schoeffelk wrote:I like all the technical, strategic, and tactical discussion but what about the crews, their morale and their level of competence.
With all the facts and rumors floating about the SLN, how would a current SLN battlegroup react when found in the same system as a half-dozen GA ships? The SLN doesn't have the range to engage, the GA LACs can lay doggo, in stealth, and allow the SLN to advance into a trap.
To reference the Napoleonic wars, the French and Spanish fleets had similar weapons, at times numerical superiority, and continued to be defeated. Leadership and the common sailor.
And the sailors' competence is linked to how much realistic training they're able to do. One of the problems with the French and Spanish fleets during the Napoleonic wars was the British blockage meant that the ships weren't able to sail out for training (because they'd be attacked if they left port). Some gunnery practice could be carried out in harbor, but practice with sail handling, aiming at targets while in motion, and practice in holding formations (or commanding formations) was effectively impossible.
So even when the continental navies were able to build enough new ships to have local numerical superiority their crew and officer inexperience told strongly against them. (And of course if your opponent keeps winning against the numerical odds pretty soon that starts psychologically messing with you; making it that much worse)
The SLN at least shouldn't suffer being blockaded in. But training disparity will definitely play into crew competency; and hence to their effectiveness.