stevep
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Post by stevep on Jan 1, 2024 21:07:14 GMT
Steve, All good; twas but a short matter of months. Ultimately, DE Marlborough is very much a transitional figure who only gets on the list by virtue of being called the name. Disraeli is an interesting character. Whilst I don't seek to defend any long dead folk of @, the Plimsoll Line adoption was in one sense only delayed by a year from July 1875, but in effect until 1890 (https://victorianweb.org/history/plimsoll.html One of my favourite lovely websites to while away many an hour upon). In Dark Earth, we can take it that there was no delay, with advances in shipping, trade and the space race pushing the cause of efficiency and its older brother safety.
OK I was going by a radio documentary where it was delayed for several years with a lot of vested interests in the shipping industry wanted to avoid being forced to adopt it and it including a speech by Disraeli mocking the idea. Thanks for the correct spelling. I thought what I put was wrong but couldn't find the correct one. Will have a look at that site.
PS - Have done and didn't realise that the vermin involved prevented its full implementation until 1890.
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 2, 2024 2:56:39 GMT
All fine. As said, here (and due in a very small way to me being fond of the Plimsoll Line) it is implemented when suggested.
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Post by simon darkshade on Jan 31, 2024 3:58:35 GMT
On Electricity and Power Generation:
A recent discussion over on AH.com got me crunching sums on power generation and what may need to be a rethink of some Dark Earth material.
From The Imperial Almanac of Great Britain:
"In 1959, 48% of the UK's electricity was produced by coal, 21% by oil and gas, 16% by nuclear power and 14% by hydroelectricity and 1% by windpower. Over 256 TW of electricity were produced in 1958...Hydroelectricity provides significant power in Scotland, Wales and Lyonesse, with the Severn Barrage in South West England producing 6850 MW of power. The Welsh Mountains scheme provides electricity for most of Wales and the Midlands through its underground power stations and subterranean rivers and lakes."
"The first civilian nuclear power station was opened in Britain in 1950, with twelve reactors built over the next decade and a further fifteen under construction or projected as of 1960."
Issue 1: I've envisaged that the Welsh Mountains Scheme would total around 3000 MWe and Scotland would add a further 2000 MWe of hydroelectrical power. On top of the Severn (I know it is tidal power in a certain fashion, but am grouping it broadly), that gives a total of 103,806,000 MW annually, or 103.86 TWh. That is 40%, not 14%
Issue 2: 12 power stations (not reactors as it written there, but I recall my intent) translates as Windscale/Calder Hall, Chapelcross, Berkeley, Bradwell, Hartlepool, Hunterston, Hinkley Point, Trawsfynyd, Dungeness, Sizewell, Oldbury and Wylfa. The first group of six will be 4 x 250 MW and the second six were 4 x 500 MW. Annual output of that is 157,680,000 MW, or 157.68 TW, or 61% vs 16%
Issue 3: The 15 under construction or projected would be Heysham, Torness, Dounreay, Malin (Northern Ireland), Arklow (Southern Ireland), Kilmelford (Scotland), Ullapool (Scotland), Moidart (Scotland), Inverbervie (Scotland), Amble (Northumberland), Hinderwell (North Yorkshire), Skipsea (West Yorkshire), Theddlethorpe (Lincolnshire), Weybourne (Norfolk) and Isle of Grain (Kent).
Possible Solution: I'm going to need increase/retcon the total amount of electricity produced to keep some semblance of the overall ratios for 1960. The impact of what happens when the next 15 atomic power plants are complete, given that they will each generate ~2000-2500 MW will need some thought.
"Electricity Production: Nuclear 30%, Coal 29%, Oil and Gas 25%, Hydroelectricity 14%, Solar 1%, Other 1%" (from 1969/70 Assorted British Statistical Data)
Those numbers seem to be right out of kilter with the impact of additional nuclear power plants.
