McPherson
Banned
US Government Printing Office. Ask for declassified Fleet Problems post exercise analysis for 1927.
US Government Printing Office. Ask for declassified Fleet Problems post exercise analysis for 1927.
McPherson
Banned
Savo Island, Cape Esperance, Tassafaronga, First and Second Guadalcanal, Empress Augusta Bay, and even as late as Surigao Strait. Except for US Treaty cruisers and Japanese torpedoes they stood up to these mentioned weapon effects rather well. There was the grim unpleasantness of Java Sea and Sunda Strait where both British and American cruisers showed they could withstand astonishing amounts of punishment. AoN and compartmentation worked against bombs and shells. It was the lousy torpedo defense that killed most treaty cruisers.
Personally i would remove the tertiary guns on the cruisers and see if you can't get rid of the low freeboard, since that will negativly effect it's seakeeping. And is only acceptable in the Med or the Baltic.
The Battleships are good if expensive, but i prefer ditching low calibre tertiaries for something else, a couple of submerged torpedo tubes might not be the most effective, but is a very nasty surprise on the rare occasion that it works. i like the 3" deck armour, will keep them relevant with the upgrades to FC longer and even when guns start being more focused on horizontal penetration.
The light cruisers not having BE/DE and in one case not any deck armour is going to hurt. And with the PC armour scheme you benefit a lot from having deck armour on these early cruisers.
For a MS, the speed is not needed (or well, i accept their inevitable demise if they fight anything other than an early destroyer), I like mine with 2x1 3" guns and 1" deck, belt, turret. that way they can defeat early 2-3" armed destroyers in a gunfight since those weapons don't penetrate armour.
The destroyers looks interesting, more of a destroyer hunter than a torpedo boats which will be useful to have escorting your battleline. You may want to consider a torpedo focused destroyer in the future if you expect to fight the RN or the USN with their larger budgets and battlelines.
CSS Southern Pride
Laid down: 1871
Location: Virginia Fleet Shipbuilders
Type: Ocean Going Monitor
Specs:
Length: 320 feet long
Beam: 62 feet
Draft: 20 feet
Speed: 14 knots (as of launch)
Complement: 214
Displacement: 7,200 tons
Armament:
4 X 11 inch guns
4 X 2 inch guns
4 X Gatling guns
Armor:
Amidships: 11 inches
Barbettes: 10 inches
Turrets: 8 inches
Deck: 1 inch gun
History:
This was the first ship launched for the Confederate ship after the war of Southern Independence and not under a state flag. Praised at the time for its power and speed, was the flagship between for the Confederate Navy for the next 15 years. Despite this, the naval admirals of the infantile state kept the ship well out of harms way whenever possible due to concerns over its plating. However the ship remained a symbol of Confederate strength compared to the smaller but more numerous US ships.
After a 1885 refit, the ship was placed at the head of a taskforce to bombard Rio De Janerio to force Brazil to pay its loans. Disaster would strike the taskforce as a storm slowed the fleet giving Brazil much needed warning.
On the morning of May 16th, 1886 the fortress guarding the harbor caught sight of the taskforce of 14 vessels and aiming at the elderly vessel and fired. The first twelve salvos saw no strike as the harbor defense fleet and invaders began to fight. However the 13th salvo struck home. As the ships armor had not been changed for 15 years the inevitable happened. The fortresses 12 inch cannons ripped through the deck armor and struck the magazine. The ship sank instantly taking all but 5 men with it. The losses included Admiral Ingraham and her captain.
The taskforce fled having inflicted minor damage to the Brazilian fleet fearing the fortresses cannons. Two weeks later as the taskforce was returning, news arrived that a US taskforce had succeeded.
The news was a shock to the nation that realized it's focus for state built vessels built with non standard parts left little in the jar for the Confederate navy to perform it's duties. Thus the nation took an uncharacteristic course of action and ordered that all state owned naval ships, excluding those on rivers, and their budgets were to be sent to the Confederate Navy.
This process took time as many feared the results of giving the nation power over the states. However the US buildup and scrappage of 1860s vessels finally gave credence.
In 1893, the Confederate Navy ordered a Coastal defense battleship from Barrow in Furness named Southern Pride. With that, the Confederate Navy rose again.
