Gran Colombian News, H2/1907

[swamphen]

(Hmm, the map needs to be fiddled with, as it only shows German Polynesia...)

[swamphen]

Korvettenkapitan Hans Strudel, the Naval Attache to France for Brandenburg, was flustered. "Ambassador, let me get straight to the point. That battleship you bought for us. Were you not aware that the Frenchies had already sold him to the Colombians?"

The Honourable Kanryu Takeda, Ambassador to France for Brandenburg, calmly stirred his tea. "Indeed, Kapitan Strudel, I was quite aware of this. And so was the man who sold it to me."

"What?" Strudel couldn't believe his ears. "You know how Latins are about honour! And the Colombians will only see this as an insult. They paid for four battleships, when they only get three and see us get one they might decide to do something about it! We're trying to dangle bait in front of their noses, in case you hadn't..."

"Peace, Kapitan, before you explode like a Filipino volcano." Takeda chuckled. "Formidable will reach Gran Colombia before he reaches us." A fluffy white cat scampered across the room and leapt into his lap.  "And one shall become two."

"I don't understand."

The cat purred contentedly under Takeda's stroking. "Not understanding is exactly the point, my friend. Tea?"

[The Rock Doctor]

3 December 1907

Three men on a nearby yacht stared as the armored cruiser Guardia churned past them at flank speed.  Whether they were enthralled with the sight of the warship, or intrigued in the effect its wake would have on their smaller vessel, Captain Ortega could not say. 

To the northeast, along the horizon, was the Darien isthmus, the town of San Miguelito, and the Pacific terminus of the Darien Canal.  Though nominally based further south at Esmerldas, Guardia and her counterparts were running regular patrols up this way.  The reason was rather simple:  New Swiss merchant ships were still making port here - one of the few places in the Americas that they could.  And while Cartagena really didn't care whether somebody picked off Swiss merchies on the high seas, they most definitely did care if somebody did it just outside Gran Colombian waters. 

"That's a Swiss tramp off our port bow, Sir", a look-out informed Ortega.

"Flash 'im.  See if it's him that called in the alarm", Ortega replied.  The blinker light on the port wing clacked out its signal; the Swiss response came shortly after.

"That's the one, Sir.  Says they thought they saw a cruiser to the west an hour or so ago."

"Inquire about his cargo."

"Fruit", the signalman soon reported.  "Picking up rubber and lump iron for the return haul."

Ortega grunted.  "Helm, come round to two-seven-zero once we're past the tramp."

"Aye, sir."

Ortega didn't really think a Dutchman, Brandenburger, or Hapsburger would be prowling just over the horizon, but it was a possibility.  There might also be a Swissman, for that matter, keeping watch on its civilian counterparts.  There might, also, not be any kind of warship at all, at least when Guardia showed up.  Civilians were not always very good with their Jane's recognition charts.

"Sir - Action stations?"

"No", Ortega replied.  "Visibility's good.  Nobody's going to surprise us.  We'll remain at normal readiness unless we see something unusual.  Sparks - send to El Tigre that we're investigating the reported unknown cruiser."

The fortress informed, the Swiss tramp now past the port beam, Guardia heeled hard to the port and steered west to look for ships that shouldn't be there.

[The Rock Doctor]

4 December 1907:  Cartagena

"The Swiss have not reacted to our response on the Cook Islands", Eduard Torres advised the President.  "I would presume this means they will not be pushing the matter while they are at war."

"Well, the squadron has its orders just in case they do", Ricardo Alizandro drawled.  "But yeah...doesn't seem like a good move on their part."

"It's funny that the Brandenburgers didn't mention the ownership dispute", Industry Minister de Soto observed.  "Our officials should have done their proper due diligence, of course, but effectively, the Prussians were selling us damaged goods.  It kind of makes we wonder, you know."

"Wonder what?", the President asked.  "If the Brandenburgers were trying to set up a conflict between us and the Swiss?"

"Yes", de Soto replied.  "They've already made that same kind of offer to us that the Swiss did, the whole 'assistance in return for islands' deal.  And...so far as I can tell, at least, the Swiss are holding their own so far.  Maybe the DKB is getting a little desperate to tip the balance."

"You think they'd resort to that?", Minister Escalante asked.

"Why not?", de Soto replied.  "Bear in mind how picking up the Cooks works for them - it give them a cash infusion far in excess of the short-term tax revenues of the islands, plus they don't have to defend it, plus it puts a neutral in between them and the Swiss whom they might manage to push into the war on their side."

"That sounds far-fetched", Torres said, "Though not impossible."

