Letterstime

Letterstime originated at Warships1's Naval Fiction Board ; as such it is of course naval hitorical fiction. It is also alternate history. Additionally and most importantly it is a dramatised record of what is essentially a wide-ranging and extremely-detailed wargame (modelled by a program known as jj). Jim Beall began the venture without any idea that it would attain such a life of its own. He created the character of Baron Von Letters, initially an observer at Dogger Bank who takes over command when Hipper is non-historically killed. Letters epitomises the offensive spirit and Dogger Bank is fought as such an individual would have fought it. To increase the appeal/involvement of the readers Jim introduced the names of prominent (or clamorous !) NFB members in place of the historical captains or commanders ; for a purist 'alternate history' fan this aspect can be overlooked as it affects the reader more in terms of identifying with the story than it does the plot in terms of affecting developments.

Having won Dogger Bank the Baron is confirmed in Hipper's stead as commander of 1SG (1st Scouting Group). Jim continues the saga into an alternate Battle Of Jutland fought one year earlier (May 31st 1915) and , with a few changes, the fleets of that year. As this titanic clash of the battlefleets has developed (over months !) the number of NFB members involved has spiralled (my alter ego Kapitan Zur See Joachim Von Wolferein is captain of the light cruiser Regensburg and commander of the attached vessels). In addition 'Letterstime' has spawned a growing number of secondary writers - notable among them Kim W (writing from the point of view of HMS Neptune and now HMS Monarch), Marina (Prinzregent Luitpold), CJR (the august presences of Falkenhayn and the Kaiser flow from his silvered pen) and Theodore (who was brave enough to tackle Churchill !).

Despite starting in command only of the High Seas Fleets battlecruisers Letters acceeds to command of the whole fleet when Scheer (promoted earlier than historically in the wake of the alternate Dogger Bank) is struck down by illness. Thus we get to see a Battle Of Jutland fought as an aggressive German commander very much in the mould of Togo would have fought it. It is not over yet . . .

Wolverine

From here you can access the following :-

sw's map after episode/chapter "Who Shot JR ?"

HMS Neptune - by Kim W

Wagnerian Interlude - by Colleen

COMING SOON !!!!!!!!!!!

HMS Monarch - by Kim W

SOON TO COME
~ Introduction by Jim Beall