WesWorld

[SIZE=3]Summary[/SIZE]

July 1
The new aviso-dragueurs Arabe and Algérien were laid down today in DCN's Noumea shipyard. These new avisos, designed for a mix of both minesweeping and antisubmarine warfare, are intended as replacements for the previous Arabe-class escorts, some of which were constructed in Japan for the French Navy during the Great War. In tribute to their predecessors, and out of respect for the Japanese destroyers which assisted in antisubmarine duties in the Mediterranean during the Great War, eight Japanese ladies will serve as the ships' sponsors.

July 3
French police in Algiers have arrested six men accused of organizing the aerial bombing of France-Hydro Flight 714. All six men were Arab members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front. The organization's stated goals, as outlined in their missives to French and British newspapers, is to create militaristic Muslim states in North Africa, the Middle East, and the East Indies. A seventh man believed to belong to the organization was shot by police while resisting arrest and attempting to board an Italian merchant ship in Algiers.

July 5
The Armee de l'Aire's procurement division has evaluated a series of projects for a turbojet-engined aircraft of French design, presented by Arsenal, Avions Dassault, Dewoitine, Breguet-Nord, and Liore-et-Olivier. Several design and funding decisions were rendered, but no details have been declassified at the present time.

July 8
The tenth CUBA computer was delivered today to the École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées in Paris.

July 11
On the sixth anniversary of the death of American composer George Gershwin, the Orchestre de Paris celebrated his works with an all-Gershwin program.

July 12
Absolutely nothing of importance happened today in France, so the newspapers and radio announcers spent most of their time talking about the weather, which was absolutely magnificent, but really only merited a thirty-second discussion at most.

July 14
France celebrates Bastille Day.

July 15
The French gendarmerie released a statement regarding the recent arrest of six members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front, and the demise of a seventh member. After detailed interrogations of the prisoners, the Gendarmerie estimates the size of the group to number approximately thirty individuals, the majority of whom were recruited from Muslim Algerian nationalist groups. Among the six members arrested on July 3rd was the apparent ringleader, Mahoummad al-Dhirti, and four of the six members of the "senior command council." Two individuals, a Syrian named Yusuf Hamsho and an Algerian named Abane Ramdane, remain at large.

July 16
Citroen employee Paul Mages has received a patent for development of a new type of oléopneumatique automobile suspension system, using oil and air.

July 19
The first issue of the new weekly newspaper L'Express, based on the American TIME Magazine, came off the printing presses.

July 21
At the Carrousel de Saumur, Panhard and AMX demonstrated their new offerings in the form of the Panhard EBR armoured car and the AMX Char-13 Masséna medium tank. While development and production of the EBR armoured car is proceeding quickly, development of the Char-13 is proceeding more sedately, with the goal of introducing the tank into the French Army sometime in 1944 or 1945. The slower development of the Char-13 is due to the numerous examples of the technically excellent and recently-produced Char-8 Montbrun medium tank which are in service with the French Army.

July 23 - Le Canard enchaîné
Sources within the Palais de l'Élysée have leaked to this paper that the government is preparing to announce a major deal regarding colonial issues, in conjunction with the British government.

July 24
President Theisman, in an announcement to the French and international press following a special session of Parliament, announced that the French and British governments have mutually agreed to a series of colonial territorial changes. Under the terms of this agreement, the British Empire will acquire the territory of Tchad, while the French Union will assume control of British Togo (merging it into French Togo), and full control of the joint Franco-British condominium of the New Hebrides.

July 26
Members of the French ultra-nationalist far left protested the proposed "Franco-British Land Swap" announced yesterday by President Theisman. Despite the furor by ultra-nationalists, however, most French political groups seem to approve of the proposal as "part of a necessary series of retrenchments for the French Union."

July 28
In Syrian politics, the League of Nationalist Action failed to achieve a majority in the national elections despite a strong showing in the elections. The LNA's showing similarly deprived the National Bloc of a majority, although National Bloc candidate Shukri al-Quatli was elected president.

