News and Stories from the Vilnius Union

[The Rock Doctor]

Miscellaneous Tidbits

13 September 1912

The summer's revelations - surrender to Parthia, a meek deal with the Incans, the hand-off of Polynesia to the Romans - had come weeks apart, causing segments of the Union's newspaper industry to slowly work themselves into a writhing, foaming frenzy of anger, while the government's efforts to present their side of each situation had been presented variously as defeatism, limp-handedness, treason and/or treachery.  It thus came as no particular surprise when the formerly governing Centrist Party introduced a motion of non-confidence against currently governing Social Technocrats in the Sejm come fall.  The Social Technocrats were, however, able to convince their coalition partners to hold fast and, with some quiet promises of funding to minor parties not aligned to either the coalition or the Centrists, were able to eke out their continued survival.

29 September 1912

Amidst a raging gale, and three days after first sending out distress signals, the freighter Lars Larsson grounded and capsized in the Dragon's Tail [OTL Strait of Magellan].  Though just seventy-five nautical miles west of the Union's primary settlement in the region, Hiekka Niemeke and well within wireless range of the small naval base there, no rescue had been forthcoming due to the weather.  Indeed, one of the small patrol vessels assigned to the base had come perilously close to capsizing itself during a hastily-aborted sortie on the 28th.

Come October, when the death of the Larsson's fifty-eight crew and passengers becomes well known back in Europe, a minor outcry rises and promises are made by the government to improve search and rescue capacity in this isolated region of the Union of Unions.

13 October 1912

Sixteen Union soldiers and sailors are killed on the Shrimp River in Krewetkiziemi, ambushed in light and unprotected steam pinnaces by Shrimp Eaters, the hostile local populace.  This raises no particular alarm in civilian circles, these sorts of things happening to the brave lads overseas from time to time, but exasperated senior personnel in Gustavholm reported back to Vilnius that properly armed and armored gunboats on the river would vastly improve the garrison's ability to project power inland against the Shrimp Eaters. 

18 October 1912

The first barrel of oil from the Marakayaa oil fields is shipped from Choco back to the great refineries along the south Baltic coast.  Though oil has been known to the local peoples for centuries, with exploitation of surface seeps and pools to waterproof small boats, the existence of black gold in the region only came to Union attention in the last couple of years.  A small crowd of oil men have made their way across the Atlantic to a semi-civilized town established at the south end of Lake Marakayaa and are using various legal and not-so-legal means to convince local Arawak and Carib communities to reveal where the seeps are located and to permit their exploitation.  It will be some time yet before the taps are truly opened, however.

5 November 1912

The first 350/45 gun intended for the giant monitor Szczyt arrives in Amsterdam, though it won't actually be installed until after the new year.  Two other barrels are in the process of being manufactured by Działa Atyleria Krupp in Deutschland. 

The fact that a single triple turret is being installed aboard the monitor has led to speculation that the navy's next capital ships will mount three or four of their own, though there is a lack of agreement about the layout such ships would have.  The most recent Wrobi class has 300/45 guns in an en-echelon arrangement, which some experts have suggested is both problematic from an engineering perspective as well as from a torpedo defence perspective.  Recent events in the Pacific have reinforced this view given the near-annihilation of the Japanese Navy at the hands of a few Chinese torpedo-boats.  It follows, then, that the next Union capital ship - it is not clear if it will be a ship of the line or a big-gun armored cruiser - will have its main battery on the centreline, safely behind torpedo bulkheads, but will this be in a super-firing arrangement or on the main deck with a mount or two amidships?

14 December 1912

Future confectionary titan Bjarne Kvamm plants the first Theobroma cacao seedling at a plot north of what will become Kvammgrod on the coast of Orimirilandia, the Union's sprawling colony in western Africa.  Kvamm and others in the Union's agricultural sector had been advocates of the Union's so-called "Big Landing" earlier in the year, having already spent years working amongst the local communities and gaining an understanding of the region's fertile lands and complementary climate.

It is no coincidence that the Union is already preparing an expedition to expand Orimirilandia further west, perhaps as far as the so-called Gold Coast, for 1913.

[The Rock Doctor]

Paramurbo [OTL Paramaribo]:  January 6, 1913


"We knew this would come eventually," the King of Paramurbo sighed as foreign ships, including a warship, dropped anchor in the river. 

His queen nodded.  Foreigners had been invading lands to the northwest and southeast for a couple of years now, paying various amounts of lip service to ideas of self-government and local traditions while establishing fortifications, deploying troops, and landing settlers.  They'd talked about this scenario numerous times since the beginning.  "We did, Dearest."

