Remember the Rainbow Redux: An Alternate Royal Canadian Navy

Well i sure hope some of those politicians got bombarded, this is the consequences of disregarding national defence for the sake of pathetic political point scoring (something i hate the most about Democracy) looking forward to the national awakening and realization that Canada needs a navy as much as Australia does.
 
All political decisions are calculated risks. I do not begrudge my nation's leadership for not taking coastal defense, especially on the west coast, seriously before the war as there simply wasn't anything to defend against besides smugglers or illegal fishing.
Many failings are only revealed in hindsight or in a moment of crisis, I can only truly claim disgust with leadership if those moments come and the lessons appear to have not been learned.
That certainly isn't going to be the case in this timeline, so I'd cut Borden and the rest of Ottawa some slack.
 
Well, the problem is that once the German cruisers are out of ammo there will again be nothing to defend against. So any spending on a Pacific fleet is a waste of money until Japan turns more hostile towards Britain and the US in the late 20s and early 30s (Plenty of time to start thinking about naval defence before WW2) but at that point, you're better off with an airforce.
 
Well, the problem is that once the German cruisers are out of ammo there will again be nothing to defend against. So any spending on a Pacific fleet is a waste of money until Japan turns more hostile towards Britain and the US in the late 20s and early 30s (Plenty of time to start thinking about naval defence before WW2) but at that point, you're better off with an airforce.
The main issue with that point is that it’s clearly utilizing hindsight. Even considering the fact that the Germans will eventually be pushed out of the area by the Japanese and British, simply assuming minimal threats going forward is the same attitude that almost caused this exact situation IRL. The Americans are questionable allies, the British cannot respond quickly enough and the Japanese were saw as potentially dangerous as early as before the WNT. The Airforce is an interesting idea but the lacklustre nature of aircraft capacity in the interwar era makes it not a wholly reliable defense by itself.
 
There is a reason why I chose this particular quote for my forum signature...

The Airforce is an interesting idea but the lacklustre nature of aircraft capacity in the interwar era makes it not a wholly reliable defense by itself.
Now there's an understatement. I find it equally parts amusing and frustrating how easily people seem to forget that military aviation between the world wars was effectively on pause, especially when compared with civil aviation.
 
There is a reason why I chose this particular quote for my forum signature...


Now there's an understatement. I find it equally parts amusing and frustrating how easily people seem to forget that military aviation between the world wars was effectively on pause, especially when compared with civil aviation.
makes me wonder if there is going to be a spat between the airforce and the navy during the period between ww1 and ww2 about who can best defend the coast and canada from threats, such things happenend in other countries around this period if i am not mistaken.

looking forward to the next chapter!
 
PILOT: I can defend the coast better because I can see a long way at altitude and can cover long distances quickly!
SAILOR: I can defend the coast better because I can bring actionable force to bear and don't have to stop and refuel every couple of hours!
OBSERVER: What if you put the plane on the boat and did both?
PILOT/SAILOR: Pshaaawww!

I do wonder about the assumption of a separate air force as default, but that's down to my personal biases and open question on if the RAF and the example it set were actually a bad thing (and a topic worthy of a timeline of its own, perhaps).
 
The main issue with that point is that it’s clearly utilizing hindsight. Even considering the fact that the Germans will eventually be pushed out of the area by the Japanese and British, simply assuming minimal threats going forward is the same attitude that almost caused this exact situation IRL. The Americans are questionable allies, the British cannot respond quickly enough and the Japanese were saw as potentially dangerous as early as before the WNT. The Airforce is an interesting idea but the lacklustre nature of aircraft capacity in the interwar era makes it not a wholly reliable defense by itself.
So we both agree the main threats to the Canadian West Coast are Japan and America. What do you expect a Canadian navy on the west coast is going to do to stop the US? If Japan attacks Britain then BC will not be a priority target initially, the Priority target will be Singapore and the British navy bases there. Japan has just won a war against Russia using its decisive battle doctrine and it will use that same doctrine as the basis for pearl harbour. It knows that the main threat to Japanese naval dominance in a war against Britain is not Canada but British naval bases in Singapore and that area, so it will concentrate its forces there. There is no point in BC focussing on naval matters because it only makes them a bigger target. IF the Japanese manage to defeat the British in the South Pacific then they will go after BC. I am not advocating for BC to be unprotected but I am saying that having a navy is a waste of time and you'd be better suited with static defences or an airforce (Which I admit is obviously hindsight talking but it doesn't make my point any less valid)
 
