Riddermark 4Q1904

[Borys]

 (Second try... angry.gif )

October 2, 1904

With the growing sight of airships around northern Rohan the Marshals of the Mark have commenced a program to increase the defenses of the Mark. With this program the Mark has begun work with modified 1.5 inch artillery with a high angle of elevation for use in engaging airships in direct combat. Results have been positive, but true knowledge of the effectiveness of this weapon, along with a modified Naval three quarter inch machine cannon, is yet to be seen. In addition to this the Army of the Mark plans to field a new 4 inch breech loading rifled artillery to better equip the valiant defenders of the Mark.

October 5, 1904

First Dawn, Destroyer of the Mark, was launched to day at Pelargir. More of this Shearfoot-class destroyer's sister ships are presently under construction in New Beleriand.

October 8, 1904

Walda, Battleship of the Mark, was laid down today in South Mithlond. Walda is a near sistership to the Freawine, would will be completed in North Mithlond later this year. The major changes involved a different stlye of boilers, thicker deck armor, and the new 1.5 inch anti-airship guns.

October 13, 1904

In response to the many rumors coming out of the Island Commonwealth and other places the Mark will be vigilant by maintaining patrol of the Caribbean Sea with four battleships and several cruisers. Theoden, Goldwine, Arcadia, and Shadowfax will remain on patrol with Brytta and Elfwine rotating with the four warships over time. With six modern battleships in the Caribbean, Rohan indends to keep its interests succure.

October 16, 1904

The Kingdom of Rohan, in light of stories of genocide in the once relatively quiet Island Commonwealth, has taken the position of standing behind the Eastern Kingdom's decision to take measure to correct the situation in the Norman based nation. While Rohan does not support the idea of conquest, it does not wish for peoples to be killed for what appears to be nothing. Rohan has issued a request for an investigation into the matter of the Island Commonwealth, however the Mark expects those to respond and investigate will be Nihon and Swiss. This cannot be helped. However the support of the Mark comes with a warning: "Trust is a hard thing to earn. Once lost, regaining it would prove to be more difficult than reclaiming the land of Numenor from the sea".

October 21, 1904

Work has begun on the rebuilding of eight former Confederate cruisers all around the Mark. With the rebuilding of the Hull and Laredo class cruisers, the Navy expects to retire the aging protected cruisers of the Teton-class (Ex-Confederate cruisers of the 1885 type) as well as all the remaining Armored Cruisers of the Mark, Boromir and Denethor. With the designing and construction of newer cruiser types it is suspected that Rohan will eventually retire the remaining cruisers of the Modoc-class (ex-Confederate cruisers of the 1887 type).

October 28, 1904

The new fin designs have proven to be very encouraging for Gandalf and Gamgee Rockets. Their representative claims that the new rockets have shown to have a far greater range and have proven to be more accurate than any previous model rocket. Rumors have circulated about the company attempting to mount these new rockets to some kind of contraption have not been confirmed.

November 2, 1904

Bombadil Motors, excited over their winning of the Great Race in Africa, have started designing there followup to the Model C. They expect speed up to 100 miles per hour in the coming year. Another division of the company is rumored to be working on an armored steam driven contraption for the army, but just what it is suppose to do is unclear as it appears to be a pet project for one of the company's officers.

November 5, 1904

Ten new Micelhusl have been fully formed in New Beleriand. They are expected to train for the next three months before becoming the new defenders of Gondorian Rohan.

November 13, 1904

Toyotomi Daisho has finished fitting out the new micelhusl of the Mark with new blades of the finest quality. "A finer steel you will not fine on this Earth," claims the company manager. Using a method they call "star-dust" steel, the blades are said to be able to cut anything, even other steel blades. Theocro King has stated that he believes that only the elven blades of the Elder Days could be superior. However no one is willing to test this theory with the very few remaining ancient blades that have survived to the present day.

November 16, 1904

The Marshals of the Mark have suggested that they are concidering reclassifying the older style Combat Cruisers of the Mark as Dwarven Battleships of the Mark and be assigned to defend the coastal regions of Gondor and Rohan. This would means that the Durin and Thorin that were sold to California earlier this year would be replaced by: Tarcil, Tarondor, Arvedui, Arveleg, and Araval.

November 28, 1904

Test firing of the new 4 inch rifled artillery was successful. Now how do we fit out the army...or do we fit out the entire army?

December 3, 1904

Worker complaints in New Rhun and New Beleriand have centered on the driving practices of the New Swiss officials running the Beleriand Canal Project. The Mark does not like overworked and underpaid peoples, especially if it leaves them hungary in the face of this last yeared long winter in many places around the world and a general loss of many crops. Some words were spoken by Beraguard Parigal, Governor of New Beleriand to the head of construction of the Canal Project, stating that "We aren't in a race. Being first is pointless when the Columbians had such a head start. What Rohan wants is a quality canal, not a rush job built by the lowest bidder. This Canal is for the Navy as well as for the merchants, so it must be the best even if it is the last. But not at the expense of my people."

