WesWorld

(Additional news will follow as conditions demand...)

Wednesday, July 1st
Wiley Post finished his record flight around the world in a single-engine aircraft with a landing back here at Hazelhurst Field just outside New York City. The Winnie Mae flew a total of 15,474 miles in the record time of 8 days and 15 hours and 51 minutes. A ticker-tape parade is planned in Manhattan next week.

(Note: Changed the name of Roosevelt Field back to its original name of Hazelhurst Field since Quentin Roosevelt wasn’t killed in WW1, so the field could not be named after him.)

Thursday, August 6th
The airship Akron made its first mooring to the tender Patoka today in Chesapeake Bay. The Navy also announced that the Curtiss F9C “Sparrowhawk” has been chosen as an interim airship fighter until a dedicated scout plane can be developed. It is not considered the ideal design for the role, but it has the advantage of being able to fit through the hanger door in the airship’s belly. The F9C had been designed as a small fighter intended for use on carriers, but visibility problems lead the Navy to reject it as unsafe. The plane does not suffer from those problems when docking with an airship. The Navy hopes to have a dedicated airship scout plane ready for testing next year.

Monday, September 21st
The deteriorating situation in the Philippines and word that the plague there has spread to mainland Asia has American health officials deeply concerned. Surgeon General Hugh Cumming has ordered an emergency meeting of the nation’s top infectious and tropical disease experts in Washington later this week and plans are apparently under way to send a team to Manila to try and assist Filipino authorities fighting the disease. Meanwhile, U.S. naval vessels operating from Manila as part of anti-piracy efforts have relocated to Davao on Mindanao. There have been no signs of the illness among any U.S. military personnel. There is great concern for the many American civilians living in the Philippines but the embassy in Manila has not received any reports of Americans succumbing to the plague. All shipping to or from the Philippines and mainland Asia has been suspended. Vessels in transit have been ordered to return to their port of origin. Health officials are reported to be preparing a quarantine facility on Wake Island where Americans being evacuated from affected regions will be monitored before returning to the States.
Wall Street is taking news of the crisis in Asia especially hard. Companies doing trade in the Far East, especially shipping companies, are suffering serious losses and stocks overall are sharply down. Analysts fear that if the situation continues to deteriorate it could lead to a global financial crisis as international trade comes to a standstill. When asked about his concern over the disease spreading to the United States, the Surgeon-General said: “The probability of this disease crossing the Pacific is remote, and I am certain that America’s public health system will be ready in the unlikely event that it does.” One unnamed official here in the New York City Public Health Department was less optimistic. “The Iberian Influenza was horrific enough, but this…this is probably the most terrifying thing I’ve seen outside of the Book of Revelation. If this were to get loose in New York, or another major city, the death toll would be far beyond anything we could possibly imagine.”

Friday, September 25th
Surgeon General Cumming announced that a select team of specialists will depart for Manila this coming week aboard the battle cruiser Saratoga. The vessel will also be carrying a large quantity of gas warfare suits and equipment to set up laboratories to study the disease and hopefully find a cure. The warship is considered the fastest means to get the men and material to the Philippines. The airship Los Angeles is also being prepared for possible travel to Manila if needed, as are several seaplanes and their tenders. The airship tender Wright is being sent to Davao to act as a mooring site there. The airship Akron may also be transferred to the west coast if the situation calls for it and a liner is en route to Wake Island loaded with medical supplies to establish a quarantine center and hospital.

Tuesday, September 29th
The Goodyear-Zeppelin Los Angeles Airdock was officially completed today in a ceremony attended by numerous industry and military dignitaries. The ceremony concluded with the keel-laying of America’s first commercial airship, the Atlantic Clipper, which will be operated by Pan-American airlines in cooperation with Goodyear. Pan-Am president Juan Tripp and Goodyear president Litchfield riveted in a pair of golden rivets to the frame to officially mark the start of construction. Pan-Am also announced that it has reached an agreement with the Navy to allow use of the airship Los Angeles as a training vessel for crews, with an option to purchase the vessel outright once the airship Macon enters service next year. Casting a pall over the entire day’s festivities was concern over the terrible plague sweeping across Asia and its implications for international travel. Both Pan-Am and Goodyear have seen their stock prices drop after travel to Asia was suspended and over fears that the disease may spread beyond Asia. The airship Los Angeles was supposed to fly over the celebrations, but remained at Hoyt Field on stand-by for a possible flight to Manila to assist efforts to halt the disease.

Thursday, October 15th
After an epic trans-Pacific voyage, the battle cruiser Saratoga anchored in Davao harbor this morning. On board are some of America’s finest medical minds, and the latest in scientific equipment to try and find a cure to the horrific plague which has spread across Asia in the last month. Dr. Robert Callis of the U.S. Public Health Service and head of the expedition said that he hopes to have his facilities up and running by the beginning of next week.

