Italian News 1902-1904

[Kaiser Kirk]

Spring,  1904
The King of Italy invites the English Ambassador & Wife to a formal gathering and dinner.

During a break, the King invites the Ambassador to retire to the study.

There, the King conveys to the Ambassador that should there be something the Kingdom of Italy can do to assist the United Kingdom, much like in the Crimea, please don't hesitate to ask. While we are well aware of the tremendous strength of the Royal Navy, sometimes redeployments can disrupt planned patrols, and the Regina Marina is available to help cover any such gaps. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

<Warning, very long, lots of blathering>


June 24th, 1904

King Victor Emmanuel III: 
"Gentlemen, we are here to discuss the events of the Battle last week at Grand Manan island. You have all seen the summary report, we have virtually no contacts within the American Navy, and our British friends are, shall we say underwhelmed by the results and so reticent to discuss at length. As such, many of our best sources at this time are in fact newspaper accounts. The Kingdom relies on maritime trade as a proportion of our economy nearly as much as the United Kingdom.

So, we are gathered here to examine the events at in relation to our naval program, what we think learned and how that effects our building scheme. As such I have requested  Capitano di Vascello ,Vittorio Cuniberti of the Corpo del genio Naval to attend directly. General Cuniberti has succeeded the illustrious Brin.  The Captain's first battleship design is the Regina Margarhetia class. As you all know, initially the intent was to produce three vessels, to allow replacement of the Ruggiero di Lauria class. We would then follow with three new vessels to replace the Re Umberto class by 1910.

Due to competing demands, we have only built two of the Regina Margarhetia  , and General Cuniberti has prepared designs for a more effective version, the proposed Regno de Italia class (analog to his historical Regina Elena). As you know, the intent was to lay the keels of up to four this past January, which has been delayed until June or July. A further matter to consider is that a while ago General Cuniberti had an article published in the English Naval press "Janes" calling for a fleet of six "Colossi" battleships armed with all twelve inch guns. So, Admiral D'Aste-Stella if you would begin with what little we have gleaned?"

Admiral D'Aste-Stella :
"This was an unusual battle in that the opposing sides were similar in composition. There were several distinct phases to the conflict, which can be summarized as the cruiser battle, the main battle and the destroyer charge.

For the cruiser battle, there were a number of very large cruisers, some fully armored, others fitted with protective decks. American practice is to provide their Frigates with armor necessary to defeat much smaller vessels, while providing more gunpower. This appears to have been flawed when faced with a lesser armed but better armored foe. The American ships fared better when faced with the large British protected cruisers, which have even lower protective characteristics.

In terms of our fleet elements, the roles played by these vessels are those of our Armored Cruisers, , all of which are considerably smaller.  The closest analog we have is the Guiseppi Garibaldi which is 3/4s the size, but nearly as well armed and substantially better armored than the combatants. As best we can determine, our vessels would have penetrated the armor of the combatants prior to their penetrating ours, with a similar volume of fire. This suggests the design is sound, and would have a reasonable chance of engaging these larger foes. The older two Vettor Pisani class are smaller, slower, less well armed and armored, while the Marco Polo is simply outmatched. We should consider more vessels along the lines of a modestly improved Guiseppi Garibaldi when budgets allow.

The second phase of the battle, by most accounts the Royal Navy was winning. Their vessels chose to engage and hold at fairly long ranges. While accuracy suffers, this minimizes the disadvantages of the Royal Navy vessels- older, slower turret mechanisms with a low rate of fire, fewer and lower performance secondaries, heavy shells which maintain penetrative power over distance, heavy and extensive armor.  Had they chosen to close, the shorter distance would have favored the faster firing and more barrels of the American warships engaged while diminishing the Royal Navy's armor advantage.

In terms of our fleet elements, our battleships match or exceed the best speeds of the British. The older warships have the same weak secondary, after all they drew on the Royal Navy ships for guidance, but the newer vessels all feature an extensive intermediate battery. From the ranges reported, they would have been fighting at the edge of the effective limit of our new 180mm vs. the British upper belt. Had, God forbid, we been forced to fight the Royal Navy, it would have been a simple matter to bring the range down 500 to 1000 yards and ensure our guns could wreck havoc on their vessels. The Americans, with lesser speed and weaker armor, would be more vulnerable.  That said, in this particular battle, the 12" and 13.5" guns were the effective weapons. We are also seeing a trend of vessels mounting 6, and there are rumors of 8, of these guns.

Furthermore,  it is known that shell fusing and design is also a subject for future improvement, as is efforts and training on rangefinding. This may lead to these large bore weapons increasing in importance in the future, as Captain Cuniberti expects. We are also seeing advancements in these larger guns, with improved metallurgy, hoist and breech design allowing more powerful weapons with a greater rate of fire.   Currently, our expect that a thickness of 230mm or more of Terni cemented armor  has a sufficiently hard and deep face to shatter any shell attempting to penetrate it, leaving solid shot the only viable method, but of limited potential for critical damage. I will note that a similar situation existed when the Ruggiero di Laurias were designed, which is why their current belt armor is thin in comparison to following vessels.

The last portion of the battle was the destroyer charge, which was very successful. Their destroyers deployed up to 72 torpedoes, and there may have been more, but there was at least 10% hits. Between intervening light forces and the secondaries of the battleships, the cost was the loss of 9 destroyers, essentially a cruiser worth of tonnage. The then-victorious Royal Navy, in pursuit, lost a battleship and had others crippled.  That is an excellent exchange rate.

How does this effect the Italian Fleet ? 
Well, our battleships are somewhat different than the British vessels. First off, we have torpedo nets, unfortunately, using them over 6 knots proves problematic, and so deploying them sacrifices our speed advantage. Drills indicate they can be deployed in a matter of minutes, and discussions at the admiralty have identified a new maneuver we shall drill on, to wit a hard turn to quickly reduce speed and deploy torpedo net. A significant difference between the Royal Navy vessels and ours is the provision of secondary weapons, as we feature much heavier batteries.  The old Royal Sovereign class features only 5, non quick firing, 6" breechloaders per side, supplemented by Anti-torpedo boat 6pdr fire. The old Hotchkiss 6pdr design fires a slow, small round that was intended for 50ton MTBs and  is unlikely to be lethal to a 350ton destroyer.

The older Italian battleships have a similar armament, as we have long taken the designs of the Royal Navy as the gold standard. However, our Anti-torpedo boat gun is a 3", which we are replacing with a much more effective 90mm. As our fleet is limited in scope, we have always know we will lack cruisers to fend off such attacks, and so we have chosen larger designs with more effective secondary and tertiary armament. As such, with the more recent classes you observe our much heavier intermediate batteries with 8-10 guns bearing on the beam, each with a shell that will sink a destroyer in a hit. With the proposed Regno de Italia class, the intermediate battery is mounted in turrets, with 5 bearing in each primary direction, giving us the ability to shatter a destroyer charge. This is supplemented by casemented 90mm guns mounted low down for flat, accurate fire at the incoming destroyers. War's fortunes can make a fool of any, but I feel confident in stating our vessels would have survived that situation far better.

