WesWorld

Quoted from "Hood"

Methinks we haven't heard the last of the Lefkis.
The Royal Navy will nod sagely, they will suspect a neat job by some Italian frogmen.

Italy:

And the greek government fear the same than the royal navy.

General Gehlen inquires of his staff whether the Lefkis was tied to any of the Abwehr's operations, or whether it was a private venture.

OOC: Atlantis (and by extension Byzantium) is also watching keenly as to what sank the Greek freighter, quietly suspecting Italian shinanigans and hoping it not to be the case. Turkey too is also suspicious and quite frankly worried that the Warsaw pact may have to navigate through its first major crisis as an alliance. If indeed the Italians sabotaged the Lefkis it could potentially have dire consequences as it involves nations from both the Grand alliance and Warsaw pact. In short, sinking a foreign freighter in a French controlled port would be seen as heavy handed, reckless and lawless.

Formula One
Tuesday, April 26, 1949 - The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) confirmed plans to begin awarding the Formula One World Driver's Championship, based on a points system from Grand Prix results, in the 1949 racing season. Points can be received by winning any of the ten Grand Prix races of the 1949 season: the Atlantean Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix (at Silverston), the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, the Belgian Grand Prix, the Swiss Grand Prix, the French Grand Prix, the German Grand Prix, the Japanese Grand Prix, and the Italian Grand Prix.

Tour de Normandie
Saturday, April 30, 1949 - Belgian cyclist Maurice Blomme wins the Tour de Normandie.

French Government Protests Aerial Interception
Monday, May 2, 1949 - The French government issued a strongly-worded protest to Italy following an incident yesterday. The French state aircraft Concorde, returning from a visit to Yugoslavia with both President Clemenceau and Prime Minister Michelet, with their families and staffs aboard, was intercepted over northern Italy by a pair of Italian Cinghiale jet fighters, one of which made a number of 'dangerously close' passes. The Concorde had a flight plan filed with the Italian civil aviation authorities at the time of the incident, but had detoured south to avoid thunderstorms over the Swiss and Austrian Alps.

This aggressive action by the Italian air forces, less than two weeks after the suspicious events of the Lefkis Affair in Djibouti, further demonstrates the decaying state of political relations between France and Italy.

Italian Minister Resigns
Thursday, May 5, 1949 - In response to the Italian interception of the French state aircraft Concorde on Monday, the Italian minister of defense offered his resignation, and three senior officers of the Aeronautica Militare were sacked.

Roussillon Grand Prix
Sunday, May 8, 1949 - Raymond Sommer, in a Simca Gordini T11, won the Roussillon Grand Prix today. The next six finishes were all claimed by Maserati 4CLs, with Juan Manuel Fangio in second place.

Lefkis Investigation Report
Monday, May 16, 1949 - The Marine Nationale released the report summarizing their investigation of the sinking of the Greek freighter Lefkis in Djibouti. The report concludes that the first explosion originated from inside the ship, in a compartment filled with crates of 81mm mortar shells. The resulting explosion caused a fire which rapidly spread to other cargo compartments, setting a number of other flammable items in the ship's cargo ablaze. A second explosion took place deeper in the ship, compromising the freighter's watertight integrity. The ship's small crew and lack of subdivision caused the freighter to sink slowly.

Prior to the ship's sinking, the vessel had been inspected thoroughly by the port captain, who was charged with investigating the Italian accusation of arms smuggling. Further investigation indicated that, while some of the ship's cargo was indisputably bound for Thailand, at least half of the military stores aboard the ship (principally small arms, light mortars, and ammunition) were not adequately logged in the ship's manifest. Many of these items were improperly stowed in cargo bays that were not adequately sealed, and could be accessed easily even while at sea. The Marine Nationale concluded that all available evidence indicates the freighter was likely engaged in weapon smuggling.

