New Unit - "Atlanta" Class Light Cruiser (WIP)

[iambecomelife]

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8418/moddieat10nx.jpg

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4508/moddieat26gl.jpg

Just a heads up to expect an additional surface unit for the underequipped US Navy. The ship is based on the hull of the "Dido" class - an obvious choice. I've modded the eqp files and given it the correct main armament of 16 5" guns, which are in roughly correct locations; unfortunately, I had to get rid of the torpedo tubes to place two of the turrets. PLEASE, if ANYONE has photos or technical information about this class, post it here. I'd post screenshots of her but the skin I designed is so hideous it's embarassing. Thanks :D

EDIT: I'll probably regret this, but anyway... here are a couple of screens. I'm just about finished with the eqp file. The skin is obviously still in its early stages. I'm toying with using textures created almost entirely by hand, instead of relying heavily on photo textures. The hull would look a lot better if I could add some rivet textures I created, but I have a suspicion that the hulls were welded, not riveted. One annoying thing is that the superstructure and hull share a big chunk of texture, so I need to keep part of the forward deckhouse featureless. You may notice superstructure fixtures on the hull; these will be removed.

[Syxx_Killer]

Well, I look forward to the screenshots. Here is some info I found:

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/4072/

http://www.microworks.net/pacific/ships/cruisers/atlanta.htm

[stljeffbb1]

Hi iambecomelife....I've borrowed this from War in the Pacific:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/stljeffbb/CLAAspecs.jpg

The above was December of 1941...

...and I'lll include some links with pics:

http://www.skyrocket.de/usnavy/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/usnavy/data/cl-_51__atlanta.htm

http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04051.htm This second link seems especially good with a schematic and photos all throughout the war

-Jeff

[Schultzy]

Just wanted to wish you good luck with this....more goodies to try and sink!

Can't wait! :D

[Pablo]

Hi!

You might try the following sites:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04051.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-a/cl51.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-j/cl52.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/cl53.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/cl54.htm
FYI all U.S. anti-aircraft cruisers spent most of WWII in the Pacific defending aircraft carriers. The ships above spent at least some time in the Atlantic before transferring to the Pacific via the Panama Canal.

As an aside, armaments on these ships were somewhat varied, and were upgraded as the war continued (e.g., 1.1-inch AA were replaced by 40mm AA).

Hope this helps!

Pablo

[iambecomelife]

Thanks everyone. I've been testing the "Atlanta" with a mission that takes place off Guadalcanal in late 1942. It's a simple setup - the U-boat is supposed to stop the cruiser and three destroyers from sinking some Japanese transports offloading a strike force trying to capture Henderson Field. I've sunk the cruiser twice, but most of the time I get pounded by the DD's. Don't ask me what a Type IX is doing in the Solomons, but it's a nice change of scenery. It really makes me hope that either Ubi or the mod community creates a Pacific expansion pack.

[stljeffbb1]

Hi iambecomelife.....I am in total agreement.....as a matter of fact, I would like to see an entire world populated with ships and the like....even the esoteric ones! This is my goal....I know its huge, but I'm sure it can be done....I'm hopeful that modders will keep on filling in the gaps....or UBI releases an expansion or even SH4.....hopefully, any new release will use the same basic structure as SH3 (IMHO).

Keep it up!

-Jeff

[Pablo]

Don't ask me what a Type IX is doing in the Solomons, but it's a nice change of scenery. It really makes me hope that either Ubi or the mod community creates a Pacific expansion pack.
Hi!

Would you believe a pre-Monsun U-boat that kept on going instead of returning to Europe? Perhaps you could build a reasonable but fictional scenario from information here (http://uboat.net/ops/monsun.htm).

Pablo

[bigboywooly]

iambecomelife - Whatever happened to this ship ?
Still no USN cruisers in the game

[Wulfmann]

Is there a reason why you had to place the after most turret so far away from the others? They should be equally spaced.
Wulfmann

[sandbag69]

the reason is obvious the hull used is not the correct Atlanta hull ....its a dido's hull.

I not knocking all the hard work thats been done but i'd rather wait for realistic ship models to appear than use modded ships that have a passing resemblence to the real ones.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/N31525.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/N31525.jpg

[bigboywooly]

Well you might be lucky then if its included in SH4

[iambecomelife]

What happened to the "Atlanta"? Right now it's collecting dust on my old hard drive ... Since I first started the project modmaking tools have improved. It should be possible to create an "Atlanta" that's much more faithful to the real thing. However, I'm only working on merchant ships right now - particularly freighters between 3000-6000 GRT. The other day I "practiced" making a few American warships in Wings3d, but I think the emphasis should be on ships that U-Boats would have been likely to encounter. Plus, I'm still learning how to create ships that are almost perfect in terms of detail - with merchants, OTOH, their "genericness" gives you lots more leeway. After I finish up the tankers and passenger ships for my mod I may restart work on the "Atlanta" and other ships - especially if we've managed to create playable Allied submarines and need them for a Pacific campaign.

