Tiger Tiger burning Bright..
- Thread starter sharlin
- Start date
sharlin
Banned
Falling down at a staggeringly high speed the four 14-inch shells hurtled towards the location the gunners thought the Tiger would be when the shells landed. It turned out they were right. One shell exploded a hundred yards off the starboard bow, the next thirty yards away, shells three and four were hits. One smashed through a thinly protected dual 4 inch mount reducing the gun and its crew to a mangled ruin before punching through the upper deck. Slowed enough the fuse triggered its base charge and detonated destroying three compartments and starting a fire. Shell four landed further inboard, ripping through the base of the 2nd funnel before skidding off the deck, victim of a faulty fuse as the 1,586 lb shell disappeared over the side taking with it a piece of deck railing before falling into the Atlantic.
1*
The near misses coated the Tiger with tonnes of cold water, scoring her sides with splinters that gouged chunks out of her formerly pristine paint, leaving ugly black scars on her flank.
“Adjust course by 15 degrees to starboard, speed?”
“28 knots, flank speed Sir!”
“Very good, guns, report.”
“No straddles yet Sir.”
“Keep trying.”
The Tiger’s second in command came forwards, voice lowered even as the old battlecruiser fired a broadside at her distant antagonist.
“He’s a clever bastard, he’s got the range on us and his shells are more modern than ours, with that cruiser coming up to support him..”
“I know Sam…we don’t have the speed to close down on her and give our guns a chance to.”
“HIT!”
Half a dozen binoculars swept up towards the distant smudge of the enemy ship.
“Got the blighter! Good work guns!”
The 1,266lb shell from the 13.5 inch guns on the Tiger was an old shell but it was still potent when it hit, and no ship would ever want to be hit repeatedly by 1200lb shells. The Gloire was hit square amidships, her 9-inch thick belt barely slowing the round before it detonated in the midshipman’s quarters destroying them in a hail of fire and splinters, starting a fire that damage control crews immediately headed towards.
2*
MN Gloire. – Speed 31 knots.
“Damage report please.”
“One hit amidships, minor fire, the DC parties are working on extinguishing it.”
“Excellent, report to me when its out.”
The French had learned their lesson of the Franco-Japanese war and the Great War, too many of their ships had been vulnerable to fire damage due to their fittings and interior, the Gloire had little in the way of wood fittings, even her berths were steel and hammocks were made of a fire resistant fabric. No the Gloire would not suffer the fate of the Provence, the dreadnought had fought in the battle of Biscay Bay and had been set on fire by two British dreadnoughts, her crew had not had much training in fire fighting and the ship when she steamed into Brest was a scorched ruin both internally and externally that had taken nine months to put good.
“Adjust course 10 degrees to port, keep both turrets arcs open.”
The battlecruiser heeled slightly as she turned, her bow cutting through the waves, her guns roaring another broadside towards her older opponent.
HMS Tiger – Speed 28 knots.
“Sir the fire is out, but the hole in the stack will need some dock work, its spilling smoke all over the aft AA positions.”
“We don’t need them at the moment, order the crews to join the DC parties aft and reinforce them.”
“Aye sir.”
The Tiger’s course change had thrown off the French gunners, eight beautifully grouped splashes clawed their way into the sky several hundered yards off the port side but the British ships broadside also fell short.
“Sir Signal from CinC West.” A young midshipman said, stepping out from the radio ‘hut’ at the back of the Tiger’s bridge.
-EYES ONLY-
From: Admiral Burnside.
To: Captain HMS Tiger.
Am aware of situation, HMS St George, HMS Howe building steam, cruisers Essex, London, Hawkins and destroyers departed to your position at flank speed. Hold for a hour.
God save the King.
-EYES ONLY-
The St George was the pride of the fleet, although completed in 1927 she had been modernised in 1939 and was still the world beater, even the Germans Bismark and Japanese Yokozuna classes were inferior despite being more modern, only the massive American Washington the huge ‘Tillman’ completed in 1924 matched her armour but the Saints were a lot faster.
3*
The Howe was one of the new Admiral class battleships, nine 16-inch guns and capable of 28 knots they were already popular ships and worthy replacements for the older Revenge class that were serving in the Med.
Survive for a hour, keep the Frenchman in this area and they would bag a good catch. Then the Tiger bucked as if kicked as three shells tore into her sides within the space of a second.
1* - Shellfire from the MN Gloire probably a ranging shot as its only a single shell.
2* - Point towards the Enemy. HMS Tiger's aft 13.5 inch guns.
3* - The IJN Yokozuna as featured in a German magazine when the ship visited Kiel to honour the Kaiser's 40th birthday.
Again any comments are most welcome
1*
The near misses coated the Tiger with tonnes of cold water, scoring her sides with splinters that gouged chunks out of her formerly pristine paint, leaving ugly black scars on her flank.
“Adjust course by 15 degrees to starboard, speed?”
“28 knots, flank speed Sir!”
“Very good, guns, report.”
“No straddles yet Sir.”
“Keep trying.”
The Tiger’s second in command came forwards, voice lowered even as the old battlecruiser fired a broadside at her distant antagonist.
