From a completely cold condition, how quickly could an oil-fired warship raise enough steam to move?
Short answerAbout six hours in a planned evolution, or roughly three and a half hours in an emergency, after first warming the fuel oil and bringing boilers online in stages.
NotesFuel oil must first be warmed enough to circulate, usually by bringing one boiler online and using it to support the others. A planned cold start might take roughly six hours, while an emergency evolution could compress the process to around three and a half hours at greater risk. A completely cold ship was unusual because at least one boiler and supporting generators would normally remain active.