The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
The Admiralty Building - London
The Admiralty of the Royal Navy is the leading logistical and administrative body of the Royal Navy - tasked with maintaining her ships, crews, supplies and discipline. Governed by the Admiral of the Realm, the Royal Navy and the Admiralty are England's attempt to make herself into a truly astonishing naval power.
Founded by Baron Thomas Stanley, Lord of Mann and Admiral of the Realm in 1469. The Admiralty is located in a former property of the Stanley family - given over to the Royal Navy by Baron Stanley himself in order to give the Navy a proper headquarters.
The Building itself is large, with offices of the administrative sections of the Navy located on the ground floor. The offices of Vice Admirals on the second floor, along with the officer's quarters and lounges. Finally, the office of the Lord Admiral of the Realm can be found on the third floor - a renovated attic. All files are kept under heavy guard in the cellars - with food storage and the Admiralty kitchens being housed in a separate building close to the main building.
The Royal Navy
Ships
Squadrons
1st Squadron - King's Squadron
The Grand Admiral - Lord Admiral's Flag
Suffolk's Folly
Birmingham's Gift
Neville's Patronage
2nd Squadron - Queen's Squadron
Sea's Wroth - Vice Admiral's Flag
Trinity
Saint George
Saint Edward
Holy Spirit
Saint Bertha
Saint Mary
3rd Squadron - Prince of Wales' Squadron
Sea's Ruin - Vice Admiral's Flag
Mowbray's Vasa
Saint of Norfolk
The Stern Visage
The Connoisseur's Dream
The Honour and Renown
Wiltshire's Pride
Ports and Dockyards
The Manx Dockyards - Tier 3
London - Tier 3
Gloucester - Tier 3
Guernsey - Tier 2
Isle of White - Tier 1
Plympton
Naval Fortifications
N/A
The Lord Admirals of the Royal Navy
1 - Admiral Sir Thomas Stanley, Lord of Mann and 1st Baron Stanley Lord Admiral from 1468 until his death in 1471. Founder of the Royal Navy.
Ranks
Lord Admiral of the Realm - Lord Thomas Stanley, Baron Stanley, Lord of Mann
Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy
Captain
Lieutenant
Midshipman
Royal Navy Finances
Stipends
10'000 Crowns - Earl Percy of Northumberland
Expenditure
1 Carrack - 15'000 Crowns Upkeep
12 Carracks - 180'000 Crowns - Royal Treasury
2 Carracks - 30'000 Crowns - Duke of Norfolk
1 Carrack - 15'000 Crowns - Lord of Mann
3 Carracks - 45'000 Crowns - Neville
Total
Royal Navy Treasury: 20'000 Crowns
Total Expenditure: 270'000 Crowns
Inventions and Innovations in Use
1) Gun ports
2) Reinforced Decks
3) Gun Carriages
4) The use of cast bronze cannons (early culverins)
Last edited by The Mad Skylord; December 22, 2016 at 02:37 PM.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarter of the Royal Navy
Sir Edward Mercer, 2nd cousin to the Earl of Worcester was sent to England in the hopes that William could find him a proper station. Edward wasn't fond of formal education he enjoyed learning by doing, this really limited his prospects with any career in the academics. William gave him an option Army or Navy, Edward choose Navy and so he arrives at the admiralty trying to forge a career in His Majesty's Navy
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Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
Lord Thomas Stanley had been dealing with the same kind of requests all day. At this stage, he was totally fed up of novles who had never sailed a ship demanding a position from him. Edward Mercer was left waiting in a waiting.room for several hours before his name came up on the list.
The last man in, Edward was led before the Examiner's Board, consisting of the Lord Admiral and two Vice Admirals - all looking very tired and foul tempered. It was Thomas Stanley who spoke first, snapping coldly:
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
There was the merest twitch in Thomas Stanley's eyebrow as he regarded the man. Vice Admiral Jones looked at him with a look of pure, thundering fury, while Vice Admiral Taylor regarded him with a sneer.
"Your opinion, Gentlemen?" Thomas intoned calmly.
Jones spoke first. "Hang him from the nearest yardarm. He's too stupid to be given command." The Vice Admiral was far from pleased.
Taylor was more considerate. "Give him his commission. We can always hang him if he turns out to be a complete failure."
Thomas sat back and took a mouthful of wine, once again viewing Mercer coldly. He jerked his head round to look at a young lieutenant serving as a clerk. "Write him his commission. Assign him to coastal patrol while the fleet is under construction."
Stanley turned back to review Mercer while the lieutenant quickly wrote out the commission and promptly gave it to the newly made officer. Stanley once again addressed him. "Congratulations, Captain Mercer."
OOC: Just IC justification until I actually have a ship to assign you.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
One noon, in the grounds of the Admiralty Building, several preparations were being made. Stanley had gotten hold of a culverin and he'd had it mounted on one of the new gun carriages. Indeed, the Navy had many of these guns in storage in preparation for the new fleet of ships.
The culverin was a special, and expensive, type of cannon. She was made of bronze, making her much lighter than normal cannon and she was cast rather than wrought. Basically, this meant the gun was slightly slower to reload because it had to be muzzle loaded, but it was also capable of firing an iron cannonball with enough force to punch straight through a hull.
At the rear of the main building, Thomas had had a large timber section constructed - framed and built like a ship's hull. Some distance away from it - sitting at the edge of its effective range - sat the culverin. A team of 5 men were milling around it, 4 sailors and an officer. Beside the gun sat a small pyramid of the cannonballs it would be firing.
