News and Stories from the Parthian Empire

[Kaiser Kirk]

(this overlaps the June post a bit, but I'm way way behind on news, and need to post HY2 in chunks not one big blob)

July 1910 

The island, found on the Christian Ascension day,  had little to offer beyond it's location.  The location though was quite useful. At two thousand nautical miles from the deep sheltered bays of the Cape of Good Hope, the island was at a distance most of the Parthian merchant marine could reach and return from. This allowed the first colliers to offload large stocks without having to reserve some for the return. The first ships though, carried precut lumber  These quickly became storage sheds and barracks.  A steam powered pile driver proved the most difficult to bring ashore on lighters, but once there it was put to work on building a wharf.  Once built, the sheds would serve as a temporary cool and dry location to store the coal, lest the tropical heat and moisture degrade it to fast. Likewise, kegs of fuel oil and kerosene far from Baku, could be placed inside. The long term goal was to use the Parthian's ancient knowledge of engineering to create safe storage areas,  cool rooms, and store water, all underground.

The coal supplies were were at first offloaded to adjacent vessels, topping them off for their final journey to the islands the Iberians rediscovered and called the Cape Verde islands.

The diseases of Africa and the native African Kingdoms had provided a sustained resistance that had pushed merchants to the less dangerous islands along the coastline. There was typically a "seasoning" year, in which the fresh recruits became ill, and some survived. The seasoned merchants maintained small bases along the coastal islands along the African Shore. The Cape Verde islands served as a sort of freeport for these traders, and some occasional pirates.

The conquest of large portions of Parthia  by the Mongols severed the ancient silk road and spurred western powers to seek a nautical route, launching the Age of Exploration.  Uninhabited when discovered in 1460 by a Roman explorer seeking the nautical route to China, the islands proved to be of  value as a supply post on the route.   The eventual Parthian reconquest of the the lost lands led to a revitalization of the old silk road, both leading to the Black Sea and down to the Red Sea. This  diminishing the value of the long nautical route around Africa.    The opening of the Suez in the middle of the last century had rendered the African route obsolete, and now it only served as trading posts to deal with the natives, exchanging trade rifles for ivory, gold and other commodities sourced in the disease infested interior.  This chain of events led to the Cape Verde islands exercised a loose home rule and were home to small trading and coaling stations, frequented by tramp steamers.   

The traders of the Cape Verde islands had become accustomed to the presence of Parthian vessels over the past decade at the main port of Praia. First it was the occasional sailing frigates, steel hulled vessels with auxiliary steam engines. Later, the Parthians began to field fleet supply vessels to repair and maintain the frigates. The combination reduced the pirate activity, and suppressed the light slave trade.  In recent years, Parthian armored cruisers had started to call, as they worked a patrol route in the mid Atlantic.

That experience did not prepare them for the assemblage of Parthian vessels that they found in late June, as the Parthian Atlantic squadron gathered. The unusual nature of this had started to recede when one morning the local council was notified that the Parthian Admiral had an announcement.

The locals were angered when the Parthian Admiral announced that he had been informed that the Parthian Empire was annexing the islands. Angry retorts combined with threats led to the unwise threat to eliminate the Admiral and his party.  The Admiral's calm response that should the shore party not return on schedule, the armored cruisers in the harbor had orders to level the town, and retrieve the shore party's bodies afterward...

The following morning the Parthian flag flew over Porta Praia. It would be several weeks, but the arrival of the Parthian fleet, with it's marines, sealed the fate of the islands. The next years would be different from the preceding, as settlers, machines and materials came into the the islands. The new rulers would codify the current possessor's ownership of land, and compensate them well for them. 

The Parthian Navy however, would fade from 'front and center'. While the natural harbor of Praia would continue as the mercantile and civil hub, for the Parthian navy, it was the natural harbor at the coaling station of Mindelo which would be called home. The harbor mouth faced another island, meaning the harbor would be calm in any storm. Further, as it was separated from the next island by a strait only 9 nm wide, the location made it simple to mount batteries to guard the harbor from naval raids.

Far to the west, in the Grand Harbor of Rio De Janerio, the crew of the armored frigate felt their hearts lift when the radio crackled to life and a hail announced that the fleet was drawing into range. The flatland around the bay would host the town and fields, while narrow entrance would allow passage into the bay to be easily controlled, allowing the naval assets security.

*In Navalism 7, the Mongol invasions would have severed the "Silk Road" for litle more than a century. This  would allow the Age of Exploration to start, including the passage around Africa, and the recontact with the Americas. The changed history would allow the restoration of the land silk road, removing a great deal of impetus for European nations to conquer and fortify areas to support trade with China.

[Kaiser Kirk]

...and now...a bunch of text.



August 13th, 1910
Imperial Council Chamber, Isfahan, Parthia

Assistant foreign minister : "...the individual investigations are unclear, but to summarize, since the Sultanate of Aceh lodged their protest over Parthian annexation of the Nicobar islands, we have lost 3 of our merchant marine to causes unknown.  Each was lost in sealanes other vessels passed through without reporting storms or debris. At this point it is presumed pirates have taken advantage of the absence of the Bengali squadron. However, this is in combination with the Sultanates of Aceh and now Brunei denying our merchants access to coaling, or charging exorbitant fees.  Relations with the Kingdom of Malay are still brittle, as they appear to resent our persistence in seeking territorial concessions. This combination means the port facilities previously used for the Bengal Squadron are not all available.  In the interim, the anchorage in the Andamans is available, but is not developed to the point of supporting regular operations, likewise facilities are available on Java or Celebes."

Emperor Alexandros V: "There is much to dislike with the situation. We have all had opportunity to  read the reports, we have heard the presentation and heard opinions from the various senior staff of the ministries.   and several interim steps I have determined we are to take.

The Foreign Ministry shall continue negotiations with the Kingdom of Malay, stress that our mercantile losses indicate the need is not hypothetical.  Lodge protests with the Sultanates over the harbor situation, do address the missing vessels. We do not wish to cast random aspersions, we merely wish to regain harbor access and return to how things have been for the past generation.

The Office of Trade is to provide updated information as to which anchorages and routes are currently most used by our merchant marine, granted this is likely the same as it has been, but check with the shipping lines.

The Committee for Colonial Expansion shall identify which foreign ports their planning depends on, and what the alternatives are if those ports are closed to us. The expedition to secure the harbor and arable land of the Cape of Good Hope could have experienced great difficulty had the Coup in Zanzibar been more effective, or if the Byzantines had become involved. While anchorages such of that of Ascension may be required, the preference is for secure anchorages such as Rio. These events teach us that expecting neutral ports to stay neutral and available may be unwise. We have pressing strategic needs in terms of securing strategic resources, bringing more arable land into production, which takes secure water resources, all of which will provide settlement areas for our expanding populace. Our homeland cannot sustain great growth. The same medicine which allows the joy of so many more children living  to adulthood also allows us to finally defeat the diseases of the tropics and these distant parts. **

The Imperial Office of Investigations shall activate our agents and pay which informers are needed to establish the cause of these losses. Use of foreign charters in the same waters shall be made to thicken our information gathering.  Ensure one or more of them is loaded with high value cargo, say spices from the Moluccas and word gets out.  A report shall be due in three months with an update of what is known. I shall direct the Royal Investigative Service to make it's own inquiries.

The Ministry of War is to commence planning to examine what would be needed to mount punitive expeditions should they be required, or to seize and hold a portion of the Kingdom of Malay to consolidate our control of the straits of Malacca and provide security in that region. Preliminary planning should also be conducted to present options should we wish to intervene in support of the Kingdom of Madagascar.

