WesWorld

Day Two of Satsuma Exercise until Noon. Day for organization in between scenarios.

November 13th
0600 - Exercise begins.
Convoy of twenty ships escorted by White Force defender force departs from location north of Diego Garcia (Point Able) on the direction of Mumbai (Point Baker).
White Force Scout Force departs ahead convoy (Point Dog)
Red Force Scouting Force One releases planes to search for convoy.
Red Force Scouting Force Two releases planes to search for convoy.
Red Force Battle Force departs preset starting location (Point Charlie) on a NNW direction at 15 knots.
Red Force Submarine Force departs preset starting location(Point Echo) on a SSE direction at 10 knots.

0619
Cruiser Sittwe and Pondicherry of White Force launch seaplanes to scout route ahead for White Force convoy.

0752
Scout plane from CV Soryu spots White Force convoy and turns to report location.

1003
Scout plane from CV Soryu lands and report location. Orders are given to launch torpedo and dive bombers accompanied by escorts. Location and estimated route of convoy passed along to Red Force Battle Force.

1004
Cruiser Sittwe seaplane returns with no contact made. Cruiser Pondicherry returns with location of Red Force Battle Force location and direction of travel. Course of the convoy is changed to put distance from advancing force.

1037
CV Soryu and CVL Chitose of Red Force Scouting Force 1 launch air units to strike the convoy. Unknown to them the convoy have changed course on a more NNW direction. CV Sulu air assets, of Scouting Force 2, will stay on standby to be used if necessary.

1128
CVL Chitose and CV Soryu air assets fail to find convoy and ordered back.(1) By chance on the return trip the CV Soryu units located the convoy and launch a hasty attack. The convoy was forced to disperse to evade torpedo and dive bombers attacking their formation.
Referees consider two merchant ships to have suffered heavy damage and one suffered slight damage for the destruction of four aircrafts. Worse was the convoy was dispersed and it took a while for the escort to reunite the units back on line.

1203
Scouting Force 1 air assets return to their carriers and report the new heading of the convoy. Scouting Force 2 launches their aircrafts for another attack at the convoy while the Red Force Battle Force is informed of the new heading and adjusted accordingly.

(1) concerns for the security of the pilots. In a real operation they would have stayed longer on the air. Also the units have radios but for the exercise the scouting aircrafts are prohibited to use them.

This exercise is just perfectly designed to get the "backs-up" of SAE, SAER, AANM and Austrailia, because it is just practicing plain old piracy under a different name

Its pretty much the scenario we expect after the UKN pirate base in Saudi was established attacks on Persian shipping, this is of course only the persian POV and not in any way a SATSUMA official position.

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
Its pretty much the scenario we expect after the UKN pirate base in Saudi was established attacks on Persian shipping, this is of course only the persian POV and not in any way a SATSUMA official position.

Pull the other one....it plays "Jingle Bells"

The one about how the UKN thru kindness and trustworthiness created their colonial empire?

no, this bit.....
" this is of course only the persian POV and not in any way a SATSUMA official position."

or is there more internal strife in SATSUMA?

Ah, No there is no strife but the various nations doesnt necessarily have the same POV

Day Two of Satsuma Exercise to 1800 hrs

1237
White Force Scouting Force position themselves between the convoy and the possible approach of the Red Force Battle Force.

1309
Red Force Scouting Force 2 air assets locates convoy and launches attack. Attacking aircrafts, contrary to first wave of aircrafts, concentrated their efforts in the two light cruisers escorting the fleet. Referees declare CL Sittwe and Pondicherry to suffer moderate to heavy damage, Sittwe by a torpedo hit and Pondicherry by two bombs.Both ships reduced in speed for rest of the scenario. Attacking losses were considered to be 9 aircrafts. Another effect was that convoy was dispersed, reducing the distance between the convoy and Red Force Battle Force.

1312
Red Force Scouting Force 1 launches their air assets for a third strike aimed at the convoy.

1324
White Force Scouting Force engage Red Force Battle Force at extreme distance by launching a barrage of 24 torpedos at maximum range. Only one hits target but was a telling blow, on the BC Taipei. Referees announce the ship has to do inmediate repairs and was slowed to 25 knots for rest of the exercise. White Force Scouting Force withdraws after serving their purpose of slowing down the enemy surface ships.