Laid down: 1871
Location: Virginia Fleet Shipbuilders
Type: Ocean Going Monitor
Specs:
Length: 320 feet long
Beam: 62 feet
Draft: 20 feet
Speed: 14 knots (as of launch)
Complement: 214
Displacement: 7,200 tons
Armament:
4 X 11 inch guns
4 X 2 inch guns
4 X Gatling guns
Armor:
Amidships: 11 inches
Barbettes: 10 inches
Turrets: 8 inches
Deck: 1 inch gun
History:
This was the first ship launched for the Confederate ship after the war of Southern Independence and not under a state flag. Praised at the time for its power and speed, was the flagship between for the Confederate Navy for the next 15 years. Despite this, the naval admirals of the infantile state kept the ship well out of harms way whenever possible due to concerns over its plating. However the ship remained a symbol of Confederate strength compared to the smaller but more numerous US ships.
After a 1885 refit, the ship was placed at the head of a taskforce to bombard Rio De Janerio to force Brazil to pay its loans. Disaster would strike the taskforce as a storm slowed the fleet giving Brazil much needed warning.
On the morning of May 16th, 1886 the fortress guarding the harbor caught sight of the taskforce of 14 vessels and aiming at the elderly vessel and fired. The first twelve salvos saw no strike as the harbor defense fleet and invaders began to fight. However the 13th salvo struck home. As the ships armor had not been changed for 15 years the inevitable happened. The fortresses 12 inch cannons ripped through the deck armor and struck the magazine. The ship sank instantly taking all but 5 men with it. The losses included Admiral Ingraham and her captain.
The taskforce fled having inflicted minor damage to the Brazilian fleet fearing the fortresses cannons. Two weeks later as the taskforce was returning, news arrived that a US taskforce had succeeded.
The news was a shock to the nation that realized it's focus for state built vessels built with non standard parts left little in the jar for the Confederate navy to perform it's duties. Thus the nation took an uncharacteristic course of action and ordered that all state owned naval ships, excluding those on rivers, and their budgets were to be sent to the Confederate Navy.
This process took time as many feared the results of giving the nation power over the states. However the US buildup and scrappage of 1860s vessels finally gave credence.
In 1893, the Confederate Navy ordered a Coastal defense battleship from Barrow in Furness named Southern Pride. With that, the Confederate Navy rose again.
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I think you have the years wrong, instead of 1876 when she was sunk, wouldn't it be 1886, if she served for 15 years?
McPherson
Banned
True enough, both sides of the argument were environment driven; but the man in the video (^^^) gets the American 1930s logic entirely wrong. Friedman's latest work impacts on this question and he has had to change his mind on why the Americans did what they did.
The point is, that as the scholarship continues to develop, our supposed notions of why nations did what they did keeps changing as new information becomes public and interpretation is developed.
American carrier construction is based on WP Orange and on PURE OFFENSE. It was almost Japanese in its logic. Not until 1944 was the fighter defense even close to being possible. And that means for Americans sink the enemy carriers first and build to compartmentalize and survive torpedoes. British armored decks was based on the idea of British carriers surviving dive bombing, but as British carrier losses showed, torpedoes don't care about armored decks. Friedman still gets one thing wrong. The plunging fire from shells only killed one British carrier, so the Halsey mistake at Leyte still stands. he cannot be alibied by HMS Glorious. As for how the British and Americans performed off Okinawa, that was because the shallow slant attack by Kamikazes was not American anticipated. These would bounce off a British deck and set American decks on fire. This is kind of obvious; but we have until recently not really noticed it in the Japanese tactics. The British were right about de-decking in the Kamikaze environment but wrong about not building in a good torpedo defense when torpedo planes or submarines scored on them.
Lesson, park the Yank jingoism, keep an open mind and really accept that the other guy has his problems and that might drive the choices he makes as much as your problems drives yours. Different concepts, different solutions and different reasons for outcomes from what you "think" you know.
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Valkyrie-Class Light Cruiser
During the period leading up to World War 1, the Swedish Admiralty decided that a new light cruiser was needed to protect it's merchant marine vessels in the Baltic from the increasingly belligerent forces of Britain, Germany, and Russia. These vessels served as merchant escorts, scouting vessels for the coastal battleships, and tenders for motor torpedo boats. These vessels became work horses for the Swedish fleet as they kept both the German and Royal Navy light combatants from overly intruding into the Swedish sea lanes.
