WesWorld

France's Oldest Battleship, Carrier Retired
Saturday, January 1, 1949 - The French Navy decommissioned the aged battleship Lorraine today at the port of Brest, where the battleship shall be broken down for scrap. Lorraine remained in service several years longer than her sisterships Bretagne and Provence, which were retired and scrapped in 1942. The Lorraine remained in use as a training ship for cadets, but was not acknowledged as a first-line combat unit after about 1943 onward. An association of naval veterans called for the Marine Nationale to construct a new battleship to take up the name of the retired ship.

A similar fate has overtaken France's first aircraft carrier, the Clemenceau. For the last two years, the Clemenceau has been employed as an aircraft transport, making four voyages to the Orient to deliver over four hundred military jets to French and Indochinese units in the region. On her last voyage, the ship began taking water and suffered several turbine failures and limped into Cam Ranh Bay in November, leading to the decision to decommission the ship, scrap it in Indochina, and send the crew home aboard other ships. Most of Clemenceau's flight operations crew had already been reassigned to the new carrier Foudroyant, recently completed and soon to commission.

The Marine Nationale has also announced that it would retire and scrap all remaining "CS-27" and "CS-30" type coastal submarines this year, as replacements are currently under construction.

Iberia, France Ink Agreement on Motorway Ties
Monday, January 3, 1949 - In Madrid, French Minister of Public Works Théodore Lhomme signed the Campo de Moro Agreement with Iberia today along with the Iberian Prime Minister, establishing a joint agreement to construct two autoroute connections between the two countries. The Iberian government has spent several years considering the construction of high-speed limited access motorways (such as the ones in France, Germany, and Eastern Europe) but had not strongly committed to the financial cost inherent in the project. However, in 1949, construction crews will begin clearing terrain for Iberia's first autoroutes. The first will run along the Mediterranean from the French border (Marseilles and Montpellier) to Barcelona and Valencia, before turning west to reach Madrid. A second autoroute, purely internal, will run from Lisbon to Porto, and will open in 1953.

With Visconti in Tunisia
Saturday, January 15, 1949 - Visitors to the Tunisian town of El Fahs might be forgiven in questioning the century, as Italian cinema director Franco Visconti films his epic movie Cartagine deve essere distrutta. Visconti and his crews - with laborers numbering in the hundreds, and on some days, the thousands - have constructed an ancient replica of Carthage in the countryside. In only a few days, the costumed population will swell dramatically as the crews film the ultimate Battle of Zama, where over ten thousand people have been hired (for three francs a day) to simulate the armies of Rome and Carthage. Along with these legions of extras are found many hundreds of horses and a reputed twenty elephants. French actor Jean Marais stars as Hannibal, while Amedeo Nazzari plays the Roman general Scipio. Marina Berti, Carlo Tamberlani, and Clara Calamai round out the movie's major cast.

French Warships Visit Italy
Thursday, January 20, 1949 - In a rare occurance, French destroyers of the 4th Flotilla Torpillieurs visited the Italian port of Taranto.

Iberian Airliner Crashes in French Algeria
Friday, January 21, 1949 - A Bloch MB.970 Transatlantique owned by Iberia Air crashed in French Algeria today while attempting to make an emergency landing at Algiers. The airliner's pilot reported a loss of power from the two port engines. The plane came down in a field while on approach to the airfield. Most of the passengers and crew survived, but nine fatalities were reported.

Fiji Cane Railways
Monday, January 24, 1949 - The Banque de l'Indochine has extended a loan of 2m francs to expand and modernize the Rarawai-Kavanagasau Light Railway, which operates a large number of sugar cane tramways (light railways) on Fiji. The 60cm railway hauls sugar cane to the mills, and currently operates with a pair of 0-8-0T Brigadelok locomotives (built by Orenstein & Koppel, and acquired from Germany in 1918 as war reparations), a trio of Schneider locotracteurs, three 0-6-0 Decauville steamers, and a single 'DHR D Class' 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt-type locomotive.

Jet Fighter Rolls out of Indochinese Factory
Friday, February 4, 1949 - The first domestically-produced jet fighter rolled out of the Dassault-administered AIAI (Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique d'Indochine) factory in the outskirts of Saigon, in a ceremony attended by senior members of the French and Indochinese military. The Dassault MD.451 Ouragan II jet fighter, designed in France by Marcel Bloch, is officially licensed for manufacture by AIAI.