“He’s a clever bastard, he’s got the range on us and his shells are more modern than ours, with that cruiser coming up to support him..”
“I know Sam…we don’t have the speed to close down on her and give our guns a chance to.”
“HIT!”
Half a dozen binoculars swept up towards the distant smudge of the enemy ship.
“Got the blighter! Good work guns!”
The 1,266lb shell from the 13.5 inch guns on the Tiger was an old shell but it was still potent when it hit, and no ship would ever want to be hit repeatedly by 1200lb shells. The Gloire was hit square amidships, her 9-inch thick belt barely slowing the round before it detonated in the midshipman’s quarters destroying them in a hail of fire and splinters, starting a fire that damage control crews immediately headed towards.
2*
MN Gloire. – Speed 31 knots.
“Damage report please.”
“One hit amidships, minor fire, the DC parties are working on extinguishing it.”
“Excellent, report to me when its out.”
The French had learned their lesson of the Franco-Japanese war and the Great War, too many of their ships had been vulnerable to fire damage due to their fittings and interior, the Gloire had little in the way of wood fittings, even her berths were steel and hammocks were made of a fire resistant fabric. No the Gloire would not suffer the fate of the Provence, the dreadnought had fought in the battle of Biscay Bay and had been set on fire by two British dreadnoughts, her crew had not had much training in fire fighting and the ship when she steamed into Brest was a scorched ruin both internally and externally that had taken nine months to put good.
“Adjust course 10 degrees to port, keep both turrets arcs open.”
The battlecruiser heeled slightly as she turned, her bow cutting through the waves, her guns roaring another broadside towards her older opponent.
HMS Tiger – Speed 28 knots.
“Sir the fire is out, but the hole in the stack will need some dock work, its spilling smoke all over the aft AA positions.”
“We don’t need them at the moment, order the crews to join the DC parties aft and reinforce them.”
“Aye sir.”
The Tiger’s course change had thrown off the French gunners, eight beautifully grouped splashes clawed their way into the sky several hundered yards off the port side but the British ships broadside also fell short.
“Sir Signal from CinC West.” A young midshipman said, stepping out from the radio ‘hut’ at the back of the Tiger’s bridge.
-EYES ONLY-
From: Admiral Burnside.
To: Captain HMS Tiger.
Am aware of situation, HMS St George, HMS Howe building steam, cruisers Essex, London, Hawkins and destroyers departed to your position at flank speed. Hold for a hour.
God save the King.
-EYES ONLY-
The St George was the pride of the fleet, although completed in 1927 she had been modernised in 1939 and was still the world beater, even the Germans Bismark and Japanese Yokozuna classes were inferior despite being more modern, only the massive American Washington the huge ‘Tillman’ completed in 1924 matched her armour but the Saints were a lot faster.
3*
The Howe was one of the new Admiral class battleships, nine 16-inch guns and capable of 28 knots they were already popular ships and worthy replacements for the older Revenge class that were serving in the Med.
Survive for a hour, keep the Frenchman in this area and they would bag a good catch. Then the Tiger bucked as if kicked as three shells tore into her sides within the space of a second.
1* - Shellfire from the MN Gloire probably a ranging shot as its only a single shell.
2* - Point towards the Enemy. HMS Tiger's aft 13.5 inch guns.
3* - The IJN Yokozuna as featured in a German magazine when the ship visited Kiel to honour the Kaiser's 40th birthday.
Again any comments are most welcome
Last edited:
Excellent, your usual powerfully evocative descriptive writing keeps my mouth watering for more. Good job Sharlin
sharlin
Banned
Fort Romegas – Northern Malta
Prior to the Great War the British Government was heavily criticised for spending vast amounts of money on the construction of fortified gun positions and ‘Panic’ forts as relations with the Triple Alliance worsened. In some places like the Caribbean this amounted to a few old 6 inch guns from decommissioned cruisers behind earthwork redoubts and some supporting machine gun posts to defend obvious targets. Other areas like Malta, Gibraltar and along the Channel had received far more significant defences. The pride and joy of the British forts being the addition of two massive 13.5-inch triple mounts at Gibraltar along with modernised 9.2-inch mountings, giving the ‘Rock’ command of the sea for miles around for protection against attacks from both Atlantic and Mediterranean approaches as both turrets could bare on either direction. Malta, a major British holding, threatened by the Italian and French fleets also was the subject of furious fortification building. For St Elmo was armed with a mix of 6-inch weapons and some quick firing 6 and 12-pound guns whilst the army emplaced a battery of 7.5 inch guns overlooking the entrance to the
port for long range firepower.
1*
In the north round possible landing points the redoubt of Fort Romegas dominated St Pauls Bay and Salina Bay with its mixture of shielded 9.2, 6 and 4.7 inch guns all hidden behind earth and concrete ramparts. With the Churchill battery overlooking Mellieha Bay the whole vulnerable northern coast was covered.
As it came to pass the forts never saw action in the Great War, the Franco-Italian fleets bombarded Gozo but never risked the guns of the North, and any attempt at shelling was always met with a response from the fleet.