The investigators noted this possibility became more likely due to confusion about where the Lefkis originated. Her last definitive port of call was Constanta, Romania, where she took aboard a cargo of grain consigned for Persia, departing December 29th of last year. The ship did not pass Suez until March 10th, however, and the ship's log gives no explanation for her movements in the month prior to when the ship was chased into French Somaliland by the Ras Dejen on April 15th. The ship's ownership is also a matter of uncertainty; the Lefkis was built in Russia in 1920, with a chequered ownership history. The Lefkis was registered in the Greek merchant fleet in September of last year, apparently being transferred from Nordish ownership; but it is clear that this was done as a flag of convenience, with the actual owners not even located in Greece. The report noted that the Italian Servizio Informazioni Militare declined to share much information with the investigators, although they did provide a more accurate accounting of Lefkis's cargo than the ship's logs possessed.

Finally, the investigators outlined three possibilities for the events that led to Lefkis's sinking. The investigators dismissed the scenario of an Italian frogman attack, which has been popularly advanced both by the French press and abroad, stating that the evidence did not fit such a scenario. They instead considered the possibility that an Italian agent among the freighter's crew set timed charges in one of the accessible cargo holds. A second possibility was that one of the ship's officers set a fire to spark the explosion, either to cover evidence of smuggling or for some other unknown purpose. The third alternative proposed was that of a truly accidental fire, possibly caused by a careless cigarette, which gave the impression of foul play. The investigators tended to favor this assessment, noting that the Lefkis was a 'floating safety infraction' with a poor safety rating by Lloyds of London. The investigation refused to endorse any of these three alternatives.

In spite of sinking, the Lefkis was deemed 'salvageable' and a portion of her cargo of arms was recovered within a few days. Such equipment as was proven consigned for Thailand will be shipped to Southeast Asia, while the remainder will be disposed by French authorities.

Stefan Czarnecki travels to Djibouti in the hopes of attending the disposal sale of the salvaged cargo of the Lefkis.

A group of greek investigator travels to Djibouti to secure the lefki's cargo to any further possible investigations.

Greek investigators will be allowed full access to inspect the parts of the weapons shipment left unidentified by Thailand, but the French government does not view Greece having any claim to it.

Of course not. Secure is a term to conduct the negotiation needed to inspect them.

Monaco Grand Prix
Sunday, May 22, 1949 - Today's Monaco Grand Prix kicked off as the third race in the Formula One World Driver's Championship, being won by Argentine native Juan Manuel Fangio in an Alfa Romeo. Louis Rosier finished second in his Toyota TFO-I, trailed by B. Bira of Thailand (also in a Toyota).

Broussard!
Wednesday, May 25, 1949 - The MH.1521 Broussard prototype makes its first flight in Reims. The type is designed to meet a French Army spotting and utility aircraft requirement as a replacement for the Caudron Cyclone.

Voisin and Hennequin
Wednesday, June 8, 1949 - After his plane is damaged by the Shazarian ace pilot Kirmizi Kilic, Claude Hennequin finds himself stuck on the airbase, while his mechanic Pasquerault works to patch up La jeune fille, his Bloch MB.155. As Shazaria declares war on the Kingdom of Rumelia, however, Voisin must continue the League's aerial patrols without his trusted wingman.

PM Visits Denmark
Wednesday, June 15, 1949 - Prime Minister Michelet concluded a state visit to Copenhagen today, where he discussed economic policy, security concerns, and European affairs.

Dhows Arrested in Gulf of Aden
Thursday, June 23, 1949 - The French patrol ships Grisélidis and Micaëla stopped, boarded, and seized two dhows suspected of arms trafficking. One of the dhows, flagged out of Muscat, will be turned over to British authorities in Aden, while the second dhow, from Jeddah, has been sent into Berbera.

24 Hours of Le Mans
Monday, June 27, 1949 - Briton Peter Mitchell-Thomson (Lord Selsdon) and American Luigi Chinetti won the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a very close finish. In Selsdon's Ferrari 166 MM, the duo narrowly edged out Henri Louveau and Iberian Juan Jover in the Delage D6S-3L. Unfortunately, British driver Pierre Maréchal was seriously injured following the wreck of his Aston-Martin DB-2.

Tour de France Begins
Thursday, June 30, 1949 - The Tour de France opened today. The race will cover 4,808 km, with short forays into Iberia and Belgium.

