KuK Wiener Zeitung 2/1907

[Borys]

1st October 1907
Ballplatz Secret Instruction to Diplomatic Stations in Muslim Countries

Advise Personell and Habsburg subjects to behave with particular discretion. Stay off the streets whenever possible, move around in groups, ask Local Authorities for protection. Best to move dependants to other countries. The wogs are exciteable and prone to form bloodthirsty mobs and in light of rumours circulating about Indian ocean events anti-Christian and anti-White riots can be expected. Alongside the New Swiss  Confederation the Habsburg Empire may be expected to become the subject of ire.

[Borys]

1st October 1907
Secret note to Koniklijke Nederlands Krijgminsterie
1 - Dutch warships will find friendly wellcome in Habsburg ports; coal and provisions will be available for purchase; use as base for operations is not encouraged, however;
2 - Habsburg warships will transmit particulars of any encourntered NS warships and merchants by w/t, in Morse code, at the following frequencies:
....
....
....

[Borys]

1st October 1907, Pola Naval base, evening

The SMS Ulan cast off the pilot's boat and made its way south, making an unusual 20 knots. The good coal from Spitzbergen made this task easier for the stokers, burning hot and fierce, with not much ash nor smoke.
The ship carried an unsual cargo - about a dozen army officers and NCOs, all looking crumpled and slept in, as they had been summoned from obscure garissons to Pola by telegrams no more than 48 hours before.
After making their acquaintances with one another, they switched from German to another language, seemingly devoid of vowels. They began to open the envelopes they received at the Hafenamt, with instructions to open at sea. 
The Korvetten Kapitan, Sandor Kovacs, also wondered why exactly he was to carry this bunch of Kroats or such like at utmost haste to Aden. But his orders did not explain that. That was the Navy Way ...

[Borys]

1st October, European shipping circles
News divulged by Habsburg Naval or Trade Attaches:
The Habsburg Empire is looking to charter two or three passanger liners, with cruising speed of 15-18 knots, steerage class capacity of some 2500/3000, to run settlers from Pola/Fiume to Paranagua/Desterro. Lenght of charter - at least 6 months.

[The Rock Doctor]

(Flashback...)

27 September 1907:  Esmeraldas

The train arrived just after eleven in the evening, pulling up to a warehouse generally used for storing export lumber.  One of the Swiss lieutenants was peering out through a small hole in the side of the boxcar, and called out, "A lot of guards with rifles are surrounding the train, Sir.  Too dark to see much else."

General Hecht replied, "Thank you, Anton."

Footsteps approached the large door on the other side of the car.  Several seconds of metallic clanking ensued, then the door slid partly open.  "General Hecht?", a voice called.  "Can I have a word with you, please?"

"Coming", Hecht said.  He stood up, a little wobbly after all the time spent rocking back and forth in the boxcar.  At the opening, he leaned gently against one side and looked down at the Gran Colombian official on the ground.

"General, you're now in Esmeraldas, on the Pacific coast.  In a day or two, you'll be boarding some ships.  Until then, we've arranged for you and your men to be housed in some warehouses.  Some basic hygiene facilities have been set up for this purpose."

"Where are we going this time?", Hecht asked.

The Gran Colombian shrugged.  "I don't know, General.  My orders are to keep your men here and embark them on the Hapsburger transports when they're ready for you.  That's all I need to know."

Hapsburgers..., the general mused silently.  Well, they're a more ethical people than these ones.  Aloud, he inquired, "I assume you'd like me to ensure the cooperation of my men."

"I'd prefer that", the Gran Colombian replied.  "We're prepared for any scenario, General, but the ideal one sees each of your men quietly march into the warehouse, get into the chow line, and find a place to sleep for the night."

"Very well.  I'll pass the word", Hecht said.

****

About a half hour later, the last Swiss contractors were inside and lined up for a simple meal of soup and bread.  A Hapsburger official, dressed in civilian clothes, emerged from the shadows to stand beside the Gran Colombian official.  "That's all of them?"

"Six thousand, two hundred, thirty.  Four died during the trip and were removed at a previous stop for burial", the local confirmed.

The Hapsburger sighed but did not elaborate.  "We should be ready to embark two days hence.  I will keep you advised.  In return - I'd be grateful if the total number of Swiss did not decrease further in that time." 