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So we both agree the main threats to the Canadian West Coast are Japan and America. What do you expect a Canadian navy on the west coast is going to do to stop the US? If Japan attacks Britain then BC will not be a priority target initially, the Priority target will be Singapore and the British navy bases there. Japan has just won a war against Russia using its decisive battle doctrine and it will use that same doctrine as the basis for pearl harbour. It knows that the main threat to Japanese naval dominance in a war against Britain is not Canada but British naval bases in Singapore and that area, so it will concentrate its forces there. There is no point in BC focussing on naval matters because it only makes them a bigger target. IF the Japanese manage to defeat the British in the South Pacific then they will go after BC. I am not advocating for BC to be unprotected but I am saying that having a navy is a waste of time and you'd be better suited with static defences or an airforce (Which I admit is obviously hindsight talking but it doesn't make my point any less valid)
just going to point out yes what you say makes sense but you have to remember the province just came under a naval bombardment and there is going to a sense of never again ingrained into both the people and government so that's what going to dictate policy that will probably lead to a massive expansion of the pacific fleet and the building of naval fort all along the coast for the one and only reason of never again British Columbians have a long memory and the mineral wealth to force the issue at the national level
 
Canada did consider the US to be a threat militarily into the '20s. It was acknowledged that nothing could be done in the way of coastal artillery or naval forces to defend against the overwhelming force of the US.

Canada also considered Japan to be a threat, even at the same time that Japan was an ally who saved the day in OTL World War One, by showing up with warships to scare the Hun away. Part of this enmity towards Japan was because racism, but part was a geopolitical reading that turned out to be correct.

The OTL coastal artillery of World War 2 was about right, in my appraisal, but it could have been finished a few years earlier to be fully ready for 1941.
 
There is no point in BC focussing on naval matters because it only makes them a bigger target.
Not sure of the logic of this. If we don't arm ourselves, maybe they will leave us alone. As World War One continues, and into the next war, BC is going to be a ship building centre, have the only British Empire dry docks on the west coast of North America, and have the railheads and seaports that import and export everything from the west coast of Canada, navy or not.

Exactly what naval forces BC would want is not clear to me, but at least a robust anti-submarine capacity. If the wisdom coming forward is that future wars will unfold like the last one, then much better coastal guns for Victoria, Vancouver, and Prince Rupert: basically what was done OTL. A pair of light cruisers and a flotilla or two of destroyers should serve to protect the coast. The Canadian navy built to project power would be harder to sell politically, if the climate is "Never Again!" the events of the last few chapters ITTL.
 
And the East Coast is likely to want some kind of capital ship program (even if it's just a CB or CVE), because they're actually sharing an ocean with Germany and have realized that they can't rely on the RN... and if so, the West Coast is going to scream "neglect" and want one too. Round that off with a better submarine fleet, and Canada's more than ready for the next round.
 
just going to point out yes what you say makes sense but you have to remember the province just came under a naval bombardment and there is going to a sense of never again ingrained into both the people and government so that's what going to dictate policy that will probably lead to a massive expansion of the pacific fleet and the building of naval fort all along the coast for the one and only reason of never again British Columbians have a long memory and the mineral wealth to force the issue at the national level
Obviously, but I'm saying that effort will be a waste of time and resources better spent elsewhere.
 
Heavy Smoke
August 16, 1914. Esquimalt Naval Dockyard, British Columbia.

