Iron Men and Steel Ships 2: A Naval Forum Game

[Cleeque]

In hope of continued and more beneficial mutual cooperation between our brotherly alliance, the High Command asks that ships of the K. u. K. Kriegsmarine be allowed to stop in German ports in Africa, the Pacific, and Asia, etc., and offer that Kaiser Wilhelm's ships be allowed to base themselves in the Austrian harbours in the Meditteranean - this would allow Austria to have a presence abroad, while Germany would have a say in Meditteranean affairs.

High Command of the K.u. K. Kriegsmarine in the Name of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I @Riccardo93 ​

 

[Ranger900]

1896

Europe


UK

Majestic in the United Kingdom's newly expanded dockyards

The United Kingdom lays down two ambitious vessels. The Majestic and Ceasar, both of the Majestic Class. Unfortunately development is delayed by the vessels being significantly larger than local shipyards, and it’s only through a lucky break of private donations allowing upscaling the shipyards that allows them to even be really started. Though their production time is quite significant and they are quite costly. (2 Majestic Class Battleships laid down est 1899, +1,000 Shipyard Capacity)


British funding into Machinery helps turn out, and improved steam piping is found. Though funding for gun mounts does not work out as well. With little progress made this year.



France

The French Navy does not put any new ships into the water this year. Instead it looks for more funding, which it manages to recieved to match UK’s two new battleships. Though probably not as much as the fleet would have liked. (Budget+)


French scientists, engineers and tacticians have a good year this year. Though they fail to achieve any breakthroughs even with extra funding they believe they are close in a number of fields.


Russia

Russian ships en route to Pacific bases

The Russian Navy sees a rather significant increase in funding this year. While much of the navy, including the two newly commissioned Imperator Nikolai I class battleships Imperator Pavel I and Pervenets are moved to the far east theater for unknown reasons. Tensions with local powers are suitably affected. (Budget++, Tensions with Japan+, Tensions with Qing+)


Russian funding projects do not go as well as could have been hoped. Though they do manage to start work on expanding their local dockyards. Though it will be some time before they are finished. Once the dockyards are finished Russia’s new budget mixed with it’s increased capacity could lead to it being a danger on the high seas. Though how long it will maintain it’s current budget is unknown.


Austro-Hungary

Austro-Hungarian Dragoon class torpedo boats during contstruction

The Austro Hungarian Navy undergoes a relatively massive expansion under the Franz Ferdinand initiative. While the Navy does indeed receive a bit of extra funding this year, much of its expansion goes through even with its initial budget. Opposite of what many navies are building at this time, the Austro-Hungarian fleet focuses instead on building a large navy of small boats. With five dozen ships laid down this year under 250 tons. Most navies scoff at the vessels, with the grand majority of them being small 79 ton Hussar class vessels armed with a single torpedo tube. Both the Hussar and Dragoon class torpedo boats are completely unnarmed except for their torpedoes, and whether their hopeful performance will hold up when put under fire from the expansive secondary and tertiary batteries of large vessels will need to be seen. A single light cruiser is designed for fleet operations, and laid down for completion sometime in the next two years.


The Austro Hungarian Navy also sends one cruiser and two destroyers out east to dock at German ports. Unfortunately the deployment of the vessels ends up delayed till later in the year and due to unfavourable conditions, the three boats end up docking in German East Africa for the winter instead of their planned ports in Asia.



Italy

Italian gun crews during drills. By the end of the year the Italian Navy had some of the best gunners in the world.

The Italian Navy lays down three new light cruisers, and much of the navy ends up sailing off of Sicily. Participating in a number of wargames and gunnery drills throughout the year as the fleet works on making sure it’s cannon crews are some of the best in the world. It actually succeeds in this task, and by the end of the year the statement can be held up more as a statement of fact than any kind of bluster, much to the prestige of the Regia Marina (Gunnery Drills held, Prestige+)


Netherlands

The Netherlands lays down a number of light cruisers and torpedo boats this year. Though much of the country's budget instead goes into expanding its dockyards. They are expecting a significant increase in local capacity, though it won’t be till 1897.


