International

[maddox]

Distance between convoy and Terrible and Indomptable is 5K yards  If Manta is behind the convoy, distance is much farther.

"New Swiss Flottilla , do not approach the Firenj Convoy. Do Not cross the 10 K yards distance.
This convoy is under French protection.No New Swiss harrasment is tolerated."

a small , apperantly non authorised blinker gives an extra message.

"Go ahead, make our day"

A non coded marconi is send at low power, but  shortly after repeated with more power from another source. (Terribles marconi is damaged, and Indomptables only works sporadicaly and also on low power and is only transmitting at short range. SS Dali repeats)

" Firenj Convoy harrased, New Swiss Flottila is taking agressive stance. French cruisers Terrible and Indomptable under orders of Paris are defending."

[Korpen]

HNLMS Java SS Dali we are reciving you stop heading towards your position stop

[Desertfox]

That puts my fleet about 5,000 yds from the two cruisers, right?


"Sir we are picking wireless signals from the two cruisers, they are relaying something."

"Let them, others will handle that, first lets deal with these frogs."

We did not get your last message can you repeat?

"We play dumb, we have firepower on our side and the closer we get the better."

The Fleet continues towards the convoy at 10kts, at that rate range will be 1,000yds in 10 minutes...

[maddox]

OOCYes,  that means 5000 yards, the range  the French cruisers know they will achive a good hit rate.
Course is oblique , so the aft guns are unmasked, but the profile is still as small as possible.

IC
Terrible ,Bridge

Bastards. They really want to provoke.   Fire a 140 as a warning when they pass 10500 yards.  But be sure it's way off.   

Repeat the warning Marconi and Heliograph . Let Indomptable repeat it too.

"New Swiss Flottilla , do not approach the Firenj Convoy. Do Not cross the 10 K yards distance.
This convoy is under French protection. No New Swiss harrasment is tolerated."

Marconi, we need confirmation, could you raise Touranne or Tricomalee?
No Capitaine , but we got a faint signal that could be an answer to one of our messages.  SS Dali is repeating our messages. But their transmitter is less powerfull than ours.

(the marconi operator doesn't realise his or Indomptables signal is faint .  Could be a damaged antenna wire, a clogged spark gap generator or  even a dead cell in the battery.)

[The Rock Doctor]

It'll be interesting to see if, in fact, Agrival is in this convoy, or if the Swiss even think he is...

[Desertfox]

Well the ships are Agrival's...


"Sir! Another ship is broadcasting!"

"Let me see...D*** the politicians are going to have some work, if any of the French try to broadcast again jam them. Now lets deal with the Frogs."

No parlevou francei, but we speak English! BTW I heard the bounty for Agrival is pretty good, you boys want it? No wonder you dont look happy. Oh we don't make days, we finish them. You know I think I have just sighted a pirate on the horizon, aren't you supposed to be protecting the convoy?

"Nice Captain!"

"The plan is..."

"They fired!"

"Warning shot, got that on camera?"

"We did!"

"Perfect, if they fire again we shoot and shoot to kill. Everyone knows the plan? Then carry on, oh and increase speed a bit we'll need it."


Fleet is slowly increasing speed to 15 kts. The course of both groups has probably brought them to 3,000yds by now.

Manta is doing nothing but appearing to be sinking.

Smoke has appeared to the North.

[maddox]

Bridge of Terrible.

Capitaine
They are crossing the 5000 yards mark....   They still play the idiots they are.
Wait,
Helm get us as close as possible, play chicken...  lets see who flinches..... the bunch of cowardly mountaineers or the sailors of the biggest empire on earth.

Marconi, keep on repeating the warning....   

Heliograph, signal the large cruiser especialy.

Back off our you'll feel hot shell, you cannot be that idioticaly to risk war with France

..

(the rest is moderators only.... will be filled in after the plans unfold)

[Desertfox]

"By God Gridley! I didn't know they had cold shells? Did you? Are we risking war with France? Hmm I wonder what Rohan will say when they find out who supports Agrival, after all we do know who sunk Bismark. It'll look bad on their resume if they fire first, but they have no choice.

They're closing us? The more the merrier. We have some loudspeakers don't we? Let's get a jolly tune up there."


Don't you just love irony? ;D Nothing better than going into battle to the tune of an Irish Folk song!

[Korpen]

Can the data on the French ships be found anywhere?
At the moment i have no idea if the French ships are protected cruisers with 10cm guns, or battlecruisers with a bunch of 33cm guns...

[P3D]

The French ships are two 14000t cruisers with 2x275mm and zillion smaller guns.

[The Rock Doctor]

Ah, yes, I remember dealing with one of them...t'was a bit of a pain.

Guess I'll hold off on further news postings of my own until we see just what you guys have ended up doing.