In spite of this milestone, industry insiders noted that AIAI's facilities in Saigon faced significant struggles to construct the Ouragan, which requires both complicated metallurgy, sophisticated machine shops, and a skilled work-force to produce. Dassault's contract to operate the AIAI shops, however, has proven quite fruitful. The Dassault firm has consistently held a position as one of the industry leaders not only in technical development, but also labor relations. This reputation means that every job posting at the AIAI factory generally draws hundreds, and occasionally thousands, of job applicants.

Treaty Talks With Syria Fail
Saturday, February 5, 1949 - Talks between the Republic of France and the Republic of Syria came to a close today after two weeks, with no consensus reached. Last year, the Syrian government, led by President and Prime Minister Khalid al-Hafiz, withdrew from the 1936 Treaty of Mutual Defense, which contained a certain number of border agreements governing Lebanon, which remains a French protectorate. The French government is keen to resolve this issue as Lebanon slowly moves toward independence, but has been discouraged by the attitude of al-Hafiz, who has offered competing statements on the matter.

Voisin et Hennequin
Wednesday, February 9, 1949 - In the latest issue of Voisin et Hennequin, the pilots of the League of Nations detachment in the Kingdom of Rumelia face a growing tide of hostility from the neighboring land of Shazaria, acting as a patsy for the scheming Lucanian military. During one of their flights, Voisin and Hennequin are attacked by Shazarian fighters, and are forced to dogfight against the Lucanian-made machines.

Figure Skating Championship
Friday, February 18, 1949 - The 1949 World Figure Skating Championship closed today in Paris. American Dick Button took the championship for men. Czech skater Álena Vrzáňová won the women's category after the unexpected withdrawal of German favorite Eva Pawlik. The Franco-Atlantean duo of Aleksey Orlov and Alekto Iacchus won the pairs event.

Commerce Minister Conducts South American Tour
Wednesday, March 2, 1949 - Minister of Commerce Philippe Leloup has arrived in Recife, Brazil, on the first stop of a whirlwind visit to several South American nations. Leloup will start by flying to Brasilia to view the new planned city currently under construction, accompanied by talks with Brazilian ministers. Following this meeting, Leloup will travel in company with the Brazilian minister of the interior to the Brazilian cities of Tabatinga and Cruzeiro do Sul to view the significant investments the Brazilian government is making in the Amazon basin. In Cruzeiro do Sul, the minister will visit construction works for Highway BR-364, currently being built with French financial and engineering assistance, to connect the city with distant Rio Branco. In Tabatinga, Leloup will tour the new paved airport commissioned at the end of last year, and inspect the construction site of a new hospital.

Once done in Brazil, Minister Leloup is scheduled to fly to La Paz, and then onward to Chile, where he will meet with his Chilean counterparts and speak at a conference on economic diversification.

Tensions Rise With China
Tuesday, March 8, 1949 - Rising tensions in the South China Sea once again bring Oriental politics into the forefront of political discussions in Europe and abroad. The encroachment of Chinese military interests continues to ring alarm bells among observers of foreign affairs, who fear that China's leadership seems intent on courting military confrontation with neighboring powers. This belief has gained broad agreement across all French political parties, although disagreement exists about how to confront the problem. The French center-right coalition under President Clemenceau continues to hold that firm political dealings backed by military preparedness represents the best method to addressing China, a belief that is shared by a number of voices in the center-left.

Submarine Nearly Lost at Sea
Monday, March 14, 1949 - The experimental French submarine Maxime Laubeuf suffered a major fire while at sea yesterday. The fire started while the submarine was operating submerged. The Maxime Laubeuf's crew hurriedly surfaced the boat and radioed for assistance, ultimately being forced to abandon ship due to fumes, smoke, and heat. The destroyer Cimeterre quickly arrived on scene and rendered assistance. According to the French Navy's official announcement, fourteen seamen are being treated for various injuries, and it is believed that three men are dead. The fire has reportedly been extinguished and submarine is being towed back to Toulon.

