Greetings all,
I have several things to cover.
1) I apologize to wait so long to post this. I wanted to get past a
major personal stress point in early December prior to making a
final decision, but after that I had no interest in returning to post.
2) As I expect folks figured out, I did quit after that Belgian army
thread scuffle in October. While I realize that exchange was very
minor in some ways, it was the last straw. Alone,
it's not back breaking, but set in my personal context , I have less
tolerance for it. Overall, it brought back bad memories. This
type of thing makes playing here very not enjoyable.
So, the Netherlands, Kongo, and Belgium are indeed open for a new player.
I've considered leaving Wesworld before, back in 1938 with the
Howard mess, inappropriate tech, outsized armies, Persian armaments,
and all the arguments about them. Just made this an unpleasant place
to frequent. It's when I first ramped back. Plus, not too interested
in the post WWII tech and ships. Then this summer, I considered
dropping the position rather than trying to come back.
But I figured I'd see it through to 1950, and I had the story of the
formation of the Orange Confederation to tell. Plus I figured that
as I got back into it, had more free time, and less stress, I'd have
more interest. Which had been true.
4) The Dutch fleet is in the midst of a large
refit/rebuild/downsizing cycle, and I was in the process of
encyclopedia management, so it's going to be a bit mess for a new
player.
A common complaint on vacant positions is not knowing what they
are up too. So, to help any caretakers/following players, or just
let others know what I was up to :
[u]Various things planned :[/u]
Encyclopedia - I was nearly done updating this. I had one last
flurry planned at the end of the game year as the Training vessels
need updating/moving.
The following old posts to be moved to an archive folder or deleted
all 6 posts by RAM
Destroyers & Frigates of the Netherlands navy - by me
Coastal battleships of the Netherlands navy - by me
Tanks of the Netherlands
Naval
Not reflected in the BOO is that the Indic fleet moved from Phuket
to Balikapapan somewhere about 1942, I believe it made the news
thread.
Obviously the Dutch fleet has to downsize in the near term, it's
inflated size being a reflection of the projection of a 1938-42
SATSUMA war.
Eventually, the idea was to have:
HomeFleet
Battlesquadron - 2 x Kortenaer I, 2x Utrecht, 1x CLAA, + 1x
Fighter Carrier Squadron - (1x Eendracht/St. Clair , 1 x Friesland
CA, 2 CL)
Carrier Squadron - Strike Carrier - 1 x Van Meel CVS, 1x CLAA, + 1x
Fighter Carrier Squadron - (1x Eendracht/St. Clair , 1 x Friesland
CA, 2 CL)
Cruiser Squadron - 4 x Black Eagle
Reserve : 2x Ijelsijks
DEI Fleet
Soerabaja
Battlesquadron - 2 x Kortenaer II, 1x Van Heemskerck, 2 x De Rutyer,
1x CLAA, 1x Fighter Carrier Squadron - (1x Eendracht/St. Clair , 1
x Friesland CA, 2 CL)
Balikpapan
Strike Carrier at - 1 x Van Meel CVS, 1x CLAA, 1x Fighter Carrier
Squadron - (1x Eendracht/St. Clair , 1 x Friesland CA, 2 CL)
Cruiser Squadron - 4 x Breda
Medan
CDS Boerentange
2 Cruisers at Paramaribo, 2 at Matadi.
Eventually :
Zeven Provinciens to be scrapped.
Konigs to be sold for scrap
Frigates & Z25 Scrapped.
Auxiliaries scrapped and replaced with merchant conversions from
Belgian ships bought in 1930s.
KBH Tijgerhaai class to all be converted to training/Target vessels,
all remaining such vessels scrapped.
CV Hund replaced with 2 converted Oilers, 1 at Den Helder, 1 at
Soerabaja.
New "2nd Rate" Battleships/Battlecruisers ~28-30k tons, to be built
to replace the DeRutyers....unless changing times led to more
Carriers. Ultimately, the Dutch were going to field 2xKortenaer II
& 2 "B" battleships at home, and 2xKortenaer & 2 x "B"
Battleships in the DEI, each with an organic fighter carrier
element. Initially the Bs were to be the Utrechts, van Heemskerck
and treat the 2 DeRutyers as 1 "B". Eventually I think some
29,000ton 8x325mm battleships would have been the new "B"s.
Hund scrapped as training Carrier. Rebuilt Eendracht class serves as
add hoc training carriers until budget frees up and some oilers
converted. 1 "fighter" CVL with each Battle squadron or Carrier
squadron,
Refit the shipping bought in 1933 and introduce as auxiliaries (when
I joined, I was told that most auxiliaries were unspecified, could
be commandeered from the civil side and you didn't need to buy them,
now, esp after the 1/4 rule, everyone's building fleet trains).
