Dziś okręt który można by nazwać lekkim krążownikiem liniowym – jest to autentyczny francuski projekt z lat 20-tych, który powstał celem zwalczania nowych włoskich krążowników ciężkich typu Trento, stanowiących istotne zagrożenia dla francuskiej żeglugi na Morzu Śródziemnym (krążą też pogłoski że to francuski okręt do zwalczania Deutschlandów, ale choć by charakterystyką do tego nawet pasował, to jest zbyt wczesny). Okręt miał mieć 17500 ton wyporności standard (co umożliwiało by zbudowanie czterech takich jednostek w limicie traktatowym przeznaczonym Francuzom na dwa prawdziwe pancerniki), 8 dział 305 mm zgrupowanych w dwóch wieżach na dziobie, opancerzenie chroniące przed pociskami 203 mm i dużą prędkość. Ponieważ jednak Niemcy podjęli budowę tzw. pancerników kieszonkowych, a Włosi nie zdecydowali co zrobią z przyznanym im limitem wyporności na pancerniki, projekt zaczął ewoluować w kierunku większych jednostek, ostatecznie kończąc jako Dunkerque i Strasbourg.
Charlemagne, french light battlecruiser laid down 1927 (Engine 1928)
Displacement:
16 860 t light; 17 579 t standard; 18 269 t normal; 18 820 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
673,85 ft / 657,68 ft x 81,30 ft x 27,43 ft (normal load)
205,39 m / 200,46 m x 24,78 m x 8,36 m
Armament:
8 - 12,01" / 305 mm guns (2x4 guns), 865,70lbs / 392,67kg shells, 1927 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline, all forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
8 - 2,95" / 75,0 mm guns in single mounts, 12,87lbs / 5,84kg shells, 1924 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
10 - 1,46" / 37,0 mm guns in single mounts, 1,55lbs / 0,70kg shells, 1925 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, 4 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 7 044 lbs / 3 195 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 90
6 - 21,7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 4,53" / 115 mm 347,05 ft / 105,78 m 10,01 ft / 3,05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 2,95" / 75 mm 347,05 ft / 105,78 m 7,94 ft / 2,42 m
Main Belt covers 81% of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 4,92" / 125 mm 2,76" / 70 mm 4,53" / 115 mm
- Armour deck: 1,14" / 29 mm (2,24" / 57 mm over amidships), Conning tower: 4,92" / 125 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 142 483 shp / 106 292 Kw = 33,60 kts
Range 4 600nm at 13,00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1 241 tons
Complement:
785 - 1 021
Cost:
£7,094 million / $28,375 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 881 tons, 4,8%
Armour: 2 489 tons, 13,6%
- Belts: 1 050 tons, 5,7%
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0,0%
- Armament: 653 tons, 3,6%
- Armour Deck: 712 tons, 3,9%
- Conning Tower: 74 tons, 0,4%
Machinery: 4 436 tons, 24,3%
Hull, fittings & equipment: 8 954 tons, 49,0%
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1 409 tons, 7,7%
Miscellaneous weights: 100 tons, 0,5%
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
15 891 lbs / 7 208 Kg = 18,4 x 12,0 " / 305 mm shells or 1,8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1,10
Metacentric height 4,4 ft / 1,3 m
Roll period: 16,3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 55 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0,77
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1,10
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0,436
Length to Beam Ratio: 8,09 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25,65 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9,00 degrees
Stern overhang: 10,96 ft / 3,34 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 32,91 ft / 10,03 m
- Forecastle (23%): 27,92 ft / 8,51 m
- Mid (44%): 27,43 ft / 8,36 m (19,95 ft / 6,08 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (19%): 19,95 ft / 6,08 m
- Stern: 20,44 ft / 6,23 m
- Average freeboard: 23,88 ft / 7,28 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 115,1%
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 170,5%
Waterplane Area: 33 729 Square feet or 3 134 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 99%
Structure weight / hull surface area: 168 lbs/sq ft or 822 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0,92
- Longitudinal: 2,15
- Overall: 1,00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
2 catapults, 2 seaplanes
Charlemagne (1928)
Brennus (1928)
Vercingetorix (1929)
Charles Martel (1929)