So, I really want to be playing C# Aurora right now, but it’s not out yet and there’s not a whole lot of other games that scratch the same itch. One that does, at least when it comes to designing ships and making them battle, is Rule the Waves 2. On the off-chance that you’ve never heard of this game before, it’s a strategy wargame where you play as a Jackie Fisher-type Grand Admiral in one of the world’s navies between 1900-1950. Like Aurora, it has a tremendously detailed shipbuilding system and the visual appeal of 1990’s tax software. The game has a turn-based strategy layer with real time tactical battles.
For this game, I’ll be playing as the German Empire. The options I chose are: 1900 start, super large fleet size, historical resources, harsher peace deals, 100% research, and manual build of legacy fleet. The "historical resources" option is basically hard mode, since it basically lowers income for everyone except Great Britain. I don't really know how this is gonna turn out. Hence the title.
So without further ado:
The Rise or Fall of German Seapower - IntroductionBalance of Power, January 1900At the turn of the century, the Kaiserliche Marine occupies the middle ground among the seven premier naval powers, slightly less well-funded than regional rivals France and Russia, and with about a third of the budget of Great Britain. They have two fewer battleships in service than France, although that will soon change as three more are slated for commissioning by the end of the year. France and Russia do enjoy a considerable lead in armoured cruiser tonnage, however.
Order of BattleZähringen-class battleshipShips in service: Zähringen, Weissenburg, Wörth, Schwaben
Commissioned in the early 1890s, these ships make up the bulk of the German battle line at the turn of the century. Limited by their low freeboard and lack of range, these are more suited to coastal defense than true oceangoing battleships. Complement: 792 officers and men.
Wettin-class battleshipShips in service: Wettin
Ships under construction: Wittelsbach, Mecklenburg, Elsass
Recently-commissioned Wettin is the most modern ship in the Imperial German fleet. Compared to the preceding Zähringen-class, she enjoys better seakeeping, range, and substantially improved protection; in fact, with a 10” armour belt, Wettin is probably the best-protected battleship in the world, if not the best armed; at this time, the Germans lack the 12” gun models of other nations. Complement: 798.
Hertha-class armoured cruiserShips in service: Hertha, Freya, Vineta
Like the Zähringen-class, the Hertha-class cruisers were designed with low freeboard and short range in order to save weight. While admittedly also more suited to coastal defense, they at least pack a decent amount of firepower at their displacement. Complement: 686.
Victoria Louise-class armoured cruiserShips under construction: Victoria Louise, Fürst Bismarck
The two Victoria Louise-class cruisers were still under construction at the turn of the century, with Fürst Bismarck’s fate in jeopardy, as lack of funding had led to construction being halted. When complete, these cruisers were to provide the German Navy an answer to large foreign cruisers over 10,000 tons, such as the French
Montcalm or Russian
Pamyat Azova. While not substantially better-armed or protected, with a top speed of 22 knots, they were planned to be able to outrun anything they couldn’t outgun. Complement: 780.
Gefion-class protected cruiserShips in service: Gefion, Gazelle, Nymphe
At nearly 6,000 tons, the Gefion-class were very capable protected cruisers for their era, with a good mix of speed, armament, and protection. Complement: 485.
Hela-class protected cruiserShips in service: Hela, Ariadne, Niobe, Thetis, Amazone, Frauenlob
The Hela-class cruisers, on the other hand, were not particularly capable ships; the smallest protected cruisers in service in a major navy, these ships were already showing their age by 1900 and no longer considered suitable for front-line combat. They remained useful, however, for trade protection, commerce raiding, and showing the flag in Germany’s overseas colonies. They at least remained fast enough to run away if need be. Complement: 255.
V2-class torpedo boatShips in service: 12
A dozen of the V2 class were constructed shortly before 1900. The torpedo boat destroyer, and later, just destroyer, of other navies continued to be called ‘torpedo boats’ in German service despite being basically equivalent to foreign destroyer types. Complement: 78.
1900The year begins with a rocky start as a trade dispute with Great Britain causes a sudden and dramatic spike in tensions in March. Luckily for Germany, this begins to ease by May. The German government, seeing the weakness of the navy's destroyer forces, demands more destroyers in April; work is suspendend on
Victoria Louise and
Wittelsbach to free up funds for 15 more V2-type torpedo boats. Tensions spike with Italy in June after the Kaiser makes an ill-considered statement about that country, but nothing ultimately comes of it.
By December, Battleship
Elsass is in active service, as are the last of the V2 class.
1901Battleship Mecklenburg and armoured cruiser Victoria Louise commission in January. Victoria Louise easily surpasses her design speed on sea trials, reaching 23 knots; this makes her the fastest armoured cruiser of her size in the world. With the success of the design, a third ship, Prinz Heinrich, is laid down. Germany has matched France in active battleship tonnage, but is still behind in armoured cruisers.
In April, the Russian government agrees to sell the plans for their 12" guns to Germany. This is a technological coup for Germany, as they as of yet had lacked a workable design for a gun of that caliber.
Tensions with Great Britain and France spike after the German admiralty successfully derails an attempt by the reichstag to reign in arms expenditures, but tensions with France relax after a German company enters a mutual technology-sharing agreement with the French.
An improvement of the V2 class, three V28-class destroyers are ordered in November. These destroyers improve on their predecessors with better speed and armament. Complement: 93.
At the end of the year, another round of fighting in the Balkans breaks out, with Germany blaming Russia's influence and once again inflating tension between the two countries. At about the same time, Wittelsbach is commissioned.
1902Fürst Bismarck is commissioned in January. Russia and France are quickly catching up to Germany in battleship tonnage and to make matters worse, Great Britain has a build program of four 15,600-ton Barfleur-class battleships well underway. In order to keep from falling behind, Germany begins drafting plans for a follow-on to the Wettin-class battleships.
That design, the Lothringen-class battleship, is ordered in March, with two ships, Lothringen and Hessen, laid down. The main innovation of the class is the addition of a heavy secondary battery of 6 9” guns, as well as an extremely heavy 20-gun 6” tertiary battery. With the increase in firepower, these battleships belong to a type that will eventually be called “semi-dreadnoughts”. Complement: 943.
Tensions with Great Britain and Russia remain elevated throughout the year following the grounding of a German cruiser while conducting an illicit intelligence operation. Rather than losing face by apologizing, or sending a squadron to demand the ship's release, the German leadership compromises and allows the local government to examine her.
International tensions have ebbed and flowed over the last two years, but remain elevated with Russia. Russian relations heat up again in June 1902, leading Admiral Tirpitz to denounce Russia in a speech before the Navy League. With tensions reaching a critical level, the German Navy mobilizes, and begins conducting a major training exercise in preparation for imminent conflict. Unfortunately, their mobilization further inflames the situation, and by August, war seems inevitable. There is domestic opposition to war with Russia, however, with popular anti-military protests later in the year, but the capture of a Russian agent, apparently on a mission of sabotage, forces Germany's hand. In November, Germany declares war on Russia.