It's been a while since I've done one of these, so it's time for a new lets play of Rule the Waves! With the massive updates to RTW3 that have come since launch (especially around officer deployments and aircraft) I figured we might as well play again. But what's that title about?
Well, I've been (sadly) disappointed by Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts, but I've had an idea. I'm going to use it to get some pretty photos of designs that are made as part of the campaign of RTW and really add some glamour to a game I adore but recognise is very much focused on the spreadsheets.
So let's go, shall we?
New Year, 1890 - The Berlin Conference has divided Africa, Queen Victoria has celebrated her Golden Jubilee and the latest round of fighting in the Balkans has come to an end. The Eiffel Tower has been inaugurated and is the tallest building in the world. The first bottles of coca-cola have been distributed. The world is changing just as quickly as it stays the same.
It has been decades since the last good stand up war between the Major Powers of the world, but perhaps the next eighty years or so will give them something to fight about.
First, however, we must choose our nation:
[ ] Great Britain - First Among Equals - The largest starting fleet and the greatest responsibilities - Circa 340k annual budget.
[ ] France - A Colonial Empire - While unable to rival the Royal Navy, the French Fleet is by no means small - Circa 200k annual budget.
[ ] United States - Burgeoning Industry - Though it begins the game very small, the US Navy offers a bright future - Circa 115k annual budget.
[ ] Write-in
[X] United States - Burgeoning Industry - Though it begins the game very small, the US Navy offers a bright future - Circa 115k annual budget.
I think there are a lot more different doctrines and strategies the US can adopt thanks to its continental self-sufficiency, while France and Britain have to protect their colonies and their sea lines of communication one way or another. I may be biased though, given I always play the US in RTW and UA: Dreadnoughts
The times I've played the UK always were an absolute pain because of the extra ships on station requirement and the budget boosting not seeming to work.
[X] United States - Burgeoning Industry - Though it begins the game very small, the US Navy offers a bright future - Circa 115k annual budget.
France and the Third Republic!
A Navy Underserved
It has been twenty years since the downfall of the last Emperor of France and the rise of the Third Republic. The 1870s were a time of great change in Europe - the Franco-Prussian war led to the formation of the German Empire, the United States of America began recovering from their own internecine conflict and several Balkan states found independence from the Ottoman Empire. The 1880s were quiet, for Europe, though between the Berlin Conference and the establishment of numerous overseas colonies they were anything but for the rest of the world.
But what of the French Navy? With an impotent showing during the last war and a chaotic approach to construction, the current state of the Marine Nationale is inconsistent at best. Of the near five-hundred ships that had been part of the fleet during the Franco-Prussian War, only forty-five remain. Of these, more than half of them are cruisers of various designs, the continued influence of the Jeune Ecole on the fleet clear.
The Line of Battle
While traditionally the Marine Nationale has shunned heavy capital ships in favour of lighter torpedo ships and fast cruisers, in recent years that has changed. While smaller and more varied than anything built by Great Britain or any of the Mediterranean fleets, these ships with their strange tumblehome hulls and narrow upper decks are nonetheless capable of fighting off their cousins in other Navies. The first tranche of new ships has been developed in two broad 'classes'. The Brennus
The first ship to carry its main guns in armoured turrets rather than open barbettes, the Brennus and her seven half-sisters (Carnot, Charles Martel, Jaureguiberry, Massena, Charlemagne, Bouvet and Saint Louis) are the main portion of the Marine Nationale's battle line. All ships carry a single 340mm, 52-ton gun fore and aft and a single 274mm gun on each wing. The secondary armament consists of twelve 110mm guns in single turrets and casement mounts.
Design drawings of the Brennus show the massive turret structures required to protect the guns. The Brennus and two of her siblings sailing in formation. The sharp ram bow can be clearly seen in this photo.
Henri IV
The Henri IV and the Gaulois, larger and slower than their predecessor Brennus-type ships, are fundamentally experimental. They exchange the 'lozenge' arrangement of guns for three turrets on the centreline, each mounting a single 360mm 76-ton gun. At the widest parts, the two ships have a belt thickness of 420mm of compound armour, mild steel and teak.
