Drake's Drum

[lordroel]

Aug 13, 2019 15:47:02 GMT nicksumner said:

Here are two more Photoshopped images of warships from the Drake’s Drum timeline. The first is the Soviet battleship Frunze (formerly the Poltava) which has undergone a comprehensive reconstruction to become a battleship. Although certainly ambitious, this reconstruction was actually contemplated in OTL, though it was never carried out. The second is HMAS Endeavour, seen here running her trials in 1926. In Drake’s Drum, HMAS Australia becomes a museum ship and an incomplete Hood class battle cruiser is purchased by the Royal Australian Navy (with a little help from the RN) to replace it. There is a significant redesign, the ship becomes flush decked, the height of the aft barbettes are increased, the secondary armament is modified and a more modern style of conning tower is fitted. There would need to be more hull volume aft to compensate for the extra weight and the ships draught would increase. Top speed would be slightly reduced.

The ‘photographs’ section of the Drake’s Drum website has also been updated and you can read the full story of the Frunze in the 'Peterson's World Fighting Ships' section of the Appendices.

Great photos nicksumner.

[nicksumner]

Thanks lordroel!

[stevep]

Aug 13, 2019 15:47:02 GMT nicksumner said:

Here are two more Photoshopped images of warships from the Drake’s Drum timeline. The first is the Soviet battleship Frunze (formerly the Poltava) which has undergone a comprehensive reconstruction to become a battleship. Although certainly ambitious, this reconstruction was actually contemplated in OTL, though it was never carried out. The second is HMAS Endeavour, seen here running her trials in 1926. In Drake’s Drum, HMAS Australia becomes a museum ship and an incomplete Hood class battle cruiser is purchased by the Royal Australian Navy (with a little help from the RN) to replace it. There is a significant redesign, the ship becomes flush decked, the height of the aft barbettes are increased, the secondary armament is modified and a more modern style of conning tower is fitted. There would need to be more hull volume aft to compensate for the extra weight and the ships draught would increase. Top speed would be slightly reduced.

The ‘photographs’ section of the Drake’s Drum website has also been updated and you can read the full story of the Frunze in the 'Peterson's World Fighting Ships' section of the Appendices.

  Nick

  One problem with an Hood class BBs in the RAN as its going to be expensive.  Maintaining the ship would need much enlarged dockyards and other supporting facilities.  I know OTL after WWI that was one reason why the Australian had plans to extensively refit the original RAN Australia as the largest design of ship they could support without a lot of spending to expand the facilities.

  Steve

 

[lordroel]

Aug 14, 2019 14:40:51 GMT stevep said:

Aug 13, 2019 15:47:02 GMT nicksumner said:

Here are two more Photoshopped images of warships from the Drake’s Drum timeline. The first is the Soviet battleship Frunze (formerly the Poltava) which has undergone a comprehensive reconstruction to become a battleship. Although certainly ambitious, this reconstruction was actually contemplated in OTL, though it was never carried out. The second is HMAS Endeavour, seen here running her trials in 1926. In Drake’s Drum, HMAS Australia becomes a museum ship and an incomplete Hood class battle cruiser is purchased by the Royal Australian Navy (with a little help from the RN) to replace it. There is a significant redesign, the ship becomes flush decked, the height of the aft barbettes are increased, the secondary armament is modified and a more modern style of conning tower is fitted. There would need to be more hull volume aft to compensate for the extra weight and the ships draught would increase. Top speed would be slightly reduced.

The ‘photographs’ section of the Drake’s Drum website has also been updated and you can read the full story of the Frunze in the 'Peterson's World Fighting Ships' section of the Appendices.

  Nick

  One problem with an Hood class BBs in the RAN as its going to be expensive.  Maintaining the ship would need much enlarged dockyards and other supporting facilities.  I know OTL after WWI that was one reason why the Australian had plans to extensively refit the original RAN Australia as the largest design of ship they could support without a lot of spending to expand the facilities.

