Hello! Naval history fan here. I have been working on an Alternate Universe with a lot of points of departure, but most of them take place after 1900. So, I thought to put them in this thread. One of the greatest points of departure, however, is the formation of a continent in the middle of the Atlantic ocean known as
Lavrunaria. Being my most alternate fleet out of all the alternate fleets I am creating, I thought to post this one here.
Synopsis of Important Departures
This is the most fictional of the navies in my Alternate History, provincially known as 'Frontlines'. There are a load of points of departure for it, which will be regaled at length, but the most important for the below fleet is that France fell to Fascism in 1934 and invaded the Netherlands and England in the late 1930s in an event known as the Fascist Crisis. Britain is severely weakened by the depression and is only able to resist the invasion because of fanatical resistance. After the French are pushed back to the continent, they begin to look seaward towards colonies in the Caribbean. The problem is the large nation in the middle of the Atlantic - the Confederation of Lavrunaria, which fancies itself an empire and has already taken over a good part of the Caribbean (including former French colonies) to shore up its oil reserves, as the Lavrunarian continent has little oil. For that reason, tensions build until the Franco-Lavrunarian War is declared in January 1943.
The Lavrunarians practically go at it alone, with very little assistance from any nation, besides their oil trading partners in South America and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the French are joined by Fascist Italy and Fascist Spain. Thus, the enemies of Lavrunaria have a very significant fleet, since all three of these countries have entered into vigorous building programs with the collapse of the treaty system in the 1930s. The Washington Naval Treaty still took effect, albeit without the US, as well as the First London Naval Treaty, but the resurgence of France made the Second London Naval Treaty practically a moot point. This wasn't helped by the fact the Lavrunarians also rejected it.
(If you're wondering about Germany, they had a Civil War in the 1920s after a successful 1922 Munich Putsch. Eventually, the NSDAP were pushed out of Germany and a Centrist party known as the Blue Centrists took over the country, and still rule it at the time of the Franco-Lavrunarian War. The United States, meanwhile, joined WWI on the side of the Central Powers and was so soundly defeated that the government fell apart. Several nations then began to re-colonize the American continent, while some smaller states pop up there. More information will be revealed later.)
This is a work in progress. It is my first Alternate History Project. I will be updating it as I improve it. Thanks for any thoughts!
The Imperial Navy of the Confederation of Lavrunaria
Dye Ymperiskot Eskydredsforbunndahf Lavrunaria
Strategic Situation
My navy belongs to an Island Nation which is in fierce competition with France for dominance in the Atlantic ocean. Our opponents have a large, albeit non-homogeneous fleet of ships from several different nations, with varying abilities. However, all my opponents are on the European continent while I require imports of oil in order to continue the war. Furthermore, treaties with Britain, Italy and France have forced me to accept a lesser amount of ships than I would like, before their collapse in 1936.
Since my enemy has a large fleet of cruisers, destroyers, etc., my fleet has to be qualitatively superior to theirs. Furthermore, my fleet has been relatively small until around the First World War. This means I have no major capital ships from before 1914, and these capital ships will have to be modernized. The enemy fleets have a number of modernized vessels as well, but a significantly larger amount of new construction.
The Lavrunarian and British governments reached an agreement in 1931. This agreement had far-reaching consequences for the Lavrunarian navy. Controversially, the Lavrunarians were allowed to build two new capital ships before 1937. However, to allow this, the Lavrunarians had to accept a significant numerical inferiority in aircraft carriers and retain their numerical inferiority in cruisers and destroyers which they were forced to accept in 1922. The Lavrunarians were allowed to build 5 new aircraft carriers before 1937 and maintain a total fleet of 8 aircraft carriers. They were also forced to maintain a maximum of 280,000 tons of cruisers and 165,000 tons of destroyers, but with no limits on new construction. Auxiliaries, escort vessels and submarines are not affected by this agreement.
However, there is a six-year gap between the end of this agreement and the start of the war. This allows time for a reinforcement of the Lavrunarian fleet, but not for a significant amount of new capital ships.
