Autumn, 1890, Design Phase.Mark Two "Eyeball" Fire Control Computation Machine
Based on the efforts of France and other navies in mechanical calculators, we are going to begin producing a device capable of accepting the various inputs necessary for the finding of an aim point for the guns, and outputting the correct aiming point for the guns to be aimed.
This device is, internally, a mechanical calculator, preloaded with just a handful of formulas which normally must be solved by hand in order to aim the guns. It can be easily set for use with different caliber guns in different positions along the ship. A single calculator or set of such devices can be placed in the fire control center of our warships in order to speed up and increase the accuracy of our calculations---the faster such calculations are done, the more accurate the solution is when it's fed to the gun crews.
This setup is an augmentation to the CDFS that relies on that project's wiring to communicate this information to the turret crews and casemate gun positions that may be tied into the computer. Again, the computer does not physically move the guns, just tells the crews where to point them.
Time: 4 | Progress: 5 | Expense: 6
Innitial work on the Mark two "Eyeball" as we are calling it, has gone at a decent pace. Its expected to be cheep and not too expensive relatively speaking due to a few deals and the fact that we can utilize the prototypes easily, and they can be easily maintained and fixed during testing. Additionally, our work is ahead of scheduled and our understanding so far is that this likely will not take too long for us to nail down and finalize the design and make it available for mass production for all of our ships future ships.
Mark Two "Eyeball" Fire Control Computation Machine | 5/8 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Effectiveness: 1 | Cost: 6 | Bugs: 1
Unfortunately, while we are making quick work at finalizing things and preparing it to be produced en mass and past the bare bones prototype stage, the project has been riddled with errors and so far our efforts to fix them seem to be rather poor. Lets start with the positive however, the calculator of the mark 2 "Eyeball" is cheep. We can safely say that its impact on our budget when being installed on a ship is minimal to the point that unless we made a normal ship and strapped on an obsessive, absurd, incompetent and absolutely ludicrous amount of these things to stick on a ship, more than it would ever need, its impact on the cost would be practically unnoticeable at best, and negligible at worst. However, that is the good news, and the only good news...
The calculator its self has major issues in spite of, or possibly because of its cost. It barely works, takes ages to actually get proper solutions, and half the time the solutions it gives are broken by it receiving new information, it simply ceasing to function, or even just the machine just screwing up somewhere, among many, many, other more minor issues that will not be listed here. This is made even worse by the fact that the machine is so fragile that practically so much as a stiff breeze will take it out. Not literally, but accidentally kicking it, vibrations from going at high speeds, and even firing the guns can take the thing out of action, in fact one of the testers accidentally broke the casing when they slapped the thing in frustration and managed to get their finger caught in the mechanisms while operating it. Fixing it is not too simple either, especially because its mechanisms don't like being touched, but at least its doable, though in its current state, it might be better to do the calculations by hand.
Despite this, we have learned a lot of lessons from this. Painful, painful lessons that we wish we didn't have to deal with and ones that are honestly embarrassing, but still lessons. They say you learn more from your failings than your successes. But at least we will be able to apply some fix before the final version. These are prototypes for a reason after all. Even if appallingly and insultingly bad ones at that. In fact, we'd not be surprised if there was foul play involved...After all, its hard to think we were
this bad.
Main Battery Central Director Firing System (CDFS) Mark 1
Fire control is presently a rather haphazard affair. Each turret is generally responsible for its own rangefinding and gunlaying. Well, no more. Advancements in technology have allowed us to provide a much more advanced, much more accurate solution to target acquisition.
First up, we've developed and deployed a long-base stereoscopic rangefinder of about 9ft length, to provide our gunners with accurate rangefinding out past the effective ranges of their weapons. This along with other basic implements of naval gunnery/knowing where you are and what you're doing and finding out where the enemy is and what he's doing obviously should already be used by our not-incompetent navy but we've mentioned them just to be sure.
