- Joined
- 1 February 2011
- Messages
- 2,724
- Reaction score
- 2,936
From the page 80 of the book: Cockatoo Island: Sydney's Historic Dockyard:
http://books.google.hu/books?id=1ulc79wlY54C&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#v=onepage&q=cruiser&f=false
These cruisers are designed by Cockatoo Island naval Dockyards in 1924 and Vickers in 1929.
They resemble a significantly modified Hawkins class cruiser, with a similar hull shape and armour layout. Difference that this design have 2 more boilers but their layout as well the stac's and bridge shape are basically the same as the Hawkinses. This is due that the Australian are known data about these cruiser but not about the new Counties.
Armaments:
9x 8inch guns in 3 triple turrets
12x 5inch guns in casemates 6 per beam in a casemate deck from abreast the bridge to just forward of C turret, in a 4-cornered arrangement s 4-4 can fire forward and aft with a single on each beam abreast the forward stack, and a single on each beam abreast the mainmast.
4x 4inch AA guns on a raised platform with the mainmast in the middle of it.
4x 21inch Torpedo Tubes all submerged under the bridge, 2 port 2 starboard.
Triple turrets because at that time the Admirality considered these turrets for the Counties but later not pursued
As the image shows there is also an alternative position for the C turret shown. This could be a better placement for a future seaplane space or a possible place for a 4th turret if twin guns to be fitted.
Specifications:
Displacement: 10,000tons (probably light or empty)
Dimensions: 192m x 20.87m x 5.25m
Propulsion: 90,000shp 2 shafts
Speed: 61km/h (33knots)
Other Information:
The CA design was done quickly, as a sketch design by Cockatoo and Walsh Island designers to start work on cost estimates for the construction of such ships in Australia. At this point in time the Counties were still in early design stage, and therefore had little or no data on them. Apparently they did have full drawings for the Hawkins class - the nearest thing to a modern 10,000 ton CA that they had available. So they used an expanded version of the design, with data from Vickers on the planned triple 8" turret.
As a note it was a possible modernizations of the hawkins class with 3 twin 8inch gun turrets!
Another variant states from 1925 is that the same hull of the HMS Kent, Displacement of Light load draft under Washington Standard: 10000 tons. Engien with 80,000shp power, no data for speed but changed armament of 4x2 8inch, 4x1 4inch AA guns, 2 Pom Poms, 4 3 pounder saluting guns and two quadruple above water torpedo launchers.
Two ships to be built to replace the decommissioned and scuttled battlecruiser HMAS Australia as part of the "Empire protection plan".
Basically, to protect trade near & with Australia, and to provide their contribution to defense of the Commonwealth/Empire as a whole.
In the end, it was the expense of building these ships in Australia to a unique design that cancelled them in favor of buying two Kent class 8" cruisers "off-the-shelf" from UK shipyards in 1925.
1929 Vickers design by George Thurston, version Type A (type B have 4 twin turrets and Type C have 3 triple all forward!)
http://books.google.hu/books?id=1ulc79wlY54C&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#v=onepage&q=cruiser&f=false
![1924cruisercrop_zps0c4ec494.png](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi22.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb336%2FBager1968%2FCruisers%2F1924cruisercrop_zps0c4ec494.png&hash=1fc00e7d4aa6b18bf74ae0d3569983ee)
These cruisers are designed by Cockatoo Island naval Dockyards in 1924 and Vickers in 1929.
They resemble a significantly modified Hawkins class cruiser, with a similar hull shape and armour layout. Difference that this design have 2 more boilers but their layout as well the stac's and bridge shape are basically the same as the Hawkinses. This is due that the Australian are known data about these cruiser but not about the new Counties.
Armaments:
9x 8inch guns in 3 triple turrets
12x 5inch guns in casemates 6 per beam in a casemate deck from abreast the bridge to just forward of C turret, in a 4-cornered arrangement s 4-4 can fire forward and aft with a single on each beam abreast the forward stack, and a single on each beam abreast the mainmast.
4x 4inch AA guns on a raised platform with the mainmast in the middle of it.
4x 21inch Torpedo Tubes all submerged under the bridge, 2 port 2 starboard.
Triple turrets because at that time the Admirality considered these turrets for the Counties but later not pursued
As the image shows there is also an alternative position for the C turret shown. This could be a better placement for a future seaplane space or a possible place for a 4th turret if twin guns to be fitted.
Specifications:
Displacement: 10,000tons (probably light or empty)
Dimensions: 192m x 20.87m x 5.25m
Propulsion: 90,000shp 2 shafts
Speed: 61km/h (33knots)
Other Information:
The CA design was done quickly, as a sketch design by Cockatoo and Walsh Island designers to start work on cost estimates for the construction of such ships in Australia. At this point in time the Counties were still in early design stage, and therefore had little or no data on them. Apparently they did have full drawings for the Hawkins class - the nearest thing to a modern 10,000 ton CA that they had available. So they used an expanded version of the design, with data from Vickers on the planned triple 8" turret.
As a note it was a possible modernizations of the hawkins class with 3 twin 8inch gun turrets!
Another variant states from 1925 is that the same hull of the HMS Kent, Displacement of Light load draft under Washington Standard: 10000 tons. Engien with 80,000shp power, no data for speed but changed armament of 4x2 8inch, 4x1 4inch AA guns, 2 Pom Poms, 4 3 pounder saluting guns and two quadruple above water torpedo launchers.
Two ships to be built to replace the decommissioned and scuttled battlecruiser HMAS Australia as part of the "Empire protection plan".
Basically, to protect trade near & with Australia, and to provide their contribution to defense of the Commonwealth/Empire as a whole.
In the end, it was the expense of building these ships in Australia to a unique design that cancelled them in favor of buying two Kent class 8" cruisers "off-the-shelf" from UK shipyards in 1925.
1929 Vickers design by George Thurston, version Type A (type B have 4 twin turrets and Type C have 3 triple all forward!)
![1929CockatooIslandsyddesign_zpsa4996c05.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi22.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb336%2FBager1968%2FCruisers%2F1929CockatooIslandsyddesign_zpsa4996c05.jpg&hash=a5d32d645f57ef8fc7bda3d060bccb8c)