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Post by theexecuter on Dec 10, 2017 0:27:37 GMT -6
January 1906
A call to reduce spending in favor of social programs is pushed, and the Navy League energetically protests. We are on the verge of war! February 1906
Members of the court scheme how to start the war on Russian terms. The navy merely requests additional funding. We spend that money on laying down Russia's first battlecruiser - Kinburn. She has 12 x 11 inch guns, will reach 26 knots, and has a balanced armor scheme. The original hope was to put the American 12 inch guns on the ship, but the additional weight would have left the ship very lightly armored indeed. April 1906
A revolt in Africa temporarily turns attention from the Pacific. We participate in an International squadron sent to restore order and protect our civilians. New technology - 700 ton destroyers May 1906
The British grand fleet sends some ships to Krohnstadt. We state that we are happy to host these great men, and make no comments whatsoever comparing our ships to theirs. June 1906
New technology - Coastal submarine July 1906
The Tsar again mentions that the fleet is 'too weak' in the Pacific. We move another four battleships and supporting ships to the Pacific. The national economy is picking up, and increased budget is available. New technology - Improved explosive filler packing August 1906
Germany sells us Automatic Range Transmitter technology New technology - Superimposed X turret October 1906
With the commissioning of the Ismail, we lay down a new raiding cruiser, the Pamyat Merkuriya. She has the now standard 10x6 inch guns of our raiders, will reach 26 knots, and is lightly protected. Long range and reliable engines means she will be a devil to track down and destroy. November 1906
New technology - Small tube boilers I December 1906Great Britain, Germany, and the United States are engaged in a naval race. We and Japan are seeming to match each other, with one dreadnought and one battle cruiser a piece. Eight of our Retvizan class battleships are at Port Arthur, and our Pacific cruiser fleet consists of four Varyag class armored cruisers and four of the raiding cruisers. We should be able to hold our own in the Pacific until the remainder of the fleet arrives to enforce a blockade. Japan has been constructing submarines already, and currently leads the world with 17 either built or under construction. We are preemptively matching their submarine count with convoy escorts (MS) so that the threat will be minimized. We have gone an entire year on the brink of war with Japan...perhaps neither side really wants to take the plunge?
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 14, 2017 17:26:36 GMT -6
January 1907
New technologies: Control Tops 13inch guns (-1) February 1907
New technology: Explosive Sweeps April 1907
New technology: Improved Hoists May 1907
New technologies: Oil Firing Improved AP Cap Improved Compressed Air Supply (torpedoes now do 28 knots for 2 km or 18 knots for 4 km) June 1907
One of our cruisers runs aground in the Mediterranean. We accept local help to get it afloat again. New technologies: Improved Annealing Longitudinal Framing August 1907
We negotiate a treaty with Germany. The peace faction reigns triumphant at the Navy Ministry. September 1907
New technologies: Torpedo Protection System - 1 Torpedo Aiming System October 1907
New technology: Economizer November 1907
A Japanese cruiser is sent on a goodwill mission to Port Arthur. We praise her as a nice ship, though ours are just as good. December 1907
We agree to sell arms to the Balkan states as another round of fighting has broken out. Half-way across the globe, in the misty twilight of a winters morning, the men manning the coastal guns guarding the harbor at Port Arthur spot small ships approaching. The enemy destroyers stay out of range of the guns, and morning breaks to find the Japanese fleet outside the harbor and beginning to shell our ships from long range. The battleship Evstafi was the first to get underway, and she led the Russian battle fleet straight towards the enemy. Clearing the harbor, the cruiser Bayan took a torpedo hit and retired to the inner harbor to beach. Confusion reigned in the fleet as men and officers scrambled to operate the not fully crewed ships and officers tried to decipher signals from the Evstafi in the absence of any operational plan. Fortunately, the enemy fleet retreated as the Russian ships came out. In the initial confusion, before the establishment of a proper battle line, the Evstafi took heavy damage as the enemy battleships focused on her. However, once the remaining Russian ships formed up...the Japanese fleet took lots of hits and began withdrawing to the south. The Evstafi, staggered by dozens of hits, on fire, and flooding dropped out of line and steered for Dalny. The Russian fleet made certain of the retreat of the Japanese fleet, and then fell back itself towards Port Arthur. Two Russian destroyers were sunk, along with one Japanese destroyer. The Bayan and the Evstafi were heavily damaged, but did not sink. One of the Japanese heavy cruisers suffered serious damage as well. The long awaited Pacific war begins. The remaining battleships of the Baltic Sea Fleet are sent to Northeast Asia. Our light cruisers are given raiding orders. We begin concentrated training on gunnery and night fighting tactics rather than lay down any new ships.