July 29
The aircraft carriers Gambetta and Clemenceau departed Toulon today with a load of Breguet-Nord Br.900 Massette aircraft bound for Indochina. Native Indochinese military and government officials, concerned at the continued Chinese military buildup, reportedly requested additional assets from the French military. The aircraft currently being delivered will go to equip a newly-forming fighter-bomber group.

August 2
The French Army confirmed an order with Panhard for an unspecified quantity of EBR armoured reconnaissance vehicles. Military observers believe the EBR will completely replace the previous Panhard-178 armoured car by 1945 or 1946. There has been some speculation that foreign armies may be interested in the EBR due to its superior firepower and performance.

August 3 - Le Figaro
The French Parliament has instituted the creation of the Parc national de la Vanoise, the first national park in metropolitan France. Vanoise is paired with Italy's Parco nazionale del Gran Paradiso (Gran Paradiso) across the border. A bill to form a second national park in the Pyrénées mountains remains under debate.

August 5
The engineering and mathematics departments at the American University of Beirut announced their order of a CUBA computer for use in teaching and research.

August 6
Éditions Denoël has released René Barjavel's newest novel, Ravage, for print. The science-fiction book describes the collapse of society when electricity disappears.

August 9 - Le Nouvel Economiste
The governor-general of Algerie, as well as other notables, ceremonially opened the new oil-loading transshipment terminal in Bougie today. The port improvements are part of a series of projects revolving around the latest Algerian oil pipeline, scheduled to go online in December of this year. legal difficulties have slowed work on the pipeline itself, but project managers remain confident that the work will be completed on schedule.

August 11
The city government of Lyon met today to discuss the creation of a system of tramways within the city.

August 12
The 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Forces Légères d'Attaque departed Bizerte today on a planned cruise to the eastern end of the Mediterranean.

August 17
French tank manufacturer SOMUA revealed today that they had received a contract to continue manufacturing Char-8 Montbrun medium tanks for the French Army through 1944, albeit at a lower rate of production, in order to bridge the gap to the expected arrival of the Char-13 heavy cruiser, which is still under development at AMX. In December 1943, SOMUA's production will shift to the Char-8A3 variant, which will mount a new gun in a modified turret.

August 18
The Centre national de la recherche scientifique commissioned the new CNRS-1 research submersible today. The small craft, designed by Swiss inventor Auguste Piccard, is intended to aid in the exploration of the seas.

August 20
Walid el-Kohfitoup, the first of the six senior leaders of the International Islamic Assistance Front arrested on July 3rd, appeared in court today to be charged with the aerial bombing of France-Hydro Flight 714. Read more here.

August 23
The 3rd Cruiser Squadron arrived today at the Golden Horn in Byzantium, after conducting a series of exercises and port visits in French Liban and the Republic of Syria.

August 24 - Le Nouvel Economiste
Gnome-Rhone's Hanoi factory produced their four millonth Asie Junior motorcycle today, three years after it entered production. The small motorcycle's low price helps make it affordable to even poor Asians. A variety of sub-models, including a tricycle version designed for cargo carrying, help make the Asie Junior highly useful. A recent survey discovered that Asie-Junior motorcycles now represent almost two-thirds of the registered motor vehicles in Indochina, and a significant fraction of those in Thailand, where they are also sold. Asie Juniors are also exported to China, British Malasia, and the Dutch East Indies.

August 26
Speaking to journalists from the Palais de l'Élysée, President Theisman said that no firm date has been agreed upon for the so called "colony trade" with Britain, but that discussions had begun to focus on January 1st of either 1944 or 1945.

August 30
Arsenal de l'Aéronautique received approval from the French Air Ministry to begin production of the proposed VG.640 fighter prototype. According to current expectations, the prototype aircraft should be ready for first flight by the end of the year, with possible production to start sometime in mid-1944.

September 1
The fifth Forbin class Contre-Torpillieur D'Estrées was laid down today in La Rochelle.

