WesWorld

BNS Administrative Command HQ, Madras, 13:23hrs, June 17th 1939

"So, you’re certain of your analysis?"asked Admiral Kashiram Parwan, Chief of Operations of the BNS. “I will be flying tonight to Hyderabad to meet with the Prime Minister and the other military department heads in the development of our foreign strategy for the near future so your report will carry some weight.”

Admiral Gupta, the BNS Intelligence Chief, cleared his throat, before beginning to speak.

"The time to strike them is now. And that window is rapidly closing. Our numbers are close to even right now but the pendulum is swinging on their favor. They concentrated in ships that would make any offensive operation against them very costly and I have to admit that we have no response to their new battleship, expected to enter service next year."

"Spearfish operatives have concluded that the so-called battlecruisers being built are not such thing but very powerful slow battleships. This, coupled with their recent capital ship purchases, will give them a 3:1 advantage over us in capital ships. Of course we have to take into consideration they have other commitments but we can expect the bulk of that force to be assigned to our general area."

"Even in carriers they are reaching parity. The decision to convert liners into carriers has given us a short advantage for now but their carriers currently under construction will be larger than our current large carriers."

Paswan sighed. He was the one that recommended the ABUSE treaty. He knew perfectly well that with Bharat leaving Satsuma a powerful ally was needed to support the BNS but this new friend was in no mood to support offensive operations as the old partners were.

"How are our defensive capabilities?" asked Paswan wearily.

"Much better, the enemy lacks adequate number of bases close by to repair damage to their capital ships, the number of our land-based aircrafts is increasing as we speak and the Satyakis pack a powerful punch as defensive platforms" came the reply.

"And what about our neighbors to the west?" replied Paswan.

"You have read my report. The window for offensive operations against them has past already, at least without an ally. Their capital ships are very powerful compared with ours and their number of aircraft carrying ships is obscene. The only advantages we have are their number of commitments and their lack of proper repair facilities in the region will make impossible for them to use the full brunt of their fleet against us."

“Very well and thank you for your candor, Gupta. Your report carries some weight in the decisions we will make for the future. Do you care for some tea? Replied Paswan moving now to more mundane things to discuss.

I like that. At least one party in WesWorld is doing politics old-fashioned style.... ;o)

Ah, planning against the Dutch, I see. About time the old rivalry showed up again...

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
Ah, planning against the Dutch, I see. About time the old rivalry showed up again...

Dutch? Who said Dutch?

Well, IC the SAE will never support any operation against the Dutch but OOC I welcome everything that fans the spark....

EDIT:
The Indians just have to be careful. Relations SAE-Netherlands were more intimely lately, compared to SAE-India.

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
I like that. At least one party in WesWorld is doing politics old-fashioned style.... ;o)

Thanks. One of the things I see in WW is the 21st century mentality in regard to foreign policy. War is an extension of diplomacy.

Quoted

Originally posted by perdedor99

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
Ah, planning against the Dutch, I see. About time the old rivalry showed up again...

Dutch? Who said Dutch?

You said Dutch without saying Dutch.

Quoted

"And what about our neighbors to the west?" replied Paswan. "You have read my report. The window for offensive operations against them has past already, at least without an ally. Their capital ships are very powerful compared with ours and their number of aircraft carrying ships is obscene. The only advantages we have are their number of commitments and their lack of proper repair facilities in the region will make impossible for them to use the full brunt of their fleet against us."

Massawa is one of the biggest and safest ports on the East coast of Africa, but there isn't really room to cram all the Italian Navy in there. Repair factilities - if it can still float and move it's probably best to send it back to Italy anyway. There's a few repair ships in the region for more day to day repairs.

War or the threat of war is a natural extension of foreign policy. It's difficult to force someone to do what you want through diplomacy alone.

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
Ah, planning against the Dutch, I see. About time the old rivalry showed up again...

A rivalry? Who us?
Why, whatever gives you that idea?

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral

Quoted

"And what about our neighbors to the west?" replied Paswan. "You have read my report. The window for offensive operations against them has past already, at least without an ally. Their capital ships are very powerful compared with ours and their number of aircraft carrying ships is obscene. The only advantages we have are their number of commitments and their lack of proper repair facilities in the region will make impossible for them to use the full brunt of their fleet against us."

Massawa is one of the biggest and safest ports on the East coast of Africa, but there isn't really room to cram all the Italian Navy in there. Repair factilities - if it can still float and move it's probably best to send it back to Italy anyway. There's a few repair ships in the region for more day to day repairs.

War or the threat of war is a natural extension of foreign policy. It's difficult to force someone to do what you want through diplomacy alone.

Counting with the British closing the Suez Canal to combatants, as Italy should also count with that eventuality. British would not mind both sides to get a bloody nose.

