I guess it was only a matter of time before I started an AU. I have a lot of ideas for ships, many as simple as "ship X crossed with ship Y" type concepts, but also others that are more unique designs. This started as a way to create a shared ecosystem for them to exist in, and to give me some design constraints to work to. I initially grouped the designs into nations by shared traits, but then went off the deep end with worldbuilding. So there's quite a bit of history and individual nation doctrine that will (hopefully) make it all hang together and give each design a in a greater whole.
However, I don't want to do a wall of text infodump on the world and its history (I don't even have a map). I've set up a framework, and what I'll likely do is sporadically draw ships from different nations and time periods out of sequence. I hope that by explaining the background to each individual ship, the world as a whole will come together in a nonlinear narrative sort of way.
Anyway, without further ado, here's a ship!
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/6qhYjmw.png)
Irvennia's Resurgent class battlecruisers were approved at the Third International Naval Construction Conference (INCC) in 1580, with construction starting in 1581 and the lead ship, HMS Resurgent, commissioning in 1585.
As at the previous conference, the major naval powers brought several designs and ideal plans to the table, then negotiated until the next construction phase for each nation was mutually agreed. The apetite for arms limitation was high in 1580, with the world in the midst of an economic depression, and Irvennia led the way in attempting to reduce the size and power of individual capital ships. They did however have a vested interest in building a numerous class of modern ships to satisfy their needs of patrolling a large overseas empire.
To this end, Irvennia presented a design armed with 15" guns and displacing as little as 33,000 tons. This was a noticeable step down from the average size and firepower of the previous capital ship generation, and though the other nations also committed to build more modest ships, they would not meet this low target. Having individually weaker ships suited Irvennia, since it allowed them to argue for more ships as compensation. In the end, Irvennia's design quietly grew to 35,000 tons standard displacement, and they calculated correctly that the modest armament would not draw attention as the other nations bartered over 16" armed designs. A compromise was reached that Irvennia would be allowed to build 5 as long as only 4 were ever simultaneously in active service, with one always rotating to a state of refit without possibility of immediate combat readyness.
The Resurgents were nevertheless balanced and capable ships, below average in gun caliber at 15", but fast at 29 knots and well armoured, with a thick, sloped internal armoured belt. They were also ahead of their time by having significant space dedicated to aviation facilities. However, the continued use of separate AA and low-angle secondary batteries was not considered a success.
HMS Resurgent is shown here shortly after completion, wearing the peacetime tropical station livery of Pale Amber with red identification markings. She engaged in neutrality patrols, protecting Irvennian overseas interests at risk of getting caught up in the increasing tension between Cebergaard and Lūnaria.
HMS Resplendent, the fifth and last member of the Resurgent class, was delayed in construction. This provided an opportunity to rectify one of the perceived shortcomings of the class, and she was completed to a modified design. The split secondary/AA batteries were removed, and replaced with a single unified battery of dual-purpose weapons. Their large caliber made them excellent in the anti-surface role, but their slow rate of fire was only partially compensated in the AA role by their barrel count and sizeable explosive filler. By the time of her completion, an ecclectic mix of light AA weapons had also been added as they became available. These included single .50 caliber machine guns as per the rest of the fleet in the late 1580s, but also the new 20mm gun in single and quadruple mountings.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/m8EiimJ.png)
HMS Resplendent commissioned shortly before the outbreak of war. At this time, Resurgent was due to pay off into refit to receive the same secondary armament upgrades, but the escalating international situation meant Irvennia did not honour her treaty commitment. Thus, the complete class of 5 ships, at the time the most modern in the navy, joined the home fleet to ward off an anticipated pre-emptive strike by the Transcollinnian Navy. This did not materialise, but they would soon see action in the war that was about to engulf the whole world.