Hôtel de Brienne (French Ministry of National Defense), Paris, France
Friday, June 24, 1949

Minister of National Defense Édouard Delcroix appreciated the working relationship he'd built with the Comte de Rochefort, the chief of the Dieuxeme Bureau, since he'd taken control of the Ministry a year prior. The Comte had a well-known dislike for politicians - and at the end of the day, Delcroix was a politician - but it seemed that de Rochefort allowed for a few exceptions.

This did not make de Rochefort easy to work with. In Delcroix's opinion, the spymaster was a very particular sort of thrill-seeker who evaluated his own self-worth on the basis of his ability to outmaneuver opponents, both foreign and - occasionally - domestic. The French press virtually ignored him, while his foreign peers tended to view him as a strange sort of man to lead the Dieuxeme Bureau - capable and competent, perhaps, but often little more than that. He lacked the quiet awe and respect accorded to the deceased Wilhelm Canaris, or the subtle, competent menace of his replacement Gehlen, or the mystic enigma of Control. De Rochefort found that view highly satisfactory, since most people underestimated both him and French military intelligence rather badly.

In some ways, he wasn't even much of a patriot. Delcroix suspected - though he could hardly prove - that de Rochefort served France solely because France gave him the opportunity to keep doing a job that he loved, playing "the Game".

"So how are you today?" Delcroix asked, as the Comte seated himself in the office.

"Lazzati just became chief of SIM," de Rochefort said, ignoring the question and the associated pleasantries.

"Ah," Delcroix answered, sitting back in his chair and pausing in thought. Andrea Leonardo Lazzati, the chief of Italian military intelligence's Balkans section, had been a rising star in the Servizio Informazioni Militare for the last few years. His underfunded group had gone not-quite-rogue, running a number of off-the-books missions far outside Lazzati's assigned area. "How do you feel about that?"

"My feelings are immaterial."

"Granted," Delcroix agreed. "Answer the question."

"The man will become even more obnoxious now. I told you to let me assassinate him."

"You know we can't do that."

"Obviously," the Comte agreed. Delcroix wondered if de Rochefort had actually tried to arrange an assassination anyway.

"At least with Lazzati taking command of SIM, you'll have a new challenge," Delcroix offered. "You'll forgive the observation, but the Italians haven't given you much of a challenge over the last five years."

"True," de Rochefort admitted. "The overall rate of success has been heavily in my favor."

"So what happens now?"

"Lazzati's experience still lies heavily in the Balkans," de Rochefort noted. "He's certainly more than passingly familiar with Germany and France, but now he has significantly more to cover. But I think we'll see more of his methods expanding through the rest of SIM. False flag operations, more effective wiretapping and surveillance, and increased use of Juliets."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh - that's the term we've started using for their female agents. Sometimes they're called 'honeypots'. They get friendly with a lonely officer, take him back to their room, get photographs or video, and then eventually come back in a few years to blackmail the victim. It's troublesome to convince even veteran agents and officers to take seriously."

"Have you seen any of them operating in France?"

"Oh, of course. Two years ago, we caught a ring of three Juliets trying to work Supaero in Toulouse, focusing on students who would likely end up in defense aeronautical industries. Fortunately, one of their targets realized something was odd, and reported it. Even more fortunately, one of my men on the ground took things seriously, and we broke the ring quite quickly."

"Was Lazzati involved with that?"

"Yes. His attention was drawn by students who came to Supaero from the Balkans. And while we slapped his fingers for that little foray into French territory, he's had significantly more success elsewhere. That's why I believe he'll expand that program now that he runs all of SIM. But SIM is still under-funded, and with Italy's irregular financial hiccups, that seems unlikely to change. I believe we'll see more of his mischief soon enough, and we should keep an eye out for him to continue building his side organizations."

"Side organizations - and non-state actors," Delcroix sighed. "Do you believe this Blofeld character you mentioned last week might be fronting for Lazzati?"

"No. I believe Blofeld is unrelated, even though their methodology is much the same."

"Competition?"