September 2
The Indochinese Parliament voted today to push forward with the creation of a mechanized brigade, to be called the 202nd Tank Brigade. The further development of locally-funded military units was discussed, but no firm decisions were made at the present time. Many local elected officials have called for the Indochinese Territorial Security Forces (FST) to raise six to nine infantry divisions to support the six divisions deployed in Indochina by the French Army.

September 3
Serge de Poligny's newest cinema production, Le baron fantôme, premiered tonight at the Gaumont Palace. The production, starring André Lefaur as "Eustache Dauphin dit Monseigneur", Odette Joyeux as Elfy de Saint-Hélié, Jany Holt as Anne, and Alain Cuny as the gamekeeper's son Hervé, deals with the deadly secret of the manor house and the love triangle between Elfy and Anne.

September 5
Jozef Somers became the first Belgian and the second foreigner (after Italian Jules Rossi) to achieve first place in the Grand Prix des Nations, an individual time-trial for professional road cyclists.

September 7
Jean Jacques Barre tested the engine of the new Eole rocket for the first time today at CASDN's rocket research laboratory in Toulon. Unusually, it didn't explode. This definitely marks a step up from previous Barre rockets.

September 8
The French Foreign Legion has expressed an interest in testing the German-developed G11 rifle.

September 10
The football teams of Saint-Pierre, Stade Nantais UC, AC Batignolles, ASO Nantaise and Mellinet have merged to form FC Nantes. Marcel Saupin, the manager of Mellinet declared, “Today we are a small team, but we will become a great team if we work together one day.” Their home colors will be green and yellow.

September 13
Renault announced that it was negotiating with Bulet and Metalhim to produce Renault automobiles in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv.

September 14
Brandt unveiled their newest product, a 155mm howitzer being pitched to the French Army. With a maximum range of over twenty kilometers and a crew of eight, the new weapon seems poised for widespread adoption by the French Army.

September 17
Gebran Geahchan & Fils SAL, a retailer and distributor for baby products and toys, is founded in Beirut, Lebanon.

September 19
The contre-torpillieur Chevalier Paul was launched today in La Rochelle.

September 20
Ground was broken today in La Défense for the construction of the Centre des nouvelles industries et technologies, a Modernist convention center which will serve as one of the centerpieces for Paris's new business districts. The CNIT building, when completed in late 1945, will feature the largest unsupported concrete span enclosed space in the world.

September 23
Gnome-Rhone announced that they had concluded a bid to establish a motorcycle-manufacturing subsidiary in the Republic of the Philippines. The new subsidiary, to be called Delta Motors, will produce motorized tricycles for the Southeast Asian market. Motorized tricycles, usually modified from imported models, are highly popular in the Philippines; they are similarly catching on in Indochina as well. Delta Motors will export motor tricycles to Indochina and other regional purchasers, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Indochina.

September 24
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, a two-part film staring Pierre Richard-Willm as Edmond Dantès, opened tonight in Paris. This joint French-Italian production, directed by Robert Vernay, retells the story of Alexander Dumas's masterpiece novel.

September 29
In a statement to the press, President Theisman acknowledged that the government would be 'quite keen' to see the results of Bharat's coming federal elections. Theisman noted that the number of parties involved in the election, and the wide spread of policy differences, would probably make a majority government, or even a majority parliamentary coalition, extremely difficult to achieve. "The French government hopes that the subcontinent benefits from this free exercise of their enfranchisement."

July 1
The new aviso-dragueurs Arabe and Algérien were laid down today in DCN's Noumea shipyard. These new avisos, designed for a mix of both minesweeping and antisubmarine warfare, are intended as replacements for the previous Arabe-class escorts, some of which were constructed in Japan for the French Navy during the Great War. In tribute to their predecessors, and out of respect for the Japanese destroyers which assisted in antisubmarine duties in the Mediterranean during the Great War, eight Japanese ladies will serve as the ships' sponsors.

July 3
French police in Algiers have arrested six men accused of organizing the aerial bombing of France-Hydro Flight 714. All six men were Arab members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front. The organization's stated goals, as outlined in their missives to French and British newspapers, is to create militaristic Muslim states in North Africa, the Middle East, and the East Indies. A seventh man believed to belong to the organization was shot by police while resisting arrest and attempting to board an Italian merchant ship in Algiers.