"The question of oil and its politics had been a consistent driver for British policy since before the Great War, but Stanley Barton had become Prime Minister on the eve of what could be most significant change. 42% of her national power requirements were provided by coal plants and a further 27% by oil, but this was shifting in favour of nuclear. It accounted for just 10% now, but this was projected as doubling in the next five years alone. The prospects of the next energy revolution through fusion was further off into the future, but the day was coming when oil and coal would no longer be significant sources of electrical power generation in the British Isles. This would bring with it some measure of relief with regard to the oil picture, but the matter of coal would be a more complex one - the overwhelming majority of Britain’s 1.2 million coal miners were Labour voters and his people, after all." (A New Jerusalem Part 15)
This will just need a light edit to fiddle with the numbers, with the 10% seeming like a typo.
Overall, the 27 "Generation 1 and 2" nuclear power stations completed, under construction or projected as of 1964 will be joined by approval for a further 9 Gen 2 plants by 1964 and 4 more between 1964 and 1967. All will be completed by 1972.
In 1955, there was this event: "The Ministry of Power, the Royal Atomic Energy Commission and British Energy publish a study outlining the development of the British electrical power industry over the next 20 years, including a plan for the construction of 52 nuclear power stations across Britain and Ireland."
The last 12 plants won't be fission powered, but will shift to fusion power. This will take longer than 1975, but the consequences will be profound.
Darkmoor, the first British fusion plant, has four 2500 MW reactors operating as of 1973. A single fusion power station will produce 87.6 TW of electricity annually, or more than the entire @ UK in 1958.
Long story short, I'm going to have to go back and fiddle with some numbers. Oil and gas power will be way down, coal on the way out sooner for power generation and hydro will produce a tad more.
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Post by simon darkshade on Feb 1, 2024 5:40:57 GMT
Change 1:
Total Electricity Produced increased from 256 TW to 486 TW, or a total capacity of ~ 55,479 MW. That is a fair jump, compared to ~120 TW in 1960 in @, but reflects the greater size, development and population of the country; the more sophisticated industry, particularly the power-hungry aluminium refining; nuclear production facilities; and further modernisation of some infrastructure not yet electrified in @ 1958-1960.
Change 2:
Previous Power Generation Percentages for 1958/59: 48% coal = 14027 MW 21% oil/gas = 6137 MW 16% nuclear power = 4675 MW 14% hydroelectricity = 4091 MW 1% wind = 92 MW
Nominal and Actual Capacities: 10 nuclear plants (6 x 1000MW and 4 x 2000MW) = 14000 MW x 75% = 10500 MW (18.92%) Hydroelectric capacity = 12500 MW x 90% = 11250 MW (20.27%)
That would then allow for a corrected 1958/59 Electricity Split of:
40% Coal (22191.6 MW) from 562 coal power stations (219 England + 25 Scotland, 12 Wales, 12 Ireland, 8 Lyonesse less than 100 MW; 243 over 100 MW in England + 17 Scotland, 12 Wales, 9 Ireland, 5 Lyonesse) 20.25% Oil/Gas (11234.5 MW) from 15 oil fired power stations 20.25% Hydroelectricity (11234.5 MW) 19% Nuclear (10541 MW) 0.25% Wind (138.7 MW) 0.25% Other (138.7 MW)
Given that oil/gas and nuclear are both relatively new forms at that point, it would work within a realistic paradigm of almost entire reliance on coal power pre WW2. The coal requirement is 170,426 tons per day, or ~62 million tons a year.
Change 3: By 1964, the overall percentages will be
Coal 32% Nuclear 25% Oil and Gas 24% Hydroelectricity: 18% Other: 1%
Total Electricity: 729 TWh
That is a fairly small correction to make to ANJ.
Change 4:
Electricity Production 1969/70 would be
Nuclear 37% Coal 27% Oil and Gas 18% Hydroelectricity 16% Solar 1% Wind 1%
1025 TWh
A line in ANJ would change from 'doubling in the next five years alone' to 'increasing by half in the next five years alone'
By 1973, the percentages will be
Nuclear 52% Coal 19% (37762 MW) Hydroelectricity 15% Oil and Gas 12% Wind 1% Solar 1%
1654 TWh/188813
The nuclear percentage will continue to rise rapidly with more fusion plants coming online and the hundreds of older, small coal plants coming to the end of their economic lives.