"Right.  So I think we need to watch out in case either of them try to stage an incident", de Soto said.  "In fact, I think we should be doing a little preliminary contingency planning."

"Hold on, hold on", the President intervened.  "What's in it for either side to risk our wrath in hopes of gaining us as allies?"

"Access through the Canal, for a start", Benicio Delgado said.  "Right now, the two sides can only get around the Americas via the Cape.  If we join a side, they can cut weeks off a transit and threaten what is otherwise a relatively quiet front for either side."

"Militarily?", Rey asked.

"The Armada is not insignificant, though not nearly as powerful as we'd like.  The Ejercito is probably less important, depending on the situation", Ricardo said.  "Put it this way:  If we joined the Europeans and Chinese, we'd be looking at power projection across the Pacific to Alaska, Hawaii, or the Swiss Home Islands or undertake a trade war.  None of those easy tasks, but doable.  If we joined the Swiss, the issue's somewhat simpler.  Heck, we can walk into Surinam at our convenience.  Then there's a heap of little Brandenburger and Austrian enclaves dotting the coast.  Those would be ripe for raids or landings."

"We are losing sight of the help we obtained from the Brandenburgers and Hapsburgers in Brazil not so long ago", Torres cautioned.  "It would be dishonorable to turn against them for the sake of quick territorial gains."

"In the case of the Hapsburgers, I agree", de Soto said.  "They're playing clean pool, far as I know.  It's the other bunch that might be playing fast and loose.  Keep in mind, also, that the Dutch might start getting persnickity about our exports to the Swiss.  So if you don't want to consider ops against the Hapsburgers, fine - I won't belabour the point.  But we should consider possible plans for the DKB and Dutch."

"Very well", the President said wearily.  "Let me repeat what I've said before - I don't want to get involved in this.  But, Ricardo, have your people draw up contigency plans just in case we do."

[swamphen]

Count von Bülow playing dirty pool? Perish the thought!!  ;D

(ooc: actually I only noticed the dispute after the fact when I went back and noticed the PMs DFox and I had exchanged regarding island ownership - at the time the bumbling now-ex-envoy-now-on-a-fast-boat-to-Ost-Afrika made the deal, I was going strictly by the map.)

[The Rock Doctor]

I'm sure that's (probably) true, but the Gran Colombians may not be so easily convinced...

[The Rock Doctor]

6 December 1907:  Cartagena

"Naval Intelligence has picked up this tidbit from a source in France", Admiral Ruiz advised Ricardo Alizandro, handing the Minister of Defence a sheet of paper. 

The Minister failed to note the expression on Ruiz's face.  "The French are planning to build a hundred thousand tonnes worth of battleships", Alizandro read.  "Okay, so probably four battleships."

"Er...not quite", Ruiz said.  "Perhaps re-read it, Sir."

Ricardo went through the document again, stared, and read it a third time.  "The French are planning to build a one hundred thousand tonne battleship?"  Looking to Ruiz, he asked, "You're shitting me, right?"

"No, sir - surprisingly, I'm not.  The intel is reliable; the French are actually thinking about this."

"But that's ridiculous", Ricardo protested.

"I agree - but you know the French are on the bleeding edge of over-sized national pride projects", Ruiz replied.  "I asked Vice-Admiral de Irujo's design teams to suggest a possible springstyle anyway.  I'm told they did so over several rounds of beer at The Rusty Anchor early Saturday."

"Uh huh", Ricardo said.

"So the premise is that the French are limited to existing facilities.  Length is limited to 270 metres, and draft to 10 metres.  The team then estimated the beam at 55 metres, with a bloc coefficient of around zero point seven."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means it would be a big, fat, blocky hull, like a barge.  The armament is estimated at-", and Ruiz paused to suppress the urge to grin inanely, "Sixteen guns of thirty-eight centimetres in eight twin turrets, two forward, two aft, and two on either beam.  The secondary armament is estimated at sixty-four fourteen centimetre guns in hull casemates.   Oh, and sixteen submerged torpedo tubes.

"Armor would be as thick as practical - thirty-eight centimetres for the end, main, and upper belts, conning tower, and turrets.  Ten centimetres on the deck.  This would be thick enough to be impervious to all but the largest naval guns; it's about the thickest armor a mill can roll at present.

"We're estimating a maximum speed of twenty-one knots - with a range of some 22,000 nautical miles.  The designers figure this is necessary because the ship would be too large to make port and coal at a number of French ports worldwide; she could probably also top up the bunkers of her escorts."

"Something that big would take a while to sink", Ricardo mused.

"We're ballparking about forty-five torpedoes", Ruiz replied.  "The ship's normal displacement is estimated at 104,000 tonnes - about the size of all nine battleships we have in service at this time."