"I'll call out the militia at once," their son said from a window overlooking the town and the river.  "A stiff defence at the waterfront will send them scurrying back for the high seas."

"Don't be ridiculous!" the king snapped.  "That will just invite a massacre."

"We can beat them back, father," the prince said.  "We have muskets.  We have cannons.  We can do this."

"They will have rifles.  They will have artillery.  Just look at the size of the cannons on that ship – and that's the smaller of the two ships!" the king growled.

"So...what, father, we take a knee?  Bow to the foreigner, kiss his hand?"

"If that's what it takes, yes," the king said. 

"That's a coward's way out," the prince murmured.  "I thought you were made of sterner stuff."

"My responsibility is to the people of this kingdom, not my own pride," his father said. 

There came a knock on the closed doors to the throne room.  "Enter," the Queen called out.

The door creaked open and an aide stepped inside to bow.  "Your majesties – the foreigners hail from...Zwiazek...Wilno.  They request an audience tomorrow morning."

The prince slowly turned from the aide to the King. 

"I will grant this," the King said quietly.

"Zwiazek Wilno," the Queen murmured.  "The union-builders.  It could be worse."


January 7, 1913


"Your Majesty, I come on behalf of the...King of Kings in distant...Vilnius...with a generous proposal for your consideration," the translator said, stumbling over a couple of words.

The King of Paramurbo nodded.  "I thought that you might, and am ready to hear it."

The white man standing beside the translator seemed to like the sound of that.  "The King of Kings oversees implementation of the...Loob...Doctrine, which," the translator paused.  "...in which the Vilnius Union creates large, powerful states from small, minor states.  This is not meant as an insult to your great kingdom, but rather a compliment.  The King of Kings wishes to help you achieve greatness under his tutelage..."

The King waved off the potential insult, which had probably been carefully scripted anyway.

"...as a leader in the Choco Union, which consists of-"

"We know what it consists of, thank you," the Queen interjected.  "Other traditional lands of our kin, once; before your kind, and the Romans and Parthians arrived on our shores in force."

The translator relayed that back.  "Indeed, Your Majesty."

"So am I to understand that I will be subject to a subject of the King of Kings, located elsewhere in...Choco?" the King asked.

"That is correct, Your Majesty.  After a transitional period, Paramurbo will pay taxes and implement Union standard law.  In return, you will be under the protection of the King of Kings and his mighty navy..." he waved at the nearest window, "your people will receive the benefits of Union investments in mining, agriculture, and infrastructure, and access to the great wealth of knowledge discovered by the Union's people over the centuries."

"Alright," the King said.

"Yes, so we are prepared to give a period of-"

"No," the King said, "I mean that I accept the offer."

The white man smiled.  "I apologize for the mis-understanding, Your Majesty.  The King of Kings will be pleased with your enthusiasm for our great project," the translator noted.

"There will be resistance, of course," the King said.  "Some amongst us under-estimate your capabilities.  But I anticipate that you are prepared for that scenario."

"Oh, very much so, yes."


Paramurbo:  January 8, 1913


They'd been ashore a day now, clusters of tents along the shore and what could generously be called Paramurbo's harbour district – though it was little more than a cluster of small warehouses servicing a handful of rickety docks.  Still, Captain Kietel was happy to be on land once more; even the brief trip along the northern tip of the continent, past Choco and the Mayan and Parthian colonies, had been plenty of sea-time for his liking.

"Found a map for you, Sir," Sergeant Wozniak said.

His daydreaming disrupted, Kietel said, "Great and powerful Woz.  Excellent, thank you."  He took the piece of paper and scanned it.  "It's crude, but it's a start.  Are there others or do I need to share this with Headquarters?"

"I believe they have a few already, Sir."

"Even better.  I take it we are somewhere...about here, from the shape of the river?"

"Maybe just south of that, Sir."

"Eh, perhaps.  So we're going to march through the town centre tomorrow, give the locals a taste of the future, and then we're going to start looking for a place to start building some barracks..."  The sound of a steam whistle pulled his attention from the map.  A cruiser was creeping up river towards the town.

"That's...not ours," the sergeant said.

"No, our other one is much bigger," Kietel said.  "Who the hell is this, then?  A late reinforcement?"

"Parthians or Romans, I reckon, sir.  Don't see the Mayans or Aztecs showing up here."

They – and, to be fair, a good number of the troops – watched the newcomer as the water astern churned and the ship slowed.  "Iberian, Sir – threw me off for a moment but that's their standard," Wozniak said, pointing at the cruiser's mast. 

"Well what in the hell are the Iberians doing here?" Kietel exclaimed.

Wozniak shrugged.  "Likely the same reason we're here.  Perhaps we should prepare for the worst...?"

[The Rock Doctor]

Was waiting on Darman for feedback but this should be kosher...

Paramurbo:  11 January 1913

"So much for yesterday being an aberration," Captain Kietel muttered as young local men began to assemble in the streets for a second consecutive day.

"I heard that the crown prince – or a prince, at any rate – is trying to rile them up to oppose our operations, Sir," Sergeant Wozniak noted. 

"That's what I've heard at the officer's briefing, too," Kietel nodded.  "Although I've also heard that the prince in question is courting the Iberians.  That might explain why the buggers haven't left yet."

"The whole notion of letting them all come ashore to stretch their legs strikes me as less then sensible, with all due respect to the Colonel."

"I won't disagree." 

They sipped at their coffees over the next few minutes as the numbers on the street went from a few dozen to a couple hundred or more.  Somewhere in the crowd, a powerful voice began to sing and the melody was taken up by the others. 

"I think we're going to have a long day, Sir," Wozniak mused.

12 January 1913

"Company fix bayonets!" Wozniak bellowed over the din of shouting, singing and the clatter of falling rocks.  The Union infantry drew their blades, the scraping of steel adding to the noise, and in a few moments, their rifles were seventeen inches longer and decidedly pointier.

"Slow and steady, Mr. Wozniak," Kietel called out from several metres back.  "We're moving them out, not moving over them."

"Just like we're in Dusseldorf, Sir!" one of the men called out.

"I wasn't around for the general strike, trooper, but you're probably right," Kietel replied.

"Shut up, Robinson," Wozniak growled.  "Company...advance!"

The company began a slow, steady march along the wide central avenue of Paramurbo, trying not to flinch as the prince's supporters pelted them with rocks, sticks and whatever else they'd collected.  For their part, the locals initially ran, but reformed and kept their distance as the Union troops approached. Their bombardment hardly faltered.

"Persistent buggers," Kietel remarked after a pebble bounced off his left shoulder.  "Sergeant, let's pick it up."

"Company, double time, advance!"

The locals fell back in earnest now, Kietel content to pressure them rather than press a charge home, and the intensity and accuracy of the local's bombardment lessened as they concentrated on staying ahead of the gleaming bayonets. 

"Sir!  Sergeant!  We've got company!" one of the corporals shouted from the vanguard. 

Ahead of the them, the furthest locals were withdrawing through gaps in a line of soldiers who could only be Iberian.

"Christ's balls, what are they doing?" Kietel muttered.


13 January 1913


"Lieutenant Borowicz sends his compliments, Sir, and reports that he is taking fire from a storefront on his line of advance," the runner panted.

"Local or Iberian?" Kietel asked.

"Unknown, sir."

"Suppressive or lethal?"

"Unsure, sir, but Rommel and Kurri have been hit."

Kietel pursed his lips.  "We'll assume they're aiming for us, then.  Advise Mr. Borowicz that he's free to use whatever force is required to clear the storefront.  Take prisoners if possible, however.  If they're Iberian, I want to know about it."

"Yes, sir."

Sporadic gunshots continued to echo through the city throughout the exchange, a testimony to how pear-shaped the entire situation had become in the past forty-eight hours.  Several buildings were on fire, a good portion of the town's populace had fled into the bush during the night, while others hunkered down in their homes and tried not to get shot for their troubles.

"So much for this being a low-profile operation," a voice called from behind an overturned cart.

"Shut up, Robinson," Wozniak barked.  "We're stuck in it now.  In the unlikely event you convince a woman to have your spawn, you can tell the poor wretch you were here at the beginning of the Iberia-Union War."


14 January 1913


"Message from Brigade, Sir!" one of the troopers called out amid the clatter of rifle fire.

Kietel's head swivelled to follow the man's outstretched hand, just in time to see a puff of dust and plaster erupt from a wall just above the newcomer's head.  "Get the fuck over here, man!" he shouted.

The messenger needed no encouragement, darting across the road and into the mostly intact law office that Keitel was using as his headquarters.  "Sir!  Colonel Jensen sends his regards and advises that there will be a ceasefire beginning at thirteen hundred hours."  He handed Kietel a folded piece of paper, which said essentially the same thing with a few more sentences.

Kietel checked his pocket watch.  "Almost two hours away, but duly noted.  I acknowledge the instructions.  Advise the Colonel we'll hold position until then."

"Yes, Sir," the runner replied.

"And for Christ's sake, be careful – that sniper's not going to miss the next time you pause over there."

"Yes, Sir."

Kietel nodded, then shouted, "Suppressive fire!  Keep that fucker down!"

