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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 0:35:42 GMT -6
March 1924 -- the Queen Elizabeth
Recent advances in naval technology have allowed us to build a battleship of immense power, far surpassing the 8x17" designs of the Germans and Americans. The Queen Elizabeth has:
- 12x16" guns in quad turrets - an 18" armoured box protecting the magazines - better torpedo protection - 4 torpedo tubes on each side
- heavy secondary and tertiary armament - 3 directors, for redundancy
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 1:13:56 GMT -6
March 1926 -- will there be war?
Tension with the USA is rising. Our Queen Elizabeth is 10 months from completion, which indicates war would be better delayed. On the other hand, they are building 5 new BB/BC compared to our 2, so if there is to be war, it might as well be now.
I have moved major ships to home waters for quick deployment across the Atlantic if need be. I have also moved some ships out of reserve. Most of our battleships have had recent refits to fit improved directors.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 1:27:45 GMT -6
April 1926 -- War!
I was right, there will be war with the USA.
After discussions with the War Cabinet, we have agreed to move the fleet to the Carribean and invade Venezuela. This will force the USA to fight.
The 2 Warspite class will not be going, as their combat power is limited, but after refitting with improved directors, DP 4" guns, better 13" guns they will be much more capable.
We will move to unrestricted submarine warfare and build more subs. We have plenty of ASW escorts. We will also make limited use of surface raiders.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 2:01:31 GMT -6
June 1926
They have invaded Bermuda, and we are invading Maine. Hopefully there will be a fleet battle.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 2:16:57 GMT -6
June 1926 -- sunk some cruisers
I sunk some enemy cruisers off Portland. Nice, but not a fleet battle.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 3:17:10 GMT -6
August 1926 -- finally a fleet battle!
Our entire fleet was escorting a badly needed convoy into the beleaguered garrison of Bermuda. They were set upon by an American force. In the ensuing fleet battle my destroyers charged his battleships, unleashing torpedoes, then my battleships closed in and pounded them at point blank range. There was chaos as these enormous ships fought close up to each other, more in the spirit of Trafalgar than anything more recent. Over all of it, my torpedo bombers swooped down to pounce on the wounded enemy.
They call it "smokeless propellant" but believe you me when 20 mighty battleships fight inside 4 square miles it sure ain't smokeless. When the smoke cleared, all my battleships were still afloat -- some only just -- and 4 of his were sinking.
Special mention must go to the modernised Dreadnought-class ship Dangerous, which wins the best firing award with 47 11" hits (9.2% hit rate) and another 7 7". Although old, it's still Dangerous!
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 3:54:03 GMT -6
November 1926
We have now invented advanced directors. Unfortunately we cannot spare any of our ships to be refitted. The BBs Warspite and Warrior have just come out of refit, so will be sent to Bermuda where the fighting is.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 4:04:30 GMT -6
December 1926
Now I have K-guns I am refitting my ASW ships with them, in batches.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 4:06:38 GMT -6
January 1927 The Americans have thrown in the towel and ceded Cuba to us.
It is probably not a coincidence that they do this just as our new battleship, the Queen Elizabeth, is commissioned.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 4:15:47 GMT -6
April 1927
We have decided to refit all the Colonial Minesweepers with K-guns, new engines, directors, and AA guns.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 4:25:36 GMT -6
May 1927 -- Heavy Cruisers
The most neglected part of our fleet has been the heavy cruiser, of which our most recent is the Vindictive class dating from 1915.
We will now remedy this with the new Attacker class, armed with 16x9" guns.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 22, 2020 4:38:06 GMT -6
July 1928 The London Disarmament Treaty has limited ships to 12,000 tons and 10" guns. This means everyone else has to scrap battleships they were building. We have to scrap the 3 Attacker class CAs (17600 tons, 16x9" guns), but we weren't building any BB/BC so will be least affected. A positive outcome!
i wasn't sure whether it would be possible to design a useful CA in the 12,000 ton limit, but the Director of Naval Construction seems to have managed it.
We are also building a new destroyer with 8x5" guns as we lost many destroyers in the recent conflict with the USA.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 23, 2020 0:15:41 GMT -6
October 1929 The disarmament treaty is still in force, but once a war starts it won't be, and I'll be able to build battleships again. So that I can do that swiftly, I must build all the ships in other classes that I need before the war starts. I need more DDs as I don't have many good ones, and CLs because most of mine are either old or being used on colonial duties. Also, of my battleships, only the King Alfred has advanced directors. I want to refit them to Queen Elizabeth, the Saints and possibly the Dominants.
I'd like to keep lots of money (c. 90-100,000) on hand for when I can build battleships again. So these are my priorities.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 23, 2020 0:26:21 GMT -6
November 1930 A rebellion has broken out in Panama. This is serious as Panama is an importart choke-point.
In other news, i now have a class of 28 new destroyers built or building, and the Queen Elizabeth and the Saints are getting advanced directors.
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Post by cabalamat on Mar 23, 2020 0:34:40 GMT -6
January 1931
The Queen Elizabeth and the Saints have finished their refits, so it is time to refit the Dominants. They get advanced directors, swivel-mounted torpedo tubes and AA guns and directors.
The new Proton cruiser has a broadside of 12x6" guns and so should pose a significant threat to enemy CLs and DDs.
The PM asked if we could defeat Japan. I replied that of course we can; it looks like a war is imminent.
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