The Suffolk Fleet

[pbrione]

CLASS: Dunkirk
CREW: CLASSIFIED
ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED

The Battleship Suffolk is the most modern of the 8 Dunkirk Flagships that lead the Great Fleets of Bretonia. Constructed in 798 A.S. to replace the retiring 60 year-old HMS Victoria as flagship of the 5th Fleet and extensively re-fitted in 816 A.S. following the outbreak of hostilities with Kusari, the Suffolk now boasts some of the most advanced equimpent and technology in the Bretonian Armed Forces, including NK-3000 Ageira security and guidence computer systems. The Suffolk itself and the attached 5th Fleet have 4 main roles. To increase defence of New London itself, to protect the high levels of civilian traffic through the New London system from pirates and terrorists, to defend the Dublin Gate from molly incursions and to act as Her Majesty's chief display of military might, impressing upon all visitors to the capital of Her Majesty's extensive realms the power and abilities of the Bretonian Armed Forces. Much to the annoyance of many of the senior command staff aboard, this last role includes giving tours of the ship to visiting foreign dignitaries and parties of school children from New London as part of the "Queen and Country" patriotism in education programe.

The fleet is often seen as a relatively safe posting, being away from most of the front lines, but the prominance of the Suffolk Fleet in the public eye and the importance of defending New London, coupled with the fact that the Suffolk Fleet also maintains responsibility for the defence and supervision of Southampton Shipyards, ensures that the fleet tends to receive only the most promising young officers as the first step on their rising career ladder, rather than the known troublemakers or inept pilots who are either relegated to insignificance in the Grimsby Fleet or sent to the York or MacDuff for tough front-line duty. Living conditions in the fleet are amongst the best anywhere in the forces and many an officer has been known to resort to unscrupulous tactics in an attempt to receive a transfer to the Suffolk. Sharing many duties with the senior Admiral of the New London Planetary Fleet, the Suffolk Fleet has often been asigned to the most junior of the Admirals so that he may gain experience under the watchful eye of a more senior mentor, usually followed by transfer to one of the more front line commands.

Historically the Suffolk Fleet was dominated by the New London aristocracy and "bluebloods", but under the command of Admirals Jellicoe and Nelson the fleet has seen a marked increase in the number of regular working-class officers, largely as a result of increased recruitment to expand the fleet during wartime, and since the outbreak of the Tau War the Suffolk Fleet has become regarded as an excellent model of good integration between bluebloods and regulars, now under the command of an ex-QCR Admiral, and prides itself on its efforts to bridge the class divide. In addition the Suffolk Fleet has developed a reputation for intellectualism and military theory rather than good flying, probably as a result of the large number of university graduates enlisted compared with the other fleets, though the accuracy of such claims has been disputed, with accusations of poor pilots often being put down to jealousy on the part of other officers of the top-rate technology, equipment and living conditions that the Suffolk's prominence in the public-eye accords its members. The average life expectancy of an Ensign in the Suffolk Fleet is 3 times that of the MacDuff Fleet, 1.8 times that of the York and Derby Fleets and even 1.3 times that of the Grimsby Fleet which rarely sees active combat, largely due to the better quality equipment that Suffolk pilots are lucky enough to have.

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Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>