The Ryukyu Kingdom disagreement.

[Kaiser Kirk]

0745 - 0835

A series of combat actions, the core of which are Japanese Torpedo Boat squadrons are sent on feint attacks to cause the Northern fleet to slow or alter course.
They are successful, but the destroyer screen of the Northern fleet proves terribly effective, Torpedo 3 looses a third of it's strength, and Torpedo 2 is effectively destroyed.

By 0835, Torpedo 2 is nearly ready for it's final gamble, and has dragged the 1st Chinese Destroyer squadron away from fleet.
But the rest of the Northern fleet is on course, has slid a little east while bringing speed up to 20 knots, and the lead Chinese Battleship, the Hidden Dragon is a little under 11,000m from BB Fuji.

0745
The Japanese Admiral reviewed the tactical plot. With the range between his flagship, the Fuji, and the lead Chinese battleship having slowly reduced, the Chinese hulls had become fully visible, the range likely around 18500m.  The Chinese were maintaining 18 knots, with a destroyer screen in front and one on their left flank. Their battleships were in the van and the cruisers holding the read of the formation. They would be in distant gun range soon, but there were still perhaps 20 minutes before their fire would be accurate.

The Admiral knew his job was to buy as much time as possible, a feint by the torpedo boats may force the Chinese to slow or turn, and it would save the torpedoes for a later, real attack.

The decision made, the signal flags were run up, and a bullseye lantern signaled the Torpedo boat flotilla leader. The signal acknowledged, the leader set out flags and lanterns to communicate to the flotilla. In the Radio room, a message was encoded, ordering the feint attack. The radio sent this message to a Yodo class Scout Cruiser, one of two leading the other Torpedo boat flotilla. There, the system of lanterns and flags began as well.  Finally, the torpedo boats signaled "Ready", and the messages were relayed to the flagship. The command to "Attack" was sent, the torpedo boats began their turns and coming up to full speed. It was 0753 in the morning. It had been a long night, and the morning was looking to be the same.

The Northern Fleet
The Northern fleet advanced at 18knts in oblique order, the line skewed to the NW.
The Battleships, led by Hidden Dragon were in the van, followed by the protective cruisers and then the new armored cruiser Crouching Tiger.
The older two squadrons of destroyers were several thousand meters in the van, while 4000m west the newer squadron served as screen.

Northeast : Tsushima Scout
To the Northeast, radio message received, the guns of the Tsushima Scout's heavy units, the Japanese Armored cruisers of 3rd Cruiser, elevated to the best estimate of  the range might be and opened fire a 16000 rounds. Each of the four ships could only bring 2 guns to bear, and the old mounts could only manage 2 rounds a minute. They could not be held on target, but the shots had to be timed with the pitch of the ship as they moved swiftly through the gentle waves. Which vessels shells were making which distant splash was impossible to tell, they had never trained for anything close to this range. Still, their job was to annoy and distract, and they did their best as the range closed at 3000m/hour, of course, at this rate they would exhaust their forward magazines long before any realistic chance of hitting.

West : Torpedo 2 , and 2 Yodo Class Cruisers

Pacing 14000m to the West of the Northern Fleet, and 10,000m West of the screening destroyers, Torpedo 2 gets the orders relayed to them.  Steaming the same 18knots as the Northern Fleet, they first bring up speed, The  stokers, still tired from the 45minute full power session of two hours prior, get back to work. At 819, having advanced at flank speed nearly 5000m ahead of the Northern Fleet, Torpedo 2 makes a broad curving turn at speed, and by 821 was now heading for an intercept point with the Northern fleet.  The Japanese navigators could rightfully be proud of their course. The firing to the south has died off, and there are some columns of smoke and some smoke screens but they can tell the other two squadrons of destroyers have been successfully lured away. 

The Chinese destroyers, 4000m off their fleet, note the movement and bring up steam pressures. They have advanced their screen 3000m ahead of the fleet.  The Japanese change of course takes them several minutes to digest, and then they adjust course a couple points away to expose the rear gun mounts  and commence firing. The Japanese crews are unimpressed, as the range is still about 5nm, nearly 9,000m, and indeed the fire is ineffectual, falling several hundred meters short.

As Torpedo 2 hurtles East, that situation rapidly changes. The Chinese destroyers are their newest, with four 90mm guns on bearing on broadside. The high velocity rounds are accurate and it is obvious the Chinese are prepared to fight at these long ranges. The rounds miss at first, and then pass high, with several striking the upperworks and spraying splinters. Some casualties, and a small foredeck fire are the only effects. As the range closes under 6000m, the fusillade gets worse, with one bridge crew being wiped out on one, and the engines hit on another. A third is hit in the torpedo launcher, but is one of the six which fired their torpedoes, and so staggers away, only to be hit shortly later by two further shells and start to break up. Two other boats face a similar fate when follow up hits come crashing in. Torpedo 8 is hit twice, loosing power and filling the boat with smoke, and is shortly thereafter hit twice more and blows up.   The Japanese crews are vainly firing their 75mm bow guns, but at this distance the Chinese destroyers take up 6/10ths of 1 degree of the horizon, with no way to measure range, deflection or rate of change, the shots are hopelessly wild, but make the crews feel better. 


0827, Torpedo 2 Squadron is down to 20 boats, the Chinese Destroyers are only 4500m away to the NE while the Northern Fleet is nearly 8000m East and 2000 North. The Northern Fleet begins a slow turn, and the secondaries on the lead ship fire at the distant torpedo boats.  Satisfied they have made their feint, TB2 does a battleturn to the south and then speeds off West again.

Behind them, the Chinese destroyers make a course correction, and come west, bringing speed up to flank. At first, Torpedo 2 pulls away, and then it appears to be nearly even, but as the shells continue to rain down, it becomes apparent the Destroyers are faster.  They settle in about 2500m South and 2500m East of Torpedo 2, where their aft guns can bear, and hammer away. The TBs return fire with their forward guns, scoring 2 hits, one a dud the other destroying upperworks. In return six of the TBs are sinking or sunk by shell fire, and #10 & 23 are ablaze, #13 has it's boiler room wrecked, #17 is damaged. The Commander and 2nd in command have both perished with their torpedo boats.

0837
The 3rd in Command, a Lieutenant, can not see the command pennants on any of the vessels. There are only 10 unscathed, and 4 damaged.  Unable to escape, unable to fight at this range, he makes a decision and runs up the flags for "Charge", ordering his boat to do just that in hopes the rest follow. 
The sharp turn is in itself an evasive maneuver, but at the sacrifice of speed. The Chinese are unsure at first, the commander first on radio ordering a slight turn away, and then changing that to a squadron turn to the North.  The result is by 0841, the chased are now the chasers. The Junior Lieutenant wildly thinks of ordering a torpedo launch, but realizes that with a closing speed of 4 knots, and an endurance of less than 3 minutes, they would never get there.