Germany

The German fleet lays down two new destroyers and one cruisers. With the two destroyers expected to be complete next year and the cruiser in 1898. A major plan to improve the German dockyards does not go very well, while the plan gets off the ground, it’s hope of adding approximately 1,000 tons of capacity a year falters and it instead manages only 500 tons a year.



War in America

With the signing of the treaty between the CSA and Spanish Empire the United States could not sit idly by as it’s two enemies in the caribbean joined together against it. Rather than risking allowing the two to properly begin coordinating. The United States declared war only a few days past the announcement of the alliance, and separate plans long kept in place against the Confederated States and the Spanish went into action.


Out of Boston and New York, the US Eastern Fleet met up before steaming south toward the Confederate Caribbean. While the Confederates controlled a fair bit of the eastern seaboard, they did not really use the ports for a military capacity. As such the American fleet was forced to enter into Confederate home waters to engage the southerners in a decisive battle.

The first shots at sea were fired by the USS Olympia at the CSS Shenandoah. The two light cruisers were scouting for their respective fleets when they encountered each other off the coast of south coast of Florida. The Olympia managed to get the drop on the Shenandoah due to early morning glare off the water. Long range gunnery proved ineffective, with the Olympia’s first broadside landing far off target, while the Shenandoah’s reply was much the same.

Engaging in an on off battle, as each side’s captains were eager to gain the first sinking of the war. The two vessels clashed multiple times over the next three hours as they skirted in and out of firing range with only a single hit scored by the Olympia which failed to cause significant damage.


Soon enough the Shenandoah would force closer engagement. Managing to out pace the Olympia slightly before the American captain met the Shenandoah’s challenge and turned to engage the Confederate vessel. In closer range gunnery the Olympia’s faster firing guns began to score more hits, managing to knock out Shenandoah’s E turret and set fire to one of its funnels. Shenandoah’s six inch guns on the other hand proved notably ineffective. Low grade ballistic caps and steel resulting in much of their rounds bouncing off the Olympia’s light armour. Two penetrating hits were scored with little result. The Shenandoah’s three inch secondary battery did significantly more damage, knocking out Olympia’s A and Y turrets.

Following the third hour, the sight of smoke on the horizon from both the US Fleet and CS Fleet. Breaking off their engagement both light cruisers returned to their fleets for the following battle.

The following battle, known as the Battle of Bailey Town, or the Battle of the Squall. Would set a tone for the war. Meeting in open engagement within visual distance of Miami the two fleets began engagement similar to how Shenandoah and Olympia had. Long range gunnery between CSS Jefferson Davis and Franklin Buchanan against their counterparts USS North Dakota, Michigan, and Delaware was similarly ineffective. Two Confederate High Explosive shells hit the Michigan’s belt and one of Delware’s rounds hit the Tacony’s tower and wounded the Confederate vessels captain.

As the engagement range closed the intensity of fire increased the Shenandoah suffered another penetrating hit, this time fired by the North Dakota which crippled its engines. The cruiser belching smoke which blew back over the Confederate fleet, acting as an impromptu smokescreen.

Coming out of the smoke a shell either from the CSS Albert S. Johnston or the Tallahassee impacted the USS New York. The ten inch round managing hitting one of its secondary casemates and through that, one of the ports used to pass ammunition up to the three inch guns. The resulting explosion reached the ships main magazine and in an instant the armoured cruiser’s side was more or less entirely gone. The vessel capsizing even before nearby ships had time to properly understand what had happened.

Sensing the flow of battle was on their side, the Confederate Navy moved to get in among the larger US fleet. Without warning a squall set in over the battleground and heavy rains and increasing waves proved extremely detrimental to both gunnery and identification. American crews panicked as Confederate destroyers managed to get inside their formation, believing torpedoes were in the water. Not helped was when the USS Flusser was indeed hit by a torpedo, fired by the CSS William Webb. Gunnery on both sides dropped to a level that it might as well have been non existent. With only a few hits scored as the vessels fought more or less in the dark from the intense storm.

