KM Breslau (CLA-1943/44)
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Based on the Scout cruisers (SP1-3) and large Destroyers (Z52+) Germany was contemplating in the period 1942/43 to be built to act as escorts to the Capital ships with long range. These ships were to be diesel engined to provide the long range necessary. Armed with a 130mm (5.1") twin dual-purpose gun system with radar control.The tertiary AA guns were a newly developed 30mm triple fully automatic turret, again these were radar controlled. A pair of quadruple or quintupple torpedo tubes rounded out the armament.
I like these ships as never weres, they have a blend of size, armament and usefulness as good as the bigger Dido and Atlanta types. The above is my original design prior to finding Ashleys 'Destroyer' in his Alternate Universe.
These ships were built to replace the cancelled Magdeburg class AA cruisers which were almost 3 times the size. These ships were extensions of the destroyer family rather than true cruisers.
| Displacement | 3850 std, 5250 full load |
| Length | 455 ft |
| Breadth | 54 ft |
| Draught | 21 ft |
| Machinery | Diesel engines, 70,000 bhp, 2 shaft |
| Speed | 38 knots |
| Armour | 2" side, 2" deck |
| Armament | 8 x 5.1" (4x2) 18 x 30mm (6x3) |
| Aircraft | nil |
| Torpedoes | 8/10 x 21" (2x4/5) |
1944 Type Z52/CLA1-6
The uncompleted Z 52 would have had an impressive radar outfit. The gunnery radar FuMO 231 Euklid was to be combined with the 3D stabilized bridge director, carrying a 1.5m diameter parabolic dish antenna. The twin 130mm DP gun turrets would have been the first genuine radar controlled armament in a German warship. Other radar equipment is uncertain, the larger antenna having dimensions of 2m x 4m although FuMO 21 was by this time obsolete; the antenna on the foremast was either for a FuMO 63 Hohentwiel-K or a FuMB 6 Palau.
While the above is listed as a destroyer the design is very similar to the AA cruiser of my own design.Though from the looks of the armament it is armed with 2 x twin 5.9" fore and aft, and a twin 4.1" AA in superfiring positions. A clumsy arrangement, much better with dual purpose guns.