Commander Trousdale dropped the remains of another cigarette into the rapidly filling ash tray atop his desk as he let out a smoke covered sigh. He had never been a particularly heavy smoker throughout his career with the Royal Navy but the events of that morning had been weighing down rather heavily on the old salt. What few sailors and personnel remained stationed in this destitute base had occasionally joked that the area itself was afflicted with some type of foul luck; he could not help but agree given his brief yet rather hellish experience in the area. Simply by the virtue of being the highest-ranking officer present on the coast upon his arrival alongside HMS Shearwater days previous, he had found himself effectively forced into the role of Esquimalt’s commanding officer. That grand position came with all the perks of lording over a sandcastle awaiting the oncoming tide, one was largely forced to sit back and pray for the best if forces outside of his control decided to act. Defensive planning had been ongoing even without a ranking naval officer present as Premier McBride and many junior officers stepped up to the task rather admirably. It had been an interesting experience to have the ranking politician in the province and many concerned citizens on the side of the navy for once, his authority was much appreciated although perhaps unneeded at that point given the treacherous situation at hand. Even with that said though, BC’s defenses hung their hat on a set of ancient coastal batteries, a pair of questionable submarines without torpedoes and a scratch fleet of fisheries trawlers. Throughout these past sleepless nights, he had hoped that Rainbow had at least done enough damage before going down to have prematurely ended Leipzig’s reign of terror up this coast. Such things had turned out to be rather naïve assessment of what was to come.

The constant state of alert had taken its toll on the men at every level since the declaration of war, although doubly so after the loss of Rainbow and with her, any meaningful protection the coast once enjoyed. Himself and the various officers both inside Esquimalt and spread around the coast found their senses dulled by the near constant false reports that flowed into their ears, one can only respond so many times with steadfast bravado before monotony took hold. The eventual result of that came to a head into the early morning hours of August 16. The patrol ship CGS Malaspina had encountered an honest to goodness suspicious vessel that had attempted to push through the straits of Juan de Fuca while also exhibiting erratic sailing behavior. Himself and many others quickly came to the assumption that the vessel could be a German merchant raider attempting to force its way up through the strait and wreak havoc on the relatively unprotected areas further inshore as at night, the coastal batteries would have had drastically reduced effectiveness. As the situation had further escalated almost to blows due to a communication mishap between the vessels, the cruiser Leipzig seemingly utilized the commotion to sneak by undetected and make it way further inland past what little patrols existed at the time.

Commander Trousdale broke from his thoughts for a moment to glance at the immense stack of telegram papers haphazardly piled on the corner of the desk, somewhere buried under all of that mornings reports was the lone paper which started this all.

A few hours after the suspicious vessel had been properly identified as simply a Japanese merchant ship that had been lost in unfamiliar waters, another somewhat more alarming event had unfolded further inland. A communication between a pair of United States Revenue Cutter Service ships in the area had been intercepted which revealed that a warship flying a Japanese naval ensign had been spotted traveling northwest at high speed. Both the communication and its contents were equally confusing, it was uncharacteristic of the Revenue Cutter Service to broadcast unencoded transmissions due to the neutral status of the United States. Perhaps it had been a mistake made in the heat of the moment or a sympathetic crew member attempting to warn them of oncoming danger? Regardless of the reasoning behind the communication, it was obvious that an unannounced Japanese vessel was making its way up through Canadian territory and something had to be done. Japan was a neutral party at this time however due to their close ties to Britain, it was projected that they would join as an ally against the Germans soon. Even with that said, repeated wireless hails resulted in radio silence from the would-be Japanese warship which only served to draw increased suspicion from himself and the rest of the naval staff. Nothing could be done but dispatch the local inspections tugboat Restless to investigate in person. In an ideal world an arrant Japanese warship appearing out of thin air would be a blessing but once both ships came to meet each other, Restless was quickly reduced to nothing more than splinters in the jaws of what was now obviously to be nothing more than an enemy in disguise.