For these six minutes, the fire between the two sides, at just over 2000m, is withering. The Chinese stick to their fire plan,  while the Japanese find themselves firing at the closest destroyers, but due to their maneuvers and the enemy ones, only a lone 75mm shell finds a radio shack on the aft destroyer. The return fire is savage. The blazing Torpedo #10 and #23 each are hit and start sinking, #12 disappears when her torpedo warheads are hit, and others are reduced to sinking.  The charge is demolished, with 4 boats left unscathed, 1 with it's coal bunkers fully involved and one with it's engineering spaces awash.

The morale of the Japanese sailors breaks and the fit boats turn to the NW, where the two Yodo class cruisers are in the distance. The Junior Lt, his torpedo boat flooding, the boilers out, orders the deck gun to continue firing, and one of it's shells reduces a boiler to wreckage on #8 destroyer, reducing it's best speed to 24 knots. At 0845, the return fire sends the gallant Lieutenant to a watery grave

The destroyers content themselves with finishing the damaged vessels and fishing Japanese sailors out of the waters, but have to depart as the Yodo Class cruisers come up. In the end, only 3 torpedo boats escape to safety, while the destroyers turn to rejoin their fleet.


South : Jeju fleet, Torpedo 1
As the minutes had ticked down, the range had been vanishing at 210m /m. As the torpedo boats start their battleturns, the maneuver is rapidly apparent and the Chinese destroyers follow their instructions and accelerate. The older two of the three Chinese destroyer squadrons are here.

On both sides, the little ships bring their speed up as they launch the manuevers. The Japanese starting from 11 knots, the Chinese from 18 knots. They distance themselves from their fleets, while the distance between the opposing squadrons drops.   

At 0759 hours, the range has dropped below 10,000m, and leading Chinese destroyers begin to fire, the 90mm shells at first missing wildly short,  but the speeding Japanese boats pass the churned up water less than 30seconds later, to have a second barrage spout, again off, but closer.  Only half the Chinese destroyers are outfitted with modern guns and fire control, and ironically that class is considered a mistake. In an effort to maximize forward fire, a high forecastle wist foreward casement mounts was used, but in any sort of moderate or high seas, they take in water and are useless in their 'bow chaser' role, and they were not kept in following classes.   However, while heavier weather is expected in the afternoon, the seas have been calm since midnight, and these bow chasers can be used to full effect.

With the range to the enemy destroyers falling under 8000m, and the Northern fleet only 10,000m,  following his orders not to engage, the signal is given, as they will soon be at combat ranges. The relay is quick as the individual boat commanders know of this order, and at 801 the torpedo boats come about as shells splash about them, which reduce their speed, exposes and their broadsides in the turn.  To their dismay, the Japanese find the Chinese fire uncomfortably accurate, as the Chinese have outfitted the Northern fleet with their best men and fire control. In these calm seas they can bring their guns to bear to good effect.

The furthest East Torpedo boat looses it's steering house in a firey explosion, out of control this boat continues to turn in front of the Chinese and is hit a second time a couple minutes later, and then again, breaking up.  In the distance, the Chinese fleet can be seen starting a turn, and then returning to line. 

Loosing speed in the turn, three boats are hit with their broadside exposed, on one a torpedo is part of the fire, and the crew will shortly abandon ship. 

The remaining 22 torpedo boats finish the turn, but suffer heavily. The Chinese find the range, with six more shells striking home. One has it's forward gun blown off, splinters ripping into the hull; another-already damaged- has a 90mm shell penetrate forward and detonate, wrecking the ready use 3" lockers.
A shell bursts on another's deck, while a fourth takes a hit aft and looses steering as part of the stern is blown off and catches fire, a fifth takes a hit above decks, showering the crew with splinters, and the last  takes a third shell, this one a fatal hit, it rapidly looses speed and starts to sink.

The stokers working furiously, the torpedo boats churn forward to reclaim the lost speed.
then speed away, finding themselves chased by the Chinese destroyers, and then slowly pulling away.
For several minutes the range changes slowly, and the Chinese wreck terrible damage.

Exploding 90mm shells destroys boilers, riddles funnels, rakes decks with splinters. Evasive maneuvers would cost speed and loose ground, so at 807 they start throwing fuel oil on grills heated by exhaust. This oily smoke is not as effective as a chemical screen, but it helps while they speed away. A minute passes without further hits and the crews begin to hope, when three of them stagger under fresh hits.  A second engine room hit renders one boat dead in the water, sinking. Another, already slowed by water pour through the side, is hit again and catches fire, the crew abandoning as ammunition begins to cook off. A 90mm shell passes into the engine room of another before exploding, engulfing the midships area in fire. As the damaged torpedo boats are hammered into sinking condition the onrushing destroyers turn to fresh targets, but the smoke and lengthening distances make targeting difficult. The commander of TB#17 counts himself lucky as a dud shell slams into the frame of the bridge. While another is showered in splinters doing minor damage, but a third is not so lucky, as a hit breaks her back.

The range never fell below 6,000m, but the torpedo boats have been punished by the 90mm fire. By 810 they at full speed, 31 knots, and drawing near the guns of the fleet, and pull within 3,000m of the Jeju fleet, but there are only 15 of them left, 9 having been sunk or reduced to sinking condition. Far behind, the Chinese Destroyers know they will soon enter the possible distant gun range, they turn and dash back to their fleet.

0831
Torpedo 1 has drawn abreast the flag ship and can regroup. After a 40 minute high speed run, the crews are tired and while all remaining 15 boats are undamaged, they are disturbed by their losses. The commander signals the flagship the mission was a success. 

0835
The Northern fleet continues it's advance, drifting more easterly, and at 0827 taking a turn and reducing speed. By 0835 thereafter they resumed course and seem to have brought their speed up.  As the western destroyers dash off after Torpedo 2,  the remaining destroyer screen is arrayed a couple thousand yards ahead of the fleet. The Hidden Dragon is now a little under 11,000m away, and begins firing single shells, presumably ranging shots. 

 

[Kaiser Kirk]

The Northern Fleet vs. Jeju Fleet.
Or
The newest Chinese vessels against the the oldest and most antiquated Japanese.