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Post by simon darkshade on Mar 29, 2024 4:31:17 GMT
British Armament Program 1973
Tanks: 3793 (140 Royalists, 375 Valiants, 100 Super Conquerors, 2678 Crusaders, 500 Chieftains)
IFVs: 4074 (3124 FV-525 Warrior, 950 FV-432 Saxon)
APCs: 5321 (1652 Centaur IMV, 1574 Saladin AMC, 1067 Sentinel LAV, 1028 MAV)
Artillery: 2978 (96 3.75" Vickers Whirlwind SPAAGs, 160 42mm Marksman SPAAGs, 360 25mm Sharpshooter SPAAGs 375 25pdr GP Guns 125 36pdr SVAT Guns 750 L24 125mm Light Guns (300 Britain, 250 Commonwealth, 100 Yugoslavia, 100 Greece) 400 L121 6" Gun-Howitzers (150 Britain, 100 Greece, 50 Arabs, 50 Persia, 50 Argentina) 250 FV236 Archbishops, 120 FV254 Lionhearts, 50 FV287 Excalibur, 12 375mm 180 Catapult MRLS)
Missiles: 292 (24 Black Arrow MRBM, 36 Blue Streak ICBM; 40 White Knight, 36 Gold Crown, 36 Black Prince, 120 Blue Water)
SAMs: 2400 (1280 Broadsword, 240 Blue Envoy (export), 240 Blue Envoy; 320 PT.428 Rapier SAMs, 320 EG.324 Sabre SAMs)
MANPADs: 1800 1800 Vickers Skyflash
ATGMs: 6000 1200 Hawker-Siddeley Javelins, 1200 Fairey Swingfires, 3600 Shorts Green Apples
Vehicles: 45,000 (7500 Bedford MK 5t lorry, 2500 Leyland Ranger 5t 6x6 lorry, 2500 Alvis Stalwart 10t 8x8 lorry, 20,000 Land Rovers, 2500 Humber Pigs, 10000 Austin Champions)
Mortars: 2390 (1000 L13 2.5", 800 L16 3.5", 250 L18 3.75" Automatic, 200 L12 4.5", 100 L35 6.5", 40 L52 10")
Small Arms (206,774 L1A2 battle rifles, 153,982 L2A4 assault rifles, 64,562 L10 pistols, 90,287 L10A1 submachine guns, 25,629 L4 LMGs, 12,584 L6 GPMGs, 6254 L12 HMGs, 2000 Maxim Guns)
Military Aircraft: 3672
Vickers (795) 120 Vickers Thunderbolts (Chile 40, Greece 60, Yugoslavia 20) 128 Supermarine Eagle TSR-2s (64 RAF, 32 India, 32 USA) 374 Supermarine Spitfires 80 Westland Tigers 60 Westland Sea Kings 32 Westland Westminsters
de Havilland (702) 320 de Havilland Tornadoes (120 Britain, 80 Argentina, 60 Commonwealth, 60 Benelux) 200 de Havilland Vanguard II (200 RN) 20 de Havilland DH.125 Jet Dragons 24 Handley-Page Vengeances 18 Shorts Valentine (Bolivia) 20 Shorts Belfast Mark III 50 Percival Lynx
Armstrong-Whitworth (688) 10 Armstrong-Whitworth Warspite 20 Armstrong-Whitworth AW.249 AEW 180 Armstrong-Whitworth Warrior 64 Gloster Lions (64 RAuxAF) 60 Gloster P.462 Reaper (60 Persia) 204 Fairey Fireflies 96 Fairey Rotodynes 54 Fairey Swordfish ASW
Hawker-Siddeley (772) 136 H-S Harriers/Sea Harriers (32 Germany, 24 Italy, 80 RAF) 480 Hawker-Siddeley Hurricanes 24 Hawker Siddeley HS.681 Skyblazers 96 Blackburn Buccaneers (60 India, 36 Argentina, 24 Greece) 24 Avro Vulcans 12 Avro Vindicators
BAC/Bristol (716) 24 Bristol Buckinghams 48 Bristol Bulldogs 32 Bristol Strikemaster (40 RIAF,) 156 Bristol Rovers 128 English Electric Lightnings (48 India, 80 RAF) 256 English Electric Scimitars 72 Folland-Miles Wasps
British Armament Program 1972
Tanks: 3044 (125 Royalists, 254 Valiants, 96 Super Conquerors, 2569 Crusaders)
IFVs: 3500 (2750 FV-525 Warrior, 750 FV-432 Saxon)
APCs: 4522 (1548 Centaur IMV, 1174 Saladin AMC, 883 Sentinel LAV, 917 MAV)
