Federal Wisconsinite Navy

Type: Maritime Warfare Branch

Service:

Federal Wisconsinite Republic

Flag:

Notable Actions/Engagements:

Prairie War I
- FWR Independence Movement
FWR/UFP Naval Arms Race
Prairie War II
- Kettle Moraine Campaign
- Yahara River Campaign
- Madison Seas Campaign
  - Battle of Governor's Cape
The Imperial War
Prairie War III
- Battle for the FWR
- Michigan Sea Campaign
  - Operation Carton
  - Operation Emerson
  - Battle of the Dune Sea
- Middle Seas Campaign
  - Battle of Camprest Island
- Operation Downfall/ Western Seas Campaign
  - Battle of the Chippewa Sea
  - Battle of Kegonsa
  - Downfall Landings
  - Battle of the Dengel Bay

The Federal Wisconsinite Navy, shortened to the Wisconsinite Navy and abbreviated as the FWN was the maritime warfare branch of the Wisconsinite Armed Forces. Tasked with the defense of the Federal Wisconsinite Republic, as well as the FWR's interests both colonial and abroad, it grew from relatively modest origins to one of the most powerful naval forces in the Sun Prairie Nations, and was among the largest navies in the SPN from shortly after the it's founding at the end of Prairie War I until the beginning of Prairie War III.

Despite frequently being considered the third-tier branch of the FWR's Armed forces in their public consciousness, it repeatedly proved it's importance and effectiveness in the face of budget-cuts and neglect. This was demonstrated most pointedly in Prairie War III, when the Wisconsinite Army and Luftwaffe failed to keep the metropolitan landmass of the FWR from being invaded and occuped by the Madden Reich, whilst the Wisconsinite Navy in concert with the Manonan Navy evacuated the civilian population and a majority of the surviving military equipment through the port of Milwaukee - going on to fight throughout the entire duration of the war. Wisconsinite Naval Traditions are strong, and the navy became incredibly close partners with the United Manonan States, fighting alongside them in a number of engagements in Prairie War III, including some of the largest fleet actions in history.

History

The Federal Wisconsinite Navy was founded the same day as the Wisconsinite Statement of Independence from the Republic of Despa, and existed purely on paper until the latest days of Prairie War I. With a great deal of natural resources present in the F.W.R., the Navy's first batches of ships were built in the Waterloo Shipyards, and most notably included the FWS Ronald Reagan, the first of a proud line of Battleships built by the F.W.R. Following Prairie War I and the acquisition of a great deal of aircraft from the Federation Surplus, as well as the home-grown construction of the Wisconsinite Army, the government set about building a navy up to great power standards. At the time, the most anticipated enemy was the United Federation, who was seen to be in the way of FWR colonial expansion, and who had prevented the invasion of Valentino. The FWR also wanted to be able to put pressure on the Valentinian Navy as well.

This modernization program was headlined by the ordering of 3 battleships, later increased to 8, as well as a new Aircraft Carrier to take the name of the worn-down Ronald Reagan. The battleship acquisition especially worried the United Federation, who had only recently built their first battleship in many months. The percieved competition and public outcry on both sides would fuel the FWR/UFP Naval Arms Race, and led to the Wisconsinite Navy's rise to the status of the 3rd-largest in the SPN. A notable incident involving Batch Samuels, a Federation captain who was scapegoated by the FWR after the damaging of the destroyer FWS New Dodge, nearly led to the outbreak of war, but this was avoided before any warships could put to sea. At it's height during this period, it fielded a fleet of 1 aircraft carrier, 3 battleships, 9 destroyers, and 1 ballistic missile submarine, in addition to the many other ships on order. However, the majority of these other vessels were never completed, as the Wisconsinite economy took a serious downturn and the navy was the first to see budget cuts. At the same time, increased positive relations with the Federation and Despa led to a percieved lack of need for combat ships.

The Original FWS Bismarck after her completion. At the time, she was among the most powerful battleships ever constructed.

