Drake's Drum

[nicksumner]

Two warship designs that feature in Drake's Drum. They were designed in our time line but never built. Top: HMS Lion, lead ship of a class of five battleships armed with 9 X 16 inch guns. In OTL four were planned and two were laid down, but wartime shortages and changes in priorities meant neither were ever launched. In Drake's Drum, five are commissioned. Bottom: two designs for heavy cruisers were prepared by the RN in 1938/39. The second was a 15,500 ton ship with 9 X 8 inch guns. None were ever laid down. In the Drake's Drum timeline four are completed and two more cancelled.

[lordroel]

Sept 16, 2019 16:12:06 GMT nicksumner said:

Two warship designs that feature in Drake's Drum. They were designed in our time line but never built. Top: HMS Lion, lead ship of a class of five battleships armed with 9 X 16 inch guns. In OTL four were planned and two were laid down, but wartime shortages and changes in priorities meant neither were ever launched. In Drake's Drum, five are commissioned. Bottom: two designs for heavy cruisers were prepared by the RN in 1938/39. The second was a 15,500 ton ship with 9 X 8 inch guns. None were ever laid down. In the Drake's Drum timeline four are completed and two more cancelled.

Nice looking ships, especially the second one with it camouflage sceme.

[nicksumner]

I'm very happy to announce that the second book of the Drake's Drum Trilogy is now available.​

[lordroel]

Nov 4, 2019 17:50:15 GMT nicksumner said:

I'm very happy to announce that the second book of the Drake's Drum Trilogy is now available.​

Nice to hear that nicksumner, going to buy it as soon as i can.

[nicksumner]

Shikishima was the largest and most powerful battleship ever constructed. Her design was derived from that of the Yamato class and she shipped six 20 inch guns. Each of her armour piercing shells weighed 4190lbs. Blast from the main armament was so great that no catapult could be installed and therefore no aircraft were carried. Also because of blast, steel was used on the upper deck rather than the more traditional teak. All AA weapons had to be fully enclosed in shock resistant mountings. Despite these precautions, discharge of the main armament caused extensive damage to the decks and superstructure. This included buckled plates, stripped paint, broken fixtures and fittings, popped rivets and ruptured pipes.

This Photoshopped image is my interpretation of what the OTL Japanese A150 battleship design might have looked like. She will be making an appearance in Drake’s Drum.

Drake's Drum website

[lordroel]

Nov 7, 2019 15:43:22 GMT nicksumner said:

Shikishima was the largest and most powerful battleship ever constructed. Her design was derived from that of the Yamato class and she shipped eight 20 inch guns. Each of her armour piercing shells weighed 4190lbs. Blast from the main armament was so great that no catapult could be installed and therefore no aircraft were carried. Also because of blast, steel was used on the upper deck rather than the more traditional teak. All AA weapons had to be fully enclosed in shock resistant mountings. Despite these precautions, discharge of the main armament caused extensive damage to the decks and superstructure. This included buckled plates, stripped paint, broken fixtures and fittings, popped rivets and ruptured pipes.

This Photoshopped image is my interpretation of what the OTL Japanese A150 battleship design might have looked like. She will be making an appearance in Drake’s Drum.

Drake's Drum website

She's a beauty, that i can tell for sure, nice work nicksumner.

[nicksumner]

The USN Appendix is now up at the Drake's Drum Website

The images below are Photoshopped

Top: BB72 USS Wyoming, a battleship from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Based on the BB65 Montana design, she was commissioned in early 1947, shipped nine 18 inch guns and had a modified superstructure and secondary armament layout. Originally to be one of a class of eight ships, only three were eventually completed.

Below: CV 13 USS Franklin, an Essex class carrier, lies alongside CV19 USS Independence. Lead ship of her class, Independence commissioned towards the end of 1946 and was based on the CV-B design of 1941.

[lordroel]

Nov 18, 2019 16:14:18 GMT nicksumner said:

The USN Appendix is now up at the Drake's Drum Website

The images below are Photoshopped

Top: BB72 USS Wyoming, a battleship from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Based on the BB65 Montana design, she was commissioned in early 1947, shipped nine 18 inch guns and had a modified superstructure and secondary armament layout. Originally to be one of a class of eight ships, only three were eventually completed.

