Shipbucket

Okay, so I have redesigned the forward bridge structure reflecting New Hampshire’s 1927 design and 1931 completion and added the 1944 version.

USS New Hampshire (BB-55)
1927 (As Designed)



USS New Hampshire (BB-55)
1931 (As commissioned)



During 1935/1936 the New Hampshire underwent the first of four modernizations.

The tripod masts were removed and the main mast replaced by a simple tower mast outfitted with a Mk-31 director with three Mk-33 directors just aft of it, one on the centerline and one on either side one deck lower. Two .50cal Browning machine guns were installed one on either side on the lower search light walkway.

The foremast was outfitted with a Mk-31 with a Mk33 fire control director just forward with a Mk-33 director on either side one deck lower and a 15 foot rangefinder just forward of the Mk-33. Six .50cal Browning machine guns were installed three on either side on the conning tower bridge.

Two quadruple 1.1inch (Chicago Piano) Anti-aircraft guns mounted in gun pans on either side of the Fore mast.

The after boom crane was replaced by a newer more robust crane.

USS New Hampshire (BB-55)
1937 (After first modernization)



In 1941 New Hampshire underwent its second refit.

Radar antennae were installed on the various fire control gun directors: Mk18 to the Mk33 directors, the Mk 3 to the upper Mk33s fore and aft and Mk18s to the side Mk33s.
Splinter shields were added to protect the 5inch/25 guns on the boat deck

The fore and after tower masts were expanded.

Two additional 1.1inch quad mounts were installed one on either side of the after mast.

The Browning machine guns were replaced with 20mm Oerlikon machine guns.



In late 1942 New Hampshire left the shipyard with measure 11 camouflage and the fore and after masts were further modified. 53 20mm Oerlikons augmented by 10 Quad 40mm Bofors guns made up the anti-aircraft air defenses.



In March 1943 New Hampshire entered the yards where her 5 inch/25 cal guns were replaced with six 5 inch/38 cal dual mounts and twelve 40mm Bofors AA guns. And six Mk 37 gun fire control directors were added replacing the fore and after Mk. 33 directors.

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French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.

Awesome!

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IMHO, by 1943 a more likely (and definitely more achievable) secondary armament refit would replace the 6/47 triples with 5/38 twins, and replace the eight 5/25 open mounts with six to eight (not sure amidships) single 5/38 pedestal mounts, probably Mk 12. This would mean you wouldn't need to rip up O-2 for 5/38 handling rooms (which would instead replace the newly opened trunks of the 6/47), you could mostly re-use the 5/25 ammo handling I suspect, and you'd have the awe-inspiring total of 11-12 5/38 barrels on either beam. You'd also recover a lot of stability margin; I'm a little bit skeptical that the current refit would work without bulging. Not nearly as awesome for surface warfare, but by 1943 I think the 5/38 would win out.

Of course, it's your design

(you have a slight copy-paste error on the top view, one of the 40mm tubs above the aftermost starboard 6/47)

I had thought to use the 6 inch/47 Mk 16 guns used to arm the Brooklyn and Cleveland class light cruisers as replacements to the pre-existing 6 inch guns. I forgot to mention that in my narrative.

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French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.

Sorry, I meant 6/53, not 6/47. My point remains that I think a unified 5/38 secondary battery would be more likely and more practical.

Let me give it a shot.

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French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.

An excellent work of a What If David.
Your new drawing of the ship as commissioned still shows the crane near C turret wrongly. On the side view it's behind the mast but on the top view it's outside of it.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Yup . . . it's been fixed

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French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.

Impressive piece of work, David! The main battery is huge!

Cool stuff, but for some reason the Navy Blue on the last drawing is different than the Navy Blue on its predecessor.

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