[Goldsmack]

I started writing a short story the other day and realized, there's not much info about the Imperial navy, save for the types of ships. What i wanted to know is if there is more detailed info like, lets say crew position and duties aboard an emperor class battle ship or the lay out of a typical Cruiser. Any help?

 

[Androxine Vortex]

I'm not really sure, try lexicanum. It's not very detailed, but read parts ov Battle For the Abyss,it has very detailed ship battles (not many people like that book-idk why, I like it a lot)

Oh and it's not warhammer related but read Fall of Reach by eric nylund if you get a chance. he has some very good naval ship battles/details. Hope this helps

 

[Khorne's Fist]

These books are an excellent source of fluff on the navy. Link. I'm very surprised Rennie never wrote a whole lot more for BL, as these are two quality novels.

 

[Vaz]

Rennie has to have been my favourite writer. Leoten Semper is one hell of an officer, a Sharpe of the Imperial Navy.

 

[forkmaster]

Reading BL-novels in general give you a good intel about being onboard ships. For instance the Navy doesnt trust Guardsmen so they arent allowed to carry weapon bigger than their side-arms for instance.

 

[gauntsghost025]

Execution Hour, an older BL book, is all about fleet based action. Check it out. Very good read.

 

[Anfo]

If I remember correctly, all (or most) of the ships used by the Imperium in the 41st millennium were used by the Imperial Navy in the 30th millennium. This is because the Imperium has forgotten how to build anything new, if they still remember how to build it in the first place.

As to the crew positions aboard a ship, the'd be almost identical to that of navy ships these days, with a few minor exceptions. Navigators look into the warp, there are warp engines, gellar fields etc.

 

[Stella Cadente]

well the BFG rulebook gives a little insight to some crew positions on a emperor class BB
we got the lord Admiral (could be replaced with any admiral rank or captain on cruisers maybe as low as LT for destroyers)
Officer of the watch
Flag captain
Tech priest Majoris
Principal navigator
Fleet commissar (commissar for smaller ships maybe)
Confessor
Flag Lieutenant
Master of Ordnance
Master Gunner
Master of Arms
Chief astropath
Ships surgeon
then its just Ratings, Logisticians, Indentured workers, Gunnery crew, Engineers and servitors.
then theres anyone it carries, maybe Naval guardsmen, stormtroopers things like that.

 

[Vaz]

There's obviously going to be a difference, but the current Royal Navy rank structuring resides as:

Admiral of the Fleet - not sea going, head of the armed forces, sub the queen. (High Lord/High Lord adjutant/Sector Command?)
Admiral - not sea going - theatre of operations command (Sector command/sub sector command/AotF adjutant)
Vice Admiral - as above
Rear Admiral - as above
Commodore - Extreme Capital Ship captain/Task Force commander
Captain - Capital Ship Captain/Submarine Captain
Commander - Captains Adjutant/XO/minor war vessel/support vessel captain
Lt Commander - Minor War Vessel, Senior Officer of section (i.e engines, aircraft, navigation, electronics, manned weapons etc) on capital ships
Lieutenant - Minor War Vessels Senior section officer,Lt Commander adjutant on Capitals
SubLt - gaining experience, on the rise young officer, or awarded for long outstanding service as a rating (very unlikely)

Midshipman - officer in training, occasionally deployed in phase 2 or 3 training (2-3 years)

Warrant Officer 2nd Class - Typically, most experienced person on the ship. 24 years + service. Usually Divisional Officer, looks after 25% of the ratings.
WO 1st Class - As above. For an example of a WO1's career (although RM, check out my RSM's - here).
Chief Petty Officer - Divisional Officers Adjutant.
PO - experienced, hardcore gents. Most people get here after 12-15 years service. Know their stuff, no fucking around.

Leading Hand - In charge of the messes (bunks, pits, bags, whatever), PO's adjutants.
Able Seaman - General duties in the specialization.

Recruit - take a guess.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

You'll find smatterings of Imperial Navy descriptions and information across all sorts of the BL fiction. Any time Gaunt's Ghosts are in transit, a lot of the travel in Ravenor and Eisenhorn and The Horus Heresy series.

L.

 

[Belthazor Aurellius]

Just thought I'd put in my own two cents. If you want some illustrations of Imp Navy procedure, my specific examples are Shadow Point (novel), Guns of Tanith (though I don't remember them being involved as much) and Warriors of Ultramar (a full scale naval battle with the Tyranid hive should provide a decent picture of how they do their stuff).

 

[Goldsmack]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm very picky when writing Fan-fic as I want to keep it as fluffy as possible. Anyways I have another question. The story takes place aboard a Mars Class cruiser. To make a long story short a boarding party is sent to inspect an Imperial way station. My question is, What would the boarding party most likely consist of? Imperial Guard?, stormtroopers? or Navy crew?

 

[Baron Spikey]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm very picky when writing Fan-fic as I want to keep it as fluffy as possible. Anyways I have another question. The story takes place aboard a Mars Class cruiser. To make a long story short a boarding party is sent to inspect an Imperial way station. My question is, What would the boarding party most likely consist of? Imperial Guard?, stormtroopers? or Navy crew?

If it's an Imperial Navy ship then it'll be the Naval Armsmen, who are equivalent to Stormtroopers in training and wear similar armour- though they carry large bore shotguns rather than hell guns.

 

[forkmaster]

If it's an Imperial Navy ship then it'll be the Naval Armsmen, who are equivalent to Stormtroopers in training and wear similar armour- though they carry large bore shotguns rather than hell guns.

He's right on this one. The Navy doesnt trust the Guard at all. they could be corrpted or sick when being deplyed to the planets below.

 

[Vaz]

For a boarding party, Armsmen are definately involved. I'm not sure about whether they're Stormtroopers in training, as Stormtroopers in training are mostly orphans taken in by the Schola Progenium.

Most likely, they are void born (i.e, on a ship) and are used to living and working in the conditions. They are also most likely made up of some of the fittest and strongest in the chaingangs - usually ex Hive Gangers, and so form the bodyguards for the fittest and strongest of this motley crew (the Petty Officers).

I believe that Ships Commisars will also bring with them a group of Storm Troopers to act as their personal guard. A Commisar will not want to be on a ship alone if the captain turns rogue. As such, a Storm Trooper Bodyguard will prove to be a valuable defence against the pirates.

As to IG, definately not. As I said before, most likely they will be in cattle class in a transport. On a Gunboat, they aren't transported.

 

[Baron Spikey]

For a boarding party, Armsmen are definately involved. I'm not sure about whether they're Stormtroopers in training, as Stormtroopers in training are mostly orphans taken in by the Schola Progenium.

Most likely, they are void born (i.e, on a ship) and are used to living and working in the conditions. They are also most likely made up of some of the fittest and strongest in the chaingangs - usually ex Hive Gangers, and so form the bodyguards for the fittest and strongest of this motley crew (the Petty Officers).

I believe that Ships Commisars will also bring with them a group of Storm Troopers to act as their personal guard. A Commisar will not want to be on a ship alone if the captain turns rogue. As such, a Storm Trooper Bodyguard will prove to be a valuable defence against the pirates.

As to IG, definately not. As I said before, most likely they will be in cattle class in a transport. On a Gunboat, they aren't transported.

I meant that the, feared, Naval Armsmen would be trained to a similar level as Storm Troopers (just like Kasrkin are) not that they go through the exact same selection process.

 

[Vaz]

Oh stick, end, wrong.