Shipbucket

Instead of a modified Dido, take HMS Scylla. She was heavily damaged during the Normandy operation, but was laid up till 1950 awaiting a decision as to her fate. In your AU she might have been repaired, most of the damage was to her keel and engine room girders, as well as cracked turbines casings. All that damage could have been fixed, given time and money (it was done to HMS Belfast in 1939 to 1943), and so HMS Scylla having being towed to a shipyard for repairs emerged in 1956 with twin 4.5" gun mountings as in Battle class destroyers, her fire control directors updated to the standard RN Mk.6 director, updated electronics, the 4 barrelled PomPoms replaced with twin Mk.5 40 mm gun mountings, and two 20mm Oerlikons in the bridge wings, no torpedo tubes or depth charges. This modified ship, is more suitable for AA than a Dido, have more room for crew, and have a flag bridge for use as the navy's flagship. The twin 40mm could be replaced with SeaCat when it will be available in the mid-1960s, and then the ship could soldier on untill the early 1970s.

_________________
Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thanks both for your continued contributions - most helpful in both cases.

Novice: With regard to your suggestions about HMS Scylla, are you meaning something like this;



I Hope I've got the weapons and sensor fit correct this time, please correct if me if this isn't the case.

Cheers

_________________
"Come to the Dark Side... We have Cookies!"
____________________________________________


____________________________________________
Current Worklist;

DCFI (Falkland Islands) AU Nation

I like the drawing but isn't this the epitome of toothless terror !

You only get 1 more turret (1/4) than on a unmodernised Darning class and I bet it costs more than a 1/4 more , you could run 2 Battles or Darning and not cost much more and be more useful as one of them might be in the right place ?

I think CLs are cool but unless you need 6inch guns or long range (or prestige) then you should go with DDs,

I think you need to put together a list of what the FI navy will need to do ? and what they might fight ? None of these ships will win a fight v a 6 inch CL (ARA General Belgrano and her sister, and you are suggesting in TTL Argentina has more ships ?)(I don't really like the idea of surface torpedo attack when both sides have good radars) so you need ether a 6/8inch CL/CA or air/subs ?


I know you may hate them but IMO a Tiger is the only RN CL that would easily win v Belgrano .

Or what about a slight early gun county DD ?

Yes I would prefer to buy the DDG (and I think you could shrink this design as the sea slug + radars are huge.)
JSB

an early gun county would result in the super daring designs

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Really not interested in using the County's on this AU - With Regard to more firepower for HMS Scylla - How About this;



4 x 4.5" Twins + 1 x 20mm twin mount replaced by 3 x 6" Mk XXVI twin + 1 x 3"/70 twin

I think it fits the hull - makes the refit a little more drastic than before - but it does give you the AsuW capability to mix it with the likes of a Belgrano if needs be.

_________________
"Come to the Dark Side... We have Cookies!"
____________________________________________


____________________________________________
Current Worklist;

DCFI (Falkland Islands) AU Nation

I'm not sure if you can support such firepower on a hull that size. Compare it to a Tiger.

Really, if the concern is defense of one's own island nation, I'm not sure why the plan isn't just All Subs All The Time. Grab a half-dozen OPVs for protection of fisheries and Coast Guard duties and then you're golden.

HMS Tiger only got 4 (2 x 2) 6 inch guns and that's on 11,560 tons, so I don't think its going to happen (and you might run out of ammo a bit soon to).

Ninjed but will add that,
4.5 Mark III UD: 29.738 tons (30.215 mt)
6 inch Mark XXVI: 156 tons (158.5 mt)
might be a problem !

JSB

yes those 4.5" turret is funny heavy.

Ok, I didn't realise the 6" mounts were that massive! - apologies Gents, should have done some more research before i went ahead and did that.........

How about this then;



Configuration post guided missile (CG) refit in the early 1970's;

MM38 Exocet AsuW Missiles;
3 x 4.5" Mk VI Twin Auto Mounts;
1 x 3"/70 Twin Auto Mount;
Seacat AAW Missiles;
2 x 40mm STAAG CIWS;
6 x 20mm twin mounts;
Torpedo Tubes as per original;
Upgraded radars and sonar

I'll edit the original version to be congruent with this one, so that HMS Scylla emerges from the 1956 refit/reactivation with 4 x 4.5" + 1 x 3"/70 as the main battery, with the superstructure configuration as shown above.

With regard to it's place in the timeline - My intent is to have it reactivated and pressed into service in 1956 (as above) with the following major career highlights;

- Serve as flagship of RN South Atlantic SQDN until sold to Falklands in mid-'60's (in line with Harold Wilson Gov't's navy cuts of the period)
- Refitted in 1972/73 with Exocet and SeaCat etc (as Above)
- Argentinian Invasion made possible due to HMFS Scylla being in transit back from the UK after what was to be final major refit - As it is judged too vulnerable to determined air attack it diverts to Ascension Island to await the RN Taskforce and then continues south as part of that force. During the fighting it serves in tandem with HMS Plymouth in the liberation of South Georgia, as a NGFS platform and escort during the San Carlos landings (during which it shot down two Argentinian SkyHawks), in the fighting at Darwin/Goose Green and in the final assault on the mountains around Stanley.
- Seacat and 3"/70 twin replaced with SeaWolf during 1983 refit (ship reviewed by HRH QEII during stay in the UK)
- Officially Retired and made into a floating Museum/Falklands War Memorial in 1990 - still officially in Commission with HMFS and used for Sea Cadet Training. Royal Falklands Naval Service Inductions/Presentations are held aboard HMFS Scylla.

Thoughts?

_________________
"Come to the Dark Side... We have Cookies!"
____________________________________________


____________________________________________
Current Worklist;

DCFI (Falkland Islands) AU Nation

Looking good, though from what I've read the 3"/70 was pretty unreliable and not really worth its weight, cost, manning, and maintenance needs. It might be better to just go double end seacats, or replace the aft seacat with a low cost ASW mortar and move it up front.

_________________
Projects:
Zealandia AU
John Company AU
References and feedback is always welcome!