His security detail began shooting back in the general direction of the stone warehouse sheltering the Iberian sniper and the runner scurried out, doubled over as he scampered down the street and out of sight. 

"Good news, Sergeant, this might be over in time for a late lunch!"

"Still leaves plenty of time to get shot, Sir," Wozniak replied. 

[The Rock Doctor]

January 15, 1913:  Punta Delgada, Azores

"Heading out, sir?"

Lieutenant-Commander Qvistgaard nodded at the dockhand.  "Just for the day.  Spent the last couple days repairing one of the shafts and need to test it out."

"Looks like it'll be a beautiful day, Sir.  Try not to spend too much of it underwater," the man said with a smile.

"I'll see what I can do about that," Qvistgaard nodded.


*****


An hour later, the U-19 was running on the surface, eastward from Punta Delgada, with the XO conning the boat.

"Shaft's running normal so far, Sir," the chief engineer bellowed over the machinery in the engine room.  "I reckon it were a good fix."

"So no vibration or anything?" Qvistgaard shouted back. 

"Nah, good and smooth.  Almost as new."

"Are you confident enough that we can run it for the day?"

"I wouldn't want to run it hard for a while yet, but cruising?  Sure, that's fine, Sir."


*****


With the boat running at ten knots and a mild breeze blowing on a typical January day, Qvistgaard kept his jacket and cap on as he and a single enlisted man kept watch in U-19's cramped conning tower.  They waved to the occasional fishing boat, sometimes receiving a wave in turn, and gave wide berth to a small tramp freighter burping foul smoke south of Lagoa.

"More smoke to the southeast, Sir," the man reported.  "Lot of it, really.  Reckon that's gotta be a couple ships running hard."

Qvistgaard lifted his binoculars to his eyes, but the ships in question were not, themselves, yet in view.  "Might be a good challenge for us, eh, Max?"  He leaned over to the speaking tube and called out, "Helm, conning tower.  We're going to do an intercept on some surface traffic.  Bring us to...one one zero degrees."

"Aye, Sir."

"This should be fun," he said to Max.


*****


"Fighting tops and funnels, sir.  Two ships," Max observed a short time later.  "Cruisers, I'd guess."

"They're going to pass well south of us if we keep to this speed," Qvistgaard noted. 

"Reckon so, sir."

"But the Chief wants a slow and steady ride today."

Max shrugged.

"I know, not your problem," Qvistgaard said.  "Curious as to why these fellows are steaming as fast as they are – it must be at least fifteen knots."

"Sir...reckon they ain't ours," Max said, reaching for the small, watertight cabinet that held the recognition manual.  He flipped through the binder, then went back partway.  "Iberian, sir."

"Iberian?"

Max handed him the binder, one finger on a waxed sheet of paper.

"That's...peculiar."  There was, after all, no obvious reason that a pair of Iberians should be in the archipelago, let alone bombing along at fifteen knots toward the territorial capital.  "Helm, conning tower...change of plans.  Plot a course back to Punta Delgada and ring for twelve knots."

As expected, the Iberians passed four or five miles to the south, giving no indication that they'd noticed the low profile of the submarine.  At this point, it seemed like the foreigners were steaming at eighteen to twenty knots, and soon grew smaller as they continued in the direction of Punta Delgada.

An half hour passed, and then the radioman appeared on the ladder with a slip of paper in one hand and an alarmed expression on his young face.


*****


The notion that the Iberians had given the governor an hour to surrender the islands seemed preposterous, but there was already smoke rising from Punta Delgada as U-19 drew within six miles, a clear signal that the governor had declined to do so.  "We've had no traffic about war with Iberia," the XO mused.  "This makes no sense."

"Somehow it makes sense," Qvistgaard replied.  "We just don't know it yet."

"Are we going to attack them, then?"

"I'd prefer to drive them off," Qvistgaard said.  "We'll stay surfaced until we're two miles out.  They should spot us by then, send a few ranging shots our way from their secondaries.  Then we'll dive and they'll get the message.  I hope."


*****


He was mostly right.  The Iberians did, belatedly, spot the submarine, and they did, belatedly, send a few shots their way, and he in turned dove the boat to periscope depth.  Unfortunately, the part about the Iberians getting the message did not seem to have happened yet.

The two ships were steaming slowly westward, shooting a few rounds per minute, almost as if undertaking a gunnery drill.  There were several fires raging in the harbour district and a few more inland, likely due to some overs.  Close ashore, a small vessel – likely one of the two harbour inspection boats based in the marina – was burning to the waterline.

"Torpedo room, confirm we've got four fish in their tubes," Qvistgaard growled.