Upon the outbreak of Prairie War II, the Federal Wisconsinite Republic was the first nation to join the United Federation, and President Schwartz immediately committed his country's naval forces to aid with the United Federation. The UNSC, who posessed the 2nd-largest navy in the SPN, just ahead of the FWR, was the primary threat on the high seas. The Wisconsinite Navy famously participated in the Battle of Governor's Cape, wherein an Allied fleet of 8 Battleships, 3 Carriers, and a Battlecruiser along with supporting fleet elements defeated the UNSC's 3 Battleships and 2 Carriers in their Grand Fleet's last operation of the war. Included in the van of the Allied Line of Battle were the Wisconsinite battleships FWS Bismarck, FWS Wisconsin, and FWS Missouri.

Following Prairie War II, Missouri was sent to blockade the Centralia Canal along with her escorting destroyer force, but negotiation by President Petri prevented the outbreak of war between the Republic of Valentino and the FWR. The Wisconsinite Navy did attempt to modernize by purchasing 5 Petri-class Frigates from the Federation, but with no real apparent threat, the navy fell back into budget cuts and disrepair, only exacerbated by the onset of The Long Recess. The Navy played a very minor role in the Imperial War.

With rising tensions between the United Federation under Ryan Madden and the FWR, the Navy was slowly repaired and rearmed. When war broke out following Madden's nuclear strike on the Circles Revolt, the Federal Wisconsinite Navy and United Manonan Navy stood as the only credible threats to the Federation-turned-Reich. During Operations Carton and Emerson, the Wisconsinite Navy and merchant fleet worked on the evacuation of the metropolitan FWR, while the Manonan Navy sacrificed a large number of it's sailors and it's, at the time, limited ships and aircraft to defend them at the battles of Whitefish Bay and the Sheboygan Sea. This stalwart defense forged an intense bond between the Wisconsinite and Manonan services.

With the loss of the metropolitan FWR and the Milwaukee and Waterloo shipyards with it, the Wisconsinite Navy was essentially left to it's own devices, with the only remaining ports that could handle it's capital warships located in New Dodge, the Cito Islands, or in allied nations.

FWS Missouri and FWS Wisconsin (right), the two Wisconsin-class Battleships built for the Federal Wisconsinite Navy.

The Allied Lines of Battle during the Battle of Governor's Cape. This was the first major surface action of the Wisconsinite Navy and proved a major success for all three Battleships present as well as the State-class Destroyers.

FWS Concord, formerly the USS Ethan Moehr, a frigate of the Federal Wisconsinite Navy that served during Prairie War III.

A side profile of the FWS John Paul Jones, a Triumphant-class Light Carrier that served as the Flagship of the Wisconsinite Navy during and shortly after Operation Emerson.

FWS Bismarck II, a unique vessel that was the last of the Wisconsinite Battleships. Paid off by the United Manonan States and John Banks-George personally, she served as a symbol of the alliance between the two nations.

Both during and after Operations Carton and Emerson, the Wisconsinite Navy was loaned four light carriers of the Triumphant-class, which became the FWS John Paul Jones (flagship of the Wisconsinite Navy for a time), Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, and Alexander Hamilton. Recognizing the need for additional vessels, the Wisconsinite Navy ordered a pair of new fleet carriers built to different designs, eventually becoming Liberty and Theodore Roosevelt, the latter of which took over the role of Flagship from John Paul Jones. They also worked to refit their 5 Petri-class frigates to carry modern missiles, and rearmed their two remaining State-class Destroyers with Manonan guns.

The first engagement the Wisconsinite Navy participated in ended up being decisive, as they joined the Manonan Navy in the Battle of the Dune Sea. Despite losing the FWS Nathaniel Greene, the Wisconsinite Navy dished out significant return damage. Liberty would be credited with the final sinking of the ISS Overlord, while Theodore Roosevelt claimed the light carrier ISS Tackenston. Alexander Hamilton and John Paul Jones combined to detonate the magazine of ISS Crawfish Shores. This victory, and the noted ability of the Wisconsinite Navy's air corps, proved to the refugeed people of the FWR that their navy would fight on.

