HFQ Official Snippet #8

AncientMariner wrote:Thanks RFC for the surprise snippet!

Randomiser wrote:Oh Dear!

"Between our own galleons and Lieutenant Zhwaigair’s screw-galleys — and that other project of his — I think we’d have a pretty good chance of handing them a serious defeat if they were foolish enough to come out where we can get at them."

What other project would that be, I wonder? Mines aren't going to help in a battle and spar torpedoes would be an adjunct to the screw-galleys probably.

Yeah, I was going to ask the exact same question. That really caught my eye.

Does anyone remember a reference to this before or is this the first we hear of this other project of his!

My guess is that they are working on breach loaded cannons which is a natural progression from breach loaded rifles. Of course I can be wrong and that RFC has something else entirely in mind (which he usually has ).

DrakBibliophile wrote:Agree!!!!

Chief-CWH wrote:Thank you RFC/MWW Hope you and you family are well. Thank you for the snippet

+1

Thank you, RFC, and I am going to make an unusual (and doubtless unpopular) request.

Please slow down!

Aoout half this snippet would have been plenty, and I could have survived another week. I ask because I know full well that I won't be able to turn down any further pearls, and at the same time, however long we have to wait, I'd rather not have read a substantial portion of the book.

Just my opinion--thanks again.

I hope that Sharon and the kids are well!

runsforcelery wrote:...it might also serve as a support base for a squadron of the new City-class coastal ironclads. The Cities were too big to operate along the mainland canals the way the River and River II-class ships were intended to, and they were over four knots slower, but that extra displacement gave them marginally thicker armor and almost twice the endurance. More to the point — and despite Halcom Bahrns’ near miraculous feat of seamanship in the Tarot Channel — they were far better seaboats.

I am including herebelow the specs of the Delthak II-class ironclads that MWW posted last year. This Delthak II-class, is it the same as the River II or the City-class ?.

+++ quote +++

Delthak II – class broadside ironclad gunboat
Imperial Charisian Navy
Tellesberg, King’s Harbor, & Delthak DYs
All laid down 895 YoG
All launched & Commissioned: 896 YoG

Displacement:
Light: 1,181 tons
Standard: 1,465 tons
Normal: 1,529 tons
Full Load: 1,580 tons

Dimensions:
Length (waterline): 160’
Length (overall): 160’
Beam: 40’
Draft (normal): 10’
Draft (full): 10’3”

Armament:
22 x 6”/45 M895 BL guns 3 x 11 x 3 (115-pound AP shell; 200/gun)
Weight of broadside (13 guns): 1,495 pounds
Weight fore or aft (3 guns): 345 pounds

Armor:
Casemate: thickness= 3”; length = 146’; height = 14’; inclined 16˚
Freeboard fore & aft: thickness=3”; length = 14’; height = 4’
Casemate roof/decks: 1”
Conning tower: 6” (no slope)

Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, double-expansion engines, direct drive, 2 shafts, 45 sdp (1,147 shp) = 14 knots (12.2 Old Earth knots)
Range 1,800nm at 9.5 knots (8.25 Old Earth knots)
Range 3,500 nm at 5.7 knots (5 Old Earth knots)
Bunker (normal): 59 tons
Bunker (max displacement): 115 tons

Complement: 158

Cost: CM 168,000

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Guns: 281 tons, 18.4 %
Armor: 286 tons, 18.7 %
Machinery: 166 tons, 10.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 448 tons, 29.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 348 tons, 22.7 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (penetrating hits to sink ship): 17 x 6”/45
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.81
Metacentric height 3.3 ft / 1.0 m
Roll period: 9.2 seconds
Steadiness as gun platform (Average = 50 %): 68 %
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.35

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low forecastle, low quarterdeck , a normal bow and a round stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.836 / 0.838
Length to Beam Ratio: 4.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 14.6 knots (12.65 Old Earth knots)s
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
- Forecastle: 10.00 %, 4.00 ft
- Forward deck: 30.00 %, 10.00 ft
- Aft deck: 50.00 %, 10.00 ft
- Quarter deck: 10.00 %, 4.00 ft
- Average: 8.80 ft
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 105.1 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 91.7 %
Waterplane Area: 5,823 Square feet
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 100 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 82 lbs/sq ft
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.02
- Longitudinal: 4.66
- Overall: 1.19
Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Adequate accommodation and workspace room
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

+++ unquote ++++

Thanks for the post RFC

THEre were two named cities on their coastal part of desnair right, one was the capital. If they struck at them, they could do alot of damage, and did htey not build a couple of hteir naval fleet ships there. Eventually they must be dealt with.

We know tha there are people join the imperial armed forces from the other nations added to the empire, tarot, zebediah, corisande, emerald. I wonder ithey could recruit scourts or raiders of hteir own to help deal with desnair.

We know dohlar is forced to sent their navy men to man their army, with such terrible loses in the republic, i wonder if desnair would need to recall their crews to send them to hold the border. Especially if they believe their own cities are about to be attacked, demonstrate wit hthe capital.

runsforcelery wrote:“Ahlvyn’s not the most diplomatic fellow in the world, My Lord,” Baiket said, “but he does have a point. Admiral Rohsail knows his duty, and he’ll do his best, but if the batteries couldn’t stop those bastards . . . .”

<breathless enthusiasm>

Oh, thank you, Mr. Weber!

</breathless enthusiasm>

Joat42 wrote:

AncientMariner wrote:Thanks RFC for the surprise snippet!

My guess is that they are working on breach loaded cannons which is a natural progression from breach loaded rifles. Of course I can be wrong and that RFC has something else entirely in mind (which he usually has ).

Perhaps a breach loading cannon like an Armstrong or Whitworth... Whitworth for sniping at long range and an Armstrong for sinking ships.

"... One of the escorting schooners had been destroyed, as well, and two others — and one of the three defending galleons — had been damaged."

As the Writer stopped, the furry creature on his shoulder waited in silence; even the sounds of it chewing on a celery stalk which it held in two of its six limbs ceased. With the remaining four it held itself to the Writer, large eyes looking at him, using all its natural charm.

No more of the story was forthcoming, and it seemed that the two-leg had to be reminded of the proper state of affairs. The treecat tapped him gently and said "Bleek!".

The Writer looked at his friend, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could understand him. But the furry fan was not to be foiled. It jumped at the computer keyboard, paws tapping keys, and the holo-projector formed letters above its head.

There, in the air, it said: "MOAR!"

Thankyou RFC for the snippet.
It looks like there has been an interesting development.The Empire of Desnair,which is " the least nautically inclined great power of Safehold" and "Most Desnairians got seasick in a bathtub."
Desnair successfully pursues a "commerce raiding strategy" that has resulted in Charis having to respond by sending "well over half of Sir Domnyk Staynairs warships were now tied down in commerce protection and convey duties" Desnair is doing to Charis's shipping what Charis has been has been doing to everyone else's shipping.