Postwar Gun Cruiser challenge

Shigure

Post subject: Re: Postwar Gun Cruiser challenge

Posted: February 24th, 2019, 8:21 pm

Posts: 967
Joined: May 25th, 2016, 2:05 pm

Saint Azia class light cruiser

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Requested during the planning of the invasion of Japan in 1945, the St Azia class of three ships was designed primarily as an air defense escort cruiser. Previous experience with kamikaze attacks, particularly during the invasion of Okinawa, showed that there was a weakness in AA defense which culminated in a grave number of casualties and sinkings. One of the first parameters requested for the cruiser was dual purpose main battery artillery as well as autoloading mechanisms. The previous year a twin autoloading 127mm mount had entered the final stage of testing and even though it was a mechanical nightmare, it was still to be mounted, however only as part of the secondary battery. Development into a 203mm autoloading mount had already begun development and an extension was requested in the form of a smaller 155mm mount which was better suited for tracking aircraft. Features of the new mount included the mechanisms to be loaded at any angle, allow for higher elevation and vastly improved and fully automated loading procedures.

It was predicted that the Invasion of Japan would commence in mid to late 1946 and conclude mid 1947, before St Azia could be finished, but the Navy went ahead with the construction of a single ship, stating she was to be an excellent test bed for upcoming advances in technology. St Azia was indeed that, despite being rendered obsolete only a few years after commission, she was kept in service and constantly modified in order to test new concepts.

Displacement - 21 000 tonnes standard
Speed - 35 knots at 165 000 horsepower
Range - 8000nm at 16 knots
Armor - 152mm belt
- 90mm deck
- 152mm barbettes
- 127mm main battery front plate
- 76mm main battery top and side plates
- 25mm secondary turret plating

Main battery (As launched) - 5x3 155mm/60
Secondary battery (as designed) - 6x2 127mm/45
Secondary battery (as launched) - 6x1 127mm/52
Missile battery (as of 1958) - 1x2 MkL-3 launcher with 46 RIM-2s

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St Azia depicted as she was designed. She sported 40mm AA guns instead of the 76mm mounts she would mount in service. Additionally she was to have an aircraft catapult and had space for two scout planes. Her design notes also stated that she was to mount a twin 5" DP mount (Mk46), of which would also be used sparingly aboard the Syce class destroyers (1944-1946), however due to its low success St Azia would mount a newer single mount (Mk47) when they became available.

Rough plans for her camouflage scheme also existed however they were abandoned soon after the initial drafts, which was common in 1945 due to the fact that Antaran naval units were no longer expected to engage surface targets.

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During construction, St Azia had her planned aircraft catapult removed to make space for a helicopter instead. Along with the previously mentioned changes, her fire control suite was changed. The 6" and 5" directors were removed in favour of the Type 15 director, designed to control the batteries of 5" and 6" DP mounts. However the 6" range finders were left in place in case there was a need to engage surface targets with the main battery.

As predicted, St Azia arrived several months after World War 2 had concluded, but her service life was far from over.

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By 1957, along with regular gradual improvements to her radar and electronics suite, St Azia had her secondary mounts changed once again. While the previous Mk47 were far from bad, the new Mk51 mounts were far more efficient and were here to stay this time.

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Late 1957 to 1959 saw many changes to St Azia. While all changes and tests were documented, few were photographed. Most experiments and tests related to the use of ship borne guided missiles. Her 6th 'build' being the last, which ended in July 1959. The results of the testing set in stone the design of future guided missile cruisers.

St Azia was photographed in her 6th test configuration on 7 August 1959. Major changes included the removal of her aft main battery, a 5" mount and several smaller AA mounts - all of which were replaced with a MkL3 (the third ship borne missile launcher approved for serial production, dubbed 'Mickael 3') and a magazine for RIM-3 guided missiles, complete with target illuminators. Additionally her helicopter and aft crane was removed, most likely to make modifications during the testing easier.

Another change was the addition of torpedo launchers with homing torpedoes for ASW work, with sonar domes to compliment.

Even with the new anti-air missiles, her role as an anti-aircraft escort cruiser remained the same, and thus her classification had not changed from 'light cruiser - CL'. Like with most WW2 era cruiser missile conversions, their old classifications remained in place so long as their original main battery existed as the missiles were an upgrade to their AA suite.

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St Azia's 1961 configuration officially set the standard for missile conversions of older cruisers. Following the success of the tests, the extensive modernization of over 15 other vessels was ordered. The success also prompted the request for dedicated missile cruisers.

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In the late 1960s, St Azia was plagued with engine troubles which cut her lifetime shorter than most wartime cruisers. Following a long career as both pure gunboat and semi-gun and semi-missile boat, it was determined it would be too expensive to maintain her worn propulsion and engine system. In September 1979, St Azia was decommissioned and scrapped in January 1980.

Ships in class

St Azia - scrapped, 1979
Mizriah - cancelled, 1945
CL28-3 - cancelled, 1945

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Last edited by Shigure on March 2nd, 2019, 2:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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