As mentioned, we do not field a great quantity of cruisers, and so can not expect them to stop the enemy cruiser force and destroyer force, but we do expect them to disrupt and destroy many. We have 4 building, which will be a welcome addition to our scouting ability.  The high speed of the Mercury class will make them much better suited for this. There is also the additional consideration that our protected and scout cruisers are elderly and designed for fighting other such vessels, currently they are scheduled for expensive refits, which this battle simply underlines the need for, so we can win such battles and stop that torpedo charge.

Lastly, our fleet of MTBs is aging and we are not replacing them with destroyers at any great rate. We have started deploying destroyers, but in small squadrons as we attempt to decide what we should do with them. They form the testbed for our turbines, and we have produced leaders to coordinate their efforts. The result of our indecision is that the American squadron deployed more destroyers in this attack than we possess, yet their displacement is comparable to a single battleship. We are not currently expending effort in developing new destroyer designs, and we have let our MTB capability deteriorate in the meantime.

Treasury Minister Luigi Luzzatti  : Excuse me Admiral?  Pray tell, why are the refits "expensive".

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : "Firstly, there are ..9 cruisers in need of refit in the near term, a cumulative cost. Secondly, we need to fit radios to all, and rearm them with the newest guns, particularly replacing the current 194mm guns with the newer 180mm.

Minister Luzzatti : Correct me if I am missing something, but are not the various old cruisers somewhat slow and vulnerable compared to the new Mercury class? Should we not simply scrap them and build more Mercurys?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: Of course we should, if you would be so kind as to provide the lira to purchase 9 new cruisers, oh, and the industrial base to construct them, the navy would be delighted to take delivery.

Minister Luzzatti : Sarcasm does not become you. As you know it is my task to ensure the public purse is well spent. You are proposing $6.542 (or whatever that is in lira) in expenditures for obsolete warships.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : I think obsolescent is a better phrase. Their replacements are clearly on their way, but for now they are serviceable. We are at the forefront of engine technology, the other navies in the Mediterranean theater lag slightly behind.

Further, our vessels are not direct analogues of theirs. Ours tend to hybrids between scout cruisers and armored cruisers. They are slightly larger, slightly better armored, as fast or close to as fast, and sacrifice some light shell guns for some heavier pieces. Starting about 1895, we have been able to propel a shell in bursting condition through up to 150mm to 160mm of armor. To take advantage of that we have armed our protective cruisers with some heavier guns to allow them to penetrate opposing protective decks.

This refit will unify our cruiser weaponry with the 4.7"L45 and the 180L45. Replacing the 194mm with the 180mm is particularly important as the 180, though smaller bore, fires a longer, heavier shell at much greater velocities, increasing penetration by nearly 50% over the older gun...and the better sectional density and velocity give a flatter shot at range, for more accuracy. Lastly we will replace the light guns with our new rapid fire 45mm weapons. I do believe we will be retiring these vessels within the decade as more Mercury class become available, but in the meantime, this will give our current vessels a far greater combat advantage against their peers around the Mediterranean.

Minister Luzzatti : I don't get how a smaller gun would be better, and what is sectional density and why does it make for a flatter shot and how all does that link to accuracy??

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: The old french 194mm gun was designed for an earlier form of gunpowder, with less ..omph. The metallurgy on the barrel was also not to modern standards. The new 180mm gun uses a newer powder and because it is made of tougher steels, the amount of pressure is much higher. That allows a heavier projectile to be fired at higher speeds. Now, you've felt the wind coming through the window of a train at high speeds? It's denser, pushes your hand back. A projectile essentially has to drill through that air, but 100x faster, so to the projectile the air is very dense. So a smaller shell drills through easier, and with more mass and more energy behind it, it will go much further and arrive at the target with more power because it didn't fight the air as much. I'm simplifying.  Now, since it arrived sooner, that means the enemy vessel can not have moved as much. Then there's that flatness, that leads to the danger space concept.

Minister Luzzatti : I think you lost me at designed. What is the danger space concept ?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: Um, how to explain this.... how about th..no. Um Imagine..huh... Ok, you've taken archery as a lad?

Minister Luzzatti : No, not in the least, but my son has.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: Excellent , well is it easier to shoot at a target facing you, where you just have to account for slight arrow drop, or one much further away on the ground where you have to shoot up in the air and try to lob the arrow onto target ?

Minister Luzzatti : Straight on of course.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: Yes, because the arrow is flying quickly and you can shoot nearly flat at the target. NOW, imagine you have found the range for the both target and have a bullseye each time. Now someone runs out there and moves the two targets 20 feet closer. Now, if you take exactly the same shots, what would be the results ?

Minister Luzzatti : Well <furrows brow> I suppose it makes no difference to the flat target, you'd just hit above the bulls eye. But I suppose you would miss the flat target entirely unless it was very large.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : Exactly, the danger space on the flat shot is greater, as you'd have to move the target in or out a great distance to start missing entirely, while the plunging shot rapidly looses it's resolution. Now, if your are on a moving ship, and they are 5km away on a moving ship, would you rather try a plunging shot, or as close to a straight on shot as you can?

Minister Luzzatti  : Well, straight on of course.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : Exactly, so if you'd be so kind as to authorize the refits, I'd be most obliged.

Minister Luzzatti : Admiral, it is a great deal of expense.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella: Would you like me to explain in greater depth ?

Minister Luzzatti:< alarmed > um, no I don't believe that will be necessary.

King : <ahem> "Gentlemen, ultimately by 1910 we would like to strike 8 of our battleships, 10 if you count the Italias and the goal is to have a strength of 6-8 new battleships to replace them, though at a minimum 6 new vessels, including the two Regina Margherita, this leaves us 6 years to construct 4 vessels. Minister, what sort of potential do we have ?

Minister Luzzatti : We can project the allocation of approximately 60,000 - 72,000 tons of high quality steels in that time frame,  However, once the refits just explained are conducted, and the there will be a demand for other vessels,  and the army, so that must be considered the maximum.

King : "Thank you.  I would ask Captain Cuniberti to speak on the design alternatives."

Captain Cuniberti : <withdrawing sketches and plans> As requested, I have plans sketched out, though not all structural details have been worked out, we are confident each portion of the hull will work and we can integrate them to minimize strains.

The first is the Regno De Italia design currently scheduled to be laid down in 7 days. This is the same design as was previously proposed for commencing construction this past January.  She is similar to the Regina Margherita, with conventional machinery driving her to the same speed. Unlike the double casements of the preceding class, this one has turreted intermediary weapons, and enhanced armor protection in recognition of the gunnery and shell improvements already realized and reasonably foreseeable.  The twin 180mm turrets will be superimposed fore and aft over the 305mm turrets. On the beams, there shall be three twin turrets, with the middle mount raised, and the forecastle will be sloped back, allowing the beam guns to bear forward. This allows five twin 180mm turrets to fire forward, or on each beam, or aft. This is supplemented by a large battery of anti-torpedo QF guns, with four "cheek" mounts in the double casements of the forecastle. This gives beam fire of 10 QF guns, and forward fire of 10 QF as well. Aft, only 6 QF can bear, but the closing speed from astern would allow them greater time to fire. In terms of the events off Nova Scotia, the combination of these two batteries would give our vessels nearly 4x the effective guns compared to the British vessels. Had the 9 sunk destroyers been quadrupled, it would be 36 sunk destroyers, which is to say, all of them.  Our estimates is the planned class of four ships would entail the expenditure of roughly 74,000 tons of high quality steels, ever so slightly more than the good Treasury Minister indicates is available for such construction in the next six years.

