Most of the content of this article has been translated and rewritten by today's headline user @18-inch incomparable with the "secret projects" forum user @Tzoli post "Royal Navy Lion Class Battleship series 1938-1945", so it does not declare original.
This article is extremely long, please be patient with the reader, or read it after collecting it. Comments are written in parentheses, and other comments are written separately.
This article is a revision of the old article published on June 2, 2021, with a lot of content, please pay attention to it.
During the long design process of the British Navy's Lion-class battleships, the 1945 design was the most diverse, and I will list all of them next. It should be noted that all the color pictures in the article are drawn by @Tzoli myself according to the design data in the official design file of the British Navy "Lion", and there are many @Tzoli my own speculations and inferences (such as the type and number of small-caliber anti-aircraft guns, the model of the radar, the appearance of the superstructure, etc.), so the pictures in the article and some of the data do not represent the true appearance of these designs, only for reference. In the original post @Tzoli, each design was accompanied by a photograph of the data from the official archives of the British Navy's Lion-class design scheme. For the sake of convenience, most of the data in the text is in imperial format.
1945 design scheme "A"
The 1945 design scheme "A" was developed on the basis of the 1944 "Lion" design. In terms of tonnage, compared with the 1944 Design 4 (1944 Version 4), the tonnage has been reduced (59,400 tons vs. 62,700 tons), but the length of the hull (waterline length) is more than 300 meters. The design speed is 29 knots, and the reduction of the speed makes the installed capacity of the power system much smaller, the cost is also reduced, and the ratio of hull length to type width is easier to achieve a speed of 29 knots. The protective design is arranged with thicker main armor belts and thinner horizontal armor.
In the official dossier description of the design, the installation model and quantity of the small-caliber anti-aircraft gun are: 10 six-pack Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, 20 twin Erikong 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, and 10 single-mount Olysson 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. @Tzoli replaced them all with single-mountEd Bofors and twin-mounted STAAG (full name Stabilised Tachymetric AA Gun) in their drawings, and removed all of the Oerlikon cannons. The reason was that Ellirkon could not block the blows of fast air targets (such as "kamikaze" attacks) and required a large number of personnel to maneuver.
The DNC (the director of the British Naval Shipbuilding Service at the time was Charles Lilliklap, who took office on 25 January 1945), believed that the design had excellent underwater protection against 1,000 pounds of TNT, while the side armor could also withstand a similar "Uncle" Tom's rocket weapon (11.5 inches caliber, 1060 pound charge) strikes; 20 knots of cruising speed, higher dry port, and greater design redundancy due to its huge size also make the program more suitable for continued development.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: vertical line length 289.56 meters, waterline length 304.8 meters, type width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: Standard displacement 59,400 tons (long tons), full load displacement 69,500 tons.
Power: 160,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The main armor belt thickness is 13 inches for the power compartment and 15 inches for the ammunition compartment.
Armaments:
Three triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12-seat twin 4.5-inch 45×diameter QF Mk V DP gun
10-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
10 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
2 x five-mounted 533 mm torpedo tubes
Fire control system and radar (the specific models and installation arrangements of all radars in this article are also inferred by @Tzoli individuals, and are for the reader's reference only):
18 Type 262 fire control radars, one on each automatic fire commander (CRBFD, full name Close-Range Blind-Fire Director) and ONE on the STAAG.
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two for each LRS.1 commander.
There are 8 Type 903 fire control radars, one for each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
1945 design "A1"
Because the Admiralty considered the "A" scheme too large, the designers of the Naval Shipbuilding Division tried to reduce the size of the design, and the thickness of the main armor belt was reduced from 13-15 inches to 10 inches, which seemed to return to the design idea of the "Lion" class in 1944. The hull length was shortened by 30 meters, and the power was reduced from 160,000 axle horsepower to 153,000 shaft horsepower, and the rest of the ship remained unchanged. However, the Admiralty still considered the scheme too large and unacceptable, and constantly asked the Shipbuilding Department to control the displacement of the design scheme to less than 50,000 tons.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 277.37 meters, type width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement 55,450 tons, full load displacement 65,000 tons.
Power: 153,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The entire main armor belt is 10 inches thick.
Armament: Same as "A" scenario
Fire Control and Radar: Same as "A" Scheme
1945 design scheme "A2"
The "A2" is no different from the "A1" in appearance, in order to reduce the size and tonnage of the battleship, the length of the "A2" is shortened by 3 meters compared to the "A1", the shaft horsepower is also slightly reduced, and the underwater protection system is also reduced. However, it still did not meet the Requirements of the Admiralty for smaller tonnage.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 274.32 meters, width 35.36 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: The standard displacement is 54160 tons, and the full load displacement is 63500 tons.
Power: 151,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "A1" scheme
Armament: Same as the "A1" scheme
Fire control system and radar: same as the "A1" scheme
1945 design "A3"
In order to further reduce the size, tonnage, and cost, the Naval Shipbuilding Division came up with the "A3" and "A4" designs that would reduce the armament, which were equipped with only two main turrets and eight secondary turrets, the torpedo tube was removed, and the installed capacity was greatly reduced to 139,000 shaft horsepower (A3) and 134,000 shaft horsepower (A4). "A3" can be considered as a reduction in armament of the "A1" programme, and "A4" can be considered as a reduction in armament of the "A2" programme.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme
Dimensions: Waterline length 243.84 meters, width 36.57 meters, draft 10.21 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 46,800 tons, full load displacement of 54,700 tons.
Power: 139,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as "A" scheme
Armament:
2 triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
Eight twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
10-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
Four single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
18-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one on each automatic firing commander and one on the STAAG.
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
Four Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 controller.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
1945 design "A4"
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 237.74 meters, type width 35.36 meters, draft 9.9 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 43,600 tons, full load displacement of 50,960 tons.
Power: 134,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Endurance: 29 knots
Armor protection: same as the "A2" scheme
Armament: Same as the "A3" scheme
Fire control system and radar: same as the "A3" scheme
Photo of the official archival data of the "A" series of cases designed by the "Lion" class battleship in 1945
1945 design scheme "B"
The "B" scheme was based on the 1938 "Lion" design scheme and combined with wartime experience. A Proposal to replace all of Ellicon with Bofors in the "B" design was discussed in a Ministry of the Admiralty document, and @Tzoli also showed the possible changes from this discussion in his "B" scheme drawings. The program's underwater protection is capable of withstanding 1,200 pounds of TNT.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 292.61 meters, type width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 59100 tons, full load displacement of 69140 tons.
Power: 156,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The entire main armor belt is 14 inches thick.
Armament:
Three triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
11-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft gun
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
18-mount single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft gun
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
19-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each automatic firing commander and STAAG.
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two for each LRS.1 commander.
There are 8 Type 903 fire control radars, one for each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
1945 design scheme "B1"
The "B1" scheme is the first sub-variant of the "B" scheme, the width of the "B" scheme is reduced by 1.2 meters, the displacement and shaft horsepower are reduced as a result, and the underwater protection ability is reduced from being able to withstand 1200 pounds of TNT to only 1000 pounds of TNT. The reason for the reduced width of the model is still the Admiralty's perception that the size and tonnage of the scheme are too large.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 292.61 meters, type width 35.36 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 58380 tons, full load displacement of 68280 tons.
Power: 154,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "B" scheme
Armament: Same as "B" scenario
Fire control systems and radar: the same "B" scheme
1945 design scheme "B2"
The "B2" scheme is a variant of reduced tonnage based on the "B" scheme. The thickness of the entire main assembly was reduced from 14 inches to 10 inches; It may also be reduced to an ammunition depot mains thickness of 11 inches and a power bay mains thickness of 9 inches. The hull length was also slightly shortened. Underwater protection has been increased to withstand 1200 pounds of TNT.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 283.46 meters, width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: The standard displacement is 59100 tons, and the full load displacement is 69140 tons.
Power: 153,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The entire main armor belt is 10 inches thick, or it may be a power compartment of 9 inches and an ammunition depot compartment of 11 inches.
Armament: Same as "B" scenario
Fire control systems and radar: same as "B" scheme
1945 design scheme "B3"
The "B3" scheme is a variant of the reduction of tonnage based on the "B1" scheme, which is reduced in the same way as the "B2" scheme on the "B" scheme. The "B3" scheme was also one of two designs that were eventually sent to the Director of naval shipbuilding (DNC) for decision.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 283.46 meters, type width 35.36 meters, draft 10.67 meters
Displacement: standard displacement of 55540 tons, full load displacement of 65280 tons
Power: 152,000-axis hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle
Armor protection: same as the "B2" scheme
Armament: Same as the "B2" scheme
Fire control system and radar: the same "B2" scheme
1945 design scheme "B4"
The "B4" design is a reduced armament variant of the "B" scheme, the main turret has changed from three to two, the number of secondary turrets has not changed, the height of the dry port has been greatly reduced, and the power of the power system has also been reduced. Due to the reduction of the main weapon and power system, the length of the waterline and the length of the key protection area are much shorter than in the "B" design.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 246.89 meters, width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 47970 tons, full load displacement of 56910 tons.
