The Mithlond Conference, July 1908

[Tanthalas]

OOC: oh lol im not joining the war I was just being frustrated with the pace of it last night.  My reasoning is actually rather simple, it wouldn't be fair to either side if I joined.  While I find myself ideologically similar to DF (on ship design that is, pushing my tech is what I like to do), historically I find myself more aligned with Austria and DKB.  Which is why I have chosen to maintain strict neutrality, well that and I had to catch up to 1908 before I could really do anything.  


IC:
Pubilus Rutilius Rufus
Servilia Caepionis
Quintus Setorius

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: (Has been up all night working on a new proposal for the conference) Dear heart you best get up and get dressed young Quintus will be here shortly.

Servilia Caepionis: (lying on the bed in the bedroom of the suite stretches seductively and Yawns) did you sleep at all last night love?

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: No dear heart im afraid after you fell asleep I got up and began working on a new proposal for the conference, I fear however that managing to get the Swiss to accept it will be like pulling teeth.

Servilia Caepionis :( in a husky voice with lust in her eyes) Why do you worry so about the Swiss opinion of your proposals love?

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: (looking up with exasperation in his eyes) Truly I don't However we must find a way to extract our traditional Austrian allies from this conflict, (winks at the lovely young creature walking across the room toward him) now love we don't have time for that right now best you get dressed before young Quintus arrives unless you want me fighting a duel with your father when we get back to Rome.

Servilia Caepionis: (putting on a Pout while giggling) true enough love but it doesn't change what I want, ill just have to postpone it until after the morning dispatches.  (Walks over to her fresh clothing she brought with her the night before and quickly dresses)

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: (watches her dress regretfully) there's a good girl, mores the pity that your father and the Emperor can't get along better. (Walks over and shares a long kiss with her)

(Knocking at the door)

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: (separates from her regret in his eyes) (whispering) soon dear heart soon (in a loud Voice) ENTER

Quintus Setorius: My Lord I have brought you the morning dispatches, I ha

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: (Interrupting Quintus) that is all fine and good young man but you are late again Servilia was here at least 15 minutes before you, what pray tell is your Excuse this time?

Quintus Setorius: (looking exasperated) My lord I have none, save I over slept after spending till the wee hours of the morning discussing Military matters with my opposite number in the CSA delegation.

Pubilus Rutilius Rufus: so you over slept, not good young man I know you haven't served with a combat division yet.  However carry on Leave the briefings ill browse them over breakfast now off to the kitchen and see to it that they get my eggs right.

[P3D]

OOC
Saipan

The Swiss Blockade runners brought enough food that would last for the while, and there are still horses left.

Japan, OTOH is using its last large-caliber HE stocks by now if they were bombarding Saipan as long as suggested.

Tanthalas' pieces remind me of Greek tragedies. I only miss the Chorus.

[Desertfox]

That's not what I read. I would think that with the number of shells raining down on the Swiss troops, it's anything but good for the morale and might even lead to something worse (something that, as far as I can find, is not known yet).

Considering the historical Battle of Iwo Jima, I doubt the shells are doing much more than moving dirt around.

Please refresh my memory - how long has the Swiss force been there? I think food will become an issue, sooner or later.

That place was packed with supplies, and a new shipment just got through.

Depends where a new enemy would strike and when they hit the correct spot, it will be quite ugly for the Swiss.

Only country that can hurt NS right now is Rohan. Everyone else is just more targets.

[The Rock Doctor]

*Pouts*

[Walter]

Please refresh my memory - how long has the Swiss force been there?

What I was told, it's the Swiss Expeditionary Force that's on the island (+some island defese troops). The SEF consists of 4 divisions (= 2 Corps). I am not sure about the Swiss troops transportation abilities, but one thing is for sure: they were already there on Saipan, well before March I would assume. Ithekro mentioned about the number of troops on the island: "Around 110,000 men at the start scattered around.  Probably less from losses in the failed Rabual invasion"
The Rabaul Invasion came to an end in November... but unless I read it incorrect, "Only 26% of the Swiss invatsion force manages to escape"... and if that is true, that means that the total number of troops on Saipan is 26,000 of the SEF remnants and 25,000 of the National Guard unit that was already there. Those 51,000 men should not have been too much of a problem for the Corps I hurled at Saipan at the beginning, especially considering that the SEF remnants would be badly demoralized.

Swiss troops on Saipan:
http://www.navalism.org/index.php?topic=1383.msg13310#msg13310
Invasion of Rabaul:
http://www.navalism.org/index.php?topic=1053.msg10038#msg10038

Considering the historical Battle of Iwo Jima, I doubt the shells are doing much more than moving dirt around.

Lots of dirt, with chunks of Swiss meat mixed through it. :)

Only country that can hurt NS right now is Rohan. Everyone else is just more targets.

That Swiss overconfidence, which is also reflected during the talks, will be your downfall. From a lot of calculations with your Army upkeep and looking at all the units you have got, I know that not all your army units are baseline. I also know that your troops at the Swiss Home Island and Hawaii are almost certainly in reserve status (this is also based on something you said yourself). You just use a big naval hammer to smash through the Swiss naval units defending the islands, hurl your army units onto the beaches and wreak havok among the Swiss army units that are encountered (and are all reserve). By the time the units can be mobilized, I doubt there is anything left of them.

