KuK Wiener Zeitung 2/1907

[Ithekro]

Dwimorberg and Irensaga, Belted Cruisers of the Mark, can be arranged for a long distance voyage.

[Borys]

The Dual Monarchy will remember this Friendly Act

[miketr]

If the Iberian government learns of the Austrian mission and their worries the Naval Attaché in Vienna will present the following offer.

If the Monarchy is worried about something happing to its civilian ships but you do not want to send your own vessels Madrid has an idea.  The Armored Cruiser H.I.I.M.S. Cristóbal Colón is scheduled to be sent to the Philippines via the western route like her sister ship and the Leon.  This is to take place in about a month, her departure could be held up to match your own transit timetable. Cristóbal Colón would escort the ships out across the Atlantic and to their various stops till they exit the west end of the Darian Canal.  It is our understanding that two cruisers of Rohan are to then meet up with your ships. Cristóbal Colón would stay on station till the Riders ships take over and then head on her own way to the Philippines.

[Earl822]

If I understand what Borys is doing, I'd get your ships as far away from there as possible.

[Borys]

Vienna accepts the Iberian offer. If the Riddermark holds no objection, the two Habsburg auxilliary vessels will sail in the company of all three warships.

Marine Amt.
- And HOW exactly did the Iberians learn about this!?! - Grossadmiral Montecuccoli thundered at other partcipants of the staff meeting.
Admiral Srnicek shurgged.
- Pepi, considering that Carlos spent half his live in Vienna, and Jaime most of it, what'd do you expect. I'll bet you a plate of the famous Milerova's knedlicki that the Borbon royals know more, and higher up, people at the court than you or me.

[The Rock Doctor]

...A couple of weeks later, in the Amazon...

"General Hecht?  The Project Manager would like a word with you, please", a Gran Colombian guard said to the old Swiss officer. 

Hecht set down his hammer and looked up up the guard.  "Fine", he said. 

The project office was a set of ramshackle wood huts on the north bank of the Rio Japura, where a huge trestle bridge was being constructed for the Mitu/Puerto Enrico Railroad.  Hecht had been there a few times, mainly to be advised of shift changes or disciplinary actions involving his men.

The Project Manager's assistant ushered him into the Manager's office and set a glass of water down on the small wicker table beside his chair.  The Manager himself arrived a moment later and shuffled around his desk to collapse into his own chair.  "Miserable humidity today, eh?", he murmured.  Hecht nodded.  "Well - my misfortune is your fortune, it seems.  I've been advised that a train is being sent for you and your men."

General Hecht had heard numerous rumors about how Gran Colombia treated surplus "voluntary labor", so was on edge at hearing this news.  "Where are we going?", he asked cautiously.

"I don't know", the Project Manager replied.  "I'm not aware of any significant projects requiring large manpower pools besides this one.  Certainly not in this region."

General Hecht could envision his men being taken by train to some remote stretch, herded off the cars for a stretch/smoke break, and then being mowed down by machine gun fire.  The stories from the Darien Canal had not fallen on deaf ears.  Still, there was always a possibility this was good news.  "What's today's date?", he asked.

The Project Manager told him.  "Still a bit shy of your five year term of service", he added.

"Are all of my men being moved?"

"Yes.  As of Tuesday, that figure was six thousand, two hundred thirty-six.  So I imagine there will be more than one train involved."

Hecht nodded.  He'd lost almost twelve hundred men since arriving in Gran Colombia just after Christmas of 1902.  The work had been hard, the conditions difficult.  There'd been suicides and executions - a few of the latter recommended by himself for disciplinary reasons.  "Permission to ask a blunt question?"

"Yes, of course", the Project Manager replied.

"Are we being taken away and shot?"

The Project Manager, to be fair, flinched.  "General...I won't say whether I can tell the difference between sending men home and sending them to be disposed of.  But this looks to me like you're being sent home."

"I hope you're right", Hecht said.  "Otherwise, one day, my government will come looking for us."

The Project Manager's eyebrows furrowed.  "General, it's my understanding that a quarter of your men were intercepted at sea and sent back to New Switzerland.  Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't come looking for you years ago." 

[Borys]

Desterro, Archduchy of Parana

Captain Schwarz of the Elsbeth Bathory looked down from the wing of the bridge with mild disgust at the coal being brought into the bunkers. He would much prefer Cymru coal, or other Norman coal, or Confederate coal, or Oranje coal, or ... practically any coal but this.
He would have to double the number of men assigned to disposing of waste from cleaning the grates, as this coal seemed to be composed mostly of ash. Good thing a last minute intervention into the design had kept the boilers being designed solely for high quality coal, and he could manage on inferior stuff.
He sighed. There was some deal between the Navy and the Santa Katerina mine owners. Some "buy local" or "support the national ecnomy" bullshit. But he still would prefer Cymru coal ...