[Pablo]

Hi!

If (when? ;)) you do create the Atlanta, please consider creating it as an anti-submarine vessel. The Atlanta was classified as a "Destroyer Leader" and was equipped with active/passive sonar, two stern depth charge racks and six K-guns (3 per side). It was also faster than a lot of destroyers out there (38-40 knots). The redesignation to Light Cruiser - Antiaircraft did not occur until well after the war.

Pablo

[Wulfmann]

Pablo, This was something that just got wrongly reported and was not true. They were designed for 32.5Knts and they never exceeded 34Knts on a calm day (Atlanta did 33.27 on trials) and they certainly had sonar and a decent anti sub array of weapons but they were not maneuverable enough to be so used and those weapons were removed because the ships were so top heavy.
I personally do not think they should be used as A/S ships by the actual results. They were replacements for the Omaha class but in use were AA screen ships and in that they did very well.

IBL, I prefer the merchant ships as well because that is what I see all the time.
I would not be surprised if UBI insist we not try and make US subs for use in the Pacific. Just a guess!
Wulfmann

[Pablo]

This was something that just got wrongly reported and was not true. They were designed for 32.5Knts and they never exceeded 34Knts on a calm day (Atlanta did 33.27 on trials)Hmm - my sources indicate a speed of 40 knots for Atlanta at its sea trials, with normal speed just over 32 knots. In any case, I agree a maximum in-game speed of 32 knots is reasonable for SHIII.

...they certainly had sonar and a decent anti sub array of weapons but they were not maneuverable enough to be so used and those weapons were removed because the ships were so top heavy.The ship's log of USS Juneau (sister to Atlanta) indicates its crew was drilled regularly in the use of antisubmarine weapons, and those weapons were still installed when the ship was sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal in October, 1942. I wouldn't expect to see these ships at all after 1942, but that's up to the campaign designers... :)

I personally do not think they should be used as A/S ships by the actual results. Well, I think if it has sonar and depth charges it darn well ought to use them and not just act like a target. It is true the U.S. Navy needed their antiaircraft batteries in the Pacific more than it needed their depth charges in the Atlantic, but if we've got them in the Atlantic and the Luftwaffe's not around to provide target practice for them, why not let them chase a U-boat if they have the chance? :)

Pablo

[Cdre Gibs]

I had a discussion with Ibecomelife ages ago about certain Cruisers being fitted with ASW weapons. As stated they were not ment to truely hunt Subs like a DD/DE/CO, but they mainly were tasked as a fall back incase a sub made it past the main escort screen. Its main purpose was to detect those that had sliped through, and then to drive the sub down and away from the capital ships that the cruiser's were/are screening. 1's thats been done then a standard escort (DD/DE/CO) would take over the hunt untill either contact lost or destroyed or whatever. It was just another layer of ASW between the Escorts and the MAIN Capital Ships.

Another little known fact is that MOST Light Cruiser's were driven like a Destroyer. They were just as fast, not that much better armoured and packed a lot more (and most times bigger) than a Destroyer. Included in the above was ASW. Now granted not all CL's had ASW weapons but more did than 1 would think. Its just that for some reason I can NOT fathom, its 1 of the weapon types thats seldom reported as being fitted to those CL's that had them. This can be plainly seen by those Cruiser's that made up Maruder Groups. Maruder Groups were composed of 1 CL and 1 Flotilla of DD's. They activley HUNTED all Enemy units at sea, that includes Subs. If that was the case then the CL would NOT be left vulnerable to a Sub attack NOR be made redundant in such a Hunt.

[Wulfmann]

Well, I am aware of the 40 knot claims but most (all I have read) books say they were exaggerated and untrue.

Of the 6 original commissioned in 42 (Reno early 43) 4 survived throughout the war so don’t see why they would not continue to appear in SH4 for the duration (adding Flint in 44)

My concern about them as A/S ships is how SH3/4 allows them to play.
If they were to act somewhat real; as an unmaneuverable poor A/S ship fighting as a last resort, why not?
But, my concern would be them turning on a dime and being way out of character regarding their capability, a super A/S DD.
Perhaps someone should add sonar, DCes and K-Guns on a Dido and give it a go.

Wulfmann

[Pablo]

Of the 6 original commissioned in 42 (Reno early 43) 4 survived throughout the war so don’t see why they would not continue to appear in SH4 for the duration (adding Flint in 44) I agree that these ships appearing in SH4 is not an issue - probably a question for the SH4 fora.

My concern about them as A/S ships is how SH3/4 allows them to play.
If they were to act somewhat real; as an unmaneuverable poor A/S ship fighting as a last resort, why not?
But, my concern would be them turning on a dime and being way out of character regarding their capability, a super A/S DD. I agree ships should be modelled with realistic maneuverability, regardless of their role, so that a light cruiser in an ASW role shouldn't be granted extraordinary maneuverability.

Let the chips fall where they may.:arrgh!:

Pablo