WesWorld

Note: This thread is for current events only. Once I get a bit more time, I will do a bit of filling in of events from earlyer in time.

June 14th: The Thai Royal Air Force announced today that it has reached an agreement with German aircraft manufacturers and the Luftwaffe to rearm the RAF with modern German types. This deal also includes limited licensing for producing replacement parts. The airforce has languished in a state of obsolescence for several years. This new deal insures the continued security of Thailand for the foreseeable future.

Mid-Late June: The Royal Thai Navy announced that the former Australian light cruiser, HMAS Darwin, will be transferred to the RTN. The Darwin is of the same class of ships that make up most of the RTN's force of light cruisers, however Darwin has been refitted for training duties. Australia is thanked for this addition to the slowly expanding RTN.

June 17: The Navy announces the name for the new construction in the largest drydock in Bangkok. The ship being built there is to be the TNS Chakri. No notification has been given on what this new ship is to be.

June 19th, in a well known Bangkok paper:

TNS Chakri

Length: 161m
Beam: 16m
Draft: 4.5m

Main Battery: 10x120mm
Secondaries: 57mm and 20mm

Top speed: 30knts
Range: Classified

Armor: 75mm

One unit currently under constuction

June 29th: The TNS Chakri was launched today from her drydock in Bangkok harbor. The Chakri is a very modern Anti-Aircraft cruiser that signals the beginning of modernization of both the Thai navy's ships and tactics.

July 1st: Today four new submarines for the Thai Navy were layed down in Bangkok. Two more of the same class were also layed down in other ports. These mark the first subs that have been built domestically, the subs currently in service are all built abroad. Along with the Chakri, these subs represent a increase in the domestic shipbuilding done for the navy.

July 5th: The Royal Thai Airforce announced today that a contest would be held to design the new identification mark for all RTAF aircraft. The old ID mark is viewed as to tied to the disorder of the past years. Any individual or group wishing to submit a proposal should contact the RTAF. An undiscosed prize is to be awared to the winning ID mark.

July 16th: The Royal Thai Airforce announced today that a contract has been reached with the Siam Cement Public Company for repair, restoration, and enlargement of the Airforce's bases due the the resent purchase of aircraft with which to rearm the airforce with the latest German types. The work is scheduled to complete close to the time in which the last of the new aircraft will become operational.

July 20th: A major change is underway within the command structure of the Thai army. This is beveled to be tied in with the upcoming Armed Forces Review scheduled for later this year. While both the Airforce and Navy have received some restructuring, the Army has been very similar during the transition from the disorder of the last several years. The upcoming review is expected to recommend how the future forces of Thailand will work together in protecting Thailand from those who wish it ill.

August 4th: The German passenger liner Scharnhorst docked in Bangkok today carring members of the Luftwaffe and representatives of several German aeroplane companies. These personal are part of the plans to expand and rearm the RTAF. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive via ship sometime later this month.

August 15th: The Airforce has issued a call for any young men who wish to serve in the airforce to report to the nearest recuting office. For the first time, intensives are being offered to sign up. These insentives include partial payment for any individual who after there term of enlistment is up, proseded to institutions of higher learning. The Minster of Education's office issued a joint statement with the Airforce leadership to explane the move: "We feel that both the defense of our land and its continued prosperity can be met with this program. Several more developed nations have shown the higher education brings more and better jobs. This program provides a way for those who would not normaly have the oprotunity to attend an instutie of higher learning to do so, but also ensures that we will have the best and brightest working to protect out country."

August 30th: Yesterday a German-flaged ship docked in Bankok. This ship caries the first of the RTAF's new aircraft. Both personal from the German Technical mission, RTAF Officers, and members of BAMC (Bangkok Aircraft Manufacturing Company) were on hand to assist with the unloading of the 35 aircraft on board. These aircraft will serve as the prototypes for the new camouflage schemes and ID marks that have been submitted. The winner of the ID mark contest will be announced along with the upcoming Armed Forces Review.

What is the current Thai aircraft marking?

Quoted

July 5th: The Royal Thai Airforce announced today that a contest would be held to design the new identification mark for all RTAF aircraft. The old ID mark is viewed as to tied to the disorder of the past years. Any individual or group wishing to submit a proposal should contact the RTAF. An undiscosed prize is to be awared to the winning ID mark.