"Could the French actually do this?"

"Theoretically, yes.  But the engineering would be daunting - just launching something that size would be a monumental feat.  Plus, to be honest, we're looking at a construction time of around nine years."  Ruiz looked down to his notes.  "Oh, I forgot my favorite part of this:  the designers reckon there would be room aboard for a regiment of a thousand ship's troops, plus the boats necessary to land them."

"So a battleship and an invasion force", Ricardo said.

"Correct."

Ruiz could see the mental gears whirling in the Minister's head.  "Okay...", Ricardo said.  "I'm not going to waste your time asking for our own response.  Just feel free to hint to the French that we're all very scared and hope that France never, ever, builds such a thing."

"Your sarcasm is noted, Sir", Ruiz replied. 

[Borys]

6 December 1907:  Cartagena

Looking to Ruiz, he asked, "You're shitting me, right?"

I love the Colombians :)

Borys

[The Rock Doctor]

24 December 1907:  La Prensa Nacional

On the eve of the Navidad, President Alizandro informed a gleeful nation that the new year will bring with it three hundred thousand new countrymen.

"I am pleased to announce that the Republic of Gran Colombia and the Deutcher Kaiserreich Brandenburg have come to terms regarding the transfer of jurisdiction and ownership of the territory of Coquimbo.  We will be welcoming our new countrymen into our great nation on the first day of 1908."

Coquimbo, a former province of the greater Union del Sur America, broke away from that nation in the turmoil of two years ago.  The ethnic Spanish population initially sought amalgamation with the DKB, but in discussions with Gran Colombia, it was agreed that the territory would better fit into our great republic's political and cultural framework. 

Terms of the deal were partially disclosed.  Of note, the DKB was in the process of constructing a railway system in the territory.  Rather than having Gran Colombia terminate work and start fresh with our standard narrow guage system, the DKB has agreed to complete the rail system over the coming year.  For this the DKB generously agreed to waive the costs, in return for which a surplus protected cruiser will be transferred to Brandenburger control. 

A governor has not yet been named for the territory, but is expected to be selected in consultation with the DKB.  A small convoy* will shortly transport a modest garrison and naval patrol unit to the city of Valparaiso, the territory's capital.

*That small convoy consists of four passenger ships, transporting a regiment of IV Cordilleran Corps and some diplomatic personnel.  It is escorted by two patrol cutters that will be stationed at Valparaiso, as well as the armored cruiser Sentinela, a protected cruiser, and a collier.  The convoy was dispatched in order to arrive at Valparaiso on 31 December, in time for a handover ceremony the next day.

[The Rock Doctor]

29 December 1907:  Cartagena

The Cabinet was only meeting once over the holidays, unless some emergency were to take place, so the agenda was light and the meeting went briskly.

"Any other business?", President Alizandro asked.

"One item", Industry Minister de Soto replied.

"Fire away", the President replied.

"I was looking over the naval projections for the coming year and something came to mind.  Ricardo, am I right in understanding that two Audaz class battleships are to be scrapped shortly?"

"Yeah", Ricardo Alizandro replied.  "The Invencibles have completed their work-ups and are in service.  We've technically already deleted Audaz and Astuto from the roster, we just aren't bothering to start scrapping them until after the holidays are over."

"Is that necessarily the best thing to do?", de Soto asked.

"I suppose we can start earlier, but it doesn't make much difference."

"No, no.  I mean, is scrapping them the best thing to do?"

Ricardo's eyes narrowed.  "We're counting on the scrap value of those two ships to support our 1909 program.  If you've got something else in mind, maybe you'd better just spit it out."

de Soto ignored the tone in the defence minister's voice.  "I do have something else in mind.  The Swiss have been hounding you to sell them ships, right?"  Ricardo nodded.  "Well, the DKB was inquiring about our ability to build new ships for them.  There's obviously a market.  Why not make them available?"

"There's that neutrality thing", Ricardo replied.  "Which one would you sell to?"

"I don't suggest selling them.  I had in mind a public auction", de Soto stated. 

"That's prepost-", Foreign Minister Torres began to retort.

"What, cash and carry?", the President asked.

"Open up to any kind of bid, so long as we can attach a value to it:  cash, technology, territory, ships...", de Soto replied.   

"There's still that neutrality thing", Ricardo noted.

"Who says we end up selling them to a belligerent?  Maybe somebody else will want them.  Hell, we can always have some small print to the effect that we don't have to accept the highest bid, or whatever."

"This is not a good-", Torres began again.

"It bears thinking about", Rey replied.  "I'll get back to you all.  Meeting adjourned."