Notable service includes the rescue of a Danish fishing trawler's crew after it struck a mine ny the Skuld and the sinking of a pair of Russian torpedo boats which had misidentified and attacked a Swedish merchant vessel by the Gunnr. In 1934 the Brynhidlr, the Hlokk, and the Skeggjold were partially moderized and sold to the Chilean Navy, the Gunnr was upgraded and served as a training vessel before being preserved as a museum ship, and the remaining two vessels were sold for scrap.
Built: 1908 - 1914
In Commission: 1912 - 1934
Completed: 6 - Gunnr, Hildr, Hlokk, Skeggjold, Skuld, and Brynhidlr
Type: Light Cruiser
Displacement: 3,400 tons
Length: 126 m
Beam: 12.3 m
Draft: 4.3 m
Propulsion: Steam Triple Expansion, 2 screws
Speed: 26 knots
Range: 8,000 nautical miles at 12 knots
Complement: 314
Armament: 6 x 152mm/50cal. Bofors M/1903
8 x 57mm/48cal. QF M/1889
2 x 37mm/39cal. cannons M/1898B
2 x 45cm Torpedo Tubes M/1904
Armor: Side Belts: 90mm
Deck: 12-25mm
Turrets: 40-100mm
Conning Tower: 100mm
During the period leading up to World War 1, the Swedish Admiralty decided that a new light cruiser was needed to protect it's merchant marine vessels in the Baltic from the increasingly belligerent forces of Britain, Germany, and Russia. These vessels served as merchant escorts, scouting vessels for the coastal battleships, and tenders for motor torpedo boats. These vessels became work horses for the Swedish fleet as they kept both the German and Royal Navy light combatants from overly intruding into the Swedish sea lanes.
Notable service includes the rescue of a Danish fishing trawler's crew after it struck a mine ny the Skuld and the sinking of a pair of Russian torpedo boats which had misidentified and attacked a Swedish merchant vessel by the Gunnr. In 1934 the Brynhidlr, the Hlokk, and the Skeggjold were partially moderized and sold to the Chilean Navy, the Gunnr was upgraded and served as a training vessel before being preserved as a museum ship, and the remaining two vessels were sold for scrap.
Built: 1908 - 1914
In Commission: 1912 - 1934
Completed: 6 - Gunnr, Hildr, Hlokk, Skeggjold, Skuld, and Brynhidlr
Type: Light Cruiser
Displacement: 3,400 tons
Length: 126 m
Beam: 12.3 m
Draft: 4.3 m
Propulsion: Steam Triple Expansion, 2 screws
Speed: 26 knots
Range: 8,000 nautical miles at 12 knots
Complement: 314
Armament: 6 x 152mm/50cal. Bofors M/1903
8 x 57mm/48cal. QF M/1889
2 x 37mm/39cal. cannons M/1898B
2 x 45cm Torpedo Tubes M/1904
Armor: Side Belts: 90mm
Deck: 12-25mm
Turrets: 40-100mm
Conning Tower: 100mm
1886? The Brazilians have available the brand new Riachuelo and Aquidaba battleships, that OTL were the most powerful battleships in the western hemisphere (4x9.2in BL guns, 11in steel armour), the older (built 1874) Javary and Solimoes (3,543t 4x10in ML guns, 12in iron armour), 3 lesser central battery ships (Sete De Setembro built 1874, Cabral and Colombo built 1866), 7 torpedo boats and a number of cruisers.
Sounds to me as if the CSN is going into a suicide run here...
The ships were built OTL, however the Confederate Navy risked it as the ships were mutinying at the time. however they didn't count on the guns of the forts being accurate enough.
So for my fleet of RTW (yes the post is a prequel) I'm going to be adding in more torpedoes and deck armor
CSS Southern Pride
Built: 1893-1896
Builder: Barrow Naval Construction & Armaments Company
History: Built in the aftermath of the Janerio fiasco, the ship was built specifically to protect the Confederate Nation from US forces. Due to the limited size of the dockyards at the time, the Confederate Navy purchased a much smaller battleship than desired to protect the coastline against the 10 inch armed Lincoln class battleships of the US. The class was built off the lessons of the Janerio fiasco including stronger deck armor, better seakeeping, and better living conditions for the crew. Despite this, many admirals feared a repeat. However in 1901, the ship was tested again when she was sent to China to protect nationals during the Boxer Uprising. When approaching Tianjin, the ship was fired upon by a fortress, luckily for the Confederacy the rate of fire was much slower and the ship was much stronger. Despite being struck no less than three times, the ship managed to neutralize the fortress after two hours. Afterwards the ship would remain on coastal defense for the next twelve years as longer ranged and better armored battleships of the Jefferson Davis were constructed.
