Gouden Leeuw Design Notes

With the construction of the Japanese Kongo-class battlecruisers, it is clear that the Dutch East Indies Squadron lacks the capability to protect Dutch interests in the face of Japan's growing ambitions. Therefore, our design team from Blohm & Voss have prepared a design for a ship that can both revitalise the Dutch East Indies Squadron and operate in home waters, on a moderate tonnage.

As the Kongo-class are perceived to be the greatest threat to Dutch interests, outgunning and outrunning all ships in the Dutch East Indies Squadron, the design is able to scare them off or force an engagement if necessary. The design is armed with new 38cm/45 guns to outrange and outgun the Kongos, while 15cm/45 and 8.8cm/45 guns are mounted for anti-torpedo boat usage.

Furthermore, the design's speed of 27 knots is capable of matching that of the Kongos to ensure that it can maintain distance with them, enabling it to maintain distance with the Kongos and damage them sufficiently with the main battery to either force them to retreat or pursue and sink them. The design's speed also prevents lighter cruisers from making enough distance to qiuckly escape the range of the design's main battery, thus allowing it to also function as a raider or cruiser hunter.

The design's armour is insufficient to protect from battleship-caliber guns, but as already mentioned, the main battery should be able to outrange and damage the Kongo-class, whose armour is inferior to the design's. The main belt protects the small parts of the ship's engineering spaces that raise above the waterline, while a 6-inch thick upper belt is present to protect the ship from lighter-caliber guns, protecting it from damage when engaging smaller cruisers. A 3-inch thick end belt is also provided to protect from destroyer guns and splinters, to maintain speed.

Finally, the design is capable of operating even in the heavy seas of the Pacific at high speeds.