Also historical events have shown severe damage away from repair facilities is sometimes equal to destruction. Also Massawa's docks are not enough to deal with many large units being damaged plus they are also range of Bharati aircrafts.

I have always considered Italian plans on the region as overtly optimistic. They have too many chokepoints and not enough repair facilities for the ships needed to complete the job.

Excerpts of radio news transmitted by the Bharati Broadcasting System, May 10th 1939

"The Foreign Office stated that the dead of King Ghazi of Iraq is a terrible event that could affect the stability of the region, especially so close after the end of the Persian events. The Foreign Office also agrees with the statement by the Hedjazi and the Jordanian Royal Houses that the murderers of King Ghazi must be brought to justice. For now we will allow the British Government to continue their investigations but the dead of a man of the vision of Ghazi must be avenged by someone."

Hyderabad, 14:26hrs, July 1st 1939


Bharat’s Prime Minister A.K. Singh looked out onto Hyderabad from his office in the direction of Chowmahalla Palace and smiled. From a lowly young army officer to political leader of the Bharati Empire, it had been a long and heady journey, punctuated with danger and intrigue.

Idly, Singh worked his shoulder up and down experimentally, wincing at the pain. His shoulder had never quite healed right after he got wounded twenty two years ago, during the war with the Dutch. He was leading a charge to an enemy fortified position in the Andamans, the banners held high, when the shot hit him on the shoulder.

He'd saw his men go down, screaming as their blood poured onto the ground, the heat of their lives dissipating into the chill air of that morning. But he wasn’t one of those who had gone down that day. He remembered the race to the enemy trenches, then the enemy soldiers falling after they forced their way into the bunker, and finally the wounded enemy soldiers surrendering, one of them being the enemy divisional commander.

Well, that was all in the past; he had important business to attend to. Pushing the button on his intercom he spoke to his secretary. "Send Admiral Paswan in."

"Yes, Sir."

Moments later, the door to his office swung open as the leader of the BNS entered, flanked by an Imperial soldier.

Singh watched as the bald-headed man who had been a persistent thorn in his side entered the office and sat in one of the comfortable chairs facing his desk without been asked to sit.

"Admiral, The meetings of the last month had shown that the paths of the Empire are getting limited." Singh said, starting off the conversation. "Our options could turn into dreadful affairs if we run into bad luck."

Paswan nodded. "But what is left to do?"

"Because the actions planned could put us against friends, that's why."

"As you well know, I has always been a gambler. My predecessor acquired the new Western provinces without shedding blood and I gambled that important people in Persia would support the succession line if Kouroush was out of the way."

"Now with the Persian troubles finally over is time to continue our destiny."

Paswan sighed. The Imperialists faction, led by the Prime Minister himself, believed the Bharat’s destiny was to create a one thousand year empire that would rule over the Bharati subcontinent, the Middle East, eastern Indonesia and the Malayan peninsula. Of course for a faction that expects to create a one thousand year empire they lacked patience.

"We should wait a bit longer. So soon after the Persian troubles could be suicidal."

Singh snorted. "Ha! On other circumstances I would agree with you but we have a chance. The murder of King Ghazi gives us the excuse to try to remove the Saudi King with a more palatable ruler, one that perhaps will allow the Saudi Kingdom to join Hedjaz."

"As for you, I have an important job for you, Admiral." added Singh.

"What service is needed of me?"

"I want you to prepare operational plans to defeat and land a force in Saudi Arabia no later than the end of the year. I know we have to take into consideration the mainly obsolete Bulgo-Turkish fleet currently on their waters but with the end of the problems in Persia we expect them to leave soon."

"You understand that all the cooperation we have achieved with the Africans and the British could go overboard?" asked Paswan.

"Just trust me, Admiral." replied Singh, while turning to offer tea to his guest.

If the Imperialist faction lacks patience, Prime Minister Singh's party lacks wisdom.

Same parties, me thinks.

But WASP vs. Bahrat should be interesting, read, a Bahrati slaughter.

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy
Same parties, me thinks.

But WASP vs. Bahrat should be interesting, read, a Bahrati slaughter.

Eh, depends how it goes.

WASP thinks we can hold Saudi Arabia against Bharati invasion. Let's leave it at that.

The plan is for Persia and Hedjaz to stay neutral. Difficult for the WASP to sting.

Quoted

Originally posted by perdedor99
The plan is for Persia and Hedjaz to stay neutral. Difficult for the WASP to sting.

Tsk tsk. WASP already considered that before its formation. WASP believes we can hold Saudi Arabia against Bharati invasion.

It'll be unfortunate that we can't beat down Hedjaz and Persia at the same time, but hey. Can't have everything work your way.

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I forgot to comment on the implied statement that India was responsible for the death of Shah Kouroush...

It is most unfortunate that India is still looking for ways to get itself into trouble.

I like it. It looks like there will be one more fire in the forest

One more? I think its the same fire thats just spread to a different part of the forrest.