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Post by aeson on Dec 14, 2017 18:57:21 GMT -6
Not a bad outcome for a surprise attack, though you might still be a bit short of ships in the Far East for the first few months of the war.
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 14, 2017 22:45:44 GMT -6
Not a bad outcome for a surprise attack, though you might still be a bit short of ships in the Far East for the first few months of the war. Indeed. The Japanese scrupulously stayed out of coastal battery range...almost like they had scouted the harbor on that goodwill mission... No complaints from me, as that meant no massed torpedo volleys into my parked battleships. I had sent enough battleships to be at parity in the opening phase, though we are short cruisers. The main fleet will arrive by April, so hopefully things won't go pear shaped in the mean time.
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 14, 2017 22:59:49 GMT -6
January 1908
New technology: 9 ft rangefinder The Japanese launch a big cruiser raid on our shipping into Vladivostok. In perfect weather, our two armored cruisers intercept the enemy force...and split it up, and sink the enemy cruisers one after another. The enemy cruisers try to run while our ships finish off the second of their number...but they run right into the battleship support force that has come out of Vladivostok to get in on the fun. Only darkness saves the one remaining enemy cruiser. It is a spectacular victory, and Mother Russia exults! Outnumbered six ships to two, our machines were faster, heavier armored, and better gunned. With the increased wartime budget, we lay down a second dreadnought: The Imperator Aleksandr III is larger than its predecessor, with the additional weight going into more armor. The ship will use oil for propulsion, rather than coal...another new advance. We also lay down a new class of destroyers. The Zadorny class will use 4 inch guns, and have 30 knot speed. February 1908
New technology: Anti-submarine nets The Japanese, undeterred by the debacle at Vladivostok, launch their invasion of Manchuria. The landings of units on the Liaotung Peninsula is covered by a significant portion of the Japanese fleet. Our fleet sorties to intercept the enemy. In an engagement characterized by multiple and inexplicable signalling errors, our battleships are disrupted and fail to coordinate into a proper battle line. Several of our ships take heavy damage while waiting for their partners to rejoin. The heavy cruiser Pamyat Azova suffers from the cruiser squadron leader being too aggressive, and sinks immediately from a torpedo. Our ships withdraw back to Port Arthur, and in a stern chase do some damage from long range to the enemy fleet. Despite having superior ships, our men's handling of them was poor. And the navy has gone from hero to goat in just a few short weeks. The army will now have to shoulder a significant burden of defending the port until the rest of the fleet arrives. March 1908
Our light cruiser Avrora was sighted off the Kuriles running from a Japanese cruiser. All accounts claim she survived and is still out there raiding. Our fleet spends the month in port, while the enemy continues to land reinforcements and supplies on the northern end of the Liaotung Peninsula. The press back home are incensed. My prestige continues to suffer. The war remains in the balance. I expect to place Japan under blockade once the remaining battleships arrive. The enemy submarines have been just as effective as our raiders, however they have already lost several submarines to our patrol craft. Our first priority for construction is the replenishment of our destroyer numbers. The last few battles have seen them decline alarmingly.
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Post by boomboomf22 on Dec 14, 2017 23:49:06 GMT -6
Typical Russia. From massive success to epic failure.
Note: I am not crisiizing you, as I have had similar things happen to me as Russia. They seem cursed.
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Post by bramborough on Dec 15, 2017 1:23:25 GMT -6
One thing I like about Russia is the oil access, able to incorporate oil-fired designs early, as you promptly did with the Imperator Aleksander III. Kinda wondering why you stayed with coal for the new Zadorny DD class? Is there some material or budgetary aspect of coal-vs-oil that I've perhaps been ignorant of?
