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[Madman198237]

Trident-class Destroyer
Our first foray into proper naval designs, we've decided to start small, placing minimal demands on naval industries that aren't really up to international par quite yet. This destroyer carries five 4"/40 caliber guns in single mounts, two superfiring forwards, two amidships, and one aft. While it carries no other guns, it does carry two triple torpedo launchers on the centerline, ahead of the aft turret. The 4"/40 guns are a basic high-velocity naval gun designed alongside the destroyer meant to carry it and the torpedoes are a simple internal combustion torpedo with compressed air and regular old gasoline feeding the engine. The exhaust products do leave something of a trail of bubbles but, well, not much can be done about that.

It carries thin, 1.5" thick hardened steel armor plates around vital areas like the bridge and engine spaces to resist light weapons such as those carried by MTBs, with 2" gunshields (no turrets) for the 4" guns and 2" armor on the magazines for the 4" weapons. No onboard torpedo reloads are carried, instead being resupplied by barge (or other ship) when out of combat (not that anybody would, in real life, be reloading torpedoes in combat until WWII anyway). This reduces the likelihood of a hit setting off the many different explosive and/or pressurized and/or flammable components of a torpedo.

Speed is intended to be approximately 29 knots through the use of a vertical triple expansion engine setup driving two screws.

While I hate to admit it, the balloon is probably the best way to counter their rocket artillery---spot it during the lengthy loading and setup process and blast it into oblivion.

Tsirk Spotter Balloon: (3) Sensei, TricMagic, Madman

[Maxim_inc]

This is a hot-air balloon used for artillery spotting and general intelligence. The balloon itself is made of a strong canvas which is asbestos-treated, and has adjustable ventilation on top to control the rate at which hot air is lost by pulling on a cable. The basket has room for two men plus propane fuel, the burner, and ballast and other equipment. There is one special piece of equipment, a cable telegraph which allows the spotter to quickly relay his findings with a communications officer on the ground. The balloon is to be used anchored to the ground by ropes, so that it stays roughly in one place over the ground. Using this, our commanders should be aware of enemy troop movements, defenses, and weak spots, especially in trenches which we cannot normally see into. This should allow us to target artillery more accurately and better coordinate our attacks and defenses.

Dice Gods Say: You rolled a 4.

The 'Tsirk' Spotter Balloon is the first adventure by the Confederation in the world of Aeronautics! Delivering men upwards in a basket built for two it gives these spotters an amazing view of the battleground...if the winds are favorable of course. The balloon itself lacks a very aerodynamic shape causing it to be battered heavily by the winds when at full height, the fuel stores itself is shown to be insufficient since at higher altitudes after significant time in the air more fuel needs to be burned to keep height as well as the fact that climbing in rough winds requires stronger lift. The fuel cans themselves are of shoddy 1902 quality make as well. The onboard telegraph works fine when the parts are kept in good conditions, though they wear out easily in the moisture and cold of the high altitude.


It is now the Revision Phase!

Confederation Armory:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 Ogedi Commission Infantry Rifle: The standard issue rifle of the Confederation, the Ogedi was designed by a rifle commission during the closing days of the Alliance Wars. This 50 inch long rifle fires a 45. Caliber straight walled blackpowder rifle round out of its trapdoor configuration breech through a rifled barrel. It comes with a flat bladed bayonet. It is Cheap at 2 Ore.

R-I-M1900a1: Coming in with a modern 6.5mm round this rifle is a decent rifle and comparable to other rifles on the continent in its effectiveness after fixing some teething problems and replaces our old rifle in its entirety, cavalry can use it but its still a little too long to be used comfortably by them. It also comes with a blade bayonet. It is Cheap at 2 Ore.

Witchfire 6.5mm Light Machinegun Model 1900: A light machinegun at around 29 pounds the Witchfire uses the same 6.5mm cartridge as the R-I-M1900a1 fed from a 40 round pan magazine and operated by a long-stroke gas piston system. It comes with a wooden stock, foregrip and pistol grip plus a bipod. It is well accurate in short burst but suffers overheating problems over a long period of time and lacks a quick change barrel. It is Expensive at 4 Ore.

Saber: This slightly curved blade comes with a single cutting edge and is used by both officers and cavalry alike, currently it is the only weapon available to be used by cavalry. It is Cheap at 1 Ore.

"Ganaa" 75mm Artillery: A reliable, if prone to needing replacement parts more often than others, field artillery cannon which fires HE and Fragmentation shells from its one-piece smokeless ammunition cases. It is Expensive at 4 Ore.

Uul Ganaa 75mm L/12: A lightened and shrunk mountain version of the Ganna using lower velocity 75mm shells than its bigger brother and is capable of being broken down and carried by a team of mules or men. It is Expensive at 4 Ore.

Godstrike 120mm Howitzer: A heavy artillery piece firing fixed 120mm HE shells at extreme ranged. Its advanced breach allows for its man loaders to fire a quick volley of shells before they become exhausted. It is Expensive at 5 Ore.

Confederation Battle Dress: A pair of bright red trousers and undershirt with a gold vest with white sashes plus a black kepis hat. This eye-burning combination of colors help the infantry of the confederation stand out gloriously among the battlefield and its conditions for all to see. No Cost.

Confederate Combat Dress 1900: A well fitting Combat Dress of drab greys with sturdy boots and a leather ammunition harness plus a winter weather trenchcoat. A full metal helmet is included which has a tapered brim to protect from shrapnel and sunlight, its not bullet proof. It is Cheap at 1 Ore due to the steel needed for helmets.

'Tsirk' Spotter Balloon: A propane burning hot-air balloon made of sturdy materials capable of taking its two occupants to a great height though suffers from intense cold at high altitude, a lack of an aerodynamic shape and inconsistent fuel burning. The onboard telegraph doesn't play well in the cold either. It is Cheap at 3 Ore and 2 Fuel.

Transport Barge: A medium sized barge used for transporting men and equipment from the homeland to the Volcanic Island. It has no defenses other than a small marine contingent with standard issue rifles. It is Cheap at 3 Ore and 2 Fuel.

[evictedSaint]

R-I-M1900a2
A smaller version of the rifle for trenchwork.  The barrel has been considerably reduced in length, making the gun virtually useless at longer ranges.

The internal magazine has been increased from 10 to 20, requiring the magazine to be extended further below the gun but increasing the time between reloads.  Most importantly, a piston operating off the gas exhaust out of the shortened barrel automatically cycles the bolt between rounds.  This effectively turns the device into a semi-automatic, making it our most efficient means of manually clearing trenches and bunkers.

[Thanatos Russ]

I vote for the R I M1900a2 revision.

[TricMagic]

I vote for the R I M1900a2 revision.

+1

[Thanatos Russ]

Confederate Combat Dress 1900mk2
Noting that the helmet has saved lives from lower collateral damage, and the more subtle uniform is harder to be targeted, further improvements can be made. The helmet is shaped to be better at direct bullets to glance off at an angle, and upgraded to be tougher, but also soft inside so less blunt damage. The uniform is updated to be more comfortable, with better pocket design, and the boots are made to be more comfortable and resistant to water. This iterative quality of life improvement along with better helmet should be able to help reduce casualties and improve morale.

[Madman198237]

That rifle "conversion" (read: actually a complete replacement disguised as a revision) is probably going to fail, or at least I hope it does.

Anyway, how about a reasonably sane option?

Artillery Barge
A variant of the basic Transport Barge with some artillery pieces on the deck, trading troop and equipment capacity for artillery and ammunition stowage. It incorporates a couple of our 120mm howitzers and a quartet of our 75mm howitzers and can use them for shore support or, if you're really, really, really, REALLY desperate, fighting other naval units. It includes tie-down points and a telegraph setup so that it can fly its very own spotting balloon.

[evictedSaint]

That rifle "conversion" (read: actually a complete replacement disguised as a revision) is probably going to fail, or at least I hope it does.

Jesus, madman.

[Madman198237]

Surely that isn't supposed to be a serious proposal? Designing a semi-automatic rifle, in 1903 or whatever it is right now, in a revision?

[evictedSaint]

Witchfire 6.5mm LMM1900a2

A light-weight, carryable version of the Witchfire.

The most notable feature is that the entire gun has been rotated 90° clockwise.  The pan magazine is now vertical, affixed to the right side of the gun.  The bulky wooden furniture is removed, and a carry handle has been affixed to the slightly-shortened barrel.  The pistol grip has been translated to behind the reciever rather than below, allowing the weapon to be fired easily from the hip position.  The pan magazine is reduced in capacity to further aid in weight and maneuverability, firing 20 rounds (though the 40-round pan may still be slotted in).

Fair enough, how about this

[Sensei]

We could definitely use an SMG, the battle reports have been hinting at it pretty heavily. This won't be quite as nice as a proper SMG design, but if it goes well maybe we could save ourselves the need to design one for a while and focus our next design on getting some meaningful sea/air power.

This is a version of the Witchfire designed to be as light and compact as possible, for close-in fighting. It fires the new 5x35mm carbine cartridge. The size of the gas system has been reduced (subject to testing/tuning) and the bolt carrier has been drilled out to reduce weight. The barrel is shortened to 250mm and kept light even at that, as accuracy is not a high priority. The pan magazine still holds 40 rounds, but is considerably smaller according to the size of the cartridges. The wooden stock and foregrip are drilled out for weight. The adjustable sights are eschewed for a simple fixed aperture sight which is quick to acquire. If it is ergonomically feasible, the length of the shoulder stock is shortened and the trigger is moved forward somewhat.

I was just typing this as eS posted. This is a little more ambitious, but has more potential for payoff. I'm assuming that the rechambering to a new cartridge is acceptable in a revision.

[Thanatos Russ]

What about revising artillery ammo and adding something that causes a huge amount of light but isn't designed to do damage.

[TricMagic]

Note we did end up with two votes, 3 if you decide to vote for your proposal.

[Madman198237]

Specialized Artillery Shells
Sometimes you don't want things to explode quite so much. Sometimes you want artillery to serve other purposes, like making French fries or serving you a freshly made latte. These shells don't make our artillery do that and they never will. However, they will make any of our artillery pieces into massive flare guns, with parachute-retarded battlefield illumination rounds (AKA "parachute flares" or star shells) that burn a delightful combination of magnesium and white phosphorus and are slowed in their descent by a parachute deployed after the round reaches its apogee. They are quite impressive, especially when fired by larger artillery pieces, and they serve to turn night into day when the enemy least expects it and definitely doesn't want it.

The other specialist shell we've developed is a white phosphorus smoke shell. These are, unsurprisingly, shells which contain a large phosphorus component, and so when they burst they spray burning phosphorus and a couple other chemicals over a moderate area, which burn ferociously and produce a rather large amount of white smoke. This can be used to conceal an advance or blind and disorient an entire sector of an enemy's trenches with the noxious and slightly caustic gas.

Artillery Barge: (1) Madman

This is an Arms Race, not a suggestion game, use a votebox like civilized players.

[Thanatos Russ]

Artillery Barge: (2) Madman, Thanatos russ