News and Stories from the Vilnius Union

[snip]

The Imperial Roman Republic would be happy to host the Vilnius squadron at any port along the way.

[The Rock Doctor]

Notional cruise course:

-Quick stop in Northern Kingdom
-Through the Channel, around Iberia, and into the Med. 
-Suez to Red Sea and up to the Parthian Gulf
-India to Siam to China to Japan
-Hawaii to Azteca to Peru
-Transit Canal, do North American east seaboard
-Cross Atlantic to say hi to Berbers
-Home in time for beers.

[Jefgte]

...-Through the Channel, around Iberia, and into the Med.
-Suez to Red Sea and up to the Parthian Gulf..

Byzance - Alexandria - Aden

;)

[The Rock Doctor]

Tentative World Cruiser Itinerary:

Amsterdam (Departure):  18 Jan
Brest, Rome:  20-22 Jan
Lisbon, Iberia:  24-25 Jan
Cadiz, Iberia:  26-28 Jan
Rome's local port, Rome:  31 Jan - 4 Feb^
Istanbul (?), Byz:  7-11 Feb^
Alexandria, Byz:  13-15 Feb
Massawa, Ethiopia:  18-20 Feb*
Aden, Byz:  21-22 Feb
Bushere, Part:  27 Feb - 3 Mar^
Karachi, Raj:  6-8 Mar
Mumbai, Deccan:  9-11 Mar
Kolombo, Kandy:  14-15 Mar
Chittagong, Lak:  18-20 Mar*
Brunei, Part:  26-30 Mar^
Manila, Jap:  1-3 Apr
Tokyo, Jap:  8-12 Apr^
Honalulu, Hawaii:  24-28 Apr^
Acapulco, Azt:  10-14 May^
Canal Zone:  18-20 May
San Juan, Union:  23-27 May^
Veracruz, Azt:  2-4 Jun
Galveston, Rome:  6-8 Jun
Newport News, Union:  13-17 Jun^
New York, 5 Guys:  19-22 Jun
Bermuda, Union:  24-26 Jun
Nouadwhatever, Berbers:  3-5 Jul*
Azores, Union:  10-12 Jul
Amsterdam (return):  18 Jul

Notes:

-Cruise speed of 15 knots except on the Japan/Hawaii and Hawaii/Acapulco legs, which'll be 12 knots due to range limitations
-Stops listed are for the capital unit and retinue.  One or more smaller units could split off to make convenient pitstops along the route.
-A depot ship and sloop will be running a slower but more direct route to be available for unexpected repairs and maintenance en-route.
-Ships are expected to take on oil at each stop.

^:  Major stop - diplomatic, leave, maintenance, and/or "Man, I need to get ashore for eight hours".
*:  Condition of ports not certain - major units may have to anchor offshore

[The Rock Doctor]

19 July 1921

"Congratulations on your appointment," Grand Admiral Zahle greeted his new boss.

"Thank you, Admiral," said the freshly minted Minister of Defence, one Casimir Siputo.  His predecessor had resigned from the Sejm citing health concerns just two weeks prior and the Prime Minister had been quick to appoint the replacement. "I know there's plenty of things you must want to talk about, but let me first get a few key considerations out of the way, if that's alright?"

Given that Zahle answered to Siputo and not vice-versa, there was only one answer.  "Of course, Minister."

"Excellent, excellent.  Have a seat.  Drink?"

"Schnapps, if you have it.  Brandy if not."

Siputo opened both doors of the liquor cabinet and gazed in what might've been wonder.  "Schnapps it is.  So, first question - how are we doing on armored cruisers?"

"The two Szermierz class have completed their trials and been commissioned.  The two Czarownik class are under construction," Zahle said.  "We're looking at a modest refurbishment of the two Grenadjar class and considering options for refurbishing the Lucznik class in two or three years."

"Good, good.  That's good," Siputo nodded.  "When are we building more?"

Great, Zahle thought, he's one of the cruiser fanatics.  "We're examining options for new construction of modest cruisers in the general size range of the Grenadjar or Lucznik classes, but funding for the 1922 program doesn't currently support a lay-down.  A 1923 date is more likely at the moment."

"I'll talk with my counterpart in Finance about that," Siputo said, handing Zahle a glass and then circling around the desk to his own chair. 

"Very good, Sir, thank you," Zahle replied, immediately dismissing the promise as posturing.

