the fact that you have to train your officers? I just thought of it, so i poresent... a Gunery trainer
Italia TC-1905, Italia Training Cruiser laid down 1905
Displacement:
1,694 t light; 1,942 t standard; 2,000 t normal; 2,047 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
200.00 ft / 200.00 ft x 60.00 ft x 12.00 ft (normal load)
60.96 m / 60.96 m x 18.29 m x 3.66 m
Armament:
4 - 10.00" / 254 mm guns (2x2 guns), 500.00lbs / 226.80kg shells, 1905 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread
6 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1905 Model
Breech loading guns in casemate mounts
on side, all amidships
2 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns (1x2 guns), 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1905 Model
Breech loading guns in a deck mount with hoist
on side
Weight of broadside 2,402 lbs / 1,090 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
1 - 20.0" / 508 mm submerged torpedo tubes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm -
Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
Direct drive, 1 shaft, 567 ihp / 423 Kw = 10.00 kts
Range 1,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 105 tons (100% coal)
Complement:
149 - 194
Cost:
£0.323 million / $1.291 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 300 tons, 15.0 %
Armour: 68 tons, 3.4 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 68 tons, 3.4 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 80 tons, 4.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,206 tons, 60.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 306 tons, 15.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 40 tons, 2.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,303 lbs / 591 Kg = 2.6 x 10.0 " / 254 mm shells or 0.7 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.31
Metacentric height 3.8 ft / 1.2 m
Roll period: 13.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 80 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.48
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.59
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.486
Length to Beam Ratio: 3.33 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 14.14 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 36 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 15.56 ft / 4.74 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 9.90 ft / 3.02 m
- Mid (50 %): 9.90 ft / 3.02 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 9.90 ft / 3.02 m
- Stern: 9.90 ft / 3.02 m
- Average freeboard: 10.35 ft / 3.16 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 134.8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 95.8 %
Waterplane Area: 7,571 Square feet or 703 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 74 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 125 lbs/sq ft or 610 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.84
- Longitudinal: 4.54
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
Gran Colombia retains an ex-ACM battleship and an ex-IC armored cruiser for this purpose.
I like the idea, but think she'd be rather crowded above-deck. Perhaps consider dumping one of the two big turrets, and adding some armor - then she can double as a monitor during military operations.