French News 1900 onward

[Jefgte]

November 16th 1902

Brest:
The new commissioned cruisers Conflans & Coligny have received order to sail to Pointe à Pitre.
They 'll arrive november 30th.

[Jefgte]

October 1901

"Le Ministère de la Guerre" regrets to announce the total loss of Aviso AT20.

This recent 3000t Aviso was commissioned in 1900 & was affected to Saigon.
Transferred to Djibouti to help the conquest of the place in august 1901.
It ran aground after a water leak on a submerged rock occurred during the Battle of the Boulaos September 3, 1901.
All attempts to save the ship were made.
Recently, the hull broke in two pieces.

[Jefgte]

March 20th 1904

"Le Ministère de la Guerre" give orders to transfert AT13 & AT14 from Toulon to Djibouti to reinforce the patrol Fleet in the Gulf of Aden.
Avisos, overloaded with different materials & stores, arrive May 2nd in Djibouti.

Djibouti Fleet in May 1904
AT5-AT6 - 1250t
AT13-AT14-AT19 - 3000t

--

3rd division of Aviso Torpilleur from Dakar, AT1 & AT2,  are affected to marocain patrols for the protection of Spain commerce.

[Jefgte]

August 21, 1904
Président du Conseil: Emile Combes
Minister of War: Gaston Gallifet
Minister of Marine Jean-Marie Lanessan
Admiral: Triard de Tellière Anatole
Admiral: Monfortain Georges Anatole
Admiral: Saint Germain Louis Marie

Président du Conseil: Emile Combes
Gentlemen, I have met you to discuss reports from our
Naval Attachés in Washington and London.
The Battle of the island of Grand Manan, between the English and the Americans, leads to some comments:
The uniform speed of the battle line is important because ships must maneuver in division ...

Admiral Monfort:
-The speed of the slowest division gives the speed of the fleet ...

Admiral: Triard de Tellière:
-The speed of our battleships is 18 kts, and our cruisers, fast wings of the battleline, 21kts.

Minister of Marine Jean-Marie Lanessan
-The Maneuvers combined squadrons must be repeated. We all noticed that in the battle of Grand Manan, torpedo boats action has been a decisive element ...

Admiral: Triard de Tellière:
- We Have over 100 torpedo boats in our fleet, although some are old.

Minister of War: Gaston Callifet
-The Fire exercises will be intensified. The shells of large caliber are major assets for the win.

Minister of Marine Jean-Marie Lanessan
-We are going to laid down in 1905, 17650t battleships "Republic & Democracy" programmed because our neighbors have fast frigates equipped 3 to 4 double turrets. It is noted that their anti Torpedo Artillery & 16x100 12 x140 is considered sufficient.

Minister of Marine Jean-Marie Lanessan
-Our scout Cruisers and Aviso Torpilleur are related to our Battle Fleet.
-In A result, our construction plan will not undergo any changes.
The commission of 333t Patrolboat will release our Avisos Torpilleurs,
The Avisos torpilleurs could then be used in colonies and in addition to the close protection of the battle line against Torpilleurs attacks.
Our 10 armored cruisers equipped with twin 240 turrets were a little weak, a thickness of 150mm instead of 120mm have been desirable ...
 
Président du Conseil: Emile Combes
Gentlemen, as you know, Italy sends colonizer ships along the African coast.
When The President of the Republic has learned, he entered into a rage.
"What come to the Italians in the Atlantic?
They are already in the Indian Ocean, it is not enough for them?
They will soon go to the Pacific !!! "
I told him that an operation of discovery and settlement on the African coast
was scheduled for 1905 since the entry into service of 333t patrol boat liberate many Avisos.
He replied quickly preparing a major operation to counter the Italian expansionism.
So I ask you, Minister of Marine, to prepare with your Admirals, a discovery plan and implementation on the African coast.
In fact, to advance one year implementation of the plan scheduled for 1905.

Admiral: Triard de Tellière:
The cruisers Carmélia & Ceres, Dufort & Danjout be held 48 hours of equipment.
Their must to show the tricolor flag along the African coast and occasionally track Italians ships.

Président du Conseil: Emile Combes
-Exellent Admiral.
No belligerent action towards the Italians.
If we do not appreciate their incursions into the Atlantic, they still remain friends.

