has received superficial damage from near misses, this forced Gannett to retire from her station and is replaced by Arethusa.

Much of the cold war the two vessels were active, but that was until 1961 when Arethusa and Gannett were put into reserve as the current ruling administration has ruled that the two vessels are becoming quite the headache to maintain, this is in respect that the Navy was also trying to modernize its fleet, while also operating two aircraft carriers. And the country's secret strategic weapons program which was already costing the government far too much money.

What of the unfinished last sister, Dryad? She was finished in 1959, however it was decided that Dryad is not to be fully completed as a gun cruiser, with the Navy opting for her to be able to meet the navy's plan for new threats, jet aircraft and missile weaponry. As such Dryad was slated to be converted to a single end missile conversion, taking after the American rebuilds of the Boston-class and the Galveston-class. With Dryad being equipped with originally two aft mounted missile launchers for RIM-8 Talos, however due to the cost of acquiring Talos, it was decided that she is to be instead equipped with a single RIM-2 Terrier launcher facing aft. After the conversion, Dryad was commissioned into the Freesian Navy in 1962. Just in time for the Cuban missile crisis.

Dryad would be more active with the fleet along with the missile conversions of the trio R-class light cruisers. Resolution and Revenge. With Redoubt being converted to an Anti-Submarine Warfare cruiser. During the 1980's the country would bring back Gannett and Arethusa back into active service due to evolving threats, and to keep up with the country's expanding navy under the NDP after the previous left-leaning government was defeated in the 1979 National Elections, with the NDP being fervent conservatives and anti-communist, one of their platforms is to expand the Navy, and open new job slots on the country's existing shipbuilding industry to expand it with a slew of modernizations, and new construction projects.

However what would set Arethusa and Gannett apart is that both ships would not receive much in the way of modernization like Dryad or the two R-class cruisers. Instead the two vessels would receive new electronics, electronic countermeasure, and a bit of new weaponry like the Phalanx Close In Weapons System, and the Mk. 141 Harpoon Anti-Shipping Missile launchers.

At the height of the tanker war between Iraq and Iran, the three vessels of this class was attached to the international fleet in the middle east to assert the country's right to trade with its middle eastern partners as at the time, the Iranians were trying to assert control on the strait of Hormuz. Where all three vessels would spend their time escorting merchants across the gauntlet of contested waters. By 1991 and during the Persia Gulf War, Gannett would conduct shore bombardment alongside the U.S battleship Missouri of Iraqi targets in Kuwait. Meanwhile Arethusa and Dryad are held back in escort duty.

All three ships would continue to serve the Freesian Navy until 1992 when all three were finally stood down, decommissioned, and finally the older two struck from the Navy's Vessel Register. Dryad was kept in an inactive state as to act as a training vessel, and wouldn't be fully decommissioned until 2008, what of Arethusa and Gannett? Arethusa was sent to the breakers in 1997 and is subsequently scrapped, however the good thing is that Gannett was saved by a Non-for profit organization and is turned into a floating museum in Southwestern Arlesfield at the waterfront of the city of Avondelle.

Arethusa as of 1985.
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Ship Specifications:

Displacement:
› 15,935 t at light load; 17,341 t at standard load; 20,000 t at normal load; and 22,127 t at full load

Dimensions:
› Length (Overall): 677 feet
› Beam: 82 feet
› Draught: 20 feet and 6 inches

Endurance and Speed:
› Top Speed: 30 Knots
› 4 x Oil fired boilers powering 4 geared steam turbines; driving 4 shafts generating 87,948 ship horsepower
› Range: 15,000 Nautical Miles at 15 knots

Armor/Protection:
› Belt: 234mm at its thickest point, ends at 127mm
› Torpedo Bulkheads: 127mm at its thickest for the main torpedo bulkhead
› Guns: Face; 234mm: Gun house; 104mm; Barbette: 165mm
› Armored deck (Single deck): Fore and Aft decks: 102mm; Forecastle deck: 76mm
› Conning tower: 165mm