Stripped down bare maintenance parties the Forts got dusty and a touch decrepit as the world continued on its merry way year after year but with tensions in Europe building and ‘Le Director’ promising revenge against ‘Perfidious Albion’ the Malta Defence Force along with Royal Artillery units went to work making the forts more habitable and worked to bring them back into action.
The Royal Artillery gunners lounged by their AA guns, the barrel once a pristine white now scorched black, its paint cracking off it in the heat from repeated firings. Round the fort were dozens of craters, courtesy of the big French ‘Autour’ bombers that had flown in at high altitude, the drone of their three engines filling the air long before they were visible. The gunners and soldiers of the MDF were mostly older men, many had served the same guns in the previous war and were glad to be able to defend their home island once more. The language barrier was a bit of a problem for the British troops but enough officers spoke Maltese and enough locals spoke enough English for it to be an annoyance at most.
“Get those bloody casings out of the sun! Do you want the frogs or eyeties to see your bloody position! Get a move on!”
Battery Sargent Major Class Two Edward Lee barked at the gunners who suddenly found they had the energy to move again, the BSM’s face returning to its normal ruddy glow from the brick red it had been when addressing the men of the position.
“Sargent Anderson!”
“Sir!”
“Once the brass is cleaned away I want you to assign men to head down to the cook house, they have some water and food for the men, we’ll be eating at the guns tonight.”
‘Apart from you Sir, you’ll be at home with missus Lee’ the Sargent thought but saluted smartly. “Right away Sir, the lads will be thankful.”
“Just make sure they are ready, they could send more bombers, the RAF took heavy casualties this morning to it’s up to us at the moment until the fleet can deliver more aircraft.”
“Right-o Sir, anything else?”
“No Sarnt’ carry on.”
2*
With that the BSM moved down the line, stopping to inspect positions or yell at someone or something that caught his gimlet gaze or displeased him, which to be honest was most things. The Island had been visited four times by both French and Italian aircraft, the French Autour’s were almost out of range for the few 3.7-inch AA guns but the Italian ‘Tigre’ attack bombers came in much lower and faster and they were fair game for any gunner worth his salt. The flyboys in their DE Havilland Defiant’s had done a good job but there was a lot of French and Italian fighters and numbers had told their own tale, even the Gladiators were mixing it up with the attackers.
Fortunately the RAF and Forts had the advantage of Radar, two big German built devices scanned the sky for miles whilst the ‘wizards’ who worked on the new-fangled system were able to give advanced warning of raids coming from the North. Just as the gunners were running back with the tinned food and water the sirens started howling and almost to a man everyone groaned and got into position. Shells were hauled out of their lockers round the gun, charges set whilst up on the hill the director for the battery turned towards the North East.
Behind their earth berm the AA gunners could not see down that far and they all jumped when a deep BOOM of heavy gunfire sounded, followed by a low rumbling drumroll of heavy guns firing one after the other.
“What the fucks that Sarge?”
The gunnery Sargent clambered up a small ladder, sticking his head over the emplacement.
“Jones had me the bino’s, hurry lad!”
The sun was setting as the evening wore on, the Med taking on a lovely orange and yellow shade but the lovely view was worryingly ruined by the shape of what appeared to be warships and merchant ships just visible in the pre-evening murk. The Fleet was off somewhere in the East, chasing an Italian squadron that had attacked a British convoy and laid mines off the Egyptian coast and now there were ships sailing towards them with obviously belligerent intent.
“Sarge?”
“Looks like the Frogs want to come and have a chat about that bomber we bagged earlier.”
The replies from the gunners were drowned out by more gunfire from the 9.2’s as well as the low moan and BOOM of incoming shellfire.
“Enemy air raid 10 minutes from battery position!” the radio nearby crackled.
“Don’t just stand there…MOVE! Let’s give these bastards a reception they won’t forget.”
3*
RN Roma Imperiale
Admiral Comessatti could not help but smile as the Flagship barely rocked as her guns let loose a broadside towards the distant island, her 16-inch guns roaring in anger for the first time since commissioning. On the bridge Colonel Mura looked between the distant fortifications and the troops clambering down the side of the merchant ships into their French designed assault boats.
“Admiral the San Marco reports she is under gunfire from the fortresses guns.”
Comessatti nodded, the Marco was an old ship a modernised armoured cruiser from the previous war, turned training vessel now turned fire support ship.
“Signal her Captain to manoeuvre as necessary but he must continue firing.”
“Yes Sir, signals also from the Giulio Cesare and Vittoria. ‘Request permission to fire.”
“Heh, permission granted.”
The Admiral glanced across to his French air liaison, the Regia Aeronatica was busy plastering the main harbour itself whilst the French were supporting his landings here.
“How many squadrons will be supporting us Commander?”
“Two Artour squadrons with a third on standby we also have four squadrons of Lancers to strafe the British positions.”
“They won’t be needed, we’ll pound them flat.”
“Very good mon Amiral.”
“Sir! Signal from the San Marco, she’s been hit twice, they are assessing the damage.”
The Admiral nodded slightly, the old cruiser was expendable after all. “Carry on.”