Through some miracle the US fleet managed to disentangle itself from the Confederate one, though not before the USS Paulding was sunk by collision with the Tacony. Leaving the Confederates the winner of the engagement with no ships lost, and the American fleet retreating back to New York for the year.

A painting of the Battle of Bailey Town, before the squall rolled in


Combat Report: Shenandoah vs Olympia
Rounds Fired: 472

Hits on US Fleet: 17
Damage to US Fleet: CL Olympia: A,Y turret temporarily knocked out

Hits on CS Fleet: 22
Damage to CS Fleet: CL Shenandoah: E turret knocked out till repairs, Significant damage to Funnel #2


Combat Report: Battle of the Squall
Rounds Fired: 1072

Hits on US Fleet: 37
Damage to US Fleet: B Michigan: Minor Damage
CA Frederick: Minor Damage
CA New York: Sunk by Magazine Hit from a 10” round
DD Flusser: Sunk by Torpedo from DD William Webb
DD Paulding: Sunk by ramming by CA Tacomy

Hits on CS Fleet: 62
Damage to CS Fleet: B Albert S. Johnson: Light Damage, 1-2 months repair
CA Tacony: Significant Damage from ramming Paulding, 17-22 months repair
CL Shenandoah: Engines Crippled, E G S turrets knocked out, Heavy damage aside, 10-14 months repair
DD Peter Murphy: Light Damage, 1 month repair


Meanwhile in the Philippines, the Spanish Navy would have it’s own square off with the US navy. The Vizcaya being the sole boat on defense of the far flung colony would find itself beset by no less than the majority of the US Pacific Navy. The lone armoured cruiser had to flee its port of call or be trapped. Leaving defense of the islands to local army garrisons and the coastal batteries. The US Navy attempted to pursue the Vizcaya, and engaged the armoured cruisers Brooklyn and San Diego multiple times. Little damage was scored by either side for much of the pursuit, until the Vizcaya was closing in on the German ports along German New Guinea.


In one final engagement before the Vizcaya managed to make it into the port, a not insignificant amount of gunfire was exchanged by both sides. While the results remained inconclusive, the Vizcaya managed to make it into the German port and promptly surrendered itself to the local authorities. The cruiser may have ended up out of the war but it managed to avert what might have been a devastating loss to the Spanish Naval capacity.


Combat Report: Vizcaya vs Brooklyn and San Diego
Rounds Fired: 722

Hits on US Fleet: 7
Damage to US Fleet: CA Brooklyn: Minimal Damage
CA San Diego: Minor Damage

Hits on SP Fleet: 4
Damage to CS Fleet: Vizcaya: Minimal Damage
​

 

[Olligarchy]

The Naval Defence Act of 1889
Also known as the Two-Power Standard

In his famous speech before the Houses of Parliament, Lord George Hamilton made the following statement, calling for increased naval expenditure and the immediete construction of an additional 10 large battleships, 42 Cruisers and 18 torpedo destroyers:​

"Our supremacy on the sea must, after all, be measured by the number of battleships we can put into line. It is further our duty, as we find othernations pushing forward this particular class of ship, to do the same. I have endeavoured during the past year to study the speeches of those who, in previous years, have held my position and that of Prime Minister, so as to ascertain the paramount idea underlying their utterances when they spoke of the standard of strength upon which our naval establishment should be maintained.​

I think I am accurate in saying that our establishment should be on such a scale that it should at least be equal to the strength of any two other Countries.

I notice that the right honourable gentleman the member for Edinburgh has given expression to that view, and has stated that he felt certain that when he left the Admiralty the British fleet was equal to the combined forces of any two other countries. That may be the case, but it must be borne in mind that at the time of which the right honourable gentleman speaks, there was only one considerable naval power in Europe, while the feature of the present situation is that there are now not one or two, but four or five nations which are spending largely on their naval armaments."

