News from Japan (formerly known as the "Japan, end of 1907..." thread)

[Walter]

Unfortunately Miguel Ximinez de Palinos was forced to sell it as well as the Rack and the cuchions in order to get money so Bishop Graham Jones Bigglesworth and Bishop Vance Gilliam Fang could go to France to study the plans of Cathedral of Chartres. :)

... of course his cost estimate of the cathedral is slightly higher so he can buy his stuff back. :D

[Walter]

February 1, 1914

Leaning back in his chair, Brigade General Maiyu Sukat, commanding officer of the Armoured Forces of the Imperial Japanese Army, was reading his daily newspaper. As usual, today's news was rather similar to yesterday's news. A crisis here, a burglary there, a killing somewhere else, a company being ruined, a company being created. The only things that were different each day were the scores in the sports section.

Someone knocked on the door to Sukat's study. "Enter!" he called out.

"Sir." Maiyu Sukat's secretary, Linsa, popped around the door. "There are visitors here to see you."

Sukat looked up from his newspaper. "Oh? Who is it?"

"It's Dou... I mean Viscount Huah von Hitter, Sir, with Lady Au... I mean Oxua" she informed.

Sukat frowned slightly. "Okay... send him in."

Linsa vanished and a few moments she brought the guests into Sukat's study.

"Greeting General!" the man called out cheerfully. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"It sure has been, Sir Dougulus Kaien," Sukat replied.

With eyes wide, the man looked shocked at Sukat. "Kaien?! Surely you are mistaken, General! Who is this Kaien person anyway?"

Sukat sighed. "Sit down, Kaien. You're obviously here for a reason, are you not? Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Tea... with two teaspoons of sugar," Dougulus told as he sat down in a chair. "You as well, Auxo?" he asked his assistant.

"Yes please," Auxo replied as she sat down as well. "No sugar," she added.

"Could you get that Linsa? And a coffee for me?"

"Naturally. I'll be back as quickly as possible."

The three waited for the coffee and tea to arrive. While waiting, Sukat turned his attention back to his newspaper, but knowing there was nothing of interest, he tossed it aside. After some time, Linsa returned with a tray with four cups. She placed two cups with tea on the small table between Dougulus and Auxo and the sole cup of coffee on Sukat's desk. The final cup of tea was for herself as she sat down in another chair, shoving the tray underneath it.

"So what bring the Silver Knight here to my humble abode?"

Dougulus laughed slightly upon hearing the word 'humble abode'. Quite true considering that this house was below par for a man of Sukat's standing. It was a shack compared to Sukat Mansion in Japan where Sukat Heavy Industries was located. Even Linsa's bright spark could not change that. "I bring news from Manchu."

"Ah... good news I hope."

Dougulus thought about it for a few seconds while he drang some of his tea. "Yes... and no," he then replied.

"... okay... so it is good news but there is a problem with the good news..."

"Something like that," Dougulus admitted. "Together with TWIT (*), Manchu and his team have come up with what they call the Tank."

"It's a Thank, sir," Auxo corrected.

"Thank... yes. Thanks..."

"You're welcome, sir."

"Anyway... the Thank. It's a heavy armored machine that can push its way through enemy lines and TWIT is currently busy creating numerous of these Thanks in order to form a unit... which, of course, shall become part of the Armored Forces under your command."

"Excellent!"

Dougulus put his cup down, got up and got some blueprints from one of the pockets of his coat. He placed them on Sukat's desk so the General could study them. He then sat back down and drank some more tea.

"An interesting-looking machine it is," Sukat admitted.

"Yes, but there are a few problems."

"Such as?"

"It's quite heavy and it drinks a lot of fuel to get to another location. Therefore range is limited. Also because the engine is inside the crew's working compartiment, there is a serious problem with the exhaust fumes which have a serious effect on a soldier's capabilities when inside the tank without proper protection... Auxo has... or should have..."

"Here sir." Auxo got up and handed over a letter to Sukat.

Sukat read the letter that had been sent by Fu Manchu about the health hazards inside the machine. "That is a bit of a problem. Though it doesn't say so in this letter, I assume that Manchu and crew are working on that?"

Dougulus nodded. "Naturally."

Placing the letter aside, Sukat then tapped on the blueprints. "I'm not too fond of the gap that exists in the Thank's offensive range. There is a limit as to how far those guns on the side can turn, leaving a zone fore and aft which they cannot reach."

"Yes, I noticed those gaps as well when I looked at them."

"Sir, the TWIT armored cars have these turning cupolas on top of them housing the machine guns," Linsa told.

Sukat nodded. "Yes, you think Manchu can come up with something similar for the Tank to cover those gaps?"

"Thank sir," Linsa corrected.

"I shall inquire with him about that posibility. Maybe he already thought about something like that... maybe not."

