WesWorld

1 January 1944

The Bharatiya Nau Sena's Comprehensive Minor Combattant Program kicked off with the laying-down of three new Rawalpindi class destroyers. With a light displacement of over two thousand tonnes, these all-purpose warships will carry the latest in Bharati weaponry, including the Mangus ASW system and fifty-seven millimeter anti-aircraft guns.

A total of six such vessels will be built, and it is expected that they will eventually form the screening elements for the new aircraft carrier Bagh Nakh.

14 January 1944

Prime Minister Bishen Sardesei set out his government's legislative agenda today in a speech in the House of Representatives.

The Prime Minister first thanked the Bharati people for their participation in the democratic process, and then thanked the Samraja for embracing the transition from absolute monarchy to a parliamentary monarchy.

The Prime Minister's priorities will include:

-Extensive construction of interstate railways and enhancement of the empire's navigable waterways, with a special focus on enhancing links to the new western states. The Prime Minister noted that Bharat's dependence on Persian oil imports, its rapidly growing cities, and its large working class were all arguments against skewing infrastructure development towards automobiles - a position somewhat contrary to that of many other modern states. The Prime Minister also noted that while the federal government would provide financial support to urban commuter rail and bus programs in partnership with state and municipal governments.

-Uploading and upgrading of health care and retirement/disability plans from state governments. The Prime Minister argued that single, nation-wide policies would ensure consistent coverage for all Bharati citizens and be more efficient than a patchwork of state-run systems.

-Investment in science. Here, the government is interested especially in fields that benefit the average person - such as agriculture and meteorology. An empire that feed its large population while avoiding desertification, soil salinization and other difficulties could sustain itself; an empire that can predict extreme weather and react to emergencies can protect itself.

-Strengthening relations with key international partners. The Prime Minister expressed interest in expanding trade and military linkages with South Africa, Persia, and Hedjaz, but also hinted that it would be examining trade opportunities elsewhere in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Finally, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the empire's commitment to the Indochina Protocol.

-On defence, the key story is a reduction in numbers for national service, which will primarily impact the army. More emphasis will be put on professional, long-service personnel, with a likely reduction in overall force levels. Naval funding remains consistent, but this includes new investments in infrastructure that will come at the expense of warship acquisition and operation.

26 January 1944

The heavy cruiser Vadodara is now almost a month into a six month mid-life refit that will see the ship receive new weapons and sensors and comprehensive refurbishment of her interior. There had been some speculation that the ship would be retired given that she is the only such cruiser in the fleet and, as such, is a logistical and operational black sheep.

As the refit will not include upgrading of the cruiser's machinery or bunkerage, it is expected that she will return to service in some sort of trade protection or independent patrol function, rather than as a carrier screening unit.

Quoted

Originally posted by The Rock Doctor
Finally, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the empire's commitment to the Indochina Protocol.

The Republic of France and the Collectivity of Indochina express their thanks for India's continuing commitment to the tenets of the Indochina Protocol.

18 January 1944

"Well," Prime Minister Bishen Sardesei mused, "This government has been in existence for three weeks and already we've got an international situation to contemplate. What all do we know about this earthquake?"

"News reporting indicates that the quake took place in northwestern Argentina, near a city called San Juan. Much of the city is said to be damaged, and a death toll in the thousands has been suggested," replied the Foreign Affairs Minister.

"Are we in a position to be of any particular assistance?" Sardesei asked.

The Minister of Security shook his head. "Not immediately. San Juan is just about antipodal to us, so any sort of transportation route is long and complex. An aircraft would probably have to fly around the rim of the Bharati Ocean, across Africa, and then to Brazil - or across Asia, around the northern rim of the Pacific, and down the length of the Americas. Ships can steam more directly - to a point - but they're obviously much slower.

"So we can transport materials, but not soon enough to be of value in rescue operations."

"Correct. We could certainly assist in reconstruction efforts by providing material for use in refugee camps, though. Tents, cooking equipment, clothes and such. More realistically, we can provide funding for the Argentine government to purchase such goods closer to home."

Sardesei nodded. "Very well, that seems reasonable. Let's set that up and invite industry and individuals to contribute."

"I'll have my people get on it," the Minister of Finance replied.

"So all this begs the question: If this had happened closer to us - either within our borders, or at least in Asia - what could we do about it?"

"An earthquake, or a disaster in general?" the Minister of Security asked.

"Anything."