The Northern fleet continues it's advance, drifting more easterly, and at 0827 taking a turn and reducing speed. By 0835 thereafter they resumed course and seem to have brought their speed up.  As the western destroyers dash off after Torpedo 2,  the remaining destroyer screen is arrayed a couple thousand yards ahead of the fleet. The Hidden Dragon is now a little under 11,000m away, and begins firing single shells, presumably ranging shots. 

0835
The Chinese Commander sends a surrender demand over clear radio :
"To the Courageous Admiral of the Japanese Fleet.  Your ships have fought valiantly, and honor. Your armored warships are heavily damaged, your squadrons shattered.  Your ships still have teeth, but their bites do not forecast strong. (translation?) To fight is to doom the crews of your armored warships and all the freighters to a watery grave.

Scuttle the warships, and take off the crews on 2 freighters which shall be freed. Surrender the other freighters to a guard cruiser and honor that task force's safe passage to Chosen, and we will not pursue the other vessels for two hours."

With that, the Hidden Dragon begins firing 2 turrets in 2 gun salvos.

The Japanese Admiral turns and begins issuing orders for the Fleet to scatter.  The inability of the torpedo boat squadrons to penetrate the Chinese screen and delay their fleet means he can no longer delay the Chinese.

The Yodos and Torpedo 2 are to join Tsushima Scout, the other 2 Yodos and the 2 Protected cruisers are to scatter in all directions, The freighters are to make maximum speed, and Torpedo 3 is to hide in the freighter formation.

The Admiral then orders for the messages to be sent, the signals acknowledged, and the radio room destroyed. The Battleship was then to turn to block the Northern Fleet from a direct line to the freighters, and feign steering trouble.

The buzz of radio traffic continues as vessels acknowledge orders, the wireless operator is still checking off the list of vessels getting orders. The signal flagmen is having trouble finding the right flags to communicate with the torpedo boats, as no combination exists for "shelter in freighters", and has settled for "Torpedo 3, Close Escort Jeju Landing".  An officer is bellowing through a speaking cone at the nearest boat.  Throughout the fleet, activity bustles as orders are relayed. Captains released to command their own fate order flank speed and set new courses.

The sudden change in the Japanese formation is quickly evident over the next several minutes, and there is no reply to the surrender demand.

0837
A 310mm shell, fired at long range, scores a lucky hit* on IJN Fuji. The old battleship shudders as the 415kg shell has slowed to a little over 630m/s when slams into the water just shy of the hull, traveling a short way before hitting the bottom edge of the the 7" end belt and explodes just inside the hull.  On many warships, a hit this far from the stern is covered by the main belt, but the Fuji class has a shortened citadel.  The shell detonates, the heavy splinters wrecking steering and holing the outer shell below the belt.  Water floods in and the Fuji starts flooding. Due to the torpedo hits in the bow and by A turret, reserve buoyancy has already been lost, and some of the stern compartments have been counter flooded to bring the damaged bow up. A hit in the already flooded bow would have mattered little, a hit here though is fatal.  The Fuji class has a shortened citadel, which leaves the ship vulnerable to sinking from flooded ends even if the citadel didn't already have a gaping hole abreast of A turret and amidships. 

The Admiral orders the codes destroyed and the flag struck, the ship to be steered into the path of the Northern Fleet, but they find steering unresponsive. Damage control parties report rising water. The Captain signals Abandon Ship and Strike the Flag.   Men pour upwards. The ships boats have been spared from damage but there are not enough. As men start leaping from the ship, and the flag is cut down, the Hidden Dragon ceases fire on at 0841, still with no response to their broadcast.

*2% chance for being 1-50% beyond FC range.

0841
The Japanese squadrons of Jeju Fleet are scattering at their best speed, the two Yodo Class turn and flee SE. The two Suma class head southwest, the Freighters and Uji class 'Exploration' ships, escorted by Torpedo 3, head SSW, while the Armor Cruiser Asama, down to a maximum speed of 12 knots, turns West.

To the North, the remnants of Torpedo 2 and the two Yodo class cruisers move to join Tsushima Scout, which is keeping a careful 12,000m distance from the Crouching Tiger at the rear of the Chinese Line.

The Northern Fleet, about 10,000m North and East of the Japanese continues south at first, then, seeing the foe's actions, make a broad turn towards the fleet and continues to a WNW bearing, closing the distance on the much slower vessels and commencing ranging fire with their QF weapons.  Pairs of destroyers take position in the gaps between the larger warships. This course means they will cross behind the Freighters and Asama, while shortening the distance to the returning destroyer division.

0849 The Northern Fleet has closed just within 8,000m of the fleeing Asama and lead freighters and are passing behind them. The lead battleships fire at Asama with their forward guns, while the fleet engages the rear of the fleeing freighters with their broadside QF weapons. Their targets have been shared by radio, so as not to confuse fire. Over the next couple of minutes, over 300 shells are fired at 5 freighters and Torpedo boats, roughly 20% of them hit. The torpedo boats are reduced to wreckage and two of the freighters are ablaze.

The battleships surround Asama with a forest of splashes, and she returns fire, a lone 8" shell striking the bow 100mm endbelt of Hidden Dragon, a hit that might penetrate if at 90degrees, but it is at an shallow angle and fails to penetrate.

The freighters and torpedo boats are not as lucky as Asama, and 7 of them, one for each Chinese ship, are hit multiple times. 

To the South, the two old Chinese Protective Cruisers have been shadowing the Chinese fleet from 10nm, but are directed to intercept the two Suma class and close under 10,000m firing as they go. The Suma cruisers can not shift North without closing the distance towards the Northern Fleet.

0851
The Northern fleet continues to shell the five freighters with it's secondaries, though two of the ships seek new targets. The Hidden Dragon retaliates for Asama's hit with a pair of 310mm hits. The first penetrates the 7" stern bulkhead and explodes, destroying a secondary shell handling room. The second detonates in a coal bunker and starts a fire. The Sea Dragon also hits with a 270mm shell, which destroys the aft Con.  Asama's return fire misses.

The two Chinese Scout cruisers continue fire on the fleeing Suma class and score a 120mm hit on the forward 6" gun, which is protected by it's shield.

0853
The freighters temporarily out of range, the Northern fleet has finally reached a location their broadsides can bear on Asama. The main batteries only score two hits, one harmlessly in the superstructure, the other penetrating the main belt and damaging engines, the right prop shaft being damaged and has to be shut down and her speed drops. 

The fleet opens with it's secondaries on Asama, and she disappears in a fountain of splashes. Perhaps 13% of the shells hit, but they start 2 fires, punch holes in the stern belt, destroy parts of the superstructure and dismount some casement guns. A pair of heavy hits sees a 270mm shell glance off the deck, while another, just lower on the hull, penetrates the belt and detonates in engineering, Asama looses all electric power.  At this point, the doughty Armored cruiser has taken torpedo hits to the portside bow and amidships several hours before, and has now taken 4 large caliber hits to the stern and portside, her end belts have been penetrated by common shells, and she is flooding below, on fire above, has no electricity and only 1 shaft, and taking on a large list. The Captain sounds Abandon Ship. Few hear him. The storm of shells continues, the belt gaining new large holes, the bridge being destroyed, common and HE secondary shells destroying the upperworks.

0859, Asama scores a hit on the main belt of Hidden Dragon, but the 8" shell is not sufficient to damage the armor. As the list becomes more pronounced, panicked sailors are abandoning ship, and the Chinese stop firing.

The Chinese Admiral will radio in the Clear " To the Commander of the Izumo class Cruisers Northeast of the Northern Fleet, we do not have time to rescue the sailors from your brave ships, but if you detach single ships to do this, we shall not fire on them."


The Northern fleet, now rejoined by the Destroyers which had chased Torpedo 2, then steers around the shattered Asama and heads for the Freighters.

0854-904
The cruiser duel sees a 2nd hit on Suma, starting a fire on the bridge. The Suma class veer to the South, trying to close the range, as well as lead the Chinese cruisers away from the Freighters.

The Chinese ships score a series of 120mm hits in exchange for a single 5". The 5" hit takes out the boat deck, but the Suma class's protective deck only covers the citadel, and three 120mm shells strike outside of it on Suma and two on Akashi.  A 155mm shell takes out Aux con, and 120mm shells dismount a 5" gun and wreck funnel of Suma, choking her boilers. Shaken by the repeated hits, the Japanese gunners fail to land a shell.

Akashi is shook by a 120mm shell, but Suma takes two 155mm hits, one aft of which jams her steering, the other bursting outside the bridge and starting a fire in the bridge, while a 120mm rounds destroy 5" gun on both Suma and Akashi. Akashi scores a 5" hit on the protective deck of the 2nd Chinese cruiser.

The Japanese gunners seem to have found the range, with Suma scoring 1x 5" hits, and Akashi 3x 5", two of which glance off the slope of the deck, one is a dud, and the last bursts takes out the aft con on Cruiser 2. The return fire is more vicious, with both cruisers landing hits, Suma loosing her aft 6", and having a hole punched in her protective deck, and her signal room wrecked. Akashi has a 120mm shell burst high and is holed at the waterline twice by 155m shells and has a shell explode in her forward 6" magazine. Flooding is successful.

Both Japanese cruisers now have but 1 x 6" gun, Suma has 1x 5" to port, shortly after both Suma and Akashi have their Port 5" handling room wrecked, leaving them with 1 gun. Suma is struck by a dud, and then a pair of 120mm shells to the bow, blowing splinter holes in the forward end.  The Akashi takes a 155mm hit at the waterline which ruptures a coal bunker and starts a severe fire, and another 120mm hit.

After the short running battle, the larger Chinese cruisers have taken 6 x 5" hits, none serious. The Japanese cruisers have taken 9x 155mm, and 23 x 120mm. Both are down to 1x 6" gun, and their portside 5" battery is out of service, Suma has boilers out and can not steer, while Akashi has a flooded forward magazine, and a severe fire amidships, while both ships have had their ends wrecked by 120mm shell bursts and are slowed by incoming water.  Facing larger, more heavily armed and armored opponents and down to 1 gun each, Suma strikes.  Minutes later, after another waterline 155mm  and a pair of 120mm hits Akashi does as well. The Chinese cruisers alter course to sail in front of the two cruisers, using a megaphone to tell them to abandon ship. They drop life rings and life boats in the water, and once the Japanese crews are afloat, they torpedo the stricken cruisers from short range. They depart at flank speed to join the Northern fleet.

(The Suma class is rated for 1400lbs, Suma has taken 1200lbs worth of damage and Akashi 1250lbs)

0854-0912
The freighters take the opportunity to turn SE and steam behind the Chinese cruisers and away from the Northern Fleet, which does not find the range for several minutes. When it does, freighters become charnel houses. The commander of TB 3, now down to 13 boats, ordered to escort the freighters, considers a torpedo attack. With Chinese now up to 3 destroyer squadrons, including the one that destroyed TB2, he dismisses a daylight charge of his 13 boats against their 24 destroyers and 8 heavy ships. He orders his squadron to head East, abandoning his charges, and they flee at full speed.

Over the next 8 minutes, the Northern fleet overtakes the freighters, dividing it's fire by radio and pummeling them with the secondaries. The freighters are then left to two destroyer squadrons and the large 27kt protected cruisers, while the fleet takes a heading of 245 degrees at 18knots, which should get them to Shanghai in about 15hours.

0912 :
The Chinese Admiral will radio in the Clear " To the Izumo squadron, Our offer of surrender was refused, we have done our duty. Once the freighters are in sinking conditions, our destroyers will leave and you may rescue those that live."


0915 : Status Report
Tsushima squadron, the remains of TB 2 (4) and TB 3 (13), the 4 Yodo class cruisers, are all involved in the rescue of the personnel of the Jeju fleet and the amphibious task force. (Land+Deployment unit)
4x AC, 4x PC, 4x SC, 17x TB, maximum sustainable speed 19.5 knots

The Northern Fleet is on course for Shanghai at 18knots. Shanghai is 280nm.
3x BB, 1x Large AC, 3x PC, 2x SC, 24x DD

The Advance forces of the Japanese Fleet are 5nm N, and 26nm E, at 22.5 knots.
4x BC, 2x AC, 4x SC, 12x DD

The Japanese main fleet is at 10nm N, and 58nm E, at 14knots.

A stern chase would have the Advanced forces catching the Northern Fleet in just shy of 6 hours, around 3pm / 1500, unless the weather moving in after noon is a problem. Sea states are expected to be 6-7. Clouds after noon will lower visibility and make spotting coal smoke on the horizon more difficult.

At that point the Northern Fleet will be 170nm shy of Shanghai, homeport of Nayang Fleet.
The Advance force would be 250nm from Japan, and 82nm from the IJN main fleet.

[Kaiser Kirk]

July 3, 1912

0915-1430

The Northern fleet continues on towards Shanghai.
The Japanese Advance Force continues it's slow overhaul from the rear.
The winds pick up and the seas get rougher, but are only seastate 5 "fresh breeze"  when the Advance force closes. 