[maddox]

The unholy trio Gloire, Terrible and Indomptable were real white elephants.
Well known, and utterly laughable. No belt armor, nu upper armor, no armored ends, only a hefty deck armor, like any good protected cruiser, but build battleship sized.
Everything is sacrifised for the laughable speed of 22 kts, but the longest range in the MN 10 000 nm @10 kts- with unfouled bottoms and with good coal

Weapons are also strange. 2 single 275 turrets on ends-6" armor all over- , but the 16 140mm guns in casemates are annoying, as well the 16 70mm QF guns, also casemated. Without armor ...

The 16 47mm QF guns in deck mounts have an important role to beat of TB's...

Gloire is rusting, still heavy damaged, in Touranne (original on Tahiti, but alas, that is disappeared, so therefor the change to Touranne)
This damage was caused by the tenacious Gran Colombian cruisers protecting the convoy with "alternative" Darien Canal workers from the MK.
No funding was freed for the repair of Gloire as the time of troubles approached...

[The Rock Doctor]

Somewhat unconventional, to be sure, but from the perspective of the two protected cruisers facing Gloire, a white elephant is still an elephant.

[Desertfox]

Interestingly this will probably be the 'Last Battle of the Large Protected Cruisers'! Sydney is herself a large protected cruiser.


Bridge of Sidney

"Sir! Form Tarpon! Torpedoes sighted!"

"Damn the French! Skip formalities give it to them!"

BOOM, BOOM

"Sir Tarpon..oh my God! They got Marlin!"

Two columns of water could be seen rising from the sides of both ships.

From the five Swiss ships came return fire in the form of chemical shells.

"Hit Sir! They are hitting back! They have also launched torpedoes!"

"Takes us around Tarpon and Marlin I want to get into firing position. Radio home have been attacked by French units, T & M damaged, am attacking."

"Aye, aye Sir!"

WANNG

"Damage control!"

"Nothing maj..."

KAWAMM

Commander William slowly picked himself up from the wrekage of the bridge. The Captain was dead and most of his staff was wounded, the pilot was slumped over the wheel. By some miracle he, himself was uninjured.

"Sailor! Get over here take the wheel and follow directions, leave the pilot you can't help him. This is the Admiral I have the conn." 

WANGG

"Damn! We got hit by a torpedo."

"Sir! Look!"

From Terrible rose four stacks of water, the torpedoes had arrived! But that was not all, two more struck Indomitable! For hundreds of Swiss sailors there was but one thought 'Rache'...

"Damage control!"

"Sir! Engine and boiler room flooding, we are working on repairing the damage."

"Very well. Signal Balao keep on the chase, sink them all! Signal Fritz, come along. Luitenant the ship is yours, I continue the chase."

"Give them hell commander!... Oh my God, Scycilia has disintegrated!"

.
.
.

Damage control continued the fight for Sydney. However for now the water was winning. Indomatable and Terible both where sinking. Marlin had sunk, and Tarpon was still fighting.

Bridge of Fritz

"Signal Balao, have command, target is now convoy, let not one escape, signal Manta resume chase. Signal  Captain Sparrow, plenty of rum, interested? Signal three destroyers, pick up survivors, Swiss first, French second.

Captain straight ahead we have a convoy to catch."

Sydney would sink later that day but for now there was a new target...four unescorted transports. The battle had been costly but it had been won!

OOC

Terrible (sunk, torpedoes)
Indomptable (sunk, torpedoes)

NSS Sydney (flag,sunk, torpedoes)
NSS Tarpon (sunk, torpedoes)
NSS Marlin (sunk, torpedoes)
NSS Scycilia, (sunk, gunfire)
NSS Perch (75% damage, engine damaged, gunfire)
NSS Balao
5x Fritz class

[maddox]

March 22  8 30 am

SS Dali ,Bridge. The crew still in shock.  The unofficial French escorts raced by, challenged a complete battlefleet to protect them and got obliterated for the trouble.  A fierce sea battle and a lot of explosions later. (Desertfox's report is accurate from the NS point of view)
The captain, regaining his wits when he sees destroyers swing their bows purposly towards his small convoy of 3 ships.  Damn Joe, his insistence of helping the burning Indian cruiser.

Oh well, it's done for, the New Swiss won't be friendly after the bloody nose and balls they got from the French. Get the passengers to their cabins and be ready for the worst. We can't run and we assurdely can't fight.

Marconi,  send this

" CQD CQD Merchant convoy harrased stop
New Swiss warships stop
French escorts destroyed coordinates 5°01" S 90°E"

The bridge of SS Silver Cloud (picking up speed towards Akbar)
First mate peering trought a telescope

Captain, the fire on Akbar is being extinguished. I can't see more damage than scorched deck planks on the poop deck And I swear I see New Swiss uniforms on the bridge. They are observing us.

Oh Shit.... Warn Dali, are we in signaling range.

No captain, smoke from the battle is still obscuring view.

I warned we needed a stronger marconi. But no, it was to expensive that large set like Dali carries "why would you need a strong transmitter? Dali has one, and it's not the idea that you lose sight of each other. A small set will do, and be glad you get a transmitter or reciever. 80% of the ships on sea don't have any " Danm cheapscate of a shipping agent. Beancounter...