Henri IV in port for minor repairs, captured from a dockside crane. The centreline 360mm guns are notable in their scale compared to the rest of the ship.
Iena
The only line of battle ship currently under construction is the Iena, the largest of her type to be built to date. Projected to displace three-hundred tons more than the Henri IV, she is another experimental design this time focusing on speed over armament and protection. With just a single 305mm gun fore and aft and heavy secondary turrets on the wings and just 275mm of armour at the waterline she is considered by many to be a fools ship, but she is nonetheless capable of 18 knots.
The Iena will be ready for commissioning in the first quarter of 1891.
The Battleship Question
Several schools of thought are competing for funds within the Marine Nationale, and many of those funds are thought allocated to the line of battle. Those of the young school believe the money would be better spent on additional cruisers, but others point to the relative strength of potential competitor nations. The Russian Empire has sixteen ships and 160,000 tons in service or construction. Italy has but six ships and 80,000 tons but each of those ships is larger than any of the French ships. This is, of course, without speaking of Great Britain. What is the future of the battleship fleet?
[ ] The Jeune Ecole is right! We must build cruisers!
[ ] 'Lozenge' style ships of the Brennus type
[ ] 'Centre-Battery' style ships of the Henri IV type
[ ] 'Fast' style ships of the Iena type
[ ] Something unheard of and new (write-in)
The Cruiser Force
Much investment has been put into maintaining the modern cruiser force for the French Navy. Twenty-four hulls are currently maintained and another three are under construction spread across five classes. The Raiding Cruisers
Seven ships of the Dupuy de Lome class have been built, each displacing around 7,600 tons. Intended primarily for commerce raiding and overseas duty, these armoured cruisers are the real pride of many Jeune Ecole theorists. With six 203mm guns arranged around the vessel and a large secondary battery, as well as twenty knots of speed drawn from 19,000 horsepower, they are capable vessels for their intended role.
The Protected Cruisers
Nine ships constitute three classes of cruisers, each displacing around 5,500 tons. The Coetlegons and the singular Jean Bart are functionally identical, each mounting a disparate battery of 158mm guns with 3-pound Hotchkiss guns as a secondary anti-torpedo boat armament. Meanwhile, the Lalande and the Alger trade two of their 158mm guns for a pair of single 203mm guns but retain the 158mm battery otherwise and also carry a heavy load of 9-pound guns.
Another two ships, these called the Friant class, are mostly identical to the Coetlegon and will be commissioned before the end of 1890.
The Small Cruisers
Five ships (and a sixth due to finish before the year is out) make up the well armed and armoured 4,600 ton Jeanne d'Arc class of armoured cruisers. While slow at just Seventeen knots, these ships make excellent escorts for the battleships with their large secondary gun armaments.
The nameship Jeane d'Arc under hard manoeuvres during exercises. Note the twin turrets that are unusual in the Marine Nationale.
The Tage class of protected cruisers are the smallest major vessels of the fleet, displacing just 3,900 tons. While they mount just two 110mm guns fore and aft, they carry a remarkable eighteen 9- and 3-pound guns and as such are excellent torpedo squadron leaders, especially given they can also make twenty-one knots in good weather.
Other ships
It is important to note that the fleet maintains eleven other small but notable ships ranging from the 2,400 ton Diamant to the 900 ton Ville de Bougie which are ideal for colonial operations and trade protection during wartime.
What of the world then? Europe has been quiet these twenty years, but the Europeans have not been peaceful. The French Empire stretches around the world, with ports from the Caribbean to the South China Sea. The following ports are available to the Marine Nationale:
- Northern Europe - Amiral Lafajole - Northern France - Home Ports
- The Mediterranean - Amiral Dalbarade - Southern France, Corsica, Algeria, Tunisia - Home Ports
- The Caribbean - Amiral Boisse - The Antilles - Capacity 20
- West Africa - Amiral Battet - Senegal, Middle Congo - Capacity 54
- Indian Ocean - Amiral Barthelemy - Djibouti, Madagascar - Capacity 50
- South East Asia - Amiral Tardy - Tonkin, Annam, Cochin China - Capacity 120
- South Pacific - Amiral Deligny - New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Polynesia - Capacity 60
Currently the Navy is pre-eminently stationed in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean with most of the battleships on the reserve list unless and until tensions with other nations rise to a concerning level. Currently everything is relatively peaceful.