In the interim, the Navy shall make what use of Lanka and the Andamans as is needed to support the Bengal squadron, and if further cruisers are needed, reinforce it.  Use radio equipped merchants as 'bait', shadowed by cruisers.

**Discovery of disease vectors such as mosquitoes, understanding malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever,  simple sanitation,  sulpher drugs, all would have expanded lifespans and reduced child mortality.  Leading to a burgeoning population which could be projected into the future as a potential problem.



August 17th

Prince Vache, Lieutenant of the 17th Lancers, was getting noisily sick while his orderly stood by. The Lieutenant stood slowly, and wordlessly wiped his mouth with the proffered towel. "Thank you, my apologies, I....I just"  the orderly cleared his throat and the Prince paused "Sire, if I may be so bold, it is  a good sign for one in authority to be confronted with the slaughter, stench and scenes of war."  The Prince looked about and muttered "the way the shells ripped those men asunder, the entrails and the smell... I was not braced for it...."  The men stared over the battlefield. 

The Parthian forces had flooded the island with troops, and had erected nearly three dozen small forts at 15km intervals, encircling the central highlands of Lanka. Located amid rice fields, the earthen forts perched on local hillocks and most could see another fort. Hosting an infantry battalion and artillery battery, they served as bases for more troops. The Kandy forces could easily raid into the villages and fields before the forts, or infiltrate past the forts to raid the "secured"areas.  The latter effort was fraught with risk, as the Parthians backed their line with cavalry and mounted infantry, allowing them to rapidly concentrate forces to catch raiders, or repulse attackers.

The central highlands of Kandy were more rugged, forested, and less arable, and home to the Royal Court and Capital.  The small royal army and the royal armory were located there, much of the nobility, and many of the opulence had fled the Parthian invasion. There had been no time to stockpile supplies for so many.  The interrupted harvests followed by onset of monsoons season quickly eliminated the prospect of feeding the masses of people. The need for food and supplies, and to hurt the Parthians, pushed the Royal Army on the offensive. The Parthians refused to meet them in the forest and mountains, having built their forts behind fields and open areas. The Parthians thus sacrificed a band of fields and villages, which were quickly looted.  This oddly created the situation where the natives found the Parthian invaders protecting them from the depredations of their own native ruling class.

The Kandy Royal Army, unable to entice the Parthians to chase them, tried to overwhelm some of the forts. The ability of the adjacent forts to bring artillery to aid the on under attack, and the ability to rapidly reinforce the beleaguered fort led to the Kandy forces having to retreat long before they could take the fort.  So the Kandy forces turned to infiltration, using blind spots to move between the forts, raiding and causing havoc in the secured areas. That to was fraught with hazards.

The current situation was an illustration of that. The monsoon brought rain and cover, allowing more aggressive raiding.  The Kandy forces had been discovered while slipping past the forts, and allowed to continue. Infantry battalions from surrounding forts were sent on forced marches to shield the target villages, while the Cavalry was concentrated in the foot of the highlands, on the Kandy withdrawal route.  Thwarted by the infantry, the skilled infantry of the Royal Guard withdrew, fighting a rearguard action until past the fortification line.

Thus it was a shock to the Kandy Royal Guard when, drawn out in march column on the road leagues deep into "safe territory", the horse artillery caught them in a crossfire, the 60mm guns hammering away. The dismounted cavalry opened up with their repeating rifles, cranking the levers to feed new rounds into their rifles as fast as they could aim.  The effect was a slaughter, leaving the road strewn with shattered and torn bodies.  For Prince Vache, it was far more than the occasional dead Horde soldier, or training victim.  For the Kandy Royal Guard, it was another unsustainable loss.


September 10th

Envoy Suren took great satisfaction at penning the words
"....and so my Emperor, prior to the six month deadline, the Kingdom of Kandy has capitulated and accepted the terms previously offered. The King of Kandy wished some minor additions to the terms. After consultation with Prince Vache, we have so agreed. The war is over, the Province of Kandy has been annexed...."

The capital of the Kingdom of Kandy lay in the center of Lanka, at the center of the road network. Forts guarded the roads, and the Capital had yet to see an enemy come within sight of it. The flags of the Kingdom flew proudly over what appeared to be a peaceful scene. The King of Kandy had taken the bitter step of surrender not because the Capital was in immenant danger of destruction, but because the tens of thousands of refugees had strained the resources. Food was already running low, outbreaks of disease were ripping through the refugees and city residents. The royal armory was working hard to replace the rifles and artillery lost to date, but the ranks of the royal guard had been sorely depleted by six months of skirmishes.  The Parthian forces had swelled and exerted control over the island. They had divided up the estates of the Nobles and given half away to the local farmers, removing much hostility in the process. A quarter of the noble holdings had been allocated to the Parthian Crown, for dispensation to Parthian nobles, guilds and retired soldiers. The last quarter, including the stately homes of the Kandy Nobles, those had not yet been been disposed of.  The deadline they had established had drawn near, and the prominent personages which had fled to the capital knew that the last holdings would be confiscated.  The King could see no path to victory, and so the Kingdom of Kandy surrendered, and the King swore fealty to the Parthian Empire. The King, and his family, would live two generations in exile, in Parthia, where they would have a seat on the Imperial Council, and have the rights of the Great Houses of Parthia. 

[The Rock Doctor]

It was a good bunch of text, though.

[Kaiser Kirk]

It was a good bunch of text, though.

Thanks, though I really should have proofread it better.

[Kaiser Kirk]

And Now, more blathering, in which I wrap up my HY2 1910 text and hopefully lay out a reasonable background for moving forward.

October 15th :

Isfahan, Imperial Council Chambers

"...and in conclusion, at this point in our investigation, there is no indication that the Byzantine seizure of East African countries was designed as a response to the Empire's plans to seize the Cape.  Numerous sources attest to Byzantine awareness of our gathering vessels, but their colonial effort appears to a concurrent event for mercantile reasons, not a reaction to our intentions." The Director of the Imperial Office of Investigations ended his presentation

The Chief of Imperial Naval Operations stood next " The Department of Imperial Naval Operations has reached the same conclusions. From a naval perspective, the new Byzantine holdings does allow direct impingement on the supply routes to Africa, but their own supply routes from Aden are now exposed to our cruisers. Strategically, Aden is still the keystone to their position.  The new harbors will give the Byzantine navy an enhanced ability during wartime to operate against our India and China trade, but their new anchorages are still relatively distant from our sealanes. Indeed, the new Byzantine need to provide fuel oil and coal to the new bases should prove a strategic liability for them. DINO has made our recommendations to the Committee as to some measures to offset the Byzantine presence, but the situation is not as dire as first believed. 

The additional report is the preliminary assesment requested regarding the three European powers which have recently become involved in areas of concern to the Parthian Empire. At this time, none are placing forces of note in the areas of concern, with the exception of the Byzantines.
The Byzantines, as expected, are fielding the heaviest units, with two battleships being fielded.

The Byzantine Kilkis and Lemnos are semi-Gilgamesh types, contemporary with our Simurgh class and roughly equivalent.  The Byzantine vessels have one more main battery turret but a much lighter secondary.  The Tortoise class is clearly inferior, but is relegated to covering from Cape Karoo to the further destinations.
The Byzantines have kept their newer Pericles classes in home waters. These four vessels are the core of their battleline, and we believe them inferior to the Gilgamesh and Enki classes.  This would allow us to detail the Enki class to the African waters to destroy the [/i]Kilkis[/i] if needed. However the Byzantines do have the six older battleships, suggesting we should keep the Enki class home.