Not wanting to slowly approach the rear of Chinese fleet, the Advance Force takes a parallel course, and over takes the Chinese, finally getting slightly ahead of the Northern Fleet.

At this point, if they turned into the Northern fleet, they could swiftly cut the range to where their guns could be effective.
However, the goal is to bait the Northern fleet into chasing them, and lure them back towards the Main fleet.


1430-1830

After several hours, the Northern fleet has shown no interest in chasing the faster Advance Force , the sea state has worsened severely to 7 "moderate gale", with a 32knot wind from the SE. The destroyers on both sides are starting to get very wet and could not make top speed if needed.  The visibility is starting to diminish.

With the sun sliding down the horizon, the Advance Force follows it's instruction to avoid Night, and turns for home.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Night of July 3.

The Chinese Ministry of State delivers formal documents to the various Diplomats in Bejing.

The documents contain the following
Whereas, the Japanese Government has declared Blockade of Chinese territory, Whereas the Japanese Government has threatened to sink Chinese Warships, Whereas this early this morning the Naval Forces of Japan committed acts of war against the Chinese Navy, sinking two freighters and torpedoing an Armored Cruiser, the Government of China recognizes a State of War exists between the two Nations.

The Children of the Dragon have completed a decisive victory this morning, defeating the task force meant to conquer Chinese-occupied Cheju-Do.  The Chinese Empire will attempt to provide photographs as soon as they can be conveyed from the island. Enemy action may make this impossible.

The Chinese Empire declares, in response to the acts of War and the distant Japanese blockade, a distant blockade of the Japanese Empire.  Japanese flagged ships will be taken as prizes. Neutral ships shall have their manifests examined, and if bound for Japan they will be interned at Saigon. Neutral ships North of  line Formosa-Luzon, heading for Japan, shall be deemed on course for Japan and taken to a prize court for judgement.

The Chinese Empire Hereby makes an offer of Peace with the Japanese Empire.   
Cease Hostilities, End the Blockade, Recognize our possessions, and Fire the Ministers responsible for this path, and the Empire of China shall demand no concessions or indemnities for these attacks.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Phase I
That ends Phase I.
While an interesting experiment, the detailed gaming out of moves is far to time consuming.


Phase II
The Goal of Phase II is to conduct several months of operations in the next couple of weeks prior to the next HY.

I have ideas I am trying to set down, and am consulting with Snip.

[Kaiser Kirk]

While this was to be the rest of July, the bad weather substantially delays Foxy's plans, and things do not go well elsewhere, so I'm pausing it on the 28th to allow him to adjust or continue as he wishes.

July 3rd Epilogue

In the Chosen theater, the Japanese cruisers take on thousands of injured sailors and troops. From some ships, such as the Fuji, and the Suma class, much of the crew is saved in good condition. The Admiral of the task force, in a motor launch, is among the first rescued and takes over command of the squadron to direct the rescue. The Asama and the cargo liners serving as transports are the worse. What boats were carried were inadequate, and frequently reduced to splinters. The heavy shell fire, close quarters and fires on the transports left many survivors with severe injuries and burns, though the worse off did not survive the water.

An hour after the Japanese Advance force departs, as twilight closes in, the Northern fleet is adorned with lanterns relaying orders. Setting trios of colored lanterns up, the fleet then turns to a new heading at a slower pace.

Elsewhere, other Chinese ships go about the orders stemming from the mid-morning reports of the Japanese fleet.

July 4 – 27, 1912

Chosen Theater
The Japanese plan had been good. They expected a short journey to Cheju-Do, an unopposed landing and then they could dig in. Their bait force was powerful enough to demand a major response, and the Main Fleet had moved closer.  Ultimately what had failed is the Chinese arrived first and had the same general plan, which gave them a priceless observation post, and in the end the Main Fleet was too far away to effect the outcome.

With such short journey between Cheju-Do and Japan, and an unopposed landing expected,  the Amphibious plan had relied on using the faster Cargo-Liners to move troops to the island, and then shuttle back for more troops and supplies. The remaining cargo freighters which had been called up were still available, and half the troops and equipment were still present.

The Japanese High Command decides to proceed with the original plan, seize Cheju-Do, and force the Chinese to fight. They plan to land on the south, ocean, side of the island, and launch lighters to put ashore at the beach & fishing village of Seagwipo.  They issue orders for the cargo frieghters to be assembled and loaded.

Meanwhile at Cheju-do, a single coastal freighter and a torpedo boat arrive. The coastal freighter begins unloading forced to use lighters by the sunken ships at the wharves. The torpedo boat departs, bearing film, both still and camera.  Eventually the freighter will leave, to be replaced by another.  The Busan torpedo boat squadron reunites with it's tender and departs.

By July 6th, the freighters have arrived, as a heavy storm hits, with gale force winds.

By July 7th, the winds have dropped to a mere 25knts and rain lashes the miserable stevadores as they struggle to load the freighters one by one at the wharf.

The Japanese torpedo boats and scout cruisers are searching in this weather. Warned by lookouts, the coastal freighter departs Jeju when scout cruisers start down the strait.

The Torpedo Boats are searching the islands at the base of the Chosen penninsula, finding new bamboo watchtowers and small batteries of two or four 90-120mm guns guarding the entrances to larger ports, villages.

Heavier 155mm guns guard the narrow island passages to Sancheon and Gwangyang. A deep side anchorage shows a recently built cluster of buildings. Bouys and watchtowers mark a path to the open sea. The Japanese Command staff can determine this would be within range for the Northern Fleet to have staged from. The location the MTBs started at is unclear, from the direction and time, somewhere between Gangjin and Goheong. Busan is known to have at least a battery of old 12" howitzers and command-controlled minefields.  A guard ship serves as sentry, and scurries for the cover of the nearest battery.

Off the southwest tip of Chosen, at a village called Mokpo, a mere 80nm from Jeju, a trio of coastal freighters hide up a river behind a spiked floating log barrier, which the Torpedo boats discover as they exit the channel between two islands into the sheltered roadstead and a full battery of guns opens fire on the torpedo boats at roughly 3000m. Three of them are hit by 120mm shells. One shell becomes the proud trophy in a wardroom as it does not explode. Another destroys the forward gun, the last causes a secondary explosion from the 3" magazine and the boat is lost. There are no warships here, and the harbor is too shallow for any large ones, but it does seem a supply point for Jeju. 

