Brandenburg Gazette

[swamphen]

conversation between the Minister of Economy (2nd) and a Minister without Portfolio (1st)...

"We have more bad news, my friend."

"What now? Have the Swiss sunk still more ships we don't have?"

"Just as bad. The convoy we hid the rubber shipment from Brazil* in? The Swiss got at it."

"Mein Gott..."

"Ja, and they made a clean sweep. Seems two got away later, but the rubber wasn't one of them."

"Blast! Maybe we should have just let it run?"

"I told you that we didn't have enough ships to escort convoys..."

"Ja, ja, that is true. *sigh* So what do we do now?"

"We cannot afford to continue this war. We cannot afford to exit this war at this time either. So I really don't know what we can do besides empty this stein of schnapps..."

--------------------

* - After checking the maps, it seems there's a tiny bit of rubber production at Porto Alegre, perhaps one shipload per half-year? (Meaning the Swiss hit the jackpot.)

[Desertfox]

Ah shucks! I was hoping for a nice ammo filled ship among the convoy. Rubber is nice, but it just doesn't have enough BOOM! ;D

[swamphen]

Ammo would be being shipped _in_ to Rio Grande do Sul, not _out_.  8)

[Borys]

No, natural rubber rubber does not grow anywhere near Porto Alegre. But assembling a transport of rubber there, for re-export to Brandenburgia, or a Brandeburgia bound ship with latex loaded at Belem, Santarem or Manaus is perfectly natural.
The places when in DKB realms natural rubber could be grown are - parts of Tanganika, or Niu Guini. The Solomon Islands too.
To grow rubber you need two things - very hot and very damp climate, and cheap labour. The second part of the equation is why Brasil never got off with plantations, and why 99% of rubber comes from SEA.

Borys

[Korpen]

* - After checking the maps, it seems there's a tiny bit of rubber production at Porto Alegre, perhaps one shipload per half-year? (Meaning the Swiss hit the jackpot.)

Was that an unescorted convoy?
If so I fail to see the point of using a convoy in the first place? Convoys are after all intended to allow fewer warships to protect more merchantmen, not to concentrate merchantmen into a single large target.

[swamphen]

Looking at the map I have, Porto Alegre has the little symbol marking 'Rubber Products'; however if that isn't the case this early a reloading from other areas, or simply the same ship running down the SAm coast before crossing, would make sense.

Prinz Heinrich would/should have been escorting...

[P3D]

May 05, 1908

Submarine D-11, cruising on the surface
50nm off Dar es Salaam

"Ship ahoy!"
After the call of the lookout the captain, Lieutenant Kovalik, climbed up and joined him. Rising the telescope to his eyes he quickly found the speck on the horizon.
"Heading 320, 10 knots"then commented" we want them to spot us and our flag, and report it when they enter the port."



SS Dorothea (homeport Neubrandenburg), bound to Dar es Salaam, 400nm off the coast

"I wonder what those Boer brutes are up to" sighed the Master, looking at the Orange  cruiser who was shadowing them from the distance for the second day.

[swamphen]

4 July 1908
Brandenburg Gazette

Rumours are flying around the capital today as it is reported that Foreign Minister Count von Bülow has tendered his resgination to the Kaiser, and has stopped just short of challenging Feldmarschall von Moltke to a duel. The rumour states that a change of policy directed by the Kaiser and supported by the Feldmarschall and Großesadmiral regarding "indefensible foreign colonies" is at the root of the crisis...