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Post by MateDow on Mar 28, 2019 22:08:52 GMT -6
I, too, am a bit leery of 8" secondary guns with only 2.5" of armor protecting them. Probably would've gone with 'only' eight 8" guns to allow for heavier armor, myself, and maybe put them in casemates as well since casemates are lighter than single turrets, though I'm not sure that that would be enough to allow the ship enough secondary armor for my comfort.
The good news is that in 1901 even a 12" round has trouble penetrating 2.5" of armor beyond 5,00 yards.
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Post by MateDow on Mar 28, 2019 23:57:38 GMT -6
5 January, 1901 Washington DC State, War, and Navy Building Secretary Long walked through the door to Admiral Dow’s office, which was never a good sign on a Saturday afternoon.
“Good afternoon sir. What can I do for you?”
“Why do always look nervous when I walk into your office?
“Frankly sir, you never seem to come visit with good news, and when you arrive on a day that we are both supposed to be home on…”
“Well, this time you are right to be nervous. I have come to ask your advice on something. I just received a cable from our ambassador in Great Britain. A reception on the cruiser Palmer got a little out of hand last night. They were serving a rum punch that was apparently stronger than our British guests expected. The wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer fell down a ladder after stepping into an open hatch. The ship’s surgeon provided treatment and Lady Hicks Beach will be okay, but needless to say the Chancellor is not happy with us at the moment.”
“I don’t know what he expected. In a country where the Navy is such part of their everyday life, they would know to watch where they are stepping. Why are you bringing this to me?”
“Normally I’d discuss this with Secretary Hay, but he is touring the West Coast with the President, and we haven’t been able to reach him yet. You happen to be available, and I have come to trust your judgement. So we need to decide how the country should reply to this.”
Admiral Dow leaned back in his seat and thought for a moment. In this situation, it was probably based as much on how the British would react as the Americans. “If the British decide that this a big deal, there was nothing that we’d be able to do about it from this side of the Atlantic. On the other hand, if we let word of this leak to the American press, it would adversely affect our relations. We can’t let that happen sir. With tensions rising with the Russians, the last thing that we need is to agitate the British.
“We need to keep this quiet on our end, apologize to the Chancellor, and hope that he is reasonable. I think that will be reasonable. I’m sure that they don’t want to antagonize us with everything that is going on in the Cape Colony right now.”
Secretary Long nodded. “That pretty much agrees with my analysis. I’ll send a cable to Ambassador Choate recommending that he issue an official apology to the Chancellor and his wife, issue a reimbursement for any medical expenses that they might incur. I will also emphasize to the ambassador to ensure that this doesn’t reach the American press, or at least not before it hits the British press. If it does hit the British press we will have to say something about the carelessness of American sailors, or something to that effect. With luck, this will blow over and we won’t hear about this again and we won’t have to make disparaging comments about those sailors. I will also send a telegram to Secretary Hays informing him of the situation and our course of action.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 1, 2019 22:26:59 GMT -6
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Post by MateDow on Apr 2, 2019 23:24:10 GMT -6
24 March, 1901 Washington DC State, War, and Navy Building Secretary of State Hays walked into the General Board meeting and sat in an open chair. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming at such short notice, and I’m sorry to take you away from your families on a Sunday afternoon. As some of you might be aware, a revolt has broken out in the port city of Palembang in the Dutch East Indies. Their goal is to reestablish the Darussalam Sultanate, which was destroyed by the Dutch almost one-hundred years ago.
“The Consul General has received a request from the rebels for support and protection. We have to assume that we are not the only country that has been approached. It would not surprise me if the British, Germans, and Russians have also been approached for support.
“My question to you gentleman is what is going to be our best course of action?”
Admiral Dewey looked around the table before speaking. “We can send a pair of cruisers from the Philippines with a battalion of troops that can be landed in Palembang to protect our consulate. That will give us sufficient forces in the area to protect the rebels from the Dutch if we decide that is the prudent course.”