"Aye, Captain, two each forward and aft.  No reloads, though."

He preferred the idea of using the stern tubes first, but he'd have to turn away and open the range to do that, and there was no guarantee the Iberians wouldn't just keep steaming off to the west once they'd gone past the town.  The forward tubes, though, would likely give him a better solution and avert the need for an S turn that would open the range up.

Sighing, he moved to the plotting table and worked out his solution, then moved to the periscope.  "Torpedo Room, stand by to fire forward tubes on my mark.  Helm, a gradual turn to starboard."

"Aye, sir."

He watched as the boat's turn began to swing it around toward the Iberians, tensed, and barked, "Mark!"

The boat shuddered – and lurched upward.  "Fuck!" the helmsman barked.


*****


"Should be any moment now..." the XO said, staring at his stopwatch with one arm wrapped around a post.  The boat had only just stabilized again at periscope depth after broaching, and while the Iberians hadn't managed to get any shots off at them – that they'd noticed – it had been a rather alarming minute on the surface.

"I think they've run short," Qvistgaard started, peering through the periscope.  "They – they're turning.  To starboard.  What...?"

The XO cranked his head around to look at the chart table.  "Shoreline runs southwest – maybe they saw the fish, got worried about running out of space to maneuver against us?"

"Sure, they'd have to turn southwest and converge with us, but they're still faster and we're empty forward."

"They can't know that, Sir."

"No, they can't."  Qvistgaard watched the Iberians continue, leaning into their turns, guns silent for the moment.  They were going to take up an easterly course and pass Punta Delgada again, maybe pick up speed and run off home to the continent.  "Well, shit.  Helm, come around to...zero two zero.  Maybe we'll get a chance with the stern tubes after all..."

[The Rock Doctor]

16 January 1913

MESSAGE BEGINS STOP WAR WARNING ORANGE REPEAT WAR WARNING ORANGE STOP CLASHES WITH IBERIAN FORCES REPORTED SOUTH ERICA AZORES WEST AFRICA STOP UNION FORCES NOT TO INITIATE ADDITIONAL HOSTILITIES AT THIS TIME BUT AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO USE LETHAL FORCE IN DEFENCE OF UNION PERSONNEL TERRITORY AND ASSETS STOP TAKE ALL MEASURES NECESSARY TO PREPARE FOR GENERAL WAR OPERATIONS AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS STOP MESSAGE ENDS

[The Rock Doctor]

18 January 1913

To:  W. Koch, Ambassador, Rome Mission
From:  G. Gustavson, Minister, International Affairs

Sir:

With the concurrence of the Prime Minister and the King, I hereby authorize you to represent the Vilnius Union in Roman-mediated negotiations with Iberia. 

At this time we are aware of three points of hostile contact with Iberia:

1.  Engagement of land forces at the Kingdom of Paramurbo, in South Erica, following local insurrection against lawful, Union-backed authority.  Several dozens of casualties have been reported by the Union Army.

2.  Engagement of naval forces at Dakar, Africa, following competing colonial operations.  Union forces have lost a protected cruiser while sinking a battleship.

3.  A raid against the Azores, in the Atlantic Ocean, with an Iberian cruiser damaged or possibly sunk by Union defenders.

Given time delays in receiving information, particularly outlying regions, news of additional engagements may reach Vilnius after the commencement of negotiations.  This information will be conveyed to you at the earliest opportunity.

Further instructions and background information are being dispatched by diplomatic courier within the hour and should arrive by train late tomorrow.

[The Rock Doctor]

July 1, 1913

Official Communication from the Vilnius Union:

As a new era of exploration and interaction takes hold across the world, the Vilnius Union is cognizant of the value of prompt and effective official communications between governments.  To this end, the Union invites any and all nation-states which have not done so to establish diplomatic missions in Vilnius and, where it may be appropriate, consular representation elsewhere in the Union.  The Vilnius Union in turn requests the opportunity to do likewise.

Foreign Affairs Minister Zdzislaw Rozmys said, "We've seen the value of facilitating rapid official communications as a means of defusing international tensions and resolving crises.  It only makes sense to leverage this element of our toolbox to ensure world harmony."

Questions should be directly to the Vilnius Union's Department of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Mission Directorate.

[Guinness]

The Heavenly Kingdom of China communicates that it would gladly upgrade it's small consulate in Vilnius to an Embassy and looks forward to future collaboration for the betterment of both our nations.

[The Rock Doctor]

January 29, 1913

After several days of tense discussions and Roman mediation, word leaks that the Vilnius Union and Iberia have agreed to stand down and refrain from further hostilities.  Dakar will remain in Iberian hands, Paramurbo in Union hands, that little unpleasantness in the Azores brushed off.  Reparations never come up at all.

