Republican News 1919

[Kaiser Kirk]

August 10, 1919

OOC: Anybody can get their hands on the article. Printed in Chinese, English, French, German, and Japanese.

IC : Bavaria mutters something about not being involved and issues an advisory to shipping firms.   Diplomatic postings are maintained.

ooc : @#% normally I'm behind, this time I was already into September news, tracking the Rift war. Apparently news is very slow to travel...

[ctwaterman]

90 days or so by slow steamer.... ;)

[Nobody]

Orange declares it's neutrality in the conflict. Merchants are told to avoid the area. All contracts however, which were singed before the outbreak of the hostilities, will be fulfilled - if the payment arrives as scheduled.



OOC P.S.:
Logi, you still have to tell me how you want those 6 BP you "won".

[Logi]

OOC:

90 days or so by slow steamer.... Wink

Apparently no one cares to listen to the two wireless towers in the Republic (Chengdu and Guangzhou)!

I forgot about those Nobody, sent you the PM.

[ctwaterman]

OOC:

90 days or so by slow steamer.... Wink

Apparently no one cares to listen to the two wireless towers in the Republic (Chengdu and Guangzhou)!

I forgot about those Nobody, sent you the PM.

Its a joke about a slow boat from China....

And no Italy wouldnt be listening to the Radio Broadcast in China....
1.  Gentlemen do not read each others mail -US Secretary of State-
2.  Its 12000 miles from anywhere thats important to the Empire so realistically.... Italy is a best a spectator that might sell to the highest bidder for P R O F I T :o  But even then I doubt its worth the time, effort, or money .
3.  There is a small bit of foreign policy revenge to be considered by really also highly unlikely to be realistically worth the effort becaus...
4.  Italy inovolved in Land War in Africa.

[maddox]

France has other issues to handle.

And with the MK's top diplomat in the MK for the wedding of one of his daughters, it's unlikely that anything diplomatical can be arranged.
In other words. France is publicly neutral.

[TexanCowboy]

Eh....not the response I expected......hint, hint.  ;) ;) :D

[ciders]

Romania will supply modern weapons and sorghum to MK. What a shame !  ;D

[TexanCowboy]

What? Naaa......I was referring to something that's um........outside of Navalism, but should still be affecting maddox's actions... ;)

NOT THE SORGHUM.....By golly, I'll know why half our sorghum crop is missing!  :D

[Logi]

August 11, 1919

Yun Ming and Gen Hao was on a slow steamship from Canton to Fuchow. "There will be hell soon."

Yun chuckled, "Soon? I believe it is already here." There was a sad softness in that line. Gen looked over his shoulder at Yun, "The Northern Expedition will be costly." Yun sipped his tea, "We expected it to be so. But which man could tolerate it? A broken homeland, a shattered country. As long as China remains two pieces, every countrymen mourns." Gen looked back at the fishing rod in his hands, still no bite, even with the slow pace of the steamship. "If only it weren't for the headstrong." "It can not be helped. Did you expect either side to yield? One side against cruelty will not yield from it's prosperous period for oppression. One side condescending and headstrong will not yield to those it sees as inferior." Gen chuckled, "No, of course not. Like two strong walls, they clash and refuse to yield. Such is the politics of China."

"And honest men die for it. Sun Yat-sen was apt in the design of the Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth. Soon, the lands of China will be stained Red in the name of the Blue Sky and the ever out of reach White Sun. It taunts us... the unattainable white upon the background of blue."

"It is every Republican's dream. We have achieved it if only for a moment. But what is one city upon a hilltop if the dream can not be spread to all our brethren? What is one spark of happiness if the rest must suffer and toil in oppression? Our war is righteous and the heavens will show us the way."

"I doubt it. Heaven's will has been given 8 years of time to show the corruption of the Qing Empire. However, it has done nothing but watch. And now, brethren must fight brethren. Those who desire to spread liberty and those would can not think otherwise from their indoctrination."

"A sad but necessary fate, Ming. Such are all civil wars. Steel your stomach, when we reach Fuchow, it will be a war zone."

[Logi]

August 18, 1917
Shanghai, Riverside

"Inhuman, utterly inhuman." Yun grimaced as he watched the bodies float down the river. Yun Ming and Gen had just gotten off the train from Fuchow to Shanghai. And when they had, they had received express news (aka military briefing)  that the Imperials had unexpectedly blown the dukes on the Yangzte River.

