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Description
Length: 708 feet

Displacement: 18,240 tons

Capacity: Up to 660 passengers, plus extensive cargo
--160 Luxury class
--500 Standard class

In contrast to the massive liners in vogue with certain nations in the 1930s and 1940s, the Royal Unified Line shyed away from committing itself to large ships in similar form to the manner of the nation's navy, which put a developmental emphasis on smaller ships due to political attitudes at the time. However, unlike the navy, the nation's rapidly improving economic status was directly demonstratable via its merchant fleet. As such, up until 1938 the shipyards at Bonnhaven and Nordport were predominantly engaged in the manufacture of civilian vessels. While the merchant marine fleet steadily grew, the GRCKN grew at a substantially reduced rate up until 1938, wherein some shipyards reached 50% government contracting capacity and both Bonnhaven and Nordport switched to 24 hour production in order to accomodate the demand for rapid remilitarization.

That is not to imply by any means that the GRCKN did not attempt to circumnavigate certain restrictions prior to that point. In 1935, the National Merchantmarine Subsidization Act was implemented, in which civilian vessels with designs suitable for naval use in times of war were given government subsidy. Such designs featured high operating speed, positions built with structural provisions for gun emplacements, and generally being laid out in manners which would lend themselves to rapid conversion and repurposement by the GRCKN in times of war. The Egality class ocean liners were built with these provisions in mind, and as such featured less passener capacity than other ships in their size range. Inversely though, this lightness of passenger capacity lended themselves to being effective high speed cargo carriers for the same runs in which they were to carry passengers, and this multi-purpose efficiency was perfectly reasonable to the Royal Unified Line, who had begun considering international traffic more seriously in the light of the political changes taking place in the Irju. With the GCK backed Tokishiro faction beginning to take control of the islands, Royal Unified Line had begun using vessels contracted by the GRCKN to bring munitions, medicine and other supplies to General Tokishiro's army. By 1935, his army had succesfully solidified the islands under his command and created enough security for the nation's economy to begin truly rebounding, and the Royal Unified Line was keenly interested in expanding its economic base by opening regularly scheduled operations between Bonnhaven and Marai Kanai. With the coincidental passing of the NMSA the same year, the new ship's budget was able to be considerably expanded on the premise of government subsidy, and the Egality class was born.

Though not as heavy in tonnage or passenger capacity as the preceding Leader class liners, the Egality pioneered the use of propulsion systems to great effect, which matched with her four screw arrangement made the type in spite of its comparitively humble layout in terms of luxury or size remarkably swift. As a means of procuring further credits from the government subsidy system, the liners were designed with steam catapult systems, which were utilized herein for expedited mail delivery and reception from ports along the ship's route. While not as opulent as the earlier Leader class liners, the Egality's more proletarian design philosophy resulted in a fast and effective ship well suited for first rate service. The first two vessels of the class, Egality and Liberty began bi-weekly service to the Irju in 1938, while production was delayed on the last two ships due to increased naval production, with Harmony and Comradery being delivered in 1939 and 1940 respectively. The last two liners were originally used on domestic routes, but were re-allocated to transit between the Ethenden Islands and the Kharkov Republic in May 1941.

Egality class--first launched 1937

MS Egality

MS Liberty

MS Harmony

MS Comradery

Description
Length: 708 feet

Displacement: 18,240 tons

Capacity: Up to 660 passengers, plus extensive cargo
--160 Luxury class
--500 Standard class

In contrast to the massive liners in vogue with certain nations in the 1930s and 1940s, the Royal Unified Line shyed away from committing itself to large ships in similar form to the manner of the nation's navy, which put a developmental emphasis on smaller ships due to political attitudes at the time. However, unlike the navy, the nation's rapidly improving economic status was directly demonstratable via its merchant fleet. As such, up until 1938 the shipyards at Bonnhaven and Nordport were predominantly engaged in the manufacture of civilian vessels. While the merchant marine fleet steadily grew, the GRCKN grew at a substantially reduced rate up until 1938, wherein some shipyards reached 50% government contracting capacity and both Bonnhaven and Nordport switched to 24 hour production in order to accomodate the demand for rapid remilitarization.

That is not to imply by any means that the GRCKN did not attempt to circumnavigate certain restrictions prior to that point. In 1935, the National Merchantmarine Subsidization Act was implemented, in which civilian vessels with designs suitable for naval use in times of war were given government subsidy. Such designs featured high operating speed, positions built with structural provisions for gun emplacements, and generally being laid out in manners which would lend themselves to rapid conversion and repurposement by the GRCKN in times of war. The Egality class ocean liners were built with these provisions in mind, and as such featured less passener capacity than other ships in their size range. Inversely though, this lightness of passenger capacity lended themselves to being effective high speed cargo carriers for the same runs in which they were to carry passengers, and this multi-purpose efficiency was perfectly reasonable to the Royal Unified Line, who had begun considering international traffic more seriously in the light of the political changes taking place in the Irju. With the GCK backed Tokishiro faction beginning to take control of the islands, Royal Unified Line had begun using vessels contracted by the GRCKN to bring munitions, medicine and other supplies to General Tokishiro's army. By 1935, his army had succesfully solidified the islands under his command and created enough security for the nation's economy to begin truly rebounding, and the Royal Unified Line was keenly interested in expanding its economic base by opening regularly scheduled operations between Bonnhaven and Marai Kanai. With the coincidental passing of the NMSA the same year, the new ship's budget was able to be considerably expanded on the premise of government subsidy, and the Egality class was born.

Though not as heavy in tonnage or passenger capacity as the preceding Leader class liners, the Egality pioneered the use of propulsion systems to great effect, which matched with her four screw arrangement made the type in spite of its comparitively humble layout in terms of luxury or size remarkably swift. As a means of procuring further credits from the government subsidy system, the liners were designed with steam catapult systems, which were utilized herein for expedited mail delivery and reception from ports along the ship's route. While not as opulent as the earlier Leader class liners, the Egality's more proletarian design philosophy resulted in a fast and effective ship well suited for first rate service. The first two vessels of the class, Egality and Liberty began bi-weekly service to the Irju in 1938, while production was delayed on the last two ships due to increased naval production, with Harmony and Comradery being delivered in 1939 and 1940 respectively. The last two liners were originally used on domestic routes, but were re-allocated to transit between the Ethenden Islands and the Kharkov Republic in May 1941.

Egality class--first launched 1937

MS Egality

MS Liberty

MS Harmony

MS Comradery