A Simple Study on the Survivability and Combat Ability of Various Ships

This table compares some of the physical attributes of various battleships. Note that the displacements are Standard, not Deep Load or Combat Load. They may be off somewhat, as the data came from Jane's, not Conway's. At a point in the future I will switch to Combat Load Also, the waterline lengths may be different (slightly) than some sources claim. Variances in length are always a problem when defining ships of a class, or even individual ships within a class. "D.C." reflects the damage control efforts of our models - the pumps, in gallons per hour as defined by the South Coast Battle Group Pump Chart. These may also be off a bit because that chart uses Combat Loading.

In the chart below, you will notice 3 things about the Aspect.

• 1) There are a few ships with very good numbers, South Dakota, Iowa, Vanguard and of course the massive Yamato.

• 2) There is a bulk of ships that lie within a close range, from the values 53-55.

• 3) There is a lower class which ranges from 47-52. Under that are a few other ships thrown in for comparison and curiosity.

The real winners are the Yamato, with a stunning 78, Sovietskii Soyuz at 75 and the H-39 at 64. These 3 ships pack great volume for their length. The next highest numbers are 59 - Vanguard and 56 - S.D. and Iowa. The vaunted Bismarck and Tirpitz come in at 54. The larger ships get a boost in pumping capacity as reflected in the D.C. section.

To help make the study a bit more flexible, you can add in factors such as gun number, size and position, and speed. There are some short ships with lower Aspects that actually make good choices because of their short form and dense armament. The Pennsylvania at only 600 feet still ranks a 52, just a tad behind the Tirpitz, yet she carried 12 guns. Scharnhorst, on the other hand, would be considered by some as a natural winner. But she carries a mere 45 rating with 9 guns at 770 long!

You can mix and match data all day long and find that just about any ship can fill a specific role. If you build and fight to that role you can expect to be successful. Otherwise, be cognizant of what your hull's particular vulnerabilities are, and expect what you get. Another note: If you build a ship with a low Aspect and a long hull, it will be more likely to roll when only partially flooded, especially if the superstructure is not built lightly. Pay close attention to the weight of materials that go into everything from the deck on up.