Rear Admiral Crowninshield spoke up next. “Sir, the Jefferson and Cowlitz are currently at Cavite. We can have them fueled and underway with Army troops by the end of the week. This will give us time to move the troops from Manila and collect enough provisions to supply them for three weeks. By that time we will be able to support them using Army transports based in the Philippines in addition to finding local suppliers.”
“I will cable instructions to Rear Admiral Watson to transfer his flag to one of the cruisers so there will be a flag officer present to command our forces. He will be serving a diplomatic role with foreign naval officers that will be there.”
Captain Sigsbee was the next to speak up. “Sir, what are the rules of engagement going to be? As the Secretary mentioned, we will probably not be the only ones sending forces into the area.”
Secretary Hays was the one to answer. “We don’t want to start a war over some rebels. We will respect a buffer zone between our ships and foreign warships. If the President decides later that we will assume a more aggressive posture in regard to the Dutch, we can look at changes at that time. Until then, we will respect all parties in this conflict including the Dutch if they intervene. Our purpose is to protect American civilians, trade, and interests. No more, no less.”
Admiral Dewey spoke up. “Write the ROE to ensure that our ships cannot fire unless they are fired upon and hit. I don’t want one of our captains starting a war when a shot is fired across their bow.
“If there aren’t any more questions gentlemen, I will let you get with your staffs to develop the plans and orders for this operation. We will meet back here in the morning to review everything before we cable the orders.”
The admiral looked around the room. “Very well. Dismissed.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 4, 2019 1:10:03 GMT -6
30 March, 1901 USS Cowlitz Palembang, Dutch East Indies Captain Murdock watched the last line being passed ashore and turned toward the bridge. “Finished with engines.” He waited long enough to hear the jangle of the engine order telegraph before turning back to the river pilot standing at his side.
“Thank you for your help sir. Your assistance was invaluable.”
“It was my pleasure sir,” the pilot said in heavily accented English, “It is not very often that I get to pilot such a fine vessel. If you don’t mind, I will go ashore. When you are ready to depart have your agent get in touch with me, and I will be here in less than an hour.”
“You can be assured that we will let you know, and we will give you more than an hour notice if possible.” He shook the man’s hand and watched him head down the ladder to the main deck.
Turning to look at the dock he could see that on the waterfront everything was quiet. The whitewashed two-story houses blocked his view toward the center of town though. The gangway was being moved onto the dock, and once it was secured, one of the Marines moved to his post at the foot. With the ship secured and the dock guard in place the Army could make their preparations to go ashore. It would be some time before they would be able to gather their gear, move to the dock, form up and then move to their initial objectives.
A man in a linen suit, who he assumed was the consul, approached the sentry at the foot of the gangway, had a brief conversation, and was waived up to the quarterdeck. At the top he turned toward the stern and stiffened before turning to talk to the lieutenant stationed there.
Knowing that the man would be sent up to the bridge he continued to watch the preparations for a long port stay. The deck force was putting the rat guards on the lines and the engineers were starting to rig the coaling equipment on the offshore side; a coal barge would be coming soon to top off the bunkers.
The man that he had seen on shore came up to him. “Good afternoon Captain. My name is Frank Mason, and I will be your contact point while you are here. The Jefferson should be here within the hour, and she will be tying up farther downstream to prevent a single force concentrating against you. I have secured one-thousand tons of coal that will start being delivered before nightfall.”
The captain was impressed. Usually you had to prod the local representative to provide logistical support.
“What do I need to know about the situation here before landing my troops?”
“Well, this is one of the newest places in the region where petroleum has been found. Most of the production is refined for illumination and lubrication. It is inferior to what is produced in the US and Russia, but they are also sold at a reduced price. This supplies needs in China, India and Siam that don’t really appreciate the qualities of a superior illuminating petroleum. Refineries in Sumatra produced more than 1 million barrels last year.
