RHNS Salamis (BB-1923 (1940-mod))

 

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In 1910-11 the Greek Navy requested designs from various nations for a proposed battleship purchase. The winning bid came from Germany for hul and superstructure with the armament being from the US for the 14" guns and the British for the 5.5" secondary guns.

The design that was finalised in 1912 showed a small battleship with good armament using superfiring for and aft mountings. The previous 1911 design was a compromise but would still have been a useful ship.

Work began on the keel on 23 July 1913, and the hull was launched on 11 November 1914. Construction stopped in December 1914, following the outbreak of World War I in July of that year. The German navy employed the unfinished ship as a floating barracks in Kiel. The armament for this ship was ordered from Bethlehem Steel in the United States and could not be delivered due to the British blockade of Germany. Bethlehem sold the guns to Britain instead and they were used to arm the four Abercrombie-class monitors. The hull of the ship remained intact after the war and became the subject of a protracted legal dispute. Salamis was finally awarded to the builders and the hull was scrapped in 1932.





The drawing below depicts the Salamis as it may have ended up if it had remained in service. I postulate that the Greeks send the Salamis to Germany for a complete rebuilding in 1939, when WW2 breaks out the Germans complete the rebuilding and commission the Salamis into the German Navy as the Brandenburg.



 

Displacement 21,250 tons standard, 26,000 tons full load
Length 623 ft
Breadth 84 ft
Draught 27 ft
Machinery 4 shaft Parsons turbines, 70,000shp
Speed 28 knots as completed
Range 5000 miles at 10 knots
Armour 9-6in belt,  2in decks, 10"/7"/4" turrets
Armament As Completed 1914

9 x 12" (3x3)
10 x 5.5" (10x1)
8 x 37mm (4x1)
 
As Training Ship 1935-1941

9 x 12" (3x3)
16 x 3.9" AA (8x2)
16 x 2pd (2x8)
8 x 20mm (8x1)
Complement 730 (805 as Flagship)
Notes  



 


Original drawing of a turtle called Salamis. Very bad. It was inspired by the model below. Its superstructure is quite a bit smaller than the drawings.



 

Displacement 22,000 tons std.
Length 522 ft
Breadth 88 ft
Draught 28 ft
Machinery 2 shaft steam turbines 24,000shp
Speed 21 knots
Armour 11" side 2" deck
Armament 12 x 12" (4x3)

16 x 5" (8x2)

24 x 40mm (6x4)

10 x 20mm (10x1)

Aircraft nil
Torpedoes nil

 

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