The second is a variant of the Regno de Italia design with some design changes. Currently our researchers are exploring ways of providing torpedo defenses which do not rely on torpedo netting. The simple solution would be to extend the belt to the keel, but that is prohibitive. We believe the anti-mine bulge may provide significant benefit to torpedo defense by allowing torpedoes to vent upwards away from the hull plating. Tests in the Venetian lagoon seem to show this*, and so we are looking at expanding this.  Our researchers are exploring several other venues, of which the simplest is to provide access to the hull plating to allow damage control via a wing passage with a continuous bulkhead. This passageway could then be compartmentalized. While conventional thinking is the coal bunkers provide the same benefit, with the energy absorption of the coal as a bonus, the problem is difficulty in accessing the back of the coal bunkers for damage control, or in making the numerous scuttles watertight. By providing a wing passageway outboard from the coal bunkers, we should be able to access and repair parts of the hull plating dislodged by a torpedo explosion.**  This is a revision to the basic design, mainly involving repositioning of machinery and bunkers, and would take my staff a month or so to complete.  We believe we can make the bulkhead structural in nature, and so the additional material will be negligible, and so four of these vessels should entail roughly the same expenditure.

*not entirely correct, works on shallow cases where the expansion of the explosive bubble breaches the surface before impacting the hull.
** Italy is researching the technology, but it is not complete. As such, this passage is far to narrow and the bulkhead is unarmored, making an ineffective TDS. This would be only of use in very limited cases and is meant as a "mistake".

The third design requires us to wait a year or perhaps two for Ansaldo to finish their development of the next set of turbines and boilers. From estimates I have tried to envision what changes this might allow in the vessels, and it appears a substantial increase in speed. As the machinery spaces remain the same, the vessel costs would be similar to the preceding classes.

Now, if I may be so bold... If the improved boilers allow fewer, or more efficient stacks, then the superstructure can be consolidated. I found time yesterday to do some preliminary weight balance figuring and it may be possible to strike the fore and aft 180mm turrets and replace them with twin 305mm turrets. This would be a balance between my Collosus and the Admiralty's continued requirement for maintaining an intermediate battery.

The fourth, and last, design is the current iteration of my Colossi proposal and is undoubtedly my preferred option. I have done some hasty redesign prior to this meeting, and have not quite got the figures worked out.  I propose we take advantage of the new Ansaldo turbines to slightly exceed the Regina Margherita's speed , and use them to compact the machinery length for the same area of hull. Of course my proposal is to maximize speed and attempt to achieve 24 knots, and simply sever the ties to the slower and older battleships which may be retired.

Depending on the desired speed, the improved machinery should allow a reasonable displacement and the mounting of 5, or better 6 turrets on centerline, giving a broadside of 12 guns. I did some figuring and expect we can work wing passages and torpedo nets in. Unfortunately, with the time constraints I was not able to fully rework the design. The belt armor is an improvement to the  Regina Margherita, though not as robust as projected for the Regno de Italia.  Of course my design was published some time ago before the battle, and was of course meant for a richer navy with sufficient resources to field a screen of cruisers to prevent destroyers from being a pest. All of that means the design shows only 4 QF guns on each side, but I am confident that can be corrected.  I can have sufficient redesign work done to allow the keel to be laid once the engines are ready, probably in late 1906, and we may at that time choose to wait to incorporate the research on underwater defenses the report on which is due in 1907, when the funding for that program runs out.  While there are many variables, this has been a long term project of mine and so I have projected for many alternatives.

From my estimates, the optimal vessel would be capable of 23 or 24 knots, have a broadside of 10 x 12", that's 2.5 Times the other designs. The vessel remains remarkably economical, at less than 20% greater cost than the Regno de Italia. The downside is that it would have to wait until 1907 to finalize the torpedo belt design. ,  first completion in spring 1910, and the second set of vessels in late 1912.  I am confident I can keep the displacement between 21,000 and 22,000 tons.

Treasury Minister Luzzatti : My dear sir, that would place four of those vessels as consuming 88,000 tons of material between them in 3 years time. Even two vessels in that time frame nearly exceeds our production capacity. That is completely unachievable.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : The Senior Admiralty board has discussed these matters at length in regards to the trend towards 6 large guns on many ships. Assessment of potential damage indicate that retention of an intermediate battery capable of wrecking large portions of the opposing vessel, and rendering it casualty, is the most efficient way. The caveats are the intermediate battery must be able to penetrate the lighter armored areas of the vessel, and, now, our ships must be able to find the range. As previously discussed, the experience off Nova Scotia is of great interest, but we believe our vessels, in the same situation, would have fared much better. Further, as the Good Captain has noted, the ability of this Colossus to fend off torpedo attack is limited. Lastly, the Admiralty has no desire to wait on machinery to be developed so we can eventually build ships. A three year work stoppage would impair the efficiency of our dockyards and foundries. The industry that supplies our shipyards needs to meet payroll and pay off equipment regardless of if we're building or waiting to build.

King : Capitano Cuniberti, I thank you for your presentation. Admiral D'Aste-Stella is hereby directed to allow and support  Captain Cuniberti to pursue and develop proposals for this beast of yours. You are hereby directed to explore what advances are necessary by, shall we say 1907, to make your vessel the most intimidating and defensively well rounded available, but please, constrain the displacement to what is truly needed.  As for what keels we lay this year, I believe the second version of Regno de Italia the most promising.  Minister Luzzatti, I want you to consult with Admiral D'Aste-Stella  and the War Minister to obtain forecasts of demands on our industrial potential through, shall we say 1907. From that result, we shall decide if two vessels or one shall be constructed.

[Kaiser Kirk]

I've got a bunch of different topics to cover, there's also some interactions with other players on a couple topics, so things will wind up out of chronological order. I will post the SIM shortly, but need to resolve some behind the scenes things first.

So this stems from the June 1904 news. The point of all these long writing bits is to show the Italians are being very thorough and expending a great deal of effort to make sure they get things right from the start. One should also notice that the King appears and is deeply involved in Foreign Affairs and Military aspects, but doesn't appear  in any domestic / territorial policy vignettes. This correlates to his constitutional ability to do such things as make treaties and declare war...all on his own (as it was historically), but the Parliament runs civil affairs. Starabba is a nationalistic opposition leader who leveraged his power base to get control of the Commission on Italian Territories.

