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Babylon218 — Defiant-Class Ironclad

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Published: 2021-03-18 21:24:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 3645; Favourites: 21; Downloads: 0
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Description So, when I said "might do some more..."   

Displacement:
   7,298 t light; 7,767 t standard; 8,648 t normal; 9,353 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(360.00 ft / 350.00 ft) x 61.00 ft x (26.50 / 28.18 ft)
(109.73 m / 106.68 m) x 18.59 m  x (8.08 / 8.59 m)

Armament:
     2 - 9.25" / 235 mm 15.0 cal guns - 259.95lbs / 117.91kg shells, 150 per gun
 Breech loading guns in open barbette mounts, 1860 Model
 2 x Single mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
     10 - 9.25" / 235 mm 15.0 cal guns - 259.95lbs / 117.91kg shells, 150 per gun
 Breech loading guns in casemate mounts, 1860 Model
 10 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
10 hull mounts in casemates- Limited use in heavy seas
     6 - 6.00" / 152 mm 15.0 cal guns - 70.95lbs / 32.18kg shells, 150 per gun
 Breech loading guns in casemate mounts, 1860 Model
 6 x Single mounts on side ends, majority forward
6 hull mounts in casemates- Limited use in heavy seas
     Weight of broadside 3,545 lbs / 1,608 kg

Armour:
  - Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 7.00" / 178 mm 170.00 ft / 51.82 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: 6.00" / 152 mm 160.00 ft / 48.77 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
 20.00 ft / 6.10 m Unarmoured ends
 Main Belt covers 75 % of normal length

  - Torpedo Bulkhead - Strengthened structural bulkheads:
6.00" / 152 mm 170.00 ft / 51.82 m 26.00 ft / 7.92 m
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 61.00 ft / 18.59 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main:      -      - 2.00" / 51 mm
2nd: 7.00" / 178 mm      -      -
3rd: 5.00" / 127 mm      -      -

  - Armoured deck - single deck:
For and Aft decks: 2.00" / 51 mm
Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm  Quarter deck: 1.50" / 38 mm

  - Conning towers: Forward 8.00" / 203 mm, Aft 7.00" / 178 mm

Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, simple reciprocating steam engines,
Direct drive, 2 shafts, 5,245 ihp / 3,913 Kw = 14.00 kts
Range 3,000nm at 8.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,587 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
447 - 582

Cost:
£0.549 million / $2.198 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 192 tons, 2.2 %
  - Guns: 192 tons, 2.2 %
Armour: 2,841 tons, 32.8 %
  - Belts: 924 tons, 10.7 %
  - Torpedo bulkhead: 981 tons, 11.3 %
  - Armament: 287 tons, 3.3 %
  - Armour Deck: 512 tons, 5.9 %
  - Conning Towers: 136 tons, 1.6 %
Machinery: 1,681 tons, 19.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,585 tons, 29.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,350 tons, 15.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
 8,174 lbs / 3,708 Kg = 37.6 x 9.3 " / 235 mm shells or 2.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.77
Metacentric height 6.0 ft / 1.8 m
Roll period: 10.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.22
Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
 a ram bow and a round stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.535 / 0.544
Length to Beam Ratio: 5.74 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 18.71 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 36 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
  - Forecastle: 17.50 %,  20.60 ft / 6.28 m,  19.20 ft / 5.85 m
  - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  19.20 ft / 5.85 m,  18.20 ft / 5.55 m
  - Aft deck: 35.00 %,  18.20 ft / 5.55 m,  18.20 ft / 5.55 m
  - Quarter deck: 17.50 %,  18.20 ft / 5.55 m,  18.20 ft / 5.55 m
  - Average freeboard: 18.62 ft / 5.68 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 115.4 %
Waterplane Area: 14,692 Square feet or 1,365 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 128 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 150 lbs/sq ft or 734 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.88
- Longitudinal: 3.26
- Overall: 1.00
Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Adequate accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather


The Defiant-Class Ironclads were a return to the more-conventional design of the Defence-Class after the perceived failure of the Devastation-Class and the lacklustre performance of the Majestic-Class' 2-gun barbettes.  The RMNS Defiant was ordered in 1854 to a revised Defence-Class design, lengthened from 275ft at the waterline to 360ft, and widened to 61ft from 56ft.  This, and other additions, led to an increase in displacement to over 8,600 tons at normal load, and more than 9,000 tons when loaded for war - an increase of more than 2,000 tons compared to her basis.  The increase in displacement necessitated such design changes that, by the time the design was finalised in early 1855, Defiant only visually resembled her Defence-Class cousins, and was for all intents and purposes a completely new design.

One of the most obvious changes between Defence and Defiant (beyond size) was the two 9.25-inch rifles in open barbettes on-deck: though the two-gun arrangement on the Majestic-Class had been prone to jamming and was excessively heavy, it was believed that a single gun could be facilitated without serious issues.  While jamming was still a concern, the barbette mounts on Defiant proved far more reliable and, in any case, only represented 1/6th of the ship's main armament as the 8-gun casemate battery on Defence was upgraded to 10 guns on Defiant.  A second pair of bow chasers were also installed on deck, protected behind gunports in the bow bulwark.  Another easily-visible difference between the two classes was the bridge superstructure on Defiant; installed to aid in spotting over the deck guns.

The increased size of the Defiant yielded other benefits, too.  The class were regarded as very good sea boats, whereas the Defence-Class had trouble with waves breaking over the bow, and they had far better accommodation for the crew.  This fact made them popular with Colonial Fleet crews (commonly called the 'red' fleet for the colour of their command flags and pennants), while they would also find good service as flagships in the Home and Seameric Fleets.  So impressed were the Admiralty with the first two ships: Defiant and Dauntless; they ordered a fifth and sixth ship before the second pair had hit the water.

The Defiants were not without flaws, however.  The gun blast from the forward barbette had a tendency to shred the rigging to the bowsprit, as well as on occasion causing the sprit to break off!  As a result, the sprit was to be jettisoned before the ships went into combat and most commanders would institute procedures banning the use of the forward gun in gunnery practice except over the broadside.  The aft gun would also interfere with the Gaff - an issue which would eventually lead to several of the class being re-rigged as barques.

Defiant is represented here as the flagship of the Home (Blue) Fleet, with the blue-and-white chequered admiral's flag flown from the mainmast.
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Comments: 2

Babylon218 [2021-03-19 00:48:23 +0000 UTC]

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LorenzoFerrari2002 In reply to Babylon218 [2024-05-13 13:14:13 +0000 UTC]

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