Artillery: 2460 (82 3.75" Vickers Whirlwind SPAAGs, 138 42mm Marksman SPAAGs, 320 25mm Sharpshooter SPAAGs 290 25pdr GP Guns 100 36pdr SVAT Guns 640 L24 125mm Light Guns (300 Britain, 240 Commonwealth, 100 Scandinavia) 320 L121 6" Gun-Howitzers (160 Britain, 60 Arabs, 60 Persia, 40 Scandinavia) 240 FV236 Archbishops, 120 FV254 Lionhearts, 50 FV287 Excalibur, 12 375mm 140 Catapult MRLS)
Missiles: 268 (24 Black Arrow MRBM, 24 Blue Streak ICBM; 32 White Knight, 32 Gold Crown, 36 Black Prince, 120 Blue Water)
SAMs: 1680 (560 Broadsword, 160 Blue Envoy (240 export), 160 Bloodhound (export); 400 PT.428 Rapier SAMs, 400 EG.324 Sabre SAMs)
MANPADs: 1600 1600 Vickers Skyflash
ATGMs: 6000 1600 Hawker-Siddeley Javelins, 1200 Fairey Swingfires, 3200 Shorts Green Apples
Vehicles: 32,650 (5000 Bedford MK 5t lorry, 2500 Leyland Ranger 5t 6x6 lorry, 3000 Alvis Stalwart 10t 8x8 lorry, 150 Scammell Commander, 12,000 Land Rovers, 2000 Humber Pigs, 8000 Austin Champions)
Mortars: 2245 (957 L13 2.5", 720 L16 3.5", 240 L18 3.75" Automatic, 200 L12 4.5", 96 L35 6.5", 32 L52 10")
Small Arms (184,532 L1A2 battle rifles, 124,749 L2A4 assault rifles, 60,187 L10 pistols, 109,263 L10A1 submachine guns, 24,555 L4 LMGs, 12,467 L6 GPMGs, 6219 L12 HMGs, 1987 Maxim Guns)
Military Aircraft: 3429
Vickers (685) 140 Vickers Thunderbolts (RAF 80, Spain 20, Greece 40) 64 Supermarine Eagle TSR-2s (32 India, 32 USA) 428 Supermarine Spitfires 64 Westland Tigers 50 Westland Sea Kings 24 Westland Westminsters
de Havilland (603) 400 de Havilland Tornadoes (240 Britain, 80 Commonwealth, 40 Benelux, 40 Germany) 50 de Havilland Vanguards (Australia) 26 de Havilland DH.125 Jet Dragons 18 Handley-Page Vengeances 24 Shorts Valentine (Chile) 25 Shorts Belfast Mark III 60 Percival Lynx
Armstrong-Whitworth (671) 18 Armstrong-Whitworth Warspite 36 Armstrong-Whitworth AW.249 AEW 48 Gloster Lions (48 RCAF) 120 Gloster P.462 Reaper (72 Mexico, 48 Persia) 219 Fairey Fireflies 102 Fairey Rotodynes 64 Fairey Swordfish ASW 64 Hawker-Siddeley Hurricanes
Hawker-Siddeley (780) 176 H-S Harriers/Sea Harriers (48 Germany, 96 Italy, 32 Sweden) 400 Hawker-Siddeley Hurricanes 24 Hawker Siddeley HS.681 Skyblazers 120 Blackburn Buccaneers (80 RN, 20 India, 20 Germany) 24 Avro Vulcans 24 Avro 780 Andover 12 Avro Vindicators
BAC/Bristol (690) 32 Bristol Buckinghams 72 Bristol Bulldogs 170 Bristol Strikemaster (40 RAF, 85 RIAF, 45 Sth Vietnam) 80 English Electric Lightnings (40 RAF, 40 India) 192 English Electric Scimitars 80 Folland-Miles Wasps 64 Hawker-Siddeley Hurricanes
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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 17, 2024 7:25:22 GMT
British Newspapers 1973
The Times (Centre Right, Conservative) The Telegraph (Right Wing, Conservative) Financial Times (Right Wing, Conservative) The Manchester Guardian (Centre Right, Liberal and Imperialist)
Empire Gazette (Populist Centre Right, Imperialist and Conservative) The Daily Chronicle (Right Wing, Conservative) News of the World (Centre Right, Labour) Daily Mail (Populist Right Wing, Conservative) Daily Express (Populist Right Wing, Conservative and Nationals) Daily Mirror (Centre, Labour) Daily Herald (Centre Left, Labour) Morning Post (Populist Right Wing, Conservative) Daily Sketch (Populist Right Wing, Conservative) The Tribune (Centre Left, Liberal) Morning Star (Left Wing, Socialist) Daily Sentinel (Populist Centre, Liberal)