The system proper starts with the long-base rangefinder mounted on the mast, something we've already started putting in ships. Placed high above the smoke and spray of battle, this rangefinder is capable of getting a clearer image of a target at a longer range than a turret-top rangefinder. The spotter team using this rangefinder wire their observations down to the fire control center, down in the citadel of the vessel. The main battery turrets' rangefinders also send ranges to the fire control center if they can see the target. In the fire control center, the slide rules, protractors, and mathematics (or tables, anyway) go to work, and the fire control team calculates bearings and elevations for all main battery turrets, sending them via wire to the turrets, which can then be laid on target by the crews and ordered to fire from the fire control center.
While this does require quite a bit of wiring, the system is not very complicated, mostly just moving the principal work in finding an aiming point for the turrets to an armored position that gets its information from every rangefinder on the ship.
Time: 5 | Progress: 5 | Expense: 3
This project is expected to take no time at all really. In fact, we are almost done already, we just need another week or two. Half the stuff needed is already made, and the only things we really need to do is make a longer rangefinder, do some wiring, and have raw information flow from the top of the ships masts to a control room and then the refined solutions brought to the main guns. Most of this stuff could likely be done on a new ship even, but the practice all but ensures it could be done with ease.
Main Battery Central Director Firing System | 5/6 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Effectiveness: 5 | Cost: 6 | Bugs: 6
The Main Battery Central Director Firing System works like a charm from what we can tell. It has people in the fire control center telling the gunners where to shoot, gets told where those shots landed and what speed and heading the enemy ship is going, and makes adjustments from there before giving the new information to the gunners. In fact, the only issue we have had with it is the implementation of the Mark 2, which just makes things more difficult for the fire control teams. and gunners, muddying the actual data and solutions and generally making life just a bit harder for us. Still, removing that, or even including it, its currently much more effective than simply letting the gunners figure out what they are doing independently from each other.
It should be noted, that there was some fear that the wiring might cause some issues or could easily become disrupted. We have found with the way we have done things that the wiring won't cause any issues, and made backups in the event a shell happens to hit the ship and take out one of the wires to communicate between the turrets, fire control center, or spotters. Of course, it might take a bit to notice, however, it won't take too long for a well trained crew who know how to utilize our new fire control to figure out that the line is cut, and it likely won't be too hard to fix either.
It is now the Production and Deployment phase. You have 15 PP remaining should you pay for all maintenance and construction costs.
Mark Two "Eyeball" Fire Control Computation Machine | 5/8 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Main Battery Central Director Firing System | 5/6 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Naval
Early 2/3/5/7/10/12 inch guns
9"/45 M1890 'Gungnir' (9 inch gun, Fairly reliable unless damaged. Has a basic optical rangefinder. Max range of roughly 21,000 yards)
6"/45 QF M1890 (6 inch gun, Fairly reliable unless damaged. Has a basic optical rangefinder. Max range of roughly 18000 yards)
4"/45 QF M1890 (4 inch gun, Fairly reliable unless damaged. Has a basic optical rangefinder. Max range of roughly 12,000 yards)
Triple-expansion engines.
Early steam turbine engines.
Early coal/oil hybrid firing.
Steel hull construction.
Compartmentalization.
Single Casemates.
Single and Double gun turrets.
Prototype Central Rangefinding
Harvey Bolstad Steel Armor
Early Damage control techniques.
Decent Anti Flash fire measures.
Ballistite.
Blackfoot torpedo (Reliable fast torpedo capable of 26 knots, and 1k yards
Marines
Defensive guns (Uses same calibers as naval guns)
4"/45 QF M1890 (Mobile Artillery piece with Gun shield.)
Rosemary 85 Rifle (Basic Bolt Action Rifle)
Holly 8 (Basic Revolver)
Spear class Scout Cruiser: A blisteringly fast scout cruiser capable of 28 knots and armed with two 6"/45 QF M1890 main guns in both forward and aft gun mounts along with three four inch guns and four two inch guns. Is protected by an inch of armor in turtle back formation, and can carry a platoon of soldiers.
