- Yes.
- No.
- In a future Belgian/BeNeLux techtree.
- In another already ingame techtree.
- I said “No” in the first question/
Hello everyone, today I’d like to suggest a rather unique Belgian ship that was in service just after the second world war!
This is the Azalea-class sloop, Breydel (1947)
Source: De Platte V.I.W., Zeewezensprokkels
For those that know a thing or two about this ship already I need to clarify one thing:
This ship has gone through various changes regarding her post war armaments. And on top of that the ship also went through a name change. In the end sources vary greatly with what armament was on the ship, and what name the ship had at that time, and etc etc.
So for this sugestion I’m keeping it simple. The Breydel I’m suggesting is the ship WITH the 105 mm gun at the front. The ship without the 105 mm gun I will suggest in another topic.
History & Development
Spoiler
This ship started it’s long live as the HMS Zinnia, who was launched in 1915. After the second world war she was stripped of her guns and sold to the Belgian Navy.
I have suggested HMS Zinnia already, check it out here: Azalea-class sloop, HMS Zinnia (1915)When the second world war broke out, the Germans captured the ship when they invaded Belgium, and then decided to update and re-arm the ship. She was ready in 1942, and renamed Barbara.
I have suggested Barbara already, check it out here: German Azalea-class sloop, Barbara (1942). German upgrades meets British design!When the second world war ended, the ship was located in Emden. She would be captured and returned to Belgium.
The ship returned to Belgian service in 1946 under her original name ‘Zinnia’ again. But this was only for a very short time, since in 1947 the ship was renamed to Breydel.
I have suggested Zinnia already, check it out here: Belgian Azalea-class sloop, Zinnia (1946)And that then brings us to this suggestion. The ship got the name Breydel and went through a refit that finally gave her a proper main gun. This being a single 105 mm SK C/32 added to the front of the ship. But that was not all that was changed, for Breydel would recieve some of the most random 20 mm gun mounts I’ve ever seen added to one single ship. Let’s break it down piece by piece:
Source: www.belgian-navy.beOn the photo above we can see the new 105 mm gun. And just like the Zinnia, there are still two single 20 mm turrets next to it. But now they have been given gunshields for better protection.
Also the quad 20 mm turret that used to be on the stern of the ship has been moved to be on top of the bridge.
Source: www.belgian-navy.beA quick stop just behind the bridge. This has stayed the same as on Zinnia, but now we get to see it closeup and in great detail. The German smoke funnel is still there together with the large searchlights.
Source: www.belgian-navy.beHere we are behind the smoke funnel, and here we have two new gun platforms. On the right (The lower platform) we can see the original Flakzwilling C/38 M43U mount that used to be where the 105 mm turret was now located. But behind it on the higher platform is yet another twin mounting, which I believe to be a LM44U U-boat twin mounting.
Source: www.belgian-navy.beSo what could be weirder then a U-boat twin mounting on a ship you say? How about two even more obscure twin mounting used on the Type XXI submarine! If you don’t believe me, open up the spoiler below and look at the bridge of the submarine. The Type XXI had these enclosed turrets on the front and back of the bridge.
So let’s add it all up, one 105 mm gun, one quad 20 mm, two single 20 mm, and four twin 20 mm guns in various mounts. That is 14 20 mm guns!
The ship would stay in Belgian service untill around 1948, giving her a short lived career as Breydel of only two years. There is not much to write about when it comes to what she did in those two years. We do know of a trip to Norway and Denmark in 1948, but after that she would already be taken out of service. In 1949 she was sold for demolition, and in 1950 she was taken apart. A sad ending to a ship so incredibly unique.
I’d like to clarify just how unique this vessel was.
She was an WW1 era Azalea-class sloop, upgraded to WW2 standards by the Germans with an all new bow, bridge and smoke funnel, and then refitted by the Belgians with some of the most random 20 mm turrets I’ve seen on a single ship.
Specifications
Spoiler
Length: ~80 meters
Beam: 10 meters
Draft: 3.35 meters
Displacement: unknown
Crew: 142Machinery:
Propulsion: 1 × triple expansion engine, 2 × cylindrical boilers
Top speed: ~17.5 knots (32.4 km/h)Weaponry:
1 x 1 105 mm SK C/32 guns
1 x 4 20 mm Vierling C/38
2 x 2 20 mm Flakzwilling (Type XXI submarine mounts)
1 x 2 20 mm Flakzwilling C/38 M43U
1 x 2 20 mm Flakzwilling LM44U
2 x 1 20 mm C/30
Ingame
Spoiler
I would love for this ship to be added to a Belgian or BeNeLux techtree. It is just so unique, it would make a Belgian techtree truely stand out. And to the people that know a thing of two about naval vessels/weaponry this ship would be such a weird thing to look into.
The main 105 mm gun is pretty powerfull so that will do it’s job very well. But the main thing this ship shines in is being an anti-aircraft barge. There are no blind spots on this ship, and no mater how you approach it, you will always have al least six 20 mm guns looking at you.
I hope you enjoyed reading about this big weird boat.
Please make sure to leave a comment down below!
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
More photos
Spoiler
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
Source: www.belgian-navy.be
_(9447881765).jpg){kind=link}
Sources
Spoiler
Main source:
Secondairy source:
Extra:
Weaponry: