Aífe-class battleship

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HMS Vanguard (Battleship, 1946-1960)1.jpg
Class overview
Name: Aífe-class battleship
Operators: Ossoria Royal Ossorian Navy
Preceded by: Arduinna-class
Succeeded by: Lugh-class
In commission: 1934 - 1977
Planned: 6
Completed: 6
Retired: 2
Preserved: 4
General characteristics
Type: Battleship
Displacement:
  • 46,383 t standard
  • 52,819 t full load
Length: 248 meters
Beam: 33 meters
Draught: 11 meters
Propulsion:
  • 8 x 8 3-drum boilers
  • 4 x geared turbines
  • 4 x screws
Speed: 30 kts
Range: 11,000 nm at 15 kts
Complement: 1,670
Armament:
  • 8 x 380 mm/45 caliber guns
  • 10 x twin 115 mm/45 caliber dual-purpose guns
  • 10 x quad 40 mm/55 caliber anti-aircraft guns
  • 40 x single 20 mm/70 caliber anti-aircraft guns
Armor:
  • Belt: 400 mm
  • Deck: 150 mm
  • Gun: 350 mm
  • Barbette: 350 mm
  • Bulkhead: 300 mm
  • Conning tower: 100 mm

The Aífe-class was a class of six fast battleships built for the Royal Ossorian Navy starting in 1930. The class comprised of the ships Aífe, Donn, Belisama, Anu, Nuada Airgetlám, and Ecne.

Design

General characteristics

The Aífe-class ships were 256 metres long overall, had a beam of 33 m and a draught of 11 m with a normal displacement of 49,958 t. The ships were powered by four screws powered by four turbines driven by steam provided by eight 3-drum oil-fired boilers. The engines were rated at approximately 165,000 shaft horsepower and delivered a top speed of 30 knots. Aífe and her sisters were capable of a maximum range of 11,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.

Armament

The Aífe-class ships mounted a main battery of eight 38 cm breach-loading guns mounted in four two-gun hydraulically powered turrets placed in two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure, ("Beith" and "Luis" turrets forward and "Saille" and "Nion" turrets aft). The gun housings allowed for the guns to depress to −5° and elevate to 30°, though the guns were loaded at +5°. The gun turrets could train 270° in either direction from the centreline. The guns could fire 880 kg shells at a rate of approximately two rounds per minute, and were capable of firing a variety of shells. At their maximum elevation of 30°, the guns had a range of approximately 33,500 m.

The secondary battery consisted of twenty 115mm dual-purpose guns mounted in twin turrets amidships. These guns fired 25 kg shells at a rate of approximately 12 rounds per minute. The guns could elevate to 80°, which enabled a maximum range of 19,000 m.

Armor

The Aífe-class ships had an all or nothing armor layout, with its armor belt that was 40 cm thick in the central area of the ship (covering the ammunition magazines, machinery spaces, and other vital parts of the ship) leaving the fore and aft sections of the side hull unarmored. The main gun turrets were 35 cm on the sides and 75 mm on the rear, where shells were less likely to hit. The barbettes in which the turrets sat were 35 cm thick. The ships' armored deck was 150 mm thick across the maindeck and the quarterdeck.

Ships

Ship Namesake Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate
Aífe Goddess of Warfare HRM Dockyard, Gabhrán 1930 1931 1934
Donn God of the Underworld HRM Dockyard, Thiar 1930 1931 1934
Belisama Goddess of Music HRM Dockyard, Cléire 1930 1931 1934
Anu Goddess of Flame HRM Dockyard, Thiar 1931 1932 1935
Nuada Airgetlám God of Oceans HRM Dockyard, Gabhrán 1931 1932 1935
Ecne Deity of the Moon HRM Dockyard, Cléire 1931 1932 1935

Aífe

Donn

Belisama

Anu

Nuada Airgetlám

Ecne