Gen frowned as well, "How many has passed by since we started our trek? I've lost count." Republican railroads were mostly in a sorry state across the front, no doubt the lines from Shanghai-Nanjing to the rest of Jiangsu was not disrupted, but all along the rest of the river the railroads were in need of repair. They would have to make their way to the front by foot.

"I knew we walked different paths, but I did not believe the Emperor would be so foolish as to throw away the life of his subjects like rag dolls."

"War is hell, Ming. You should know that better than anyone."

Yun smiled bitterly, "Yes of course. That is why we must advance quickly to crush the enemy. Our countrymen will continue to be lost in such cruel ways as long as the Qing Empire exists. And along the way, we can expect it to pull all the stops and try every trick in the book."

"The Imperial Court has never been filled with gentlemen nor can one expect fairness in war."

"How goes our other endeavors?"

Gen rolled his eyes before answering, "You know the companies, always giving us trouble. Section 1 is trying to buy the merchant ship Wang Chung as test bed for conversion, but the damned company is giving us a lot of needless trouble and red-tapping."

Yun nodded, there was a severe lack of airfields in the Republic although it already had a lot. Yet the dangerous and fluid front meant there was little logic in building a forward airbase only to have it possibly be taken by the Imperials and then yield to the "aiding" foreigners on the side of the Imperials.

They needed a mobile airbase quickly, especially because the most fluid front was that of the coastal regions.

"What about the StmPz?"

"It's expensive, but in the making. Funding is lacking, so the project's been on and off. Can't expect to much for experimentals during a war."

Then there was the threat of Imperial submarines, the Republic was brutally unprepared for such a threat. It needed anti-submarine weaponry and fast.

[Logi]

Anhwei, the trenches
September 19, 1919

"Diu! Lei ge haam gaa caan!" Private Jun "Xiao" Gon cursed under his breath, catching his breath while he forced his hands to reload the rifle in his hands. A wet splash next to him indicated that another soldier had been shot. The rain poured monotonously, the sound only over come by the charging Imperials and Yang Quizi.

Jun took a deep breath, murmuring something of a prayer before popping up, recognizing the mass of enemy rushing forward. He shot when he could;

one down
two down
three down

A bullet whizzed by his face and an artillery shell exploded a few meters to his left.

He had been recruited into the army, being something of the best shot in his village. His village... It was just a few ten miles behind his trench line, he would be damned if he let them through.

A click alerted him of his lack of ammo, "Shit!", he dropped back down into the muddy trenches. His hands were tired, shooting scores of men down, and he fumbled about trying to reload his gun.

The commander a few meters to his right yelled, "Hold men! We must hold and repulse them! General Chiang and his Cavalry will be coming to relieve us soon!"

How long was soon? It had been seven days still they had suffered the first attack. Jun looked around, there weren't all that many soldiers left in the trenches, the line would break soon.

By the trench was held barely by nightfall, but the commander knew the trench could not withstand another rush, "Retreat!", he had ordered them and they scrambled away at the dead of night.

Under the cover of night they started digging another trench line a few miles back. Having dug his portion and exceedingly tired, Jun fell into a fitful sleep. The roaring sounds of republican aircraft keeping the enemy pinned as well as possible became a smooth tone, the last before Jun faded off to sleep.

** Next day

By day, Jun woke up in a scramble, a personnel favorite of his was passed around, coffee from the Americas. Finding plenty of water to boil around, he set to his task of making his coffee.  The Imperial and Foreigners had moved into their abandoned trench line below daybreak.

Artillery barrages started on the Republican line started soon. Jun could see the Republican artillerymen, shirts off, sweat glistening, loading shells and firing them back in response. Jun shook his head, the commander indicated there was going to be a ration of supplies soon. All the soldiers groaned.

"We barely hold them with ammo, and you except us to repel them with our hands?"

Although the complains were often, his Battalion had been rigorously trained for two years already. All their men would stand their ground when push came to shove.

After a period of artillery exchanging fire, a rumble like an earthquake indicated the Imperial and Yang Quizi charge was coming again. The men shut up instantly and manned their positions, holding fire until the enemies reached a range they felt they could accurately fire from.

Today had not rained yet and it was here and the dirt and dust from the stomping of boots and shoes could be seen by the charging infantry. The mass of moving soldiers, some wearing ragged, no doubt Imperial Reserves, some wearing the finest of clothes, no doubt Yang Quizi soldiers.

Again the numbers in the trenches began to fall, though those in the charge were falling far more rapidly.