Nevertheless, the Wisconsinite Navy suffered a major defeat when, during a fierce night action against an approximately equivalent Reich task force, the battleships Missouri and Wisconsin were lost in action. The engagement, which would eventually be known as both the Battle of Camprest Island and the Battle of Tower Hill in different sources, was the first and only time that the Wisconsinite Navy lost a capital ship in action. This instantly cut the Allied Battle line in half and caused a huge morale drop in the Wisconsinite Navy.

In order to help recoup the losses, the Manonan Navy sold an experimental fleet carrier that was still under construction to the FWN, which promptly renamed it FWS Wisconsin. The Manonan Treasury and John Banks-George, using personal finances, also paid for the construction of a new fast battleship. Named in honor of the first, the FWS Bismarck II would be the last Wisconsinite Battleship and would serve in every allied naval action thereafter. With the intention of increasing their battle line capabilities, the Wisconsinite Navy also ordered three Constellation-class Large Cruisers to be built as the Portland-class Battlecruisers. However, these would never be completed as the war began to accelerate towards it's end.

During Operation Downfall, the Allied counter-invasion of the Reich, the Federal Wisconsinite Navy reached it's maximum wartime power. Fielding 3 Fleet Carriers, 2 Light Carriers, 1 Battleship, 2 Destroyers, 5 Frigates, and a Submarine, the 14-strong fleet was assembled alongside the Pyrrhian Navy and Despan Navy, and led by the now-massive United Manonan Navy, readied for the final naval campaigns of the war.

At the resultant Battle of the Chippewa Sea, the the Wisconsinite Navy's carriers aided in the sinking of 3 Imperial carriers, while their surface vessels provided invaluable Anti-Aircraft support. With the detatchment and subsequent run south of the Reich's surface assets, the Bismarck II, New Dodge, and Milwaukee sailed south with the allied line of battle and were heavily engaged in the Battle of Kegonsa, wherein the New Dodge rammed the ISS Arstotzka and helped put it out of commission, whilst the Bismarck provided critical gunfire. It was the only time the battleship fired her main battery guns in anger, excluding shore bombardment.

The surrender of the remaining Imperial Reichsmarine took place on the deck of FWS Bismarck following the Treaty of Groom Lake. The Bismarck had been chosen at the insistence of John Banks-George, who wished to send a powerful message about the Wisconsinite Navy and it's service in the war.

The Wisconsinite Battleship Bismarck II shells enemy positions during the Allied Landings of Operation Downfall. Sailing behind and in concert is the Manonan destroyer MNS Ernest E. Evans and the supply ship MNS Sasquatch.

Following the Allied victory, the Wisconsinite economy was decimated. While the United Manonan States forgave all of the FWR's war debts, the government was unable to pay for a planned purchase of Manonan ships and new vessels which would have made the Wisconsinite Navy more powerful than it had ever been. Ironically, this came at a time of public appreciation and devotion to the Navy for the first time in the FWR's history.

By the end of the SPN, the FWR retained all 5 of it's aircraft carriers, the battleship Bismarck, the destroyer Milwaukee, all 5 Petri-class Frigates, and the Submarine Cleveland. It's final flagship was FWS Wisconsin II, the largest aircraft carrier the FWR had purchased in the war and one of it's largest ever.

Legacy

The legacy of the Federal Wisconsinite Navy is one of a frequently overlooked and underestimated force that nevertheless earned the consistent praise of it's people and government, along with those of it's allies. During Prairie War II, John Banks-George was known to greatly respect the Wisconsinite Navy and hold their Battleships in high regard. This feeling prevailed all the way through Prairie War III, at the conclusion of which he said the following;

"Though our magnificent United Manonan Navy could never be matched for it's fighting prowess, should anyone ask me which force in the entire war performed the most gallantly, under the most unamenable conditions, and under the most pressure, I would never hesitate to say that it was the Federal Wisconsinite Navy. Never have I seen a force so driven, so brave, and so successful in spite of the weight of an entire nation on their shoulders."

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