115mm 24kg DP gun to be introduced in refits on the Z53 & Gruno
classes. With a higher sectional density than the 125mm it flies
flatter and higher, while still holding proximity fuses and
possessing a good burst radius. Eventually replacing the 100mm and
125mm in service. The lower weight also helps allow reasonable
refits of the Z53s- RAMs design has little excess. Also, when I
built the Grunos, I couldn't find a picture or deck plan, so I doubled
the guns fore/aft when they should have been singles with 2 at the
waist, so this is better for the vessel size. This would be
followed by that DP 150mm put up in the Ships thread on the
Province
Class CL, which you'll note has indeed been delayed.
Aircraft :
Aircraft analogous to planes like the F7F Tigercat & Sea Hornet,
F4U Corsair , SAAB21J, DH Vampire, were the future. The Twin boom
theme was going to continue, with the tractor/pusher D.XXIII
evolving to Do335 specs, then SAAB21R then DH Vampire over time.
G-1s were to split into Fighter (P-38L -> twin boom F7F), night
fighter (P61), ground attack bomber (twin boom Pe-2) and Recon
(XF-15) variants. Medium bombers were to go from T.IX to DH
Hornet/Sea Hornet style planes. Torpedo planes would be like the
Blackburn Firecrest, then something like the TU-91. Transports were
to go the C82N Packet -> C119 flying boxcar w/track gear route.
Diplomatic Affairs
Internal
Benelux conference. Luxembourg seeking greater economic integration
and coordinated investment/infrastructure, talk of joining UKN.
Followed by outreach to Germans/French for international roads.
The Dutch form the architecture of the future Confederation,
allowing a path for provinces to become independent, and then secede
if desired. Kongo and Luxembourg participate as observers. Goal
would be a government with a minimum rights constitution, joint
citizenship, as well as allowances for extra joiners/seceders,
mutual defense, a joint naval fleet with national auxiliaries, and
national armies armies with "expeditionary corps" for joint actions.
Financially, lower income countries would benefit from limited
issuance of joint bonds, access to markets and technology, and
provincial currencies which would be annually repegged to a central
currency - allowing for disparate growth at a capped inflation rate,
which should also aid in gaining investment. Developed countries
would have markets, labor forces, and safe investment locations.
One idea was that Belgians Walloon fringe would try to put secession
on the ballot, only to have the ethnic Flemish and Luxembourgians
(SE Belgium) do the same. Hadn't penciled it out past that, either
Belgium would stay together, or fracture. If it fractured, in the
end the Flemish and Luxembourgians would join the Confederation,
leaving Wallonia as an independent Belgium. Then I'm unsure if the
Walloons would stay, join, or go ask the French for annexation (as
considered in the 1800s).
External
Information sharing with AEGIS to continue.
The alliance with the Danish player would need to be assessed for
continuing relevance. Go ahead and consider joining the Nordmark/UK/Germany
In Afrika, I was going to try to get a Prince married off to the SAE.
Continued cooperation on technological & intelligence matters with
SEAR was to
continue, barring diplomatic changes. Hoo and I had agreed to joint
research as a secret amendment to
SANTA, bringing Dutch AA & Radar tech, and SAE jet tech to the
mutual table. There's already been news articles hinting at this.
Long term, I could have seen a formal alliance. Possibly revisit a
Nordmark-SAE Alliance with Denmark added.
I also decided to after the Kortenaer II class enters
service, scrap one Konig and give the other back to SAE as a
war memorial - possibly financed by the Queen as a wedding gift.
I was considering a
Belgo-Dutch Royal cruise, with a stop in Kinshasha to announce the
succession, a visit to SAE (wedding?) and possibly including a stop
in Bahrat. Alternately, send Princess Julianna & Family to the
wedding, and have them continue to Bahrat on the King Albert in
their role as Belgian Royalty.
I was going to follow up on the Aussie- DEI alliance proposed by
Foxy, as it gives strategic depth, though how it effects SAE/Bahrat's attitudes would be relevant. I
Of course, any new player can go any direction they want, as
these are no longer mine. Perhaps a revolt funded by the French to rid
the Netherlands of their Imperialist Queen goes awry and the new
communist government shuts the Rhine trade and commits to a massive
submarine building to wage war on the merchant marines of the world's
capitalists ! Subs build fast, you can get going by 1950 !
I'm just trying to tidy up my mess, and providing some ideas for the
interim, so it's not a complete void