"Next matter:  I've heard through the Prime Minister's Office that the Crown Prince and Princess have expressed interest in joining the world tour kicking off next year."

"I had not heard that," Zahle shrugged.

"No, it's very hush-hush, understandably. 

"I don't think the current inventory of royal yachts includes a vessels suitable for their majesties on a six month cruise."

Siputo lit a long, narrow cigar.  "I've been told there's a cruiser built for exactly this sort of circumstance?"

"Oh, you'd be thinking of Bug," Zahle said.  "Yes, there are accommodations for VIPs and a very small retinue but that's more about short jaunts to the overseas territories, not a voyage like next year's."

"But it could be done?"

"Theoretically, if the Crown wishes it," Zahle said, his voice flat.

"They may.  Good optics to see the heir, his wife, and the children out and about.  Good learning experience for the children, as well."

"Any chance we could accommodate them aboard one of the big cruisers?"

"Oh, no, Sir, I'm afraid not.  The flag facilities are quite modest in comparison," Zahle replied. 

"That seems like an oversight," Siputo murmured.  "At any rate, what is the tour looking like?  The Prime Minister is of course keen to make a strong impression on our various international allies, partners, and acquaintances."

"Planning is in the works, Minister.  A number of nations along the route have offered to host our squadron, a few have declined.  The logistics are challenging - we're not certain about harbour depths in some locations or the availability of bunker oil for re-supply, and our own capability for re-supply away from the Atlantic is in need of improvement," Zahle observed.

"What cruisers are we sending?"

"Specific ships haven't been assigned to the squadron at this time," Zahle said.  "At the moment, we're looking at the battleship Copernicus, one or both Warta-class cruisers, two destroyers, and a small support element.  Proposals have been made to include a few other specific vessels-"

"Wait, hold up - no armored cruisers?" Siputo interjected.

Zahle shook his head.  "No, Sir.  As I noted, we're uncertain about harbour facilities at some of our destinations.  While Szermierz or Lansjerzy are certainly newer, more capable warships, they are also longer, deeper warships than Copernicus and her sisters.  We'll experience fewer issues having Copernicus berth at somewhere like Mumbai or Chittagong.  Plus there's the risk involved in having one of our two largest ships away on the other side of the world for six months.  It would be inconvenient to say the least if the Norse or Mayans got frisky in that time period."

Siputo considered this.  "Yes, I suppose that is true."

"Indeed, Sir," Zahle said, filing away a mental note that the ask for another two Encke-class battleships would likely be a tough sell with this new minister.  "I'll keep you updated on this, of course."

[The Rock Doctor]

14 September 1921

"We've heard back from our people overseas and we're going to have a problem around India, Sir," Komandor Jensen reported. 

Grand Admiral Zahle raised an eyebrow and reached for his schnapps.

"Bunker oil availability in the Indian nations is slim to nil," Jensen continued.  "The Rajasthanis and Deccans appear to have no significant supply to sell to our squadron.  Laksmanavati may have a small quantity - our agent suggests perhaps enough to top up destroyer bunkers, but not the amount we'd need to fill up a capital ship or cruisers."

"They're still using coal domestically," Zahle muttered.

"Aye, Sir," Jensen confirmed.  "The Laksmanavatians have a bit of domestic productions, others not.  The squadron can oil at Bushehr when they visit Parthia, and likely again in the Philippines when they visit the Japanese.  In between, we need to have tanker support."

"Which we don't have."

"Not as traditional auxiliaries, no.  Our depot ships are useful for maintenance and stores re-supply but their ability to transfer quantities of oil are limited," Jensen said.  "I've got a man drawing up a tender for civilian contracts now - have a ship meet up with the squadron at Chittagong with a load of oil, have it follow them home.  It can top up in Japan and provide supplies in Hawaii if that proves to be a challenge."

"There's no oil production in the islands," Zahle said.

Jensen shook his head.  "We may be able to tap into Parthian stocks there, Sir.  However, the easiest solution may just be to have the contracted oiler load up at Tokyo."

"I wonder if we should reduce the number of ships being sent," Zahle mused.  "Especially the torpedo-boats.  I know the argument's been that we want to see how the ships and crews hold up on such a lengthy voyage, but if we're identifying logistical challenges months in advance, is it worth the hassle?"

"Send one, not two?" Jensen replied.  "Or swap it out for a sloop.  The Quackenbrucks have much longer legs than the torpedo-boats.  Note, also, that the capital ship can likely transfer fuel over to an escort or two.  I think a full load for an M-class boat is barely a tenth of Szermierz's full bunkers."

"We need to add some oilers to this navy," Zahle muttered.  "Capital ships or not, we're still an one-ocean navy when we're left to our own devices."

[The Rock Doctor]

23 October 1921:  Gdansk

"So that got shot down in flames," Komandor Podporucznik Gzowski mused as he poured a reasonable quantity of brandy into his coffee mug.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Komandor Podporucznik Lorenc shrugged.  "Eleven thousand tonnes is an expensive ship given that the navy hasn't even landed a single airplane on an existing ship yet.  Still, it was a neat design, and I know you put a lot of work into it.  Sorry they turned it down."

"Yeah, but that was the outcome I expected," Gzowski said.  "At least your little river guys are being ordered.  It's something."

"I'm not unhappy," Lorenc agreed.  "So now what?  Literally back to the drawing board?"

"I dunno," Gzowski said, sipping at his caffeinated alcoholic beverage.  "What's the best case here?  Improve the floatplane facilities on the next light cruiser class?  Update the Oriona with modern turbines and stuff?  I want planes in the air over water, man."

"I know, I know."  Lorenc lit his pipe, sucked in some smoke, released it.  "I get the sense the chain of command is kind of interested but scared of the cost for something untried.  You know?  So I was thinking maybe they'd think on a conversion of some sort.  Yank some guns off, drop a hanger somewhere and fit the flight decks around the existing superstructure."

Gzowski shook his head.  "What've we got to work with?  An old armored cruiser is short and slow; the old battleships are worse – plus they just refitted the Wspanialys to keep doing big-gun things anyway.  The old protected cruisers are just way too small.  I see what you're saying, but you need a hull that's big enough to operate planes and fast enough to be part of fleet operations if you want to give the admirals a real taste of the capability of aircraft.  We don't have hulls like that lying around."

"You were muttering about something based on a Warta," Lorenc said.

"Yeah, and the size and speed are right, but you can't add an air group to a Warta without huge alterations.  It's not built to carry a big load on deck like, say, a Rybolow.  There's a lot of weight invested in the protection scheme and the superstructure would need a lot of revision and..."

Lorenc watched in silence as gears turned in his colleague's head.

"Rybolow is all about carrying a heavy load on deck, at high speed," Gzowski remarked.  "Just they happen to be motor torpedo-boats in heavy davits, not airplanes."

"You're not...," Lorenc said.  "But it's too small."

"Too small to launch a big strike, sure, but that's not the only reason you'd want airplanes in your squadron," Gzowski said, eyes widening a little.  "What cabinet do we have the blueprints in?  Grab a ruler, will ya?"

[The Rock Doctor]

1 January 1922

The second Encke class battleship is laid down at Stockholm in the midst of a fairly unpleasant snowstorm.

It was widely expected that the ship would be named for a scientist whose name began with the letter "F", and this has come to pass.  A certain bloc of Polish nationalists had assumed it would be for Michel Falkener.  German nationalists thought it'd be either David or Johannes Fabricius.  Nobody really expected that the ship would be named for a Swedish agronomist and historian.

A female Swedish agronomist and historian. 

The Charlotta Frölich should be completed at the end of 1925.

18 January 1922

The Vilnius Union Navy's World Tour kicks off with the departure of the squadron from Amsterdam.

Wiceadmiral Jaroslav Stastny flies his flag on the armored cruiser Szermierz, while the royal pennant of the House of Vasa flies from the light cruiser Bug as Crown Prince Gunther, Princess Christine, and their children have embarked to see the world.  Also present are the light cruiser Warta, seaplane carrier Oriona, torpedo-boats Malta and Moravska, sloop Regensburg, and depot ships Rosadny and Ostrozny.

Although the squadron departs at twelve knots, most of the squadron accelerates up to fifteen knots for the two day sortie to the port of Brest, in the Imperial Roman Republic.

The exceptions are Regensburg and the two depot ships, which're limited to a lower cruising speed and will continue directly to Cadiz rather than pay call at Brest or Lisbon.

OOC:  @snip - the squadron's also showing up at Naples later in the month.  Not sure if you want to post anything about either stop.  Totally cool if you don't.

[The Rock Doctor]

24-28 January 1922

The Union squadron is met in international waters by an Iberian escort centered on the battlecruiser Tigre, generally a peer to Szermierz apart from lighter protection.  Also present are the protected cruisers Azores and Vizcaya, which fought at Dakar.  This is less awkward than it could be, but the Union perceives that a signal of some sort is being sent. 

Eight hours shore leave is granted in Lisbon to the Union men and the old salts amongst them note that the city feels different from the last time they were there.  For a lot of them, that's pre-Dakar, so a decade or more ago.  But still, it's different.  Less vice in the harbour district (not no vice, that would be ridiculous, of course.  Cleaner streets.  More churches and mosques.  This feeling is confirmed by those who get ashore at Cadiz.  "They found God," a bosman from Oriona grumbles.  "What a tragedy."

The royal family is greeted at Cadiz by their Iberian counterparts and are whisked off to tour the local cathedral, whereupon wee Prince Piotr decides to run up and down the main aisle despite the best efforts of his mother and two nannies to corral him.  Playtime in a nearby courtyard is hastily arranged while the kids' parents continue on to meet with local dignitaries, after which a formal dinner takes place.  Apart from Piotr's little rampage, Prince Gunther and Princess Christine are quite pleased with how the visit proceeds.

Sailors going ashore at Cadiz report that the city is a bit more hospitable than Lisbon was.  Meanwhile, a few hundred visitors take advantage of the opportunity to board Szermierz for a top-side tour of the ship.  Union personnel note that several are likely Iberian intelligence staff, given their interest in rivet-counting and questions about the ship's rangefinders.  How unfortunate that the rangefinders are all covered by tarpaulins for no particular reason.

On the 28th, the squadron raises steam and anchor and departs eastward at fifteen knots, bound for the Italian peninsula and another visit to the Romans.

[The Rock Doctor]

29 January 1922

The Muzeum Historii Marynarki Wojennej is pleased to announce that, with the cooperation of the Union Navy, it will accept delivery of three historically significant ships in July of this year.

The armored cruiser Dragon, with a long history of maritime trade defence and a more recent role in testing naval aviation, will be the centrepiece of the display at Gdansk.  It is expected that the aviation facilities will be removed prior to the ship's opening to the public.

The Union's first icebreaker, Aland, has served the Baltic for over thirty years and will now take up a new role in educating the public as the new Helgoland-type ships come into service.

The Union's first submarine, U-1, has been an important prototype and proof-of-concept for submarines in general.  She'll be placed on permanent display ashore.

OOC:  All three ships will be removed from the Union Navy's roster and considered permanently deleted, though I'm not technically scrapping them.

[The Rock Doctor]

29 January - 7 February 1922

Often the first sign of the Union squadron for foreign onlookers is the bright red shape of a Salming OM-7 buzzing overhead.  The Oriona has embarked six of the observation floatplanes for the tour, of which four are housed in the aft hanger and used frequently.  The other two are partially disassembled and stowed in the tiny forward hanger as replacement airframes, with the assumption that there will be attrition over the course of the tour.

Oriona typically launches two sorties a day - morning and night - to get a general sense of what shipping lies ahead of the squadron.  Multiple aircraft are also launched when the squadron approaches the primary port for host countries.  Three aircraft drone overhead as the squadron arrives at Naples on the afternoon of the 31st, for example. 

The other OM-7, based aboard the cruiser Warta, sometimes steps in to take on the general scouting role, but most of its sorties are about testing aerial photography techniques and practicing shadowing of the squadron.

That stop lasts until 4 February, with shore leave for every ship in the squadron.  Seamen have an opportunity to check out the city's historical sites, which are generally centuries older than anything standing in the Union's cities.  A few officers and men receive special disposition for an overnight pass in order to sight-see at Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius.  Few incidents are reported - the usual spate of public drunkenness, a couple of fights, and a farcical and unsuccessful attempt to smuggle a prostitute aboard the Moravska which ends when the young lady, encapsulated in a wine barrel, has a violent sneezing fit during the embarkation process.

After a pleasant tour, royal goings-on, and a quiet cruise in the eastern Med, the squadron arrives at Byzance on the 7th of February.

(OOC:  Jef, feel free to post anything about the Union's stops in Byzance, Alexandria, or the Suez transit.)