1416
Red Force Scouting Force 1 air assets arrive for a third strike on the convoy. Pilots concentrate on the merchant ships, sinking the three disabled ships on the last attack plus an additional one. Also two more merchant ships were disabled on the attack with a lost of 11 aircrafts.

1549
Red Force Scouting Force 2 air assets are launched for a fourth strike after recovery, refuel and rearmament of the aircrafts.

1652
Red Force Scouting Force 2 reach the convoy for the fourth strike of the day against the beleaguered merchant ships. Only two more ships went under during this last attack.

1729
Two more ships are announced sunk by the referees when it was informed the convoy was under attack by submarines. Escorts began ASW contermeasures and was informed one the subs was disabled whiel the rest have to withdraw.At this time the referees announced the exercise for the day to be over.

Notes: On the offensive this time the carriers were used as offensive platforms, achieving almost the same results as a surface fleet on a more economical cost. Critics insists that the lack of adequate quantity of AA guns was one the reasons of the success of the aircrafts in regard to damage to the convoy.

On the defensive expected lessons in regard to AA protection were proven but some new lessons were also reached by events that occurred during the day.

Sorry to interrupt the skirmish, but the Dutch have been slimed by your compatriot.

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
The one about how the UKN thru kindness and trustworthiness created their colonial empire?

1. You're still confusing the United Kingdom of the Netherlands with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

2. India wrote the treaty which ended the Asir war. That treaty in no way limited the Saudis from re-arming. Indeed, Herr Loeder's agreement specifically states "defensive" arms, provides for better security for Pilgrims, and gains the Saudi promise to respect the LON mandate of Asir.

3. You're free to call it a pirate base if you want. The lack of armed vessels might make justifying that more difficult.

Also, considering the Kingdom of the Netherlands has yet to have a hostile encounter with Persia, and not even the Indians have accused us of Piracy, I'm not sure how the accusation will be received by others.

Consider also that the Netherlands has three times in recent years deployed forces to confront piracy, working with the Phillipines in the South China area, escorting friendly shipping in the Red Sea and more recently supplementing the Iberians in the Windward passage, I think the accusation may fall on deaf ears.

4. Heh and what's your stance on the U.S. considering the number of treaties broken with the locals- Jackson and the Cherokees for one... Or Australia? Russia's eastern expanses? Wales? Even in your own house, magnificent China was knitted together by war and has only recently re-unified after a civil war?

Quite substantial chunks of the miscalled empire were established as a commercial venture. The V.O.C. generally would sign treaties with a weaker power, propping them up against the larger power.

Example- the Portuguese invaded Sri Lanka, bringing a crusading zeal against the local hindus and muslims. A local kingdom freely contracted with the V.O.C. to kick them out, agreeing to pay costs. The V.O.C. kicked out the Portuguese and kept the land since the costs (there was a difference of opinon) were not met.

The V.O.C. paid tribute to the local king and after a time they allied again against the Kingdom of Kandy and were on good terms until... wesworld Alt-history kicks in.

The invading Mughals took over Sri Lanka, forcing the locals to capitulate and the V.O.C. to abandon it's lawfully granted lands. A treaty signed as a result of Indian force of course. Such a claim would have been inhiereted by the Dutch Govt.

UKN or KoN makes little difference to Persia, its not like the other parts will make take any actions (that concerns Persia) without a nod of approval from the Hague.

There are no armed vessels that have been declared... Why a dutch base in Saudi is needed is still to be explained since there are an abundance of SAER bases in the area.

...SAER did not exist.

Quoted

Why a dutch base in Saudi is needed is still to be explained since there are an abundance of SAER bases in the area.

Now that SAER exists, the Dutch might deem the base superfluous.

But that matter is for them to decide. And they have made no committment that requires them to explain anything about it. To anyone.

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
UKN or KoN makes little difference to Persia, its not like the other parts will make take any actions (that concerns Persia) without a nod of approval from the Hague.

Then why were there Belgian arms dealers at the Expo while companies home based in the Netherlands stayed out? Belgium is moving closer to the Netherlands, but still conducts it's own affairs, while the Kongo is starting to grow a little apart as it matures.