From the perspective of the men inside Esquimalt, the next few hours would be spent filtering through piles upon piles of sometimes contradictory or exaggerated reports in regard to what was unfolding in the Vancouver area. Himself and the bases chief intelligence officer Commander W.H. James had roughly pieced together a narrative from the scraps of truth that flooded their way. Leipzig had burst through the ad hoc coastal defenses protecting Vancouver harbor and proceeded to heavily damage every major ship in the harbor, razed the Wallace Shipyard and damaged the local rail infrastructure before fleeing off down Burrard Inlet. The pair of oil refineries there had been taken under fire and alongside the infrastructure in the area, was still being exposed to the Germans guns as he sat inside his office. Her next moves had yet to unfold but James predicted another assault on Vancouver as she would eventually have to depart Burrard Inlet.

Trousdale retrieved another cigarette from the pack perched amidst the chaos on his desk and struck a match, pulling the resulting smoke deep down into his lungs. The pair of framed photographs hanging behind the desk glared through the back of his head like a set of eyes, one of the smiling crew of the Rainbow and the other of Hose’s wife and children. Trousdale's abrupt appointment did not particularly allow him time to redecorate the office and even if the activity had hooked his fancy, hauling down two dearly cared for elements of the late Walter Hose’s life did not bode particularly well with him. Their mere presence in the room served as motivating light through the fog of helplessness that blanketed the naval command staff at that point, even if he wanted to do something though, there was precious little that could be done to slow the German onslaught of the coast. The coastal guns had ensured that Victoria and Esquimalt remained untouched for the moment, but such things were little consolation for the remainder of the undefended coast. Even if he had both Algerine and Shearwater at this command, both of the ships would largely be only a speed bump for a crack ship of the East Asia Squadron. The pair of submarines faired little better, Lieutenant Keyes and Jones had both reported in earlier that morning that both ships would likely be ready to sail before dinner time that afternoon but without torpedoes and considering their limitations, sending the ships would result in little more than front row seats for whatever destruction the enemy would currently be reaping.

fCjbscS.jpg

HMS Algerine present in her Victorian era paint scheme. As a bit of fun and good Christmas spirit, it seems that her Captain has strung a wreath above the smokestack.

Time began to ebb away as the Commander stared blankly out of a nearby window, watching the billowing black clouds that rolled skywards from the North and fanned out across the confines of the sky. Judging by the distant rumble of cannons that could still be occasionally heard through the offices wood walls, it would seem that the Germans were more than happy to use up ammunition to turn the coast into rubble. This went on for some time before the telephone ringing across the room brought Trousdale out of his slump. As the officer jaunted up to the device and picked up the receiver, he checked the clock slowly ticking by on the wall which read 9:26 am. Pulling his professionalism together, he answered as stoically as he could, “Yes this is Commander Trousdale.”

“Hello Commander.” A calm voice on the other end began, “This is George Hiller, the Mayor of Ladysmith.”

Trousdale rolled his eyes somewhat at the annoyance, “Ah yes Mr. Hiller.” He started again with mock enthusiasm, “Is there something I can help you with today?”

A politician was about the last thing he wanted to hear from at this point, especially some uppity small town mayor with a bone to pick in regards to their lackluster defenses. He had heard this far too many times even through his short tenure on this coast, although sadly Premier McBride was not here to deal with such a farce.

The man started again, “Given what I have heard about the state of the navy as of late, I don’t particularly think so sadly. I called because I wanted to pass on some important information. My town is currently being bombarded by a German warship.”

There was a slight pause as Trousdale attempted to recover from such a straight-faced delivery, “Pardon me sir?”

“A German warship is currently firing on the town of Ladysmith, I am watching through my office window as I am talking to you.”

Trousdale was absolutely dumb founded by the mans sheer gall of this man, what kind of a man entertains such a casual tone through the circumstances at hand? Canadians were a madly confusing people for sure. Perhaps though some information of value could be gleamed from a man of such fortitude.

“I appreciate the warning then.” He stated as he shakily reached for a nearby pen and paper, “Would it be possible then for you to describe the vessel to me?”

Mayor Hiller agreed before pausing briefly, “The ship was flying a British naval flag before she entered the harbor, but I saw her lower it and replace it with a German one before the attack. I believe I have seen her on this coast previously but my memory is somewhat hazy. She is painted gray with three masts and a large pole sticking out from the front. There is one slender smokestack between the first and second masts. I would estimate her to be around 200 ft long with a few guns slung at her sides.”

