J.M Loughton and Sons
| Private limited company | |
| Industry |
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| Founded | February 15, 1861 |
| Founder | Sir James Morringey Loughton |
| Headquarters | Brumley, Earldom of Brumley, Kingdom of Frankenlisch |
Number of employees | 3,548 |
| Divisions |
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J.M Loughton and Sons (sometimes known as J.M.L) is a shipyard in Brumley, Kingdom of Frankenlisch. It specialises in naval repairs and construction and is well-known for its historical reputation for building large ocean liners and Imperial Navy capital ships. Imperial Navy ships constructed by J.M.L include the early battleships Imperial and Invincible, all three battleships of the Majestic-class, the gun-cruisers Caledon and Hollens, and the aircraft carrier Martlet.
Founded by James Morringey Loughton in 1861 and initially renowned for constructing smaller ships and offshore platforms, the company eventually became one of the best-known builders of ocean liners when it enlisted the talents of Jobst Hracker, a talented young engineer from Breem. Together, Loughton and Hracker built the company's reputation for both civilian ships and warships throughout the Great Liner Race and several Imperial Navy conflicts respectively. From 1900 to the present day, J.M.L liners have broken speed and capacity records on several occasions, including four times between 1919 and 1930.
Background and founding
The Naval Construction Act of 1850 was a landmark piece of legislation which empowered the Admiralty to order vessels from private shipyards, which previously had been off-limits to the Imperial Navy. Up until the passing of the Act, new Imperial Navy warships were required to be constructed at the two Frankenlischian Royal Dockyards (at Frankenlisch and Briceport) unless special permission was given by Parliament - which happened only rarely, and only for the construction of smaller vessels. The Frankenlischian shipbuilding industry, which was in desperate decline by the 1850s, reacted with jubilation and a huge range of military contracts were pounced upon by shipyards which were facing bankruptcy. A significant beneficiary of the Act was Merton and Sons of Luxington, a small shipyard which specialised in small ocean-going vessels, which was immediately contracted to work on the River-class of small frigates.