So what's manticore going to do with all those spacers?

Mote wrote:From what I gather, those are people likely to have made fair sums (prize money, hazard pay, regular income), have been educated with a big emphasis on independent thought and action, in a society that seems to think well of entrepreneurship.

Manticore doesn't need to "do" anything with them at all. They'll do fine on their own, thankyouverymuch.

I don't think prize money was that commonly awarded. Beyond the 5 DNs captured at Hancock(and the 11 SDs at Third Yeltsin which don't count), HoS tells us the RMN took a further 21 SDs into service - all taken early in the first war. Then the PRH started shooting families of officers who surrendered.

After these, there were no significant surrenders until Tourville struck his wedges at the end of First Manticore. The eye-watering prize money for however many of his SD(P)s were still servicable was never paid out, though, as those ships were returned to Haven. As for the Sollies, none of their ships were worth more than scrap.

Only the handful lucky enough to serve aboard a destroyer or cruiser at the right time could get prize money via commerce raiding. Unfortunately, even there the opportunities were slim - because the PRH had so many battleships for system defense.

munroburton wrote:

Mote wrote:From what I gather, those are people likely to have made fair sums (prize money, hazard pay, regular income), have been educated with a big emphasis on independent thought and action, in a society that seems to think well of entrepreneurship.

Manticore doesn't need to "do" anything with them at all. They'll do fine on their own, thankyouverymuch.

I don't think prize money was that commonly awarded. Beyond the 5 DNs captured at Hancock(and the 11 SDs at Third Yeltsin which don't count), HoS tells us the RMN took a further 21 SDs into service - all taken early in the first war. Then the PRH started shooting families of officers who surrendered.

After these, there were no significant surrenders until Tourville struck his wedges at the end of First Manticore. The eye-watering prize money for however many of his SD(P)s were still servicable was never paid out, though, as those ships were returned to Haven. As for the Sollies, none of their ships were worth more than scrap.

Only the handful lucky enough to serve aboard a destroyer or cruiser at the right time could get prize money via commerce raiding. Unfortunately, even there the opportunities were slim - because the PRH had so many battleships for system defense.

More spacers probably made money (though less individually) policing Silesia before the war.

Though we've never gotten stats from Jayne's and HoS, a number of light ships had been bought into the RMN over the years in this manner, captured one at a time in Silesia. The Frigate draw down in the 1890s probably saw a decent # of these vessels purged from the RMN, but some larger ships probably continued through the first war (but were probably drawn down or sold off between wars.) Forex: the 40ish light and medium ships captured along side the Dreadnaughts at Hancock are not discussed in any of the sources other than they were bought into service alongside the Dreadnaughts.

Theemile wrote:More spacers probably made money (though less individually) policing Silesia before the war.

Though we've never gotten stats from Jayne's and HoS, a number of light ships had been bought into the RMN over the years in this manner, captured one at a time in Silesia. The Frigate draw down in the 1890s probably saw a decent # of these vessels purged from the RMN, but some larger ships probably continued through the first war (but were probably drawn down or sold off between wars.) Forex: the 40ish light and medium ships captured along side the Dreadnaughts at Hancock are not discussed in any of the sources other than they were bought into service alongside the Dreadnaughts.

Also I wouldn't be surprised if there was some salvage money paid out for recapturing freighters that pirates had taken -- that could have been another source of award money for crews serving in Silesia pre-war.

And if the RMN prize courts are anything like my understanding of the old Royal Navy ones prize money would also be owed for captured pirate vessels or warships even if they weren't taken up into service. They'd be disposed of by private sale or scrapping and either way the proceeds from that would be distributed as prize money to the crews involved in the capture. Now, especially if its being scrapped, that'd be less money than if it was taken up into service; but there's a lot of valuable components and materials in even the most basic starship so it's probably a nice reward regardless.

Jonathan_S wrote:

Theemile wrote:More spacers probably made money (though less individually) policing Silesia before the war.

Though we've never gotten stats from Jayne's and HoS, a number of light ships had been bought into the RMN over the years in this manner, captured one at a time in Silesia. The Frigate draw down in the 1890s probably saw a decent # of these vessels purged from the RMN, but some larger ships probably continued through the first war (but were probably drawn down or sold off between wars.) Forex: the 40ish light and medium ships captured along side the Dreadnaughts at Hancock are not discussed in any of the sources other than they were bought into service alongside the Dreadnaughts.

Also I wouldn't be surprised if there was some salvage money paid out for recapturing freighters that pirates had taken -- that could have been another source of award money for crews serving in Silesia pre-war.

And if the RMN prize courts are anything like my understanding of the old Royal Navy ones prize money would also be owed for captured pirate vessels or warships even if they weren't taken up into service. They'd be disposed of by private sale or scrapping and either way the proceeds from that would be distributed as prize money to the crews involved in the capture. Now, especially if its being scrapped, that'd be less money than if it was taken up into service; but there's a lot of valuable components and materials in even the most basic starship so it's probably a nice reward regardless.

Heck, the Crown probably bought them, and the Foreign Office offered them as a gift to repatriated systems to rebuild their navies. Modern warships ain't cheap, and thousands were destroyed in the Havenite wars - there's a good market for even 2nd hand ships.

It wouldn't surprise me if the RMN had a used warship sales lot somewhere, offering certified alliance members low cost prize ships. The RMN might turn it's nose up at that Pirate Lt Cruiser - But would Zanzibar? At 10 cents on the dollar? I don't think so. Just look at that fine Corinthian leather on bridge consoles. Just listen to the integrated sound system. Listen... I like you - if you buy today, I can throw in a full missile reload for free....