Auxo put her cup down and quickly made a few notes in her notebook about the matter.

"Not much else to tell you." Dougulus got up after he finished his tea and prepared himself for departure. "I'll be going now. Plenty of things to do."

"Yes, I appreciate your visit and the information you have given me about this. I think Tanks shall make an excellent addition to our forces."

"I will keep you informed about the progress of the Tanks."

"Thanks sir," Linsa and Auxo said in unison.

"You're welcome," Dougulus then replied with a smile.
__________________________________________________________________

(*) TWIT: "Tokarev's Weapons Industry, Tenkai". Weapons manufacturer founded by Vladimir Ivanovich Tokarev, cousin of Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev (in Navalism that is).

Next step.

Colonel Vogel and his TWIT Model 1916 tank. :D

[P3D]

Turrets for the Mark-something were considered, and abandoned due to topweight-instability reasons. Turret looks too modern by about 20 years.

[Walter]

Oh, I don't doubt that it will end up with a stability problem, especially when one puts a big gun in that turret (I get the impression from the "Last Crusade" picture I took that the gun in the turret is of a bigger caliber than the guns in the sponsons).
It requires the 1925 HA tech to actually do it, but nothing in the rules says that it cannot be considered before 1925 (and then dismissed for the reason you gave). :)

Something like the MG cupolas on the Austin Armored car might work...

... or not... at least it would not look too modern by about 20 years. :)
The same would be true for the FT 17 turret, but that one might be a bit too much for stability as well, especially with the 37mm gun in there.

[Walter]

Aha! Here is the bit you were referring to... Mark I no less:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_I_tank

The Mark I was a development of Little Willie, the experimental tank built for the Landships Committee by Lieutenant Walter Wilson and William Tritton in the summer of 1915. Working on problems discovered with Willie, the Mark I was designed by Wilson. A gun turret above the hull would have made the centre of gravity too high, so the guns were put in sponsons.

[Walter]

TWIT factory. February 15, 1914.

"Doctor, I have been sent here by Viscount Huah von Hitter regarding the Thank," Auxo told.

"You're lady Au... Uhm... Oxua... right?" Fu Manchu asked. "So what is it about the Thank?"

"The Viscount has visited Brigade General Sukat. The General was worried about the zone that the 57mm guns cannot reach and wanted to know if it were possible to put some weapons cupola on top of the Thank."

Fu Manchu laughed. "Oh, we already thought about that. As a matter of fact, we already tried that," he told. "However the Thank's center of gravity is rather high. If we put some weapon turret on top of that... well, let's just say that last year's test was rather disastrous with the turret we tried on top of it. Judging from our experience with that, we decided to go for the guns in the sponsons on both sides of the Thank as this would not be too problematic for the stability."

"... and those gaps that exit?"

Fu Manchu shrugged. "Turn to face the enemy with either gun perhaps? Or even better, attack with a large number of Thanks. What one Thank cannot hit, another Thank can. As for the rear... Simple! Make sure that the enemy cannot get there... and if they do... turn around. That's the best we can do at this point. Tell the General that."

"What about the engine problem? Any luck with that?"

"Not at the moment... but we are working on it. You want me to give you some of the paperwork so the Viscount can read all about the engine and the turret troubles?"

"Yes, please. I would really appreciate it."

Fu Manchu laughed as he walked away. "I doubt that, Lady Oxua." A few moments later, he got back with a big box filled with a huge amount of paper. With a loud thud, the heavy box was placed on onto the floor. "Here you go!"

Auxo looked down at it. "That's a bit more than I expected."

"A lot more I would assume. About 20 kilos I guess."

"Could... could anyone lend me a hand with that?"

"Sorry miss, but you're on your own with that." Fu Manchu left to get back to work.

Auxo was still staring at the box, wondering how on earth she was going to get the heavy box back to Dougulus's office.

[maddox]

A strange inner voice wispers in a foreign language "steekkar"

[Borys]

steekkar - LOL!
http://www.eurorent.be/product.php?productsubcat=141
OT - to show off my manliness I once ignored a steekkar and manhandled an UPS - I'm lucky not to be in a wheelchair ...
Borys

[maddox]

OT, steekkar is translated as sack trolly     ;)

[Walter]

A strange inner voice wispers in a foreign language "steekkar"

... unfortunately, Japan does not have the proper Administration Tech level to build those things. :D

[Walter]

Nagoya. April 22, 1914

It has been announced that the infamous Neo-Swiss daredevil and auto racer, the dastardly Professor Fate...


Crowd: "Boo! Boo! Booooo!! Booooo!!"

... will participate in the North African race, together with his trusty sidekick Maximilian Meen. They will be driving the Hannibal Twin-8 Mk. II, an improved version of the Professor's old Hannibal Twin-8.