"Perhaps. We'll see. Blofeld's organization is too small to survive a brush with SIM, however. It might actually be interesting. Personally, I suspect Blofeld is the one behind all of the false lira notes from the last few years. If that could be proven, I suspect Lazzati will move him to the top of his black list."

"Is France vulnerable to the same sort of manipulation?"

"Somewhat, but we've taken steps to counter it." The Comte waved his hands. "Lazzati will be a very busy man, there's no doubt. Blofeld is only one stinging gnat in the cloud of insects buzzing around his ears. There's the situation in East Africa, of course, which must be priority one for him. Even Croatia and Albania must take a back seat."

Delcroix nodded. "We discussed East Africa once again in our most recent cabinet meeting."

"Has the government reached a decision yet? I'll tell you once again, we must get involved soon, or the crisis may prove too difficult to control."

"Michelet remains undecided. Or perhaps I ought to say, Foreign Affairs remains undecided, and Michelet chooses not to press the matter until Ducharme gives his recommendation." Delcroix shrugged. "But Michelet discussed it in depth with the Danish premier during his visit. Did I send you a transcript?"

"I read it. Neither party understood the severity of the situation. Neither party showed a willingness to act decisively."

"Do you... have any alternatives?"

"Of course."

"Alternatives that wouldn't come back to us?"

"I have... one possibility," de Rochefort said thoughtfully. "But I'd need some time to prepare."

"What's the cost?"

"Mmm... moderate. I have the cash on hand if you choose to make it one of my highest priorities, which I think it ought to be. And I have a man in mind..." The Comte paused. "You know, it's actually an ironic idea. All of the seized arms from the Lefkis Affair. Can I have them?"

"Of course. We were just going to dispose of them anyway."

The Comte nodded. "I might be able to get some use out of them before we melt them down."

"You'll provide me with something more than a cryptic plan, I hope."

"Of course. But not yet. At this point, nothing's been committed to paper. I'll need to talk to Colonel, and get other gears in motion. In the meantime, I must ask you to push the East Africa topic once again to Michelet and the rest of the cabinet. Tell Ducharme to go ask the British about their opinion of the Ethiopian situation, and listen to what they have to say."

"I'll do that," Delcroix agreed. "If we might switch topics, the President asked me my opinion on the current state of affairs in the Balkans. How might your news change things?"

"In the next few months, very little. We'll need to maintain our eye closely on Slovenia and Albania. Lazzati's quite familiar with the situation there. I doubt he'll change much on the ground, however; he's had years to make his presence felt."

"The Yugoslavians think Albania is nearly ready to crack."

"They are optimists."

"Should we encourage things along?"

"Absolutely not. The locals are growing tired of the blockade on their borders, but their anger isn't directed at the Italian government. Personally, I think the closed borders will eventually backfire on the Yugoslavs and Greeks, since it has forced further cooperation between the ethnic Albanians in Vlore and the Italian government. As a side-note, Lazzati's right-hand man as Balkans section chief, Damian Poga, is an ethnic Albanian, and the two of them recruited a lot of Vlore natives as agents."

"The cabinet discussed whether we ought to address Albanian independence if the Italian government continues to force a political confrontation on us."

"I feel we should remain aloof from that issue - and Slovenia, as well."

"Who do you think will take over as Balkans section chief with Lazzati's promotion? Poga?"

"Probably. He's the likely choice. He's well-versed with Lazzati's methods, and they've always worked well together. There are a few outside possibilities if Lazzati needs an Italian surname instead, but it will likely be Poga doing the hands-on work. He already knows the ground in Slovenia, Albania, and elsewhere."

"Well." Delcroix sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Is there anything you need from me?"

"Continue to push the East Africa situation with the cabinet. I need them to understand the risks we run with continued inaction."

"Very well, I'll bring it up again on Monday. Anything else?"

De Rochefort looked thoughtful. "Tell Ducharme to review his file on Yemen and Aden. I think we're going to see a new ruler there within a year or two."

"That's... Imam Yahya, isn't it? Have you heard anything specific?"