In armored cruisers the Byzantines have a slight advantage. Our Rustam class was an improvement on the Sparabara and we felt would be competitive with their Bourgas successor, but their  Ceyhan class was larger, faster and better armed than anticipated. The new Damas class appears to be repeats.  We have countered those with the four new Asbar class, which are still working up. In several months, when they are in full commission, we should have functional parity with the Byzantines.  We also appear to have rough parity in the case of modern protected cruisers.

Overall, the Byzantine and Parthian forces are roughly equivalent, though we believe our battleline more formidable. In a conflict, we should be able to win at the point of decision.

The Vilnus Union has occupied territory in Brazil bracketing our claim.  Their establishment in the south is on the site of the proposed Phase III colony. The combination of arable land, temperature, rainfall and waterways make that area very attractive for Parthia. The CINO looks to the Crown to supply future direction.  Peaceful coexistence at the end of supply lines is attractive, or we could consider evicting them, or allowing them to construct infrastructure and then fabricating a basis to evict them.  This is all contingent on if the Empire chooses to further invest in colonies supplied via Africa, with the Byzantines sitting on the supply line. As the Expansion committee has noted, there are known coal sources in Africa which could be used to limit African and Atlantic colonies reliance on resupply for fuel stock.  This could factor into our long term naval planning as we transition from coal fuel to oil fuel, and so future options in the Atlantic theater should be decided in a timely manner. 

The Vilnus fleet is designed for Baltic operations, and we know few details not publicly available. They have a small battleline which has opted for more, but lighter main batteries. These are presumably high velocity and much like the guns found on the Rohk class. They are likely to be superior to the pre-Rohk vessels.  Their armored cruisers are numerous and appear to be matches for the older Bucephalus design, but inferior to the Sparabara and Asbar.  They appear to lack our protected cruisers, fielding a large number of lighter cruisers.  One consistent aspect of Vilnus Union vessels is the published range appears to be in the 4,500nm realm. Their new base in the Azores is critical for them and allows them to reach their northern base in Brazil. They will be reliant on commercial ports for much of their fuel should it come to raiding, and their supply lines will run directly past our Rio base- they don't have the range to shift them much, nor may they run at high speed for any distance without fuel becoming an issue.
 
The Iberians are the last power to become involved.  They are claiming ports which appear to be for trade protection, though seizing the Spice Islands hints at a mercantilist purpose. This also renders a Phase III plan moot.  Like the Vilnus Union, we have little information on their navy which is not publicly available. An Atlantic power, their ships have ranged widely in the past, and the publicly stated ranges are likely correct, so one should assume a range of up to 6,000nm. Even that that span, for some of their new bases,  they must rely on trade ports to fuel at, or resign themselves to a one-way trip.

The Iberian battleline is much like the Vilnus Union, though smaller vessels and less well armed. It appears they attempted to keep their Gilgamesh style vessels as small as possible, presumably expecting to counter further traditional battleships. Should they attempt to project power, our vessels outmatch them.  Their Armored Cruisers appear to be more equivalent to the Byzantine vessels, and so are equal or slightly superior to our armored cruisers. They are known to be building a new class, presumably equivalent to the Damas class.  Their protected cruisers are smaller, but nearly as well armed as ours, we presume they lack either speed or armor in comparison, and expect that ours are slightly superior.

We do not believe the Iberians will be as able to deploy their vessels forward into a theater of conflict as we can, the Cape and Red Sea being choke points at which we could stop their resupply vessels.  The exception would be our holdings on the Cape Verde Islands. Only 1500nm from their home ports, their vessels could interdict not only the Cape Verde, but also Ascension islands. We can bypass Ascension, but would encounter difficulties, operating from Cape Karoo. This will be ameliorated as we develop our bases, but Cape Verde will need fortifications, as well Ascension. A coastal base to serve as an alternative to the Cape Verde, and from which we can retreat to the interior would be useful.

We have detailed the two Simurgh class to provide convoy escorts for troop transfers along the African coast. We are relying on the Tortoise class for the Indian operations. The two Rohk class are representing us in the Atlantic. The Gilgamesh and Enki classes are kept in home waters to serve as the core of the fleet should conflict occur. During the confusion of the Zanzibar coup and the new the Byzantine presence, the two Enki class were dispatched temporarily, but swiftly recalled. 

In front of you is the report delivered last week regarding military consideration involved in the Committee for Colonial Expansion's plans. Today we have supplemented that with the requested maps.

My assistant will now pass out the Reports on the Military options in regards to the East African coastal possessions and the political situation surrounding the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. "

Shahanshah (King of Kings) Alexandros V nodded to the Imperial Councilors.

"Esteemed ones, we have reviewed the preliminary invasion plans from the Army and know the requirements to support that option. We have also heard from the Minister of the Navy and the and now we have questioned the DINO.  We have all had a chance to review the options as presented by the Committee on the Future Course of the Parthian Empire.

We shall adjourn for the day, and shall meet again next month.  At tonight's banquet the various Ministers shall join us and you may pursue questions and request additional information in the duration.

The Task of the Imperial council is to assist in the determination of how to best respond to the Byzantine possessions off East Africa, and securing the supply lines to our new territories of Cape Karoo and Zanzibar. Further, the Throne seeks guidance on how to best achieve our goals regarding control of the sealanes East of the Straits of Malacca. The military options for both instances have been presented. The Army asserts there are sufficient troops to decisively invade either Madagascar or Kingdom of Siam, if need be concurrently, and the Admiralty is certain that there is sufficient sealift.
The Admiralty has also provided assurance that it has rough parity or superiority to the Byzantines.

In your ponderings, you are directed to all to remember the time restrictions. The southwest monsoon season runs from July to September, so it has already arrived in southern India and Lanka. The Northwest Monsoon will arrive in December and last until March. 

For operations along the Strait of Malacca, our vessels shall not depart here until the middle of February. For operations against the new Byzantine holdings, we may deploy in October, but that may lead to a much larger and bloody war, but one we are likely to win at least concession from.


November 1910
Ahead of the next phase of expansion, the sailing frigates of the Parthian navy venture forth to stake claims. A dozen small vessels, their steel hulls are in surprisingly good condition due to the inadvertent use of brittle high sulpher steels. Their auxilary boilers have likewise been corrosion resistant, but they have a long history of pipe failures when pressed. .  Their prime motive power continues to be their sails, giving the ships a true world wide range. While not capable of defeating a modern cruiser, their armament is adequate for the task of defeating merchants or pirates, and the waters they ply are far beyond the range of potential enemy cruisers. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

What I had planned for 1911 was a week by week story which would follow the Parthian expansion, establish the storyline for how they conducted governance and warfare.  I hoped to intersperse that with brief glimpses of Alexandros, Shirin and Vache, while introducing at least two commoners. One was to be a recent draftee, a Jewish citizen named Daniel, who I would follow in a military/political career. The other I was still unsure of, but I was thinking a colonist seeking his/her fortune in the new territories.

Unfortunately my time & energy has gone to other things, and this grand concept proved beyond current capacity.
So, I will be presenting a series of looks at different parts of the Parthian Empire, especially the new territories.
The first batch follows.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Kingdom of Kandy

Word had spread to the countryside of the event, much to the everlasting disinterest of peasants faced with a long hike into the city.  For the merchants, traveling to the City of Kolombu was part of the job, and so many planned to be at the ceremony.  Travel had become easier, as the Parthians had poured great labor, assisted with steam shovels and traction engines,  into making a raised road of crushed stone, overlain with a a cap of concrete. Wagons moved easily, rain or shine. 

