Modified "Bombhead" Cruiser

[BCRenown]

One of the things I enjoy most about Shipbucket is the wonderful design ideas I get from various shipbucketeers. Among the most intriguing of these was the "HMS Mars" designed and drawn by Bombhead as an anti-aircraft cruiser fitted with six twin 4.5" turrets. As such, I think he really nailed it. Yet, I get to thinking a cruiser should be capable of fighting another cruiser with some chance of success and maybe 4.5" guns don't cut it in that respect (remembering the "Toothless Terrors" - HMS Charybdis and Scylla). I therefore set out to re-arm "HMS Mars" with eight twin 5.25" Mk II turrets and, to help compensate for the additional topweight, I reduced the number of Mk VI directors from six to four.

Besides, the whole thing gives me a chance to utilize another of Kim's sensational badges.

"HMS Bellerophon" (click image for full size):

[Rowdy36]

Very cool! At first I thought it was a bit heavy for the armament but for some reason I read it as 8 guns, not 8 turrets I imagine the barrage fire would be quite ferocious...

Regarding the ocean effect, I can't help thinking it could be improved by some kind of blur effect at the horizon to reduce the starkness of the transition?

[bezobrazov]

BCRenown, isn't that the badge for the battleship HMS Bellerophon (1909)? As Kim has explicitly explained in his excellent CoA-thread, there was a break in the way how the CoAs were to be represented after ca. 1920.

[BCRenown]

Thanks Rowdy. Your suggestion sounds reasonable enough. I'll give it some consideration. I've already tried the blur tool in Photoshop but it did not work out so well. I have something else in mind tho.

bezobrazov, I am well aware of Kim's thread. Since no HMS Bellerophon that I am aware of was actually built after 1909, I doubt there would be a new badge. I like the old style one and decided to use it on a completely fictional design. Geez man, that post of yours is nitpicking at it's worst. You make it sound like I've broken some law or something.

[eltf177]

She's a real beauty!

[Bombhead]

Great stuff Monty I love what you do with these drawings. There was an official badge released for the ship in 1953 but the ship herself was renamed Tiger during building.

[Steam Power1]

Monty-

Really great ! The subject is also very very reasonable considering all the variations the RH subjected their cruisers to.

[Hood]

Very nice work Monty.

My only concern would be space for the side 5.25in mount magazines. Otherwise this looks a really nice light cruiser and would have been a powerful AA asset well into the 1950s.

[BCRenown]

Al, thanks for the heads up on the Bellerophon badge. I had no idea there was a newer version. Yet, I think I'll keep Kim's version. I like it better and he did go through the trouble of drawing it. I'm not sure it'll be used, otherwise.

eltf177 & Mike, thanks for the comments guys. They are much appreciated.

James, thanks for your excellent input also. I must admit you've given me cause for concern regarding the placement of the beam turrets. I drew a quick overhead to get a better handle on it and seems there's plenty of room - at least externally. I had some doubt regarding blast effects on the 40mm mounts abreast the aft funnel so I relocated them to the boatdeck.

Meanwhile, I've done some further work on the Bellerophon drawing - replaced the Dido-style turrets with Vanguard-style turrets, some minor changes to detail and added lots of gradients and anti-alaising.

My final version (click image for full size):