  Steve

 

stevep, is there a difference between the Indefatigable-class battlecruiser which HMAS Australia was and the Hood class they now have, ore am i asking a dumb question.

[stevep]

Aug 14, 2019 14:47:03 GMT lordroel said:

Aug 14, 2019 14:40:51 GMT stevep said:

  Nick

  One problem with an Hood class BBs in the RAN as its going to be expensive.  Maintaining the ship would need much enlarged dockyards and other supporting facilities.  I know OTL after WWI that was one reason why the Australian had plans to extensively refit the original RAN Australia as the largest design of ship they could support without a lot of spending to expand the facilities.

  Steve

 

stevep , is there a difference between the Indefatigable-class battlecruiser which HMAS Australia was and the Hood class they now have, ore am i asking a dumb question.

  Lordroel

  The original HMAS_Australia_1911 was one of the early I class BCs, about 18,500 tons displacement with 8x12 guns and 25kts speed.  HMS_Hood as completed OTL was effectively a fast battleship, 46,800 tons [according to the Wiki page but this may be by ~1941.  When completed it was ~40,000 tons] 8x15" guns and 32 knots when 1st completed.  [Again that speed sounds a little high].  Similarly Australia's dimensions were  590 ft (179.8 m) x 80 ft (24.4 m) x 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m) at maximum while Hood was 860 ft 7 in (262.3 m) x 104 ft 2 in (31.8 m) x 32 ft 0 in (9.8 m) so its a much bigger ship.

  Steve

[lordroel]

Aug 14, 2019 14:57:18 GMT stevep said:

Aug 14, 2019 14:47:03 GMT lordroel said:

stevep , is there a difference between the Indefatigable-class battlecruiser which HMAS Australia was and the Hood class they now have, ore am i asking a dumb question.

  Lordroel

  The original HMAS_Australia_1911 was one of the early I class BCs, about 18,500 tons displacement with 8x12 guns and 25kts speed.  HMS_Hood as completed OTL was effectively a fast battleship, 46,800 tons [according to the Wiki page but this may be by ~1941.  When completed it was ~40,000 tons] 8x15" guns and 32 knots when 1st completed.  [Again that speed sounds a little high].  Similarly Australia's dimensions were  590 ft (179.8 m) x 80 ft (24.4 m) x 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m) at maximum while Hood was 860 ft 7 in (262.3 m) x 104 ft 2 in (31.8 m) x 32 ft 0 in (9.8 m) so its a much bigger ship.

  Steve

So why did you say that Australia might have problems in operating a hood class battlecruiser.

[stevep]

Aug 14, 2019 15:05:49 GMT lordroel said:

Aug 14, 2019 14:57:18 GMT stevep said:

  Lordroel

  The original HMAS_Australia_1911 was one of the early I class BCs, about 18,500 tons displacement with 8x12 guns and 25kts speed.  HMS_Hood as completed OTL was effectively a fast battleship, 46,800 tons [according to the Wiki page but this may be by ~1941.  When completed it was ~40,000 tons] 8x15" guns and 32 knots when 1st completed.  [Again that speed sounds a little high].  Similarly Australia's dimensions were  590 ft (179.8 m) x 80 ft (24.4 m) x 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m) at maximum while Hood was 860 ft 7 in (262.3 m) x 104 ft 2 in (31.8 m) x 32 ft 0 in (9.8 m) so its a much bigger ship.

  Steve

So why did you say that Australia might have problems in operating a hood class battlecruiser.

  Lordroel

  Look at the figures above.  If the largest docks and other facilities can just about manage a 590x80x30' ship then something about 860x104x32 is going to need substantial increases in them to support the larger ship.  Also an Hood will require a markedly larger crew and it is oil fueled.  This latter is important in terms of supplies.  Australia has its own coal mines but no oil, at least as far as I'm aware. 

  It should be noted that the switch to oil was very expensive for the empire as a whole.  In 1914 Britain had world-wide bases for ships to operate from, many with existing stockpiles of coal, plus in some areas local suppliers of coal.  To change to oil and make it available around the world was hugely expensive and took a good proportion of the intra-war period.  One of the guys on a naval site I visit - who is widely considered a great expert on this issue - says that the bulk of the money often quoted for the costs of the new base in Singapore in the 1930s' was actually spent on building up oil stockpiles around the empire so that oil fueled ships could operate freely. 

  Steve

[lordroel]

Aug 14, 2019 17:24:18 GMT stevep said:

Aug 14, 2019 15:05:49 GMT lordroel said:

So why did you say that Australia might have problems in operating a hood class battlecruiser.

  Lordroel

  Look at the figures above.  If the largest docks and other facilities can just about manage a 590x80x30' ship then something about 860x104x32 is going to need substantial increases in them to support the larger ship.  Also an Hood will require a markedly larger crew and it is oil fueled.  This latter is important in terms of supplies.  Australia has its own coal mines but no oil, at least as far as I'm aware. 

  It should be noted that the switch to oil was very expensive for the empire as a whole.  In 1914 Britain had world-wide bases for ships to operate from, many with existing stockpiles of coal, plus in some areas local suppliers of coal.  To change to oil and make it available around the world was hugely expensive and took a good proportion of the intra-war period.  One of the guys on a naval site I visit - who is widely considered a great expert on this issue - says that the bulk of the money often quoted for the costs of the new base in Singapore in the 1930s' was actually spent on building up oil stockpiles around the empire so that oil fueled ships could operate freely. 

  Steve

I do hoop the Australian Hood-class has not got the same design flaw (if it was one, if not, my mistake) as OTL Hood had.

[nicksumner]

stevep, great points as always, I've gone to some pains to explain how Australia managed to afford a Hood class battle cruiser in the Annexes of the book and the Appendices which are posted on the website. A quick update on those, the paperback version of Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens is on course for release in the next couple of weeks but the Appendix for the RN and Commonwealth navies probably won't be posted on the website till November when the second book (Drake's Drum: The Reckoning) is due to be released as a Kindle. Till then I'm going to ask for your patience.

[lordroel]

Aug 15, 2019 12:04:07 GMT nicksumner said:

 Appendix for the RN and Commonwealth navies probably won't be posted on the website till November when the second book (Drake's Drum: The Reckoning) is due to be released as a Kindle. Till then I'm going to ask for your patience.

If they are like the others you already have posted on your website, it is worth the wait.

[stevep]

Aug 15, 2019 12:04:07 GMT nicksumner said:

stevep, great points as always, I've gone to some pains to explain how Australia managed to afford a Hood class battle cruiser in the Annexes of the book and the Appendices which are posted on the website. A quick update on those, the paperback version of Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens is on course for release in the next couple of weeks but the Appendix for the RN and Commonwealth navies probably won't be posted on the website till November when the second book (Drake's Drum: The Reckoning) is due to be released as a Kindle. Till then I'm going to ask for your patience.

  Nick

  Thanks for that.  Let me know when its available and I'll add to my library. 

  Steve

[nicksumner]

I'm very proud to formally announce the launch of the paperback edition of Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens.

Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens on the Sealion Press Website

'Books, like Champagne, should be bought by the case.'

[lordroel]

Sept 13, 2019 13:45:38 GMT nicksumner said:

I'm very proud to formally announce the launch of the paperback edition of Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens.

Drake's Drum: The Peace of Amiens on the Sealion Press Website

'Books, like Champagne, should be bought by the case.'

Nice work nicksumner, have the first novel already as E version and it is good, so I will buy the second one as well.

[nicksumner]

Thanks lordroel, the second installment Drake's Drum: The Reckoning is being edited at the publishers and should be released before too long.

[lordroel]

Sept 14, 2019 13:24:35 GMT nicksumner said:

Thanks lordroel, the second installment Drake's Drum: The Reckoning is being edited at the publishers and should be released before too long.

That is nice, will buy it when it comes out.