For the inhabitants of the city, the new project was a much more important event. The new pier, the new breakwater, and the centerpiece- the large lighthouse.

The blocks for the foundation had been shipped in and placed by steam crane. The cast iron structure had been fabricated in the ancient port of Bushere and also shipped over. Now the structure soared at the entrance of the harbor. The crest of the lighthouse gleamed in the sun, shaped in a giant glass and bronze flame.  Within the flame, the shaft of light would be honed by the carefully cut glass Fresnel lenses.  The lighting of the flame held a symbolic significance for Zoroastrians, a beacon of light stabbing forth into darkness, illuminating hazards and showing the true path towards safety.
The lighthouse, like the one finishing in Stonetown Harbor of Zanzibar, was also a tangible but useful sign of the benefits Parthia wished to bring to it's new possessions.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Sofala & Beira
edited 3/28

Founded by the Somali Arjuran Empire a thousand years ago, Sofala sits at on the Buzi river, near the confluence of the Buzi and Pungwe Rivers, just south of the great delta of the Zambezi. The mouths of the Zambezi were the gateway to the inland highlands of middle Africa, once held by the Empire of Great Zimbabwe. Seized by the Kilwa Sultanate, founded by Parthian Princes, in 1180, the town was an important port when the Portuguese seafarers from the Iberian peninsula came to this coast. The Iberians were on their great exploration around Africa, they claimed the strategic town on the river estuary. This town thrived on trade with the inland market town of Manica and access to the gold bearing areas of Empire of Great Zimbabwe. Trade boomed further with the Parthian princes that had set up trade posts of the Kilwa Sultanate along the Eastern coast of Africa, and with the Portuguese coast back in Iberia.  That was the four centuries ago. Since that time, concerns of the Iberian and Parthian Empires had turned else where, and the Empire of Great Zimbabwe succumbed to civil war. Their great walled towns fallen to ruin, the Empire shattered into shards, as civil war turned into waves of warfare that rippled forth and toppled the native Kingdoms that once held this area, to be supplanted in turn by new Kingdoms, the greatest of these being the Kingdom of Mutapa which rules the Zambezi valley.

The Portuguese town withered as trade diminished, becoming an overgrown fishing village, supplemented by trade.  A new town, called Beira was established nearby. The trade that trickled down the Buzi, Pungwe and Zambezi found it's way north towards Zanzibar, or east to Madagascar, often paid for with trade rifles. Those in turn upset the balance of power inland, feeding waves of warfare.

This was the background to which the Parthian ships sailed.  Led by warships, followed by liners and freighters filled with colonists, engineers, supplies and troops, their arrival left the citizens amazed and perplexed.

Unlike other areas, the Parthian presence was not about resources, or room for their burgeoning population, but a strategic location.  Controlling not only the trade and wealth that flowed down the Zambezi, but a prime location for ships to patrol the southern end of the Madagascar strait.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Cape Karoo

Three natural harbors served the new Parthian colony of Cape Karoo.
The boundary to the north was the natural barrier of the Great Escarpment and the vast arid region called the Great Karoo. South of the Escarpment were two mountain ranges, which ran parallel for early 300km. Between them was a semi-arid valley, between 40 and 60km in width, drained by ancient rivers and accessed only by forbidden passes. This valley was the Little Karoo. Between that and the coast where a series of low mountains and hills.  The seasonal rains kept area well watered near the coast, but the rain shadow effect gave rise to the more arid inland areas of the Karoo.  This inland area, the great and little Karoo, is what had been labeled on the maps in Isfahan, and so that is what the new lands were named for, little knowing that it had been named after the least desirable portion.

For the Parthians, the well watered coastal strip promised the bounty of future farms. Even the semi-arid inland valley of the Little Karoo held tremendous potential when view through the eyes of their hydraulic engineers. The upland pasturage beckoned for grazing animals. The competition for these areas was surprisingly little.  The harbors had once held trading posts, but the opening of Suez had eliminated the need for merchants to sail around Africa, and the posts withered away. The barrier of the Great Karoo had isolated the region, and the indigenous Khoisan tribes lived a pastoral life, but the arid hills only supported limited numbers of people.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Cape Verde
<Sidenote : While in our world, the Muslim faith is rich and varied,  in N7, the Muslim conquest of Parthia was long and bloodied and became quite viscous. Over nearly a century of conflict, the Muslims were driven out of Parthia and crushed in Arabia. This both helped forge Parthia into a unified state, and welded a national dislike for Muslim conquests into the Parthian culture. Also, since the 1800s they have been staunch foes of slavery, something the historic Troucouler Empire did.>

The Parthian satrap (governor) of the Cape Verde islands was primarily concerned with the fortification of his forces, the establishment of the naval base, and the governance of the islands.  A vital role was the resupply of ships heading for the Americas, or venturing towards direct trade with Europe.  These matters consumed his time. Part of these many duties was acquainting the coastal kingdoms to the official Parthian claim of the islands. This was expected to be simple, entrusted to the captains of the same cruisers that had served as part of the Atlantic Expeditionary Force for years.

The appearance of delegates was an unforeseen complications. The desperate appeal for aide against the ravages of a jihadist Muslim was completely unexpected. The inland Toucouler Empire had been founded in 1836 by Umar Tall.  Emir Umar had waged war on his neighbors for years. The Empire was fueled by predatory warmaking which garnered a rich bounty in booty and slaves. The conquered regions were placed under strict Sharia law, and heavy taxes assessed to fund further expansion. When Emir Umar passed, the Empire passed to his nephew. The current Emir, the latest in the Tall lineage, Emir Addafini Abdullah Tall, was now sending his forces against the small coastal kingdoms and they despaired of survival. The Satrap lacked the authority to commit Parthia to a binding commitment, but he had considerable authority. That authority extended to sending Parthian Marines and arms to the African shore to assist the beleaguered kingdoms. 

The message took several months to travel to Parthia and back to the islands. When the reply came, it was accompanied by a plenipotentiary and an Expeditionary army.  The negotiations took some time, but native Kings of the coast accepted the offer of becoming a Parthian protectorate. The expeditionary force, equipped with modern arms, supplemented with artillery and supported by dedicated pioneers and quartermasters would prove invaluable to the locals. With local troops serving as scouts and guides, the Parthians would strike hammer blows wherever the foe dared congregate.  It took time, but the Muslim armies were shattered and driven back, the lands they had subjugated freed, and peace restored to the coast.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Tarakan

On the Northeastern coast of Borneo, there is an island off the coastline. In the late 1800s, a trading post was established by merchants of Chinese extraction. Throughout the southeast Asian region, enclaves of Chinese had long formed a rich merchant class.  The merchants of Tarakan harvested the light crude oil which was so readily available there. Exported for many uses, it could be used as fuel straight from the ground. This practice proved to have the drawback that the salt content would eventually damage the boilers of ships. While the coal depot was still far more used for feed stock, this led to the establishment of a small refinery.  Tarakan was still not located on the main shipping lanes, but this led to both increased exports and more port visits.

The arrival of several Parthian armored frigates was of some note.  Small sailing vessels from the late 1800s, the steel hulled vessels featured both and armored belt and 180mm guns in casements, supplemented by smaller broadside guns. Propelled by both steam and sail, they had spent decades showing the Parthian flag in ports across the world, including this one. The presence of 5 of these vessels was unprecedented. The anxiety of the locals was eased when 4 continued on, but the continued presence of the 5th led to much speculation.

