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Grayson Space Navy

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The Grayson Space Navy (GSN) was the space force and main military branch of the Protectorate of Grayson.

Prior to the Protectorate's alliance with the Star Kingdom of Manticore, the GSN was primarily a system defense force equipped largely with light attack craft, but became a considerable navy during the course of the First Havenite-Manticoran War.

Its naval prefix was GNS prior to 1919 PD when the GSN transitioned to a GSNS prefix for its warships.

History[]

The Grayson Space Navy was officially created by Protector Adrian on November 1, 1675 PD (3777 CE) when he reformed the Grayson Space Guard into the GSN in recognition of its service to the Protectorate in the First Masadan War.

From those early days of converted ore carriers and GSG cutters, the GSN had become a small, respectable, though technically inferior force of cruisers, destroyers, and light attack craft prior to the Protectorate's alliance with the Star Kingdom. Since the Protectorate of Grayson's admission to the Manticoran Alliance, the GSN has become one of the largest, most modern, and most powerful navies in existence. (Companion)

Service Record[]

Organization[]

Chain of Command[]

The civilian superior of the GSN was the Navy Minister, a member of the Protector's Council, while the senior uniformed officer was the High Admiral. Another important position in the GSN chain of command was the Chief of Naval Staff.

In 1903 PD, the Navy Minister was Long while the Chief of Naval Staff was Admiral Stephens. In the 1920s PD, Long was replaced by Truman Womack. (HH2,Companion)

High Admirals:

Departments[]

Independent Commands[]

Order of Battle[]

Before its admission to the Manticoran Alliance, the Grayson Space Navy was defined solely by its wars with the Faithful. Its sudden, rapid adaptation of modern interstellar warfighting technoloy, the successful conclusion of its conflict with Masada, and its ascension to its role as a senior navy of the Alliance were a testament to the flexibility of the force and a telling reminder for those who would see Graysons as backwards.

In Grayson parlance, the modern GSN met and surpassed the Test for which it was created.

Given a technically literate populace, a robust space-based infrastructure, and the motivation of the coming Manticoran-Havenite War, the nascent GSN learned to overcome many technical issues building licensed Manticoran designs during the prewar naval buildup. The large number of space workers in Grayson service, coupled with new manufacturing techniques and processes brought from Manticore, created an explosively expansion in Yeltsin's Star's spaceborne population and manufacturing capability. The system infrastructure and the generation that built it have become some of the most accomplished shipwrights in the known galaxy by any standard.

The GSN's methodical approach to modern starship design has surprised the galaxy, enemies and allies alike, with innovations from the first years of the Alliance and beyond. (Companion)

Grayson Starship Classes
Alliance | Ararat | Argonaut | Austin Grayson | Benjamin the Great | Berilynko | Burleson | Convert | Covington | David | Disciple | Faith | Glory | Hill | Honor Harrington | Honor Harrington II | Jacob | Jason Alvarez | Joseph | Joshua | Katana | Longstop | Manticore's Gift | Mars | Matthias | Minotaur | Neophyte | Paul | Proselyte | Protector | Protector Adrian | Raoul Courvosier | Raoul Courvosier II | Steadholder Denevski | Tomkin | Zion

Capabilities[]

Prior to the Protectorate's alliance with Manticore, the capabilities of the GSN were considerably inferior to the other navies of the galaxy. Its energy weapons were pitiful and its smallest impeller drive missile massed more than one hundred and twenty tons, fifty percent larger than their Manticoran counterparts. Additionally, its missiles used contact nuclear warheads instead of laserheads and their penaids were almost nonexistent. Defensively, its point defense countermissiles continued to use reaction drives.

Its warships used printed circuits, titanium alloys in their hulls, and their Warshawski sails were far cruder than other navies, limiting Grayson warships to the middle gamma band of hyperspace. GSN impeller technology was almost on par with the Royal Manticoran Navy, though it lacked the ability to replace a Manticoran alpha node and could only partially repair a corresponding beta node.

Despite its technological inferiority, one area where the GSN was superior to the RMN was the efficiency of its inertial compensators. In 1904 PD, the Manticoran Jankowski Cartel adapted the Grayson design for use by the RMN, increasing the usable acceleration of all refitted and new construction for a considerable military advantage. The design was later copied by the Imperial Andermani Navy. (HH2,HH3,HH8,HH10)

Another area where the Protectorate and the GSN were superior to the RMN was the field of nuclear fission technology. Due to the abundance of radioisotopes in the rock, soil, and ground water of Grayson and the less sophisticated infrastructure needed to extract those isotopes as oppose to creating safer, cleaner fuel for fusion reactors, the citizens of the Protectorate used fission reactors to undreamed of levels. Grayson's experience with fission technology famously led to the revolutionary developments in light attack craft power plants, developments that subsequently led to the creation of the Shrike, Ferret, and Katana class LACs. (Companion)

Uniforms and Equipment[]

Officer's Service Dress[]

Vexilu

Interpretation of a GSN uniform on the Czech cover of Flag in Exile

The Grayson Space Navy officer's uniform consisted of a medium blue hip length tunic with lapels blending into a collar that opened at the neck. The tunic sealed with three buttons and had pocket flips bilaterally on the breasts and hips with silver buttons. Service badges, ribbons and awards were worn above the left pocket flap while a nametag and unit awards were worn above the right. Officers assigned to a particular ship wore the ship's patch on the shoulder of the right sleeve while the GSN crest was worn on the left shoulder. Rank insignia was worn on both sides of the collar and duplicated on the shoulderboards. Traditional cuff rings are worn as well with the exception of lieutenant senior grade which also has a Grayson sword above a single gold ring.

The shirt worn underneath the uniform tunic was, for some reason, referred to as an Oxford shirt. It was white with buttons up the front and buttons holding the points of the collar, which folded down over the old-fashioned navy blue necktie.

The trousers were dark blue and came down to the tops of black boots. With the admission of women into the service of the GSN, the GSN Uniform Board, with lobbying by the Barbara Bancroft Society, skirts were made an option for dress uniforms and split skirts for working uniforms. The skirts were the same color as the trousers.

The officer's cap was generally referred to as a "wheel cap". The cloth portion of the cap was the same blue as the trousers. The band around the head was black, with a black strap secured by silver buttons at the side and a black peak, carrying gold braid "scrambled eggs" for senior officers and flag officers. A silver badge with the GSN crest adorned the front of the cap.

In a tradition borrowed from the Royal Manticoran Navy, starship commanders wore a white band on their caps. (Companion)

Baseball caps with GSN logos were also an option. (GNLH)

Reservist's officer's cuff rings were edged in white. (HH5)

A full Admiral wore four six pointed stars are their rank insignia. (HH8)

Enlisted Service Dress[]

Grayson Space Navy enlisted personnel wore a short jacket that sealed up the front in the same medium blue of the officer's tunic. It opened toward the top to lapels that blended with the collar. The sleeves terminate at the cuffs in a wide knit band for comfort. There were pleated pockets on both sides of the chest with silver buttons on the pocket flaps. Similar to officers, awards and decorations were worn above the left pocket and an identification tag was worn above the right. The Oxford shirt and necktie were the same as those worn by officers. The shoulder decoration was the same as well. Rating insignia was worn on the left sleeve while service hash marks are worn on the right, one for every four years.

The trousers are similar to the officers, but in the same medium blue as the tunic, terminating at the black boot tops. Like the officers, female enlisted personnel have the option of wearing skirts.

The hat was a fore and aft cloth cap in azure blue with a narrow black band around the base. (Companion)

Skinsuits[]

Grayson naval personnel were issued state-of-the-art skinsuits imported from the Star Kingdom of Manticore, replacing the bulky and less advanced vacuum suits worn prior to Grayson's alliance with Manticore. Markings on Grayson-issue skinsuits were similar to their Manticoran counterparts, but there were noticeable differences.

Like the RMN, skinsuits used by the GSN marked an enlisted spacer's department in a large color-coded area on the sleeves and legs. Unlike the RMN, the GSN prefer to leave most of the chest area white, coloring only the shoulders and the front of the helmet attachment piece in a fashion that slyly resembled their duty uniform's ancient necktie.

Markings on the left arm of the enlisted suit included the Grayson roundel (a six-pointed star over crossed swords) reversed from the department color in white. Below that was the wearer's rank in white. The spacer's name was worn in their department color on the right breast. Like the RMN, Graysons also colored the enlisted helmet's visor with the wearer's department color, reversing out their name in white. Rank was displayed above the spacer's name for enlisted personnel.