July 5
The Armee de l'Aire's procurement division has evaluated a series of projects for a turbojet-engined aircraft of French design, presented by Arsenal, Avions Dassault, Dewoitine, Breguet-Nord, and Liore-et-Olivier. Several design and funding decisions were rendered, but no details have been declassified at the present time.

OOC information: This relates to the design process of three French jet aircraft which will appear for first flights in 1944, one in 1945, and one in 1946.

[SIZE=3]Literature Review: La Brigade du Diable and the World of the Future[/SIZE]
Article from Le Spectateur militaire. Literature Review is a monthly feature which reviews literary works of interest to military readers.

The novel La Brigade du Diable (tr. "The Devil's Brigade"), published in March of this year, has achieved a spot on French bestseller lists ever since its publication, a feat attributed to both its outstanding writing and the depth of its ideas. Authored by wargaming umpire Pierre Michaux and François Genefort, this novel inhabits the science fiction genre of Jules Verne and Arnould Galopin, being set in the near-future of the 1970s.

The Plot
La Brigade du Diable is primarily a war story about the fictitious 2e Brigade Aéromobile, under the command of Général de brigade Antoine Merle. The 2e Brigade is part of a larger unit called the Corps Afrique, a joint Franco-Italian-British unit fighting in North Africa against the Egyptian Army, which has seized the Suez Canal and closed it to shipping. The Corps Afrique faces more threats than the Egyptian Caliphate, however, as shadowy powers supply the enemy with weapons and troops. Worse, the members of the tripartite alliance are all poised to negotiate with the Egyptians and leave their alliance to pick up the pieces. It falls to Général Merle's brigade, the only battle-ready unit in the Corps Afrique, to secure the Suez Canal and defeat the Egyptians before the politicians destroy the alliance.

The book succeeds due to the talent of the two co-authors. Pierre Michaux, a former French naval attache and wargame umpire, has drawn notice in these pages before with his novels Les Actes des Aigles and Bruits de guerre lointaine. (The next novel in this series, Sous un ciel de feu, will be published in September of this year.) Michaux has demonstrated a talent for narrating a military campaign, and his deft touch is clearly evident in both the book's backstory and the execution of the plot. François Genefort, by contrast, has extensive experience as a pilot during the Rif-Atlas Revolt, and remains a senior officer in the French Army's Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT). This shows in the book's assumptions of the futuristic technology in this fictional world.

Glimpse of a Future Army?
La Brigade du Diable is one of the most unique books of this generation, as it attempts to predict the appearance of warfare thirty years from now, all under the guise of fiction. The military roots of the authors are clearly seen within the book's plot. Military units of all the powers face the possible threat of rocket-delivered chemical and biological weapons, as well as so-called "superbombs", if they remain immobile for too long on a particular piece of terrain. War becomes a deadly dance, as neither belligerent wishes to remain static long enough for rockets to be launched and decimate their force. In this fictional treatment, the British and Italian armies have responded by deploying fully-armoured brigades, units equipped with small high-speed armoured vehicles that are protected against chemical weapons. The French Army, by contrast, places their trust in the "aéromobile infantry".

Général Merle's 2e Brigade Aéromobile is part of a futuristic version of the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre: five thousand soldiers that can be landed anywhere in a hostile land with only a few hours' notice, carried into battle by high-capacity cargo helicopters. The Brigade's numerous helicopters carry hundreds of troops or small tanks. Based aboard a fleet of converted, high-speed merchant ships that can evade Egyptian rocket retribution, the Brigade strikes out at Egyptian Army targets in a sort of aerial guerrilla warfare, descending on the enemy with overwhelming strength and speed.

Summary
This book is highly recommended for its unusual insight, and possible foresight, into the futuristic world of warfare. It is well-written, with likeable characters, an intriguing plot, and well-researched ideas that should be of interest to both amateur and professional strategicians the world over.

