WesWorld

January 2, 1937 - Palanga, Lithuania

Large work crews reported for the first time to the Blohm Und Voss building site to the south of the current docks. The first order of business is the building of the mole that will protect the new drydock, the sinking of caissons around the docksite itself, and the laying of railway track down to the dock location. Once the caissons are sunk, the leaks plugged, and the water pumped out, the concrete of the dock itself can be poured and the locks and pumps installed, along with the supporting buildings, cranes, and facilities. The railway will make the delivery of construction supplies easier, and in the future will support the docks operations.


January 6, 1937 - Berlin

The Luftwaffe has placed an order for 60 Heinkel He-100A fighters, to be equipped with DB-601N engines, 15mm MG-151 and 7.92mm MG-17 machineguns, and other standard Luftwaffe equipment. The order is a relief for Heinkel, with orders for it's He-111 bomber shrinking from the Luftwaffe.


January 9, 1937 - Augsburg

First flight of the BFW Bf-109 V24, a follow-on to the V22 and V23 that flew last year but fitted with the BD-601N engine, along with extended, folding wings and an arrestor hook behind the tail wheel. According to sources at BFW, V24 was intended to have a DB-601E like V22, but Daimler-Benz was unable to deliver the engine in time so an available DB-601N was substituted.

January 13, 1937 - near Augsburg

The Luftwaffe Fallschirmjaegers demonstrated their capabilities today in a large exercise involving a battalion of troops, approximately 45 Ju-52, and 15 DFS-230 gliders, in front of Luftwaffe head General Udet. By all accounts, the exercise went well, but the General was seen afterwards talking animatedly with a number of men, ranging from the battalion's commander down to two sergeants. What, exactly, this presages remains to be seen.


January 15, 1937 - Berlin

The Luftwaffe has placed an order with Solothurn for 2400 of the Karabiner 35S, with the improvements as noted from the Heer trials to equip the Fallschirmjaeger regiment. Each carbine is to be provided with 5 15 round magazines.


January 19th, 1937 - Berlin

General Udet, limping, walked from his staff car to his office, swearing under his breath. "Who the H*!! came up with that design for a parachute??? Gott in Himmell!, I'll fix that......"

An order for additional parachutes, of the same design as the standard Luftwaffe aircrew chute but enlarged to support and slow a heavier load of 150 kilos, was sent to the parachute manufacturers.

Why do I expect a Chinese visit to Germany soon

No idea.....

February 2, 1937 - Berlin

Rheinmetall has delivered two prototypes of it's 50mm FLaK weapon to the Heer for trials. If adopted, this automatic cannon would supplement or replace the 57mm and the 37mm FLaK weapons currently in service. The ammunition fired by the weapon is the same HE round used in the 50mm panzer and anti-tank cannon, so no further development is needed there.


February 8th, 1937 - Berlin

Invitations have been sent from Grand Admiral Raeder's office to the UK and Nordish embassies inviting the naval attaches from those embassies and the fleet heads to an event in Kiel on May 23rd. The occasion will be the commissioning of the first battleship to join the Kriegsmarine since the Great War, KM Bismark and the launching of the next generation of KM battleships, with the Grand Admiral hosting the events. Guests of the invitees are also very welcome.

February 12, 1937 - Kiel

KM Bismark, the first battleship built in Germany since the Great War, has set sail from dock for the first time on her builder's trials.

Special Naval Attache to Germany Herre Berg and Admiral of the Fleet, Tobias Hysén will be in attendence, Young Prince Haakon (age 11), heir to the Nordish Throne will be accompanying Herre Berg.

The KM will be very pleased to host Herre Berg, Admiral Hysen, and Prince Haakon.

February 27th, 1937 - Berlin

The Heer has issued a contract to Solothurn for 10,000 semi-auto rifles, to be known in Heer service as the Karabiner 37. Each rifle is to be provided wth 5 15 round magazines, and in the final change desired from the trials rifles the muzzle accelerator/flash hider is to serve as an integral grenade launcher as well.

[The battle between the quartermasters and the infantry was finally ended by the decisions of the FARC to standardize on a semi-auto rifle and the decision of the Luftwaffe to adopt the Solothurn rifle.]


March 9, 1937 - Berlin

The Luftwaffe's contract with Solothurn for Kar. 35S rifles has been updated to be for Kar. 37s instead.

Which one's the Solothurn, again?

[SIZE=1](And I personally quite dislike "FARC". The acronym is still FAR, please.)[/SIZE]

The South American rebel group FARC may be ticked their names being used too

The Solothurn's described a bit here: http://wesworld.jk-clan.de/thread.php?threadid=4352&sid=, but it's a made-up weapon rather than being a historical one.

March 2, 1937 - Memel

Negotiations to buy the two parcels of land north and south of the harbor have been completed, and the German government is now the proud owner of the two parcels. Negotiations are now expected to proceed briskly on the purchase of right-of-way to the two parcels.