Though the Bill passed at the time, the succeeding government headed by Mr. Gladstone's Ministry dragged its feet in actually putting it to action. Gladstone not only held an intense and personal dislike of Sir Frederick William Richards, but was convinced that reduction of defence funding was an act of moral virtue. When Lord Salisbury however became the Prime Minister in 1895, the Naval Lords and Admiralty begin another petition to not only reaffirm the earlier, now stiffed funding, but expand it as well.

Given the recent and drastic changes in the balance of power which had not be overseen prior, such as the fact that whilst the Spencer program and Majestic class sought to establish dominance when it came to battleships in Europe, the agreed upon series of nine battleships were deemed in adequate to match the challenges... namely similar increases in France, Germany and the Americas. The new agreement by the German and Austrian empires was of substantial concern as well, forcing Her Majesty's Navy to consider expansion of both Mediterranean and North Sea fleets to ensure its supremacy in those theatres.​

 

[Ranger900]

Orders for 1897 due saturday. Update will hopefully come tuesday-wednesday. If your stats haven't been updated with new ships. Let me know in your orders.

 

[BlackCrown]

I do apologize if I am too late, but is it possible to join as Portugal or the Ottoman Empire?

 

[Ranger900]

It's not to late no, though going by lack of orders for two turns now. Japan is going to be open if you want a more major nation. For everyone else, the update's coming inside a few hours. Sorry for the delay

 

[BlackCrown]

If that's the case, I would be more than willing to play as Japan. I will try to bring the Land of the Rising Sun the glory it deserves.

Edit: Don't know why that last part was missing

 

[Ranger900]

1897

Europe

UK


Unfortunately, the Two-Power standard the Royal Navy pushes for throughout the year ends up dying in parliament once again. There are a number of important figures throughout the government that seem to be against it, mostly wanting to turn focus more toward the money starving army. Though in the end the extra funding just ends up going nowhere and filters into the government.

Drawing of a new British triple expansion boiler

Something does go well for the Royal Navy this year though, research into more advanced boilers hits its stride, and the royal navy introduces its first triple boiler design, noticeably reducing weight on new ships. Though the design is still inefficient, and there are many ways it’s can improve further.


France

The French navy begins the construction of a single battleship and two battlecruisers. Though instead of being destined for the French Navy, they are instead ordered by the Netherlands. The small country’s navy nearly bankrupting itself trying to pay for it, but just barely squeaks by due to some civilian donations. (Netherlands Prestige-)

One of the two Battleships under construction for the Netherlands.

Promptly putting all this money they had acquired from the Dutch into research this year. The French Navy’s research teams suddenly find themselves overbloated with cash. Much of it ends up wasted by inefficient designs and research, but a number of breakthroughs are made this year.


Austro-Hungary

The SMS Minerva continues its expedition, puttering around in Africa, serving as a base for explorations deeper down the rivers of German Africa, before eventually heading off toward India. There it finds itself parked in Goa, though local British authorities really don’t seem too eager to let the Minerva do much on the subcontinent. Until eventually the cruiser reaches German New Guinea. The population of Austria-Hungary are given tales of Minerva’s explorations and the navy’s prestige raises rapidly. (Prestige++)

SMS Minerva in dock at Goa.

Outside of this, the expansion of the Austro-Hungarian Navy continues, much to the worry of its next door neighbour. With the laying down of two more light cruisers and a new class of destroyers are laid down. These destroyers are armed with a pair of 4 inch cannons, and some half inch nordenfelt guns. With no torpedoes they seem to only be designed to fight small boats, but in general there is unease about the designs functionality.






War in America

The War in America continues, though on a much lower scale than the previous year. The US Fleet retreats up the East Coast and takes up defensive positioning around New York and Delaware while it licks its wounds from the Battle of the Squall. The Confederate States of America maintains its plan from the previous year and holds to its Caribbean fortress as most of the Spanish Navy arrives to link up with it’s allies.

Unfortunately, naval action is soon forced by the land war. At the battle of Knoxville the Confederate Army of the Center is put on the run with US troops pouring into Tennessee and were set to move into Georgia and Alabama. They are halted by a pair of events, first, the rivers recorded record heights and flooded for much of the year. Though US commanders still attempted to push through the flooding to take the Confederates while their pants were down. The second event was that as American troops attempted to cross the Coosa and Alabama Rivers that the Confederate Navy had managed to use the flooding rivers to slip a few destroyers up river. An American attack against Montgomery was turned back by fire from the destroyers and by the end of the year the US advance was halted. Though they still controlled almost the entirety of Tennessee and were set to advance further next year.