[Borys]

28th September 1907, around noon

Linienschiff Kapitaen Schlachtiger, accompanied by two aides and the gentleman from the Embassy, made his way through Esmeraldas in a hired carriage. The party headed towards the numerous warehouses grouped around the railhead. Towards the warehouses distinguished by having a military guard around them.
Dismising the cab, they entered the compound on foot. After salutes and introduction, Schlachtiger declined an offer from the commanding Gra Colombian officer and headed towards the indicated barrack.
Upon entering he waitind for eyes to adjust to the shadow. Noticing a figure of authority ("Helige Mutter! How gaunt everybody looks!") he walked up, saluted and introduced himself. Being forwarned of a possibly embarassing situation, he had not taken his cap off, thus limiting the pleasantries to salutes, no handshaking.
- General Hecht? - he inquired by intonation.
The older, haggard man nodded.
- Francoise? Norman? Deutsch? - he again inquired by intonation.
- Norman, if you may. Our Deutsch might differ greatly. And I gues - Hecht shrugged - I hope, that you have important things to tell me ...
Schlachtiger spoke slowly, in heavily accented Norman.
- General, by an agreement between the Republic of Gra Colombia and the Habsburg Empire, you and your men have been released into Habsburg custody. The Salome and the Elsebeth Bathory await in port to take you home.
Hecht looked stunned and disbelieving ...
- Home ... ?
- Yes, sir. My orders are to take you to Phoenix. This destination was selected by your Government - a spasm could be noted on the Senior Officer's face.
- With your permission, in the afternoon your men can be examined by Kaiserlich-Koeniglisch-Kreigsarine doctors. Again with your permission, any spiritual assistance may be provided by German speaking Feldpastoren and Feldpraesbiter. A few speak some Norman. Fieldkuecher from the Auslaender Freiwilligen Korps will improve on the quality of your food. At night, as not to cause a sensation, your men - in company sized groups - will be guided to the ships. Embarking should take two days. Any messages you might wish to pass on to your Gov't can be taken to your Embassy by Herr Schmidt from the Habsburg Embassy, who is leaving for Cartagena this evening.
- Are you all right, General?

[Borys]

2nd October, Esmeraldas
The little convoy sailed West

[Borys]

8th October, Wien
The Declaration of War, sans ultimatim, by the New Swiss caused quite an uproar.
There was a small demonstration of support in front of the Dutch Embassy. A bunch of nogoodnik boo-boys gathered in front of the New Swis embassy building (in the hands of caretakers for years now), and had to be disprsed by the Police before they could storm the property.
Oberst Strilitz of Spanish Civil War fame, took leave from the army on medical gounds. He made a call for volunteers to join his Freikorps Stirlitz, to fight on the side of the Dutch.

[Borys]

12th October, Schoenbrum

Stefan put down the letters from von Buelov and Wilhelm von Hohenzollern. His eyes were as hard and his face ws set into a mask ... he eyed the telephone, but opted for the old school solution and rang a bell.
- call Lichtenstein and Montecuccoli! - he instructed the maid in her crisp uniform of black skirt with white cap and apron, and a feather dusting puff in her hand

[Borys]

October
Throught the second half of the month increased Naval activity was evident.

There was heavier freighter traffic at naval bases.

The previously expressed interest in chartering ships - "The Habsburg Empire is looking to charter two or three passanger liners, with cruising speed of 15-18 knots, steerage class capacity of some 2500/3000, to run settlers from Pola/Fiume to Paranagua/Desterro. Lenght of charter - at least 6 months." - was now expanded to 4-5 passanger ships. And expanded to include merchants.

The tropships SMHS Xanthype and Lucrecia Borgia - with installed guns - instead of returning to the Med after their run with settlers to Parana, picked up 4 battalions of the AFL and took the route around Cape Agulhas to DKB Ost Afrika, and from there to Aden.

At Pola and Malta the modern small cruisers made unscheduled drydock visits, and were rebased to Aden.

The repair ship SMHS Kugelschreiber dissapeared from Parana, and "reapearred" at Durban to recoal.

In early November an above "normal" number of coaliers coud be seen unloading at Aden, more than necessary to replenish the local "coal mountain". 

The last fully operational Panzerkreuzer SMS Innsbruck and the Schlachtschiffe Frankreich - sporting a queer looking three-legged mast with a castle on it - were drydocked at Pola and were painted rouge below the waterline.