August 1904:
Location : Royal Palace
The King, Prime Minister, Minster of Finance, Minister of Agriculture, Trade & Industry, the Admiral of the Fleet and leader of the Commission on Italian Territories, Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : "I would at this time like to introduce Commodore Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà. Commodore Brazza was born in the Papal states and served in the French Navy until Rome returned to Italy*. During his time there, he was involved in several West African expeditions. The Commodore was chosen to command the voyage of the Calatafirma and will present his recommendations, based on his written report."

*historically, he stayed in French Service, establishing French Congo, served with brutality as Govenor-General and Brazzaville is named after him. However, as that colony doesn't exist in N6, I guess he didn't so I took him back to Italy, as he's perfect for my storyline.

"Your Majesty, esteemed Members of Parliment,  I am here to report on the two and a half year expedition of the brig Calatafima and it's effort verifying our maps of the West African coastline. We have gone so far as to re-examine the notes and maps of the old explorers, starting with Alvise Cadamosto, who made this journey in the mid 1400s. I have consulted extensively with the Scientific members and Ship's officers and consolidated this report. The result of this effort is identifying several promising locations to establish, at the least, recoaling stations, and at the most, colonies.

Coastline of of West Africa and opportunities for colonization

Gentlemen, this report outlines the existing and potential natural harbors ports along the west African coast. As you know, our goal in this endeavor is to provide an alternate supply path for the Italian Territories that does not rely on the Suez Canal. Furthermore, we wish to allow the navy to position itself to intervene in African affairs and safeguard the mercantile traffic we hope build.  Lastly, should conflict occur with foreign powers, we hope the presence of these coaling ports will provide the navy with bases suitable for commerce raiders.

Firstly, Most of the coastline has been thoroughly explored during the era of slave trading, and this data formed the basis of where we investigated. It must be recognized that the French and British have established themselves in the best ports available. The Portuguese and Spanish also have desirable locations.   This reduces our choices to those ports that were abandoned when the triangle trade was abolished, and those that had silted up or were otherwise too shallow for modern vessels. 

The journey around Africa to Nacala is roughly 9,100nm. This compares unfavorably with the 4,500nm journey through the Suez.  To make this journey more reasonable for all vessels, we have been directed to consider steaming distances of 2,000 to 3,000 nautical miles.

Departing Taranto, the first leg of the Journey is the 1,100nm to the Pillars of Hercules.
South down the Morrocon coast, the Canary and Cape Verde islands would make desirable holdings, but have long been claimed.

About 2,300nm from Taranto, there is a place the Portuguese discovered in 1441 called Cabo Branco, a peninsula, juts from the Saharan coast. Spanish fishermen from the Canary islands visit at times.  The terrain is desolate with little water, though there is lush green vegetation on the inland side of the peninsula, as well as a natural harbor (Port-Étienne)with soundings of 9.4m to 10m. There are some local Berber tribes people, but they are nomadic and of no import. This area would need to be surveyed further to ascertain where the nomads obtain water, and if there is an aquifer, how useful that is, but if successful, we can establish a Port and Fort there. From a strategic perspective, this would be difficult and expensive to develop, but if we were to invest the resources to create this as a major base, it would excellently placed for recoaling, sheltered for repairs, and place our warships in a position advantageous to most of the major trade routes between Europe and South America or Africa- we can't get better without being in the Canary or Cape Verde islands. 

(Note : Now there's a city 100,000 and the vegetation is gone, and wiki doesn't mention desal, but there was vegetation as of about 1910, so I'm guessing there's water under there. One of the inland mining towns gets it's water shipped from Bon Lanuar, "where the water is close to the surface", and I'm guessing there's an underground aquifer under that section)

Next on the list is at about 3,200nm of steaming.  There are two islands off the tip of a long peninsula The larger island of Tombo has a village of Conakry – Once an old french mercantile port. The harbor there lacks sufficient draft for our purpose, but tramp merchants still put in occasionally, as vine rubber is available locally, and wax and gold are traded at this port.   The other village is Boubinet.  Between them, our crews estimate they have roughly 500 people. However, just off the tip of the peninsula, the water shelves off to 11-12m, while the islands serve as a breakwater. This location would be easily defended from the landward side.

Further down the coast, we have the area the former slaves from the Americas have settled. These towns, Monrovia and Greenville have somewhat more sophistication than the barbarian natives, and offer reasonable port possibilities.

Monrovia – this is one of several settlements founded by Africans returned from the Americas. It appears to be independent at this time. More civilized than the natives they scrape by. The shape of the headland and the mouth of the river form very nice natural harbors. Palm Oil, iron, poor wine and some gold are traded here.

Greenville – this is another such settlement, part of the Nation called Liberia. It is possessed of a cape and river mouth that provides harborage.

They are not claimed as part of the Liberian nation, but claiming them may run into a higher rate of resistance from the natives, while spurring the Liberians to take action. We can of course defeat them, but having a moderately sized civilized area in active opposition at that distance from our core concerns

San Pedro – offers an excellent anchorage, and at 3700 nm it is a reasonable distance. Various fruits and woods come from inland, but there is expansion opportunity.

Abidjan – There is a lovely lagoon which would be a fine anchorage. But it is separated from the sea, we could not find a means to bring the brig there, much less a ship. There may be development potential.

Limbe (Victoria, just north of Duoala)– a fine bay in a scenic setting. This could be a very desirable location and at 4800nm from Naples, it would represent a safe steaming distance for all of our vessels. The bluffs also make a natural location for coastal fortifications to protect the port.

Walvisch Baye, (Walvis Bay) : This is a fine natural harbor, well known to traders since the Portuguese found it in 1487, and the Dutch named it. Whalers make some use of it, but there is no permanent settlement there now as the inland areas are parched. For our purposes, it is extremely well located, at 6200nm, only 3000nm around the Cape from Nacala.

Angra Penquena (Luderitz) : Also found by the Portugese, this is another good sheltered harborage, though the harbor bottom is rocky and too shallow for larger ships. Walvisch Baye is merely 200nm further up the coast, and would be the preferred option.

There are other ports and potential ports, as outlined in the written report handed out, but these are the best prospects. If you have further questions, I would be more than pleased to answer them."

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : "Excellent Work. Your Majesty, Ministers, do you have questions for the Commodore?"

Francesco Nitti, Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade: "Your presentation addressed Cabo Branco with the mention that basing in the Canaries or Cape Verde would be superior, why exactly is that, and should we be pursuing diplomatic means of acquiring that basing?"

Commodore di Brazzà : "Your majesty, while the vegetation suggests water is available should we search for it, we have no means of establishing how much is available, or where. This would mean we would first be involved in searching for and then drilling for water and devising a delivery system to the harborside, all thousands of miles from support. A base peacably aquirred in the Cape Verde islands or the Canaries would have a friendly population, water, food, refueling coal, some machine shops. All of this would make supporting efforts elsewhere greatly simpler."