In the distance he could see the tell tale plume of a train making its way north to the city. Probably bringing more of this crappy coal, he mused. He wondered what was so important about his new orders that made Governour Schmydtke come down from Kuritiba to deliver them in person.  And he was really bewildered why he got that band of cheerful dusky cuthroats, the Maoris from the Auslaender Legion, as passangers. To make matters worse, they behaved like being on vacation. At least they would not try to smuggle goats, like the Romanisns and other Balkan settlers tried to ...
He'll ask the Kommendanten Atlantik Sud for some Shore Patrol boys with sticks. Big Shore Patrol Boys with Big Sticks - on the way to the bridge he had run into the chest of one of the Maoris ...

[Borys]

La Valetta, Malta, Habsburg Empire

Apart from landing turrets, guns, and then pieces of of the ships themselves, the workers also landed more grim parts. Namely, the mortal remains of French seamen. These were passed on to the relevant services, which tried to identify the bodies.
Every Sunday morning a shore party of Austrian sailors from one of the ships currently at La Valetta, plus a platoon from the garrisson, following a band playing solemn music, sallied from the fort of San Angelo. They took the road to Sliema, the Triq id Duluri* leading to the Ta-Braxia Military Cemetery. There a special section had been put aside for the French. At the close of the service, to the dull beat of drums, three salvos were fired by the representatives of Habsburg Military. If a French vessel was present in port, it invariably sent a strong delegation, headed by the "commandante" himself.


* Our Lady of Sorrows Street.

[Borys]

Flash back
Religious Affairs Department of Kriegsministerium

- "WTF are Sabbatical Christians!?" - yelled major Iglesia at his ecumenical collegue across the desk, Major Popescu - "I've checked the encyclopaedia, and they are supposed to be Sabbatical Christians. WTF are Sabbatical Christians!?! We don't have any Sabbatical Christians on the Army List, and we have everybody! Everybody!" - he started counting off on his fingers for emphasise - "Feldkuraten, Feldrabiner, Feldpraesbiter, Feldimmaner, Feld  ... " he paused for breath. Popescu, bemused by Iglesia's rants and well used to them - grabbed the opportunity - "Judging by from where they came from, that probably is something similar to the Calvinist heretics popular in Hungary. And Feldpastoren we DO have, even if their German is poor."

[Borys]

Financial Minsitry, Wien

Hans Knitz read the note from Paris again, slowly, reading out the words to himself to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He shook his head in disbelief.
- And I thought that WE were the conservative types. And yet we've been using bank orders since the 30 Years War. Why on Earth do the French want to pay for the Chevalier Rouge with two and half tons of gold bars?

[Borys]

Autumn manouvers in the Banat

The engineers were rapidly bulding a bridge over the Theiss. With much smoke and noise, the Minnenwerfehr were lobbying their shells across the river, their grenades falling behind the dyke, thus sparing the training troops. The shells of the larger calibres - 6 and 9 inchers - could be well seen in flight. As well as the fact that shooting over a large river was a challenge for their range. A high ranking artillery officer - Feldzeugmeister von Czibulka - turned to the civilian standing by his side.
- So, Herr Nedoruhal a Smutni, can the Skoda works produce something with greater range and more acurrate?

[Borys]

24th September, western exit of Darien Canal
With much hoots of ship sirens, the SMHS Salome and SMHS Elsebeth Batry bid farewell to the HIMS Cristobal Colon - which had accompanied them in the Carribean and now sailed due West, and wellcomed their new esrorts, the Dwimorberg VR and Irensaga VR. The four vessels made their way south.

28th September, Esmeraldas
The Austrians were wrecking havoc with the local enonomy by their large purchases of produce. And were causing a social sensation as well. Sailors were a thing the town was used to, but several dozen protestant priests and some two hundered black soldiers in red berettes were something new. And introduced some interesting twists to popular knowledge:
- No es Austriaco! No es prieto y no es un Padre! Quen es? - the fruit vendor demanded of Hadjibeyovich who, after a few years in Parana, understood the question but was at a loss of words how to explain all the subtle points of being a Habsburg subject ...

[miketr]

Bridge, Armored Cruiser H.I.I.M.S. Cristóbal Colón

"Well now that our 'charges' have been handed off I think we are free to head west.  Wouldn't you say XO?"  The captain of the Colón asked his first officer. 

The commander turned to his captain, "Without a doubt Sir."

"I am going to go to my cabin and open our sealed orders, you have the Bridge XO."

"Eye Sir, I have the Bridge."