Public reaction to the news is mixed.  On one hand, there is relief that there won't be further loss of Union blood.  On the other hand, there is a sense – not really deserved – that the Union held the upper hand after the fighting and should have pressed for more than just a ceasefire. 

The major item of conversation, of course, is the Battle of Dakar, with many newspapers, even those normally aligned against the government, rather proud of the Union cruisers which "gallantly fought off the savage czosnku [roughly:  "Garlics"] who came to sink our troops".  The loss of the Bug is viewed as a gallant rearguard action, and not unreasonably so, while the destruction of the Blas de Lezo is hailed as a David-versus-Goliath triumph.  This completely disregards how utterly outclassed the Iberian battleship was by the much larger, faster, newer (etc.) Lucznik, but no reason to bring inconvenient facts into a public relations bonanza.

February 15, 1913

Railways spanning the Trans-Erica Isthmus are now fully operational, and the camps which supported its construction are now expanding rapidly to accommodate a swelling influx of workers from Europe – particularly rural Deutschland – who will build the Trans-Erican Canal. 

They are already mobilized by the thousands, travelling by train to ports in Nordsoen for the weeks-long journey by sea down to the isthmus.  There they'll toil twelve hours a day, six days a week, for decent pay plus basic shelter and food.  There'll also be access to a range of amenities – card halls, beer gardens churches, theatres, even sports clubs for those not exhausted by a half-day's labor.  They'll also be protected by a series of field hospitals and a battlegroup of the Union's elite lowcy dzungli ("Jungle Eaters"), though disease seems the more likely threat than Mayans, Incans, or local tribes.

March 24, 1913

The armored cruiser Lucznik and a transport bearing survivors of the protected cruiser Bug return to a hero's welcome in Gdansk.  The Prime Minister, the mayor, local clergy, the ship's original sponsor (heiress to a Munich-based producer of archery supplies) and others subject the crew and crowd to hours of florid speechifying before the ship is handed over to the yard for a few weeks of minor repairs and the crews granted shore leave.

The officers, meanwhile, can look forward to intense debriefing and discussion with senior naval staff.

May 6, 1913

Plans to develop distant Orimirilandia as a producer of various cash crops have gone somewhat sideways with the discovery of exploitable crude oil reserves in the Orimiri delta.  Although there had been small-scale, local exploitation of the oil, local governing bodies in the region had no modern tenure or production legislation in place to deal with industrial-scale production.  Recently-arrived Union officials weren't any better prepared for it.  Consequently, the rules somewhat hastily drafted and adopted in Choco's Lake Marakayaa region are in turn hastily amended and adopted for the Delta.

This throws local land-owners and troubleshooters into a tempestuous relationship with investors and speculators fresh off the boats from Nordsoen.  Stampeders who'd not had the best of luck in Choco also charter cabins across the mid-Atlantic, often inflating their accomplishments and skills in an effort to make more money in Africa than they had in South Erica.

There are some conflicts on the land between subsistence and plantation farmers and the arriving oilmen, but this pales somewhat in comparison to the chaos of Igwuocha.  The coastal town – formerly just the capital of the modest Ikwerre kingdom – is now a turbulent boomtown with spiraling real-estate costs.  Piers, warehouses, offices, housing and other infrastructure are under development by the private and public sectors alike.  The town's upper class is looking to cash in on their connections and knowledge, and social events with newly arrived Europeans lead to arranged inter-racial marriages and unarranged romances, something still mildly scandalous back in the Union but which is becoming increasingly common in Africa and the Ericas.

[The Rock Doctor]

June 5, 1913

A Board of Inquiry into the loss of OZW Bug finds no fault in the conduct of Commander Nels Jurgensen or his crew.  This was the expected outcome, but such inquiries are standard procedure after ship losses, and the most recent one – after the loss of OZW Fichetelberg in 1908 – provided useful recommendations about crew training procedures.  Consequently, all surviving officers and senior-most non-commissioned personnel are called to testify.

The board also took testimony from Captain Jari Holopainen, commanding officer of OZW Lucznik, senior officer present during the Battle of Dakar.  Captain Holopainen noted that Commander Jurgensen fought vigorously and in concordance with his instructions to screen the larger armored cruiser.  He recommended that Jurgensen and the crew be recognized for their valor against two tough Iberian cruisers.

From a technical standpoint, testimony suggests Bug was struck by somewhere between twenty-two and twenty-seven medium-caliber shells.  There are indications that the upper belt was not effective in defeating the projectiles at the range of the combat.  However, the ship's ultimate demise was attributed to multiple fires, without which she might have been able to continue on longer and perhaps finish off one of the Iberian protected cruisers. 