The Yodo class scout cruisers sent towards Lushan(Port Arthur) narrowly escape as the Weihei TB squadron sorties. At 1500tons, 25knots, they are significantly slower than the TBs & MTBs and while they have substantial firepower in 4x 5", they are severely outnumbered. Three daylight attempts to sneak through without triggering a response fail. The basic problem is the Weihei base is 90nm East of Lushan, and so any force investigating Lushan can be intercepted by the faster MTBs. Add the concern that the newest Chinese protected cruisers in the Northern Fleet are faster as well, and they do not press in.

The Mogami Class Cruisers press Shanghai, and do not get the response they would expect. Between the command minefields and the known batteries, sailing up the river to search the wharves is not in the question, but they probe the edges of Hangzhou bay.  Unsuccessul there, they seach the East China Sea, encountering the screening Chinese Scout cruisers on the horizon repeatedly as they draw near the Ryukyus or try to push south of Shanghai.

July 9th : The decision to have the Uiji class exploration ships carry a radio station each, and generators, is a problem. The 10t of radios and gear do not fit easily in 5t boats meant to carry seated marines. The equipment must be broken down into it's parts, carried into the boats, rowed ashore, and reassembled.
They sail across and land marines on 4 islands, 1-Sonheugsan-do, 3-Taerang-do, and the two unnamed islands West and East of Taerang-do.  Three of the radios are successfully transported (1,2,4) , the 4th is damaged. Three of the assaults (2,3,4) succeed in capturing the local fishing vessels. The 4th, on Songheungsan-do is not successful.

On the morning of July 12th, two coastal freighters land troops on Songheungsan-do and capture the Japanese force. Fishing vessels with Chinese troops conduct a sweep of the islands, searching for Japanese and encounter resistance in three locations. The radio signals reporting this also confirm the Japanese presence.

The morning of July 13th, each fishing village welcomes the arrival of a coastal freighter and motorized fishing vessels loaded with Chinese troops. The Japanese are successful in destroying the radios and codes before capture.

By July 14th, they have the thousands of tons of supplies loaded and have loaded the men. The plan is to steam out that evening and cross to arrive at dawn, so they can take the Chinese by surprise and land with minimal resistance.

However, mid-day reports from freighters used as weather guards to the East indicate more storms on the horizon. The choice of the unsheltered landing by lighters means calm waters are required.

The troops are kept on board in the hope that the storm will be brief.
It is not.

Between the 15th and the 26th the winds range from a low of 20 knots to a high of 40knots. Even in the sheltered anchorage of Sasebo, the troops are miserable and many ill.

Finally the evening of the 27th storm breaks and the forecast for the next several days is good.
The task force awaits the command to put to sea.

Intelligence Gathering :
The heavy weather keeps fishermen and light craft in port.  On sides, a crackdown on suspected agents puts holes in the intelligence gathering and transmission.

With the Chinese declaration of blockade, no vessels leave Chinese ports for Japan (officially). The cables are secure, and the few radio towers are active, but do not broadcast coded messaged to Japan. It is much the same for the Chinese, as no information reaches them. Both sides are restricted to what can be seen from their ships, and sentry points on land.


Philippine Theater

July 4th
The Japanese amphibious force bound for Malacca and Soerabaja continues south, having ditched the Chinese scout cruisers that had followed them. Orders from Japan confirm war, and include a code meaning the fleet is to continue.

The combined force has 4 Chikuma class (4000t) protected cruisers, 2 Aikoku Maru auxiliaries, 2 Kobayashi maru auxiliaries, and 2 minelayers, escorting about 48 freighters (2 land units + 6mo supplies+2 deployment points).

The Chinese, having issued a peace offer, wait a day for a response. Receiving none, they issue orders. They have lost contact with what they presumed was the invasion fleet for Ryukyu, but they have also confirmed the Japanese main fleet is over 500nm away.

Part of the Cruiser force screening the Ryukyus is ordered to search south to find the lost amphibious force. Orders are also sent to the Southern Fleet- screening the Panay assault force, to search north.

Morning July 6th- the Southern fleet begins unloading at Panay. Leaving lighter forces to guard the beachhead, the heavy units move east, through Leyte gulf and take up a position south of the projected Japanese course, arriving the morning of the 8th and working North.

July 6th-7th,
The bad weather (sea state 8,7) to the north extends down to the Philippines and in the Gale the cruisers do not find the Japanese.

July 8th, the sea state has improved (6) with large waves with extensive whitecaps and spray, sufficient to impair smaller vessels. The Chinese vessels are impaired and the Chinese search spread out in lines, 40nm between ships covering from shore to 220nm away. This puts them directly on the Japanese course , and the coal smoke from 56 vessels is visible. Once visible, they stay at a distance until the search lines close and then move to make contact around noon.

The Chinese force from the North is only two scout cruisers (2714t) and a protected cruiser (5997), who keep their distance until the southern force closes. The Southern Fleet has 2 old battleships, an armored cruiser, 2 protected cruisers, and struggling a little near shore, 8 small destroyers.

The four Chikumas have a maximum speed of 21knots, 8x 8" breechloaders, a protected deck with 2" crown and 4" slopes, and no fire control. The fast auxiliaries also are 21knots, but the freighters have a maximum of 11-15knots.

The Southern Fleet Chinese battleships (Vilnus Oförskräckt) also have no fire control, but each one has far more armor and guns, and a speed of 18knts.  The Armored cruiser (Parthian Sparabara) has large guns, more armor, makes 20.5knots and the most recent fire control. The two protected cruisers (Parthian Rakash) can make nearly 22knots, have the most recent fire control, and a heavy QF broadside.  The Northern force has two fast (25.8knt) scout cruisers (Norse Svartvitt ) and a protected cruiser (chinese version of Podagros) which at 26.25knots is the fastest and all three have fire control.

By 2pm, about 320nm Northeast of Davao, the two sides can clearly see hulls. The Chinese Admiral will broadcast a demand for surrender.

The Japanese Admiral has every reason to believe there is no hope. Outnumbered by larger, faster, better equipped ships. He ponders his options.
He could surrender. Shame and defeat, sacrificing perfectly good warships without firing a shot.

His force could attack the Northern cruisers with hope of victory...if they let him close.  The more likely result would be a race north with the Northern cruisers retreating until the southern cruisers caught up, meanwhile the fleet would be captured.

He could order the fleet to scatter, but with hours until dark, the slow freighters would not escape. He knows the results off of Cheju-do, but not the details. The freighters would be slaughtered, and many fine fighting men consigned to the watery deep for no gain.

He chooses a middle route, signaling the freighters to surrender while the cruisers and Aikoku Maru AMCs break for open ocean, running at 21 knots. If caught, he'll fight as best possible.