Looking at the pic, how about making the red and white rings a lot thinner and a solid blue core.

I always liked the Slovak roundel in WWII, and seems unlikely it will be used in WW; it's very Germanic, though. (I actually tried to make a Bulgarian roundel with the same shape but different colors... failed.)

wow...I had no intention of this being an actual contest, but alright then. If you would add you marking to Bruce's excellent drawing of the Fw-190 along with other ID related things, that would be great. And maybe start another thread for this...

Quoted

I actually tried to make a Bulgarian roundel with the same shape but different colors... failed.

Failed in what way? That you could not get it right or that you just did not like it with those colors? If you like that roundel, then maybe you should use it and change your flag.

Quoted

I had no intention of this being an actual contest

Well my intention was for Japan to sink its suggestive claws into Thailand and have them end up with a roundel that is a bit into the direction of the Japanese one.
kinda like

Quoted

Originally posted by Rooijen10

Quoted

I actually tried to make a Bulgarian roundel with the same shape but different colors... failed.

Failed in what way? That you could not get it right or that you just did not like it with those colors? If you like that roundel, then maybe you should use it and change your flag.

Didn't like the result.

Don't think it looks bad with a minor tweak to the Slovak one...

I rather like Vukovlads- not like anyone elses, good sign of Thailand taking their own course.

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Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
I rather like Vukovlads- not like anyone elses, good sign of Thailand taking their own course.

I do kinda agree.

And the winner is....Vuk!

The Thai Airforce FW-190 next to its Luftwaffe counterpart. Drawing by Bruce

Select Excerpts from the Thai Armed Forces Review: September 1940
[SIZE=1]OOC: This is IC reasoning behind the updates in the encyclopedia. All info there represents the current force distributions.[/SIZE]

Royal Thai Army: The current structure of the Thai Army does not reflect the current areas of potential threat. This review board recommends that the force structure and distribution of the army be changed to accommodate the new reality of defending Thailand in the event of war. The board's recommendations for this are...

Royal Thai Navy: The recent acquisitions of light capital units from our Italian Allies provides the Navy with a unique opportunity to modernize both its tactics and the ships in the planing stage. While not in the same situation as the Army with regards to meeting new threats, the Navy as of the time of this writing, does not have the force structure necessary to effectively support these new assets. The board's recommendations for this are...

Royal Thai Airforce: The recent decision to re-arm the airforce with modern types of German origin was a very good move, as the airforce was the most neglected service during the troubled times of years past. The Airforce must now work with the Army and Navy to ensure that its forces are arrayed the best possible manor with which to provide assistance to those services in both war and peace. The board's recommendations for this are...

In summery: This review board finds that, with ajustments to be made as per the recomendations, that the Thai Armed Forces are more then capable of carering out there aims of defending our country in a time of war.

The shipyard and port of Medan in the Dutch East Indies was a busy place. Ships from many navies could be seen throughout the docks and piers. Two of these ships belonged to the Royal Thai Navy; the cruiser Chakri Nareubet and the submarine R-8. Chakri Nareubet was there to pick up the crew of R-8, which was going in for repairs to one of its electric motors. Thai naval yards were just beginning to do repairs like this on their own, so Chakri Nareubet also had several engineers as passengers.

One of these engineers had been working in the electrical shops on the ST 2 Zuiderkruise (The subtender at Medan) with a Dutchman of the same trade when they came up on deck for a smoke break. Leaning over the rail, the Thai engineer saw one of the Dutch submarines, an O Class boat, tied up alongside. The top down view provided a good view, the Thai engineer saw that the boat was indeed a O class, but something looked off from the layout he recognized for that class.

After giving the sub a very good scan the Thai engineer saw what was bothering him. “What is that tube, there on the side? That long tube folded back in the casement alongside the sail.” “That? That is nothing really” The Dutchman responded. “Well if it is nothing, do you mind telling me what bit of nothing it does?” “Come with me” the Dutchman looked at him curiously and said, “I suppose this is something our Chief Engineers should be discussing. "

Later that week, after higher level discussions, the Thai engineer headed back to the Chakri Nareubet with a folder crammed full of papers that he promptly hid under his bunk.

[SIZE=1]With thanks to Kirk for parts of this[/SIZE]

Well written.