“The Shell Transport Company has devoted a large amount of capital marketing the fuel petroleum and bulk oils produced in the islands and Russia, with tanks as far away as the Suez Canal. You can see the large tanks there to the east where it is stored before shipment to Balikpapan and Singapore.”
“What has been the Dutch response?”
“At the moment there hasn’t been a response. Prompt action by the US and Russian warships has pretty much been able to keep the Dutch from bringing in fresh troops to put down the rebellion. Also, we received a cable that President McKinley was recognizing the independence of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate with Sultan Najamuddin as its ruler. He is the nephew of the last sultan from 1825.
“For the moment, the Russians are supporting the new government, and our appearance will maintain the status quo and prevent them from gaining too much influence.”
“Very well. I will give Lieutenant Collins orders to take Company D to the consulate, and Lieutenant Collins will take Company G to camp east of the city where he can quickly respond to the refinery and storage tanks if they are threatened. We will need vet suppliers for food and fodder.”
“I have already let contracts for supplies from a few different companies, so that is already taken care of.”
“That is good. Let me start the process for landing Company D and scouting out a bivouac location for Company G. When that is finished I will come to the consulate so we can coordinate any other activities that we have overlooked.
“Thank you again for your help, and I appreciate your professionalism and attention to details.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 4, 2019 22:00:30 GMT -6
4 April, 1901 Washington DC State, War, and Navy Building The Secretary’s aide dropped the day’s correspondence on his desk. He had already opened it, reviewed it, and placed it in order of priority. The first thing on top was a letter from the Rear Admiral that commands the Asiatic Station.
Secretary Long, In accordance with your orders of March 25, the cruisers Cowlitz and Jefferson have arrived in the port of Palembang to protect American interests in the newly established Palembang Darussalam Sultanate. The arrival of American and Russian troops in the capital has convinced the Dutch to relinquish control of the island of Sumatra.
Troops remain in place to support the new government in maintaining control of the city and protect the commercial facilities of the port. Consul General Mason has assumed the post of ambassador to the new nation on a temporary basis awaiting confirmation or replacement by the Senate.
The new Russian Ambassador is protesting the presence of American ships and troops as “a destabilizing influence in the region.” Russian merchants have assumed a combative stance toward American commercial interests within the new country. It would not surprise me to learn that our ambassador in St. Petersburg has received a complaint from the Russian government over our presence here.
We have established a position to protect American interests against Russian interference with troops deployed at the US Consulate and on the outskirts of the city where they can be used to protect infrastructure.
Rear Admiral John C. Watson USS Jefferson Anchored in Musi River, Palembang
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Post by MateDow on Apr 9, 2019 1:23:41 GMT -6
12 April, 1901 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Rear Admiral Dow looked down into the drydock while getting his temper under control. “Let me understand this. You only discovered the cracks in the propeller blades after they were installed, testing began, and one of the blades came off? Why wasn’t this discovered before they were installed?”
The shipyard manager looked uncomfortable under his gaze. “We inspected them prior to installation of course. I do not know how they passed without us noticing the cracks. The engineers suspect that the cracks might have developed after they were installed due to a flaw in the material that allowed corrosion to develop once they were immersed. This flaw wouldn’t have been visible when they were sitting waiting to be installed. As it is, we are fortunate that we discovered it now and not during the shakedown. We could have damaged the engines if they were running at full power.”
“Fortunate??!? You have a different concept of that than I do apparently.” he practically yelled at the man. He stopped and let out a slow breath. “How long until new blades are fabricated and installed?”
The man blinked quickly, but continued his report. “We estimate that it will take four weeks to fabricate, install, and test the new blades. We should be able to deliver her by the end of the year by continuing fitting out while we wait for the new blades.”
Four weeks, he thought as he continued to stare at the man. Well, it could be worse as the manager pointed out, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.