Leader of the Commission on Italian Territories, Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì : "We must ensure the investment in the Querimbra colony, the port of Nacala and all the rest has a secure shipping lane from the west. With the Ottomans controlling the Red Sea, this perplexing Japanese base, The French enclave also on the Red Sea, the Bavarians establishing themselves in Madagascar, the western Indian ocean has suddenly become quite busy. While conflict with any of these states is not emminant, future conflict is possible, and a route not dependent on the Suez and the Red Sea is imperitive !"

King Victor Emmanuel III: "Really? My dear Marchese, so kind of you to lecture us on the reason we are here in the first place. Sit."

Starabba : "...Yes, your Majesty."

Prime Minster Giolotti : "Excellently put your Majesty. With the budgetary permutations we are undergoing to finance the military conquest in Nyassa, which I remind Minister Strarabba is the proper name for Querimbra, and this new burden of refitting so many cruisers, while still attempting to improve our rural areas and integrate Trieste, I am cautious about seizing all these ports, particularly those that may encounter semi-civilized opposition from the Liberians."

Trade Minister Nitti : "We should attempt to establish a claim to part of the African coastline and interior, not just recoaling stations, there are sure to be valuable resources in the interior. Commodore, did you not say one traded in rubber and gold?"

Commodore Brazza : "Yes Minister, Conakry. A very defensible port with good trade prospects from the interior."

King Victor Emmanuel III : "From the options, it appears a logical approach would be to explore Cabo Branco while approaching Spain and Portugal about the possibility of basing. This Conakry would appear to be a desirable location, and then Walvisch Baye.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : "Your Majesty, Examining this from a Strategic perspective, the harbor at Walvisch Baye is far more desirable than Angra Penquena, while the latter is closer to Nacala by 250nm, many of our warships can not base there, making it useless for trade protection or even many freighters.  I believe we should consider this Limbe as well, from the description in the report, it is a fine sheltered harbor. From the distances in the table, Walvisch baye is 2700nm from Conakry, having an intermediary port, either this Limbe or San Pedro, would give us long term options.

Prime Minster Giolotti :"The development of Ports at Cabo Blanco, Conakry, Limbe and Walvische baye would be an expensive proposition. Do we need them all?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : "Not immediately, our vessels have fairly substantial bunkerages, which allows us to transit the Mediterranean rapidly in wartime. However, if we base at Conakry, it is 2700nm to Walvische Baye, which means if it is under siege, a relief force would be pressed to make the journey, fight, and return..call it combat radius for lack of a better term. Further, if Conakry is lost, or blockaded, we are cut off, so from a strategic point of view, overlap is desirable.

Trade Minister Nitti : "The description of the countryside adjacent to Cabo Blanco and Walvische baye both sound desolate. The environs of Conakry, San Pedro and Limbe appear much more desirable if our long term expectation is a second African territory.

King Victor Emmanuel III : "We shall take the following course of action. Admiral, you shall detail one of the Marine Regiments slated for Nyassa and deploy it to the West African shore. The Italias  move the majority of troops to Nacala, so use the Pasquale di Paoli. There are 5 companies, you shall arrange for one Company to be established with supplies at Cabo Blanco, Conakry, San Pedro, Limbe, and Walvische Baye. These shall serve to stake our claim and provide protection for survey teams.  Assign one Partenope class brig to each location, to serve as a dispatch vessel, and in the case of Cabo Blanco, a means of extraction should water prove unfindable. Keep the last Partenope as dispatch for East Africa. I shall instruct the Marquis Visconti-Venosta (Foreign Minister) to explore matters with the Spanish and Portuguese. As matters develop further, we may remove our claims in some areas and expand them in others, but for now, let us at least provide for recoaling facilities.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Sometime in Spring 1904
...sometime in 1904 the following scene occurs. This is meant to be evil, underhanded and villainous, taking a page from the Siege of Fort Pitt, though other asserted occurrences appear to have been myth.

Bandawe, on the shores of lake Nyasa (Malawi) :
Ungapake Tembo was a worried man. His village was quiet, the lake lapping among the stilts as it always had. The Ngoni had left his Tembo people in peace for the past decade, so long as they offered their tribute. The fishing had been good, and the crops onshore abundant. Traders with the "Societa Starabba" had come all the way up the river from the Portugese with trade goods, a welcome arrival. They had visited just last month with many items that were hard to find, and asked little in return. They had seemed more interested in if the villagers still followed the God of Livingston's mission, or that of the Arabs, and had been disappointed to learn the village still honored it's ancestors and the Mission had moved up lake. The traders had dealt favorably, and left peacably.  Life had seemed good.  No, Ungapake was worried because his youngest son had taken sick with a flu and to his pallet exhausted, beset with fever, vomiting, and in pain. Now, flat  red spots were appearing on his arms and face, and other villagers were suffering the same way.

He had heard that at the outflow of the lake, villages there were stricken as well and there were reports of deaths. The  The disease sounded like the one that had struck the lakes to the North in the time of his great grandfather, and he feared it would carry away his village.  He was thankful that the traders of the "Societa Starabba" had valued their thick woolen blankets with their red letters "quarantena" so little (see 8.12.01 & 10.31.01 news), for they helped keep the shivering down. Amazingly, they had valued the oilcloth wrapping the blankets even less, and had left the bundles unwrapped. The oilcloth proved both wind and waterproof, quite a deal, and was useful in keeping the sick comfortable. 


Following the King's meeting in August 1904
While diplomatic wheels grind...
5 brigs of the Partenope class are dispatched to West Africa to stake claims to the ports identified. Two, arriving at Cabo Branco and Limbe, will find Spanish troops already present. Those vessels will return to Italy with their reports, only to find that diplomatic correspondence had already established that fact.

Late August 1904
A Treaty of Naval Assistance is signed between Spain and Italy. Spain will generously allow Italy to base a limited number of warships, subject to constraints, in Las Palmas on Gran Canarias. In return, Italy shall send technical advisors to assist the Spanish Military.

Spain provides the exclusive right to portage in Las Palmas with a price of $1 a year for 24 years on such conditions:
- 12000 tonnage for 6 months in a year
- anchoring in the outer part of the Bay of Puerto Franco
- dismissal of the teams ashore maybe once in two weeks
- port provides all of its services: pilotage, logistics, bunkering, postal servicesm supplying and rent no more then two middle size warehouses at the front part of the port's embankment
Italy will notice the authorities of the names, tonnage and period of persisting of every warship

To fulfill the cost obligation,  Italy shall send technical advisors to assist the Spanish Military in the most recent matters regarding it's world-leading Terni Cemented Armor, and Ansaldo Turbines, as well as Cuniberti's work on battleship design, and the lessons on Quartermaster issues which had taught in the Austrian crisis and the ongoing efforts in Nyassa (Russian 1900 reserves, no trade clause has expired).

Opposition leader, Minister Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì called a press conference. "As leader of the Commission for Italian Territories, I have pushed a recalcitrant Prime Minister and Monarch towards this end. With this step, we open the gates to the West Coast of Africa.  The people of Italy can not begin to understand how much this victory means me, how vindicated I feel that my incredible hard work on your behalf has, after much resistance, been rewarded. Come this fall, a vote for me, is a vote to return Italy to Glory !"

