Dutch battle cruiser project (1939/40)

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Overview
Type Battle cruiser
units 3 units planned
Technical specifications
displacement
  • Standard 28,407 ts
  • Maximum 31,357 t
length

237.1 m

width

30 m

Draft

7.8 m

drive

8 Werkspoor boilers (180,000 WPS)

speed

34 kn

Range

4500 nm

Armament
  • 3 × 28 cm-SK C / 34
    in 3 treble towers
  • 12 × 12 cm-L / 45
    in 6 twin towers
  • 14 × 4 cm-L / 60 FlaK
    (7 twin guns)
  • 8 × 2 cm Fla - MK
Armor
  • Upper armored deck 100 mm
  • Below armored deck 30 mm
  • Armored bulkheads 300 mm
  • 40 mm torpedo bulkhead
  • Belt in front 100 mm
  • Belt amidships 225 mm
  • Belt aft 100 mm
Armor of the gun turrets
  • Front side 250 mm
  • Side walls 100 mm
  • Ceiling 130 mm
Planes

The Dutch battle cruiser project 1047 was a project for three battle cruisers for the Dutch Navy to respond to the changes in power politics in the Asian region. In particular, the aim was to strengthen the fleet in the Dutch East Indies .

planning

The planning of the ships began in 1939 with a design by the Dutch Navy. The design was revised by the Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw until March 18, 1940. Building on this, the final draft was submitted by April 10, 1940.

Planning aid from other countries

German Empire

Since the Netherlands had no experience in building modern capital ships and could not ensure the production of armor and heavy artillery, they turned to the German Reich . From there they wanted to purchase armor and turrets, identical in construction to those of the Scharnhorst class . The negotiations began in April 1939. In addition to the wishes of the Dutch, the German delegation recommended the installation of more powerful high-pressure boilers. That would have led to problems in the planned hull division and underwater protection. Since the German Reich was not prepared to reveal the plans for the underwater protection of the Scharnhorst class, the boilers were not considered any further.

Italy

Since the problems with underwater protection could not be solved with the help of the German Reich, Italy was asked to inspect the battleships under construction there for the Regia Marina . Italy did not approve this, only gave technical advice on setting up a protection system.

Construction planning

The first ship was still in 1940 to Kiel are placed, the sister ships in late 1940 or 1941. Due to the size of the ships four arrived in the Netherlands shipyards for the construction in question. In Amsterdam, a slipway was extended to 250 m , which was then called the "battle cruiser slipway". The shipyards were:

End of the project

Planning for the ships ended with the invasion of the Wehrmacht in 1940. The German Reich did not pursue any further construction. After the end of the war, the continuation of the project was not resumed.

technology

Ship dimensions

The ship should have a length of 237.1 m and a width of 30 m. The calculated draft should be 7.8 m with a standard displacement of 28,407 tons (maximum 31,357 tons). The oil bunkers should hold 2,950 t of heavy fuel oil and enable a range of 4,500 nm at 20 kn.

drive

The drive was to be guaranteed by eight Werkspoor boilers with a total output of 180,000 hp. The force should be transferred to four screws and allow a speed of 34 knots.

Aircraft

There should be three aircraft on board . A catapult was planned for launch operations.

Armor

The deck armor was divided into upper and lower deck and should have a thickness of 100 mm (above) and 30 mm (below). Tapered belt armor should have a thickness of amidships 225 mm and fore and aft 100 mm. Armored bulkheads 300 mm thick and a 40 mm thick torpedo bulkhead completed the hull armor. The armor armor of the main guns should be 250 mm at the front, 100 mm at the sides and back and 130 mm at the top.

Armament

Main artillery

Nine 28 cm SK C / 34 guns were to serve as the main artillery in three triple turrets. The gun data is the same as that of the Scharnhorst class:

  • Caliber length: 54.5
  • Tube length: 1,526 cm
  • Pipe weight: 53.2 t
  • Bullet weight: 315 kg
  • Maximum firing range at 45 ° elevation: 42,600 m
  • Rate of fire: ~ 2.5 rounds / minute

Medium artillery

Twelve stabilized, semi-automatic 12 cm L / 45 guns from Bofors were to be placed in six twin towers. They could be used against sea, land and air targets ( anti-aircraft guns ). The gun data are:

  • Caliber length: 45
  • Tube length: 540 cm
  • Pipe weight: 3.4 ts
  • Bullet weight: 21 kg
  • maximum firing range at 30 ° barrel elevation: 19 km
  • largest tube elevation: 80 °
  • Rate of fire: 10-12 rounds / minute
  • Operation: 16 men
  • Total weight of the twin tower: 58 t

Air defense

In addition to the guns of the medium artillery, 14 40 mm guns on double mounts and eight 2 cm anti-aircraft guns were to provide protection against aircraft. The gun data of the 40 mm are:

  • Year of construction: 1936
  • Caliber length: 60
  • Tube length: 240 cm
  • Tube weight: 180 kg
  • Bullet weight: 950 g
  • largest tube elevation: 90 °
  • Firing range: 7,200 m
  • Rate of fire: 90 rounds / minute
  • Total weight: 3,500 kg

literature

  • Siegfried Breyer: Battleships and battle cruisers 1905–1970. JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1970. ISBN 3-88199-474-2 , pp. 478-480.