The strategic goals of my fleet are as follows:
- Disrupt enemy supply lines. I will need a large amount of submarines and other raiding vessels to put a significant dent in imports to the enemy’s supply lines to force him to stop his war effort. The countries in question import a lot of oil not only from a resurgent Middle East which drive hard bargains, but also from the Caribbean and Far East; enough that, if that supply line can be cut, the war will be won.
- Protect friendly supply lines. I will need a large number of escort and ASW vessels to protect my supply lines from enemy submarines and raiding vessels. This is absolutely necessary for my continuance of the war.
- Spread enemy forces thin. I will need a few vessels to harass the enemy and draw their forces away from decisive points. This includes a sizable number of commerce raiders.
- Whittle down the enemy fleet before decisive engagements. I will need to destroy a portion of the enemy’s fleet before he engages me directly. This means I will need to have fleet carriers with aircraft that can destroy the enemy in harbor, as well as midget submarines. Furthermore, I will need scouting vessels to find the enemy fleet when it moves out of harbor.
- Harass enemy fleet on way to engagements. I will need fast vessels to harry the enemy before major engagements with torpedoes and gunfire. These vessels will also warn of the enemy’s approach.
- Defeat enemy fleet with superior vessels in decisive engagements. I will need superior capital ships to engage the enemy battle line directly after it has been whittled down by other forces.
Fleet
Capital Ships
Battlecruisers - Grohssezuumdoynmfeorseglhen
The closest Lavrunarian equivalent to the english word 'Battlecruiser is
Grohssezuumdoynmfeorseglhen, which translates literally to 'large armored cruiser'. This word shows the direct lineage of the armored cruiser into the battlecruiser, at least for the Lavrunarian Navy.
Pre-Treaty Ships
The genesis of the Lavrunarian battlecruiser force were two classes of ships built towards the end of the First World War. The first class was almost entirely a foreign design - in fact, it was based off stolen plans for a German ship - while the second battlecruiser class was built with the extensive assistance of the British. The design for both these ship classes, however, were changed over time to make them unique to the Lavrunarian navy - the
Patrik Vidar class was changed to lead heavy cruisers, while the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class was changed into a commerce raider.
Patrik Vidar class Battlecruisers
Ships in class
- Patrik Vidar
- Saverio af Holt
- Benedykt Ozolyns
The three oldest battlecruisers are of the
Patrik Vidar class, built based off stolen German plans for the
Ersatz Yorck class, but mounting Lavrunarian weaponry. The ships were built from 1916 to 1919 and modernized in the period from 1928 to 1930 and from 1937 to 1939 during the Fascist Crisis. The 1937 modernization replaced the front and rearmost dual turrets with triple turrets and installed modern fifteen inch guns. The statistics of the ships after 1939 are as follows:
- A main battery of ten fifteen inch guns firing a 1,750 lb projectile out to 39,750 yards at a maximum 42° elevation in an ABXY configuration, with dual turrets superfiring triple turrets. These guns have a firing cycle of 26 seconds.
- A secondary battery of eight 156mm guns mounted in casemates along the hull, with three forward and one rear on each side of the ship. These guns fire a 132 lb projectile out to 28,750 yards at a maximum 35° elevation at a rate of fire of 8-10 RPM.
- A tertiary battery of twelve 128mm guns mounted in dual mounts along both sides of the superstructure. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 15-17 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A sea speed of 30.5 knots with a trial speed of 33 knots, using a mixed steam and diesel propulsion system installed in the 1937 modernization. The maximum speed on diesels alone is 23 knots.
- A range of 9,500 nautical miles on diesel power at 16 knots.
- An armor scheme comprising a main 12 inch belt and a 4 inch deck intended to provide protection against 11 inch guns at all ranges and 12 inch guns at extended ranges. A torpedo defense system added in 1937 is designed to resist a 700 lb warhead.
- A displacement of 37,650 tons.
