Minotaur-class cruiser (1947)
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Design Z (Minotaur) |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Template:Sclass- (planned) |
| Succeeded by | Template:Sclass- (actual) |
| Planned | 6 |
| Cancelled | 6 |
| General characteristics Design Z, Version D[1] | |
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Displacement | 15,280 long tons (15,530 t) deep load 18,415 long tons (18,711 t) deep load |
| Length | 645 ft (197 m) pp |
| Beam | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draught | 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m) |
| Installed power | 100,000 shp (75 MW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 33.5 kn (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph) (light) 31.5 kn (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph) (deep load) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Complement | 1,090 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
| General characteristics Design ZA alternative[2] | |
| Class and type | Light cruiser |
| Displacement | 13,870 long tons (14,090 t) deep load 16,760 long tons (17,030 t) deep load |
| Length | 616 ft (188 m) pp |
| Beam | 73 ft (22 m) |
| Draught | 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m) |
| Installed power | 110,000 shp (82 MW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 33.5 kn (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph) (light) 31.5 kn (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph) (deep load) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Complement | 1,090 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
| Notes | Smaller alternative of main Minotaur design |
The Minotaur class, or Design Z, was a proposed class of light cruisers planned for the British Royal Navy shortly after the Second World War. Design Z had several proposed configurations with differing armament and propulsion arrangements.[3] The designs were large ships that were planned to be armed with ten 6 in (152 mm) quick-firing dual purpose guns and an extensive array of 3 in (76 mm) secondary guns. Six ships of the class were planned in 1947 but they were ultimately cancelled before construction could begin, owing to the economic difficulties of the United Kingdom and shifting naval priorities.[3]
Development and design
The Design Z proposals for light cruisers were evolutions of the Design Y proposals, also known as the Template:Sclass-, that were planned during the final years of the Second World War. Design Z was borne from increased crew size and habitability standards which demanded a larger ship than Neptune. The Director Gunnery and Anti-Air Division (DGD) further proposed to have future cruisers armed with dual-purpose 6 in (152 mm) and 3 in (76 mm) guns as on the American Template:Sclass-. In 1946, following orders from Deputy First Sea Lord to redesign existing cruiser design for improved habitability, the Director Naval Construction (DNC) developed a series of designs that would mount the new twin 6 in (152 mm) Mk 26 mounts; these designs were designated as different versions of Design Z.[3]
In a June 1946 meeting that compared the Neptune design with the various Design Z versions, the First Sea Lord deemed the version D with five twin 6 in (152 mm) Mk 26 mounts and eight twin 3 in (76 mm) to be acceptable; the design had three superfiring Mk 26 mounts forward and two aft. This design was then given the name Minotaur to distinguish it from the Neptune designs and replaced the latter in the building programme. The Minotaur design would displace 15,280 long tons (15,530 t) standard and 18,415 long tons (18,711 t) deep load.
In 1947, the DNC compared the Minotaur design with Worcester; the comparison file also included several Design Z alternatives and refinements to Minotaur. Design Z4C combined engine and boiler rooms, while designs ZA and ZB were two smaller alternatives with the same general combat characteristics such as armament, protection, and speed, but with reduced space. Design ZA also had the front two turrets mounted at the same level and reduced the overall length, which then required an increase in propulsive power from 100,000 shp (75 MW) to 110,000 shp (82 MW) to make the required 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph).[3]
Armament
The main gun armament was to be ten 6 in (152 mm) quick-fire (QF) Mark V dual-purpose guns in Mk 26 dual mounts. The new Mk 26 mounts had full remote power control (RPC) and featured automatic loading that gave each gun a designed rate of fire of 15-20 rounds per minute, considerably faster than the 6-8 rounds per minute of the older Mk 24 mounts. The guns were individually sleeved and fired a 129.75 lb (58.9 kg) shell out to 25,000 yards (23 km). While the Minotaur-class cruisers were canceled, the guns and mountings were eventually fitted onto the Template:Sclass-, whose hulls were laid down during the Second World War and was later redesigned to accommodate these mounts.[4]
The secondary armament consisted of rapid fire 3 in (76 mm) guns in eight twin mountings that would replace the 4.5 in secondary guns as well as the 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns of previous cruiser designs.[5] The DNC considered the 3 in (76 mm) shell to be the smallest that could accommodate a proximity fuse, which made it more ideal for high angle anti-aircraft fire. The Director Naval Ordnance (DNO) also adopted this caliber in order to achieve commonality with the United States Navy which was also developing a twin 3"/70 mount at the time.[3]
Construction programme
A total of six Minotaur-class cruisers were planned over a ten-year period by the Royal Navy, with the same planned names as the preceding Neptune-class cruiser design: Minotaur, Neptune, Centurion, Edgar, Mars, and Bellerophon. The plan involved laying down two cruisers in 1951, 1952, and 1953 with completion in 1954, 1955, and 1956 respectively. Due to cost and the emphasis on aircraft carriers and anti-submarine warfare after the Second World War, this plan ultimately never materialized.[3]
Citations
- ^ Friedman 2010, p. 373
- ^ Friedman 2010, p. 267
- ^ a b c d e f Friedman 2010, pp. 267, 268
- ^ 6"/50 (15.2 cm) QF Mark N5
- ^ Friedman 2010, p. 407
Sources
- Brown, David K.; Moore, George (2012). Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-150-2.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Friedman, Norman (2010). British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-078-9.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0853683042.