When Chief Constructor Hichborn had given him the news yesterday, they had decided that it would be better if the admiral made the trip to Philadelphia. It wasn’t a bad idea to let the shipyard see the person that had some control over where ships were built. He knew that Cramp & Sons did a lot of business with the Navy, and would like more in the future. They were already preparing the building ways for the construction of the new battleship Kansas that was scheduled for June.
Another side benefit of this visit was getting to see the progress of the construction first hand. It was one thing to see the reports while sitting in the comfort of his office, and another to come here and see the steel being assembled. You got a feel for the complexity and size of these projects.
He’d made the man wait long enough. “Very well Mr. Jones. I am sure that you will keep the Constructor updated on the progress of the fabrication. Are there any other delays that you can foresee at the moment, or anything else that I need to be aware of?”
“No sir. If it hadn’t been for this delay we would have been right on schedule for an 18-month delivery. This was a normal construction with the usual small issues to be overcome, but nothing that effected the schedule.”
“Thank you Mr. Jones. I will let you get back to work.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 9, 2019 1:40:57 GMT -6
Just a historical note. You will notice in posts that involve helm orders I have used rudder orders. This means that the order is given for the direction that the conning officer would like the bow to move (i.e. left full rudder or come left to...). Historically, the US Navy used tiller orders until 1914. These orders, similar to how to steer a sailboat, were a hold over from sailing ship days and are opposite of rudder orders. The British navy would use this style of order until 1933 and the US Merchant Marine until 1936. For an example of this watch the movie TITANIC when Murdoch gives the order "Helm hard-a-starboard!" and the helmsman proceeds to turn the wheel to the left. The use of right and left, instead of port and starboard, was also part of the change when the US changed their system. www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/general-orders/general-order-no-98-1914-movement-rudder.htmlPlease forgive me for this, but it fits better my image of the happenings on the bridge of a warship.
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Post by MateDow on Apr 10, 2019 2:04:27 GMT -6
15 April, 1901 Washington DC State, War, and Navy Building Admiral Dewey arrived punctually as always and bid the assembled officers sit down. “Good afternoon gentlemen. I am sure that you are all aware of the latest increase in tensions with the Russians?” Heads nodded around the table. “Very well. Based on that I want to send additional ships to our Caribbean Squadron to contain the Russian squadron based there.”
Rear Admiral Crowninshield spoke up. “We have developed plans to move an additional pair of cruisers in addition to two more Davenports. This will give us five battleships, a quartet of armored cruisers, a quartet of light cruisers for scouting and commerce interdiction, and a half squadron of torpedo boat destroyers. Admiral Farquhar is adjusting his operational plans to account for the additional ships.
“We have developed plans to use the older Colchester-class cruisers to patrol in the mid-Atlantic to interdict Russian ships moving between Russia and Venezuela. They are currently based in Norfolk, Boston and Miami with provisions and fuel for one month patrols. We have already briefed the captains and they can be deployed quickly in the event of war.”
Captain Sigsbee was next. “Sir, although the Russians are indignant over what they perceive is our interference in Palembang, I have to emphasize that without an additional incident I don’t foresee the Russians challenging us. They have to be aware of the distances involved that will make it difficult for them to attack us, while we will be able to move forces freely between the US and Caribbean bases.
“We will have a local advantage in the western hemisphere in any sustained war. There might be occasions where they can concentrate a larger force locally, but we will be able to quickly counter that.”
Admiral Dewey looked down the table toward Rear Admiral Dow and nodded. “The battleship Delaware is completing her work ups and will be moving south to join the fleet next month. North Carolina and Oklahoma will be commissioned next month, and will each require eight weeks of work ups. The cruiser Island is still in the early stages of construction in New York, and the Constructor is estimating that she has 18 months of construction time, while the gunboat Exeter still has six months of construction time left. The final three Copas-class destroyers should be completing their work ups soon as well. They will remain stationed along the eastern seaboard for the time being.