The Prime Minister's office issued the following statement : "The Prime Minister finds Minister Starabba's account of his involvement in these matters to be overstated. The matter of Minister Starabba's comments has been referred to the Electoral Commission to examine if they constitute campaigning prior to the opening of the fall campaign season. "

September 1, 1904
The transport Pasquale di Paoli and the brig Partenope set sail from Naples with the 22nd Marine Regiment on board. Sailing through the straits of Gibraltar, they will reprovision at Las Palmas and continue.  The brigs Calatafima, Minerva & Iride are already on station.  One company will be established on the Island of Tombo in Conakry, Two in San Pedro (Cote d'Ivorie), and Two in Walvische Baye. The Brigs will remain onstation and serve as dispatch vessels, while Pasquale di Paoli shuttles supplies from Gran Canarias prior to returning to Italy. The brig Partenope will continue to escort the Pasquale di Paoli on it's mission.  The Marines shall work to establish wooden stockades to provide a secure encampment.

[Kaiser Kirk]

I may as well put up a map also.
You'll note it omits the other claims- the Spanish claims...the French around Djibouti, the Japanese at the tip of the Somali horn, and the massive claim the Ottomans made.
There are little shaded areas of Italian land on the West coast, but they get lost under the stars, and really the Italian color blends into the background grey pretty well.
oh, and while I show Stone Town, I don't own, it, I just use it (and Dar Es Salaam) as a resupply port.

[The Rock Doctor]

"Huge"? 

Kirk, my friend, that was a small Ottoman claim. 

I guess competition for good ports in Africa is getting tight.  I had contemplated angling for one or two around Nigeria or Cameroon to facilitate inland adventures, but it seemed impractical for the Ottomans to try and maintain such a line of communication when a slow land-based expansion was available.

[Walter]

Yes, a "massive" Ottoman claim would be the whole of Africa. :D

[Kaiser Kirk]

"Huge"? 

Kirk, my friend, that was a small Ottoman claim. 

My apologies, I was  mis-remembering:

Already my loyal soldiers and trusted diplomats are moving to contact and negotiate a new relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the tribes of the southernmost Sudan.  Over the coming months, they will continue to Lake Turkana, Lake Victoria, and the other Great Lakes. ...

as a claim to all the Great Lakes.

Rather you extended things to the North Shore of Lake Victoria, which is about 600nm from the mapped border, lake is 150nm wide, so ..90,000sq nm?
So, "Large" like the Italian lands in Mozambique rather than "Huge" :)

And I plum forgot the Bavarians in Madagascar.

[The Rock Doctor]

Exactly, large.  Not at all huge.

I figured the Great Lakes would probably make good boundaries at some point. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

And I plum forgot the Bavarians in Madagascar.

AND the Dutch in the Congo !

Ok, here's my version of the various claims in Africa.
Note that there are several independent - or nominally so - African states.

[Kaiser Kirk]

September 10th
The Court of Inquiry convened by the Prime Minster, has concluded it's four year investigation into the Fatti di Maggio of May 6-10, 1898 in Milan.
The Court concluded that the actions taken by now Senator Bava-Beccaris, General(ret), were not covered by his orders. Further, the Court concluded that the actions greatly exceeded what was needed to put down the Food Riots. The Court conceded that the local officials and constabulary had been overwhelmed by the Riots and had requested Martial Law be authorized.  The Court also examined the statutes surrounding Martial Law, many enacted in 1862 in response to Garibaldi's march to Liberate Rome and concluded that once declared, they allowed military means to pacify those who do not immediately surrender, and as such the Army's actions in the massacre were not illegal.  The final conclusions of report call for the Legislature to develop new laws regarding the imposition and conduct of Martial Law, the removal of Senator Bava-Beccaris from the Senate, and the establishment of a dedicated organization of Military Police capable of being deployed on a large scale should such events occur in the future.

As expected the announcement was welcomed in the lower chamber, but a source of consternation in the Senate, where General Bava-Beccaris has been welcomed since his elevation to that body by King Umberto.


September 12th.
Commission on Italian Territories met today, chaired by Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì. The Commision reviewed the Scientific reports on livestock viability, crop success, and revisions to recommended settlement areas. The commision then accepted the list of potential emigrees and land allocations and started the process of notification.

October 1st 
The commencement of the short electoral season came today, with the parties filing for their candidates. It is Expected that Prime Minister Giolotti's party will see it's primary opposition from the Staunch Nationalists of Minister Starabba's party. Prime Minister Giolotti is expected to point to the economic growth, and gaining the final freedom from the Austrian Thumb.  Minister Starabba has been a consistent detractor of the  slow and cautious approach and was critical that Italy did not claim Slovenia, or use the Constantinople conference as an opportunity to press for return of Italian territory from the Republic of France and the Ottoman Empire. Campaigning on such Foreign affairs will undoubtedly be minimal, as such matters are the Monarch's prerogative, or as Minister Starabba infamously commented, Giolotti's lapdog's perogative.

Sometime in 1904
Private Moretti had been looking forward to this for days. They had been passing the detritus of the barbarian's passage for a week along this trail. Discarded baskets and extra gear, the occasional bodies of those who collapsed on the way. The Legion had long quit trying to merely herd the barbarians, now the goal was to stampede them. BUT Private Moretti was tired, oh so tired of hearing Captain De Luca whine on about the heat, and the dirt and the bugs. Oh who cared if you came from the famed Alpini, and how you missed the snow and fracking mountains. Fracking De Luca never starved on the streets of Napoli, never stewed in a cell on Pantelleria for theft, no De Luca grew up in Milan and was sent to a military academy, the Captain CHOSE this to get the quick promotions, for him it wasn't a ticket out of jail to a second life, it was a career path....

Three days ago they had found the bodies of Privates Conte and Bruno, who had apparently tried to desert but got caught. It was rare for any of the old hands to try it, between the wildlife and the barbarians, it was dangerous living on "The Edge", but the only way out was back to the settlement and the Port, and the Marines. Unless you wanted to try for the Portuguese, but damned if anyone had seen a map of where they were. It was always the replacements that thought maybe they could make a break for it, and those two, well the Barbarians caught them, and chopped them up pretty good. The Lieutenant, an old ex-Marine, thought from the blood spoor that they had still been alive when strapped over those ant mounds, but maybe not conscious. If it was meant as a warning, it was effective, every man in the Battalion knew. 

Private Moretti's private thoughts seized as his company, led by the estimable Captain De Luca, passed the native picket, who was quite recently dead, and dispersed as they crept through the cornfield, and as they approached the crest first crouched and then crawled their way to the ridgetop.

A couple of former poachers who had chosen the Legion, and a second chance over prison, served as their trackers and said whomever did it headed towards this Village. The Major had sworn vengeance and proclaimed no one was going to walk away from this village. Private Moretti's thoughts broke off as the boom of the artillery was followed by the whistle and bang of the shells landing in the village. As the natives started running like ants, he took careful aim and started picking them off.