As for the Saudi "base", right now it's a paper agreement, and the only Dutch in Saudi are pilgrims and oil prospectors. The base is post SAER. The reasons are Herr Loeder's. However the Persian reaction certainly ensured the Dutch would ratify it.

Ok, done hijacking the thread

Just when I got the popcorn ready!

...oh well might as well continue watching the main feature...

October 30th 1935- Excerpts of the Monthly BNS Meeting:

"The 1936 Naval Plan will continue as scheduled with some of the old heavy cruisers being disposed (1) to be replaced in the order of battle by newer Kanpur class cruisers."

"The Karachi Agreement precludes us of building major units for the next five years. With a major exercise starting next month the 1937 Naval Plan could be based in the results of that exercise plus intelligence shared by our South African friends."

"It seems it will be possible for us to laid down, not one, but two Satyakis in 1937. "

(1) CA Bangalore and Hyderabad being sold to Mexico during the first two quarters of 1936.

Day Three of Satsuma Exercise till 1030hrs

November 15th
0600 - Exercise begins.
Convoy of twenty ships escorted by White Force defender force departs from location north of Diego Garcia (Point Able) on the direction of Mumbai (Point Baker).
White Force Scout Force departs ahead convoy (Point Dog). Red Force Scouting Force detached to White Force for this exercise. CV Sulu launches planes to scout ahead of convoy plus a CAP.
Red Force Scouting Force One releases planes to search for convoy.
Red Force Battle Force departs preset starting location (Point Charlie) on a NNW direction at 15 knots.
Red Force Submarine Force departs preset location (Point Echo).
0613
Cruiser Sittwe and Pondicherry of White Force launch seaplanes to scout route ahead for White Force convoy.

0713
Scout plane from CV Soryu spots White Force convoy but declared destroyed by the CAP by the referees.

0718
Scout plane from CVL Chitose spots convoy and turns to report location.

0721
Seaplane from Sittwe detects Red Force Battle Force and turns to report location.

0814
Cruiser Sittwe seaplane returns with location of the enemy Battle Force. Cruiser Pondicherry's seaplane returns with no sighting. Convoy changes direction to put distance from enemy Battle Force.
White Force Scouting Force 1 order to screen convoy. Decision is made to launch an air attack after no air support was detected near the Red Force Battle Force.

0822
Scout plane from CVL Chitose returns and reports location of convoy. Location is pass along to all Red Force assets, who bean to move on that direction.

0948
CV Sulu launch an attack against Red Force Battle Force. Three minutes later Red Force carriers Soryu and Chitose launch air units to strike the convoy. Unknown to them the convoy have changed course on a more NNW direction.

1017
A merchant ship is announced to be hit by an enemy submarine, with escort ships starting fast anti-submarine countermeasures. Referees announce another merchant to be sunk on the opposite side of the convoy, dividing the escort in the search of the culprits. It was announced both enemy subs escaped damage.(1)

(1) it was three attacking but referees stated later only two submarines found their targets.

October 30th 1935- More excerpts of the BNS Monthly Meeting:

"The 1934-35 programs increased our amphibious capabilities while at the same time giving us newer escort units. (1)... the new cruisers (2) allow us to replace the old Hyderabad class ships in the order of battle...our 1936 program goal are modest ones...basically to refit the battleship Akbar, roundup the Allahabad and Patna classes but later next year we will lay down the first capital ships this decade."

(1) Appendix A

Naval Program 1934-35:

Magar Macchh Daakuu:
2 in 1934
2 in 1935

APD Class
2 in 1934
2 in 1935

Kudligi34 Class
4 in 1934
2 in 1935

Kudligi35 Class
6 in 1935

Miraj Class Destroyers
2 in 1934

Allahabad Class Destroyers
2 in 1935

Kanpur Class Light Cruisers
2 in 1934
2 in 1935

Patna Class Light Cruisers:
2 in 1934

(1) the Kudligis gave twelve escort ships plus the Miraj Destroyer class was completed and the first two units of the Allahabad class are laid down.

(2) the Kanpur Light Cruisers. Less powerful guns but faster and more volume of fire than the Hyderabads.