"We have combat engineers, field hospitals, and military police units that can be deployed, and the transportation issue is much simpler, at least until one reaches the edge of the damaged area. If the affected area is coastal, the Navy can deploy its ships as well."

"I recall there were a couple of special ships built recently, but that they weren't available for the 1942 cyclone."

"Both ships were under construction at that point, ironically. However, the Navy did deploy other ships, including their hospital ship, depot ships, and transports."

"Hmm," Sardesei grunted. "The cyclone killed what, thirty thousand people? If another such storm struck us, what could we respond with?"

The Minister of Defence cleared his throat. "The hospital ship Dayaa and the two disaster relief ships are the main assets. Between them they have eight operating theatres and four hundred beds, so are equal in capability to a large urban hospital. Add to that more basic medical facilities aboard various depot ships, attack transports, and larger warships and there's capability - but also gaps."

"Four hundred beds does not sound like a lot given that the death toll in the cyclone was orders of magnitude higher..."

"I can't disagree, but that's we have."

"Perhaps we need to consider more," Sardesei said. "Actually, we'll put the subject on the table for discussion in a week or two. Two subjects: Disaster relief capability and related training exercises. We can do STORM-EXs as well as SINK-EXs, correct?"



OOC: Didn't know of the 1942 cyclone until we were in 1943, so I didn't bring it up earlier.

1 February

The French submarine tender Jules Verne has dropped anchor in Mumbai for a week long port call. She was escorted into the port by her Bharati counterpart (and official host) Seaman Himanshi Bagchi, following a rendezvous thirty miles offshore.

A few hundred residents of Mumbai turned out to watch the Verne's arrival, and several dozen have reportedly signed up for basic tours of the ship.

Officers and personnel from the two vessels will tour each other's ships, with shore leave and guided tours of the city also being arranged for French sailors. A friendly football match is also planned.

Bharati naval officials confirmed that a reciprocal visit of some sort - possibly a port call to Indochina - is being planned, though details have not yet been released.

14 February

Quoted

To: Governments of Australia, Balochistan, Burma, France, Indochina, Netherlands, Persia, Philippines, Siam, South Africa, United Kingdom

From: Govenrment of Bharat

The Government of Bharat has set up a planning group to organize STORMEX 1944, to be scheduled for November 1944.

The exercise will simulate a civilian and military response to a destructive cyclone making landfall along the Bengali coast. It will involve elements from the Bharati Geographical Survey, Constabulary, and all branches of the military.

As neighbouring governments who are also susceptible to cyclones and other mass-casualty emergencies, the Government of Bharat invites you to participate in the exercise in one of two manners:

Tier 1: As an observer, contributing no participants in the exercise itself.
Tier 2: As a participant, contributing to planning and providing personnel and assets to the exercise.

If interested in participating, please respond by March 31, 1944.

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines deeply appreciates the offer of the Government of Bharat to permit observers at its forthcoming STORMEX 1944 exercise. The Republic of the Philippines wishes to participate as a Tier 1 Observer. Please advise of any special information required.

The French and Indochinese would be interested in participating.

French and Indochinese participation noted.

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan
The Government of the Republic of the Philippines deeply appreciates the offer of the Government of Bharat to permit observers at its forthcoming STORMEX 1944 exercise. The Republic of the Philippines wishes to participate as a Tier 1 Observer. Please advise of any special information required.

Observers will need to be in Bharat by the start of the exercise (precise date pending) so they are attached to their host units from the start. A list of participants and their preferred host types will be requested once an "Order of Battle" is generated by the STORMEX planning team.

It is recommended that observers be fluent in Hindi, though they can probably get by if they can speak Japanese, Afrikans or German. SATSUMA-era co-operative work should allow for this.

The SAE will attend and participate. What kind of equipment, resources or know-how is required?

Bharat's answer is: What would you send in a real emergency?

The expected answer would be ships that:

-Have the ability to rescue people in flooding areas, such as amphibious assault vessels

-Have medical facilities onboard, such as hospital ships or tenders

-Can transport and land supplies and personnel, such as (again) amphibious assault vessels or transports, or

-Conveniently happen to be in the area.

So I'll leave that to you. Part of the challenge of the exercise will be for the Bharatis to make best use of whatever foreign assistance turns up, so they're not going to be perscriptive.

It's a pity the exercise isn't a couple of quarters later as I would have a couple of LSDs to send then.

