Early Cold War Destroyer challenge

[erik_t]

Feel free to take the mount if you like. All I did was 'inflate' the Mk 42 drawing so that it overlapped the envelope of the 5"/70 from the RN parts sheet, so it wasn't exactly a lot of careful study on my part

[doorman]

A mid-1950s destroyer leader designed during the initial construction of the USS Norfolk. While Anti-Submarine Warfare was the focus of the Norfork, this new class was to concentrate on getting new weapons to the battle fleet. This new designs focus was to provide modern defense and very little offense to the Carrier groups in the post-war world. Both launched in 1954 and after a shakedown were taken into the Atlantic fleet in late 1955. Initially planned for a class of 6 ships, it was reduced to 4 after the USN went forward with plans to reconfigure WWII gun cruisers into guided missile ships. After budget problems and technology advances the two final ships barely started were canceled and all effort put toward more modern missile destroyers. Unknown at the time but their construction and weapons systems were serve as a roadmap for future DDG modification and construction. Her armament consisted of two 5"/42 gun mounts & one ASW weapon Alpha mount forward, one twin arm terrier launcher aft along with 50 missiles in the magazine & multiple twin 20mm anti-aircraft guns mounted throughout its superstructure. Port and Starboard you will find torpedo tubes and 3" AAA mounts to round out its armament.

The DLG-2 USS Willis Lee Jr & DLG-3 USS Russell Willson were staged exclusively in Atlantic to start, but in 1962 were moved to the Pacific where they escorted CV groups. They were to stay there until their decommissioning in 1974/5. Their early retirement was due to more modern vessels becoming available and budgetary concerns with a Vietnam war sucking funds up left and right. In 1980 they were considered to be sold but 1982 a fire broke out inside USS Willis Lee Jr. She burned until extinguished but it destroyed much of her superstructure forward and damaged two other vessels tied up to her. USS Russell Willson was sold in 1984 to Mexico and was modified extensively to become their Gulf & Caribbean Sea Naval Force flagship. She serves as this day their command and control vessel.



Thank you for the help below, didn't realize the Weapon Alpha had extensive below deck parts. I couldn't find any and was thinking it was deck mounted with reloads in the mount. Still looking at Sonar & Radar packages

[RaspingLeech]

Looks great but it needs credits and has artifacts everywhere since you saved it as .jpg instead of .png

[erik_t]

The overall outfit makes some sense, but I think the disposition could use alteration. In particular, I'd switch the Weapon Alpha and forward 3"/50. Alpha has substantial deck penetration and would interfere with the Terrier GMLS, while the 3"/50 mostly does not.

I'm not sure the sonar is sufficient to fully exploit Weapon Alpha.

Two 2D search radars is unconventional, but not strictly "wrong".

The foremast needs cross-bracing to keep the legs from buckling (as on the mainmast).

AAAAH REPLACE THAT HORRID SCREW

Other than that, it's a pretty reasonable effort

[odysseus1980]

I agree also with erik_t, for the radar you can use the SPS-26 (with the early round antenna).

For sonar you can use the SQS-19 (if it was avalilable before 1959, not sure)

[erik_t]

SPS-12 (or 17) and SPS-8 would be totally appropriate for a very early missile ship.

[reytuerto]

Good afternoon, guys!
Here is my candidate for the contest: Fleet destroyer Bohemund of Taranto, comisioned in 1956.


In comission: April 1956

Displacement: 2,600 t standard; 3,500 t full war load
Length: 126.3m
Beam: 12.0 m
Draught: 5.1 m

Propulsion:
4 Foster Wheeler boilers 650 psi
2 Parsons geared steam turbines
2 shafts
Installed power: 60,000 shp
Speed: 34 knots
Range: 4,500 nmi at 18 kn

Complement: 318

Armament:
6 × Bofors 120/50 mm Model 1950 (3 twin turrets)
2 × 57 /60 mm Model 1950 (2 twin turrets)
8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (8×1) without reloads.
2 x 4 375 mm Bofors ASW rockets (2 quad)
1 x 103 mm Lichtrakerwerper

Sensors:
Air search radar: HSA LW-02
Surfacer search radar: ZW-01
Navegation radar: Type 1047
Main director: RT C1
Fire control: M45
Sonar: Type 174


In 1977 the vessel entered in a 2 year MLU, which was ended in November 1978. Two stern turrets were disposed, instead the destroyer got a BPDMS and an helipad with hangar. In the mid 1960, the fixed TT were also disposed. Instead, two double ASW were placed in each band. More important, the destroyer offensive power was greatly increased with a battery of 8 Harpoons. And the defense against incoming missiles was improved with 2 Vulcan Phallanx and Corvus dispensers of chaff in addition of the Sea Sparrow missiles. Almost all the sensors were changed: The director was changed with a WM-22 egg, the air search radar was a brand new LW-08, the surface search radar was also changed for a ZW-06, a Stir 180 fire control radar was placed over the roof of the hangar, finally a dual set of 170 and 177 sonars were fitted.

Cheers.


Edited several times!

Thanks, Char! Yes, the class will have a MLU around 1976-78... and the depth charges rack is a reserve of space!

[Charguizard]

I like this ship a lot reytuerto, nice and simple, not overloaded or trying to fit a pint into a shot glass, hopefully you'll have time to give her some refits. If anything, maybe the depth charges are a bit outdated lookwise.

[erik_t]

Yes, that is a very nice design. Three thoughts:

1) I agree that the depth charges should probably be landed by 1956 (although I can imagine them being part of the as-contracted design but just never being fit aboard)

2) For what it's worth, period US Navy designs with 21" fixed torpedoes envisioned these sitting in a deckhouse, where they could be checked out and kept in relatively controlled climate (heated, basically) until firing. If you want to keep the tubes in the open, I'd think about running heating water pipes around them, or something. Everybody's electronics were crap back then

3) She's a little lacking in deck operating gear - firefighting equipment, liferafts, mooring tackle, etc.

[heuhen]

Norway's Oslo class had depth charges, well in to the 90's, because no one bothered with removing them. And they was nice to use, if you want to send a massive shockwave up an fjord, quit good weapon for submarine hunting inside a fjord, but out on the ocean...