Satsuma Naval Exercise day Three till 1400hrs

1059
Air Groups from CV Sulu find the Red Force Battle Group and launch an attack. The units fail to achieve hits expect for a bomb to the CL Kanpur that slowed the ship down to 20 knots and a torpedo that sank the Chinese destroyer F-2 after the ship gets on the way of a barrage of torpedos going in the direction of the BC Taipei(1). Referees stated seven aircrafts were destroyed. The Red Force was scattered and it tooked close to an hour to get on the way again.


1105
Red Force Scouting Force 1 air assets reach the convoy and launch attack. With the mayority of the CV Sulu away the CAP was overwhelmed by superior Japanese fighters(2) but not before scattering the attacking dive bombers. The attack only sank one merchant ship(by torpedo) and damaged two more. Concentration of fire by the two Japanese CLAA noted by observers. 13 enemy aircrafts declared destroyed either by fighters or AA fire.

1154
Air Groups from CV Sulu return to the carrier. Decision is made to cancel further launches against enemy forces and use fighters for covering of the convoy.

1219
Red Force Scouting Force 1 aircrafts return to their carriers and immediatly began preparations for a second strike.

1246
Another merchant is declared sunk by the referees, signalling another submarine attack. This time the referees stated the escort were succesfull in sinking the culprit but not before another merchant was sunk by what it seemed to the defenders the other half of the submarine duo that attacked them before.

1329
White Force Scouting Force launches a torpedo attack at extreme range against the Red Force Battle Group. The massive numbers of torpedo fails to hit anything due to the distance but the purpose of further slowing down the Red Force Battle Group was achieved.

(1) After the exercise the joke was the Chinese were learning to use their destroyers as true torpedo nets.

(2) The Japanese are flying the WW A5N fighters, the Filipino WW A2N.

November 1st 1935- In a short statement today released jointly by the Chinese embassy and the BNS it was stated the Chinese battlecruiser Taipei and her escorts will stay in Indian waters for an extended tour after the naval exercises planned for later this month.

When asked the reason of the ship longer than expected stay and how long it will last the BNS spokeman stated that "the stay is considered to be at the discretion of the Chinese government but is our guess they are trying to test the capabilities of their ship in the more open waters of the Indian Ocean than in the more constricted waters of the South China Sea."

November 4th 1935- Foreign Minister Kadharni read the report with disbelief and put in on the table. "So the the Shah has given orders to disband the Persian Army? But why? he asked to Field Marshall Bahadur.

"The report from Pishachas operatives in Persia has no reason for it but they think the Shah is worried about possible rivals in the leadership of the the Persian Army." was the response of the Field Marshall, who continued giving his response, "the Gendarmarie is trained by Nordmark officers (1) and is led by a cousin of the Shah know for his loyalty to him."

"But what that means for the security of our flank now?" asked Minister Kadharni. He knew that a weaker Persia could be overwhelmed by her neighbors and the mission of garrison their new borders would be a difficult task for the Gendarmes alone.

"We could plea the Raj to privately ask the Shah to at least keep the more loyal parts of the Army, like for example the Cossack Brigade (2) in service. The order of vehicles they have with a couple fo nations could made that force (3) at least a good mobile reserve.' responded the Field Marshall.
"But they will not be enough. Regular troops are needed, at least for garrison duty if not for more."

The Defense Minister interrupted, "The problem is that weaker Persia is a a threat to our national defense. The old fortifications are now deep into our territory thanks to the Karachi Agreement and with the Gendarmarie the only national defense Persia will have they could be overwhelmed by even a moderate power like Turkey. Convincing the Shah to at least keep the most loyal parts of his army in place is a prerrogative of ours."

"Very well, "responded Kadharni, " I will speak to his Highness and plea to him to talk to the Persian Royal Highness. I can only hope the Shah hears the request of an equal."

(1) IOTL the Gendarmes were led by Swedish officers. I guess that will not change too much here in WW.

(2) An elite unit IOTL and well armed by Persian standards.

(3) 10000 men strong in 1921 IOTL.

Oh.....

I wasn´t aware SPEARFISH - a joint SAE-Indian (naval) intelligence service - is operating in Persia....