In 1917, the Jefferson Davis class ships replacements were ordered and to reduce costs the Southern Pride class was decommissioned. However the lead member was selected for preservation. Despite her armor, the ship was I'll prepared for the greatest enemy of the mariner. While being towed to Norfolk, the ship passed Cape Hatteras.
The ship met the full fury of the Atlantic and was driven onto rocks tearing her apart. In response the Confederate Navy sold her wreck for scrap and chose to preserve the James Longstreel instead.
She still lays in the dock meant for her sister.
Defender, United Kingdom Enter ship type laid down 1950
Displacement:
13 852 t light; 14 463 t standard; 16 416 t normal; 17 978 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(750.00 ft / 750.00 ft) x 70.00 ft x (24.00 / 25.62 ft)
(228.60 m / 228.60 m) x 21.34 m x (7.32 / 7.81 m)
Armament:
8 - 6.00" / 152 mm 45.0 cal guns - 108.92lbs / 49.41kg shells, 350 per gun
Auto rapid fire guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 double raised mounts
16 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm 45.0 cal guns - 13.62lbs / 6.18kg shells, 500 per gun
Auto rapid fire guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
8 x 2-gun mounts on sides, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 1 089 lbs / 494 kg
24 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 21.00 ft / 6.40 m torpedoes - 1.482 t each, 35.568 t total
In 6 sets of deck mounted side rotating tubes
12 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 21.00 ft / 6.40 m torpedoes - 1.482 t each, 17.784 t total
In 3 sets of deck mounted reloads
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.00" / 76 mm 487.50 ft / 148.59 m 9.30 ft / 2.83 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 487.50 ft / 148.59 m 18.23 ft / 5.56 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 5.00" / 127 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 6.50" / 165 mm
2nd: 5.00" / 127 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 6.50" / 165 mm
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 2.00" / 51 mm For and Aft decks
- Conning towers: Forward 3.00" / 76 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 102 283 shp / 76 303 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 7 000nm at 20.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3 515 tons
Complement:
724 - 942
Cost:
£7.283 million / $29.132 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 478 tons, 2.9 %
- Guns: 425 tons, 2.6 %
- Torpedoes: 53 tons, 0.3 %
Armour: 2 969 tons, 18.1 %
- Belts: 553 tons, 3.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 658 tons, 4.0 %
- Armament: 696 tons, 4.2 %
- Armour Deck: 1 021 tons, 6.2 %
- Conning Tower: 42 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 2 447 tons, 14.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7 958 tons, 48.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2 564 tons, 15.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
16 754 lbs / 7 600 Kg = 155.1 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 2.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 0.91
Metacentric height 2.4 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 19.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.17
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 0.77
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
an extended bulbous bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.456 / 0.468
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.71 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27.39 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 90
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 15.00 ft / 4.57 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Forward deck: 25.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Aft deck: 40.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Average freeboard: 12.09 ft / 3.69 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 78.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 102.0 %
Waterplane Area: 33 654 Square feet or 3 127 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 185 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 174 lbs/sq ft or 849 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.70
- Longitudinal: 0.87
- Overall: 1.03
Caution: Poor stability - excessive risk of capsizing
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather
Displacement:
13 852 t light; 14 463 t standard; 16 416 t normal; 17 978 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(750.00 ft / 750.00 ft) x 70.00 ft x (24.00 / 25.62 ft)
(228.60 m / 228.60 m) x 21.34 m x (7.32 / 7.81 m)
Armament:
8 - 6.00" / 152 mm 45.0 cal guns - 108.92lbs / 49.41kg shells, 350 per gun
Auto rapid fire guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 x 2-gun mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 double raised mounts
16 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm 45.0 cal guns - 13.62lbs / 6.18kg shells, 500 per gun
Auto rapid fire guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1950 Model
8 x 2-gun mounts on sides, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 1 089 lbs / 494 kg
24 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 21.00 ft / 6.40 m torpedoes - 1.482 t each, 35.568 t total
In 6 sets of deck mounted side rotating tubes
12 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 21.00 ft / 6.40 m torpedoes - 1.482 t each, 17.784 t total
In 3 sets of deck mounted reloads