Indochina Requests Cruisers, Increases Defense Spending
Saturday, April 2, 1949 - Spurred on the recent spike of tensions with China, the government of Autonomous Indochina has voted to double their defense spending for local forces. The plan calls for Indochina to raise three more divisions of infantry (raising the total of local forces to nine), with the creation of a second armoured/mobilized brigade.

The Groupe pour la Défense Aérienne Indochinoise (Indochinese Air Defense Group), which up to this point in its history has focused solely on defense against hostile aircraft, will be renamed the Air Force of the Autonomous Republic of Indochina (Khong quan cua Cong hoa tu tri Dong Duong). The new Air Force will be commanded by General Nguyen Van Hinh, who has called for the branch to be expanded to eight hundred aircraft, up from the 220 currently in service.

The Indochinese Naval Patrol has presented a petition to the French Navy to acquire the heavy cruiser Indochine to serve as their new flagship. The Naval Patrol, however, has struggled in recent years due to its explosive growth straining their reserve of manpower, particularly in terms of officers and trained NCOs. The Marine Nationnale indicated they were willing to transfer the ship under certain conditions, possibly as early as May; however, it seems likely the ship will probably remain French-crewed even after the transfer.

Voisin et Hennequin
Wednesday, April 13, 1949 - French pilots Wenceslas Voisin and Claude Hennequin are forced to deal with a dangerous new adversary during their League of Nations patrols over the skies of Rumelia. A Shazarian Air Force pilot known by the nickname "Kirmizi Kilic" ("Red Sword") tangles with the League pilots over Rumelia's Morava valley. Equipped with a Lucanian-built Fiat CR.36 fighter, the "Red Sword" manages to surprise Voisin and Hennequin with his skills. At the close of their first battle, the Shazarian pilot damages Hennequin's plane, although Voisin and the other League pilots manage to drive him off.

Greek Freighter Detained as Italian Government Demands Arrest
Friday, April 15, 1949 - The Greek-flagged freighter Lefkes was officially detained in the port of Djibouti today due to a demand by the Italian government. According to the Italian embassy in Paris, the Lefkes is engaged in smuggling a large arms shipment to rebel forces in the East African State. The ship reportedly sought refuge in French waters to avoid arrest by the cruiser Ras Dejen, which has set up sentinel duty outside the limit of French territorial waters.

The French government's initial inspection of the Lefkis did reveal armaments on board the vessel, including four thousand rifles and a hundred mortars, but noted that the ship's paperwork indicated the arms were bound to the Thai military.

The East African cruiser Ras Dejen has allegedly threatened to seize the Lefkis once it leaves French territorial waters. The French cruisers Oliver and Durendal of the Indian Ocean Flotilla are currently making port call in Zanzibar, leaving the 625-ton corvette Sormonne as the largest ship in Djibouti itself.

HD.790 Speed Record
Monday, April 18, 1949 - The Dewoitine HD.790 seaplane, constructed by a team of Supaero students led by aeronautical engineer Charles Beaumont, seized the world speed record for the fastest propeller-driven seaplane. The HD.790, under the command of test pilot Louis-Antoine Messiaen, achieved an average speed of 731.1 kilometers per hour over a measured course. Messiaen made a second flight later in the day, but the Bugatti engine overheated and was written off.

Freighter Lefkis Sinks After Onboard Explosion
Thursday, April 21, 1949 - In the early hours of the morning, the Greek-flagged freighter Lefkis, a matter of contention between the French and Italian governments, exploded and sank in the harbour of Djibouti. The ship had been detained by French authorities following claims by the Italian government that the ship was smuggling arms into East Africa.

The cruiser Ras Dejen chased the freighter into French territorial waters on the 15th, and waited outside French territorial waters in the hope of seizing the freighter. However, the Ras Dejen returned to Massawa on the 19th after an engine casualty.

According to survivors, a minor explosion tore through the freighter at approximately 03:50 local time, followed by a chain reaction of further explosions several minutes later. The French corvette Sormonne and other patrol boats moved in to help fight fires, but the Lefkis sank within twenty minutes. Naval vessels found six survivors of the freighter's crew of thirty.