The role of these ships is to lead fast, heavy cruisers in fleet engagements to destroy the enemy’s light cruiser force and break through to their battleships, where the heavy cruisers will launch mass torpedo attacks to devastate the enemy’s battle line. For that purpose, they are heavily armored by battlecruiser standards (enough to easily withstand light cruiser, and some heavy cruiser, strikes) and carry relatively quick-firing weapons. In particular, the eight 156mm guns installed in casemates are specifically built for targeting enemy light cruisers and destroyers. Because of the Lavrunarian concern for air strikes, the original sixteen 156mm guns were reduced to eight with the installation of twelve 128mm dual purpose guns to improve air protection. When not engaged in heavy surface combat, the battlecruisers of the
Patrik Vidar class are to use their good range to harass enemy trade routes and support commerce raiders and other heavy surface units. Their excellent speed and good protection allows them to outrun enemy heavy surface units who attempt to intercept them.
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class
Ships in class
- Ubyrregnyr Aukusti
- Ubyrregnyr Zedlitz
Building on experience with the
Patrik Vidar class, the two ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class were designed with British assistance and came out very similar to the country’s G3 Class battlecruisers. The main battery and superstructure arrangement were extremely similar, but the armament, protection and machinery specifications differed significantly. This class was built from 1918 to 1920, and modernized from 1934 to 1936. The statistics of the ships in 1936 are as follows:
- A main battery of nine fifteen inch guns in triple turrets firing a 1,750 lb projectile out to 42,500 yards at a maximum 45° elevation in an ABP configuration. These guns have an improved firing cycle of 24 seconds.
- A secondary battery of six 203mm guns in dual turrets on the rear quarter of the ship, with the middle turret superfiring the front and rear ones. These guns fire a 275 lb projectile out to 34,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 3-4 RPM.
- A tertiary battery of sixteen 128mm guns in dual mounts distributed along both sides of the ship. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 15-17 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A sea speed of 32.1 knots with a trial speed of 34 knots, using a mixed steam and diesel propulsion system installed in the 1934 modernization. The maximum speed on diesels alone is 24 knots.
- A range of 12,500 nautical miles on diesel power at 17 knots.
- An armor scheme comprising a main 14 inch belt and an 8 inch deck intended to provide protection against 13 inch guns at all ranges and 14 inch guns at extended ranges. A torpedo defense system added in 1934 is designed to resist a 850 lb warhead.
- A displacement of 49,500 tons.
One of the roles of these ships, similarly to the
Patrik Vidar class, is to lead heavy cruisers in combat and breaking the enemy’s battle line. However, the main role of the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class, unlike the
Patrik Vidar class, is to engage in commerce raiding. The ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class possess a much improved range and speed compared to the earlier
Vidar class, and, for that reason, are primarily to be engaged in commerce raiding. For this, they are equipped with an extremely heavy secondary battery of 203mm guns, intended to destroy enemy merchant ships without having to use the main battery guns (which are to be used for engaging any escorting ships). Furthermore, the ship possesses an improved tertiary battery, mounting two more dual mounts of 128mm guns compared to the
Vidar class. If involved in a pitched battle, the ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class are designated to search for enemy carriers and destroy them, using their high speed and good armament to do so.
Treaty Ships
Because the Lavrunarians had voluntarily slashed their dreadnought fleet by turning six of their battleships into carriers in the 1920s, they were allowed limited new construction starting in 1929 of up to 90,000 tons of new capital ships before the end of the battleship holiday in 1932, despite the fact their battleship fleet had been decreased by nearly 160,000 tons. This contributed to the growing distrust of the treaty system in Lavrunaria and directly contributed to its rejection of the Second London Naval Treaty in 1937. In the event, the Lavrunarians searched for an extended period for suitable designs falling under the 35,000 ton limitation imposed by the Washington Naval Conference. Three ships were envisaged - two battlecruisers of 32,000 tons and a larger battlecruiser of 45,000 tons - as part of the 3-3 Naval Plan, which called for three new battlecruisers and three new battleships. The Lavrunarians were well aware this broached their allowed tonnage limits but did not plan for their third battleship and third battlecruiser to be complete until after 1937.