The Grayson officer's skinsuit utilized department-neutral coloration, favoring a navy blue accent around the shoulders instead of the black of the RMN officer skinsuit. Rank was displayed on the helmet, on the collar, reversed on the shoulders, and on the sleeve of an officer's skinsuit. The name was displayed on the visor of the helmet and on the right breasts.

Both officers' and enlisted spacers' skinsuits displayed the hull number and unit name on the right shoulder. The officers' skinsuit also displayed the Grayson roundel on the left shoulder. (Companion)

Human Resources[]

After the Second Grayson-Masadan War of 1903 PD, only three GSN captains survived[1] Even in 1907 PD there were only two officers with experience concerning command of squadron-level units: These were Admirals Matthews and Garret. (HH5) During the First Havenite-Manticoran War around 12 % of Grayson officers were Manticoran loaners.

Development[]

  • state of 1903 PD - tonnage: 0,84 MT: 3 CL, 4 DD, 11+ LAC - 1 CL and 4 DD destroyed in 1903 PD (HH2)
  • 1905 PD - tonnage: 126 MT, including 11 SD (before refit) and 4 BC (HH4)
  • 1907 PD - 11 SD, no more than 37 BC - 1 SD and 6 BC destroyed in 1907 PD

1905 PD[]

1907 PD[]

1911 PD[]

The GSN was referred as second in strength in the Manticoran Alliance, bigger than the Erewhon Navy:

Protector's Own[]

The Protector's Own Squadron was created in 1915 PD around a core of captured Havenite vessels and personnel escaped from Hades planetary prison. In 1920 PD, it was equipped with modern Grayson platforms, as had been planned since at least 1915 PD. (HH8, HH10)

1919-1921 PD[]

The GSN strength as of 1920 PD: 115 SD(P), 90 SD (30 in active duty), 24 CLAC, 40 BC(P), 60 BC (32 in active duty), 60 CA, 40 CL, 20 DD. (infodump)

The margin of security for the Yeltsin's Star System was referred to in 1921 PD in connection with support for the RMN Third Fleet in the Trevor's Star System:

1922 PD[]

In mid-1922 PD, the Grayson Space Navy took part in the Second Battle of Manticore against the Solarian League Navy. The expeditionary force under the command of Admiral Judah Yanakov consisted of two task forces of the Grayson Space Navy and the Protector's Own. (HH13)

Other information[]

  • The GSN used green as the color of its ships' access tube grab bars.
  • Pre-alliance GSN vessels did not carry Marine complements.[5]
  • The GSN started to devote one officer slot at a tactical unit staff for Electronics Officer, responsible exclusively for coordinating an entire squadron's or task force's electronic warfare systems. The RMN placed this responsibility under the domain of the Operations Officer. (HH7)
  • After joining the Manticoran Alliance, Protector Benjamin IX decreed that six years service in the GSN conferred automatic Grayson citizenship, as an incentive to Alliance members who were transferred to the GSN.[6] (HH9)
  • Unlike in the RMN, the dividing line between being "on board" one ship or another (including space stations) connected by docking tube was somewhere in the middle of the tube. Each "end" of the tube was considered the domain of the ship it was connected to. This meant that when one arrived in the boat bay and asked permission to come aboard a Grayson vessel, one was technically already "aboard". (HHA4.6: TSotS)
  • Honor Harrington was widely considered by GSN personnel to be the unofficial Patron Saint of the modern Grayson Space Navy. (HH8)
  • With Honor Harrington as an example, women were admitted to the service from around 1903 PD onwards; this mandated some changes, including female uniforms (see below) and the stocking of menstrual control nanites. (GNLH)

References[]

  1. ↑ Probably commanding officers of hypercapable ships.
  2. ↑ Including three Joseph-class destroyers.
  3. ↑ Including at least one Benjamin the Great-class vessel.
  4. ↑ Infodump data minus expedition forces' strength. Commanding Officer - Admiral Matthews very likely.
  5. ↑ The Space Marine Corps was part of the Grayson Army.
  6. ↑ This did not apply to members who were "on loan" to the GSN, even if they held GSN ranks.

External links[]

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