Gentlemen,
The last year has been fairly quiet, as our plans for completing our existing construction have been carried out. We have commissioned 3 BBs, a CV, a CA, 2 CVLs and 2 CLs, although postwar budget crunches have limited new construction to a CA, a CVL and a CL. We have also scrapped the Devastations and Dupetit-Thouars. Fortunately, worldwide tensions are also low, except with Austria, who has been throwing its weight around again.
Our budget is currently balanced, and we have 2 CAs and 3 CLs completing in the next year, so plans need to be drawn up to replace them on the slip. At the moment there are no glaring weaknesses in our fleet, so we have a fairly free hand in deciding what to spend it on.
Our current fleet
Ships under construction
This screen looks slightly different as I upgraded the game version after a computer move
March 1931
CVL Arromanches and CL Surcouf are commissioned, but both have trouble making their design speeds. CL Mulhouse also commissions. The LeO.126 medium bomber also enters service. AH commissions a CL, Italy a BC, the US a CL and a DD.
April 1931
CVL Nice commissions. We cover up a gaffe by the PM by diverting suspicion to Austrian foreign policy. Breakthrough: Reduced torpedo mount weight. Medium bomber PL.128 enters service. Italy lays down 4 DD, 1 AV. AH commissions 1 AV, UK 1 CV, 1 CVL.
May 1931
Italy lays down a DD, US commissions a CL.
June 1931
July 1931
CV Painleve and BBs Galouis, Indomptable, and Magenta commission. We lay down CA Desaix and begin a major upgrade to BB Ocean. All five units of the Dupetit-Thouars class are scrapped. Germany lays down 1 DD.
August 1931
CA Gloire commissions. Breakthroughs: Welded hull, Voice radio. Italy lays down 2 DD, AH and UK each commission a CL.
September 1931
Our spies steal plans for improved 12" guns. Breakthrough: Improved arrestor wires. Germany commissions a KE, Italy an AV, US a CA. CVL Dixmude laid down. 2 CLs scrapped in Southeast Asia. Design work begins on CL Alger.
October 1931
Our spies steal plans for American CV Shangri-La. We select the Bloch MB.133 for our new torpedo bomber. CL Alger laid down. BBs Devastation, Charles Martel and Brennus are all scrapped.
November 1931
Germany commissions a BC, AH a CV.
December 1931
Germany lays down 2 DD, commissions a BC. Japan commissions a CV. We request designs for a new fighter.
January 1932
Germany lays down 4 DD, commissions another BC and a DD. Japan commissions 2 CA, UK 1 CV.
February 1932
2 DDs commission. Germany commissions 2 DD, lays down 2 more. Japan commissions 1 CA. CLs Protet and Catinet begin reconstruction.
Comments
Shangri-La? I want to know what lead to the USA choosing that name? I don't think there has been a Doolittle raid...
That British BB looks like some sort of super-dreadnought, or maybe something the Germans would have come up with in the 30s rather than a British design. I'd have expected them to have moved to triple turrets already.
I recommend sending the Carabiniers to Southeast Asia and retiring the obsolete DDs. To build, I'd either go for more of the same (CLs, CAs and CVLs + refits), possibly with some DDs thrown in, or make a start on 17" BBs.
The name obviously makes no sense in this universe. As for the British BB, I'd expect triples as well, but it seems to pick from the grab-bag of ship layouts, and in this case, it seems to have gone with Orion/KGV/Iron Duke.
If Austria is our next enemy, we probably won't see as many big battle-line engagements, so cruisers and CVLs seem good.
Probably also throw in some ASW DDs or KEs, since there's exactly one line of the almanac where Austria leads the world.
That's a good point. A new batch of ASW KEs would also nicely cover the build gap while we're waiting for the dock expansion to finish so we can build a 17" battleship.