At the front of the Admiralty, Stanley awaited the King and Earl Cambridge.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
Edmund Kyriell, Earl of Cambridge comes as requested by Lord Stanley back in Greenwich Palace. His garb is simple, soldierly and utilitarian, expressing either his austerity or a desire to not bring his good clothes to a military establishment when it wasn't strictly necessary (likely the former, considering that he was never very interested in fashion): all dark gray-greens and blues including trousers instead of the usual aristocratic hose, topped off with a featherless cap & a cloak the color of cobalt, the latter being fastened with a bronze martlet-shaped brooch.
Last edited by Barry Goldwater; November 15, 2016 at 09:08 PM.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
Whenever the King arrived, the Lord Chancellor would come in tow. Dressed in his bishopric clothing, with the added trappings of his office, George Neville would remain by the King's side as they approached wherever the Lord Admiral was present.
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Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
The King joins his compatriots, clad completely the opposite to Kyriell in fine red clothing, expressing his royalty and majesty before all of those present. Likely, many would not have seen the king before, and as such it would be a great occasion to see the reigning monarch in such an impromptu visit.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
The party is greeted by Admiral Stanley. Along the sides of the path, Royal Navy soldiers stand to attention for the King. Bowing to his King and greeting each guest in turn, he finally began the proceedings. "Gentlemen, you have been invited here today to witness the newest weapon added to the arsenal of the Royal Navy." Stanley sets off, quickly for an old man. The Admiral talks as he walks. "What we have constructed is quite simple really, but very effective. The culverin is a type of cast bronze cannon, with the capacity of firing iron shot straight through the hull of a warship. This is mainly due to the fact the barrel can take a greater charge than a wrought iron cannon."
Moving round the side of the building, they pass a large section of timber - identical to a carrack's hull. "That will be the target." Stanley informs them cheerfully.
Finally the group arrives at the gun. "This is the culverin we shall be using for demonstration today. It is far lighter than an iron cannon, and the gun carriage allows it to be used with our newly designed gun ports. The carriage also has the added bonus of allowing us to accurately balance the ship."
Thomas raised his cane and tapped the bronze barrel. "With an effective range of 300 to 350 meters, there is currently no warship in the world armed with such a weapon - not even the Portuguese.
The culverin is a more expensive cannon, of course, but it is the only gun we have capable of attacking the ship - not the crew. We'll be able to sink enemy ships before they can get near us. It truly is an innovation in warfare."
Stepping back from the gun, he paused to allow questions.
OOC: The cast bronze cannon exists at this point in time - but due to its slightly slower reload and bigger price, wrought iron guns are still favoured. Also, while I have called it a culverin, I'm applying it to a generically to a cast bronze cannon with a long barrel - true culverins won't exist for another 40 years. This is pretty much its predecessor. I've adjusted ranges accordingly.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
"Splendid work, Lord Stanley," Cambridge remarked as he gazed upon the older man's culverin. He felt no small measure of awe, and was already gathering information from Stanley's work for the arsenal they were planning - so bronze was lighter than iron and capable of taking a greater charge, but more expensive. Perhaps iron might be a better option for our mass-produced field artillery, then, with bronze reserved for the truly mighty pieces that would make Hell's legions tremble with fear. And that gun carriage was something he made note of, as well. But above all, Cambridge wanted to know one thing: "When can we see it in action?"
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
Stanley smiled knowingly. He had known that Cambridge would no doubt be the most interested.The man seemed similar to him, he lived, breathed and gunpowder. "Right now, Earl Cambridge." The Admiral stepped back from the cannon, motioning for the others to do the same. Once the small party were clear of the gun, he gave a curt nod to the team of gunners - standing patiently behind in a line.
The officer in command - Lieutenant Huntingdon - quickly stepped forwards and gave orders to his "first command". "Reload!" The team of gunners new exactly what to do - having been practicing for this moment all week. One man quickly moved forwards to sponge the barrel while at the same time a man primed the pan and set the fuse, the next rammed in the cloth sack containing the gunpowder. A piece of wadding was then rammed into the gun and finally the iron shot was added. Lieutenant Huntingdon then proceeded to have the cannon aimed at its target - the wooden section of hull, about 280 meters away. Once he was happy, he stepped back a pace from the gun and announced to Lord Stanley loudly. "Gun ready to fire, Sir!"
Stanley glanced at the company of 3 men standing beside him, before nodding to the Lieutenant. Huntingdon quickly drew his sword and rested it on his shoulder. "Prepare to fire!" One of the gunners held the matchstick in his hand and nodded to the Lieutenant while the others covered their ears. Lieutenant Huntingdon swept his sword downwards in a heavy arc and yelled: "Fire!
The gunner lit the fuse and then adopted the same position. A second of a delay and then:
"BOOM!"
The muzzle flashed and the gun recoiled, and the cannonball sailed through the air - to smash straight through the hull section. Stanley smiled, and looked at his guests, waiting for a response.
Re: The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
A letter arrives informing the Admiral that a dockyard at the town of Torquay is being constructed for the Royal Navy to use. The letter is unsigned, but has a sigil of a lion rampant upon it.
The Admiralty Building - Headquarters of the Royal Navy
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gunpowder. "Right now, Earl Cambridge." The Admiral stepped back from the cannon, motioning for the others to do the same. Once the small party were clear of the gun, he gave a curt nod to the team of gunners - standing patiently behind in a line.