Below: CV 13 USS Franklin, an Essex class carrier, lies alongside CV19 USS Independence. Lead ship of her class, Independence commissioned towards the end of 1946 and was based on the CV-B design of 1941.

Two great pictures nicksumner, and you can see clearly the size difference of a Essex and a Independence.

[stevep]

Nov 18, 2019 16:14:18 GMT nicksumner said:

The USN Appendix is now up at the Drake's Drum Website

The images below are Photoshopped

Top: BB72 USS Wyoming, a battleship from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Based on the BB65 Montana design, she was commissioned in early 1947, shipped nine 18 inch guns and had a modified superstructure and secondary armament layout. Originally to be one of a class of eight ships, only three were eventually completed.

Below: CV 13 USS Franklin, an Essex class carrier, lies alongside CV19 USS Independence. Lead ship of her class, Independence commissioned towards the end of 1946 and was based on the CV-B design of 1941.

  Well that is a big Wyoming, with 9x18" guns.  Sounds like the USN really goes for broke - although with a markedly more successful Nazi Germany they might need to.  Similarly with the carriers, as fewer Essex's but moving onto a larger design quickly.  Also I assume this means there are none of the Independence class CVLs on cruiser hulls from OTL.  

[nicksumner]

Nov 19, 2019 10:43:23 GMT stevep said:

  Well that is a big Wyoming, with 9x18" guns.  Sounds like the USN really goes for broke - although with a markedly more successful Nazi Germany they might need to.  Similarly with the carriers, as fewer Essex's but moving onto a larger design quickly.  Also I assume this means there are none of the Independence class CVLs on cruiser hulls from OTL.  

Precisely, all the major navies produce or plan very large, very powerful battleships. The OTL Two Ocean Navy program has been enlarged in TTL and the USN has enough CVs in production that they don't need to fiddle about with CVLs. If you have a minute, check out the USN Appendix posted at the Drake's Drum website. There will be more naval appendices in the next few weeks. We have the Kreigsmarine coming up and then the big one, the RN.

[lordroel]

Nov 19, 2019 13:20:37 GMT nicksumner said:

Nov 19, 2019 10:43:23 GMT stevep said:

  Well that is a big Wyoming, with 9x18" guns.  Sounds like the USN really goes for broke - although with a markedly more successful Nazi Germany they might need to.  Similarly with the carriers, as fewer Essex's but moving onto a larger design quickly.  Also I assume this means there are none of the Independence class CVLs on cruiser hulls from OTL.  

Precisely, all the major navies produce or plan very large, very powerful battleships. The OTL Two Ocean Navy program has been enlarged in TTL and the USN has enough CVs in production that they don't need to fiddle about with CVLs. If you have a minute, check out the USN Appendix posted at the Drake's Drum website. There will be more naval appendices in the next few weeks. We have the Kreigsmarine coming up and then the big one, the RN.

Going to like the KM and the RN.

[nicksumner]

The Kreigsmarine Appendix is now up at the Drake's Drum website.

These images are Photoshopped

What if the French fleet had fallen into German hands? What if that fleet was much more powerful than that of our time, because the talks to establish the London Naval Treaty had collapsed in 1934?

This is the battleship Moltke, from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Built by the Marine National, she was running trials in June 1940 and was surrendered to the Kreigsmarine as part of the terms of the French capitulation. In design terms she is based on OTL projects; the French Type 2 and Type 3 design studies of 1939-40. There are two crucial differences from these studies. Firstly, the failure of the London Naval Conference means that the naval arms race has started early, so Moltke and her sister ship Blucher are laid down in 1934 and 1935 respectively. Secondly, instead of the twelve 15 inch guns planned in OTL, she ships nine 16.5 inch guns. In Drake's Drum she and her sister undergo reconstructions to help them conform to Kreigsmarine procedures and make them look more German.



What if the Kreigsmarine had required a new class of heavy cruiser to follow the Blucher class of our time? A triple 8 inch turret had been designed by Krupp as early as 1937. This is the Derfflinger, she is based on a modified version of OTL’s ‘Kreuzer P’ design of 1939, but is also influenced by OTL’s ‘Handelzerstorer’ designs of spring 1941. ‘Kreuzer P’ and the 'Handelzerstorer' designs were conceived purely as commerce raiders. As a heavy cruiser the Derfflinger is meant to fit in with either a ‘Guerre de Corse’ strategy or a more conventional cruiser role supporting the battle fleet.