 Thank you gentlemen

[Kaiser Kirk]

Président du Conseil: Emile Combes
Gentlemen, as you know, Italy sends colonizer ships along the African coast.
When The President of the Republic has learned, he entered into a rage.
"What come to the Italians in the Atlantic?
They are already in the Indian Ocean, it is not enough for them?
They will soon go to the Pacific !!! "
I told him that an operation of discovery and settlement on the African coast
was scheduled for 1905 since the entry into service of 333t patrol boat liberate many Avisos.
He replied quickly preparing a major operation to counter the Italian expansionism.
So I ask you, Minister of Marine, to prepare with your Admirals, a discovery plan and implementation on the African coast.
In fact, to advance one year implementation of the plan scheduled for 1905.

Admiral: Triard de Tellière:
The cruisers Carmélia & Ceres, Dufort & Danjout be held 48 hours of equipment.
Their must to show the tricolor flag along the African coast and occasionally track Italians ships.

Well, they will have the same discovery the Italians did - that the Spanish have landed in many spots along the west African coast - check the Geography section of Spain's H2 1904 report. :)
I laid the ground work for this effort a couple game years ago, posted that the ship went out to do this, posted it came back,  did my homework on the ports, and wound up with 3 decent spots and the rights to rely on a Spanish port to resupply.

[Jefgte]

August 23, 1904
Cruisers Carmélia, Ceres and transport Ville de Dakar left Brest, heading to Dakar. (2600nm / 9 days)

August 25, 1904
Cruisers Danjout, Dufort and Transport ville d'Alger left Oran to Dakar.
Transports has on board 500 men and 2,000 t of material - (1733nm / 7 days)

September 2, 1904
600 legionaires are leaving the cities of Algiers and Oran.
3 parallel columns each with 400 camels, 2 per legionaire, are organized "Les colonnes convergentes". They aim to reach Dakar through Mauritania.
They must negociate with Berberes tributes, commerces, peace & protection from France.

[Walter]

Sounds like you are trying to assure a safe route for the Paris–Dakar Rally. :)

[olekit24]

Beware Mauretanea ))) Angry and hungry brave Spaniards are crouding it ))

[Walter]

Beware Mauretanea ))) Angry and hungry brave Spaniards are crouding it ))

It is a big place and lots of places to hide in ambush.

... but you probably should not have mentioned 'brave' with me around....
... therefore a special song to boost the morale of the Spanish soldiers:

The Brave Spaniards ran away.
Bravely ran away, away!
When danger reared its ugly head,
They bravely turned their tails and fled.
Yes, the Brave Spaniards turned about
And gallantly they chickened out.
Bravely taking to their feet
They beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, The Spaniards!

*hides in a bunker* ;D

[olekit24]

Well, that's funny, Walter ))

But in game spanish warriors more like middle-aged concistadors then those cowards you are described ))

Thou noble warrior! who hast shed
Such mighty streams of pagan blood,
O fear not death!
The glorious wreath shall crown thy head,
With which this world rewards the good:
Yes wear the wreath,
And with the high and holy hope,
Built safely on the faith divine,
Thou dost maintain,
Set out and with death's horrors cope,
And the third life of bliss is thine,
Which thou shalt gain. 

[The Rock Doctor]

Spain just insulted a Knight of the Round Table; Britain's going to be angry.

*Jumps into the bunker with Walter*

[Jefgte]

September 8th
Cruisers Carmélia and Cérès encounter Pasquale di Paoli and his escort Partenope. Courtesy signals were exchanged.
The French cruisers sailed for 1 hour alongside Italians then followed them from a safe distance ...

September 10th
Dakar. 500 soldiers landed in Ville d' Alger transport are preparing to go north, along the Atlantic Coast to Nouakchott and beyond...Boujdour.

3 "colonnes convergentes" from Algers and Oran are expected mid November in Boujdour.

[Jefgte]

October 12th

A reconnaissance patrol of the central column was shooting victim in Tabalbala region.
Nearby reconnaissance patrols went to help. The rebel was put to flight.
The central colonne deplores three wounded.

French soldiers near Boujdour left Spain territory & go back to Nouakchott

[Jefgte]

October 29th

Columns fell into a major ambush in the north of Ouadane.
Berber tribes have come together to stop the French advance.
Hundreds of men opened fire on the central column.
Legionaries stopped and protected them in the rocks.
The shots immediately made converged right and left columns to support.
Sniper groups came close on the sides of the Berbers.
Their chiefs were perceived, on the heights, and, approaching quietly, the snipers shoot them.
With chiefs kill, Berbers surrender.
Legionaries have 21 dead and 35 wounded.

[Jefgte]

November 5th

Advanced Nouakchott scout patrols encountered pathfinders of northern column, fifty kilometers from the coast.