Then a cry, "LOOK!" A trail of smoke erupted from the flank, then another, then a mass. The trails followed by the screeching noise. "General Chiang has come to save us!" A rumble of horseshoes on the ground and the rumble of artillery and rocket alike indicated that the cry was correct.

The Imperials, obviously caught off guard by the appearance of the 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion, started to have some measure of panic. But the day's end, the charge had been routed and the men were cheering General Chiang Kai-shek.

The advance had been stopped, but the Imperials had managed to occupy the high ground at the Tongbai Shan and Dabie Shan ranges.

The Republican soldiers had bravely held on, despite being outnumbered and performed well.

** In the trenches two days later

"Private Jun Gon?" the commander addressed him. "Yes, that would be me, sir." Jun looked confused, what did the commander want with him, a lowly Private. "For outstanding service and from several officer's recommendations, you have been promoted to Lance Corporal." The commander took a deep breath before knocking Jun on the shoulder lightly, "Tell me how you shoot so well later, eh?" A fellow soldier patted Jun on the back, "Keep shooting like that and you'll make Sergent in no time."

[Logi]

September 22, 1919
Anhwei, the relieved trenches

The men huddled around various campfires, the cracking wood and the warmth of the embers licking the sides of the pots hanged above it. The steam seemed to rise endlessly into the sky, the men rubbed their hands in anticipation.

"It's been a whole month since I last ate some rice, can't wait." A soldier commented, the other soldiers murmured in agreement.

"Stop talking about the food, you're making me hungry!" One of the soldiers at watch joked with the resting ones. It was quiet for once and the soldiers had a chance to absorb what had happened over the last week and half.

Nearby a few horses neighed into the night, their horseshoes clapping occasionally onto the dirt ground. Second Lieutenant Feng Chuangfang looked around a bit before dismounting from his horse, having returned recently from a scouting mission. Finding his way to the tent, he stood up straight in front of the entrance. "Sir."

"Come in." a voice from within responded.

2nd. Lieutenant Feng walked in without delay. "Your report?" one General Chiang Kai-shek with two other high-ranking officers waited inside. "Yes, sir. The Imperials have been making rest as of now. Yang Quizi troops were confirmed to be within the opposing Imperial force."

"You may leave."

"Yes, sir!"

General Chiang Kai-shek nodded towards the officers next to him, "The 151st Motorized Rocket battalion will be moving out by dawn, I've made sure reinforcements are coming your way. You know your orders, and I trust you to carry them out faithfully."

"Understood."

-------------

The 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion was rounded up and told that they were to leave at daybreak. "Get a good night's sleep for we have a long day ahead of us." The tired men nodded and shuffled to their respective tents.

By the time the sun started to rise up, the colors breaking off the nearby mountain ranges, the 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion was getting ready to leave.

A few of the Infantry waved good bye and thanked the men of the Rocket Battalion. Others simply looked on. It was like something like out of a book to them, in their time of need, the venerable General Chiang Kai-shek had appeared to save them. Maybe for a bit longer they felt they could do a bit more.

The 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion addressed the rising sun with the roar of the truck engines, the clack of men mounting their horses. General Chiang looked back at them, waiting for them to be ready. "Alright men, let's head out!"

With a furious dash, Chiang and his steed dashed ahead down the paved road (yes paved!), and with a roar and cheer, the rest of the men followed. Down the road they went, the men manning the artillery and rocket at the truck trunks whistling a tune as they saw the scene disappear into a forest.

Feng Chuangfang smiled a bit as he felt the wind blow in his face. Nothing like this, a trusty horse into your hands, a rifle strapped on his back; reminded him of the days pass during training.

So the Imperials had finally shown themselves to be puppets of the Yang Quizi, relying on their help and troops. No matter, the Flying Miracle (as the 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion was nicknamed), with General Chiang Kai-shek at its lead, could never falter or lose. Those Yang Quizi would be routed and sent running home with their tails between their legs soon enough.

[Logi]

OOC: Realize I've been giving Chiang Kai-shek the wrong rank, I wanted Generalissimo, but he's not one. The proper rank is Marshal, or Yuan Shuai. He's just a step below his historic rank of Generalissimo (which was attained later) right now.

SIC Buggers, but good read
September 28, 1919

"Marshal Chiang, in this short period of war, we have already learned many things, some fatal, some minuscule. Ever more important, it appears, is the power of artillery fire and it's mobility. We expect the standard response from our troops to be the standard response for our enemies. With the first artillery shell lands, it alerts the rest of the troops to hide in the trenches. Artillery loses it's effectiveness as a killer after the first minutes.

