Cloudships and Steamflyers
Flying ships and steamboats are probably the part that attracted me to Space 1889 in the first place. No wonder that most of my resources are cloudships or aerial flyers.
The Koorchook - flagship of the Tossian pirate hunter squadron
The Sandwind, named after the mighty predator of Mars’ legendary past, is a medium-heavy warkite of the Eelowaan class, which is the most common kite of its tonnage in the Tossian Imperial fleet. The Eelowaan kite was designed with the classic Tossian tactics in mind: Engage, decimate, board.
The hull is made of double planking filled with gravel to dissipate impact energy from enemy fire. The light and heavy guns on the lower gun deck are well-protected behind this construction. The heavier guns are pivot-mounted to cover several firing arcs. The rogue gun on the top deck can even turn 360 degrees, but the masts inhibit the aim for enemies approaching from the stern.
The Sandwind is the flagship of Admiral Peerahan, a second cousin of the Emperor, at the moment campaigning against pirates of the Solis Planum. Emperor Krahaanik IV is not too fond of his ambitious cousin; the admiral has become far too popular for the Emperor’s taste. Krahaanik had tried a long time to find a reason to send his cousin away from court, when a pirate situation arose on the Solis Planum in the Southeastern outskirts of the Tossian Empire. Seeing an opportunity to send the popular admiral away, the Emperor’s council summoned Peerahan.
During the council session the Emperor lamented about the limited fleet resources as most ships were assigned to the Western border to keep the expansion of the Coprate Redmen at bay. Only a tiny squadron could be spared, and only a man of Admiral Peerahan’s military excellence could use such finite resource and succeed. Cornered by the Imperial praise in front of the council, Admiral Peerahan had no choice but to accept the assignment. Equipping a squadron way below his status – a single medium warkite, a lighter dispatch kite and two light screwgalleys – Admiral Peerahan set out to take care of the pirates of Solis Planum. The Emperor’s plan to get rid of the annoying relative seemed successful. The limited resources would make the task of finding and defeating the enemy in an enormous area an almost futile endeavor.
But the admiral surprised the Emperor and his council. After the first shock of the Spartan military life onboard a warkite, Admiral Peerahan found the distance from court inspiring. The Emperor’s taunting praise proved to be true, as the admiral showed hitherto unknown tactical talent. Combined with his experience to build an information network, the admiral proved to be deadly efficient. After only three months Admiral Peerahan had captured four corsairs and defeated a handful more. The prizes were incorporated in the small squadron, and it seems the admiral will return triumphantly to Tossia before the year is over….
Keetho-la and White Maalagoor - screw galleys of the Tossian pirate hunter squadron
The Sentinel galleys are quite a common sight for airsailors within the Tossian Empire as they make up the bulk of patrol and custom crafts within the Empire. The long-range armament is ideal for slowing down and taking out smugglers or discouraging raiders along the trade routes. In fleet actions, Sentinel galleys are mostly used in pack tactics where the number makes up for the lack of protection when fighting larger opponents.
A special feature of the Sentinel galley is its removable ram. On patrol duty, the ram is usually not attached and left at port to gain more altitude. If a battle is imminent, the ram can be attached within half an hour.
Curiously, many screw galleys of this class are named after legendary bird-like creatures, long extinct a long time ago, which are quite common in Tossian tales and fables.
The galleys depicted are the White Maalagoor and the Keehtoo-la ; both assigned to Admiral Peerahan’s squadron at the Solis Planum. Both galleys were painted in squadron colors, turquoise and yellow. The Keehtoo-La is shown with the Tossian naval flag on its left mast, the White Maalagoor with the squadron flag on the right mast. This is done only for illustration as both flags are hoisted on both ships all the time. The Keehtoo-La is depicted with the ram attached, still in its original colors. At the squadron’s arrival both ships detached their rams and stored them at the naval depot at Nepisia, a small town along canal between Noachis and Serpentis.
Keehtoo-la is an avian character of popular tales, similar to fox in Aesopian fables. Often outsmarting stronger or large creatures, Keehto-la sometimes is too smart for his own good, entangling himself in his own intrigue.
The commanding officer of the Keehtoo-la, Qatu Muon, is one of Admiral Peerahan’s court entourage. Qatu is a dandy, big mouth and utterly incompetent in military matters. Luckily for everyone in the squadron, he has enough wits to leave the actual naval matters to his more than capable Second-in-Command.
The White Maalagoor is named after the trustworthy steed of the ancient hero Duhlaar, who is said to be an ancestor of the Emperor. Scholars, however, have found evidence that Duhlaar was a Nolachian warlord of a Hillmartian tribe during the pre-Briffanoon, not related to any living royalty whatsoever. This fact is rather unknown, and the Emperor likes it that way.
The captain of the White Maalagoor is Jeezoor Meekonoor, a stern, ascetic man, soldier through and through. In the company of his fellow officers in the squadron, he sticks out like a military wolf among the court sheep. The admiral suspects Jeezoor to be a spy of the Emperor. Why wouldn’t the Emperor just add another courtier to his squadron, but instead he ordered this dour soldier under Peerahan’s command!
Golor Sarmak - a courier kite in the Tossian pirate hunter squadron
The Golor Sarmak (lit. Desert Rose), a Tossian 200t courier kite of the Daalshaam (lit. Far-Eye) class.
Daalshaam kites are of older design and mainly used as courier ships all over the Tossian empire. As the Imperial magistrates and other officials are required to travel a lot, Daalshaam kites are also used as fast transport for important persons when speed is of the essence rather than a large entourage. 4 passenger quarters provide enough space for a magistrate and his personal servants.
Sometimes Daalshaams are used as scouts or forward observers, which was the original purpose of these kites. The single heavy gun is placed on an outrigger to cover an attack angle to the front, as well as the stern in case of a chase. Unfortunately, this leaves the starboard side uncovered.
The Golor Sarmak is assigned to the squadron of Admiral Peerahan at the moment. It is captain Muuransaar Joolop is a former courtier at the Imperial Tossian court. Always been intrigued by the flamboyant officers of the aerial navy, he decided to become a cloudship captain by himself. His family’s fortune allowed him to advance rapidly in rank despite a certain lack of military commitment: Muuransaar’s focus remained on the debaucherous activities at court. To be able to continue his excessive life style despite being a captain in the Tossian fleet, he bribed a council secretary to assign him to royal escort duty, which essentially meant been a glorified chauffeur for royal family and other important persons of the Imperial court. It took not long before he became part of Admiral Peerahan’s entourage. When the admiral was assigned to deal with the pirate problem at the Solis Planum, the Emperor personally sent Captain Muuransaar with him, an impossible situation for Muuransaar to bribe himself out of.
Muuransaar is not very happy with his new situation – the outskirts of the Empire lack the luxury he is used to, but he has adapted as good as possible. Sure, the wine is plainer, the women more boorish, but that does not mean one cannot have a lavish onboard party once in a while.
The Golor Sarmak is the only ship of the squadron that is not painted in squadron colours, still sporting the gaudy ornaments Captain Muuransaar had ordered to be made when taking over command of the ship, making a perfect pirate bait…
The Nectari Sunspear class privateer
Traditionally, the Nectari trader clans were employed by the princes of Nectar to buffer the small, but strained navy, preying on pirates and hostile -or at least non-allied - traders. But since the rise of the Belgian AIP, Prince Sipaani keeps the clans on a shorter leash. The privateers are not allowed to engage Tossian ships anymore as the prince would not risk the new-won fragile alliance with his former adversary, the Tossian Emperor against the Belgian expansion.
The Nectari shipyards are renowned for their sleek, elegant ships. The Sunspear class is a typical example for the Nectari shipwrights’ ability to combine efficiency with elegance.
Although ordnance may vary from clan to clan, a long-range rod gun and powergrapple are standard. The supplementing armament is usually a mix of heavy and light guns plus some sweepers to "discourage" opposing crews. Sunspear privateers are armed to “soften” and cripple an opponent before boarding; the reinforced hull protects against lighter gun fire.