Tensions with Sultanate of Aceh had been high since the Parthians claimed the Nicobar and Andaman islands. These, close off the coast of Aceh, had caused grave concerns over the Parthian's intentions in the Sultan's court. The sudden absence of the Parthian Bengal Squadron, long deployed to protect it's merchants but diverted to the Kandy campaign had emboldened the Sultanate. The Sultan, and his ally the Sultan of Brunei, had closed their harbors to the Parthian Merchants, leaving Makassar as their sole port on the Strait of Malacca.  Still, there were some Parthian merchant vessels that found their way to these ports, but not under their original flags or with their original crews. Their failure to arrive at their destinations was noted by their merchant lines, and their disappearance became a matter of interest for the Crown's investigators.

The passage of the frigates had been noted, as was their temporary port south of Brunei at Tarakan. The disappearance of four was the source of consternation. This was soon exceeded by the appearance of the Parthian Pacific Expeditionary Force.

The Parthian Pacific expeditionary fleet, led by cruisers, and escorted by a battleship was a procession of vessels which sent panic through the region. Their sailing down the Strait of Malacca was evidence of the power projection of the new refueling base in the Andamans. Their slow passage past the coast of Aceh, and their course towards the Sultanate of Brunei led to hasty diplomatic messages and pledges of aid. The temporary disappearance, followed by the seizure of Tarakan led to panic in Brunei, despite the assurances of the Parthian Consul.

The alarm of the Sultanates of Aceh and Brunei faded somewhat when the Parthian fleet sailed Southeast, albeit leaving a strong force in Tarakan.  The two states conferred, and resolved to make the Parthian presence in the area uncomfortable in the hope the Parthians would wither on the vine and fail to establish a foothold.  Warehouses in Makassar were torched, longshoremen unions paid to strike, the coaling depot was convinced to bar Parthian merchants, and Piracy was more than tolerated.  This last would be the the undoing of this plot. 

A fog bank cloaked the Straits of Makassar, and the lone Parthian merchant liner, loaded with supplies for Tarakan and parts East was a tempting target for the Aceh frigate. The Sultan's navy had been given permission to take advantage of such plump targets. With a visibility of only 5 miles, they were the only two ships in the dome of fog.  The Parthian hove to at the Aceh demand, but the boarding party found part of the consignment was troops. The firefight distracted the Aceh vessel. The new radio aerial, guyed to the funnel, did not draw the attention it should, for the Aceh vessel had no such thing, nor were they common in these parts. The radio had a limited range, only 10nm, but within it was an elderly Bucephalus class armored cruiser. The battle was short and severely one sided. The Aceh frigate, massively outgunned and boarded by the troops transported on it's intended victim, surrendered.

The Parthians had effective intelligence services. They had fair knowledge of the tricks played against them.  They even had evidence of missing Parthian ships appearing in distant ports with new flags and paint. The direct action of an opportunist Captain of the Aceh Navy was not the deciding factor, but it certainly reinforced the choice that had been made.
The declaration of war came soon after, and the war became a naval one, severely biased in favor of the massively more powerful Parthian fleet.  The physical invasion of Aceh and Brunei came several months later. Led by the Gilgamesh as flag, the Parthians landed in multiple locations.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Sidenote : As related, the grand story arc I planned proved too much, but I have isolated elements written out. This one should have been first, but can be stuck in the storyline now without great harm, and it explains why there's been a sudden shuffle in the Parthian long term plan so shortly after the game started. Quite simply, the situation pre-game is drastically different now that folks are claiming chunks of land.

December 1910

Naval Minister Mihrin regarded the Official Record before him.  The Official Record was intended to record for posterity the decisions and rationale behind them. The summary of  the choices made and the last year certainly merited entry.

The Grand Strategic needs of the Empire had changed, and the Navy had to adapt to that. concepts behind the Navy's mission had changed.   The Chief of Naval Design had exceeded expectations, by forseeing the opportunity for raiders, and providing the plans for the new dispatch vessels. The CND even went so far as to use reports of the Byzantine's work to rebuild vessels as inspiration for doing the same for the Parthian fleet.  Drastic changes indeed.

Minister Mihrin remembered well the conversation with the Chief of Design.
""Yes Minister <takes seat, puts down file>.  As you know, naval vessels are considered sound for at least 20 years, and we have some hopes of 30 years in our planning.  However, 13 years ago we transitioned from a coast defense and raider force, to a navy focused on fighting a main force battle.
Now the Emperor's expansion policy produces new and additional. challenges, calling for new and different ship types.

The naval budget is generous, but we are informed that with the new colonies, the budget will at best hold steady. So, we need to both focus carefully on what needs are, and be creative.

That is where the Byzantines have given me an idea. Naval intelligence has had a stroke of luck and we reliable data that the Byzantines have both schematics and budgeted for rebuilding one of their old battleship classes. While this class was laid down only 14 years ago, and so has been in the water only a little over a decade, but like our ships it has been relegated to 2nd rate by advances.

I took the liberty of having our design shops pull out the old plans for some classes. I think the Byzantine idea is the way forward. We can take these ships and revitalize them for half the cost of a new build. Mind you, they will not be as effective as a newly built vessel, but I think they will have uses for an extended time. "

Naval Minister : "Fascinating, that's the file? Let me see..."

Chief of Naval Planning : "Certainly, those are the drafts. A more technical balancing of the weights would have to be done for the finals, but these give good notion of the results. One thing though, in order to make these viable, we need to redirect research funding to provide for updated naval artillery to mount on them."[/i]


The Official Record was a more formal document, but in it's own way it related that fundamentally, the Navy had the problem that warships are intended for a service life of 15 to 25 years. The purposes they are intended to service is part of their design before they are laid down.

The last conflict against Rajastan demanded a force to combat forts and support amphibious forces, for which the raiding cruisers and coastal torpedo boats were found deficient for.

The Naval plan then shifted to more conventional navy, meant to fight in a confined theater, while other theaters supported cruisers serving as a protective and a raiding force. This force concept had been complicated by sudden improvements in engines and the introduction of fire control concepts that rapidly expanded ranges. This Rapid technological change has stressed this force, rendering older vessels rapidly obsolescent long before their hulls warranted replacement.

The recent decision to expand the Empire, while maintaining our primary combat missions, produced both opportunities and challenges. The evaluation of the changing missions identified deficiencies in the current force structure. Given limitations on new construction, it is simple to foresee a future deficit if the practice is to simply decommission vessels which reach twenty years.

The Record continued to relate thatNaval intelligence has found that the Byzantines are proposing to refit some of their older ships. This lead to a directive to our design bureau to investigate this course of action. This will result in ships which are admittedly not as effective as new built, and will have nearly the same cost. The key consideration is the limitations on the machining and production of alloy.  These reconstructed vessels will place less demand on these supply constraints, while being slightly kinder to the budget, so we can actually afford to have more vessels in service this way.

The new proposals to refit and reconstruct older vessels is meant to sustain fleet numbers and avoid these force deficiencies. To support this reconstruction, a reallocation of research effort was required, supporting the development of new guns and mounts necessary to refurbish these to modern standards.

The new suite of raiding cruisers in the fleet budgetary proposal represent our attempt to take advantage of the new basing opportunities. The mixture of armor, speed and weaponry means no current vessel we are aware of match up well, while older smaller cruisers will be prey. A cruiser large enough to dominate them in all three categories would be costly and hard to field in numbers.