Complement: 840-1,093 Navy Personnel


Cost: $40.567 Million

Armaments: (Bow to Stern)
› 1980 Refit:
- 9 x BL 9.2-Inch (234mm)/50 caliber Mk. XII main guns
- 12 x 5-Inch (127mm)/38 caliber Mk. 32 mod 0 Secondary guns
- 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close In Weapon Systems Block 0
- 16 x Mk. 141 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile launchers

› Dryad's Conversion (Circa. 1982):
- 6 x BL 9.2-Inch (234mm)/50 caliber Mk. XII main guns
- 2 x 3-Inch (76mm)/62 caliber Compact secondary weapons (Wing mounted)
- 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close In Weapon Systems Block 0
- 8 x Mk. 141 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile launchers
- 1 x Mk. 10 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) for RIM-2 Terrier


Electronics and processing systems: (Bow to Stern)
› 1980 Refit:
- Forward Main battery range finder, British cruiser gun director
- Forward Secondary battery range finder, U.S Mk. 37 Director
- WSC-3 SatCom
- AN/SPS-10 C-Band Surface Search radar
- AN/SPS-55 I-Band Surface Search radar
- Aft Secondary battery range finder, U.S Mk. 37 Director
- AN/SPS-48 3D Air Search Radar
- Aft Main battery range finder, British cruiser gun director

› FS Dryad:
- Forward Main battery range finder, British cruiser gun director
- Forward Secondary battery range finder, U.S Mk. 37 Director
- WSC-3 SatCom
- AN/SPS-10 C-Band Surface Search radar
- AN/SPS-55 I-Band Surface Search radar
- AN/SPS-62 3D Air Search radar
- AN/SPG-55 Missile Directors

Electronic Warfare suite: (Bow to Stern)
- AN/SLQ-32 (V) 2
- 4 x Mk. 36 SRBOC

Miscellaneous:
- After helicopter flight deck to receive SH-60 during at sea replenishment.

Ships In Class:
FS Arethusa (CA-4)
FS Gannett (CA-5)
FS Dryad (CAG-6)

This is my first time participating on a challenge pls be kind :)
How could I be responsible for something at work, when I was at home asleep? :|
Kiwi Imperialist
Posts: 326
Joined: December 10th, 2014, 9:38 am

New Deadline for Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#9 Post by Kiwi Imperialist »

With the forum in a somewhat stable state, I have imposed a new deadline for the Embiggened Cruiser Challenge. All entries should be posted on the forum before 23:59 Saturday 23 November 2024 (UTC-12). That is approximately 4 days and 11.5 hours from the time of writing (countdown timer). When the deadline passes, we will hold a poll and evaluate each entry as normal while also choosing the subject of the next challenge. Thank you all for your patience, and to Watchwood for working behind the scenes.
Remorseful Dreamer
Posts: 30
Joined: March 12th, 2022, 12:16 pm

Re: Embiggened Cruiser Challenge

#10 Post by Remorseful Dreamer »

Komissar Andropov - Communist White Elephant

Image

Andropov was the product of a truly hilarious series of "Wouldn't it be great if-" design decisions. Initially specified as a CL to escort a singular carrier, she gradually grew into a nearly 25k ton monster, armed with 240mm guns and a wild assortment of ancillary weapons, including mines, armed floatplanes, torpedoes, torpedo boats and even mini submersibles.

More lore to come in my own thread, maybe.

Year of design: 1934
Displacement: 24800 tons
Length: 243.69 meters
Draft: 7.47 meters
Speed: 34.2 knots

Armament (1940):
4x3 240mm (9.45”)/50 calibre Pattern 1933 guns
6x2 130mm (5.1”)/45 calibre Pattern 1936 guns
6x1 37mm/60 calibre Pattern 1938 guns
6x4 12.7mm (0.5”) Watson machine guns
2x3 Model 1921 533mm (21”) torpedoes (no reloads)
2x Model 1908/1935 mine racks aft

Protection:
170mm armoured belt
50mm armoured bow plating at waterline
90mm armoured deck at citadel roof level
50mm torpedo bulkhead backing 2m TDS per side (void-bunker type)
Main battery:
170mm faceplate, 100mm sides, 90mm roof, 130mm rear and barbette
Secondary battery:
50mm all around
40mm splinter shields on 12.7mm AA mounts
Image
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