Quoted

French police in Algiers have arrested six men accused of organizing the aerial bombing of France-Hydro Flight 714. All six men were Arab members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front. The organization's stated goals, as outlined in their missives to French and British newspapers, is to create militaristic Muslim states in North Africa, the Middle East, and the East Indies. A seventh man believed to belong to the organization was shot by police while resisting arrest and attempting to board an Italian merchant ship in Algiers.

This is a most distressing development.

The German authorities offer any assistance possible in tracking down the perpretrators and those who might have helped them.

The Yugoslav authorities will respond positively to any request for assistance, hinting vaguely that Italy is obviously stirring up trouble for its own ends. (The seventh was attemting to board an Italian vessel!)

The Philippine authorities are quite interested in this development, if only to determine if there is any linkage between the "Islamic Assistance Front" and the notorious "Abu Sabaya" bandit network.

Great Britain also expresses concern about this latest development, especially when their aims cover swathes of British territories. We hope this group has been nipped in the bud, but Britain will provide any assistance necessary and Interpol will also provide help where international factors make things harder for the French police to get what they want.


BTW, nice work on the future war article.

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan

Quoted

French police in Algiers have arrested six men accused of organizing the aerial bombing of France-Hydro Flight 714. All six men were Arab members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front. The organization's stated goals, as outlined in their missives to French and British newspapers, is to create militaristic Muslim states in North Africa, the Middle East, and the East Indies. A seventh man believed to belong to the organization was shot by police while resisting arrest and attempting to board an Italian merchant ship in Algiers.

This is a most distressing development.
...

The Philippine authorities are quite interested in this development, if only to determine if there is any linkage between the "Islamic Assistance Front" and the notorious "Abu Sabaya" bandit network.

The Dutch likewise are interested to hear this news as religion-specific unrest is a relatively new concern to them- affecting not only the obvious Filipino connection but with possible repercussions in the DEI and also Yemen and Saud concerns.

The Dutch stand ready to be of assistance. The Belgians and Kongo can probably be talked into as well

Why are Muslims so active in international terrorism in WW?

Because with all the misfortune in Wesworld, the WW nations need a scapegoat? I expect that soon, China will blame the muslims for the loss of their submarine.

I thought China is the scapegoat for every bad thing that happened in wesworld ? But now there in another evil

Well, if you read up on the history of terrorism its been around quite a long time under the guise of various religious and political groups.

Islamic terrorism that we recognise today is thought to have been spawned from three things in 1979, the Iranian revolution, post cold war religious revival and the Soviet occupation and withdrawal from Afganistan. I tend to think the religious revival would be the key factor of the three, with the other two events being modivators to commit violence or effect change.

In Wesworld theres no reason to believe that the Islamic version of terrorism hasn't spawned earlier. The Wahabi movement really started gaining noteriety in the early 1800's as was the Russian Narodnaya Volya and we've already had terrorist acts elsewhere at various times so I don't see how its odd.

There was some Islamic terrorism as far back as the 1940s, particularly in Egypt and North Africa; so I don't think this is ahistoric at all.

It's kinda odd - the story I intended as a sensationalist news filler gets more comments and attention than the news I've plotted out so carefully beforehand... odd.

Quoted

Originally posted by Desertfox
Why are Muslims so active in international terrorism in WW?

Speaking OOC...

I cannot speak for France, but in the Philippines the Moro population of the southern provinces have been provoked by the policies of the Government in eliminating a certain level of Muslim autonomy, of settlement of non-Muslims on land traditionally held by Muslims or unclaimed lands in tradtionally Muslim areas, and for what could be seen as a preferential policy towards non-Muslims and to the Catholic Church in general. These are policies that the Philippine Government has, in fact, adopted, if not blatantly so.

The peaceful conversion of the Muslim population of the southern provinces is the ultimate goal of the Government - how realistic this is remains to be seen. Certainly the acts of banditry perpetrated provide the Government with reasons to take strong action in response. That response will be part carrot, part stick.