Monday, October 19th
The quarantine facility on Wake Island is up and running and is currently holding about three dozen individuals, mostly businessmen returning from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is expected that they will be kept there for about two to three weeks, which is the incubation time for the Filipino Plaque. None have shown any signs of the illness. It is not known how many others may be arriving at the facility.

Friday, October 23rd
The Navy has ordered the airship Akron to the West Coast for possible use supporting relief efforts in the Philippines where plague continues to take a terrible toll. The airship will be docked at Goodyear’s Los Angeles facility since the hanger at Hoyt Field is considered too cramped for the Akron to safely use and is currently occupied by the Los Angeles. Admiral Moffett has made a request for emergency appropriations to advance the planned construction of a new Airdock at Hoyt Field, north of San Diego. It had originally been planned to start the hanger in late 1932 for completion in mid 1933 when the Macon enters service. Construction of the Macon may be delayed due to some design changes being considered by Goodyear and the Navy based on experience with the Akron. The Akron will depart Lakehurst this weekend and will take the faster route, over the southern Rocky Mountains and the desert southwest. The route is considered to be potentially dangerous, with rough terrain and harsh weather, but is considerably faster than the safer route over southern Mexico.

Thursday, October 29th
The airship Akron arrived over Hoyt Field this morning before sailing up the coast to Los Angeles to dock at the Goodyear-Zeppelin facility. The vessel reportedly weathered the cross-country voyage with few problems, despite some turbulence over New Mexico and Arizona. This places both Navy airships in a position to assist in relief operations in the Philippines.

Monday, November 9th
The Navy Department announced a new deal with the Mexican government in which Mexico will buy a new light cruiser, and lease a pair of submarines for training purposes. The cruiser will apparently be an updated version of the two “Columbia” class cruisers sold to Mexico in the late 20’s. The submarines R-23 and R-24 will be transferred to the Mexican Navy after a training period in San Diego. The cruiser will be finished sometime in late 1933.

Wednesday, December 2nd
It is reported that all United States naval forces in the Atlantic Fleet have been ordered to engage and destroy the pirate vessel known as the “Deathshadow” on sight. “We will not abide pirates” said a Navy spokesman. “If this devil Harlock thinks he can operate with impunity in the Atlantic or Caribbean, he will be greatly disappointed! We will not let his kind continue to prey on the world’s shipping, especially now when the world’s economy is already in peril over the Plague crisis.”

Quoted

Originally posted by CanisD
Wednesday, December 2nd
It is reported that all United States naval forces in the Atlantic Fleet have been ordered to engage and destroy the pirate vessel known as the “Deathshadow” on sight. “We will not abide pirates” said a Navy spokesman. “If this devil Harlock thinks he can operate with impunity in the Atlantic or Caribbean, he will be greatly disappointed! We will not let his kind continue to prey on the world’s shipping, especially now when the world’s economy is already in peril over the Plague crisis.”

Too bad the RCN beat them too it. :B

Beat them to battle but let him slip away!

I still find it odd that somehow Harlock would sneak through American/Atlantean/Iberian territory and hit Canadian interests without being seen along the way.

As far as the Canucks are concerned, they managed to set a decent trap for him, and even if they didn't sink him, they've put him out of business for a while, and showed other ne'er-do-wells that Canada isn't a soft target.

Quoted

Originally posted by CanisD
(Additional news will follow as conditions demand...)

Wall Street is taking news of the crisis in Asia especially hard. Companies doing trade in the Far East, especially shipping companies, are suffering serious losses and stocks overall are sharply down. Analysts fear that if the situation continues to deteriorate it could lead to a global financial crisis as international trade comes to a standstill.

.....
One unnamed official here in the New York City Public Health Department was less optimistic. “The Iberian Influenza was horrific enough, but this…this is probably the most terrifying thing I’ve seen outside of the Book of Revelation. If this were to get loose in New York, or another major city, the death toll would be far beyond anything we could possibly imagine.”

...
Pan-Am president Juan Tripp and Goodyear president Litchfield riveted in a pair of golden rivets to the frame to officially mark the start of construction.

1. "global financial crisis" - how depressing!
2. Good thing Ridyah isn't a major city !
3. 'golden rivets'- nice touch

Where's international trade coming to a standstill, Nordmark is seeing a rise in imports and exports.

There isn't as much traffic from SEA and that that is coming through Suez is delayed. Then there is the fear to investors as well. I think something of this magnitude might provoke financial crisis, but Italy planned ahead a bit in view of this. Quite a few of the SEA countries are closing their ports. It all adds to the fear, causing investors to bail.