The Japanese ships accelerate to flank speed and run East for two hours at 21knots before their exhausted stokers can't keep up the pace. The AMCs draft young soldiers to help. The Chinese vessels close on a slant. Four of them easily outpace the Japanese and form up on the Northern flank, beginning to fire at the limits of their range. The Japanese turn Southwest, only to have it happen again, forcing them South, costing them precious distance towards the two slower Chinese protected cruisers.
The dance ends prior to sunset.

The four Japanese ships have 2x 8" that offer a threat, and a broadside of four 5" BLs.  The three Chinese protected cruisers have broadsides of 7x 165mm QF each. which have potential to penetrate the Japanese armor under 8000m, doing so easily at 6000m. The two scout cruisers are only armed with 4x100mm on each broadside.

Unable to run, unlikely to win a fight, the Japanese choose now to scatter, running to 8 directions, pursued by 5 vessels.  In the end 2 of the Chikuma PCs are caught and exchange fire, doing some damage before striking. Two of the AMCs are captured, and 2 escape into the gloom.  The three PCs escort the captured vessels, while the 2 faster scout cruisers hunt the night. One AMC is caught and slugs it out with a scout cruiser, doing substantial damage before being sunk.

July 9th, the Saigon Independent Cruiser Squadron arrives Panay.

July 10th, the captured Japanese task force and escorts arrive.
They, with the Saigon squadron, and the damaged SC, continue to Saigon for internment.

The Japanese force is late to arrive Davao.

July 11, the Philippine theater weather improves and stays good until the 22nd, when a storm rolls in and lashes the area with winds up to 66knots from the 22nd – 25th.

July11th -
The Southern Fleet departs. The other two cruisers with it, making the passage to Leyte gulf, thee the cruisers return north, while the Fleet heads south, arriving Davao on July 14th.

July 14th.
The Southern fleet (2xBB, 1x AC, 2xPC, 8x DD) arrives at Japanese Davao. With the destroyers in the vanguard, they scout, and then the fleet approachs with torpedo nets deployed, fearing ambush. The harbor is undefended, but busy. 

Japanese freighters, loaded with materials for development are still unloading (with $5 invested in 6mo, that's ~$1/mo, starting July 1). The Fleet demands surrender, the Japanese Army commander ashore refuses.

The Chinese take the harbor facilities under fire with their secondaries. Freighters are sunk at their morings, docks wrecked, cranes collapse.  the first line of warehouses bloom with fire. The rest of the trade port, and warehouses further back, escape damage.

Work done, the fleet sails off. The heavy weather of the 22nd-25th leads it to abort the next mission.   

South China Sea – Java Sea Theater
The  Saigon Independent Cruiser Squadron spends the last two weeks of the month enforcing the blockade.


Results : 
Japanese losses : -1 Torpedo Boat, 1 Aikoku Maru sunk, $1 of colonial development lost at Davao, $2 damage to Port Symbol as harbor facilities ruined but supporting infrastructure intact. 

Japanese captured : 2 Chikuma Class captured, 2 Aikoku Maru captured, 2 Kobayashi maru auxiliaries, and 2 minelayers, 48 freighters captured (2 land units + 6mo supplies+2 deployment points).

Unspecified Merchants captured in Blockade, or prevented from leaving port.

Chinese Losses :
Chinese Damage : Scout cruiser.

[Kaiser Kirk]

July 28-onwards

July 27th, the Japanese fleet and the amphibious force put to sea in the late evening, timing their arrival near dawn, to give them a full day to unload.

July 28th
The Chinese observers note their approach in the predawn, broadcasting a much longer signal this time, and repeating updates.

The Yodo and Mogami classes move beyond the fleet to scout the islands along the Chosen shore,

The Uji class 'exploration vessel's takes the small parties of marines and replacement radios and seek to reclaim their listening posts. The professionalism of the Japanese show as the arrivals are well timed, arriving together shortly after dawn at the four islands. While landing the parties of 30 marines goes well, unloading the radios does not, as pesky swarms of bullets from the Chinese garrisons- the ones which reclaimed the islands from the earlier Marines- descend on the landing parties. Three of the ships take light damage from Chinese Army 75mm QFs dug in to command the fishing harbors.

Minelayers make their best speed to the Sancheon channel and place a minefield. This is the closest to the Busan MTB base, and so they hope to avoid a reaction on the first night, and are successful.  On the 29th, they manage one blocking access to Gwangyang, Set deep enough a fishing vessel would pass over, The Chinese discover it when a coastal freighter is mined.
On the night of the 30th they lay a field between the islands of Jian-do and Haja-do, blocking the most likely route for a frieghter from Mokpo to Jeju.

Those nights, the cruisers retreat to picket lines flanking the islands, while torpedo boats  the Chosen coast.

For the assault forces:

Off Seagwipo, the scouts report there is a underwater shelf on the South side, and ships have to anchor anchor 1.4nm out. The freighters let ships's boats down. The men have to clamber down cargo nets to get in them. The crews then have to row the lighter to the shore and beach it. Then the troops can disembark, and the crews row back to the ship. It takes nearly 2 hours a trip.  Bringing supplies and heavier equipment ashore will take longer, as the ships are meant to be unloaded at docks, and loading small boats with supplies takes a great deal of time, as does unloading them. Night operations are not feasible as clambering down the ships sides in the dark costs to many lives. 

The first load is met with rifle fire and machine guns shortly before they reach the beach. There seems to be a company of infantry dug in with a section of machine guns. Thankfully they seem to lack artillery. Several of the small boats collect a large number of leaks, as do many of the men. The remainder of the Japanese troops leap from the boats, some misjudging the depth and are pulled down by their gear. Others find them selves on good footing and can trudge on.  The toll is heavy but not extreme. The ships, unable to communicate with the landing force except by signals, try bombarding the village, turning it into blazing ruins. The Chinese troops, some of whom fought the Horde at Lushan, are well dug in and survive with few casualties.

Eventually, the number of Japanese reaching the beach is too much and the Chinese fall back their second trenchline and resume fire.  Ultimately, the Japanese reach battalion strength and the Chinese are forced to retreat. The beach is a shell pocked ruin decorated with Japanese dead.

Unloading on the 29th and 30th go better, as the limited number of Chinese troops are pushed back, trying to hold the peak and the far side of the island. Estimates are, after losses, at least a  battalion are dug in and fighting hard. The Chinese experience at Lushan just 7 years ago is telling in how they prepared their defenses. The Japanese have a great many more men, but the rugged terrain, and the 3 weeks the defenders had to dig in, are making advances slow and costly. 

The Japanese have established watchposts at both ends of the island, and partway up the mountain, and have a radio with wires run. Contact has been reestablished with the grounded warships. 

