Optimal Charisian Navy (IMHO)

from your name, a direct ancestor, and not too far back, either

[for those who are scratching their heads: Mc/Mac is from the Gaelic 'son of', originally strictly a patronymic form, now a family name that shows (claimed) descent]

McGuiness wrote:

PeterZ wrote:German import? Nah, a good local micro brew. If one must have an import, Guinness.

Isn't that an Irish relative of mine?

Randomiser wrote: quote="n7axw"]

Keith_w wrote:I totally disagree with you Larry. That should be deep-fried potato slices and a beer.

I would say Coors Light, but I think the poor guy is stuck with vodka...

Don

Coors Light, Don, I thought we were talking about beer? Shudders
If Old Tilman is too much of a stretch, it should at least be some tasty German import.[/quote]


At least it's not Corona. That stuff is disgusting. I mean when they recommend you put in lemon or lime for flavor. I myself prefer Henry Whinehart private reserve beer or Alaska Ale and occasionally a Sam Adams.

Hm, i just remembered one thing. This is possible to build non-electric sub with relatively high endurance and really high underwater speed.

The key is the engine. The Soviet Union experimented with air-independent propulsion as early as 1930th. They tried to make diesel work underwater.

Firstly they go to the liquid oxygen, and the test boat was comissioned in 1941. She used the LOX in storage to power her diesels. There was a lot of accidents, but no one was really hurt, and she was considered sucsessfull enpugh, that a series of coastal LOX-driven submarines were build in 1940-1050th. They were fast, and have a really good underwater-speed range (they were capable of going 56 nm on 15 knots underwater!) - but, eventually, they were noisy and danger-prone. After a few accidents and at least one boat loss, they were decomissioned in early 1970s.

But there was another approach. In early 1960th, one of this boat was rebuild to work on the granulated sodium superoxede - essentially, solid oxygen supply. The oxygen, produced by heating the sodium superoxede, was released into the diesels, and make her possible of going 80 miles underwater on the 15 knots - or 350 miles underwater on the 3,5 knots. And she was perfectly safe and reliable. The project was cancelled because the nuclear subs were more promising.

The point is, that there is a real possibility of building the effective submarine even without the electricity. And she would be really dangerous.

This thread was and has been a fun read.

Just going to make one little point my Great Grandfather was a small ships man through and through who served in the RN pre-HMS Dreadnaught through to the end of WW2. What is interesting is looking at the balance of ships the RN had during this extended period and why.

Gun-boats (which he served on multiples of) were used in areas and situations where having a larger blue water vessel was detrimental to the mission outcomes desired.
As someone has already stated Gunboat diplomacy was real and a fact; often Britain would send a gunboat to wave the flag so to speak and irrespective of the opposition was expected to act and speak with authority against vessels of comparable or less size/capability.
I know for a fact he was on River Gunboats sailing down Asian (Pre-WW1) and later European (during WW1) rivers playing merry hell enemy lines of communication - which is one of the roles they were specifically designed for.

In response to the torpedo destroyer / gunboat idea taking on larger vessel whether it be a Galleon or whatever is not really something a captain of these vessels wanted to do unless there were no other options.

For example he torpedo destroyers of WW1 were already considered obsolete even by the Battle of Jutland yet both the RN & Imperial German deployed them - the original concept was to overwhelm enemy vessels with small fast moving vessels supposedly difficult to hit to deliver a knockout blow with torpedoes - a 10 inch shell doesn't actually have to hit one of these all it has to do is land near and the concussion/pressure wave will do the rest.
My GG always said they were nothing but an open coffin which if given the chance could damage or help sink a capital ship if a) it was distracted; b) already damaged or c) it's secondary armament was blind/dumb and stupid.

This coming from a man who often refused to serve on the big ships because he preferred the little guys. But like people who served on them they were not blind to the fragility of their vessels. They were not designed to go up against the big boys unless it was a full fleet action and even then they were usually held back due to the frailty of their design.

Yes Dilandu I totally agree with you that there would be more than enough volunteer Charisian sailors willing to serve on gunboat size vessels (I know I'm agreeing with you).
People may ask why serve on one because they were the glory boys and you went into the attack against an enemy at full tilt; the adrenaline rush apparently was something to behold.

I agree with PeterZ and others that the KH VIIIs are more for dominating and projection of power than escort; they will have a demoralising effect on the enemy which is not to be sneezed at. Afterall remember the effect on moral of the CoGA fleet when the ICN used shells against them for the first time.

Anyway this is my 2 cents worth