4*
1* - One of six 9.2-inch guns at Fort Romegas. These were supported by six smaller 7.2 inch weapons, all were taken off older cruisers decomissioned after the Great War.
2* - A pair of the new 3.7 inch AA guns, part of B Battery 47 Regiment RA.
3* - The Roma Imperiale opening fire.
4* - The San Marco's sistership San Georgio seen here pre-war on a visit to Valletta harbour. Both cruisers were retained for training purposes post war.
Muse is in full swing today. And I just realise what i've done...same lay out as the previous story...bah!
Prior to the Great War the British Government was heavily criticised for spending vast amounts of money on the construction of fortified gun positions and ‘Panic’ forts as relations with the Triple Alliance worsened. In some places like the Caribbean this amounted to a few old 6 inch guns from decommissioned cruisers behind earthwork redoubts and some supporting machine gun posts to defend obvious targets. Other areas like Malta, Gibraltar and along the Channel had received far more significant defences. The pride and joy of the British forts being the addition of two massive 13.5-inch triple mounts at Gibraltar along with modernised 9.2-inch mountings, giving the ‘Rock’ command of the sea for miles around for protection against attacks from both Atlantic and Mediterranean approaches as both turrets could bare on either direction. Malta, a major British holding, threatened by the Italian and French fleets also was the subject of furious fortification building. For St Elmo was armed with a mix of 6-inch weapons and some quick firing 6 and 12-pound guns whilst the army emplaced a battery of 7.5 inch guns overlooking the entrance to the
port for long range firepower.
1*
In the north round possible landing points the redoubt of Fort Romegas dominated St Pauls Bay and Salina Bay with its mixture of shielded 9.2, 6 and 4.7 inch guns all hidden behind earth and concrete ramparts. With the Churchill battery overlooking Mellieha Bay the whole vulnerable northern coast was covered.
As it came to pass the forts never saw action in the Great War, the Franco-Italian fleets bombarded Gozo but never risked the guns of the North, and any attempt at shelling was always met with a response from the fleet.
Stripped down bare maintenance parties the Forts got dusty and a touch decrepit as the world continued on its merry way year after year but with tensions in Europe building and ‘Le Director’ promising revenge against ‘Perfidious Albion’ the Malta Defence Force along with Royal Artillery units went to work making the forts more habitable and worked to bring them back into action.
The Royal Artillery gunners lounged by their AA guns, the barrel once a pristine white now scorched black, its paint cracking off it in the heat from repeated firings. Round the fort were dozens of craters, courtesy of the big French ‘Autour’ bombers that had flown in at high altitude, the drone of their three engines filling the air long before they were visible. The gunners and soldiers of the MDF were mostly older men, many had served the same guns in the previous war and were glad to be able to defend their home island once more. The language barrier was a bit of a problem for the British troops but enough officers spoke Maltese and enough locals spoke enough English for it to be an annoyance at most.
“Get those bloody casings out of the sun! Do you want the frogs or eyeties to see your bloody position! Get a move on!”
Battery Sargent Major Class Two Edward Lee barked at the gunners who suddenly found they had the energy to move again, the BSM’s face returning to its normal ruddy glow from the brick red it had been when addressing the men of the position.
“Sargent Anderson!”
“Sir!”
“Once the brass is cleaned away I want you to assign men to head down to the cook house, they have some water and food for the men, we’ll be eating at the guns tonight.”
‘Apart from you Sir, you’ll be at home with missus Lee’ the Sargent thought but saluted smartly. “Right away Sir, the lads will be thankful.”
“Just make sure they are ready, they could send more bombers, the RAF took heavy casualties this morning to it’s up to us at the moment until the fleet can deliver more aircraft.”
“Right-o Sir, anything else?”
“No Sarnt’ carry on.”
2*
With that the BSM moved down the line, stopping to inspect positions or yell at someone or something that caught his gimlet gaze or displeased him, which to be honest was most things. The Island had been visited four times by both French and Italian aircraft, the French Autour’s were almost out of range for the few 3.7-inch AA guns but the Italian ‘Tigre’ attack bombers came in much lower and faster and they were fair game for any gunner worth his salt. The flyboys in their DE Havilland Defiant’s had done a good job but there was a lot of French and Italian fighters and numbers had told their own tale, even the Gladiators were mixing it up with the attackers.
Fortunately the RAF and Forts had the advantage of Radar, two big German built devices scanned the sky for miles whilst the ‘wizards’ who worked on the new-fangled system were able to give advanced warning of raids coming from the North. Just as the gunners were running back with the tinned food and water the sirens started howling and almost to a man everyone groaned and got into position. Shells were hauled out of their lockers round the gun, charges set whilst up on the hill the director for the battery turned towards the North East.
Behind their earth berm the AA gunners could not see down that far and they all jumped when a deep BOOM of heavy gunfire sounded, followed by a low rumbling drumroll of heavy guns firing one after the other.
“What the fucks that Sarge?”
The gunnery Sargent clambered up a small ladder, sticking his head over the emplacement.
“Jones had me the bino’s, hurry lad!”
The sun was setting as the evening wore on, the Med taking on a lovely orange and yellow shade but the lovely view was worryingly ruined by the shape of what appeared to be warships and merchant ships just visible in the pre-evening murk. The Fleet was off somewhere in the East, chasing an Italian squadron that had attacked a British convoy and laid mines off the Egyptian coast and now there were ships sailing towards them with obviously belligerent intent.
“Sarge?”
“Looks like the Frogs want to come and have a chat about that bomber we bagged earlier.”
The replies from the gunners were drowned out by more gunfire from the 9.2’s as well as the low moan and BOOM of incoming shellfire.
“Enemy air raid 10 minutes from battery position!” the radio nearby crackled.
“Don’t just stand there…MOVE! Let’s give these bastards a reception they won’t forget.”
3*
RN Roma Imperiale
Admiral Comessatti could not help but smile as the Flagship barely rocked as her guns let loose a broadside towards the distant island, her 16-inch guns roaring in anger for the first time since commissioning. On the bridge Colonel Mura looked between the distant fortifications and the troops clambering down the side of the merchant ships into their French designed assault boats.
“Admiral the San Marco reports she is under gunfire from the fortresses guns.”
Comessatti nodded, the Marco was an old ship a modernised armoured cruiser from the previous war, turned training vessel now turned fire support ship.
“Signal her Captain to manoeuvre as necessary but he must continue firing.”
“Yes Sir, signals also from the Giulio Cesare and Vittoria. ‘Request permission to fire.”
“Heh, permission granted.”
The Admiral glanced across to his French air liaison, the Regia Aeronatica was busy plastering the main harbour itself whilst the French were supporting his landings here.
“How many squadrons will be supporting us Commander?”
“Two Artour squadrons with a third on standby we also have four squadrons of Lancers to strafe the British positions.”
“They won’t be needed, we’ll pound them flat.”
“Very good mon Amiral.”
“Sir! Signal from the San Marco, she’s been hit twice, they are assessing the damage.”
The Admiral nodded slightly, the old cruiser was expendable after all. “Carry on.”
4*
1* - One of six 9.2-inch guns at Fort Romegas. These were supported by six smaller 7.2 inch weapons, all were taken off older cruisers decomissioned after the Great War.
2* - A pair of the new 3.7 inch AA guns, part of B Battery 47 Regiment RA.
3* - The Roma Imperiale opening fire.
4* - The San Marco's sistership San Georgio seen here pre-war on a visit to Valletta harbour. Both cruisers were retained for training purposes post war.
Muse is in full swing today. And I just realise what i've done...same lay out as the previous story...bah!
Last edited:
Archibald
Banned
French is sometimes a confusing language.
Vautour = Vulture
But there's also
Autour = goshawk
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autour
Vautour = Vulture
But there's also
Autour = goshawk
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autour
Yay, it's alive, & there's a lot going on in these last couple updates-
Looks like Tiger's going to have a rather long day, but if the old girl can pull through, the French are going to get hammered if they stick around.
And an attempted invasion of Malta- that could get interesting- wonder how hard it'd be for the coastal batteries to pick of the landing craft, and if there are any RN subs lurking in the vicinity...
A couple questions though-
Is the new Admiral class TTL more or less the abortive Lion of OTL that was cancelled during WW2.
Also, are the 7.2" guns a new caliber of TTL, or are they a typo, given the number of 7.5" gun designs of OTL.
There might also be a continuity error regarding the US 'Tillmans', as here, you call the lead ship Washington, but when you first stated that the USN TTL would build a couple of those, you settled on calling them Iowa and Indiana, or has there been a retcon? (though regardless, I don't think anyone would want to get into a slugging match with one of those)
Looks like Tiger's going to have a rather long day, but if the old girl can pull through, the French are going to get hammered if they stick around.
And an attempted invasion of Malta- that could get interesting- wonder how hard it'd be for the coastal batteries to pick of the landing craft, and if there are any RN subs lurking in the vicinity...
A couple questions though-
Is the new Admiral class TTL more or less the abortive Lion of OTL that was cancelled during WW2.
Also, are the 7.2" guns a new caliber of TTL, or are they a typo, given the number of 7.5" gun designs of OTL.
There might also be a continuity error regarding the US 'Tillmans', as here, you call the lead ship Washington, but when you first stated that the USN TTL would build a couple of those, you settled on calling them Iowa and Indiana, or has there been a retcon? (though regardless, I don't think anyone would want to get into a slugging match with one of those)
sharlin
Banned
I'll post up a list of the ships of the fleet from WW1 and what's changed in WW2 for both the UK and France. In this TL the 1st World War was between the 'Three Crown Alliance' of England, Germany and Austro-Hungary against France, Russia and Italy from 1916 - 1919. It ended with a Three Crown victory but it was not a decisive victory and the US didn't get involved due to feathers being ruffled by both sides fighting in the Carribean. The post war treaty was no treaty of Versailles, more a return to status quo, a treaty because both sides were simply exhausted, put out cease fire feelers that were accepted. Colonies changed hands overseas but on the land very little changed.
Russia had its civil war but thanks to French troops and more organised resistance the Reds were defeated, Lenin was hung and the communist movement went underground. The Kaiser survived in Germany but the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed both financially and ethnically giving birth to the many states that spawned OTL.
The Washington Naval treaty was attempted but both Japan and the UK were not happy with what the US wanted and the treaty failed in most aspects save the agreement to limit cruiser sizes to 12,000 tonnes and have a gun caliber no larger than 8 inches.
There was a global depression starting 1926 but it was not as severe as the OTL Great Depression but it did hit certain countries hard. France being the worst hit thanks to it having to pay off repatriations to the Triple Crown Alliance. Coupled with a bad winter affecting farms and crops and a tottering econimy as well as the 'shame' of having to buy food off the people that defeated them the French govermnent was replaced with a popular military coup in 1930, the military promised to help the country and its people and they did, public works and military rebuilding which disregarded the Treaty of Oslo (TTL Treaty of Versaille) stabalised the economy, got people back to work and restored national pride, but there was a lot of resentment toward Perfidious Albion and the Hun.
In Italy the Government was replaced by the Facists under Mussolini who found a common cause with 'Le Directeur' the so far unnamed French military dictator.
Tough talk and tension eventually spill over into a war, the old Triple Alliance attacking the Three Crowns again, French ground troops attack in both Lorrane and through Belgium whilst Russia invades The Ukrane, Lavtia etc, countrys that gained independence during the Russian Civil War whilst Poland (sans Prussia) a German allied country is bombed.
This TL's WW2 starts in mid 1940. The US is a country i've not thought about, apart from them being rather isolationist but wary of Japan whilst in Japan the successes of the Franco-Japanese War helped ensure a more moderate and democratic government kept its hands firmly on the reins (also that the UK-Japan alliance remained firm) so there's no rise of rabid militarism in Japan and less 'incidents' and no rape of Nanking.
Re the Tillmans its just an Error on my part, I think Washington sounds better for the pride of the USN and the largest battleship in the world.
Russia had its civil war but thanks to French troops and more organised resistance the Reds were defeated, Lenin was hung and the communist movement went underground. The Kaiser survived in Germany but the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed both financially and ethnically giving birth to the many states that spawned OTL.
The Washington Naval treaty was attempted but both Japan and the UK were not happy with what the US wanted and the treaty failed in most aspects save the agreement to limit cruiser sizes to 12,000 tonnes and have a gun caliber no larger than 8 inches.
There was a global depression starting 1926 but it was not as severe as the OTL Great Depression but it did hit certain countries hard. France being the worst hit thanks to it having to pay off repatriations to the Triple Crown Alliance. Coupled with a bad winter affecting farms and crops and a tottering econimy as well as the 'shame' of having to buy food off the people that defeated them the French govermnent was replaced with a popular military coup in 1930, the military promised to help the country and its people and they did, public works and military rebuilding which disregarded the Treaty of Oslo (TTL Treaty of Versaille) stabalised the economy, got people back to work and restored national pride, but there was a lot of resentment toward Perfidious Albion and the Hun.
In Italy the Government was replaced by the Facists under Mussolini who found a common cause with 'Le Directeur' the so far unnamed French military dictator.
Tough talk and tension eventually spill over into a war, the old Triple Alliance attacking the Three Crowns again, French ground troops attack in both Lorrane and through Belgium whilst Russia invades The Ukrane, Lavtia etc, countrys that gained independence during the Russian Civil War whilst Poland (sans Prussia) a German allied country is bombed.
This TL's WW2 starts in mid 1940. The US is a country i've not thought about, apart from them being rather isolationist but wary of Japan whilst in Japan the successes of the Franco-Japanese War helped ensure a more moderate and democratic government kept its hands firmly on the reins (also that the UK-Japan alliance remained firm) so there's no rise of rabid militarism in Japan and less 'incidents' and no rape of Nanking.
Re the Tillmans its just an Error on my part, I think Washington sounds better for the pride of the USN and the largest battleship in the world.
sharlin
Banned
HMS Tiger - 28 knots
“Damage report!”
“Sir we’ve lost all the 4.5’s on the port side, the magazine has been flooded. DC teams are fighting fires in the mess deck and the Chief Engineer is trying to get boiler four and seven re-lit.”
“Very good, Guns?”
“Last salvo was a straddle Sir.”
“Keep at it. Helm, open the range, bring us to 248, let’s make her dance to our tune for once.”
1*
MN Gloire - 32 knots.
There were a few grins on the bridge as the gunnery position reported three hits on their target, a heavy gout of black smoke vomiting from both funnels indicating something had bit deep into the Tiger.
“Sir message from the Triomphant. ‘Have spotted British ship-born float plane, advise withdrawing.”
“Signal Captain Depardieu that we have enough speed to outrun anything the British have afloat.”
The signals officer nodded and departed to send a more polite reply to the distant heavy cruiser that was steaming out into the Atlantic before the British could get a cruiser blockade in position, her smaller companion the light Cruiser D'Estrees were more than capable of dealing with a convoy’s light escorts and had the range to carry out commerce raiding far into the Atlantic, and working in tandem with the Gloire there was little short of a Dreadnought they could defeat.
“One hit..another probable.”
The Captain went to speak when there was a loud BANG and flash of orange and red.
“Sir! Turret two of the secondary battery has been hit.”
The captain rushed to the side of the bridge and looked down at an inferno, white and orange flames were jetting out of the roof of the dual 3.9-inch turret like a blowtorch as its ready to use ammunition ignited. Fortunately the flash proof bulkheads protecting the magazine held the blaze but the decision to flood the magazine now rested with the captain. Flood it and he’d lose half his heavy AA armament and anti-destroyer guns, a serious proposition for a convoy raider. Don’t flood and run the risk of the flash proofing failing with terrible consequences.
“Merde..flood the magazine, I won’t be killed by our own shells.”
“Hit! Heavy explosion on the enemy ship Sir!”
2*
HMS Tiger – 26 knots.
“Flood the bloody magazine now, helm turn 180 degrees immediately!”
A turret had taken a heavy hit, a shell had slammed into the upper right of the gun house and detonated square against the armour. Inside red hot splinters and ‘scabs’ of metal were blasted into the confined turret by the impact, ripping through men, machinery and propellant bags with terrible ease. Four charges for the starboard gun ignited the sudden white hot flash setting off the port guns charges as well. The turret, all 600 tonnes of it was turned into a pressure cooker as 1188 lbs of MD-45 cordite ignited. The flames were constrained by the armour and sealed hatches and roared down, immolating anything in their path, the sailors in the barbette fortunately dying before they had time to scream. The white hot wall of flames slammed into the scuttles protecting the magazine as the Magazine Officer immediately opened the valves to let tonnes of water in as men scrambled to safety. Several meters up the propellant in the two shells ignited, blasting great holes in the roof of the turret the flames now roared out of as the turret was opened to huge amounts of oxygen. The result was both spectacular and terrifying, The turret’s starboard side was wrenched off the mounting by the blast and overpressure whilst the roof of the turret, a slab of armour 4 inches was peeled open like a sardine can.
“B turret reports the heat in their magazine is rising due to the fires in A Turret. Do we flood?”
“Yes flood immediately, make smoke and put our stern to the enemy.”
“Make smoke aye Sir!”
Within the space of five seconds the Tiger had lost half her firepower and had taken on several hundred tonnes of water into her bow, now it was time to withdraw.
“Is the enemy changing course to pursue?”
The wait for a reply seemed to drag on .
MN Gloire
“Captain do we pursue?”
“No..we have crippled an enemy warship but our targets await us in the Atlantic, let the old Cat go. Signal Brest a report and I want our gunnery team commended, that was superb shooting.”
Bristol Dock yards 1932 hrs.
When the Tiger limped into the docks workmen immediately began crawling over her, whilst ambulances waited to take injured Sailors to local Hospitals. It had been a rotten day, the French battlecruiser had gotten away, disappearing into a rain squall , the St George and her consorts had returned to port empty handed whilst the Tiger was still had smoke pouring from her ruined turret.
The Port Admiral had been waiting to be debriefed by the Tiger’s captain whilst naval surveyors started poking around inside to check for structural damage to the ‘fabric’ of the old battlecruisers hull. In peace time the old ship would probably be decommissioned after suffering such a turret explosion, but now with the country at War every gun was going to be needed.
3*
“Don’t worry Captain Sefastsson, you did as best to be expected, it was bad luck that you were caught by the newest Frog ship in one of our oldest.”
“We got a few licks in Admiral but if she gets amongst the convoys.”
“Yes they are already looking at heavy escorts for the Convoys down in London, the Nelson's most likely, pair them with some destroyers and the French will be fools to engage.”
The tired Captain nodded. “And what of the Tiger?”
“As long as she’s not bent at the keel we’ll patch her here and send her to Liverpool for proper work to be done, the Queen Anne dry dock is free so she’ll go in there. The surveyor should have a report by tomorrow morning, and before you request to stay with your ship you’ll just get in the way if you fuss around like an old hen. I’m ordering you to get some rest, you’ve been on your feet since what eight this morning?”
“Seven thirty Sir.”
“I’ll have my driver take you to the Windsor, they have rooms for the Fleet there, rest, and my man will be there to collect you at eight AM sharp.”
1* - The 'probable' hit towards the end of the battle, the shell detonated on impact doing little material damage.
2* - The Tiger's 'roar' in a pre-war gunnery shoot.
3* - Crewmen of the Tiger inspect the damage done to A Turret when it exploded. (actually its the Japanese Battlecruiser Haruna but shush )
“Damage report!”
“Sir we’ve lost all the 4.5’s on the port side, the magazine has been flooded. DC teams are fighting fires in the mess deck and the Chief Engineer is trying to get boiler four and seven re-lit.”
“Very good, Guns?”
“Last salvo was a straddle Sir.”
“Keep at it. Helm, open the range, bring us to 248, let’s make her dance to our tune for once.”
1*
MN Gloire - 32 knots.
There were a few grins on the bridge as the gunnery position reported three hits on their target, a heavy gout of black smoke vomiting from both funnels indicating something had bit deep into the Tiger.
“Sir message from the Triomphant. ‘Have spotted British ship-born float plane, advise withdrawing.”
“Signal Captain Depardieu that we have enough speed to outrun anything the British have afloat.”
The signals officer nodded and departed to send a more polite reply to the distant heavy cruiser that was steaming out into the Atlantic before the British could get a cruiser blockade in position, her smaller companion the light Cruiser D'Estrees were more than capable of dealing with a convoy’s light escorts and had the range to carry out commerce raiding far into the Atlantic, and working in tandem with the Gloire there was little short of a Dreadnought they could defeat.
“One hit..another probable.”
The Captain went to speak when there was a loud BANG and flash of orange and red.
“Sir! Turret two of the secondary battery has been hit.”
The captain rushed to the side of the bridge and looked down at an inferno, white and orange flames were jetting out of the roof of the dual 3.9-inch turret like a blowtorch as its ready to use ammunition ignited. Fortunately the flash proof bulkheads protecting the magazine held the blaze but the decision to flood the magazine now rested with the captain. Flood it and he’d lose half his heavy AA armament and anti-destroyer guns, a serious proposition for a convoy raider. Don’t flood and run the risk of the flash proofing failing with terrible consequences.
“Merde..flood the magazine, I won’t be killed by our own shells.”
“Hit! Heavy explosion on the enemy ship Sir!”
2*
HMS Tiger – 26 knots.
“Flood the bloody magazine now, helm turn 180 degrees immediately!”
A turret had taken a heavy hit, a shell had slammed into the upper right of the gun house and detonated square against the armour. Inside red hot splinters and ‘scabs’ of metal were blasted into the confined turret by the impact, ripping through men, machinery and propellant bags with terrible ease. Four charges for the starboard gun ignited the sudden white hot flash setting off the port guns charges as well. The turret, all 600 tonnes of it was turned into a pressure cooker as 1188 lbs of MD-45 cordite ignited. The flames were constrained by the armour and sealed hatches and roared down, immolating anything in their path, the sailors in the barbette fortunately dying before they had time to scream. The white hot wall of flames slammed into the scuttles protecting the magazine as the Magazine Officer immediately opened the valves to let tonnes of water in as men scrambled to safety. Several meters up the propellant in the two shells ignited, blasting great holes in the roof of the turret the flames now roared out of as the turret was opened to huge amounts of oxygen. The result was both spectacular and terrifying, The turret’s starboard side was wrenched off the mounting by the blast and overpressure whilst the roof of the turret, a slab of armour 4 inches was peeled open like a sardine can.
“B turret reports the heat in their magazine is rising due to the fires in A Turret. Do we flood?”
“Yes flood immediately, make smoke and put our stern to the enemy.”
“Make smoke aye Sir!”
Within the space of five seconds the Tiger had lost half her firepower and had taken on several hundred tonnes of water into her bow, now it was time to withdraw.
“Is the enemy changing course to pursue?”
The wait for a reply seemed to drag on .
MN Gloire
“Captain do we pursue?”
“No..we have crippled an enemy warship but our targets await us in the Atlantic, let the old Cat go. Signal Brest a report and I want our gunnery team commended, that was superb shooting.”
Bristol Dock yards 1932 hrs.
When the Tiger limped into the docks workmen immediately began crawling over her, whilst ambulances waited to take injured Sailors to local Hospitals. It had been a rotten day, the French battlecruiser had gotten away, disappearing into a rain squall , the St George and her consorts had returned to port empty handed whilst the Tiger was still had smoke pouring from her ruined turret.
The Port Admiral had been waiting to be debriefed by the Tiger’s captain whilst naval surveyors started poking around inside to check for structural damage to the ‘fabric’ of the old battlecruisers hull. In peace time the old ship would probably be decommissioned after suffering such a turret explosion, but now with the country at War every gun was going to be needed.
3*
“Don’t worry Captain Sefastsson, you did as best to be expected, it was bad luck that you were caught by the newest Frog ship in one of our oldest.”
“We got a few licks in Admiral but if she gets amongst the convoys.”
“Yes they are already looking at heavy escorts for the Convoys down in London, the Nelson's most likely, pair them with some destroyers and the French will be fools to engage.”
The tired Captain nodded. “And what of the Tiger?”
“As long as she’s not bent at the keel we’ll patch her here and send her to Liverpool for proper work to be done, the Queen Anne dry dock is free so she’ll go in there. The surveyor should have a report by tomorrow morning, and before you request to stay with your ship you’ll just get in the way if you fuss around like an old hen. I’m ordering you to get some rest, you’ve been on your feet since what eight this morning?”
“Seven thirty Sir.”
“I’ll have my driver take you to the Windsor, they have rooms for the Fleet there, rest, and my man will be there to collect you at eight AM sharp.”
1* - The 'probable' hit towards the end of the battle, the shell detonated on impact doing little material damage.
2* - The Tiger's 'roar' in a pre-war gunnery shoot.
3* - Crewmen of the Tiger inspect the damage done to A Turret when it exploded. (actually its the Japanese Battlecruiser Haruna but shush )
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