Japan, OTOH is using its last large-caliber HE stocks by now if they were bombarding Saipan as long as suggested.

Based on what? There are no rules in regard to naval ammunition. There are only rules when it comes to ammunition of army units.

[Tanthalas]

OOC: I wanted to flesh out some of my characters, this seamed to me to be a good place to use one of the relationships I was toying around with.  Servilia isn't his only lover but she is the only one of High birth, (I actually plan to marry them eventually but it may end up being a shotgun wedding ^.^)

Oh and can someone start the conferance for the day i need to be 2 hours late.

[Desertfox]

but unless I read it incorrect, "Only 26% of the Swiss invatsion force manages to escape"...

Only 26% of the Invasion Force that actually landed got out combat capable. Only about 18,000 troops got on land (otherwise Rabaul would be Swiss territory by now), of which 54% got out (half as casualties). So present at Rabaul where 4 intact divisions (3 Elite), and one reforming Elite Division, plus other small units, for a total of fully supplied 110,000 troops.

Took the US, 5:1 odds, overwhelming naval (inc 16" guns) and air power, tanks and flamethrowers, to uproot the Japanese defenders from Iwo. Here the Japanese are facing much greater odds and do not have full control of the seas, nor the massive supply train of the WWII US.

[P3D]

Desertfox, your Rabaul raid is not something I would bring up as precedent.  The moderators were just too lenient to allow you to do that disregarding logistics and plain common sense about what would have been possible after about 1 week of preparation.

[Desertfox]

It was not a week's preparation, and neither are we using it as precedent.

[Ithekro]

OOC
I might note that Saipan is not Iwo.  Also Japan is a week away from Saipan at cruising speed.  Resupply is not that much of a problem, nor would shell resupply if the force goes on rotation since there are a lot of battleships and First class cruisers around the island.  The resupply had three days at best to deliver goods and remove horses.
Personally I'd expect the island to fall by the end of August.

I suspect new of the surrender of Taiwan to come in sometime during the conference.  I believe the local government officially surrendered on July 4th, but it has been some time since I looked at my notes on that matter.

IC
"Gentlemen and Ladies, might I suggest we attempt to do more problem solving this day, rather than creating new and exciting problems for us to have to solve tomorrow."

[The Rock Doctor]

"Gentlemen - and Lady", Minister Torres says with a sigh, "I fear we are approaching an impasses.  The key problems now seem to be the disposition of New Guinea and Saipan, and the Allies' view that they are owed a pound of flesh, as it were, from the Swiss.  Let me introduce a different lense with which to examine territorial disposition.

"Basically, let us consider the current disputed territories as potential neutral-party mandates, and the current conquered territories as the potential Allied gains, rather than the other way around:

"1.  Formosa is ceded to a member of the Alliance, other than the Middle Kingdom.

"2.  Hainan is ceded to a member of the Alliance, other than the Middle Kingdom

"3.  Buru is ceded to the Netherlands

"4.  New Guinea - in its entirety - shall revert to pre-war borders, shall be disarmed, and shall have deployed to it a neutral observation team that shall inspect and enforce the island's disarmed state.  Gran Colombia will commit to participating in such an endeavour.

"5.  New Amsterdam and Tasmania shall be evacuated by Allied forces and revert to Swiss jurisidiction.

"6.  Attu and Siska shall be ceded to Japan.  Japan shall evacuate all other Aleutian islands, which shall revert to Swiss jurisdiction.

"7.   Saipan and other North Marianas islands under dispute, shall be transferred, with Madrid's consent, to neutral Iberia, which owns the remainder of the North Marianas.

"8.  Swiss transfers of Keeling, Christmas and the Swiss Chagos to Orange shall be recognized by the Allies as a full and proper jurisdictional transfer.

"9.  New Switzerland terminates contributions to, and any claim of ownership for, the Kra Canal, in return for which the Netherlands acknowledges the right of the Siamese to seek other investors to complete said project.

"10.  All costs incurred as a result of the war are borne by the warring parties.

"11.  Full and expeditious transfer of prisoners of war, and the right of civilians to emigrate if their territory changes jurisdiction as a result of the above.

"Have I missed anything?"

[Desertfox]

"Hmm the Swiss Confederacy considers said proposal reasonable. Number seven remains controversial but perhaps an arrangement could be made?"

[P3D]

ORange delegates, low voice, discussing.
"I don't see any reason why the Allies would agree to it. Either Austria or the DKB would have nothing to show up for the war."

[Walter]

OOC:

Only 26% of the Invasion Force that actually landed got out combat capable. Only about 18,000 troops got on land, of which 54% got out (half as casualties).

Okay...
That's not really what it says, but I guess we can blame Swamphen for that vague bit of text. :)

otherwise Rabaul would be Swiss territory by now

Considering the strength of your forces, I think you must have made a mistake somewhere to let that one get away from you. :D

So present at Rabaul where 4 intact divisions (3 Elite), and one reforming Elite Division, plus other small units, for a total of fully supplied 110,000 troops.

Yes, that's at Rabaul back in November...

===========================================================

IC:

While some points are acceptable, Japan cannot and will not agree with Minister Torres's proposal as a whole.

[Desertfox]

Considering the strength of your forces, I think you must have made a mistake somewhere to let that one get away from you

Mods said I couldn't land all my troops.

Yes, that's at Rabaul back in November...

My bad, I meant Saipan.