A trademark of the Nectari ship design is the distinct attachment of liftwood panels, not for uplift but to increase maneuverability. These vertical panels can be angled in a way that allows the privateer to turn much faster than other kites; properly used a Sunspear can turn on the spot. Of course not every Nectari airship sports these maneuver panels, as they increase the ship’s cost substantionally.
(Sky Galleons rule: The Sunspear kite may perform a power turn just like a steam vessel. Extra cost £830 per hull point).
SMS Marienburg - German experimental aerial gunboat
The Mylark incident, showed German military analysts the design weaknesses of the Hamburg cruiser. When facing a superior number of enemies, the Hamburg could engage just one enemy at a time with its main armament. The cruiser escaped only because of his heavy armor. Yet, been outnumbered was the most likely scenario if other European powers decides to attack the German Schutzgebiete. Liftwood was simply too scarce in Dioscuria and the surrounding areas to provide the Germans with a regular supply.
The Imperial admirality decided to fund a secret project to build a a fast, powerful gunboat, capable of dealing with a superior number of enemy flyers. Immediately, German agents started to buy small amounts of liftwood all over Mars, carefully covering their tracks not to raise suspicion by rivaling powers. Over a year later, in november 1888, the Germans had aquired enough liftwood to start building the experimental gunboat Marienburg.
The Imperial engineers used the simple, effective design of the British Aphid class as inspiration: The Marienburg was to be a versatile flyer with low maintenance requirements. Propulsion power would come from a forced-draught steam engine which could use coal or other fuel. An Otto motor was dismissed, petroleum on Mars scarce and the dependency on gasoline import impractical. An experimental gear transmission allowed high speed and maneuverabilty. Three gunturrets with quick-firing cannons as main armament were powerful enough to deal with several enemies at once. The bow turret was armed with a Krupp 120mm quick-fire cannon, the lateral turrets were equipped with proto-types of the Krupp 105mm quick-fire cannons. Support armament was made up by four pivot-mounted 6-pound HRC and four Maxim machine guns. Hull and turret were heavily armored.
Such large payload would usually reduce or even ground a liftwood vessel, but the German engineers used a new invention, liftwood improvement, doubling the lifting capability of the 500-ton hull. Thus, the Marienburg was able to reach the maximum operational altidute for aeral flyers. If the gunship proves itself in service, is to bee seen. The test flights, however, were highly promissing.
SMS Libelle - German tramp freighter and privateer
The Libelle (German: dragonfly) is a modified Undine-class freighter. The two other Undine-class ships, the HMS Calypso and the HMS Hera, are in the service of the Royal Solar System Trading Company.
Originally designed as a fast transport for bhutan spice, Captain Feuerbach and his crew have modified the Libelle heavily, after snatching her from the Oenotrean general, Phath’oon S’juurjee.
First, engineer von Ebelsfeldt constructed a more powerful steam-engine using the newly invented forced-draught technology. Another significant modification was the application of a liftwood- improving chemical developed by von Ebelsfeldt.
With this gain of lift and speed, the crew could add passenger cabins, armor protection and hidden compartments for contraband. When Feuerbach planned these modifications, he had a fast smuggling and trading ship in mind, which could outrun every pursuer, as well as withstand some punishment when under fire.
Four months ago, Feuerbach received a letter of marque from the German governor as a reward for some services. This paper was accompanied by a new Krupp 120mm quick-firing gun and two 6-pound-HRC, as well as two gunners. Though this gives the Libelle considerable firepower, the crew is under-sized, which means that the deckhands have to serve as auxiliary gunners. Feuerbach has a somewhat ambivalent feeling about the privateer arrangement, as it bind him a little too much to the German protectorate’s politics for his taste. On the other hand, it opens a lot of possibilities of operation.
Usually, the Libelle flies the colours of the Handelsmarine, but the Kriegsmarine flag is shown, when preying on an enemy ship.
