Shipbucket

The East Indies company survives the Indian Mutiny and lives on until the modern day, expanding to worldwide operations.
This is going to go very slowly... but it will be updated occasionally.

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Before the Indian Mutiny, the East India Company was massively involved in the country, continuously expanding its trading monopoly across the Indian sub-continent. But then the Indian Mutiny struck, and many of the Indian Sepoy battalions left the companies army, fighting back against them and pushing the companies holdings back towards the coast. However, the remaining sepoy battalions, along with the British army held. Increased pay, the promise of grease-less cartridges, and the repealing of the Doctrine of Lapse calmed tensions, especially in the civilian sectors. By 1864, India was back under both British control, and EIC monopoly. While the British Government took administrative control over the nation, the EIC kept local control and its control over resources and trading.
Over the next four decades, the company turned its attentions to expanding its interestingness outside of India and towards the other British possessions. African interests were the next to fall under the Companies gaze, with trading stations being set up in South Africa, British East Africa, and Egypt. By 1900, Company stations had spread to Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and Singapore. While the name John company was still used colloquially, the title of East India Company no longer suited the enterprise, and so the board voted to change the name to 'The Global Trading Company' or GTC.
The First World War brought big changes to the company, dragging it into the 20th Century. The army was mostly brought under the control of the British Army, and many of the regiments fought on the Western front against the Germans. However, the company fleet found new life escorting convoys and freeing up many RN units for operations amongst battle-fleets. While the war forced many new ships to be built to escort not only the company ships but allied nations merchant shipping, which cut deeply into profits, it also brought about the modernisation of the Company fleet. New ships fought off German attacks across the Atlantic, tightening the relationship between the company fleet and the RN. Many ships were sunk, but the company survived the war, stronger thanks to its large modern fleet, and its still numerous merchant vessels which crossed the worlds oceans years round.
The Inter-war period saw something of a bad time for the company fleet, as units were left to age, used hard without replacement and with only rare refits. By 1939, while the company was rich, the fleet was poor, equipment wise. Pre-WW1 frigates were still in use, and only a few new ships had been built in the period. However, with the beginning of WW2 the company knew what had to be done, and immediately started a massive rebuilding program, refitting old ships and building new ones, both merchant and warships. WW2 saw another hard conflict, escorting convoys and even making up the numbers for some of the RN's hunter-killer groups, despite their lack of success.
In the modern day, the company fleet has shrunk, the rising cost of technology making a large fleet impractical if profits are to be maintained. It still operates, patrolling the companies trade routes and ensuring their safety. It also operates during conflicts involving British and British allied forces, escorting auxiliaries and merchant vessels. The company projects that the fleet will exist for as long as merchant trade by sea does, something not likely to end within the next century.

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The Company Lifeblood; Fast packets
As the age of sail came to an end, simply cargo carrying was never going to be enough to allow the GTC to thrive. It had to look to new opportunities for profit, and those came in the form of the fast packets. With ships designed to speed through the oceans faster than any other ship, the company could deliver passengers and cargo at a speed few others could match. Of course the price tag for such travels were just as ground-breaking.
1870
A time of Limbo, when steam power was too short ranged, and sails were too unreliable. This packet ship, technically a screw-driven cutter, is fast for the time it was built, an ideal for the GTC's fleet of packet merchants. She can cruise at 12 knots, though her maximum speed of 16 quickly depletes her bunkers. This ship will set the base line for all of the future GTC fast packets, a predecessor that is already paving the way for the future.


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The Company Fleet
While the GTC had it's merchants and its packets for making profits, it also needed to be able to protect and defend those ships. While originally the Indiamen relied on their own armaments, and indeed some of the GTC's merchants did maintain their own weaponry, it was the Company fleet that was the real sword and shield. The first true warships were laid down in 1874, screw frigates of very similar design to its packets and capable of similar, if slightly reduced, speeds. By the first world war their fleet was the envy of many small nations, and while it couldn't compare to the Royal Navy or the Imperial German Navy it was very capable of looking after it's own.
In the modern day the Company fleet is not as grand as it once was, as with many nations. Increasing threats to GTC monopolies from nations like China and India means that the Company needs its fleet as much as ever, but the ever increasing cost of running modern warships is slowly but surely reducing the size of the fleet. While still capable, any increase in tensions may lead to huge spending increases...

The Fleet in 1914:
At the start of the First World War, the company fleet was small and the GTC directors were unwilling to push too much funding its way. Ships were cramped, slow and wet, and while the fleet involved several new ships they were not the most capable compared to the ships of the Royal Navy.

Flagships:
-Shield class light cruiser (3 built)
Since the death of the wooden hulled sailing warship, the company has made it a policy to maintain at least three cruiser scale vessels to act as company flagships in the three main company bases, the Jamaica, Singapore and India stations. The Shield class (CS Shield, shelter and ward), built in 1906, were the last company flagships introduced before the outbreak of the First World War. They were well armed with 6 and 4 inch guns and like many company vessels they were designed to cruise at the same speed as high speed convoys. However, unlike many of their ships, the shield class were much more comfortable for the crews, with spacious messes and internal sections, mainly due to their additional intended role as transports for high level company officials. The design did have problems, especially in terms of the position of its boats over several 4 inch guns.

Displacement: 3,594 t normal
Dimensions: 389.00 ft / 389.00 ft x 42.00 ft x 14.00 ft
Armament: 3 - 6.00" guns in single mounts
8 - 4.00" guns in single mounts
2 - 2.24" guns in single mounts
Speed: 22.52 kts
Range: 5,000nm at 15.00 kts
Complement: 231 - 301
Cost: £0.301 million

Escorts:
-Pioneer class destroyer (20 built)
The Pioneer class, beginning construction in 1910, was a prime example of how what was by then known as the Global Trading Company built it's ships. She was slow for a destroyer, with only just enough speed to outrun merchant vessels, but had enough range to get halfway across the Atlantic, or all the way with minimal refuelling. She was a good sea boat with a slow roll, and her guns were well proven weapons long used by the Royal Navy and the Company. However, like many Company ships of the period she was cramped and very uncomfortable for the crew, and few of those employed to fight these ships stayed with the company for very longer, despite the increased pay compared to the British armed forces.

Displacement: 1,366 t normal
Dimensions: 294.03 ft / 288.71 ft x 29.53 ft x 9.84 ft
Armament: 3 - 4.00" guns in single mounts
1 - 3.00" guns in single mounts
6 - 21.0" torpedoes
Speed: 19.28 kts
Range: 2,000nm at 15.00 kts
Complement: 112 - 146
Cost: £0.085 million

Auxiliaries:

The Great War:
When war broke out in 1914 the Fleet was small but relatively modern with most of their ships less than ten years old. Even so, the long peace enjoyed by Britain and therefore essentially the GTC, had left the fleet small. If it was to protect its assets during this conflict it was going to have to grow significantly.

Flagships:
-Shield class light cruiser
--GS Shield (Singapore Station, Sunk Oct. 1914)
--GS Shelter (Caribbean Station, Sunk March 1917)
--GS Ward (India Station, Survived)

-Heavy Flagship Program (1917)

Escorts:
-Pioneer class destroyer
--4/20 survived

-Fleet Escort Expansion Program (1914)

-Enlarged Escort Program (1915)

-Emergency Convoy Escort Program (1916)

The Fleet in the 1920's:
While the company fleet grew extensively during the Great War, the conflict also saw the destruction of many vessels which had theretofore served with distinction. The 20's was an era of affirmation of priorities and restructuring of the fleet. While ships were still defined along the lines of Flagships and Escorts, the Flag vessels were much larger than before the war and would be classed by any other fleet as Heavy or even Battle Cruisers. It was certainly an exciting time to sail for the Company.

The Fleet in the 1930's:
A decade of long peace saw calls for a draw down in fleet numbers and indeed they were heeded. Some of the heaviest vessels were decommissioned and scrapped to boost Company profits. There were some necessary replacements made to lighter vessels, especially as technology developed, but by 1939 the fleet was looking very aged indeed.

The Fleet in the 1970's:
The post-war period saw a well armed company plying the seas with an eclectic collection of both escorts and flagships, leftovers from the war. However by 1967, the need for replacement vessels was seen and the company began to look at current vessels to replace their ageing, decrepit fleet.

Escorts:
-Leander class frigate (16 built)
The Royal Navies Leander class ships were chosen as the companies replacement 'front-line' escort in 1970, with an order being placed for 20 of them to be deployed to all company stations. Eventually only 16 were finished by 1976, the rest cancelled due to budget concerns. There were some minor modifications made to the design, such as the replacement of Limbo by the Bofors ASW rocket launcher forwards, but these were simply to bring the Leanders in line with the companies other vessels. They were projected to stay in service until the late 1990's, where they would be replaced by the Next Century Escort Project (NCEP).