Costs 5/2 PP, 5 seasons construction time.
Refit's of Spear class:
QF 4"/45 QF M1890 refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 1 season to complete. Shipbuild cost same as original.
Turbine Refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Shipbuild cost 4/2, time the same.
Dual Refit: Costs 2 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Shipbuild cost 4/2, time the same.
CDFS Refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 1 season to complete. Shipbuild cost same as original.
Modernization: Costs 3 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Ship build cost 4/2, time same as original.
Niflung class Coastal Defense Ship: A heavily armored short range ship with 8 inches all around that has a main battery armed with 9 inch main guns in two turrets, along with a secondary armament of five 6"/45 QF M1890, one of which is in the Niflung iconic position in the back, meshing in with the superstructure.
Costs 6/2 PP, 7 seasons construction time.
Gungnir Refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 1 season to complete. Shipbuild cost same as original
Turbine Refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Shipbuild cost 6/2, time the same.
Dual Refit: Costs 2 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Shipbuild cost 6/2, time the same.
CDFS Refit: Costs 1 PP to refit, takes 1 season to complete. Shipbuild cost same as original.
Modernization: Costs 3 PP to refit, takes 2 seasons to complete. Ship build cost 6/2, time same as original.
CS - Scout Cruisers
Spear Class, 17 ships, 40 Maintenance.
Spear | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged |Montgomery Finley is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Bill | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Daniel Fletcher is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Fork | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Anthony Palmer is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Earspoon | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | James Henderson is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Partisan | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Rory Williamson is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Glave | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Freddie Grant is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Pike | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Charles Wilson is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Bardiche | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Jasper Griffith is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Brandistock | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Arthur Barnes is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Poleaxe | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Owen Jefferson is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Halberd | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Andrew Wilkinson is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Corseque | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged |Reece Foster is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Voulge | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Brendon Morton is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Spetum | CS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Hayden Gardner is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Falx | CS | Dual Refit | Currently Under construction, 4 seasons remaining, 4 PP per turn construction cost
Dory | CS | Dual Refit | Currently Under construction, 4 seasons remaining, 4 PP per turn construction cost
Rhomphaia | CS | Dual Refit | Currently Under construction, 4 seasons remaining, 4 PP per turn construction cost
CDS - Coastal Defense Ships
Niflung Class, 6 Ships, 10 Maintenance.
Niflung | CDS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Eddie Campbell is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Gjúking | CDS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Bertram Faulkner is captain, Greenhorn, Aggressive.
Sigurd | CDS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Russell Faulkner is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Gunnarr | CDS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Markus Merrill is captain, Greenhorn, Balanced.
Hǫgni | CDS | No Refit | Currently assigned to Peacetime Patrols | Crew are Greenhorns | Undamaged | Elliot Burns is captain, Greenhorn, Cautious.
Gjúki | CDS | Dual Refit | Currently Under construction, 6 seasons remaining, Construction fully Funded |
CDF 1.1 (Training at sea)
-Niflung
-Sigurd
-Hǫgni
CDF 1.2 (CDF 1.1's Vangard)
-Spetum
-Corseque
-Poleaxe
CDF 2.1 (Training at sea)
-Gjúking
-Gunnarr
CDF 2.2 (CDF 2.1's Vangard)
-Pike
-Earspoon
-Bill
FCF 1 (At sea training)
-Spear
-Partisan
FCF 2 (At sea training)
-Fork
-Glave
FCF 3 (At sea training)
-Brandistock
-Bardiche
FCF 4 (At sea training)
-Halberd
-Voulge
Nemorland Naval Academy's School of Nautical Engineering (Costs 6 PP Per turn to keep running)
Intensive Nautical Training School (Costs 5 PP per turn to keep running)
4,000 Displacement Dry docks. (3 turns remaining till 7,000 displacement) (4 to upgrade, takes 4 seasons to finish, increases by 3 each upgrade)
69 PP, 50 Maintenance