Shipbucket

A ship designed for almost overnight forays into enemy territory is probably a pretty poor blueprint for a raider that shall cruise on its lonesome for weeks at a time. If we are to trust Wikipedia, Abdiel was designed for 1000nmi at 38 knots, about a 26 hour cruise. Even halving the required range, 10000nmi at 17 knots is almost twenty times that. Provisions must be consumed, things will break, repairers will be required, crew need space... I think a factor of two in displacement is actually not so generous at all.

I am not sure it is possible to fulfil all of your requirements, but I gave it a go.



Displacement: 3,700 tons standard, 5,350 full load. (Lots of displacement devoted to fuel)
Dimensions: 410 x 44 x 18 feet
Machinery:
centre shaft - MAN 8-cyl. Diesel, 5,000bhp
outer shafts - geared turbines, 55,000shp
Speed: 17-18 knots diesels only, 34-37 knots with both at full output. (Highest speed would depend on lowest displacement possible)
Endurance: up to 15,000 nmi at 12 knots with mix of diesel and turbines running.
Armour: nil (1.5" box round magazines)
Armament:
4 x 5.9" (2x2)
2 x 37mm (1x2)
4 x 20mm (4x1)
Torpedoes: 4 x 21" (2x2)
Crew: 250

The Abdiel Class never reached 40kts or anywhere near it. This myth never dies.
They are not therefore suitable candidates to use as a rule of thumb comparison. I can't think of any ship of that era with such range.

Even if you could get 40kts out of this ship, the chances of outrunning a cruiser in open Atlantic waters is not very likely, the sea conditions are never going to allow you to actually reach high speeds given the sea motion and slamming experienced.

Also, given your scenario is 1934-36, the high-pressure steam powerplants and high-power diesel engines just aren't available or reliable enough.

The Germans tried this concept with quite a few designs for large oceanic destroyers from 1938 and leading to the Spahkreuser which was laid down but never completed. I suggest these might be a more sound basis for what you have in mind.

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The biggest problem for a raider adhering to the Geneva Convention is having space for captured crews. Because of this a supply ship for the raider is essential. Capturing and/or sinking half a dozen enemy ships will fill the empty spaces up. What about prize crews? If you capture a merchantman with a valuable cargo. it is not just enough to deny it to your enemy, but if you can get it home it will aid your country as well. What if you fall in with a convoy - your raider would easily be chased off by the escort who would almost be as big as the raider to be designed for this challenge.

The smaller your ship is the less effective as a raider it will be.

Hood's suggestion of the Spahkreuzer is probably ok, but again it is not really big enough to fulfil the job description for a decent raider.

The Graf Spee type were about as small as a raider warship should be. The converted merchantmen were best of all. Those did more damage to the Allies than all the warship raiders put together.

Raiders are expendable. The converted merchantmen were not of use bottled up in port once war began.

Well this took me a while...


Alternate scheme for the He 60 is for super sneaky high seas antics of course

Will post stats once I redo the SS report since I changed armament midway, but I'll leave you with:

34 kt @ 78,000 hp
8,100 nm @ 15 kt
3 shafts, 1 diesel plant and 2 geared turbine sets, oil fired boilers
12.7 cm SK C/25 in 6xI configuration

More to come, your comments are welcome!

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w o r k l i s t :
Hatsuyuki-class Escort Ships . . . <3

Well count me in

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Work list(Current)
Miscellaneous|Victorian Colonial Navy|Murray Riverboats|Colony of Victoria AU|Project Sail-fixing SB's sail shortage
How to mentally pronounce my usernameRow-(as in a boat)Don-(as in the short form of Donald)Dough-(bread)
"Loitering on the High Seas" (Named after the good ship Rodondo)
There's no such thing as "nothing left to draw" If you can down 10 pints and draw, you're doing alright by my standards

Still WIP don't know if I'll ever finish it


Designed from the outset to operate as a long range aviso/training ship, the 1935 5600t Langtreken-See Licht-Kreuzer (Google translate )

This ship could house and teach up to 180 cadets alongside a crew of 348 men, and could steam from Germany to Perth (Aus) and return without refueling or circumnavigate the globe unassisted. In addition to this, in wartime the cadet space aft could be converted to hold 150 mines or up to 400 PoW. Boasting a large ship's hospital, the ship also had two wards, one aft for the PoW which in peacetime was a classroom for cadets. These ships were meant to facilitate an influx of cadets projected for the expanding Kriegmarine

Type: Light cruiser
Displacement:
Design: 5,680 t
Full load: 7100t
Length: 145.30 m
Beam: 13.24m
Draft: 7.01m
Propulsion:
6 diesel-fired boilers
two steam turbines
one diesel engine
50,000 hp (23,100 kW)
Speed:30.2kts
Range: 23,800 nmi at 15 knots
Crew:
19 officers
348 enlisted
Armament:
4 × 15 cm SK L/45 guns
2 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns
4 × 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes
150 mines
Armor:
Belt: 50 mm
Deck: 50 mm

Number projected 6-7 units

Ship depicted is Wiesbaden

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Work list(Current)
Miscellaneous|Victorian Colonial Navy|Murray Riverboats|Colony of Victoria AU|Project Sail-fixing SB's sail shortage
How to mentally pronounce my usernameRow-(as in a boat)Don-(as in the short form of Donald)Dough-(bread)
"Loitering on the High Seas" (Named after the good ship Rodondo)
There's no such thing as "nothing left to draw" If you can down 10 pints and draw, you're doing alright by my standards

A nice looking design and one that certainly packs enough varied weapons into a compact ship.
My only concern would be the low freeboard aft which would make the aft decks pretty wet in open waters, although your long forecastle would probably help a little in head seas.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft