Isselmere
10-07-2005, 08:28
Sarah Plehvin for the Daurmont Times Gazette, 7 July 2005
GRIMSBY DOWNS, Anguist - Following the loss of two Castle-class heavy cruisers in somewhat peculiar circumstances, the design was placed under review by the House Standing Committee on Defence Appropriations and by the Defence Procurement Agency. It has come to light, however, that the design itself was, and is, fundamentally sound. Mr Stephen Hargreaves, Chair of the Defence Appropriations Committee, stated that the losses were attributable to "poor command decisions".
"Whilst it pains me gravely to say such things, particularly when the loss of life was so great in both instances, there was no failure of either construction or in the design in the case of the Earlsport," Mr Hargreaves affirmed. "The admiral-in-charge acted contrary to existing SOPs [standing operating procedures] and after-action reports that the ship's design saved the vessel long enough to permit some of the ship's company to escape before she foundered." The vice admiral in charge of the fleet has been cashiered and may face time in a naval prison for his actions.
John Malveny, who had been forced to resign from the Royal Shipyards because of the disasters, has been reinstated. A fair measure of ill-will has developed between the senior management and the director-general, Neville Colwan, in light of Mr Colwan's inability to safeguard Mr Malveny from "political intrusion", declared one anonymous source. Mr Malveny himself takes a different view.
"The former government did not permit much leeway to managers and directors of Crown corporations," he averred. "Mr Colwan warned me of potential repercussions and suggested that we investigate the design ourselves. I, however, was of the opinion that the class required no further work beyond updates to ensure it remained up-to-date throughout a ship's hull-life. Unfortunately, the government of the day didn't agree."
The Castle-class was designed in conjunction with the Jimnam Admiralty to serve as a shore bombardment vessel and standard heavy cruiser. It continues to be in service with two navies, the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Navy and the Jimnam Grand Navy.
GRIMSBY DOWNS, Anguist - Following the loss of two Castle-class heavy cruisers in somewhat peculiar circumstances, the design was placed under review by the House Standing Committee on Defence Appropriations and by the Defence Procurement Agency. It has come to light, however, that the design itself was, and is, fundamentally sound. Mr Stephen Hargreaves, Chair of the Defence Appropriations Committee, stated that the losses were attributable to "poor command decisions".
"Whilst it pains me gravely to say such things, particularly when the loss of life was so great in both instances, there was no failure of either construction or in the design in the case of the Earlsport," Mr Hargreaves affirmed. "The admiral-in-charge acted contrary to existing SOPs [standing operating procedures] and after-action reports that the ship's design saved the vessel long enough to permit some of the ship's company to escape before she foundered." The vice admiral in charge of the fleet has been cashiered and may face time in a naval prison for his actions.
John Malveny, who had been forced to resign from the Royal Shipyards because of the disasters, has been reinstated. A fair measure of ill-will has developed between the senior management and the director-general, Neville Colwan, in light of Mr Colwan's inability to safeguard Mr Malveny from "political intrusion", declared one anonymous source. Mr Malveny himself takes a different view.
"The former government did not permit much leeway to managers and directors of Crown corporations," he averred. "Mr Colwan warned me of potential repercussions and suggested that we investigate the design ourselves. I, however, was of the opinion that the class required no further work beyond updates to ensure it remained up-to-date throughout a ship's hull-life. Unfortunately, the government of the day didn't agree."
The Castle-class was designed in conjunction with the Jimnam Admiralty to serve as a shore bombardment vessel and standard heavy cruiser. It continues to be in service with two navies, the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Navy and the Jimnam Grand Navy.