I can't really say Britain has vessels stationed in the Far East that would be suitable. So Britain for will attend purely as a Tier 1 participant.

The Hyderabad Observer: 13 March 1944

Quoted

Critics Slam Cuts to Naval Budget
-------------------------------------------------

The Sardesai Govenrment's naval budget is triggering harsh words from critics who claim the cuts will threaten the nation's security.

Though the broad strokes of government policy had been stated in the throne speech this past January, the actual details and consequences of the budget are only now becoming clear. A number of ships are set to be discarded, including cruisers and aircraft carriers.

"It's appalling," said retired naval captain F. Lakshani. "We're facing an unprecedented period of unrestrained naval growth by foreign powers, and we're not even maintain our forces levels. We're reducing them. How are we supposed to defend ourselves from western colonialism and bullying?"

The primary cuts, as described in a government press release, are:

-Deletion of the aircraft carrier Lathi
-Deletion of the cruisers Goa and Chennai
-Deletion of three torpedo-boats
-Possible deletion of two additional aircraft carriers

"The aircraft carriers are the most nonsensical part of this," Lakshani noted. "It was bad enough that the previous government sold off two of our ships on the cheap - and then spent big bucks replacing them. This govenrment's just selling ships off with no indication that they'll ever be replaced."

A spokesman for the Bharatiya Nau Sena said that the moves are being taken out of context. "Our training squadron needs replacement. The ships are old - the cruisers and torpedo-boats are up to thirty years old in some cases. Well, how are we supposed to train our young men to operate our new vessels when they're learning on vessels older than they are? So yes, we're removing Goa, Chennai, and the torpedo-boats from service. We're replacing them with one large cruiser [SR Vadodara - ed.] and some high-speed gunships that are relatively non-standard in overall design but contain a lot of relatively common, modern fittings."

The spokesman claimed that the effects of the aircraft carrier deletion were being overstated by critics. "We required two supporting carriers for training and doctrinal developments while we were increasing the size of our carrier force. That work is done; we have five strike carriers in service. Now we only need one support carrier to engage in training duties - so we're retaining the newer, more capable unit and discarding the older one in advance of a costly mid-life refit. The seaplane carriers, meanwhile are simply becoming obselete with age and the disparity in capability between float and wheeled airplanes. We're not actively moving to discard them, but if a friendly power can find a use for them at a reasonable price, we're willing to listen."

5 April 1944

The Bharatiya Nau Sena announced that it will assign names to its active submarines. The decision comes some twenty-three years after its first submarine, the South African-built IX-1, was ordered.

A BNS spokesman said, "There is a recognition that our submarine arm is an important and powerful element in today's navy, and one that deserves the respect of names rather than numbers."

While the navy's cruisers, destroyers, and escorts are named for populated places, word is that the submarines will be given names reflecting positive attributes, such as "Valiant" or "Powerful".

3 May 1944

The Bharatiya Nau Sena's naval infantry brigade is set to get an overhaul as the fleet's realignment continues. To date, the brigade has been concentrated at Mumbai for potential expeditionary work, but that will change.

"In the first place, Mumbai is becoming crowded, so we are moving non-essential assets to other bases as the opportunity arises," a spokesman said. "We are going to deploy amphibious reaction forces consisting of an infantry landing ship, one or two vehicle landing ships, and an escort. With one stationed in each of Mumbai, Trincomalee, and Sittwe, we would have the capability of quickly landing a reinforced battalion in any of our three major operating areas."

A fourth squadron, including the fleet's remaining transport, a command ship, and a vehicle landing ship, would be headquartered at Trincomalee, to function as a reserve force.

Meanwhile, the navy's four fast amphibious transports will be deployed to the distal territories of the Empire. "One to each of the Lakshadweep, Maldives, Chagos, and Andaman chains, again to provide a rapid reaction force," the spokesman confirmed.

The move doesn't mean the naval infantry will cease to operate in brigade strength. "We will continue to train for that purpose as well as for indepenent battalion-scale operations."

The spokesman confirmed that a new ship, a so-called docking land ship, would be laid down in 1945. "The new ship will be intended to support landing operations and emergency relief efforts rather than conduct such tasks independently. It will have vehicle and landing craft repair facilities, medical facilities, and extensive provision for cargo transport."

1 January 1945

After enduring months of controversy over the sale of several warships to China, the government of Prime Minister Bishen Sardesei used today to make the case that they are, in fact, improving the Bhratiya Nau Sena.