Atlantis class
Ships in class
The two ships of the
Atlantis class were the only capital ships built by Lavrunaria under treaty restrictions.
Atlantis was begun in 1931 while the second of the class,
Republyk, was not begun until 1935 to not broach the allocated tonnage limits. The two ships received the ubiquitous Lavrunarian mixed propulsion system in their 1937-1939 refit. The statistics of the ship in 1939 are as follows:
- A main battery of nine 12.2 inch guns in three triple turrets firing a 1,260 lb projectile out to 36,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation in an ABY configuration. These guns have a firing cycle of 20 seconds.
A secondary battery of eight 128mm guns mounted in dual mounts at the four corners of the superstructure. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 15-17 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A tertiary battery of twelve 90mm guns mounted in dual mounts along both sides of the superstructure. These guns fire a 43 lb projectile out to 14,700 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 18-20 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 37,000 feet at a 75° elevation.
- A torpedo battery of two trainable quadruple 25 inch tubes on either side of the superstructure. These torpedoes have a maximum range of 42,000 yards at 36 knots, or up to 20,000 yards at 50 knots. They have a warhead weight of 1,250 lb and the ship is equipped with twelve torpedo reloads.
- A sea speed of 30 knots with a trial speed of 32 knots, using a mixed steam and diesel propulsion system installed in the 1937 modernization. The maximum speed on diesels alone is 20 knots.
- A range of 9,500 nautical miles on diesel power at 15 knots.
- An armor scheme comprising a main 14 inch belt and a 3.7 inch deck intended to provide protection against 13 inch guns at all ranges and 14 inch guns at extended ranges. The torpedo defense system is designed to resist a 650 lb warhead.
- A displacement of 32,340 tons.
Like many of their predecessors, the
Atlantis class retained the armor typical of Lavrunarian battlecruisers, as well as a respectable top speed. However, because of treaty restrictions, their main battery and range were less impressive than earlier designs. However, they were unique in carrying a heavy torpedo armament, in order to allow some form of parity with heavier surface forces. Because of their smaller size, the ships of the
Atlantis class are designed primarily with commerce raiding in mind. In a fleet battle, they are designated to lead older heavy cruisers in launching mass torpedo attacks against the enemy, using their good armor and armament to protect the heavy cruisers from enemy light cruisers.
Post-Treaty Ships
Since it was obvious the Lavrunarians would not accept the Second London Naval Treaty, treaty-breaking ships were under consideration even in 1933. This work, inspired by British ships, resulted in the
Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes class. Orginally, only one ship was to be completed, but the second ship -
Ubyrregnyr Adolf Oskar - was also ordered in the 1935 Fiscal Year in order to complete the new naval plan, 5-4, which called for five new battleships and four new battlecruisers. Similarly to the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class, these ships were primarily commerce raiders. With the completion of the
Ferdinand Kaes class, the Lavrunarian Navy now had a set of four extremely heavy and long range raiders designed to act in concert and capable of tying down significant naval assets in their pursuit.
Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes class
Ships in class
- Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes
- Ubyrregnyr Viktoras Messyr
Improving on the
Atlantis class, the
Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes class was heavily influenced by the Lavrunarian study of British practice carried out in 1931. In particular, this class was heavily influenced by HMS
Hood, in the same way that the battleships of the
Pekannen von Kulmala class were. However, these ships were significantly larger and faster than the
von Kulmala class, and thus their construction was delayed until 1935 when it became clear the treaties would be renounced. The class were both complete by 1937. Their statistics in 1937 are as follows:
- A main battery of nine 15 inch guns in three triple turrets firing a 1,750 lb projectile out to 42,500 yards at a maximum 45° elevation in an ABX configuration. These guns have a firing cycle of 26 seconds.