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 15, 2017 10:43:12 GMT -6
Typical Russia. From massive success to epic failure. Note: I am not crisiizing you, as I have had similar things happen to me as Russia. They seem cursed. Cursed with poor education...which leads to slow tech advance, which leads to backward ship design...crewed by less competent crews who can't shoot well, can avoid torpedos or mines well, and who can't read signals. I really thought we could easily take that enemy battle fleet...but our ships refused to form a proper line of battle. It was a shockingly shameful display. We deserved the prestige loss for that day.
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 15, 2017 10:44:14 GMT -6
One thing I like about Russia is the oil access, able to incorporate oil-fired designs early, as you promptly did with the Imperator Aleksander III. Kinda wondering why you stayed with coal for the new Zadorny DD class? Is there some material or budgetary aspect of coal-vs-oil that I've perhaps been ignorant of? I took coal fired? Oh. Oops. Is Russian navy, we had too much Vodka that day...
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Post by aeson on Dec 15, 2017 12:51:08 GMT -6
One thing I like about Russia is the oil access, able to incorporate oil-fired designs early, as you promptly did with the Imperator Aleksander III. Kinda wondering why you stayed with coal for the new Zadorny DD class? Is there some material or budgetary aspect of coal-vs-oil that I've perhaps been ignorant of? While theexecutor's response makes it clear that it wasn't intentional, I will note that coal-fired engines are marginally less expensive than oil-fired engines, especially early on, and that the game models coal bunkers as providing some additional protection to a coal-fueled ship (not that it'd likely matter for a destroyer). Personally, I think the weight savings, the reduced smoke production, and the reduction in speed loss events (no stokers who can become exhausted) of oil-fired engines outweigh the lower cost and additional protection of coal-fired engines, but if you really need to pinch pennies you could potentially shave a few million off the total cost of a big ship by using coal- rather than oil-fired engines.
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 15, 2017 13:02:37 GMT -6
Yes, for light cruisers, I use coal fired engines for as long as I have protected cruiser armor configuration...regardless of access to oil, since the marginal increase in armor ability in the light cruiser configuration is offset, IMO, by the loss of the coal bunkers. For destroyers though, I should have gone out fired. I make no claim to be great at the game.
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Post by HolyDragoon on Dec 15, 2017 14:11:00 GMT -6
One thing I like about Russia is the oil access, able to incorporate oil-fired designs early, as you promptly did with the Imperator Aleksander III. Kinda wondering why you stayed with coal for the new Zadorny DD class? Is there some material or budgetary aspect of coal-vs-oil that I've perhaps been ignorant of? I took coal fired? Oh. Oops. Is Russian navy, we had too much Vodka that day... Well, the tubes are inside the stacks, so seems like too much Vodka was a thing!
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Post by theexecuter on Dec 17, 2017 0:12:34 GMT -6
April 1908
The court authorizes more funds for the navy. Excellent! New technology: Cross Deck Fire Our CL Avrora sinks the Japanese CL Chitose off Shanghai May 1908
New technology: Destroyer screen Russian army positions on the Manchurian side of the Yalu River are under attack by the Japanese Army. One of our armored cruisers, in company with the light cruiser Avrora and a trio of destroyers is patrolling the estuary of the Yalu. The enemy sends six cruisers and seven destroyers to bombard our forces. Our ships engage in a running battle towards Port Arthur. As twilight approaches, our destroyers launch a torpedo attack and manage to allow our ships to escape. Unfortunately, the DD Mitri is too heavily damaged to get away and sinks. Once our force has been chased away, the enemy proceeds to bombard our forces into retreat. The main fleet has arrived, but despite outnumbering the Japanese fleet in battleships 15 to 8, is unable to place the Home Islands under blockade. June 1908
The Japanese send two light cruisers half way around the world to raid Russian shipping in the Baltic Sea. They are sighted off Hanko by the crew of one of our minesweepers (subsequently sunk post signalling for help). The heavy cruiser Ismail chases down both hapless light cruisers and sends them to the bottom. The fact that our entire battlefleet isn't enough to enact a blockade is disheartening. However, our cruisers continue to perform well. Now that we have destroyer screen technology, I am going to want to double the number of destroyers we have...as well as lay down another battle cruiser.
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