The Record documented also the consideration of potential foes. This included a short discussion of  the new Byzantine armored cruiser, and the expectation it was to be a repeat of the last cruiser. A cautionary line documented that Naval Intelligence has now two reports indicating the dimensions of the vessel building appear to be larger than it should be. This creates the consideration this indicates something new, and larger.  Such a vessel may defeat our raiders, but if there is but one, and it is large and expensive, it would need the right conditions and luck to catch them. Based on that consideration it is believed the four cruisers are a valuable long term investment.

The Record then discussed the dispatch cruisers and their purpose to answer the future need for reliable, rapid and secure communications within the Empire. The Record then included the editorial comment that ever since the time of the Achmeanids, the Empire has understood that an Empire must be held together by timely communications. The Royal Mail will expand or charter space on more conventional vessels, but these will be capable of sustained high speeds.

The Record entry concluded with the information that to afford all the new construction, the construction rate on the 2nd pair of Tiamats is slowed. Those were laid down later anyhow, and will not be greatly delayed.  Further, the budget allocated towards destroyer leaders is redirected to the dispatch cruisers. This is not a great sacrifice, as the destroyer leader concept is new, and we will have more chance to study and perfect the concept.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Pacific Expeditionary Force


February 1911
In January, five Frigates of the Artesmia had accompanied the Advance Force to Tarakan. Once the Pacific Expeditionary force had started to arrive, the Frigates sped off in two sets. One pair sailed directly for Hawaii, while a trio headed to the Southeast.



South Pacific

Three Frigates of the Artesmia class arrived at the great bay of Rabaul.  Small fishing villages stud the shores, but the great natural anchorage held little of the civilized world.  Satisfied that it was unclaimed by a recognized power, the frigates parted ways.  One would remain in the area, surveying the coastline and scouting the area, it's presence would enforce the claim. One sped south through the island chain towards the peculiarly named New Caledonia island. Those that had first reported it to the wider world had chosen to name it in honor of their homeland, as dramatically different as it was, half a world away. The third would sail for the island known as Samoa, home to a lovely harbor.


Hawaii

The Hawaiian islands had remained independent until 1898.  Once explorers from the Iberian basque region had made them known to the outside world, their strategic location between the Chinese Empire and the mines of the new world had made it a port of call for several centuries. The strong local kingdom suffered from initial contact, and suffered a trading port, named Pearl, to be made by the Iberian traders. A small community of Iberians, Japanese, Chinese and Phillipinos grew.  Once seized by an ambitious pirate fleet, the merchants sought the aid of the native Kingdom.  The Pirates evicted, the Hawaiians claimed at least nominal sovereignty. This ended in 1898 when a Roman trader organized the traders and staged a coup and seized control of his private Kingdom. This allowed him to seize native land  for his future plantations.

It is this background into which the two Artesmia class frigates sail.

The Captain of the Artemis and that of the Boran have different missions. While possessed of data gathered from Merchants, it has been over a year since the last naval ship called.  The Boran is tasked with scouting the Hawaiian islands, to provide updated information for the colonial fleet. This includes assessing the current political situation and determining if any new hazards exist, as well as physically surveying the islands and their vicinity to ensure the geography is well known.  The Artemis was charged with resupply and continuing to the Pacific coast of the Americans.  The Boran was to delay her efforts until the Artemis was safely away.

April 1911

The Artemis had sailed onwards, demonstrating why these old steam & sail frigates persisted in service. Now 11,200nm from Parthia, and 6,700nm from her last fueling at Tarakan, she found herself off the coastline of her destination in early April. The western shore of the American landmass was known to the Parthians as Karifarn, the mythical Mountains of Paradise in which Griffins resided. The early explorers had reported the rugged coastline, wreathed in fog,and pierced in the middle by a hidden great harbor. This forbidding coast guarded the great valley fed by large rivers, a paradise,  which gave rise to jagged peaks covered in snow.

The Artesmia had been chosen as she had ventured this far before.  In April, the fog that wreathed the coastline, born of the conflict between the cold ocean current and the hot summer days was absent, while the winter storms had mostly passed.  The leaden winter skies prevented a good astrogation fix, so coast the Artesmia found was formed of forested cliffs that dive into the sea. Expecting the southwest winds had born her North, she tacked her way south. Soon she came along a great long beach, followed by distinctive low white cliffs and an sheltered cove. These told the Captain he was not far from his target.  Harboring there for the night, the Artesmia continued south, passing the islands and finding the marker she was looking for.  A mountain loomed up from the coastal headlands, and south of it the coastline swept inland. There, a small strait, only about a nautical mile wide and with a swift current, marked the entrance to the grand bay.  Entering, the Artesmia consulted the known charts and proceeded to verify their information as to anchorages.  There were some months before the expeditionary fleet would arrive, and so much work to do.

May 1911


The presence of the Boran for two months had an unsettling effect on the locals. The presence of a Parthian warship was unusual, but not unheard of, indeed the Boran and her sisters existed to show the flag around the globe.  The persistence for months and the questions and survey efforts indicated a heightened interest level which was not usual.  Boran vanished one day, off to a rendezvous point where she met a scout cruiser. Informed that the task force was running slightly behind schedule, the two vessels lay at anchor off <gilligan island>.  Once the task force arrived, the Admiral and Expeditionary Force Commander were briefed.

The citizens of the Glorious Port Village of Pear were shocked as the task force sailed into harbor. The ancient iron hulled steam frigates the locals counted as a navy were manned, but did not have steam pressure up. There would be no difference if they had, for the Boran was more than a match for them, and the War Chariot class battleship that served as flagship completely outclassed both frigates and the coastal battery.  The scores of ships carried thousands of personnel. There was fighting, it was short and swift. The locals were informed that they had been conquered.  A party was dispatched to where King Kamehameha was held, hostage to native good behavior.  The King was freed and informed that Hawaii was now a Parthian Protectorate. 

King Kamehameha had spent many days both reestablishing contact with his folks, and being briefed on the documents the Parthians had prepared. The Parthians had explained that his people had options, but many things were not negotiable.  Pearl city and it's environs would be a Parthian Imperial City. The natives would be civilized.

With the conquest of Hawaii, the final link in the Parthian supply line to Karifarn was complete.
Vessels could sail from Bushere through the straits and to Kolumbo, a journey of about 2500nm.
For the shorter ranged vessels, a short 900nm journey allowed bunkers and stores to be topped off in the Andamans. One could instead make a direct trip of 1600nm to Makassar, but there would be no guarantee the port would have the specific stores needed, so the Parthian Quartermaster Corps planned on the surety of the Andamans.
The journey through the Straits of Malacca to Tarakan would be a further 2200nm.
The next leg was a similar length of 2150nm to Rabaul. If one sailed a direct course, Somoa would be a further 2150nm. However, if one followed the islands chain down, it was 1500nm to New Caledonia, and a further 1400nm to Samoa.
From Samoa to Pearl City in Hawaii it was a simple 2300nm trip.
Then, the final 2100nm to steam to the Great Bay of Karifarn.

This land, half a world away, far from Parthia, was the final colony.  Few traded there, for it was so far from the developed world, and the Aztecs to the south maintained a militant attitude that discouraged vessels sailing up the coast from the south. The Asian Empires knew of the area, but the native tribes produced no goods they desired.  Outside the local tribes, Furriers and Whalers knew it best. The local tribes were numerous, as they prospered in this land of bounty. It was said the land teemed with game, the were plentiful rivers, a great valley which could be a store of agricultural bounty, and reports of giant cedars, such as had long been lost in the old world.