Sustained artillery fire is only useful for suppressing the enemy. Marshal, I believe I am correct when I say this is not the strategy of our army. We are an army of shock and speed.

We need maximum fire for maximum effect and maximum speed to take advantage of such attacks. For this, we need, a high rate of fire in the beginning stage of artillery fire. We need a large shell weight for explosive power. We need high mobility for artillery to reposition and get surprise artillery ambushes.

Currently, we have no such capabilities. We have large firepower in the form of the the 11" siege mortar and the 3.4 ton 8" howitzer. But they are heavy and mostly immobile, taking a large amount of time to set up.

We have high rate of fire in the form of rocket artillery. However, rockets are prone to duds, failures, misfires, and other errors.

We have high mobility in the form of pack artillery, but it is not fire enough and consumes a great deal of feed to keep going.

It occurs to me, Marshal Chiang, that the future of our army, such as it is, lies within the systems of such vehicles like the GMF Type I&II SP. This new weapons, I shall term Assault Artillery, combine heavy firepower with mobility. If we are able to harass this power and combine rocket artillery elements within for a Assault Rocket Artillery vehicle, we will have achieved our army's long standing goal of the three Fire Support pinnacles.

This concept has been experimented by yourself, Marshal Chiang with the 151st Motorized Rocket Battalion with the towed and pack artillery, the rocket artillery, and the high mobility of cavalry. I dare say the success of this formation proved the concept further."

Marshal Chiang Kai-shek took his time considering what he had been told by one of his highest generals* before replying.

"You are indeed correct on several points, our army's core is indeed shock and mobility. You are also correct that the Motorized Rocket Crops have experienced great success. But you realize we are in the middle of a civil war, we can not afford to abandon our working systems for an untested system, it could prove fatal.

For that matter, for all the stated importance of vehicles, they are gasoline-guzzling machines, a substance that China is not that renown for producing. They are unreliable, unlike a horse, they will break down in the most inconvenience of times. They are also expensive and costly to build.

Why one of these steel beasts, when we can simply use a horse with cheap feed?"

Field Marshal Duan Qirui (Adviser) was not unknown to be a great supporter of artillery fire, having graduated from military academy in that regard, "Marshal Chiang, that is true, but how can we expect to win a war with odds stacked against us? If we do not try new weapons, we will not be able to find a more effective weapon than the Imperials. I have no doubt you are aware of the presence of Yang Quizi Divisions within the Imperial Army."

Chiang Kai-shek chuckled, "Noticed? It is all the Republican Army has been talking about. Their deceitful and puppet-operating manner has enraged the soul of China. A foolish move on the Imperial part for all can see now that the Imperials are the puppet of Holland."

Duan Qirui nodded "Indeed. Regarding the matter of the utility of the assault artillery, they possess many benefits; the ability to..... (the rest is censored)."

* Really a Field Marshal, but saying Field Marshall in that sentence sounds awkward

[Logi]

September 23, 1919

The one front dominated by the RRC is none other than the aerial front. The land front is contested, and the sea lanes heavily interdicted. When the Imperials blew the dykes of the Yangtze river up, launched the spear into the heart of Anhwei, every time the Republican army faced a great crisis of logistics.

How can we secure our supply routes against this enemy that targets our supply lines? Permanent land control could never be devised, security of lines could not be achieved perpetually. Even if it was secure, the flooding impeded any overland supplying efforts.

The sea lanes for resupply was heavily interdicted by Imperial ships or all sorts and made resupplying impossible.

The forward areas had no railroads to speak of, courtesy of the undeveloped North China.

The only area that was free for Republican use was the aerial front. So the question, when faced with logistic blockade on all fronts save one, was to purse a course into that field to solve the logistic crisis.

Not to mention when the idea of amphibious trucks was proposed it was noted that the aircraft industry was large due to the always flowing government purchases and the auto industry was tiny due to low demand (and thus few factories). So it was natural that it was decided that there was no way to produce enough amphibious trucks in the time frame and rather the large aircraft industry should be used instead.

"We adapt and progress in experimental manners, because we have no other choice." Marshal Chiang Kai-shek issued the recommendation for President Hu Hanmin to create a program for research into the possibility of aerial transport of supplies.

The Program was established and called "Project Kite" and inventors that caught the Republic's ears were invited to participate.

President Hu Hanmin took note of the small auto industry, but was reported to have said something along the lines of, "We will start now and build it up. Such that it can provide in the future if not in this time frame." Thus "Project Overlord" was established as well.