Sometime in 1904
Chief Nyeusi Akitesema took his spear and his leopard cloak and limped slowly out of his village, beyond the stockade that gave safety at night. Beyond the brass plate the white people who came with the Arabs had tacked to a tree, and looked out across the valley.  The village was situated on the slopes of a hillock, commanding the confluence between what others might call the Ruvuma river and the Lugenda, and his perch gave a commanding view of the river bottoms.  Every day the women would hike down to fetch water, risking the hippos and alligators, not to mention the pestilence that came often to those that resided by the river*.

Standing on the ridge, the valley breeze of the evening ruffled his snowy beard while in the distance, he heard the trumpet of an elephant.

Chief Akitesema was troubled, for much was changing. First, the Arabs had shown up with the new white men. Only elders, such as himself knew such as had not been in this area for a generation, when the man Livingston and his party had come through. They were happy to see the 'Christ Cross' that Livingston's priest had met.  They had left a flag, of marvelous Green, White and Red, adorned with a golden device in the middle, and told him it would lead to peace. Most curious.

Then, he himself, despite his rummy old eyes, just weeks ago had seen a giant boat on the river, belching smoke from the top, and with a giant rifle on the front, with smaller ones attached to the roof. There were awnings, with little white men under them. Several of them had fetched another and pointed at the flag, but it did not stop, but moved up the river, against the current, to the north.

Nyeusi  looked out over his chiefdom and thought on what his warrior scouts had come to tell him. In his youth, the tribe rallied and his father battled Shaka Zulu's spears, but the Ngoni had lost and were forced north, the great Difaquane that had claimed so many. They had to battle their way through the Makua and Yao to claim these new lands, using the spear and shield as the Zulu had against them. For years, they had fought the the tribes, and the Arabs who came up the river for slaves. After a generation, the tribes were firmly subjegated and offered nothing but peace and tribute. Then, two generations ago, Livingstone came, and years after that, the slave raids tapered off. Since then, and he was the last who could remember such a time, there had been tribute and peace from the Makua and Yao.

But from what the young warriors were describing, the Makua were invading Ngoni lands in large numbers but it was not war parties set on raiding, but entire households stumbling forth, with a few young warriors with them, and some injured.  Unlike the Ngoni had, they did not lead with their warriors, but claimed those were behind them, gathering for a battle with what sounded to be white soldiers, who they claimed were present in great numbers. The question was what to do with the Makua , and did these soldiers pose a threat to his tribe or the Ngoni people?

After thought, Nyeusi  resolved that he would send warriors to alert the other chiefs of the Ngoni of this threat. As for the Makua, they had few warriors to defend them, no land to sustain them, they would need shelter and sustenance. They would undoubtedly make good slaves, and earn their keep in that way, plus such valuable stock would enrich his tribe in trade.**


*This location is analogous to the village of  Aideia Milepa. Something I read years ago was that african villages were frequently not next to the water to help avoid mosquitoes and other pests, and that the Europeans usually settled at the waters edge and had difficulties. This is however, why fetching water is a big job.
** Slavery was practiced internally in Africa, and much of the foreign slave trade eventually came to be supplied by natives warring on and capturing each others. The Arabs were active for ~1300 years enslaving people along the eastern coast. Livingston had reported on the dire treatment, and the British had stepped in during the 1870s to put a stop to it – substantially curtailing it.


Sometime in 1904
Colonel Zito watched his Regiment advance with some pride. The 13th Regiment of the Jungle Legion had conducted itself well along the southern edge of the advance since the beginning.  Leaving the wooden stockade of Nacala, passing past the livestock pens with their global menagerie, through the young fields of cotton, corn and the Agronomists know what else, the first stages of the campaign, beyond the Swahili villages, they had cleanly rounded up and evicted the locals.

Keeping the pressure on, his regiment, and the entire 1st Brigade, had shooed the barbarians inland. When some had swept around and headed for the Portuguese coast, it was the 13th that was tasked to round them up and send them away. Luckily, this meant his Regiment got to stay near the trade, now supply route from Nacala to Monapo to Nampula.  Keeping his men reasonably well fed and clothed prooved a boon to morale.

Unfortunately, the natives were not cooperating and evacuating due west, many were heading south and west, leading his men south from Nampula, built a pontoon bridge over the Lighonha river,  to some spot the Portuguese had named Alto Molocue. The 13th had based out of there for some time. As it was south of the territories the surveyors mapped, finding and sweeping clean villages had been additional effort*.

Much like the Italian claims, only the coastal strip was swampy, with the interior being lightly wooded hills. Zito was from Sicily, and viewed it as Sheep terrain, but the scientists said sheep and even cattle could not survive the local pestilences, indeed the goal of the livestock at Nacala was to find what would survive best. However, the Colonel felt the climate was much like home, even if the weather patterns were shifted somewhat in season, and thought if the natives could grow corn, then many of the crops in Sicily could be viable, and perhaps the free land offered soldiers may be worth taking. While the muckrackers claimed sickness made Africa uninhabitable, the barbarians did well enough, and Sicily already had Malaria and Dipheria, and Cholera, while the Regiment had only lost one to the sleeping sickness....no Colonel Zito could see how progress could come to Nyassa.

Colonel Zito still remembered the first day one of those steam traction engines came chuffing into Nampula. The elephants from India had been clearing it for some time, and had dragged logs to smooth it, but it came chuffing along pulling rippers, with another dragging a boom, doing far more work in a short time. The supplies came easier with those land locomotives pulling wagons than they had before.

Now, the Marines had taken their place as rear-area security, and would patrol the southern border. The 13th Regiment was heading west again.

* Alto Molocue is roughly halfway between the Zambezi river and Nacala, and halfway between the coast and Lake Malawi(Nyassa), and while 'in pursuit' the Italians dipped a little south of their claim.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Prime Minister's office :
Admiral D'Aste-Stella : Prime Minister, Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.

Prime Minister Giolotti : Well of course, so Admiral, tell me what brings you here.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : As you are aware, the decision has been made by Treasury to only authorize one battleship to be laid down.  The Regno De'Italias were designed as follow-ons to the two Regina Margherita class, and four were planned. That would Six 1st  class battleships, and Two 2nd class, allowing the retirement of the Ruggerios and Umbertos. As we discussed, trends may be changing, but this design is promising. Rather than simply build One to complete the Regina trio with a single Regno, I would rather have all Six, and then worry about the next big thing in Naval design.

Prime Minister Giolotti : Admiral, a question, what was the time frame we were expecting to build those four battleships in?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : I believe the expectation was to build them over roughly 5 or 6 years.

Prime Minister Giolotti : And with the budget constraints imposed by the economic expansion and the efforts in Africa, could we afford all the new Cacciatore cruisers to defend the fleet from enemy torpedo boats?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella <puzzled> : Well of course not, that is why the Admiralty has conceded that instead of replacing our old cruisers, we should refit them with newer, flatter firing guns.