From a technical standpoint, the Board recommends:

-That future protected cruiser designs do away with the thin upper belts (already largely decided upon anyway, within the Naval Design Bureau);

-That future protected cruiser designs utilize the heavier 130mm gun rather than the 100mm gun, with which damage to the Iberian protected cruiser might have been lethal (also already largely decided upon);

-That the navy incorporate additional fire-fighting equipment in new and existing ships where practical; and

-That additional fire-fighting training be prescribed for naval personnel.

Commander Jurgensen is awarded the Silver Cross for his conduct; his executive officer a posthumous Bronze Cross.

[The Rock Doctor]

June 18, 1913

The Board of Inquiry into the Battle of Dakar itself is a much more discrete affair and not publicized to any significant degree.  The Board finds no significant fault with Captain Holopainen's tactics or conduct during the battle.  It's agreed that the Union naval squadron made strong efforts to defuse a tense situation off Dakar and that the fighting retreat was generally well conducted.

There is, however, some strong discussion about the effectiveness of Lucznik's gunnery.  Holopainen and his executive officer believe that the ship's gunnery was adequate under the circumstances - multiple turns, combat ranges.  The gunnery officer, in a potentially career-limiting move, asserts that the ship's gunnery was up to fleet standards, but that these standards are insufficient.  At six thousand metres, versus a slow, essentially non-maneuvering target, he argues that more hits should have been landed and might have saved the Bug, given that the Iberian cruisers broke off action immediately after the battleship's destruction.  He suggests to the Board that the navy should be undertaking more frequent and more realistic live-shooting exercises.

There is some debate about the use of common versus armor-piercing shells against the battleship and the Board does not come to a united opinion on this.  Certainly it seems that the battleship's belt rejected some of the cruiser's AP shells at battle ranger, but the notion of common shells causing havoc on the battleship's superstructure at longer ranges is questionable due to the lack of actual hits there.

And then there's the irony that the destruction of the Blas de Lezo seems attributable to a brace of common shells, not AP.  There were no indications that the ship was dealing with an internal fire threatening its magazines prior to Lucznik's final salvo, so the consensus view is that the cruiser must have scored the kill with a near-miss that was spotted just short of the battleship's forward guns.  This in turn suggests that the ship was either unarmored or insufficiently armored to reject the shell. 

The Board's recommendations are:

-That the navy review its gunnery standards and consider seeking additional funding to support additional live-fire activities.

-That the navy consider updating its recommendations about the use of common versus armor-piercing rounds against foreign capital ships on a class-by-class basis.

-That the navy assess the potential hazard of underwater shell hits and update its future designs accordingly. 

-That the navy consider ensuring that future deployments of this nature include ocean-going torpedo-boats capable of deterring or damaging hostile adversaries, particularly in situations where those adversaries themselves might have torpedo-craft available.

[The Rock Doctor]

July 28, 1913

A report from the Navy's Bureau of Construction recommends that the navy establish overseas infrastructure for the purpose of repairing its warships. 

The report cites the loss of the cruiser Bug at Dakar several months earlier; had the ship not been lost to multiple fires, would she have been able to make the return voyage to Amsterdam (the nearest Union port with repair capabilities)?  Likely not; less so in a genuine war situation with the Iberian fleet in the way.  She would have had a better chance to seek out repairs in eastern Brazil or central Africa as a starting point, but neither location has any ability to repair a warship.

The report notes that, based on overall activity, it likely makes sense to establish repair capabilities in North Erica, the Caribbean, eastern South Erica, and Orimirilandia in Africa.  Where necessary, squadrons deployed to multiple locations in a region would make use of a common repair hub.  Specific locations are not recommended although some criteria for identifying them – good harbours, access to trained employees, limited exposure to Acts of God – are provided.

It's one of a few separate reports that are expected to shape future planning of overseas basing by the Union Navy.  Another will be a report on actual harbour quality and security in the overseas territories, and then of course the Ministry of Finance is likely to weigh in on matters of what the Navy might be able to afford to do.

[The Rock Doctor]

August 6, 1913

The Governor of Choco, Per Appelgren, departs from Johannestadt [OTL San Juan, Puerto Rico] on OZW Havel, bound for Veracruz and thence inland for diplomatic meetings with the Aztec government.

The move comes as the two nations contemplate exchanging more formal diplomatic representations; in the absence of a Union ambassador to the Azteca Domain, Appelgren has been accepted as a suitable representative of the Union government.  It is expected that discussions will include the Trans-Erica Canal and the Mayans, plus whatever other business either party may choose to raise.