December 11, 1904

With much fanfare, Freawine, Battleship of the Mark, slid into the Sound at North Mithlond Yard. The first vessel to carry 14 inch guns for the Mark, the Freawine is one of the most powerful warships in the world today, rivalled only by the Arcadia-class, the grounded Greater Napolean, and some of the new battleships from the Russian Empire. The followups to the Greater Napolean from France have not yet shown themselves in any Jane's Fighting Ships. Freawine is to test her steam turbines and guns for the next six months before joining the fleet. Where she will be stationed is unknown at present. People suspect she will join the Fleet of the Eastern Seas to replace Theoden in that recently tense area of the world.

December 18, 1904

Design work on the followup to the Freawine-class has begun. The Marshals of the Mark have many paths they can take following the completion of Walda, Battleship of the Mark. They might follow the pattern of the Freawine and Elfwine classes with mixed large guns with the main guns on centerline, or they might follow the design of the all big gun battleships of the Arcadia class with wing turrets, or some combination of the two. Also the question of triple turrets, more than three turrets, 12 inch or 14 inch guns. Time will tell.

December 25, 1904
Fellowship Day

In an unusual move that fits the holiday, Theocro King invited the Emissary from Austria to ride with the Grey Company today. The King was clad in the uniform of an Austrian colonel of the cuirasiers. Today he rode as Inhaber of First cuirasier regiment, the "Erui Gweth".

December 30, 1904

Freawine's captain has reported that her guns work better than expected given the problems experianced by Isengard Arms in designing the original weapon. This second generation 14 inch rifle seems to have corrected the problems of the first model designed during the Anahuac War. The new superimposed turret design works correctly after some early problems with the turrets on Eomer and Brytta were corrected. Blast from the guns is said to be a slight problem over A turret, but the ship's crew is attempting to solve that issue.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 19 2007, 12:44 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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December 10th

The Habsburg Embassy delivered a gift from the Kaiser Stefan to the King of the Riddermark. A heavy cavalryman's sabre of the Hungarian type - although barely 250 years old, it had the distinction of having been bloodied in combat.

http://www.polandbymail.net/onlinepics/db12.jpg

It was accompanied by a short note expressing warm feelings about Rohan's reaction to the new "president" of the ACM.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 20 2007, 08:07 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Morning of 15th December 1904

The Habsburg Ambassador delivered the Note on the attack on the ACM, plus a verbal message:
- "The Corrupted One has escaped. After destroying two of our ships, he was seen taking a westernly course".
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Feb 20 2007, 11:47 PM


King of Rohan
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December 23, 1904

The Kingdom of Rohan calls on the Associacao Comericial do Mundo to release the wanted criminal Agrival Mars to one of the many nations where he is wanted. The incident with the Austrian Navy is but the first of probably many problems that will befall the Mundo while Mr. Mars hides within your boundries. He should be wanted for crimes against his own peoples after the slaughter on Easter Island, and is considered a criminal and a pirate by many after his attack on the "Peace Fleet" during the Asian War. Rohan is suprised anyone would harbor this man after the death and suffering he has caused.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 01:15 AM


Hegemon
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France is wanting party to the capture of Agrival. A rich reward for them who brings that criminal in any of the French naval ports; France aknowledges the power Agrival Mars commands and only the army and navy can contain a demon with those recourses.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 07:25 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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21st December 1904

The Habsburg Embassy presents a Note to the Ministry for the Navy and the Foreign Office.
The note concerns a request for the visit of a major Riddermark combatant at Malta or Pola. This request is closely connected with previous high level contacts concerning Mediation between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Republic of Taiwan.
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:00 PM


King of Rohan
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December 25, 1904

A note asks how large of a vessel would be approprate for this event, and to what end will this vessel need to be prepared for if it goes to Pola as oppose to Malta?
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:14 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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December 25th
Graf Przewalski is delighted by the King donning the Kuirassier Oberst uniform. He takes some mental measurements of the King's dimensions.

As to the ship - an armoured cruiser or battleship would be appropriate. A week's forewarning on the final destiantion would be aprecaited, to make some necessary arrangments. The difference between Pola and Malta is that in the former case the VR would be visited by the Kaiser, and by the Grossadmiral in the later.

The background of the request is that the Habsburg Govt had acquired significant funds, originally gathered by a third party through nefarious means. The Kaiser wishes those funds to be used for Good Works. As the case of Taipei lies on the Habsburg conscience, the Kaiser asks for Eorlinger intercesion in distribution of those funds to Taipei residents affected by the Habsburg bombardment of 3 years ago.

The funds in question are quiet substantial - enough to keep two good infantry corps in war readiness for a year.
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:28 PM


King of Rohan
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(If range and speed are needed it will have to be either battlescruisers (ship) Arcadia or Shadowfax, Combat Cruiser Calmacil, or the Belted Cruiser Starkhorn.)
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:34 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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OOC
The choice of ship is up to you - you'll be taking 50 tons of gold there. I can throw in all my servicable ACs (both of them smile.gif) as Escort of Honour.
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:40 PM


King of Rohan
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(Crickey!)

December 29, 1904

The Arcadia will be dispatched to Pola to see what services the Hapsburg Empire request of the Mark. Lord Harlock will probably be the first Harlock of his line to step foot on Austrian soil since around 1534.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 21 2007, 09:51 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Lord Harlock and his ship will be warmly received. Adding an expert on Eorlinger antiques to the ship's party is recommended.