[The Rock Doctor]

So Fate is on your side, then.

[Walter]

Cheat... Rat... Liar... Fink...
... yes Fate is on my side. :)

[Walter]

January 6, 1915. The Great Hall of Zemni Castle.

"Lord Taishakuten. This is an outrage!" Rabbi Jacob, leader of the small Jewish community on Kyushu, said angrily. "This is all a deliberate scheme by those vile Italians to have an excuse to invade the lands of our fellow Jews. Kill innocent people, destroy their homes, steal their possessions... and more!"

"What about the charges and evidence?" Taishakuten asked

"All lies."

"I agree with Jacob," Cardinal Muse van Reyback, leader of Japan's Catholic community stated. "Italy accuses New Zion of many things, yet the evidence that has been presented is so thin that it is laughable."

"There were supposed to be witnesses," Taishakuten told. "You are saying that they are lying?"

"There has been plenty of time for so-called witnesses to learn every single line that they are supposed to say during hearings. Two years is a long time to investigate things... and the Jews have always been the convenient scapegoat throughout history so many will actually believe that they are telling the truth, even if they are lies."

"Hmmm..." Taishakuten leaned back in his chair, thinking.

Muse went on. "Major Toht has told me he might be able to get his hands on information that would shed a better light on the entire situation."

"Good. In the mean time, we have nothing that tells us what's right and what is wrong. So for the moment, Japan will remain neutral in this conflict."

"But..." Jacob wanted to object, but he was silenced by a glaring Taishakuten.

"I know you and your followers are eager to help out your fellow Jews in New Zion, but I cannot allow that to happen... at least not until we know more."

"Yes, Lord Taishakuten."

"What if Italy declared war using false accusations and corrupted evidence?" Muse asked.

"Worst case scenario, we declare war on Italy and the fools who help them in this campaign against New Zion," Taishakuten told. ".. but more likely we will let diplomacy take care of it but when words fail, the next step of diplomacy is with guns. First we will see what Toht can come up with. I will send for you when we know more. I thank you all for coming."

Everyone got up and walked away.

"Muse," Taishakuten called the cardinal over. He waited until everyone was gone before he continued. "Does it bother you that you might have to support the decision to declare war on fellow Catholics?"

Muse shook his head. "As far as I am concerned, they're all possessed by the devil. Zionist, Italians... all of them." With that Muse walked away.

Taishakuten smiled slightly. "Maybe we, the citizens of Japan, are possessed as well... Only time will tell..."

[Walter]

Flashback
January 9, 1912.


Thousands of kilometers away from Japan...



                                          ... and civilisation...



                                                         ... and the troubles in the world...





It was cold. Really cold. If Hell froze over, it would be a lot like this place. Even so the vast, rugged white expanse of Antarctice had a certain beauty to it.

Lieutenant Shirase Nobu turned his attention to helping Takeda Terutaro, his lead scientist, packing all his measuring equipment in the packs on the sledges, while Hanamori Shinkichi and Yamabe Yasunosuke were dealing with the dog teams.

"Well, it is time to head back to the Kainan Maru," Terutaro told.

"Back to our last camp you mean," Nobu corrected.

"Naturally. Only an idiot would try to make it back in one go."

"So this is as far south as one can go..."

Terutaro nodded. "Yes, the South Pole. We could go on, but we have nothing on the other side to support us."

"An adventure for the next time perhaps?"

"Let's try to get back to Japan in one piece before that."

"You know, I had hoped for 35 degrees, lots of sunshine and a nice beach with palm trees and pretty women..."

"... they're only here in your dreams."

"First finishing matters here before we leave." Nobu unties a pole fastened to one of the sledges. He unfurls the Japanese banner wrapped around it. "Just to let those who come after us know that we have been here and that these lands are ours." He walked over to the hole in the ice that Shinkichi made about 15 minutes ago and then planted the pole into it. He searched underneath his clothes for a bottle with water he kept there to keep the water from freezing and poured it all into the hole.

"Excellent," Terutaro said. "With these temperatures, it won't take long for the water to solidify and keep the pole into a proper position.

"I'll... just keep it steady for a bit longer," Nobu stated as he held on to the pole. "Yamabe, get the camera ready."

"Got it." Yasunosuke gets the camera from the packs and quickly sets it up.

"Alright. Get into position guys," Nobu told as he let go of the pole. Terutaro and Shinkichi joined Nobu near the banner.

"Ready," Yasunosuke called out.

"Okay... one... two... three... bow!"

Nobu, Terutaro and Shinkichi bowed toward the pole with the Japanese banner and a few seconds later Yasunosuke took the picture.



(OOC: this was something I wanted to post much earlier. I had built the ship and pumped money into the Shirase Nobu expedition but never got something of a story out of my mind... until now...)