The last VTE cruisers of the Roman Navy, the Ovilava class sees a drastic change in armament. This does not come without issue, as the design is horribly cramped.
Four Ships:
QuoteOvilava, Imperial Roman Republic Cruiser laid down 1902
Displacement:
4,800 t light; 5,021 t standard; 5,512 t normal; 5,905 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(351.05 ft / 351.05 ft) x 54.13 ft x (20.51 / 21.60 ft)
(107.00 m / 107.00 m) x 16.50 m x (6.25 / 6.58 m)
Armament:
10 - 5.51" / 140 mm 50.0 cal guns - 85.98lbs / 39.00kg shells, 200 per gun
Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1902 Model
2 x Single mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
8 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
6 - 2.95" / 75.0 mm 50.0 cal guns - 13.23lbs / 6.00kg shells, 350 per gun
Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1902 Model
2 x Single mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 raised mounts
4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
4 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 939 lbs / 426 kg
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.57" / 40 mm 0.39" / 10 mm 1.57" / 40 mm
2nd: 0.59" / 15 mm 0.20" / 5 mm 1.57" / 40 mm
- Protected deck - single deck:
For and Aft decks: 2.76" / 70 mm
Forecastle: 1.18" / 30 mm Quarter deck: 1.18" / 30 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 3.94" / 100 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Coal and oil fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 16,500 ihp / 12,309 Kw = 21.88 kts
Range 5,500nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 884 tons (90% coal)
Complement:
319 - 415
Cost:
£0.617 million / $2.468 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 290 tons, 5.3 %
- Guns: 290 tons, 5.3 %
Armour: 657 tons, 11.9 %
- Armament: 51 tons, 0.9 %
- Armour Deck: 579 tons, 10.5 %
- Conning Tower: 26 tons, 0.5 %
Machinery: 2,475 tons, 44.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,278 tons, 23.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 712 tons, 12.9 %
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 1.8 %
- Hull below water: 5 tons
- Hull above water: 40 tons
- On freeboard deck: 40 tons
- Above deck: 15 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
2,324 lbs / 1,054 Kg = 27.8 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 0.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.54
Metacentric height 4.2 ft / 1.3 m
Roll period: 11.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.26
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.31
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck ,
a normal bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.495 / 0.504
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.48 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 18.74 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 53
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m
- Forward deck: 30.00 %, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m
- Aft deck: 35.00 %, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m, 15.58 ft / 4.75 m
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 6.56 ft / 2.00 m, 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
- Average freeboard: 14.23 ft / 4.34 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 163.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 117.3 %
Waterplane Area: 12,603 Square feet or 1,171 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 82 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 73 lbs/sq ft or 357 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.83
- Longitudinal: 1.96
- Overall: 0.90
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
Cramped machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Adequate accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Misc Distribution
--Below Water (5t)
----5t Additional Pumps
--Above Water (40t)
----10t Improved Officer Accommodations
----10t Improved Crew Accommodations
----10t Short-Range Wireless
----5t Improved Ventilation
----5t Construction Reserve
--On Deck (40t)
----16t 8x450mm Torpedos (45 Pattern A)
----10t Short-Range Wireless
----4t Improved Torpedo Handling Equipment
----5t Additional Officer accommodations
----5t Construction Reserve
--Above Deck (15t)
----10t Improved Aquisition Structures
----5t Additional Searchlights