HML Courser

With the deployment of the French Liberté-class cruisers, the Royal Sky Fleet realized the venerable County-class would soon be outdated. Faster, better armed and still as well protected as the Countys, the Libertés would become the bane of Sky Fleet tacticians. While conventional British wisdom dictated simply adding more guns and armour to modified County-class vessels, Vickers Shipyards proposed their own inhouse solution: the Destrier-class cruiser. As fast as the Libertés, but armoured only slightly better than a D-class, the Destrier-class would maneuver into the Liberté’s rear quarter, avoiding the deadly torpedo banks, while opening up with its massive twin 7.5 inchers.

The Destrier-class is largely seen as an experiment in ship design, and so far Vickers has only received funding for three vessels. The first of these, the HML Courser, is an exercise in compromise. Rather than a Sky Fleet officer commanding the vessel, a Vickers representative is the Ship’s Master, with tactical control going to the Sky Fleet executive officer, Sky Captain Neville Miller. Mr. Scott Michaels of Vickers is a former Royal Navy officer, and so has some understanding of tactics, but the tight leash placed on him by his civilian masters means he inevitably finds himself clashing with the taciturn Miller on all but the smallest issues.

Country: Great Britain


 * Destrier-class


 * Light Cruiser


 * Dimensions: 301 ft. x 55 ft. x 60 ft. (excluding funnels & masts)


 * Complement: 210


 * Weight: 5,100 tons


 * Engines: Turbines, for 22,000 SHP (max 46 knots)


 * Fuel: oil, 400 tons


 * Armament: 2-7.5”, 4-3” QF