Francuski plan rozbudowy floty z 1881 r. przewidywał budowę m. in. 20 pancerników, 8 pancerników kolonialnych i 12 pancerników obrony wybrzeża (a do tego sporą liczbę mniejszych jednostek). Oczywiście, takie liczby w ówczesnych francuskich realiach to czysta abstrakcja, niemniej mocno zaintrygowały mnie owe pancerniki kolonialne. Była to podklasa bardzo rzadka, jednak kilku jej przedstawicieli dało by się znaleźć. W pierwszej kolejności na myśl przychodzą mi brytyjskie pancerniki typu Centurion i Renown (10500-12350 ton, 4x254, pb 305-203). Postanowiłem zasymulować analogiczny okręt dla floty francuskiej. Miałby on być, podobnie jak jednostki brytyjskie, nieco mniejszy, słabiej uzbrojony i słabiej opancerzony od pierwszoliniowych współczesnych sobie pancerników. Za to nieco szybszy. We flocie francuskiej lat 80-tych przekładało by się to na okręt o wyporności poniżej 10000 ton, uzbrojony w działa kal. 274 mm, rozwijający co najmniej 18 w. Uwzględniając specyfikę francuskiej szkoły budowy okrętów, taki pancernik mógłby wyglądać mniej więcej tak:
Jean de Vienne, french light battleship laid down 1884 (Engine 1886)
Displacement:
8 177 t light; 8 496 t standard; 9 215 t normal; 9 790 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
327,30 ft / 327,30 ft x 64,90 ft x 26,18 ft (normal load)
99,76 m / 99,76 m x 19,78 m x 7,98 m
Armament:
2 - 10,79" / 274 mm guns in single mounts, 542,92lbs / 246,26kg shells, 1881 Model
Breech loading guns in open barbettes
on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 - 10,79" / 274 mm guns in single mounts, 542,92lbs / 246,26kg shells, 1881 Model
Breech loading guns in open barbettes
on side, all amidships
8 - 5,43" / 138 mm guns in single mounts, 72,97lbs / 33,10kg shells, 1884 Model
Quick firing guns in casemate mounts
on side, all amidships
16 - 1,85" / 47,0 mm guns in single mounts, 2,93lbs / 1,33kg shells, 1885 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
4 - 1,46" / 37,0 mm guns in single mounts, 1,43lbs / 0,65kg shells, 1885 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on centreline, all forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 2 808 lbs / 1 274 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 80
3 - 15,0" / 380 mm submerged torpedo tubes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 15,7" / 400 mm 147,18 ft / 44,86 m 6,99 ft / 2,13 m
Ends: 13,8" / 350 mm 66,63 ft / 20,31 m 6,99 ft / 2,13 m
113,48 ft / 34,59 m Unarmoured ends
Upper: 3,15" / 80 mm 121,26 ft / 36,96 m 7,97 ft / 2,43 m
Main Belt covers 69% of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: - - 13,8" / 350 mm
2nd: - - 13,8" / 350 mm
3rd: 5,91" / 150 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2,36" / 60 mm, Conning tower: 9,84" / 250 mm
Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 13 210 ihp / 9 855 Kw = 18,50 kts
Range 4 000nm at 10,00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1 294 tons (100% coal)
Complement:
469 - 611
Cost:
£0,937 million / $3,747 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 351 tons, 3,8%
Armour: 2 687 tons, 29,2%
- Belts: 1 216 tons, 13,2%
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
- Armament: 711 tons, 7,7%
- Armour Deck: 666 tons, 7,2%
- Conning Tower: 93 tons, 1,0%
Machinery: 2 540 tons, 27,6%
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2 599 tons, 28,2%
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1 038 tons, 11,3%
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0,0%
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
4 952 lbs / 2 246 Kg = 8,7 x 10,8 " / 274 mm shells or 1,0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,41
Metacentric height 4,7 ft / 1,4 m
Roll period: 12,5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 47 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,15
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 0,90
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0,580
Length to Beam Ratio: 5,04 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 18,09 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
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: 12,50 ft / 3,81 m
- Forecastle (17%): 10,96 ft / 3,34 m
- Mid (50%): 10,47 ft / 3,19 m
- Quarterdeck (18%): 10,47 ft / 3,19 m
- Stern: 10,47 ft / 3,19 m
- Average freeboard: 10,73 ft / 3,27 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 122,8%
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 65,6%
Waterplane Area: 15 246 Square feet or 1 416 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 87%
Structure weight / hull surface area: 118 lbs/sq ft or 578 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,92
- Longitudinal: 2,20
- Overall: 1,00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather