Re: [GZG] Fiction - Month in Marin

I was going to offer my own accolades, but you can't top the author of
Röt
Hafen!

Still, with the recent discussions of steampunk fleets, you've
emboldened
me to put out an Aeronef AAR fragment to further stimulate the thought
of
floating battleships.

Insufficient to actually be posted on a site, it's been too long unseen.
If
someone would like to take it and make it their own, more's the power.

And, yes, I was whinging about my dice. ;->=

The_Beast

Carlos Lourenco wrote on 01/06/2010 12:52:11 PM:

>
> Well done Beth!
>
> Los

Jackson Aerial Depot

Savannah, Georgia

29 January, 1881

Dear Mimzy,

The sight of my beautiful ship Britannia has torn my heart out; with
most
of her main deck shot away, all but highest gun hoists shredded, there
is
no hope for a return to service. However, she paid for her part in a
great
victory. Britannia rules the waves, AND the clouds!

Our ship played consort to Her Majesty’s aerial battle ship Agincourt,
flying high guard over a flotilla of archaic CSA surface bombards, with
the
intention of relieving the star fortress of assaults by Union batteries.
To
think the war has lasted twenty years, and the confederates still rely
on
such outdated craft…

As we were approaching the landward side of Fortress Island, aerial
craft
were spotted to southeast. There was no mistaking those large digs.
Germans!

While we’ve not entered hostilities, we’d received dispatches that
they
might attempt mischief, and given the rhetoric in diplomatic circles
concerning our support the lads in grey, shooting first and asking
questions later might be appropriate. In the event, the
Grosseadmiral’s
response to our lantern challenges demonstrated there would be NO
questions
involved.

Admiral Sir Cavor immediately ordered a turn to port, and wisely broke
the
edicts against splitting forces, directing the far speedier Britannia to
pass the fort wide to port, while Agincourt swung slightly to starboard
ready to swing to port just behind the fort.

This allowed the Britannia to cross in front of the oncoming ships
early,
damaging and slowing them down when in range of the fort and Agincourt.

It’s obvious that the Kaiser’s best had no inkling of our presence,
as the
three bomb-laden Seydlitz’s leapt ahead of the large digs, only to
realize
the game was up. The Waldburg gamely stayed moderately close, but the
largest, His Imperial Majesty’s Schleswig-Holstein, quickly fell
behind.

This, of course, allowed our ships to engage to our advantage.

The Waldburg attempted to close quickly with us in the Britannia, but a
little TOO quickly. Before she could bring her broadside to bear, we had
put two into her in quick succession.

Here, let me say an inquiry should be made into quality of the munitions
with which we were supplied. The long months of indolence in this warm
climate has taken a toll on our good gunlayers, but you will see shortly
much can be laid at the feet of those supplying tools of the trade to
the
navy.

Waldburg quickly lost guns to our shots but not at the two-to-one rate
one
could assume from our advantage. Still, advantage we showed, as Waldburg
twisted and turned, but still faced bow to our full shot. Before the
smaller digs could get in range of the forts guns, we were able to swing
our fire to them, in turn slowing them for the terrible gauntlet that
they
would face with Agincourt supporting the fort’s own guns.

Gamely, they came on, but one after another, they slowed from the
fearsome
barrage, and two fell short of the fort, the last past wide, unable to
turn
to loose its few bombs left.

By this time, the Waldburg was able to deliver broadsides into
Britannia,
but so weak as only wear away and not terribly hit. However, it survived
several broadsides from Agincourt, several times only seeming to further
scrape paint. Agincourt was unhurt, but ineffectual!

Finally, Schleswig-Holstein came into range. At first, bow to broadside
as
well, but quickly gaining effect on Britannia. Waldburg finally
succumbed,
but the earlier beating my lovely ship had taken was far overwhelmed by
what followed.

Still, because the Grossadmiral was so fixed on us, he allowed Agincourt
to
focus its full might, almost unhurt, certains unabated, into the proud
dig.

At first, the paint chipping continued, perhaps emboldening the German
to
finish the job on us, but soon the effects became obvious, and the great
armored gas bag slid into the sea before she could finishing our own
ship
off.

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