"No, nothing specific. But Yahya is aging - he turned eighty two weeks ago, and his son Ibrahim is in open revolt. It's a situation which is ripe for unexpected changes, and I think the cabinet needs to realize it may feed other difficulties on the African side of the Red Sea." de Rochefort stood and donned his hat. "That's all I have for you today, I'm afraid."

"Well, thank you for coming," Delcroix said, rising to show him out. "I'll update you on Monday if the Cabinet makes any decisions."

A most insightful discussion, and very enlightening.

However, I'd point out that most of OTL Albania is actually Yugoslav territory in WW - the Vlore exclave being the exception. If France feels that the Yugoslav embargo is now self-defeating, perhaps that opinion should be shared.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

However, I'd point out that most of OTL Albania is actually Yugoslav territory in WW - the Vlore exclave being the exception.

Yes, that's my understanding as well, although from the map a small portion of Albania is also held by Greece. Thus, there's Yugoslavian Albania, Italian Albania (the Vlore exclave), and Greek Albania. I should have been more clear that when de Rochefort references the generic Albania, he's speaking of Italian Albania - i.e., the Vlore exclave.

I've not specifically looked into the population breakdown of the regions (we'd need a more detailed map of the region for that), but I'm guessing 50% or more of ethnic Albanians live in the Yugoslavian-held territories, while the next-largest percentage live in Vlore, and the smallest percentage live in Greek Albania.

Left un-mentioned by de Rochefort is the understanding that, while Lazzati's Albanian agents give him excellent cat's-paws into the Balkans, there's a high likelihood that Albanians also represent one of the greatest risks, given their potential of compromise by Yugoslavian intelligence.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

If France feels that the Yugoslav embargo is now self-defeating, perhaps that opinion should be shared.

France has no opinion on the matter at the present time, and does not feel the need to develop opinions any time soon. :)

Cogon River Dam
Friday, July 8, 1949 - The Cogon River Dam in Guinea began operations today. The dam and its associated 180MW hydro plant will generate electricity for a local aluminium smelter, which shall become a major employer for the region and one of the largest smelters in Africa.

Bastille Day
Thursday, July 14, 1949 - France celebrated its national holiday with all of the accustomed pomp and circumstance.

French Grand Prix
Sunday, July 17, 1949 - Monaco driver Louis Chiron won the French Grand Prix today, driving a Talbot-Lago. Prince Bira placed second in the Toyota TFO-I, trailed by British driver Peter Whitehead in his Ferrari.

Carrousel de Saumer
Sunday, July 17, 1949 - The French Army and the armoured museum at Saumer once again displayed vehicles modern and historic at the Carrousel de Saumer. Noteworthy displays this year included three recently-restored tanks from the South American War, a visiting M46 Grant tank from the United States, and a Centurion tank of the Swiss Army.

French General Killed in Air Crash
Monday, July 18, 1949 - General Philippe Leclerc, the chief of the Armoured Cavalry Branch of the French Army, was killed today when the Bretagne transport aircraft carrying him to an inspection tour of the Army of Africa crashed in heavy weather near Colomb-Béchar in French Algeria. General Leclerc was part of a noteworthy group of officers greatly responsible for the modernization of the French Army between 1935 and the present, and one of the foremost advocates of mechanised warfare.

Tour de France
Sunday, July 24, 1949 - The Tour de France ended today with Jacques Marinelli finishing in 149 hours and 45 minutes. Stan Ockers (Belgium) finished second and Pierre Cogan (France) finished third, five and seventeen minutes respectively behind Marinelli.

If permitted, a delegation of German officers would wish to attend the funeral of General Leclerc.

General Leclerc will be missed by the French Army.

A delegation of British officers would also like to attend the funeral.

Quoted from "Hood"

General Leclerc will be missed by the French Army.

Definitely the case, yes. Leclerc is WW is not a combat commander (which is fortunate for France, considering how history went), but he's certainly been a very important developer of doctrine. Unfortunately, that's not a "war hero" sort of status, so he probably won't get the posthumous marechal rank that he was given historically.

Quoted from "Hood"

A delegation of British officers would also like to attend the funeral.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

If permitted, a delegation of German officers would wish to attend the funeral of General Leclerc.