“Thank you very much for this Mr. Hiller, such information is incredibly valuable. That being said, I don't think it would be above me to suggest that you and your townsfolk should evacuate inland immediately until the attack has stopped.”

A silence came over the line as the officer waited for a response before repeatedly attempted to get an answer out of the Mayor, but it was no use. An errant shell could have easily destroyed the local telephone lines or worse perhaps? Regardless, the Mayor had at least provided vital information with this selfless act. The ship he described almost perfectly matched up with the silhouette of Algerine, which would mean that she was indeed captured by the Germans after being separated from Shearwater on their sprint back to Esquimalt. It would explain her long overdue absence and how they acquired a White Ensign in which to enter the port under. The situation had somehow taken an even more drastic turn as it was now clear that the Germans possessed at least two raiders now attacking opposite sides of the coast’s interior. Algerine was a poor direct combatant but her armament and disguise would have made her the perfect close range raider. Before the officer could fully process his thoughts about the matter at hand, a knock came from the office door. Trousdale called out for whoever it was to come inside and one of the enlisted men serving under the chief intelligence officer entered the room brandishing a pair of telegram messages.

“Apologies for the delay sir, we had a vital message come through just as I was originally leaving to deliver these.”

Trousdale thanked the young man as he gazed upon the messages in his hands. The first telegram as expected was sent from Ladysmith at almost the exact time that the Mayor had called him. It was simply affirming the information that Ladysmith was indeed under attack from a German warship and that the Militia in the town were destroying the coal loading infrastructure to deny the enemy a source of potential fuel. Such things were not a major surprise at this point, but the second message truly did hold a message of vital importance. He felt his heart leap up into his throat as he read the message once, then again, then again and again a fourth time. Was this finally it? A sliver of hope in an impossible situation? If they were to capitalize on this timing, everything would have to go as smoothly and as quickly as humanly possible. The message read:

EXPRESS TRAIN CARRYING TORPEDOES AND MISC EQUIPMENT STOPPED IN PORT COQUITLAM DUE TO VANCOUVER ATTACK. AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON SAFE ROUTE OR TIME.

Commander Trousdale quickly scribbled more text onto the piece of paper at hand, using the office wall as a backstop. Before the pen even hit the table, the piece of paper was in the hands of the messenger.

“Bring this message back to Commander James and inform him of the situation. Have him assemble the men listed and report to the intelligence office downstairs with all due haste. This is vital lad, get going.”

The ensign snapped off a quick salute and took off into a back from whence he came, barely touching the floorboards as he went. Trousdale returned to his chair and stared longingly at the small liquor cabinet inhabiting one of the dusty corners of the room. He fought off that time honored Royal Navy tradition as he lit yet another cigarette, drinks would have to wait until after this was all said and done.

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Sailors aboard HMCS Niobe post for a photo around one of her torpedoes, sitting in a handling cradle on the main deck.
 
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I have to keep reminding myself that HMS Shearwater (1900) and Algerine (1895) are not as old as they look, in fact both are newer than Rainbow (1891).
 
Nice to see the same events from the perspective of Esquimalt, really illustrates what (little) they had to go on and everything they had to deal with.
I particularly liked the bit with the Mayor of Ladysmith, I can confirm that until fairly recently people defaulted to a surprisingly formal tone when on the phone, especially when delivering poor news.

An aside,
As a bit of fun and good Christmas spirit, it seems that her Captain has strung a mistletoe above the smokestack.
Don't know about the presence of mistletoe (it is a very small plant), but that's certainly a wreath. Probably made of cedar boughs.
 
wow torpedoes did get there in time? hopefully the submarienes atleast can get a shot in on the germans but that might be asking for too much...
 
The Fraser River is navigable to Port Coquitlam. The subs could motor right up to a dock adjoining the tracks and load up, or even be loaded by a crane from a railway bridge, if some enterprising person took charge. The chase is on!
 
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