To counter the losses taken by the Army of the Center, the Confederate Navy found itself pressured to take the fight to the North. A significant funding increase was given to allow them to pay for a near new fleet of ships, but only if the Confederate Navy began its offensive. Steaming north with Spanish support, and the two newly produced Huntsville Class ‘Cruisers,’ the CSN would receive what many considered a bad sign early on, the CSS Bayou City hits a sea mine off Chincoteague Island and is forced to turn back for repairs.

Meanwhile, alerted by shore watchmen, the USN was rallying to engage the CSN-AE combined fleet. The three fleets would end up colliding for the first time off Fenwick Island. Within sight of the coast the fleets engaged at long range. The CSN-AE fleet was still outgunned at extreme range. With only two 12” armed battleships, Franklin Buchanan and Jefferson Davis to three USN battleships, North Dakota, Michigan and Delaware. Like the previous battle of the Squall, at this range shooting was found to be almost completely ineffective. Only a handful of hits were recorded, and the poor quality of the shells resulted in them shattering against both sides armour with little effect. As the range decreased the weight of fire drastically increased from both ends, as the newly commissioned USN Huntingdons, CSN Rappahannock class cruisers and Albert S. Johnston battleship and the AE Velasco class battleships began adding fire from their 9 or 10” guns.

The extra amount of fire managed to finally score a number of effective hits. The USS Chicago took a hit from the ESPS Real Familia that knocked out one of its funnels, cutting the cruiser’s speed. Meanwhile the destroyer CSS Charles Morris would be forced to withdraw from the battle after much of its deck was destroyed and it’s torpedoes knocked out by a high explosive round from the USS Ohio. As the battle and the ships closed to cruiser range, the USS Huntingdon would end up taking a bracket of fire from the CSS Huntsville’s immense 6” battery. While they lacked the ability to penetrate the battleships belt, the Huntsville class proved itself very adept at setting things on fire.

Art of one of the USN lines engaging in the Battle of Fenwick Island

Under fire from the rapid firing 6” guns at a range of 3270 meters the Huntingdon’s secondary battery attempted to engage back against the Huntsville’s primary battery. Shells flying as the Huntingdon’s superstructure caught alight and the Huntsville suffered multiple penetrating hits through its secondary battery. In between them the destroyers ESPS Teruel and Alsedo were engaging the light cruiser USS Cincinnati. In the end it would be the smaller battle between the two 12,000 ton plus behemoths that decided the fight. A launched torpedo by the Teruel would be dodged by the Cincinnati, only to continue forward until it impacted the Huntingdon. A pillar of water rising up beside the battleship as a large hole was rent in its side. Stoking extra coal into the boilers, the Cincinnati worked up a smoke screen when combined with the smoke roiling off Huntingdon’s burning superstructure. Buying time for the other Huntingdon class battleships to cover their stricken sister ship.

Combat Report: Battle of Fenwick Island
Rounds Fired: 3111

Hits on US Fleet: 173
Damage to US Fleet: B Huntingdon: Catastrophic Damage, Run Aground, Potentially Salvageable
B Illinois: Light Damage, 1-2 months repair
B Delaware: Minor Damage
CL Chicago: Minor Damage, 1 month repair
DD Decatur: Medium Damage, 3 Months repair


Hits on CS-AE Fleet: 155
Damage to CS Fleet: B Franklin Buchanan: Medium-Light Damage, 2-4 months repair
CA Huntsville: Significant Damage, most secondary battery knocked out 7-9 months repair
DD Charles Morris: Significant Damage, 5-6 months repair
DD Teruel: Light Damage, 1-2 months repair
DD Alsedo: Medium Damage, 3 months repair


Running low on ammo from the long battle, and seemingly successful in knocking out an American battleship, the CSN-AE joint fleet broke off and started to head south. The USN though was having none of it. Leaving the Huntingdon with a minimal escort of two destroyers to try to limp to shore enough to ground itself. The rest of the USN took off in pursuit. Chasing the combined fleet back to Confederate waters and beyond. Harassing fire would chase the CSN-AE fleet and occasionally the USN would close the distance enough to exchange more significant bouts of fire. Finally off the coast of Virginia the CSN-AE fleet turned back around to engage the USN once again.