[Jefgte]

(OOC:  Jef, feel free to post anything about the Union's stops in Byzance, Alexandria, or the Suez transit.)

Jef is visiting Normandy and has a bad internet connection.
I won't be able to post until Monday at home... Sorry.

[The Rock Doctor]

7 - 20 February 1922

The Union's visit to Byzantium goes well, and in generally similar fashion to the just-concluded visit to Rome.  A Byzantine squadron meets, greets, and escorts the squadron to the Bosporous and then to the Golden Horn.  Shore leave, sight-seeing and a few fancy dinners follow.

The stop in Byzance lasts until 11 February for the main squadron; the sloop and depot ships had steered directly for Alexandria and arrive a bit early, allowing those crews to have some R&R before the main squadron joins them.  This happens on 13 February and there is little in the way of leave on that day or the next as crews focus on a bit of stores transfers, painting, and other necessary maintenance.

The transit through the Suez Canal is uneventful, though there is a bit of annoyance that the squadron can't really operate its seaplanes in such a confined waterway.  Once in the Red Sea, however, OM-7s are launched morning and evening to have a look about - and the first operational loss comes on the morning of the 17th.  The plane's engine cuts out shortly after take-off and is ditched about two miles south of the squadron.  Both crew escape the aircraft but the plane itself  sinks before the Moravska arrives on the scene.

Mid-day on the 18th, the squadron is met and saluted by a large and quaint collection of coal-fired Ethiopian warships ranging from small torpedo-boats to an armored cruiser akin to Lucznik.  They maneuver to form a line parallel and shoreward of the Union and accompany them into Massawa. 

Shore leave in Massawa is limited to two eight-hour spells, so only about half of the Union men get a chance to step ashore and take in the sights, though it is afterward said to be the least interesting stop of the tour thus far.  The Ethiopians are keen to have the royal family and the senior naval staff engaged in (separate) dinners ashore and on the Ethiopian flagship respectively. 

The following day is all about the hosts seeing what the Union ships are about, with Malta made available for public on-deck touring.  Some Ethiopian officers tour Oriona and have an exhaustive list of questions about naval aircraft operations, while the King and staff tour Szermierz both on and below-deck.  The armored cruiser is invited to give demonstration of its main battery and does so once a safe section of water is found in which to deposit a few inert training rounds.  The King appears to be quite impressed with the noise and concussive force of the 350/45 artillery.

A dinner hosted aboard Bug that evening results in a lengthy conversation about colonialism in Africa, Ethiopia and the Union's shared border far to the west, and those horrible, nasty, expansionist Berbers.  Princess Christine drinks perhaps a bit more than she should and talks perhaps a bit unflatteringly about a few folks in Union political circles; whether the Ethiopians know who they are is unclear, but the Union officers and staff in attendance are later given a quiet reminder that what is said in Bug's VIP accommodations stays in Bug's VIP accommodations.

[The Rock Doctor]

21 February 1922

"Gustav, I want to go home," Princess Christine declared as they prepared to call it a night in the VIP quarters of Bug.

"Ah...Dear?"

"I'm tired of being on this ship.  The children are stir-crazy.  The help are being run ragged except for Anneke, and she's been vomiting for days," Christine said.  "It's enough.  Let's go home."

"Darling...we're supposed to be at sea for another five months," Gustav replied.  "We're expected."

"I'm not sure you heard me, Gustav.  I want to go home."

"Christine, you know we can't just drop everything and have the ship turn around.  It would be an enormous breach of protocol," Gustav noted.  "It might damage diplomatic relations with the governments we've yet to meet."

"Then we make up something that they can't complain about."

"Loveliest, this was your idea.  You wanted to make this trip," Gustav muttered.  "The time to get cold feet passed a long time ago."

Christine shrugged.  "The best time to cancel a stupid trip was before it started.  The second best time is now.  I think the Chinese say that, don't they?"

[The Rock Doctor]

23 February 1922

"Recognizing that there is institutional reluctance to invest heavily in unproven technology such as naval aviation - while also recognizing that there is potential for naval aviation to be a useful force multiplier in the future - the question has been how to ease into it," Kontradmiral Ivan Kharlamov said to the other flag officers.  "At the moment, we've taken baby steps with riverine seaplane carriers, the seaplane carrier Oriona, and the deployment or intended deployment of floatplanes from new major combatants such as the Warta and Encke classes.  The next logical step is to deploy a platform capable of both launching and landing wheeled aircraft, which should be superior in performance to those with floats."