This potential for agricultural bounty is what Parthia was interested in, land for her burgeoning population to expand to. The Iranian plateau was not a lush land, but it was a rugged one. For thousands of years, the challenge of bringing water from the mountains to the valleys and plains to produce food had required the existence of a bureaucracy to run a hydraulic empire, and warriors to protect it. For millennium these waterworks had made Parthia fertile enough to this had been sufficient to sustain the peoples of the Empire. Innovations in field rotation, new crop types from the new world, and other advances had expanded the food supply substantially.  However, the late 1800s saw advances in medicine had reduced child mortality and extended lifespans. While the near future held chemical advances and widespread synthetic nitrates which would expand the fertilizer supply, this was not yet the case. The future that could be seen is a population explosion that would demand more food and water than the Empire could provide within it's own boundaries.

The new colonies in Cape Karoo, White Bay and Kalifarn would provide enormous areas for expansion and bring prosperity to the Parthian people. Other claims provided the depots to support commerce with such far flung claims. Still others provided strategic vantage points for the military, or access to resources.
Parthia had fought the neighbors to the North, West and SouthEast for centuries.  Expansion in those directions bore the cost of great conflict.  This grand expansion and all of it's challenges,  to secure the future was Alexandros V's vision. There risk, and while conflict did arise from it, it seemed a better course than launching millions of soldiers across rugged borders to claim neighboring realms.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Atlantic Expeditionary Force

Ria de Janeiro Colony.
Satrap Karzanj Mikalis was not a terribly happy man. What should have been a grand celebration of his 50th year at home in Bahlk. A donation to the Fire temple would be followed by a benediction from the Magi, and then all would retire to the Mikalis estate, where his brother Sur Tarkhun would provide a feast and enough wine to float a small vessel.

Instead, he was to spend his day in an earth and wood fortress- still under construction-, on an island in the middle of  grand bay half the world away.  As was typical with many great noble families, his eldest brother had ascended to the title Sur, the second son had the traditional obligation of serving in the Parthian military, the third took vows in the priesthood, and the 4th and 5th were left to civil service or even mercantile pursuits. The daughters had fewer choices unless they exhibited great talent and excelled in school. So for nearly thirty years, Karzanj Mikalis had toiled in the civil service.  The first 8 years was spent in the traditional system of four different two-year, postings. The bureaucrats who ran the civil service saw no reason to coddle lesser sons of Noble families, and treated them harshly. From that, he discovered a satisfaction in civic planning. That path had after decades granted him high office and an excellent reputation.  That regard led him here, to the River of January, as Satrap (Governor ) of the new holdings on the Eastern shore of the Americas.

Satrap Mikalis a long way from home, living in a earth and wood fortress under construction, and far from the arts, entertainment, and luxuries one of his station and ancient family could expect. This made him petulant. The fact the verdant plains which stretched from the bay towards the distant mountains were covered in well tended fields owned by numerous tribes of the Tupi people was vexing. The Satrap had found that not only was there no central power, as the Tupi splintered into dozens of small chiefdoms; but that these chiefdoms had a strong concept of property rights but not of property transfer.  The last complication is that the coastline was fertile, and the River of January's Guanabara bay a natural landing point, so the Tupi were moderately well armed with trade rifles which normally they used on each other. This meant there really was no power to negotiate with, or displace, nor even a resentful minority to partner with. 

The peaceful claiming of land and bringing the light of civilization as a gift...the natives really did not seem to see it that way. Once the Parthian intentions of claiming and holding land became clear, the local tribes vigorously reacted to the Parthian advance forces, and there had been modest losses.  The Parthians had managed to carve out a substantial holding near the bay, but development of the colony was lagging behind plans as soldiers and steam traction engines were needed for military matters and not construction efforts.

Matters had gotten worse when the Frigates reported that the Vilnius Union vessels that had steamed past the bay had established a colony on in the Silver River basin, occupying the next planned location for Parthian expansion. The large peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Silver River had a great bay backed by a fertile coastal plain, rolling hills, and reportedly good climate. Merchants and scouts had reported it occupied by a group of mobile hunters called the Charrua. This land was perfect for the Parthian claimants.  However, initiating a possible war with the Vilnius Union had not been Satrap Mikalis's task. A report was dutifully filled out, and sent home to Parthia for instructions. The frigates had been re-tasked with further scouting of alternate locations.

The arrival of the Atlantic Expeditionary Force came only a month after the Satrap had received instructions as to the resolution of the Vilnius matter.

The Satrap determined it prudent to delay the northern portion of the expeditionary force. The Frigates had already anchored in the harbors which were to be claimed. The new naval escorts could be sent with the Southern task force, to bolster it's size.  The expeditionary vessels meant for the north, well the thousands of soldiers, engineers, and laborers could spend a couple months helping bolster the colony here.

The goals of the northern expedition were more modest. When the warships returned from their southern mission, then the Northern expeditionary force could be reconstituted and dispatched, and should arrive at their claims by the end of May.  The Orinoco colony they would claim would be a combination of future expansion, and strategic harbors on the Caribbean. 

The force to sail south to that area was still quite large. The nearly two dozen vessels led by not only the typically assigned old armored cruisers, but also the Smirugh. Laid down just prior to the development of practical fire control directors, the battleship was of the older type, with 4 main guns originally expected to fire solid shot at close range, and a broadside of 10 midsized guns to deluge the opponent with fire, and a very heavy armored belt. The Smirugh was likely the most powerful vessel in 4,000nm. The Smirugh was to lead her task force south to the estuary of the Silver River, to the new Vilnius town dubbed Widoknagory, to make a port call.

The Foreign Office directive indicated that, so long as peace existed at time of receipt, it was to be maintained within reason. Talks with the Vilnius representative had resulted in Alexandros V decreeing that the alternative site, on the White Bay (Bahia Blanca) to the south would be used. Like the Silver River site, a natural harbor was backed by fertile  lowland plains extending hundreds of kilometers. The land was not as verdant as that to the north, but compared to Baloch, an agricultural dream.  The locals were also not established in farming communities, but rather somewhat nomadic.  The Parthians had determined that while feasible, military action was not reasonable.

The Smirugh would not only provide a heavy escort past the Byzantines in Madagascar, but her Task Force's port call would demonstrate that while Parthia had the capacity to contest, it was choosing the peaceful path.  Granted, the fact that such demonstrations tend to simply alarm the witnesses may have been omitted from their thinking.

[Kaiser Kirk]

HY2 1911

Preamble
July 1911  The Invasions of the Kingdom of  Aceh and Samundra (Sultanate of Aceh) and Bruneian Empire (Sultanate of Brunei) continue.

The initial Parthian concern was to eliminate the threats to their maritime commerce and the supply lines for the Pacific Expeditionary force.  The preemptive and clandestine defensive actions of the Sultanates became an insult to Parthian honor and prestige. 

This spurred Alexandros V to declare a state of war existed.  However, for many months the war was a maritime one. The Royal Parthian Navy was quickly master of the local seas, and vessels haunted the road-steads seeking the few Aceh navy vessels. The Parthians found it difficult to train and transport the huge amount of soldiers and supplies needed to support the invasion.
Had it not been for the Parthian hold on the Kingdom of Kandy and the Andamans, refueling the short legged coastal freighters commandeered into transport duty would have been prohibitive.