- A secondary battery of eight 128mm guns mounted in dual mounts along both sides of the superstructure. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 15-17 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A tertiary battery of twelve 90mm guns mounted in dual mounts along both sides of the superstructure. These guns fire a 43 lb projectile out to 14,700 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 18-20 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 37,000 feet at a 75° elevation.
- A sea speed of 31.5 knots with a trial speed of 33 knots, using a mixed steam and diesel propulsion system. The maximum speed on diesels alone is 20 knots.
- A range of 14,500 nautical miles on diesel power at 15 knots.
- An armor scheme comprising a main 12 inch belt and a 6 inch deck intended to provide protection against 13 inch guns at all ranges and 14 inch guns at extended ranges. The torpedo defense system is designed to resist a 750 lb warhead.
- A displacement of 44,650 tons.
Being built right after the
Atlantis class, the two ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes were significantly larger and unimpeded by treaty limits. The main improvements from
Atlantis were a much heavier armament and greater range, but the armor protection was inferior. For these reasons, the ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Ferdinand Kaes are designed for primarily commerce raiding, similarly to the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class. In fact, because of their quite similar speed and main armament, the two
Ubyrregnyr classes are designated to act in concert, raiding enemy commerce lines and coming to the aid of one another when enemy surface units attempt to interfere. When drawn into a pitched battle, the ships of the
Ferdinand Kaes class are to work alongside the ships of the
Ubyrregnyr Aukusti class in finding and destroying enemy carriers.
Ocean-Going Destroyers - Ookeanitraaleritel Jagtyhhryn
The Lavrunarians refer to large destroyers meant to operate with the main battle fleet as
Ookeanitraaleritel Jagtyhhre - translating literally to 'Ocean-Going Destroyer'.
Grohssetypp Ships
The first
Grohssetypp ships reflected the Lavrunarian’s interest in Japanese Destroyer Doctrine, which had massed destroyers performing night torpedo attacks upon enemy battle lines. However, because the Lavrunarians expected their heavy cruisers to be the main vessels of torpedo attack in fleet engagements, the destroyer was not seen as being the integral vessel for this purpose. For that reason, Lavrunarian destroyers were more balanced than their Japanese counterparts, retaining more effective anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defenses than comparable Japanese ships. That being said, the Lavrunarian and Japanese designs were extremely similar - the Lavrunarian
Grohssetypp was equivalent to the Japanese
Tokugata Special Type Destroyer.
Kasper Sie von Vanek class
Ships in class
- Kasper Sie von Vanek
- Artur Transat
- Arndor Kolya
- Torvald von der Adler Reier
- Alexis Guido Hesekiel
- Henri Rykord
- Conrad Rolf Karl
- Cyryl Brodbeck
- Grygg Horne
- Loch af Skysil
- Reto Valerian Tygernann
- Finley Arne
The first of the
Grohssetypp destroyers, the twelve ships of the
Kasper Sie class was heavily influenced by Japanese doctrine. Intrigued by the idea of the offensive destroyer, the Lavrunarians heavily studied the Japanese
Fubuki class - the most powerful destroyer afloat when built - and came up with a similar design in 1927. This design was the
Kasper Sie von Vanek. The Lavrunarian design differed in the installation of Lavrunarian 128mm guns and the Lavrunarian torpedo - extremely similar but even larger than the Japanese Type 93. Like the
Fubuki class, stability problems were found after the construction of these ships and they were rebuilt in 1935, increasing displacement by nearly 300 tons. The ships were built from 1928 to 1931 and rebuilt modernized in 1935. The statistics for the ships in 1935 are as follows:
- A main battery of six 128mm guns in dual turrets in an AXY configuration. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 11-12 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A torpedo battery of three trainable triple 25 inch tubes on the centerline. These torpedoes have a maximum range of 42,000 yards at 36 knots, or up to 20,000 yards at 50 knots. They have a warhead weight of 1,250 lb and the ship is equipped with nine torpedo reloads.