Quoted

Originally posted by thesmilingassassin

In Wesworld theres no reason to believe that the Islamic version of terrorism hasn't spawned earlier. The Wahabi movement really started gaining noteriety in the early 1800's as was the Russian Narodnaya Volya and we've already had terrorist acts elsewhere at various times so I don't see how its odd.

In Wesworld, anything can happen. India is still dominated by the descendants of the Mughal Empire, Atlantis is real, and Dutch have successfully crossbred flying pigs that can make mach 3...ok not all of that may be sanctioned yet.

However, as long as it's in your own sandpatch, terrorism inspired by religious angst is fine, as is a messanic movement, a communist revolt, etc etc.

July 8
The tenth CUBA computer was delivered today to the École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées in Paris.

July 11
On the sixth anniversary of the death of American composer George Gershwin, the Orchestre de Paris celebrated his works with an all-Gershwin program.

July 12
Absolutely nothing of importance happened today in France, so the newspapers and radio announcers spent most of their time talking about the weather, which was absolutely magnificent, but really only merited a thirty-second discussion at most.

July 14
France celebrates Bastille Day.

If nothing of importance happened on July 12, then the 9th, 10th and 13th were no doubt even worse than that.

July 15
The French gendarmerie released a statement regarding the recent arrest of six members of the so-called International Islamic Assistance Front, and the demise of a seventh member. After detailed interrogations of the prisoners, the Gendarmerie estimates the size of the group to number approximately thirty individuals, the majority of whom were recruited from Muslim Algerian nationalist groups. Among the six members arrested on July 3rd was the apparent ringleader, Mahoummad al-Dhirti, and four of the six members of the "senior command council." Two individuals, a Syrian named Yusuf Hamsho and an Algerian named Abane Ramdane, remain at large.

July 16
Citroen employee Paul Mages has received a patent for development of a new type of oléopneumatique automobile suspension system, using oil and air.

July 19
The first issue of the new weekly newspaper L'Express, based on the American TIME Magazine, came off the printing presses.

July 21
At the Carrousel de Saumur, Panhard and AMX demonstrated their new offerings in the form of the Panhard EBR armoured car and the AMX Char-13 Masséna medium tank. While development and production of the EBR armoured car is proceeding quickly, development of the Char-13 is proceeding more sedately, with the goal of introducing the tank into the French Army sometime in 1944 or 1945. The slower development of the Char-13 is due to the numerous examples of the technically excellent and recently-produced Char-8 Montbrun medium tank which are in service with the French Army.

July 23 - Le Canard enchaîné
Sources within the Palais de l'Élysée have leaked to this paper that the government is preparing to announce a major deal regarding colonial issues, in conjunction with the British government.

July 24
President Theisman, in an announcement to the French and international press following a special session of Parliament, announced that the French and British governments have mutually agreed to a series of colonial territorial changes. Under the terms of this agreement, the British Empire will acquire the territory of Tchad, while the French Union will assume control of British Togo (merging it into French Togo), and full control of the joint Franco-British condominium of the New Hebrides.

The German Government expresses its concern regarding the manner in which the British and French Governments look upon the territories entrusted to their governance as League mandates.

Germany has accepted the decision of the League regarding its former colonial territories, and does not, at this time, seek their restoration. However, if these territories are to be regarded as so many acres that might be exchanged to the benefit of two powers, then perhaps the question of League mandates ought to be opened.

OOC: A map would be helpfull for a stupid man like me

Very good point.

I also wonder how inhabitants, both local or foreign, think about switching those territories. IT would not suprise me to see many of them upset, being moved around like cattle.

How will the UK and France handle operational issues that come with the switch? I think of law, tax systems etc. that effects business for example, or what about education, schools and teachers?

I am aware there is historical example of territory exchanges but most of them happened at times where the leading class of involved European countries cared little about issues like the once mentioned above. But in 1943 things are different, there is some kind of basic understanding of human rights for example. Communication is much easier and people tend to care about what happens to them, they are no bondsmen anymore.

What is your take on this? How to adress it?