A few minutes later in the Captains Cabin off the bridge

What had started out as fairly normal pattern of breaking the sealed orders had taken a decidedly strange turn when he found two other sealed envelopes inside the first one.  These two having not just the imperial seal but the Emperors own personal seal and one addressed to him!

"Capitán de Navío Vega y Chavez,

I am writing to you in my own hand so that there is no confusion or room for second guessing of your actions down the road by others not there.

Simple put if a ship of New Switzerland approaches your ship you are to give it one warning to back off.  In the event that the New Swiss ship refuses to break off or acts in any way that you consider a threat to your command; destroy said ship without further warning.  In addition if you have any reason to suspect the identity of a ship you encounter you are free to take any action up to sinking said ship if you believe it is New Swiss and refuses your instructions.

It is clear to me from the unofficial talk I had with the New Swiss Ambassador that they are spoiling for a fight and looking for help vs. the Dutch.  Of course the word attack was never used and while I may be in poor health I can still decipher diplomats double talk.  I have little doubt the Swiss are going to attack the Dutch but only a lunatic would star a war after so recently ending one and just after nearly starting a war with the most powerful nation on earth.  Hence the reason for your orders Captain; I think the Swiss leaders are insane and while I still don't know what happened in the Indian Ocean between the French and Swiss I can guess at this point.  I have no reason to suspect that the New Swiss are going to attack us but I don't understand why they would want to ambush the French or attack the Dutch either.  So I will take no chances with a nation that is clearly run by madmen when the lives of my subjects are at stake.

Know that you have my full confidence Captain.

Carlos
Emperor"


Capitán de Navío Vega y Chavez read the message again and then pored himself a stiff drink and downed it, he considered having another but thought the better of it.  The Captain called out to his XO who quickly walked across the Bridge and back into the Captains Cabin. 

"Sir!"

"Commander we are going to have a large number of battle drills before we reach the Phillippines.... starting now.  Sound General Quarters and then inform the ships officers once we are done I want to meet with them.  We have much to talk about."

PM's to follow to a couple of people

[Borys]

1st October 1907
Encrypted cable from Kriegsministerium to all stations outside the Home Countries

1 - Catanduanes, Aden -  war readiness
2 - Malta, Alhucema, Parana coastal areas, Maio - alert
3 - Austrian merchants in the Pacific Ocean - military and diplomatic authorities to advise sailing through territorial waters of friendly powers; recommended - avoid the NOI area and NS waters*; be wary of unindentified warships
4 - Austrian merchants in the Indian Ocean - military and diplomatic authorities to advise sailing through territorial waters of friendly powers; recommneded - avoid the NOI area and NS waters*; be wary of unindentified warships


In case of hostiities involving NS
5 - NS warships are to be denied permission to enter Habsburg Territorial waters, unless in danger of sinking; in such cases permission is granted on condition of vessel being interned for the duration;
6 - NS merchants - permission given to enter port for supplies, departure after 24 hours or internement for the duration;
7 - Pacific Division - patrol waters around the island, mine approaches to Causeway and Viraca, mark out limits with bouys, inform shipping intersts and Iberian Armada of minefields; local kommandant's discretion as to action against NS warships if acting threatening on High Seas, shoot without warning if in Territorial Waters
8 - Arabian Squadron - intensify patrols of Arabian Sea; encountered NS warships are to be shadowed, and position to be reported by w/t, by Morse Code, to nearest base; report position of encountered NS merchants in same manner;
9 - Atlantic Squadron - intensify patrols on Parana Route; encountered NS warships are to be shadowed, and position to be reported by w/t, by Morse Code, to nearest base; report position of encountered NS merchants in same manner;
10 - Home Fleet, Maltese Squadron - intensify patrols in Strait of Sicily; encountered NS warships are to be shadowed, and position to be reported by w/t, by Morse Code, to nearest base; report position of encountered NS merchants in same manner;
11 - any hostile acts by NS warships are to be countered by force, at local kommandant's discretion


* added for completness, I'd expect the last Austrian merchant to be seen in New Swiss waters before the Sino-NS war ...

[Borys]

1st October 1907, Ballplatz announcement

The Habsburg Government is saddened by the censorship imposed on the events of late September which occured in the Indian Ocean, not far from Australian and NOI waters. What transpires is that the fleet of the New Swiss Confederation committed an Act of Piracy on the High Seas. It would be too much to say that the Habsburg Government is shocked by this even, as it never expected much from the New Swiss to begin with. Yet the ink had barely dried on the New Swiss signature to the Hague Convention which specifically set out to put the term piracy into history books. If outcry in the slighted Countries lead to war, the Habsburg Empire will adopt the principle of Armed Neutrality.