- An anti-submarine outfit of eighteen depth charges with two Y-guns mounted on the rear deck and two six-charge depth charge racks. The depth charge carried has a 600 lb explosive charge with a total weight of 750 lbs.
- A sea speed of 37 knots with a trial speed of 39 knots using a conventional high pressure steam propulsion system.
- A range of 5,500 nautical miles at 14 knots.
- A displacement of 2,100 tons.
The ships of the
Kasper Sie von Vanek class were the first truly offensive destroyers in the Lavrunarian fleet. The Lavrunarian navy decided after fleet exercises in 1926 that their current destroyer doctrine - that destroyers were essentially defensive weapons - was limiting and should be revised. This immediately resulted in the
Grohssetypp (Large Type) destroyers, which were optimized for offensive combat while still maintaining the capacity to escort other vessels. While this was a revolutionary change, the
Kasper Sie von Vanek class are currently the oldest of the
Grohssetypp destroyers and thus take a second-line role. Normally, they are found escorting older battleships or carriers. Typically, each capital ship is escorted by four
Grohssetypp ships. When drawn into fleet combat, the ships of the
Kasper Sie von Vanek class are designated to take part in flanking attacks led by Light Cruisers which are designed to distract enemy defenses and confound the enemy battle plan.
Ensio Jaak Richard class
Ships in class
- Ensio Jaak Richard
- Kai Adolf
- Arnulf Radek
- Kondrat von Rykord
- Volodya Piaras
- Vadimir Donne
- Eilert Bohmer
- Wislaw Reha
Well aware of the destroyer tonnage restrictions placed on them, the Lavrunarians worked hard to find a way to decrease the displacement of the
Kasper Sie von Vanek class in order to allow them a greater number of destroyers, but without decreasing their armament or range. The solution was welded hulls, but the first attempts at producing these resulted in unstable ships which had to be rebuilt. The ships of the modified
von Vanek class became the eight ships of the
Ensio Jaak Richard class. Like the
Kasper Sie von Vanek class, they had to be rebuilt in 1936 to cure stability problems, increasing displacement by about 200 tons.They were built from 1932 to 1934, and rebuilt and modernized in 1936. The statistics of the ships in 1936 are as follows:
- A main battery of six 128mm guns in dual turrets in an AXY configuration. These guns fire a 105 lb projectile out to 20,000 yards at a maximum 45° elevation at a rate of fire of 11-12 RPM. These guns also function as AA guns with a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet at a 72° elevation.
- A torpedo battery of three trainable triple 25 inch tubes on the centerline. These torpedoes have a maximum range of 42,000 yards at 36 knots, or up to 20,000 yards at 50 knots. They have a warhead weight of 1,250 lb and the ship is equipped with nine torpedo reloads.
- An anti-submarine outfit of eighteen depth charges with two Y-guns mounted on the rear deck and two six-charge depth charge racks. The depth charge carried has a 600 lb explosive charge with a total weight of 750 lbs.
- A sea speed of 37 knots with a trial speed of 39 knots using a conventional high pressure steam propulsion system.
- A range of 5,500 nautical miles at 14 knots.
- A displacement of 1,900 tons.
A straight improvement over the previous
Kasper Sie von Vanek class, the
Ensio Jaak Richard class was almost identical except for a decreased displacement. The ships were built with a new welding technique which reduced weight significantly. This allowed more ships to be built without eating up too much of the limited destroyer tonnage allowed to Lavrunaria. That being said, besides the tonnage, the ships are almost identical to the previous
Kasper Sie class. Their role is almost identical, though they are more often found escorting ships. Indeed, two ships of the class -
Eilert Bohmer and
Wislaw Reha - had one set of torpedo tubes removed to make room for more depth charges. They carried two additional Y-guns and twelve more depth charges. These two ships were often found escorting the Imperial Yacht in the run-up to war - indeed, their visits to foreign ports helped to convince foreign powers to underestimate the number and type of torpedoes used on Lavrunarian destroyers, as the tubes were always covered by canvas in port.