With the start of a new fiscal year came new construction in shipyards across the country, including:

-A new cruiser at Mumbai
-New submarines at Mumbai, Trincomalee, and Chennai
-And a new aircraft carrier at Mumbai.

It was in Chennai that the Prime Minister spoke to guests and reporters in front of the cavernous drydock in which the SR Trishula is now being constructed. "While this government does not believe in the need to involve Bharat in ill-considered foreign adventures, we remain mindful of the need for legitimate self-defence capability. This new aircraft carrier, the equal of any built elsewhere, will enable Bharat to defend its coasts, to control its waters, to monitor its trade routes. The new cruiser being built in Mumbai will operate in a complementary fashion, while the new submarines will deter foreign aggression and so enable peace in our region.

"I understand that there has been disagreement with our decision to sell ships to China but let us be clear: These were ships that no longer met our needs and were not cost-effective to operate. The Trishula, by herself, will be more capable than the various small aircraft carriers previous governments have scraped together. We are foregoing the numbers game seen in China or Australia in favor of longevity and individual quality. That, I believe, is the key to a successful maritime defence strategy."

Elephant Party leader Gundappa Prasanna held his own press conference elsewhere along Chennai's waterfront, where reporters could plainly see the Bharatiya Nau Sena's two remaining battleships at pierside. "Friends, it is truly insane that a government claiming to represent Bharati will could see fit to dispose of a battleship just thirteen years old. Our newest battleship. While the Prime Minister can claim to be replacing the previous sold aircraft carriers with a single new one, he hasn't addressed the massive hole being cut into our defences by selling the Shah Jahan. That new cruiser may be a fine ship, but it is not a battleship. At a time when serious naval powers across the globe have built new dreadnoughts, and even minor powers like Romania are investing in the type, where is our response? I call upon the Prime Minister for an immediate increase to the naval budget, one that will allow the BNS to return to a balanced carrier/battleship force!"

Meanwhile, anonymous sources in the House note that even elements of the Prime Minister's broad coalition are uncomfortable with the warship sale, though not for the same reasons as the Elephant Party. "There was a fairly compelling case to be made that the battleship was small and obsolete. We were briefed on what major refits would accomplish, and we weren't impressed - it was scarcely more than had been accomplished in the last decade with the other battleships. See, people forget that Shah Jahan was designed to squeeze into our Cleito Treaty tonnage, so she's actually somewhat smaller - and less adaptable than the other ships.

"The problem, then, is not that we're disposing of the ship - it's who we're disposing her to. The Chinese have been rather aggressive in recent years, and you have to expect that China's neighbours are unimpressed with us supplying more warships to them. Will it affect the Prime Minister's foreign affairs agenda? I'd be surprised if it didn't," concluded one member who asked that his name and affiliation be withheld.

Back in Chennai, the Prime Minister affirmed his support for the BNS after the formal ceremonies had been concluded. "This government has committed to a comprehensive plan including aircraft carriers, cruisers, submarines, and the various supporting vessels necessary to maintain maritime security. We are also engaged in long-term infrastructure development necessary to support the growing size of our warships, in places where we need them. And while the Trishula is being built, I can assure you that design work is already underway for the next aircraft carrier we will build."

Speaking OOC - nicely done! Very balanced and thought provoking... It will be interesting to see if the Government can maintain its working majority or whether this precipitates a crisis.

Thanks.

It had been a source of frustration and puzzlement to me that I couldn't really do any better with a rebuilt Shah Jahan than the 1936 Akbar rebuild. It never occurred to me that the newer ship is around 1,500 t lighter, and so has less margin for growth in the first place.

That was part of the motivation for selling her, the other being skepticism that even a rebuild would be worthwhile given the state of naval aviation and the scale of foreign battleships.

Regardless, I saw no reason to think it was a popular move on the government's part...

Well, the good news about the outbreak of peace in Asia is that your sales can move forward. The bad news about the outbreak of peace in Asia is that the demand for second-hand warships there might slacken. I hope you made hay while the sun shone.

I believe so. I think all I'll have left for sale during the '40s from here on are the Trincomalee class CL and some destroyers, so nothing too exciting.

Quoted from "The Rock Doctor"

I believe so. I think all I'll have left for sale during the '40s from here on are the Trincomalee class CL and some destroyers, so nothing too exciting.

No doubt you will have given the Iberians a serious case of heartburn...

Depends on how much Mexican food we get...