Select three nations to be viewed as potential rivals:
[ ] The German Empire
[ ] The Austria-Hungarian Empire
[ ] The British Empire
[ ] The Kingdom of Italy
[ ] The Empire of Japan
[ ] The United States of America
[ ] The Russian Empire
[ ] The Kingdom of Spain Select a focus for French naval ambitions:
[ ] The Atlantic
[ ] The Mediterranean
[ ] The African Colonies
[ ] The Indian Ocean
[ ] South East Asia Select three of the following as spending priorities for the Marine Nationale over the coming months and years:
[ ] Construction
[ ] Enhancing Bases
[ ] Coastal Defences
[ ] Research
[ ] Advanced Training
[ ] Intelligence
Thank you for voting in this lets play! I'm very excited to get underway with this and really chew over the future of the post-ironclad french fleet!
[X] The Jeune Ecole is right! We must build cruisers!
The only thing wrong with jeune ecole is that the French didn't stick with it.
The line of battle is overdone at this point. Small ships, submarines, and cruisers with the torpedo as the main armament are the way to go!
[X] The German Empire
[X] The Kingdom of Spain
[X] The Kingdom of Italy
[X] The Mediterranean
Let's build a new Napoleonic hegemony in Europe.
[X] Research
[X] Advanced Training
[X] Construction
Naval technology is rapidly changing, and we must be on the forefront of that change. At the same time, we also lack combat experience, so training and simulations would also help refine doctrine in the absence of actual conflict.
[X] 'Centre-Battery' style ships of the Henri IV type
[X] The German Empire
[X] The Austria-Hungarian Empire
[X] The Kingdom of Spain
[X] The Mediterranean
[X] Construction
[X] Research
[X] Intelligence
What is the future of the battleship fleet? The Jeune Ecole is right! We must build cruisers! Who are the rivals of the Third Republic? The German Empire, The Kingdom of Italy, and The Kingdom of Spain! Where must we focus our ambitions? The Mediterranean! What are the spending priorities of the Navy? Research and Construction!
The State of the Rivals
If the Marine Nationale is to focus its ambitions on the Mediterranean and three of the major powers of Europe, then we must be aware of what we are likely to engage should we inevitably meet them in war. A brief overview of the nations and especially their fleets, follow:
The German Empire and the Kaiserliche Marine
The German Empire of 1890, formed with the strength of the hateful Prussians, is widespread but oddly focused. Their homelands stretches from Emden in Northern Europe all the way to Pillau in the Baltic Sea. Overseas they control several African territories but notable have no holdings in the Mediterranean, limiting their influence on our ambitions there. They also control several minor islands in the South Pacific, leading to recommendations that trade defence cruisers be stationed there in our own holdings should war come.
The Kaiserliche Marine receives around 65% of the budget that the Marine Nationale does, and it shows. They currently maintain just four ironclad Battleships, the largest of which is just 7,100 tons according to intelligence, and they are not currently building any further ships. Our contacts will maintain a close watch on their yards to ensure this remains the case.
An intelligence image of the notably front heavy Wittlesbach ironclad.
They otherwise maintain a varied but hardly notable cruiser force of Armoured and Protected Cruisers numbering nineteen with a further four under construction. The current school of thought is that the German Navy is no threat to french ambitions.
The Kingdom of Italy and the Regia Marina
The other 'young state' of Europe, the Kingdom of Italy has only existed in its current form for fifteen to thirty years depending on exactly who is asked. Nonetheless they have quickly become a significant ally to some and enemy to others. Thus far Italian ambitions extend little further than the Meditteranean Sea, though they also control a small enclave in Eritrea, allowing them a base beyond the Suez Canal and an overview of the Red Sea.
The Regia Marina, the kings navy, is perhaps our largest rival with 80% of the budget of the Marine Nationale and significantly less ocean they are required to patrol and control. They currently maintain five Ironclads of two different classes which are of significantly greater concern to naval planners than the German offering.