"I feel like we've heard this spiel before," Grand Admiral Zahle said with a smile. 

"You did, almost word for word, in October," Kharlamov nodded.  "And my staff and I thought at the time that our proposal did indeed ease into naval aviation, but the committee as a whole disagreed.  My staff went back to the drafting table and have another springstyle to present."

"Let's hear it, then," Zahle said.

Kharlamov turned and nodded to Komandors Podporucznik Gzowski and Lorenc.  They slipped out of their chairs and circled around the big oak table to the front of the room. 

Lorenc kept the blueprints rolled up while Gzowski cleared his throat and began.  "Grand Admiral, gentlemen, thank you.  We've got a new aircraft carrier to propose, and we think it meets some core needs for the evolution of naval aviation while minimizing risk to the navy.  What we're proposing is a very small aircraft carrier, of under five thousand tonnes, equipped solely with wheeled fighters to be operated in a fleet defence role."

Now he raised a brow at Lorenc, who unrolled the blueprint and clipped it to the easel between them.

"I recognize those lines," Zahle said, cocking his head. 

"Yes, sir.  I expect other gentlemen will as well.  We have basically taken a Rybolow class korzarz and adjusted the design to carry aircraft rather than motor-torpedoboats," Gzowski said.  "Below decks, the most notable change is that we'd trunk exhaust gases into two funnels rather than three.  Eliminating the aft-most funnel allows for the major above-decks change, the addition of a modest hanger, lift, and landing deck over the aft half of the ship in place of the small craft davits found in Rybolow and Jasztrab.  Two narrow, eight-foot wide platforms around the superstucture lead to a flying-off deck over the bow."

"You've left the main battery in place?" one of the battleship squadron commanders asked.

"Aye, sir.  More on that in a moment," Gzowski said.  "Now, I draw your attention to the forward superstructure, which has added an additional half-level.  This allows navigation and reasonable sightlines even when an aircraft is sited on the flying-off deck.  However, many features of the original Rybolow design remain in place:  The speed, the main battery, the dimensions and most of the interior arrangements."

"Is this a cost-saving measure?  Less risky than a clean-sheet design?" Zahle asked.

"There is that, Sir, along with awareness that the navy does not yet know how to land aircraft on moving ships or how best to design a ship to operate wheeled aircraft in a reusable way," Gzowski said.  "The main consideration, however, is that - because we are proposing a cheap, small aircraft carrier, its useful life will be brief as aircraft size inevitably increases.  Even with the explicit decision to design around single-engined fight aircraft, this design would have a useful life likely less than ten years as those aircraft grow larger and heavier."

"Which is-" Zahle started.

"Which is why we're making it as easy as possible to refurbish the ship as a proper torpedo-boat carrier - or minelaying cruiser - after her naval aviation career ends.  Literally a matter of razing the hanger and flight deck and replacing them with davits or other payload," Gzowski interrupted.  "Er, sorry, sir."

"I'll allow it, Komandor Podporucznik," Zahle said.  "So - a tiny carrier.  How tiny?"

"At most, six fighters," Gzowski said.  "But those six fighters can shoot down enemy airships and reconnaissance aircraft, sweep aside enemy gunnery observation aircraft, and protect our own in turn."

"Hmm," Zahle said.  "Thoughts, gentlemen?"

There was a brief pause as the other flag officers digested the discussion and gathered their thoughts.

"I'm intrigued," Kontradmiral Henning replied.  "It's not necessarily going to save my bacon if I make an opposed, daylight transit around Britain, but it could really help me shake any pursuit afterward."

"I'm skeptical but the refurbishment option is clever," Kontradmiral van Gaal said.  "But that being the case, why not refurbish one of the existing units into the aircraft carrier?"

"This is an option, but I think the argument is that doing so would remove one of the korsarz from its existing and valued role," Kontradmitral Kharlamov replied.  "Obviously, though Mister Gzowski has not explicitly stated it, the five years since the Rybolow design has resulted in some efficiencies in machinery so forth.  If converted to a korsarz after the suitable trials period, the ship would be faster and longer-legged than Rybolow."

"Hmm," Zahle muttered again.  He glanced around the table, saw no strong dissent, and said, "Very well - refine the design and costing.   I'll see if I can shake loose some funding for it."