I think a County would be a great cruiser to start with. She's just so roomy inside, and has the freeboard to survive some damage.
Also, this how do you believe a Tribal class destroyer (with torpedoes) would hold up in combat? She is relatively fast had four torpedo tubes, if I recall.
In 1/144 scale a Tribal class would be only 31inches in length and 3 inches beam, and a tiny draft, youd have a horrid time trying to fit everything in and keep it at/under weight. Edit: I think Ben Lee (might be wrong on that) in the WWCC has done the Cossack somewhat sucessfuly. I'm unsure as to what degree their club rules regarding extra hull depth aided the build, and I believe he carries all 4 tubes (2 per side)
There is a Tribal class DD in the Western Warship Combat Club. It's a very impressive little boat: two pairs of single-shot torpedoes, a sleek hull, and powerful propulsion make for good performance. A good deck seal makes for long, slow, stunningly beautiful sinks. I should know, I've sent it to the bottom once or twice myself.
Correct: Ben Lee of the WWCC built Cossack with four torpedo tubes. I don't know how much extra depth he added, but it was either "not much" or "none at all," and he has a distinct preference for the latter. I'll ask tomorrow at the second day of the Maker Faire.
Thanks for all the info. I have now narrowed my list down to: Nelson Class Queen Elizabeth Class Leander Class (most likely armed with torpedoes, not guns) Town Class (same as above) Cleveland Class Capitani Romani Class (w/torpedoes) As you can see, thats still quite a list, so which, if any, of those would be the easiest to build and run.
With all due respect to the achievements of the WWCC... I find this a bold statement "Torpedo Cruiser is a term first coined in the WWCC, a big gun club based in California that I belong to." ... from the beginning of the thread. I recall it being coined around the time of the Kitikami and in common use on the big guns email group... and certainly believe it far more likely to stem from this revolutionary ship. I could be wrong... but The guy fit what, 15 to a side? Thirty rounds in two shots? custom lead keel plate?... Credit where credit is due. Kiti was the BB killer... and the trend setter as far as I know.
"Also, the Northhampton class cruiser with torpedoes sounds like a good ship" She's only 32 knots, too slow. From what I gather from the big gun guys you really want to be at least 35 knots to be an effective torpedo cruiser...read fast enough to get away from the fast BBs.
Would the J,K,or N class destroyes be decent? And would u be able to use the destroyes 10 torpedo tubes?
The J, K, and N class destroyers are possible, but don't stand out much. They aren't very large, aren't very fast, and aren't particularly maneuverable. Armament-wise, that depends on a) which club you're in, and b) what you can fit in. Most big-gun clubs have no limitations on torpedoes, however my local club the WWCC allows no more than 3 torpedoes per side. So in most clubs, you are allowed all 10 torpedoes, while in my club you are only allowed six. HOWEVER, that brings up part b, what you can actually fit in. Unless you leave out the motors, batteries, and probably every other major component needed for a combat ship, you will not fit all 10 torpedoes in. It's quite a challenge to fit 10 torpedoes into giant destroyers like Le Fantasque or Capitani Romani, and the JKN destroyers are much smaller. On the other hand, the WWCC recently passed a rule allowing you to load up to three torpedoes into a single cannon off each side. Since a single cannon is far easier to fit into a ship than even a double or triple cannon, this rule actually makes it easier to build and battle small destroyers like the JKN class. In short: the J, K, and N class destroyers would make pretty good torpedo-boats. They don't have any special distinguishing features, but you can still sink other ships with them just fine. It'll be a challenge to build (especially for a new builder) but if you want one, you can do it.