The Ruggeria Di Lauria class carries four 381mm breech-loading rifles in a centre battery, while the Italia and her two sisters carry the same armament in the same arrangement but use an additional 3,000 tons of displacement to achieve a top speed of 18 knots in sea trials. These ships are far larger than our own ships and likely to survive more brutal punishment, but that is what torpedo cruisers are for!
The Italian cruiser fleet is, again, hardly notable other than the Tripoli class of Protected Cruisers, which are capable of 22 knots under good conditions. These fast cruisers may be of concern to our merchant shipping in the Mediterranean should war come.
The Kingdom of Spain and the Armada Espanola
The once massive and powerful Kingdom of Spain has, over the last century, suffered greatly. It has lost much of its lands and has been made poor by the rise of other European and Anglo-sphere powers. Now a shadow of its former self, the Kingdom of Spain is a problem - but one that can very well be overcome with superior French grit. Despite maintaining overseas colonies in the Caribbean and the Philippines, the Armada Espanola is remarkably small as of this year, with just 40% of our naval budget being allocated to the Spanish force.
Five mid-sized Ironclads of similar capability to our own and two more under construction in German yards makes the Spanish battle line of considerable size, however this takes up a remarkable part of their budget. The Armada Espanola maintains just nine cruisers of various sizes and is unlikely to increase that beyond eleven or twelve before the end of 1891. With so few forces available, it is likely that the Spanish will be unable to challenge our fleets wherever we send them.
Spending at home
With an annual budget of over two-hundred-million francs, the Marine Nationale has a monthly budget of seventeen-million, a stupendous amount given the current state of the Navy. This money is to be distributed as follows:
- The allocation of funds to research will be increased from 1.4 million to 2 million francs per month.
- Overseas intelligence operations are receiving a stipend of 1 million francs from Navy coffers.
- With much of the line of battle and the armoured cruisers on the reserve list, we are spending just 4 million francs on maintenance, pay and operations.
- Construction before the 1890 program consitutes a further 4.25 million francs, covering the costs of the Iena and the three cruisers previously mentioned.
- New construction includes the Dupuy de Lome-class Armoured Cruisers Sully and Marsellaise, the small Tage-class torpedo cruisers Descartes, Linois and Bugeaud and a pair of small corvettes of the Diamant-class, the Pascal and the Pasteur. This will cost almost 6 million francs over the next year to two years.
- A small amount, totalling a quarter-million francs, will be set aside to add to the navies reserve coffers for war time spending and such like.
The above mentioned Diamant class corvette. At 2,400 tons she is almost a cruiser, but lacks many of the features that would lead to her being classified as such.
The First Months
In the first months of 1890, Germany has laid down two more ships of the Wittelsbach class, the small 7,000 ton ironclads, and though this is noted it is still not of particular concern. A third followed in June, raising the number of these odd little ships to five in total. The first news of serious note came in July, however, as sources reveal that the British are dealing with ongoing resistance to the occupation in Burma.
Also of note is the laying down of two new Italian Armoured Cruisers in the latter half of the year, the Solferino and the Goito. Intelligence reports indicate these are to be almost 9,000 tons in displacement. In October, we received news that these cruisers would be capable of 20 knots and have a belt of 87mm, the eqwuivalent of our Dupuy de Lome-class but with a significantly greater displacement.
By the dawn of 1891, the Marine Nationale has gained a little ground compared to its adversaries. The addition of a sixth Jeanne d'Arc, the Gloire, as well as the protected cruisers Friant and Chasseloup-Laubat has set the tone for the years to come. However, there are questions being raised by the actions of our rivals. These new Italian cruisers may well be the future of naval action.
What should the French response be?
[ ] Build an equally large, faster cruiser to resist the Italian efforts.
[ ] Simply continue the current strategy of varied cruiser designs
[ ] Counter their over-large cruisers with a preponderance of small, fast torpedo cruisers.
Meanwhile, a spy from Berlin has been discovered and 'dealt with' and our own intelligence agents in Madrid report that war is seeming more and more likely between the Spaniards and the the North Americans. It may be possible that we will be able to influence any conflict to the detriment of our rivals.
If given the option, we should:
[ ] Avoid getting entangled across the Atlantic.
[ ] Support the United States to further beleaguer Spain.