Yes to both.

Army Promotions and Transfers
Wednesday, August 3, 1949 - Jean de Lattre de Tassigny was appointed to the chief of the Armoured Cavalry Branch, replacing Philippe Leclerc, who was killed in an air crash two weeks ago. General Marcel Carpentier was in turn appointed Commander-in-Chief in North Africa, replacing de Lattre. In an unrelated move, General Joseph Levavasseur was appointed to take command of army forces in the French Somali Coast.

Voisin and Hennequin
Wednesday, August 10, 1949 - With the League's neutrality patrols in the Kingdom of Rumelia breaking down due to war, Voisin and Hennequin are offered the opportunity to fly as Rumelian 'officer-volunteers' to prevent bombing raids on Rumelian towns and villages. The two pilots accept, repaint the foreign roundels on their planes, and once again take to the skies to defend the Balkan nation.

New Submarines for the Mediterranean Fleet
Saturday, August 13, 1949 - Four new submarines of the Aréthuse class have been completed for the Marine Nationale at the shipyards of La Rochelle. The submarines will have a short working-up period before sailing for the Mediterranean Sea, where they will be permanently based.

French Sloop Rescues Danish Camel Troops
Sunday, August 21, 1949 - The frigate Sans Reproche entered Danish territorial waters by request today in order to provide gunfire support to Danish méharistes beseiged by Somali rebels, the Waddaniyin, near the coast town of Lughaya. The Sans Reproche fired eighty-four rounds from her main battery in order to break up Waddaniyin attacks on the forty-strong contingent of Danish camel troops, who had been trapped in town following an ambush on the 19th. The Waddaniyin, who are allied to the Ethiopian Arbegnoch, have launched several attacks in recent weeks upon Danish and EAS forces.

Foreign Legion Battles in Danish Somaliland
Sunday, September 4, 1949 - Troops of the French Foreign Legion, led by Capitaine Christophe Diamond and Capitaine Marcel "Bruno" Bigeard, have participated in a four-day battle with the Somali Waddaniyin, in close concert with the méharistes of the Danish Somaliland administration. According to General Joseph Levavasseur who commanded the Legion from his headquarters in Djibouti, the Waddaniyin attempted to seize the city of Hargeisa, prompting Danish authorities to launch a relief expedition from Berbera, which was bogged down due to ambushes by tribesmen from the Darod clan (who compose the largest portion of the Waddaniyin). This resulted in Capitaine Diamond leading his motorized formation of the Legion, including two medium tanks, to cross the border and advance with great rapidity to the relief of Hargeisa. The Somali rebels attempted to contest this advance just short of Hargeisa itself. Once the Somali rebels committed to battling Diamond's flying column, they were entrapped by the sudden arrival of Capitaine Bigeard's helicopter-mobile paratroops, who landed behind the Waddaniyin. Support from close-support aircraft flying out of nearby Djibouti, and machine-gun fire from the French helicopters, shattered the fighting spirit of the Somali rebels.

The Danish authorities declared that they have processed two hundred and fifteen rebel prisoners, with another hundred and fity rebels believed killed during the course of the four-day battle with the Legion. Enemy forces are estimated to have numbered approximately six hundred men. According to General Levavasseur, two Legionnaires were killed and twenty-nine wounded during the battle. The low French casualties are attributed to excellent coordination with close air support and the rebels' lack of capability to counter French armoured cars and tanks.

French Navy to Strengthen Indian Ocean Flotilla
Monday, September 5, 1949 - The Marine Nationale indicated they planned to deploy the 1st Flotilla Escorteurs to Djibouti to assist with expanded patrols to prevent arms smuggling to the Ethiopian Arbegnoch and Somali Waddaniyin rebel movements. The deployment reportedly comes at the behest of Emperor Haile Selassie, who has requested more naval patrols from the Italians but without effect. Countre-admiral Emile Montrelay, the commander of the Indian Ocean Flotilla, has previously noted that the Italian Navy's regional presence was very poorly suited for patrol of the vast coastline of the EAS, while the regional EAS navy has been starved for funds.