The End of an Era:

Escorts:
-Leander class frigate, Capability Upgrade Program (1989)
After a decade of stalwart service, the Company decided to perform a major overhaul on all of it's front line escorts, not only ensuring the hulls were sound but enhancing their equipment and armament significantly. The addition of Exocet launchers, a Phalanx platform and numerous small weapons such as blowpipe launchers and 20mm automatic cannons ensured the Leander's stayed a dangerous presence for the Company.

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The GTC in the modern day

You should run it more like a megacorp.

You raised that point in the other thread and wasn't it nullified? It's HIS AU, let him develop it how he wishes. That said I wish you all the best with this project barnest, it's quite a break from the norm!

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AU Projects: | Banbha et al. | New England: The Divided States
Blood and Fire

You should run it more like get out of my thread.
Thanks man, I'll be along with my first ship soon enough, a 1910 escort destroyer...

this really interests me. I am looking forward on how you are going to combine both profit and capabilities. I suppose we are going to see armed merchants and all?

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Cheap boats is the way forward ace. Merchant speeds, poor crew conditions, that sort of thing.

Anyway, my first go at a springsharp boat. A 1910 escort destroyer, an Atlantic boat by design. She's also cheap.

Pioneer class, GTC Destroyer laid down 1908

Displacement:
1,220 t light; 1,258 t standard; 1,366 t normal; 1,453 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
294.03 ft / 288.71 ft x 29.53 ft x 9.84 ft (normal load)
89.62 m / 88.00 m x 9.00 m x 3.00 m

Armament:
4 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
Weight of broadside 128 lbs / 58 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Hydraulic drive, 2 shafts, 4,578 shp / 3,415 Kw = 20.00 kts
Range 1,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 194 tons

Complement:
112 - 146

Cost:
£0.089 million / $0.354 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 16 tons, 1.2 %
Machinery: 231 tons, 16.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 973 tons, 71.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 146 tons, 10.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,944 lbs / 882 Kg = 60.7 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 1.0 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.00
Metacentric height 0.8 ft / 0.2 m
Roll period: 13.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 78 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.12
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.11

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.570
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.78 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 19.28 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 70
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Mid (0 %): 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 12.00 ft / 3.66 m (8.00 ft / 2.44 m before break)
- Stern: 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Average freeboard: 9.68 ft / 2.95 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 64.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 35.4 %
Waterplane Area: 6,314 Square feet or 587 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 231 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 101 lbs/sq ft or 493 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 2.55
- Longitudinal: 2.76
- Overall: 2.57
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is extremely poor
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform

And she is going to look something like this:

Isn't ASDIC a technology that comes just after the First World War?

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You're dead right... whoops. I've edited.

Can see only three guns and the S.S says 4 guns?
Any I find the notion a big corporation running things like a country intriguing.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Yeah, sorry. Much earlier version. It was going to have a 4th gun, but I changed it to an AA mount...
Anyway, here we go. It's a struggle getting everything in.



Pioneer class, GTC Destroyer laid down 1908

Displacement:
1,188 t light; 1,225 t standard; 1,366 t normal; 1,480 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
294.03 ft / 288.71 ft x 29.53 ft x 9.84 ft (normal load)
89.62 m / 88.00 m x 9.00 m x 3.00 m

Armament:
3 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, majority aft, 1 raised mount aft
1 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 12.90lbs / 5.85kg shells, 1908 Model
Quick firing gun in deck mount
on centreline amidships, 1 raised gun
Weight of broadside 109 lbs / 49 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Hydraulic drive, 2 shafts, 4,578 shp / 3,415 Kw = 20.00 kts
Range 2,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 255 tons

Complement:
112 - 146

Cost:
£0.085 million / $0.342 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 14 tons, 1.0 %
Machinery: 231 tons, 16.9 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 943 tons, 69.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 179 tons, 13.1 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,996 lbs / 905 Kg = 62.4 x 4.0 " / 102 mm shells or 1.1 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
Metacentric height 0.8 ft / 0.3 m
Roll period: 13.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 79 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.11
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.12

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised quarterdeck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.570
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.78 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 19.28 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 70
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Forecastle (25 %): 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
- Mid (0 %): 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
- Quarterdeck (20 %): 12.00 ft / 3.66 m (8.00 ft / 2.44 m before break)
- Stern: 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
- Average freeboard: 9.68 ft / 2.95 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 63.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 35.4 %
Waterplane Area: 6,314 Square feet or 587 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 239 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 98 lbs/sq ft or 478 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 2.48
- Longitudinal: 2.68
- Overall: 2.50
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is extremely poor
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform