ww2 american torpedoes? :S
WW1, they'll actually explode
That said, if anyone says anything about having a fantastic idea for something called a "Magnetic Detonator" save everyone some time and throw him overboard.
ww2 american torpedoes? :S
Aug 6 Esquimalt Naval Dockyard
“Fourteen inch,” said Wood. “These want eighteen inch.”
Did the British Navy have 18" torpedoes?
Would they have to purchase American torps for these subs?
Thanks!
Vancouver will be a stage for part of this story upcoming. Much of the story happens on Vancouver Island, which is a car ferry ride away from Vancouver. Particularly, Fort Rodd Hill is a really cool 1890s coastal defence fort that has been lovingly restored as a National Park. The story has and will in the future involve this location. It is a great touristy visit. I notice that the Parks Canada website downplays the military history and sells it as family fun with a rare ecosystem. There is more fort stuff (1890s-1940s) than implied by the web site.
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Rodd_Hill_National_Historic_Site
Aug 5, 1600 hours. SMS Leipzig, Magdelena Bay, Baja Peninsula, Mexico.
...
"The yawls and the cutters will get a Maxim gun each. Armourer, I also want a Maxim gun fitted on either side of both the fore and aft searchlight platforms."
Thank you, This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for.Maxim was a British company: "Trust in God, for we have got / The Maxim gun and they have not."
Fregatten-Kapitan Haun would refer to "a Spandau", after the German arsenal where machine guns were developed and produced. While the Spandau 08 was a close copy of the Maxim, it would never be referred to as such.
This is an amazing thread, about a bit of history I wasn't aware of.
Know a lot of what RAN & Australian Army did in Papua New Guinea / Bougainville, and other German Territory, in the South Pacific, but the North Pacific has never to my knowledge ever been mentioned in OTL, or Alt. Timelines.
The inclusion of ship photo's, and Wiki links is useful, but the best bit is using the actual newspapers.
A/B Brown seems a likely lad, maybe he becomes the "West Coast Naval Intelligence Office" with, perhaps the department designation 007 ?
One thing that would make it more interesting would be for Pilcher to set up an operation where the subs actually engage the Germans, or is tha a "spoiler" ?
The only other thing would be for Brown and his slightly expanded intelligence unit to work with the North West Mounted Police, (actually, I think they were RCMP, by 1914) rounding up German Agents, and other troublemakers.
Very interested, also, in the geography descriptions, as I wil be passing through Vancouver in September, on a train / cruise package. Not sure how much "free" time I'll have, as "she who must be obeyed" will want to do "Tourist" things, so I better start making suggestion of places to visit !!
1914 OTL Coastal Defence Batteries Fortress EsquimaltDon't forget Macauley Point if the Germans are coming.
2) Everything so far is OTL, except the movements of Nürnberg, including the subs. I am being creative with dialogue, but events are straight history, so far.1) just started reading this. Good stuff. D
2)I gather that the expedition to buy the subs was OTL, just the success wasn't?
3) so HMBCS McBride, eh?
4) neutrality rules mean a hostile can only get enough coal to make it to the nearest friendly port. For the Germans, that's, what, Tsingtao? So they coal up in e.g. Portland with enough coal to reach China. Cruise up and down the Pacific Northwest coast for a month or so, then pop back in to Portland for another load of coal sufficient to reach China... That sounds legal. Could they get away with it?
2)
4) OTL the US deemed that the Leipzig's closest friendly port was Apai, in German Samoa. So basically what you said. I do not think the ship could come back for a second coaling after they demonstrated they were acting in bad faith. The British and German diplomats would be down on the dock arguing their respective cases.
1914 OTL Coastal Defence Batteries Fortress Esquimalt
Black Rock Battery in Esquimalt Naval Dockyard: 2x12 pdr. QF
Duntze Head Battery in Esquimalt Naval Dockyard: 2x12 pdr. QF
Belmont Battery at Fort Rodd Hill: 2x12 pdr. QF
Fort Rodd Hill: 3 x 6" BL on disappearing carriages
Fort Mcauley: 3 x 6" BL on disappearing carriages
Signal Hill Battery in Esquimalt Naval Dockyard: 2 x 9.2" BL en barbette.
Searchlights etc.
There are also many surviving 6 pdr Hotchkiss guns scattered around museums in the area today that claim to have been part of the harbour defences. But I can find no record of them ever being mounted. They may have been temporarily mounted in some ATB forts while awaiting their 12 pdrs to be delivered. I suspect some were taken from the sloops or the Rainbow and mounted ashore, or just stored and found later. Some may have been later fitted to smaller patrol ships like the Inspection vessel Malaspina.
The 12 pdr. Coastal defence guns are anti-torpedo boat guns. Nav Weapons says they have a rate of fire of 15 rds. per minute. An attacking cruiser is unlikely to come within range of these guns. The Rainbow has 4 of these guns as well, on broadside, 2 per side. The German cruiser guns do have gun shields, but not enclosed turrets. Nav Weapons says these guns have a range of 11,000 yards at 40 degrees, but there is no way these guns are on mounts capable of 40 degrees, maybe 15 degrees.The German ships also have exposed gun mounts, and the 12 pounders shoot quickly. They are more of a "Sweep the deck" gun
The 12 pdrs are basically 3" guns, aren't they? Nürnberg and Leipzig would be protected against this caliber wouldn't they? (Not saying they couldn't hurt the ships but their armor should have been made to protect).
Now the 6" and the 9.2" should frighten the ships but the 12 pdrs seem to be much less of a deterrent.
The 12 pdr. Coastal defence guns are anti-torpedo boat guns. Nav Weapons says they have a rate of fire of 15 rds. per minute. An attacking cruiser is unlikely to come within range of these guns. The Rainbow has 4 of these guns as well, on broadside, 2 per side. The German cruiser guns do have gun shields, but not enclosed turrets. Nav Weapons says these guns have a range of 11,000 yards at 40 degrees, but there is no way these guns are on mounts capable of 40 degrees, maybe 15 degrees.
The neutrality laws are technical. I have a copy of the British Declaration of War for World War I. Much of the 4 page document is about contraband goods. There are lists. I am going to post it (spoilers...) when commerce warfare begins, because some things are referenced. I do not understand the Neutrality laws too well myself. Belligerent warships are able to do certain things. like have 24 hours in a neutral port and receive coal to travel to a friendly port (coal that they buy, not charity). Belligerent merchant ships can be seized by enemy belligerents. Neutral merchant ships can be seized, or at least have their cargoes confiscated if they are carrying contraband to enemy belligerents. I think if a merchant ship is acting as an auxiliary to a belligerent warship, it becomes a belligerent warship itself.I will admit I don't understand the neutrality laws but it seems odd that the laws would require whomever is applying them to make a decision on something like 'bad faith'.
Technically anything you sell to a nation at war helps that nation, so you could make the argument that everything is contraband. I would think that food, fuel and medical supplies would be cash and carry to any belligerent and sell at will. Obviously no weapons or chemicals use to produce weapons should be sold. The restriction should be that the warship cannot enter national waters. That would force the coalier to rendezvous in international waters where they would risk being caught in an exchange. Hense they would raise their price accordingly. This alone would most likely drive the belligerents away as they wouldn't be able to buy coal at 5 or 10 times the market rate for very long.
Again I don't have much knowledge in this area so I am interested in how this actually worked.
Really enjoying the TL.