Prime Minister Giolotti : I believe a request has also been submitted to rebuild the Re Umbertos to make them more resilient to torpedo craft. Yes?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : Well yes, if your government insist on economic expansion over the Navy, and so forces us to only field one new battleship, then we must retain the older ones in service longer. The Ruggerios were constructed when 200mm of nickle-steel would shatter any shell, but with the advances in shell design that has stopped being true, while the 320mm belt of the Re Umberto, particularly backed by the deck thickness, still has adequate resilience.

Prime Minister Giolotti : And this reconstruction of cruisers and battleship will be cheaper than brand new vessels?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : Of course. One must realize that the quality of Iron and steel used in the older vessels is not to modern standards, metallurgy continues to race ahead, but certainly the results will be adequate, and the vessels will be superior to their unrefitted counterparts in other navies for some years.

Prime Minister Giolotti : So, the Treasury says that by laying down only one battleship now, we can complete it in the next several years, refit all of cruisers to provide the ships you say need for destroying torpedo craft, and rebuild the Re Umberto to be serviceable, and then commence building the three Cuniberti vessels, all to be complete in roughly 7 years.

How is that not superior to slowly building 4 new battleships over 5 to 6 years and in the meantime  having no new battleships, or refitted cruisers, letting the old battleline slide into obsolescence ?

Admiral D'Aste-Stella <looks mildly perplexed>: Well, if you put it that way, yes, the proposed course is better.
BUT, to keep the Navy strong,  I'd rather have new battleships, and new cruisers, and we should replace all the torpedo craft with the biggest and fastest destroyers we can. Then to support this African Adventure, we need more transports, colliers, tenders and tugs – and we should have drydocks at every African port. During the days of King Umberto, the budget was nearly entirely devoted to the military, these changes the King and yourself have made will inevitably weaken the Navy.

Prime Minister Giolotti : Admiral, during the Days of King Umberto, our people were emigrating to the Americas in masses, they were being shot by the French for protesting work conditions, they were rioting in Milan over food, they were dying in Napoli from cholera for want of simple sewage efforts. We kept our Sword and Shield shiny at the expense of  the muscle and bone that wields it.

Even now, tens, hundreds of thousands pay to leave this country and a thousand years of family, and sail to America and Argentina and Brazil to start from nothing in the expectation that they can do better there, than if they stayed. THAT is why we are "Adventuring" in Africa. There is fertile land, a climate like southern Italy, plenty of water, and room for our citizens to pay for passage not to some foreign land, but an extension of our land.

The days of the budget being committed primarily to the military are past. We can no longer afford to build fleets of ever larger new vessels. We must be smarter about how we provide for our defense, and we must build a nation for it's people.  I respect your passion for the Navy, and it is our Sword, I have no intention of neglecting it's edge. Thank you for the courage to bring your disagreement to my attention. If you would like, we can brace the King and you can make your concerns known to him.

Admiral D'Aste-Stella : I do not believe that will be necessary. I did not quite appreciate the domestic context, and while I would of course prefer the ever larger new vessels, I do think the refit proposals will result in servicable vessels. Indeed, the Navy has already started considering allowances for future reconstruction as part of extension of service life , certainly the old Italia class is proving of merit after the rebuild.

[Kaiser Kirk]

The Campaign
The official election season for the Italian Parlement kicked off a the beginning of October, and concluded at the end of November, with a vote at the beginning of December*.

The main parties are, from Left to Right :
Italian Workers Party  of Minister Filippo Turati
Italian Liberal Union Party of Prime Minister Giovanni Giolotti, currently in power.
The Liberal Constitutional party is fronted by Minister Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì and also leader of the Commission on Italian Territories.
The Military party of Minister Luigi Pelleoux


Platforms vary by party.
The Liberal Union Party
Pledges to continue the economic reforms and planned economic growth of the past four years, with substantial improvements in infrastructure and light industry targeted not a the richest provinces that are already well off, but those at which minor capital outlays can lead to major improvements in transport and light industry. "The provision of such simple things as a mill to process grain, and an easy transport route to get the grain to market makes small farms and villages viable. Cooperation between Church and State to bring education to the masses will provide opportunities for our children."
The Liberal Union party points to the following and requests re-election on these grounds :
-  The King's "Peace Budget", lowering the military expenditures of his father's time, and increasing the domestic spending.
-  Increased Growth across the nation.
-  Increased international respect and standing
-  Liberating and returning to Italy the Hungarian territories of South Tyrol, Fiume, Trieste and Kustenland.
-  Acquiring through legal means a large colonial area for resettlement of excess Italian Population.

The Liberal Constitution party
-  Decries the Weakening of the Military Budget during the Giolotti Adminstration, and claims that to continue this path will lead to Italy being once again splintered among foreign powers.
-  Cites the Claims of France, Spain and the Ottomans as evidence simple military exertion is the path to claim huge tracts of colonial land.
-  Supports the Continued reunification of Italy, and vigorous pursuit of the return of areas dominated, or once dominated by Italians.
-  Cites the failure of the Giolotti Cabinet to secure the Dutchy of Carinola as a failure of opportunity.**
-  Believes in the Return of Nice and Savoy, through peaceful means, purchasing if necessary, or perhaps by other unspecified means.
-  Believes that Italy should encourage the Monarch to pursue a foreign Policy based on alliance with Russia and Greece to change the landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean. **

The Liberal Constitution party put forward a map of Europe and Africa projecting how the territories of Italy and it's neighbors should look.



The Military Party
-  The Military party believes the loss of over 1/3 of it's financing will result in a hollow army and navy, and induce the Ottomans and French to aggression.
-  The Military party believes in the expansion of the Army, and Swiss-style levee en masse.
-  The Military party believes developing far corners of Africa is flawed and an unnecessary diversion of resources.
-  The Military party believes that support for Slavic liberation would destroy the Ottoman's hold on Dalmatia, allowing Italy to reclaim the shoreline and make the Adriatic an Italian Lake.
-  The Military party believes that the Navy can control the North African shoreline while the Army seizes Libya, and this will be a far closer colony, with ties back to Roman Times, and if the Conquest is extended to Egypt, the Grain Basket of Roman times, then each Italian family can have a loaf of bread each and every day.

The Italian Workers Party
-  The party believes that budget expenditures should be continued towards the future prosperity of Italy.
-  The party believes that laws and finances should be designed to improve the lot of all Italians.
-  The party believes in the fair division and support of Colonial Efforts.
-  The party believes that a draft should be instituted and levies of young men trained. The power of the people is magnified when the people are armed. The old  Vetterli-Vitali rifles could be used to arm them, and this mass army would demand respect, and make the prospect of invasion daunting.
-  The party believes that a Mediterranean league, forging links and lowering trade and emigration barriers with Greece and Spain will make all three prosper.


*This is entirely Navalism. I want short election campaigns, and I want the transition at the beginning of the year.
**Technically, foreign policy is the Monarch's turf.

[Walter]

I feel that the Liberal Constitution Party should be a litle bit more ambitious when it comes to Europe. :)

[Kaiser Kirk]

I feel that the Liberal Constitution Party should be a litle bit more ambitious when it comes to Europe. :)

While you can't trump grandiose plans as a means for vote getting,

they wouldn't want to come across as unreasonable, would they?