July 31st.
The Japanese look forward to capturing the peak today, if they did not during the night. Once they do, the plan it to move to the far side and unload at Jeju. The amphibious force is anchored , but the main fleet steams a slow race track, so as not to be a motionless target. 

Each night, a string of Yodo class cruiser are stationed from the west end of the island, at roughly 7nm intervals, while off the North end, a somewhat wider spacing of Mogami class form a similar picket line.

Along the Chosen islands, Japanese torpedo boats arrive each evening to patrol the coast. They lack the numbers to form a continuous overlapping picket line, and so they patrol.

At this latitude, in the summer, predawn starts at 3:23am, and Dawn is at 4:57am, so the Japanese rotate crews at 3am, to ensure fresh eyes. The sea state is 3, good for the landings to continue.  As the predawn light rises, the Japanese troops launch a attack, surprising the tired and outnumbered defenders and carrying the peak. The Chinese fall back down the mountain towards Jeju.

At 2:45 am, a sentry on a Yodo class cruiser, stationed off the Western tip of Cheju-Do, calls an alert. Nearly 6,000 meters away and already slightly behind the ship, distantly glowing in the breeze are cinders emitted from small stacks as dozens dark shapes zip past in the night, rounding the Western tip and accelerating for the landing fleet now at 24knots.  They are approaching from the Seogwipo and at that speed they will be to Seogwipo by 4:06am. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

July 11th :
The Chinese Foreign Ministry invites various foreign delegates to a film show.

The Foreign ministry then distributes pictures showing the wrecked frieghters sunk at the wharf at Jeju, and of the damaged bow of the Chinese Armored Cruiser. The delegates are informed this was the results of the Japanese attack in the early hours of July 3, starting the war.

The film quality is not great, and it is black and white this is 1912, the film is from a hilltop near a shoreline. The Flashcard says it is Dawn, July 3 1912*.
As the camera pans, there are edges, as if looking through a portal.  At first, it is too dark to see anything except the foreground. As the minutes go by there is growing light. In the distance, small ships can be seen with smoke drifting up from their stacks.  They are moving to the left of the film, in a large formation. The camera pans to the right to show freighters slowly moving the other way. The camera moves back. Little is visible at this range.  The detonation of the Asama class Armored Cruiser is obvious. So is the slow aftermath, and the plight of the two wounded ships. The heavily listing battleship sailing into the shallow bay is outdone by the armored cruiser, it's bow underwater, backing astern into the mud. The Japanese force sails out of the camera's range to the 'right'.

*Actually it uses the Chinese Date.

[Kaiser Kirk]

The Japanese Admiral reacts to news of the Chinese Torpedo boats by activating his plan to destroy such a force. .

The Yodo class are to intercept as best possible, with one staying to

The Kamikaze class takes the lead, ordered to seek and destroy, focusing on the more fragile MTBs, and return to protect the anchorage.

The Umikazes class forms a line of battle, engage the TBs once they pass the Kamikazes, then turn away from Jeju and reform.

The Cruisers are to form another line of battle, engage the the TBs once they pass the Umikazes, with orders to try to physically intercept any torpedoes heading for the fleet. 

The Battleline will be the last line, engage the TBs once they pass the cruisers

Each line will be just beyond  the edges of visibility of the next one, allowing clear fire at the TBs for each line as they they come in.

His goal is to both protect the landing force, and destroy the enemy TBs.

[The Rock Doctor]

July XX, 1912

To:  China; Japan
CC:  Other neutral powers
From:  Vilnius Union

The Union notes the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and China in the western Pacific region.

The Union has no particular interest in the cause of the conflict, nor in its outcome.

The Union notes the possibility of belligerents initiating blockades of each other.  While the Union agrees that it is reasonable for the belligerents to seize enemy merchant shipping in accordance with maritime law and tradition, the Union advises both belligerents that the seizure of neutral shipping, and in particular Union-flagged merchant shipping, will be taken poorly by the Union.  Action to protect the Union's freedom of marine navigation will be undertaken if this should prove necessary.  The Union hopes that it will not.

For further information, please consult the Union's diplomatic mission in your capital.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Adapted from Rocky's version as it seems a good idea

July XX, 1912

To:  China; Japan
CC:  Other neutral powers
From:  Parthian Empire

The Parthian Empire notes the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and China in the China Seas region.

The Parthian Empire does not take sides in this matter at this time and is Neutral.

The Parthian Empire notes a Japanese Blockade has been declared against Chinese territory.
The Parthian Empire notes a distant Chinese Blockade has been declared against Japan.

Warships of both nations are no longer welcome in the Ports of Parthia.
Parthian merchants will be instructed to discontinue any shipments of weapons or ammunition to either side.

Parthia expects her merchants will be treated as neutrals, that all blockades will be conducted by the cruiser rules, that ships found in violation of blockade and / or bearing contraband will be subject to internment for blockade, and prize courts for contraband. 
We will work with both belligerents to ensure the blockade rules are satisfactory and enforced, and contraband lists clear and reasonable. Paper blockades have no value.

Failure to abide by the commonly understood rules, unreasonable blockade standards, or rash and wanton destruction of ships bearing the Parthian flag in violation of the rules shall not be tolerated.

Parthia does not wish to become actively  involved, and if the belligerents abide by the reasonable standards, Parthia will not need to become actively involved.

For further information, please consult the Parthian diplomatic mission in your capital.

[maddox]

Cuzco, some time later.

Parthian Cruiser rules?  Neutrals? Can you explain those terms clearly Lorekeeper?

[Kaiser Kirk]

the status of various "real world" treaties has never been defined.
Going by the Nav History guide of 'presume it happened with our versions of the states unless specified otherwise',
then may be something similar to the unratified 1909 London treaty which formalized the 'cruiser rules'.  That is dated just before the SIM, so it's debatable, and then did folks sign it?.

However, the basic idea of the 'cruiser rules' go back to the 1600s, under our history guide, the concept of stop and search for contraband, then either release or take to a prize court - or take crew off and sink would be familiar in Nav7.  Parthia is warning that it not only expects that followed, but it intends the part about 'wanton destruction' to mean  search/capture, but don't sink them without very good cause.

[The Rock Doctor]

OOC:  Yeah, I went with vague rather than specific language regarding maritime law for that reason.

[Kaiser Kirk]

OOC:  Yeah, I went with vague rather than specific language regarding maritime law for that reason.

Reasonable.
I liked your format, and figured with Parthia's commerce and presence, a statement was in order.
I added more specifics because Parthia does commerce with China by land and sea.