Power: 153,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "B" scheme. The main thickness may also be 13 inches in the power compartment and 15 inches in the ammunition depot section.
Armament:
2 triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
11-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft gun
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
12 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire control systems and radar: the same "B" scheme
1945 design scheme "B5"
The "B5" scheme is the "B4" scheme of the reduced underwater protection variant, from the ability to resist 1200 pounds of TNT to resist 1000 pounds of TNT, followed by the reduction of the entire hull width and the reduction of the power system power, the main armor belt thickness and arrangement is likely to be the same as the "B4" scheme.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 246.89 meters, type width 35.36 meters, type depth 10.67 meters
Displacement: standard displacement of 47360 tons, full load displacement of 56230 tons
Power: 151,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as "B4"
Armament: Same as "B4"
Fire control system and radar: same as "B4"
1945 design "B6"
The "B6" scheme is a reduced armament variant of the "B2" scheme, but compared to the "B2" its dry port height is greatly reduced (similar to the "B4" and "B5" designs), and the length of the waterline and the displacement are reduced considerably.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 243.84 meters, type width 36.57 meters, draft 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 46120 tons, full load displacement of 54900 tons.
Power: 149,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as "B2"
Armament:
2 triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
11-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft gun
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
10 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
18-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG.
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
8 Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
1945 design "B7"
The "B7" scheme is a reduced armament variant of the "B3" scheme, and its dry port height is greatly reduced compared to the "B3" (similar to the "B4" and "B5" designs), and the length and displacement of the waterline are also reduced a lot. "B7" is also the last variant of the "B" series of schemes.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: waterline width 243.84 meters, type width 35.36 meters, draft 10.67 meters
Displacement: standard displacement of 45450 tons, full load displacement of 54160 tons
Power: 147,000 shaft hp Parsons turbine, 4 axles
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Equipment protection: same as "B3"
Armament: Same as "B6"
Fire control system and radar: same as "B6"
Photo of the official archival data of the "B" series of cases of the "Lion" class battleship design scheme in 1945
1945 design scheme "C"
The "C" scheme is a modification of the "A" scheme, which reduces the tonnage and size of the battleship by shortening the key protective areas and reducing the storage of fuel. Although the fuel storage is reduced, the endurance is not reduced (provided the calculation is correct).
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Length between vertical lines is 274.32 meters, waterline length is 289.56 meters, type width is 36.57 meters, draft is 10.67 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 57,400 tons, full load displacement of 67,000 tons.
Power: 155,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The main armor belt thickness is 13 inches for the power compartment and the ammunition depot compartment is 15 inches thick.
Armament:
Three triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
10-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
14 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
18-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG.
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
8 Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
1945 design scheme "D"
The "D" scheme is also a revision of the "A" scheme, and the improvement idea is similar to the "C" scheme, which shortens the length of the hull by further shortening the length of the key protective areas.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme
Dimensions: Length between vertical lines 268.22 meters, waterline length 281.94 meters, type width 36.57 meters, draft 10.82 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 56,450 tons, full load displacement of 66,000 tons.
Power: 154,000-axle hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "C" scheme
Armament: Same as the "C" scheme
Fire control systems and radar: the same "C" scheme
The above three pictures are photos of the official archive data of the "Lion" class battleship design plan "C" and "D" in 1945
1945 design scheme "X"
(Translator's note: There are inconsistencies in the original text of this paragraph @Tzoli. I will write out the original English text for the reader's own judgment and correction)
The X series of Lion designs were a further cutback on costs and displacement by removing the underwater protection and thus defence was solely done by extensive compartmentalisation of the hull. To make the design in the range of economically possibility, armour too was drastically reduced to only 2" deck over magazines and 9" mean belt thickness (most likely 8" machinery and 10" magazines)
The "X" scheme further reduces displacement and costs by removing underwater protection, which relies entirely on a large number of watertight compartments in the hull. The main armor on the armor protection was reduced to an average thickness of 9 inches for the entire armor belt, possibly arranged in a power compartment thickness of 8 inches and an ammunition depot compartment thickness of 10 inches. The horizontal armor thickness of the ammunition depot position was reduced to 2 inches (paradox here). The number of primary and secondary weapons has also been reduced.