[Borys]

October, conference at Kreigsmininsterium

- Meine Herren, the Dutch-Swiss forces us to take action. A Swiss victory, especially one leaving the Nedelerander Ost Indien in Swiss hands, is out of the question.  Other groups are drawing up plans with out allies - code names Bloodbath and Night Caress. But these are mostly Naval affairs. Our job is too consider the Land War. As sending over large number of troops is out of the question, some bright fellows have suggested sending over equipment.
As we speak, a group of Officers and NCOs is on its way to Firanj. Yes, I am well aware of our standing in the Muslim World. We sent Boschniaks. Maybe they'll have. And I hope they'll have them after we disclose our offer.
Starting from November, these Boschniaks would train future Franajee instructors. And then in early February we would gift the Firanjees with State of the Art equipment for two Army Corps. By April two corps should be ready for action. The Code name for this is Burning Sands.

[Borys]

Mid October, Skodawerken
- So you are saying, my good Herr Panenka, that we are no longer to send out these guns to Kassa?
- Exactly, my good Herr Adamkov, they are to be kept here in the warehouse, but ready for transport. And readied for sea transport, too. Something to to with that war, they say ...

[Borys]

COPIED HERE FOR COMPLETNESS:
28th October

Delayed by heavy seas and stormy weather, the Austro-Riddermark convoy arrives off Phoenix

1th November, off Phoenix, 6 nautical miles from shore

Schlachtiger turned to Hecht.
- When we were leaving probability of a war between the Dutch and New Swiss was high. It is quiet likely that our countires are at war right now. Peace or war, Habsburg ships are to be shot at if they get within 6 miles from Swiss shores.
- I am sending over a launch with a Riddermarkischer officer on board, to ask what plans are there for us and for you. The port? Bugger off?
- In the latter case I will unload you all at some beach not far from here.


- and General, I have a request. It concerns some of your men.
- Yes?
- Some have decided to become settlers in Parana. And several want to enlist in the AFL. I'd like you to counter-sign their dfdeclaratios that they doing this out of their free will.
- I can understand the Parana option - going from a slavecamp to a country at war, if one has no family, is not particualry tempting. But why the AFL - and would you recruit thumbless soldiers?
- Usually not. But as you yourself are prime example, during those 5 years your men have become southpaws. It is true that they will never shot a rifle, but any force - as you well know - needs more than riflemen. Fully trained, war veterans. Speaking a form of German - or at least having some knowledge of it. They are Junior NCO material as they stand. A couple are NCOs anyway - all they expect after coming home is a "honourable discharge". The AFL allows them to stay in the military. And the AFL gives an option not to fight one's countrymen - if our countries do go to war, they will be posted to Morroco or some other out of the way place.

t is the beach then, Schlachtiger decided. The ships moved, to the passangers' apprehension, away from Phoenix. Hadn't this possibility been outlined to the POWs previously, there would had been a riot. After reaching a point where there were no coastal defence guns visible, the troopships moved inshore.
Flying prominent white or white-with-green-cross flags on them, the boats started carrying the ex-POWs to the beach. This took several hours.
Before boarding the last boat, Hecht asked:
- Why is Austria doing all this?
- for the Emperor's Soul.
This confirmed the general's suspicon - the Austrians either had some hidden purpose, or were nuts. But anyway, he was Home. With a salute they went their searate ways.

After securing the boats, the now empty ships and their escorts sailed to the SE.



October 31st
The Riddermark cruisers and the Austrian troopships cleaned out the coal stocks at Neue Vaterland (pop. 220, 3 square miles). Then they sailed in two divergent directions - the warships to the NE, the troopships almost due South.

[Borys]

Wien, 16th October, afternoon
Emergency meeting of War Council

- the War in the NOI is in full swing. The latest news we got from the Dutch, the Tropical Germans and neutrals put the results of two naval encounters to be one win, one draw for the Dutch. There are no more signs of wavering in Hague - both these victories, and the popular support for the war have stiffened their resolve. You can't sleep in Amsterdam - the lower orders keep on signing Oranje-Nederlands or Nederalands-Oranje all night long. And ..
- to the point, Furst.
- the Hohenzollerns want to start now.
- All your Highnesses - putting things bluntly - we are tag alongs to their effort, so the fact that we haven't concentrated yet does not matter. Both the KuKK and the Heer would prefer February, so October or December are equally bad from the Services' point of view.
- As Supreme Warlord I command - let it begin then. Inform Di Rubio, he knows what to say to the Branderburgers. Now - let us pray for God's blessing of our endeavour.

[Borys]

Night from 16th to 17th October, cables and/or w/t messages sent out throught the Empire

War imminent, hostilities expected within 72 hours.
Flotte - assume war readiness immediatelly, regardless of station. Expedite transfer of units to Aden *

Heer - Reichsweher - war status; Landwehr - heightened alert; Heimwehr - alert

* list of ships to follow