“Congress has approved appropriations for an additional two battleships of the Wisconsin-class with the names Kansas and Illinois. We finalized contracts with Cramp & Sons and Newport News will be beginning construction soon.”
Admiral Dewey looked around the table looking for anyone that was ready to speak. When he didn’t see anyone he said, “Very well gentlemen. It appears that we are well placed if things get any worse. I will brief the Secretary and President about our plans. If they have any changes we will meet again to address them, so stay in town.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 11, 2019 22:38:17 GMT -6
2 May, 1901 New York Times
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Post by MateDow on Apr 17, 2019 0:08:11 GMT -6
23 July, 1901 Washington DC State, War, and Navy Building Secretary Long walked into the conference room and directed all of the officers to be seated. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming at such short notice. I will get directly to the point so you can all get back to work. We will be sending a pair of cruisers from the Caribbean Squadron to Colon, Panama to protect US interests and citizens due to the ongoing crisis in that country. Secretary Hay is working with the British to have some of their ships participate in the operation. I want two of our armored cruisers in place next week.
“Secretary Hay will have the consul generals throughout the country to prepare for the movement of people toward the port, by rail if possible, with the intention of moving them out if things become out of control. We will establish temporary quarters until liners can be chartered and deployed. We already have Marines in place to protect the isthmian railroad, and the Secretary of War has been ordered to prepare a force of 500 sharpshooters to be moved to the region. Secretary Root is working with the Army to ensure that they are ready to move when we have transport arranged.
“Any questions?”
Captain Sigbee was the first to ask a question. “Sir, do we know how the Russians are going to react to this? We know that we are moving to support Mr. Amador and protect the canal that is being constructed, but the Russians could see our naval movements as a threat to their position in Venezuela.”
“Secretary Hay assures me that he will be able to work with the Russians to ensure that there are no misunderstandings about our intentions. He has invited the Russians to participate in the international squadron that he envisions. We already have the Mallarino-Bidlack Treaty that gives us the right to protect our interests in Panama, and Secretary Hay is working with the Columbians to ensure our continued lease of the strip of land where the canal is being built.”
“Sir, based on my reading of the Russians, they might not be happy with our assertion of our rights in Panama. They are sensitive to our actions after what they perceive was our interference in Sumatra and might try and force us into a conflict with the goal of getting more breathing room for their expansion elsewhere in the world.”
“You have a good point. We will plan for that contingency as well. We will move the Caribbean Squadron from their base in Key West to Guantanamo so they are better positioned in the event that the Russians want to oppose us.
“Admiral Dow, do we still have coal stockpiled for sustained operations?”
“Yes sir,” Rear Admiral Dow quickly answered, “We have 25,000 tons of coal that we moved last fall in anticipation of future operations from Guantanamo. This is in addition to any coal that the ships bring with them upon deployment. We can also quickly move coal from Norfolk to replenish stocks as they are used. We have standing charters with several colliers, and we have coal stored at the Norfolk Terminal Company that we can load as soon as a ship is alongside the jetty.
“The cruisers Tolland and Ferry will be loading fuel and ammunition in addition to the additional supplies needed to support an extended deployment. All of the supplies are currently available in Guantanamo, and we will be replenishing the stocks out of reserves as soon as possible.”
“Does anyone else have any concerns that we need to address before you get back to work?” He looked around the table. “Very well. Return to your posts.”
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Post by MateDow on Apr 17, 2019 21:30:16 GMT -6
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Post by pirateradar on Apr 18, 2019 0:01:00 GMT -6
Interesting!
And convenient for you there are contemporary (or near-contemporary) historical accounts of a war with Russia! This one will be taking place in much different circumstances, though.
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Post by dorn on Apr 18, 2019 0:27:29 GMT -6
It seems to be very cold there.
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Post by MateDow on Apr 18, 2019 1:04:01 GMT -6
It seems to be very cold there.
Are you saying that it doesn't look like Venezuela-type weather?
Unfortunately, Russia never seems to have fought anywhere warm.
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