The design had these characteristics:
Dimensions: 207,26 (pp) 219,45(wl) x 31,10m x 10,36m
Displacement: 35.800tons (Standard), 43.000tons (full load)
Engines: 120.000shp Parsons Steam Turbines, 4 shafts
Speed: 54km/h (29knots)
Range: 11.100km at 37km/h (6.000nm at 20knots)
Armour: 102mm, Deck over machinery 152mm over magazines, 203mm Belt over machinery and 256mm over magazines (229mm mean thickness).
Armaments:
2x3 16"/45 (406mm/45) BL Mk IV Cannons,
8x2 4,5"/45 (114mm/45) QF Mk V DP-AA Guns,
9x6, OQF Mk IX, 6x2 Mk X (STAAG) and 8x1 Mk VII 40mm/56 AA Guns
Sensor suite:
15x Type 262 Fire-control Radar one for each CRBFD and twin 40mm STAAG mounts
2x Type 274 Fire-control Radar one for each main armament director/rangefinder
1x Type 277Q Surface-air search Radar on the aft mast above the LRS.1 director
1x Type 291 Air-warning Radar on top of the aft mast above the Type 960
1x Type 293M Surface search Radar on the mainmast above the forward LRS.1 director
8x Type 901X Fire-control Radar, two for each LRS.1 director
4x Type 903 Fire-control Radar, one for each MRS.3 director
1x Type 960 Air-warning Radar on top of the aft mast
1x Type 960M Air search Radar on top of the mainmast
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: 207.26 meters long between vertical lines, 219.45 meters in waterline length, 31.10 meters in width, 10.36 meters in draft.
Displacement: standard displacement of 35,800 tons, full load displacement of 43,000 tons.
Power: 120,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The main armor belt thickness is 8 inches for the power compartment and 10 inches for the ammunition depot segment.
Armament:
2 triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
Eight twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
Nine six-mount 40 mm 56×bore OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Six twin 40 mm 56×A Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
Eight single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
15-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
Four Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 controller.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
Photo of the official data archive of the 1945 design scheme "X" of the Lion class battleship
1945 design "X1"
On the "X1" scheme, the designers placed all the main turrets in front to further shorten the key protective area, but this would increase the width of the hull and the length of the ship. The Admiralty and DNC also did not like the layout of the turret fully front, on the grounds that the position of the boiler compartment was under the front bridge, and a longer flue was needed between the chimney and the boiler compartment.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Length between vertical lines is 213.36 meters, waterline length is 225.55 meters, type width is 32.31 meters, draft is 10.36 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 39950 tons, full load displacement of 45300 tons.
Power: 125,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "X" scheme
Armament:
2 triple-mount 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
Nine six-mount 40 mm 56×bore OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Seven twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
14 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
16-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG
A Type 274 fire control radar mounted on a main weapon fire control tower.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
8 Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
Photo of the official archival data of the "X1" design of the "Lion" class battleship in 1945
1945 design "X2"
Detailed data and design documentation of the "X2" scheme are poor. In the official archives of the "Lion" design, there is only a description of the weight reduction that continues on the previous design scheme (the "X" design), and nothing else. There was also a possibility of rear admiral Reginald Maxwell Servis, then assistant chief of staff of the Navy (author's note: this last officer to vice admiral, who was also the maternal great-grandfather of the famous British actor Tom Hiddleston. However, the official original file only wrote "Admiral Servaes", and did not indicate who it was, and the "Admiral Servaes" who held important positions in the Admiralty at that time seemed to be the only one. He proposed to increase the speed of the design to 30 knots, using three twin main turrets. @Tzoli relied on these two records to deduce detailed data for the "X2" scenario.
@Tzoli the rough data of the "X2" scheme speculated:
Dimensions: Waterline length 240.25 meters, type width 31.2 meters, draft 10.36 meters.
Displacement: The standard displacement is about 45,000 tons
Power: 150,000 shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4 axles.
Speed: 30 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The main armor belt thickness is 13 inches in the power compartment and 15 inches in the ammunition depot compartment.
