Konkistatzailea-class Battleship (1903)

The *Konkistatzailea*-class battleships represent a major step forward for the Syrellian Navy. Prior to 1900, the Syrellian Navy struggled with the Nanclares government to fund new ships; but only received the one-off battleship *Abangoardia* during the period between 1885 and 1900.

With the resignation of President Nanclares in 1900 and the institution of a new democratic government, the naval leadership found themselves in the somewhat envious position of being in favor with the new regime, which recognized the dismal state to which the Syrellian Navy had fallen in the 1890s (as demonstrated notoriously during the *Guardian* Affair).

With funding floodgates opened, the Committee of Naval Shipbuilding forwarded three projects designed to transform the state of the navy, with precedence given to the construction of five light cruisers and two armoured cruisers, and secondary importance given to a class of three battleships. Technical advice was solicited from more prolific foreign shipbuilders (including Celtica, Drakenstaat, Liotain, and Firocco), but the final design for the *Konkistatzailea* class was completed in Syrellia.

## ***Konkistatzailea*-class, Syrellian Battleship laid down 1902**

**Displacement**:

   11,874 t light; 12,486 t standard; 13,597 t normal; 14,485 t full load

**Dimensions**: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)

   (449.48 ft / 442.91 ft) x 75.46 ft x (22.97 / 24.21 ft)

   (137.00 m / 135.00 m) x 23.00 m  x (7.00 / 7.38 m)

**Armament**:

     4 - 12.01" / 305 mm 44.0 cal guns - 853.68lbs / 387.22kg shells, 110 per gun

     Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1901 Model

     2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread

     8 - 5.91" / 150 mm 45.0 cal guns - 103.86lbs / 47.11kg shells, 200 per gun

     Breech loading guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1901 Model

     2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread

       2 raised mounts - superfiring

     2 x 2-gun mounts on sides forward

     18 - 2.95" / 75.0 mm 50.0 cal guns - 13.11lbs / 5.94kg shells, 300 per gun

     Breech loading guns in casemate mounts, 1885 Model

     18 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread

       8 hull mounts in casemates- Limited use in all but light seas

     Weight of broadside 4,481 lbs / 2,033 kg

**Armour**:

  - Belts:        Width (max)    Length (avg)        Height (avg)

   Main:    11.0" / 280 mm    287.89 ft / 87.75 m    10.43 ft / 3.18 m

   Ends:    3.94" / 100 mm    154.99 ft / 47.24 m    10.43 ft / 3.18 m

   Upper:    3.94" / 100 mm    287.89 ft / 87.75 m    8.01 ft / 2.44 m

     Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

  - Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:

       1.97" / 50 mm    287.89 ft / 87.75 m    21.10 ft / 6.43 m

   Beam between torpedo bulkheads 62.34 ft / 19.00 m

  - Gun armour:    Face (max)    Other gunhouse (avg)    Barbette/hoist (max)

   Main:    12.0" / 305 mm    9.84" / 250 mm        12.0" / 305 mm

   2nd:    3.15" / 80 mm    1.57" / 40 mm        3.15" / 80 mm

   3rd:    1.18" / 30 mm          -                  -

  - Armoured deck - single deck:

   For and Aft decks: 3.15" / 80 mm

  - Conning towers: Forward 9.06" / 230 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

**Machinery**:

   Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,

   Direct drive, 2 shafts, 13,171 ihp / 9,825 Kw = 18.00 kts

   Range 4,500nm at 12.00 kts

   Bunker at max displacement = 1,999 tons (100% coal)

**Complement**:

   629 - 818

**Cost**:

   £1.098 million / $4.393 million

**Distribution of weights at normal displacement**:

   Armament: 994 tons, 7.3 %

      - Guns: 994 tons, 7.3 %

   Armour: 4,725 tons, 34.8 %

      - Belts: 2,106 tons, 15.5 %

      - Torpedo bulkhead: 442 tons, 3.3 %

      - Armament: 876 tons, 6.4 %

      - Armour Deck: 1,190 tons, 8.7 %

      - Conning Tower: 111 tons, 0.8 %

   Machinery: 1,996 tons, 14.7 %

   Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,959 tons, 29.1 %

   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,723 tons, 12.7 %

   Miscellaneous weights: 200 tons, 1.5 %

      - Hull below water: 50 tons

      - Hull above water: 75 tons

      - On freeboard deck: 50 tons

      - Above deck: 25 tons

**Overall survivability and seakeeping ability**:

   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):

     19,050 lbs / 8,641 Kg = 22.0 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 3.4 torpedoes

   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.32

   Metacentric height 5.4 ft / 1.6 m

   Roll period: 13.7 seconds

   Steadiness    - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 86 %

           - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.46

   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.73

**Hull form characteristics**:

   Hull has rise forward of midbreak,

     a ram bow and a cruiser stern

   Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.620 / 0.626

   Length to Beam Ratio: 5.87 : 1

   'Natural speed' for length: 21.05 kts

   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %

   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50

   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.00 degrees

   Stern overhang: -6.56 ft / -2.00 m

   Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):

               Fore end,     Aft end

      - Forecastle:    20.00 %,  23.29 ft / 7.10 m,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m

      - Forward deck:    45.00 %,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m,  19.69 ft / 6.00 m

      - Aft deck:    20.00 %,  9.84 ft / 3.00 m,  9.84 ft / 3.00 m

      - Quarter deck:    15.00 %,  9.84 ft / 3.00 m,  9.84 ft / 3.00 m

      - Average freeboard:        16.53 ft / 5.04 m

**Ship space, strength and comments**:

   Space    - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 92.8 %

       - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 125.6 %

   Waterplane Area: 24,904 Square feet or 2,314 Square metres

   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 107 %

   Structure weight / hull surface area: 129 lbs/sq ft or 631 Kg/sq metre

   Hull strength (Relative):

       - Cross-sectional: 0.94

       - Longitudinal: 1.79

       - Overall: 1.00

   Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space

   Excellent 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

**Ships in Class**:

* *Konkistatzailea* (Conqueror): Laid down 1902
* *Errepublika* (Republic): Laid down 1902
* *Trumoia* (Thunder): Laid down 1903