For its part, the Havel, a Lippe class protected cruiser, is not exactly a luxurious or prestigious ride for the governor, but it is a practical one and it does have flag facilities for the governor, his family and his staff to use while at sea.  At any rate, the Union does not feel it necessary to make a statement by transporting the governor in a capital ship. 


September 10-14, 1913

The Battle of Kolding's Hill sees the Union army inflict a shattering strategic defeat on the so-called Shrimp Eaters, local inhabitants of the Krewetkiziemi (OTL Natal, Brazil) area.  The Union and the locals had been engaged in ongoing, low-level warfare since the Union established Gustavholm on the Shrimp River over two years ago, with several hundred Union soldiers killed or wounded in that period.

Though the Government offers no official comment on the occasion, sources within the colonial administration indicate that the Union undertook a seemingly routine offensive sweep upriver and then inland.  Upon making contact with Shrimp Eater militia in multiple directions, the Union battalion, rather than fall back to its landing site and attendant naval support as usual, hunkered down on a hill to wait. 

The Shrimp Eaters, sensing an opportunity to surround and overrun the isolated Union troops, seek to do exactly that, only to find that the Union battalion has dug in and fortified the positions with sand bags and barbed wire.  Initial attacks suffer from land mines, are impeded by barbed wire, and murdered by machine guns.  An intense night attack on the 13th breaches the Union outer perimeter, but is repulsed by the Union's first combat deployment of miotacze ognia - flamethrowers - to clear out the captured trenches.

Though forty-six Union soldiers are killed in the action, Shrimp Eater losses are estimated at eight to nine hundred killed and many more injured.  While the locals are demoralized by the deaths or maimings of so many men, including a number of chiefs or their sons, the Union goes on an offensive that further batters the tribes over the remainder of the fall.  By year's end, some of the tribes have reached out to non-local Taino traders to act as intermediaries in a negotiation process.


October 23, 1913

The Governor of Srebrny Rzeki, Kaspars Oss, announces the lease of an eight hectare site in the harbour district of Widoknagory [OTL Montevideo] to the Aztec government. 

Noting that this is a commercial lease rather than a transfer of sovereignty, the Governor notes that the site will, at the very least, host a pier and warehouse facilities.  Other features, perhaps including a consulate, are to be confirmed. 

Local businesspeople are pleased at the announcement, figuring this will translate into new trading opportunities.  There is also some idle speculation that the Union might seek a reciprocal arrangement in the Aztec territories of southwestern Africa but government officials deny any such discussions having taken place. 

[TacCovert4]

November 14th, 1913.  Two Aztec Flagged steamers arrive in Widoknagory, bringing some diplomatic personnel, as well as engineers and other administrative personnel.  The passenger steamer anchors inshore, and local dignitaries are invited to a variety of parties and dinners as it fulfills its function as the temporary headquarters of the Aztec mission.  The other steamer offloads and then leaves.  Local labor is employed under Aztec engineers in the grading of land and preparation for the construction of a tank farm for the Aztec Oil Company AZOCO, and a fence is placed around the leased property, including beautifying hedges and trees.  Foundations are begun for a hotel and a consulate, as well as warehouses and surveyors measure for a pier and quay.

[The Rock Doctor]

November 8, 1913

The Union Navy has secured funding for a motor torpedo boat carrier to be laid down in 1914.  The decision comes after pondering what data is known about historical Parthian practices, the various messy actions in the Pacific, and rumors of an Incan battle-tender design competition.  The Union has also been playing around with a couple of 50 t prototypes of its own in the more sheltered parts of the Baltic, to the annoyance of civilian operators worried by the little zippy buggers but to the delight of teenaged boys in Rostock and Copenhagen.

Considerable debate took place on the merits of a carrier.  It was noted, early and often, that for the cost of the carrier, the navy could just build enough actual torpedo-boats to carry the firepower of the embarked motor torpedo-boats.  The counter-argument, then, was that there would be situations in which motor torpedo-boats would have operational advantages over larger torpedo-boats - stealthy operations, constricted or shallow waters, and so forth.  The naysayers then noted that if waters were too constricted or shallow to permit torpedo-boat operations, what in the hell would the enemy be able to operate there that was worth a carrier and motor torpedo-boats?  A passionate visionaries then just said it would be fucking cool to have a torpedo-boat carrier and maybe one day the navy could do the same thing with aeroplanes.

That got a good laugh out of everybody and defused the tensions in the room.  After that, it was a matter of selecting from one of three proposed designs and the heady matter of figuring out what naming scheme should be applied to this new type of warship.