Armament:
3 twin 16-inch 45×diameter BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
Nine six-mount 40 mm 56×bore OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Seven twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
10 single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft guns
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
16-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG
Two Type 274 fire control radars, mounted on two main weapon fire control towers.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
8 Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
Description of weight reduction modifications to the "X" design in the 1945 design plan for the Lion-class battleships and General Servis's proposal (paras. 10 and 11 on the left)
1945 design "X3a"
"X3a" does not appear to be a real design scheme code, as does the "X3b" below, which were supposed to have been invented by @Tozali to refer to two variants of the "X3" scheme. These two variants are known in official archives as "Admiral Servaes with Two-16 inch Triples" and "Admiral Servaes with Two-15 inch Quads" (General Servaes' two quad 15-inch main turret schemes), both conceived by General Servaes, as the name suggests.
The "X3a" scheme was planned to reduce costs by using a smaller caliber main gun, so the scheme used two front-mounted quadruple 15-inch main guns. The 15-inch gun model here is the Mk III, developed for the Lion class's 1945 design, and the turret structure may be similar to the turret of the 16-inch 45-caliber Mk IV gun. The development of the gun ended with the cancellation of the "Lion" class construction plan. There is a saying in the official archives of the British Navy: "It was later discovered that the performance of the new 15-inch gun was better than expected." The scheme also increased the thickness of the main load compared to the "X1" scheme, but the displacement was also increased, approaching the 50,000-ton limit set by the Admiralty.
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline length 256.03 meters, type width 34.75 meters, draft 10.36 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 47,250 tons, full load displacement of 57,000 tons.
Power: 142,000-shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4-axle.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: Horizontal armor thickness is 4 inches for the power compartment and 6 inches for the ammunition depot compartment. The thickness of the main armor belt is 318 mm for the ammunition depot section and 292 mm for the power depot (translator's note: @Tzoli in the original post here, the main load thickness data of the power compartment and the ammunition depot compartment is reversed).
Armament:
2 quad 15-inch 45×diameter BL Mk III guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
10-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
16-mount single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft gun
Fire Control Systems and Radar:
18-seat Type 262 fire control radar, one mounted on each auto-firing commander and STAAG.
A Type 274 fire control radar mounted on a main weapon fire control tower.
A 277Q anti-air search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
1 Type 291 airborne early warning radar mounted on top of the rear mast.
A Type 293M sea-facing search radar mounted on the main mast behind the LRS.1 command instrument located on the front bridge.
Eight Type 901X fire control radars, two mounted on each LRS.1 commander.
8 Type 903 fire control radars, one mounted on each MRS.3 commander.
One Type 960 airborne early warning radar, installed under the rear mast 291 airborne early warning radar.
A Type 960M air-to-air search radar is mounted on top of the main mast
The above four pictures are photos of the relevant theoretical data of the 15-inch main gun and the 16-inch main gun planned to be used in the official files of the British Navy.
1945 design "X3b" ("X3")
This scheme is a 16-inch gun version of the "X3a" scheme, which is basically an enhanced version of the "X1" scheme and can also be considered the final version of the 1945 design of the "Lion" class battleship. He is also the true owner of the design code name "X3".
Approximate data and characteristics of the programme:
Dimensions: Waterline width 256.03 meters, type width 34.75 meters, draft 10.36 meters.
Displacement: standard displacement of 45,000 tons, full load displacement of 54,000 tons.
Power: 136,000 shaft hp Parsons steam turbine, 4 axles.
Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 6,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
Armor protection: same as the "X3a" scheme
Armament:
2 triple 16-inch 45×caliber BL Mk IV guns
12 twin 4.5-inch 45×caliber QF Mk V DP guns
10-seat six-mount 40 mm 56×diameter OQF Mk IX anti-aircraft guns
Eight twin 40 mm 56×diameter Mk X (STAAG) anti-aircraft guns
16-mount single-mount 40 mm 56×diameter Mk VII anti-aircraft gun
Fire control system and radar: the same as the "X3a" scheme
The above two figures show the official design file data of the "X3" (so-called "X3b") design case
The "X3a" (table first left) and "X3b" (table two left) designs in the 1945 design of the "Lion" class battleships were compared with the performance of new battleships of other navies (including the unfinished and conceived capital ship designs of Germany at that time).
Only one sketch of the 1945 design for the Lion class battleships survives. The "X3" option was submitted to the DNC for choice together with the "B3" option to decide which option could continue to evolve. However, in the autumn of 1945, the construction plan of the "Lion" class was officially cancelled, everything was stuck on the drawing board and the old paper pile, and the design process of the "Lion" class battleship from 1937 to 1937 was also ended.
David S. K. Brown's book Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945 includes speculative drawings based on official sketches (see above), drawn by John Roberts (battlecruisers), which are quite different from those drawn by @Tozali.
Sketch of the surviving official design of the Lion-class battleship