The political situation on Sumatra and Borneo
The civil war and collapse of the Majapahit Empire in the 1600s had led to both islands to splinter into many kingdoms (1)

The Bruneian Empire had expanded along the Northern shore, demanding fealty of the coastal and river regions of Borneo. From Pontianak in the southwest, Brunei exerting at least nominal control of the communities there as far as the Sulu islands. While once controlling as far as Manila in the Philippines, the state had declined and lost both the Philippines and the Sulu islands. This weakness, combined with the revitalization of Jahore, China and Japan, was why they had sought the alliance with Aceh.  However, between the two states there were few iron or steel warships, as their vessels were predominantly large sailing jongs, equipped with a smattering of cannons.

The Kingdom of Aceh had long since expanded and seized the Kingdom of Samundra, Serdang, Deli, Aru, Samudera Pasai, and vied for control of the straits of Malacca. The Aceh navy had supported maritime expeditions against Jahore in Malaysia. The Aceh Army had been slowly conquering it's way south.

The Kingdoms of Palembang, one of the many kingdoms to arise after the collapse of the Majapahit Empire had long been embattled. As various Javanese kingdoms attempted to expand north, or the Kingdom of Johore in Malaysia which attempted to expand south over the strait, it had fought each in turn. These had not been the threat that expansionist Aceh, owner of northern Sumatra, was. So Palembang,  long threatened by the alliance of Aceh and Brunei, cautiously welcomed the Parthian presence.

The Parthians, for their part, had been known of through trade for millennia.  The opening of the Suez canal brought the maritime route through the straits of Malacca into greater prominence. This resulted in an explosion of piracy, driving the levels from endemic to epidemic. The late 1870s saw the arrival of the Parthian navy on a regular basis, with the "Bengal Squadron" having a mission to protect Parthian flagged vessels. Since 1896 this force had consisted of armored and protected cruisers and frigates, easily the most powerful, if transient, navy in the local area.  This history of decades of fairly peaceful presence contrasted with the sudden increase in naval and freighter traffic to support the Pacific Expeditionary Force. The factor Aceh and Brunei had not known of was that the Parthians primary warplan had identified the ability to land and support significant forces in the Red Sea as a strategic goal, and so had the ability to move that force, albeit in leaps through Kandy and the Andamans, to launch a ground invasion of the two allied Kingdoms.

The War
At the beginning of  July of 1911, the Parthians had eliminated or driven up rivers the vessels of the Aceh and Brunei navies. The seizure of the Andaman islands and Tarakan had been the measures which drove the allied states to their rash actions. The harbors there served as forward bases for the Parthian Navy. Information provided by the Kingdom of Palembang proved immanently useful. "Neutral" supplies of rice and water from Palembang eased the logistics burden, as would shore leave there.

Parthian cruisers had driven the wooden warships of Aceh and Brunei from the seas.   Slowly steaming off the coast, her speed restricted by the deployed torpedo nets, the Gilgamesh's 345mm naval rifles represented the most powerful weapons in that hemisphere. Shore bombardments of Banda Aceh and Brunei by the Gilgamesh had rapidly demolished the brickwork harbor fortifications. The elderly Aceh protected cruisers had numbered three. One had ran afoul of the Buchephalus. The Siliwangi had been caught in harbor at Banda Aceh, and failed to get up steam before she was wrecked. The third sister ship, the Irian, had fled to Brunei bay, hiding while the forts guarding the entrance were reduced to rubble.


Parthian landings had been made around Deli harbor (Medan),  Kuching (Sarawak) and the tiny harbor of Bintulu. All three  towns offered functional harbors, but were not proximate to the capitals of the Kingdoms. The garrisons were quickly routed and the Parthians had established a substantial presence prior to relief forces arriving by forced marches. 

The landings in Kuching and Bintulu were an unpleasant shock to the Bruneian empire.
The Brunei Empire had dispatched a Regimental sized force on an overland march to Tarakan. Unwilling to risk naval transport on wooden sailing vessels when Parthian Armored vessels prowled the seas, they had embarked on a land march along trading routes. At 300km, it was a long march and
required substantial logistical support, which limited the forces that could be sent. Once there they would face fortified Parthian Marines backed by naval artillery. The assault was doomed before it left. 

The dated equipment of the Aceh Kingdom forces would be state of the art in the 1860s, but was woefully inadequate to fight the Parthians. Equipped largely with muzzle loaders, the few breech loading artillery largely lacked recoil systems. Indeed the few they had were surplus Parthian equipment.  The introduction to the newer Parthian quickfire artillery was unpleasant, as was the higher rate of fire of magazine fed rifles.

The initial defeats of the two Kingdoms were a foreshadowing of what was to come.
The Parthian way of war had developed since the onslaught of the Golden Horde.  The key to defeating the horde (2) had been small fortifications sited within visual distance of each other, backed by large mobile forces.  Small forces of raiders could slip through, but larger forces would be seen and even in the days of the heliograph could be boxed in.  Forces large enough to siege or storm a fort would be met by the mobile force. A truly overwhelming enemy force could be left to slowly reduce the forts in turn while the reserves were brought up.

In Sumatra and Borneo, steam powered equipment and a standard design for Vauban style earth and wood forts offered fairly quick construction, and substantial protection to battalion level units. While raider forces could bypass them, they could bring no siege equipment in, or plunder out. Faced with quickly thrown up ramparts around the harbors, the only plunder to be had was from the locals. The locals knew their states had long ago been independent but had been conquered by these Kingdoms.   The cycle of  raiders plundering, followed by Parthian traction engines rebuilding roads, their steam shovels and powered rams rebuilding houses of rammed earth, and their troops paying for supplies in coin, had an erosive effect on the local's loyalty to Aceh and Brunei.

After the initial landings the war would stagnate from late June through mid September as the Monsoon rains turned the trackways to mud. The Parthians would use this time to bring in troops and supplies and fortify their toeholds.  Dry weather would arrive but only last three months before the storms came from the Northwest, and December through March, 1911 would also be lost to campaigning.

In the dry fall, the Parthians would advance, build more quick forts around supply depots, then advance again. By the end of the year, the Aceh and Brunei loyalists had been driven into the interior highlands, their capitals seized.  The arrival of the December monsoons would shut own the campaigning season, but would also leave the Aceh and Brunei forces to starve in the highlands. The tribes of the interiors had only nominally acceded to their sovereignty, and now found the soldiers seizing food and shelter. The tapering off of rains in March saw many willing to turncoat and provide the Parthians with guides.
The Aceh and Brunei forces would avoid major combats and so much of the interior would fall before the June-Sept monsoon returned, but the fight continued.  Lack of supplies, exhaustion from a year on the run, and desertion would drain the Kingdom forces during that 1911 summer monsoon. The Parthians spent it planning.  The fall saw large columns extend into the hinterlands, boxing the area the Kingdom forces were known to be. Then scouts extended into the area, finding the foes, and they were slowly brought to battle. The formal surrenders would not occur until November of 1911, a year and a half into the war.


(1) It seems that in the 1400s is when Islam was introduced from the Mughals, and actually supported by the Ottomans. As neither state existed in N7, Indonesia is likely a mix of Local, Hindi,  and Buddhist religions.  (2) Basically what the Russians wound up doing with Kremlins historically. This also echoes the 15-1600s in Europe when war was about seizing depot forts, though those were much larger. The crux is, any fort may be taken, but they require preparation and equipment to seize.  Large forts wind up tieing up one's own resources, but small forts can delay and disrupt the foe while freeing your own forces.