Virtuoso, Mexico Battlecruiser laid down 1920[]
The Virtuoso, or Virtue, class Battlecruiser was part of the second generation of native designs built entirely by Mexico as part of her efforts to establish and secure her trading and colonial territory with the Caribbean and surrounding areas. With the rise of Colombia and Brasilia and the growing threat of communist agitation it was widely felt that future Battlecruisers would need to be stationed further afield to better range against potential enemies and would thus need both heavy armament and good legs.
Virtuoso, Mexico Battlecruiser laid down 1920
Displacement[]
37,904 t light; 40,009 t standard; 42,000 t normal; 43,593 t full load
Dimensions[]
Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(736.65 ft / 725.00 ft) x 104.00 ft (Bulges 110.00 ft) x (33.00 / 34.05 ft)
(224.53 m / 220.98 m) x 31.70 m (Bulges 33.53 m) x (10.06 / 10.38 m)
Armament[]
9 - 16.54" / 420 mm 50.0 cal guns - 2,400.00lbs / 1,088.62kg shells, 100 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1920 Model
3 x 3-gun mounts on centreline ends, majority forward
1 raised mount - superfiring
16 - 5.00" / 127 mm 38.0 cal guns - 59.33lbs / 26.91kg shells, 120 per gun
Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1918 Model
8 x Twin mounts on sides, evenly spread
16 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm 39.0 cal guns - 0.23lbs / 0.11kg shells, 600 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
8 x 2 row quad mounts on sides, evenly spread
8 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm 90.0 cal guns - 0.07lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1,000 per gun
Machine guns in deck mounts, 1909 Model
4 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck aft
4 x Single mounts on sides, aft deck aft
Weight of broadside 22,554 lbs / 10,230 kg
Main Torpedoes
24 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 24.00 ft / 7.32 m torpedoes - 1.539 t each, 36.947 t total
In 6 sets of deck mounted carriage/fixed tubes
2nd Torpedoes
12 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 24.00 ft / 7.32 m torpedoes - 1.539 t each, 18.473 t total
below water reloads
Armour[]
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 13.5" / 343 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 85 % of normal length
Main Belt inclined 18.00 degrees (positive = in)
- Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
3.00" / 76 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 97.00 ft / 29.57 m
- Hull Bulges:
1.00" / 25 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 32.00 ft / 9.75 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 18.0" / 457 mm 10.0" / 254 mm 14.0" / 356 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm
- Armoured deck - single deck:
For and Aft decks: 6.00" / 152 mm
Forecastle: 1.00" / 25 mm Quarter deck: 1.00" / 25 mm
- Conning towers: Forward 10.00" / 254 mm, Aft 3.00" / 76 mm
Machinery[]
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Direct drive, 4 shafts, 104,181 shp / 77,719 Kw = 27.00 kts
Range 9,200nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,583 tons
Complement[]
1,466 - 1,906
Cost[]
£9.795 million / $39.179 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement[]
Armament: 4,911 tons, 11.7 %
- Guns: 4,842 tons, 11.5 %
- Weapons: 69 tons, 0.2 %
Armour: 14,372 tons, 34.2 %
- Belts: 3,611 tons, 8.6 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,421 tons, 3.4 %
- Bulges: 474 tons, 1.1 %
- Armament: 3,577 tons, 8.5 %
- Armour Deck: 4,951 tons, 11.8 %
- Conning Towers: 338 tons, 0.8 %
Machinery: 3,643 tons, 8.7 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 14,979 tons, 35.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,096 tons, 9.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability[]
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
46,532 lbs / 21,107 Kg = 20.6 x 16.5 " / 420 mm shells or 6.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.04
Metacentric height 5.8 ft / 1.8 m
Roll period: 19.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.76
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.11
Hull form characteristics[]
Hull has a flush deck,
a normal bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.559 / 0.562
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.59 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 26.93 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 64
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 18.00 %, 32.00 ft / 9.75 m, 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Forward deck: 36.00 %, 22.00 ft / 6.71 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
- Aft deck: 28.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
- Quarter deck: 18.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m
- Average freeboard: 20.16 ft / 6.14 m
Ship space, strength and comments[]
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 83.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 129.3 %
Waterplane Area: 53,045 Square feet or 4,928 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 96 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 228 lbs/sq ft or 1,115 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.40
- Overall: 1.00
Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform