Shipbucket

Extreme HMS Nelson 1928 - 1939

What would happen if the RN decided to push the letter of the WNT to the max when building HMS Nelson ?

So in my AU The RN didn't cheat as such just abused the definition of standard displacement to make a much better ship (lets face it no ship actually fought at standard displacement so why build one designed to ?)

WIP doing top views first to get layout right. (1939/1928 top + 1928 side all WIP)

A few facts,
As built
HMS Nelson Battlecruisers 35kt standard displacement
Guns 9x 15 inch/12 x 4 inch/4 x 40mm
Armour Deck/7inch belt/2 inch turrets/18 inch
Speed in excess of 27KN

any comments welcome (apart from that the RN would not cheat and HMT would not pay ! )

JSB

Er... not too many octuple pom-poms?

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Serve the Nation! Be striped!

Nice idea JSB

I have done updated overhead octuple 2pd which are on the alternate Illustrious and Renowns which look better than the old ones.

Certainly a lot of twin 4" on the later model. With the early view of Nelson you will probably still need a secondary battery of 5.5"/6" as anti-destroyer guns. Besides the twin 6" goes on to be developed for the Leander/Apollo/Arethusa class cruisers.

You can never have too much AA guns.

I think the later version would be very good at surviving Kamikaze attacks giving the amount of Pom-poms.

I mean, the octuple pom-poms were heavy and costly. Fourteen of them on just one ship looks like a little too many.

_________________
Serve the Nation! Be striped!

I agree the 4 inch isn't great but I don't have the weight (in WNT mode) to fit much more and later fitting 4 inch AA guns makes sense in 39 (and doesn't need as much work as they don't go deep into the ship).

Dilandu - Maybe the 39 is actually 41+ ish (or my AU is a RN with better AA :mrgreen) who cares about cost when you are at war ! (yes ok HMT probably still does)

JSB

PS I fully accept this number/type of AA/DP guns isn't likely historically OTL but then the RN would never have been allowed to do the fudging this ship uses anyway.......

Er, well, but the resources are still limited. The octuple pom-pom were extremely complicated and in 1939-1941 - simply don't avaliable in such numbers, i'm afraid. After all, you need them on cruisers, carriers and other ships. Fourteen on just one battleships - is a little too expensive.

_________________
Serve the Nation! Be striped!

I like this, anxiously awaiting the side views!

First (WIP) side view up

JSB