Evening Newspapers:
Evening Standard Pall Mall Gazette Evening News Evening Star (distinct from The Morning Star)
Specialist Papers:
London Gazette Sporting Life Sport Gazette The Sports Journal Racing Post The Football Paper Wisden Farmer’s Guardian Country Gentleman’s Agricultural Gazette Union Jack (Army) Navy News Church of England Record Jewish Chronicle Lloyd’s List Mirabilis Hartshire Post
Notable Magazines:
Punch John Bull The Spectator The Adventurer Young Elizabethan and The Elizabethan The War Illustrated New Statesman The Economist Round Table Tatler Soldier
Children’s Papers, Comics and Magazines:
The Eagle Union Jack Boy’s Own The Beano Commando Excalibur Crusade Valiant Lion Tiger Girl Robin Swift Space! Action The Victor Warlord Battle Picture Weekly War Picture Library
- The most notable difference first up is the rather different politics of the Manchester Guardian, which here was purchased by Lord Rothermere in the early 1920s and becoming part of the Associated Newspapers group. By the aftermath of the Second World War, it has established a distinct identity as the 'broadsheet' paper of the group, strongly Liberal Imperialist (in the DE sense) and very strident in its opposition to fascism in the 1930s and wartime coverage. They are seen as the best paper for technically accurate military coverage and its journalists have a certain reputation for being 'gung ho' in the field - The Empire Gazette sits somewhere between the Mail and the Telegraph and is based in Birmingham - The Daily Chronicle, inspired by The Chronicle in the television adaptions of Michael Dobbs House of Cards and its sequels is a slightly brasher Telegraph in the popular press. It is part of the business empire of Sir Denzil Carey, who is very much not based on an Australian newspaper proprieter who historically bought into Britain in the 1960s, whose DE equivalent is still running The News and The Australian down under - The Daily Herald was not replaced by The Sun in 1964 here - In general, tabloids and tabloid journalism haven't emerged in their modern manifestation and there isn't any scope for the more lurid aspects of the redtops, such as Page 3 girls, crassness and sexual content; the Lord Chamberlain and Ministry of Information would come down on any such attempts with both boots very, very quickly - The Morning Star is a distinctly different entity from the @ rebadged Daily Worker, which was banned early in its life. Here, it represents the Bennite types purged from Labour in the 1950s - The Tribune doesn't collapse here, just as the Liberal Party doesn't experience its @ 'strange death' - The Daily Sentinel is a bluffly Northern and Scots Liberal paper - Mirabilis is a wizardly paper, whilst the Hartshire Post is focused on the interests of the halfling community
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