[lordroel]

Dec 3, 2019 18:47:13 GMT nicksumner said:

The Kreigsmarine Appendix is now up at the Drake's Drum website.

These images are Photoshopped

What if the French fleet had fallen into German hands? What if that fleet was much more powerful than that of our time, because the talks to establish the London Naval Treaty had collapsed in 1934?

This is the battleship Moltke, from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Built by the Marine National, she was running trials in June 1940 and was surrendered to the Kreigsmarine as part of the terms of the French capitulation. In design terms she is based on OTL projects; the French Type 2 and Type 3 design studies of 1939-40. There are two crucial differences from these studies. Firstly, the failure of the London Naval Conference means that the naval arms race has started early, so Moltke and her sister ship Blucher are laid down in 1934 and 1935 respectively. Secondly, instead of the twelve 15 inch guns planned in OTL, she ships nine 16.5 inch guns. In Drake's Drum she and her sister undergo reconstructions to help them conform to Kreigsmarine procedures and make them look more German.



What if the Kreigsmarine had required a new class of heavy cruiser to follow the Blucher class of our time? A triple 8 inch turret had been designed by Krupp as early as 1937. This is the Derfflinger, she is based on a modified version of OTL’s ‘Kreuzer P’ design of 1939, but is also influenced by OTL’s ‘Handelzerstorer’ designs of spring 1941. ‘Kreuzer P’ and the 'Handelzerstorer' designs were conceived purely as commerce raiders. As a heavy cruiser the Derfflinger is meant to fit in with either a ‘Guerre de Corse’ strategy or a more conventional cruiser role supporting the battle fleet.

Nice work nicksumner.

[nicksumner]

These images are Photoshopped

What if the last battleship built by the Royal Navy was designed to carry nine 18 inch guns?

This is the battleship Dreadnought, from the Drake’s Drum timeline. With the war at sea raging and its outcome in doubt; she is seen here on her way to the Far East in early 1948. In OTL the British investigated designs for very large battleships. For instance, the 1944 design ‘D’ would have had a standard displacement of 62,700 tons, but the design presented here is based on a different ship; the OTL K3 design of 1921, with machinery, armament and equipment suitable to a battleship designed in 1941.

The Royal Navy Appendix is now up at the Drake’s Drum website in the Appendices - Fighting Ships section. There are also two essays in the Appendices – Stories and Essays section to explain how the Royal Navy’s capital ship designs were developed for this timeline.

What if the Chilean battleship Almirante Lattore had not become HMS Eagle? What if the Royal Navy had built a pair of aircraft carriers on the hull of incomplete Hood class battle cruisers instead??

This is the carrier Fearless from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Commissioned in 1925, she and her sister ship Intrepid, helped open the Royal Navy’s eyes to the tactical possibilities offered by using groups of fast carriers in conjunction with other units of the fleet.

[lordroel]

Dec 9, 2019 17:54:05 GMT nicksumner said:

These images are Photoshopped

What if the last battleship built by the Royal Navy was designed to carry nine 18 inch guns?

This is the battleship Dreadnought, from the Drake’s Drum timeline. With the war at sea raging and its outcome in doubt; she is seen here on her way to the Far East in early 1948. In OTL the British investigated designs for very large battleships. For instance, the 1944 design ‘D’ would have had a standard displacement of 62,700 tons, but the design presented here is based on a different ship; the OTL K3 design of 1921, with machinery, armament and equipment suitable to a battleship designed in 1941.

The Royal Navy Appendix is now up at the Drake’s Drum website in the Appendices - Fighting Ships section. There are also two essays in the Appendices – Stories and Essays section to explain how the Royal Navy’s capital ship designs were developed for this timeline.

What if the Chilean battleship Almirante Lattore had not become HMS Eagle? What if the Royal Navy had built a pair of aircraft carriers on the hull of incomplete Hood class battle cruisers instead??

This is the carrier Fearless from the Drake’s Drum timeline. Commissioned in 1925, she and her sister ship Intrepid, helped open the Royal Navy’s eyes to the tactical possibilities offered by using groups of fast carriers in conjunction with other units of the fleet.

Nice nicksumner.