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.00" / 76 mm 487.50 ft / 148.59 m 9.30 ft / 2.83 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 487.50 ft / 148.59 m 18.23 ft / 5.56 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 5.00" / 127 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 6.50" / 165 mm
2nd: 5.00" / 127 mm 3.00" / 76 mm 6.50" / 165 mm
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 2.00" / 51 mm For and Aft decks
- Conning towers: Forward 3.00" / 76 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 102 283 shp / 76 303 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 7 000nm at 20.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3 515 tons
Complement:
724 - 942
Cost:
£7.283 million / $29.132 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 478 tons, 2.9 %
- Guns: 425 tons, 2.6 %
- Torpedoes: 53 tons, 0.3 %
Armour: 2 969 tons, 18.1 %
- Belts: 553 tons, 3.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 658 tons, 4.0 %
- Armament: 696 tons, 4.2 %
- Armour Deck: 1 021 tons, 6.2 %
- Conning Tower: 42 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 2 447 tons, 14.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7 958 tons, 48.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2 564 tons, 15.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
16 754 lbs / 7 600 Kg = 155.1 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 2.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 0.91
Metacentric height 2.4 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 19.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.17
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 0.77
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
an extended bulbous bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.456 / 0.468
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.71 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27.39 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 90
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 15.00 ft / 4.57 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Forward deck: 25.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Aft deck: 40.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 12.00 ft / 3.66 m, 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
- Average freeboard: 12.09 ft / 3.69 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 78.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 102.0 %
Waterplane Area: 33 654 Square feet or 3 127 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 185 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 174 lbs/sq ft or 849 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.70
- Longitudinal: 0.87
- Overall: 1.03
Caution: Poor stability - excessive risk of capsizing
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Poor seaboat, wet and uncomfortable, reduced performance in heavy weather
Minor mistake, the Minotaur-class guns would be 6”/50-caliber and 3”/70-caliber. You’ve got them listed as 6”/45-caliber and 3”/45-caliber.
It's an OTL design designated Design Z that was never built.
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Jackie Fishers Waifu
or
the CSS Robert E. Lee
Built: 1916-1919
Ordered to counter a supposed US 'Super-Battlecruiser' with 16 inch guns (Due to cost constraints the USS Hawaii class would not emerge. Instead being built as a 12 inch raider class to circumvent the Treaty of Toulon.) and meant to hunt down enemy ships from the ports of Norfolk and New Orleans, the only ports with docks large enough for them. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson would be the only two ships completed of the class due to their high costs. While they never fought the US in open battle as desired. Unlike most other 'Emergency' vessels, both would see usage in war. In 1921, a French submarine torpedoed the Confederate Light Cruiser Clifton. Unluckily for the Tours, the CSS Archer (DD-65) had located the source of the torpedo and chasing it struck the conning tower. The submarine sank with some of the crew escaping, during interrogation it was revealed the Confederates were held responsible for a rebellion in Antilles. The cruel irony of the situation was that Clifton and her escorts had been performing neutrality checks to prevent supplies from reaching the rebels.
The Confederate State Governments and Congress approved a declaration of war when the news reached the populace. The Confederate fleet would begin to hunt down French shipping with Robert E. Lee being the main hunter. Her moment of glory would come on December 13th, 1921. Robert E. Lee and her escorts were heading to New Orleans when they stumbled upon a coastal raiding force of two battlecruisers of the older but still dangerous Dunkirk class and escorts. Using her superior speed and firepower the ship rained fire upon the hapless battlecruisers while her escorts battled the french escorts to prevent torpedo usage. After three hours the exhausted combatants escaped, in return for light damage to the Robert E. Lee and a pair of sunk destroyers the Confederates had sunk one of the battlecruisers and damaged another while sinking a light cruiser.
Furthermore, the Confederate coastal submarine Bartlett stumbled upon the force afterwards and struck the battlecruiser with two torpedoes. Narrowly avoiding sinking the ship would slink back to port leaving the seas of the Carribean free for the Confederate Navy to dominate.
After the war, the ship showed the flag for a number of years until replacement by the better armored Virginia class in 1938. She and her sister were expended for gunnery and aerial practice on March the 12th, 1939.
During a brutal storm that cut visibility