With both sides low on ammunition by this point, long range engagement more or less didn’t happen. Both sides captains holding fire until they had formed the battle line and had a solid chance of a hit. With deck mounted torpedoes expended on both sides during the earlier engagement, destroyers were regulated to barely being present in the coming exchange of broadsides, enough gunsmoke filling the air that ashore people thought a fog had rolled in.

With visibility dying rapidly, stagnant air keeping funnel, fire and gunsmoke all in the area. Command and control on both sides broke down in a replication of the Battle of the Squall. CSS Muscogee and USS Baltimore came close enough in the smoke for crew to trade fire with small arms. Both ships disappearing back into the smoke damaged from the exchange of fire. Baltimore suffering numerous hits along its superstructure and belt, suffering heavy crew casualties and a number of turrets knocked out. The Muscogee on the other hand suffered even more heavily. It’s unarmoured secondary battery proved to be the ship’s undoing. The raking fire from the Baltimore hit more then one of the Muscogee’s 3” ammunition stores. Fires spread across the confederate cruiser, reaching more stores after they disengaged, and eventually the vessel had to be scuttled as the fires blazed out of control. Crewmen being picked up by the destroyers CSS James Cooke and Richard Page.

CSS Huntsville engaging. The smoke and fire in the background is meant to be CSS Muscogee

Finally both sides would disengage in full. The USN taking the sea that day as the CSN-AE combined fleet was forced to pull into Norfolk. Hiding behind the coastal battery that covered the northern harbour. With that the USN engaged a light blockade around the harbour. Though most of the US fleet had to withdraw for repairs itself, and it was less a blockade then an early warning watch.

Combat Report: Battle off Virginia
Rounds Fired: 1401

Hits on US Fleet: 133
Damage to US Fleet: B Delaware: Medium Damage, 8 months repair
CL Baltimore: Significant Damage 32 months repair
DD Barry: Light Damage, 2 months repair
DD Hopkins: Medium Damage, 4 months repair



Hits on CS-AE Fleet: 142
Damage to CS Fleet: B Albert S. Johnston: Light Damage, 3 months repair
CL Muscogee: Sunk by CL Baltimore
B Reina do Isabel II: Medium Damage, 7 months repair


Unfortunately for the USA, while things were going well against the Confederates. The US Treasury found itself receiving an unusual payment from the Russian Empire. Totaling 7,200,000 dollars, the payment arrived as a declaration of the nullification of the 1867 Purchase of Alaska. It’s payment was reinforced by the arrival of Russian ships off the Alaskan coast, blockading the territory as Russian Naval Infantry landed and took Juneau in a shootout with local miners and police.

Russian troops in Juneau, Alaska

News of the invasion didn’t reach the government until later in the year, and the US West Coast fleet was still in the Philippines, providing shore bombardment to assist US Marines in taking the islands so no response was developed this year. Though many were clamouring for the Navy to recapture the territory.
​

 

[BlackCrown]

I apologize for not submitting orders for this turn, but I will soon prove that Japan's naval capacity is not to be underestimated!

 

[Ranger900]

Sorry to all, recovery for a surgery I've had since last update has taken much longer and been much less pleasent then I had been hoping it would be. I'll try to get everyones stats updated (or in BlackCrown's case, sent to him) by the end of the day and I'm looking to get orders in from everyone by Sunday

 

[Terraferma]

(Roger that)

 

[Ranger900]

Everyone who sent in orders last year's stats are up to date. For other states they remain out of date until I get a confirmation that whoever is playing that state wants to continue.

Orders are due Sunday, June 4th