The freighter's sinking in Djibouti harbour, while still under suspicion of smuggling small arms to rebel groups in East Africa, has sparked a number of accusations on all sides. The Italian government was quick to deny responsibility, noting that no Italian or EAS-flagged ships were in the vicinity of the ship's sinking, and firmly reiterating that they possessed "strong evidence" tying Lefkis and her crew to black market arms reportedly entering the EAS.

Prior to the ship's destruction, Italian right-wing newspapers speculated that French authorities in Djibouti were "likely complicit" in aiding the flow of arms into East African territory, a claim that the French ambassador in Rome denied.

The Marine Nationale has stated it will conduct an investigation into the ship's sinking, and is bringing in salvage divers to inspect the wreckage, some of which remains above water.

Veterans Groups Support Reconstruction of Light Railway
Monday, April 25, 1949 - A number of veterans groups have joined in a movement calling for reconstruction of a 60cm light railway, used during the course of the Great War, for use as a working historical monument. These light railways were built by all parties during the course of the war, and used to transport supplies, men, and equipment to the Front. Although the first trench railways were built by French and British railway troops, the Canadians took on a large portion of this task as the war went on.

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.

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. (See post for more details.)

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.

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.

France's Oldest Battleship, Carrier Retired
Saturday, January 1, 1949 - The French Navy decommissioned the aged battleship Lorraine today at the port of Brest, where the battleship shall be broken down for scrap. Lorraine remained in service several years longer than her sisterships Bretagne and Provence, which were retired and scrapped in 1942. The Lorraine remained in use as a training ship for cadets, but was not acknowledged as a first-line combat unit after about 1943 onward. An association of naval veterans called for the Marine Nationale to construct a new battleship to take up the name of the retired ship.

A similar fate has overtaken France's first aircraft carrier, the Clemenceau. For the last two years, the Clemenceau has been employed as an aircraft transport, making four voyages to the Orient to deliver over four hundred military jets to French and Indochinese units in the region. On her last voyage, the ship began taking water and suffered several turbine failures and limped into Cam Ranh Bay in November, leading to the decision to decommission the ship, scrap it in Indochina, and send the crew home aboard other ships. Most of Clemenceau's flight operations crew had already been reassigned to the new carrier Foudroyant, recently completed and soon to commission.

The Marine Nationale has also announced that it would retire and scrap all remaining "CS-27" and "CS-30" type coastal submarines this year, as replacements are currently under construction.

Iberia, France Ink Agreement on Motorway Ties
Monday, January 3, 1949 - In Madrid, French Minister of Public Works Théodore Lhomme signed the Campo de Moro Agreement with Iberia today along with the Iberian Prime Minister, establishing a joint agreement to construct two autoroute connections between the two countries. The Iberian government has spent several years considering the construction of high-speed limited access motorways (such as the ones in France, Germany, and Eastern Europe) but had not strongly committed to the financial cost inherent in the project. However, in 1949, construction crews will begin clearing terrain for Iberia's first autoroutes. The first will run along the Mediterranean from the French border (Marseilles and Montpellier) to Barcelona and Valencia, before turning west to reach Madrid. A second autoroute, purely internal, will run from Lisbon to Porto, and will open in 1953.

With Visconti in Tunisia
Saturday, January 15, 1949 - Visitors to the Tunisian town of El Fahs might be forgiven in questioning the century, as Italian cinema director Franco Visconti films his epic movie Cartagine deve essere distrutta. Visconti and his crews - with laborers numbering in the hundreds, and on some days, the thousands - have constructed an ancient replica of Carthage in the countryside. In only a few days, the costumed population will swell dramatically as the crews film the ultimate Battle of Zama, where over ten thousand people have been hired (for three francs a day) to simulate the armies of Rome and Carthage. Along with these legions of extras are found many hundreds of horses and a reputed twenty elephants. French actor Jean Marais stars as Hannibal, while Amedeo Nazzari plays the Roman general Scipio. Marina Berti, Carlo Tamberlani, and Clara Calamai round out the movie's major cast.

Quoted

Cartagine deve essere distrutta

Wow, just wow... 8o

Skipping ahead slightly to February 25th, the French government and military, and the Russian government and military acting in consultation, make the following actions.

OOC: This list is not exhaustive. This list is published OOC. Some items may be publicly announced, while other items may be suppressed and will only come out over time.

Quoted

Naval:
-- FR: Vice-amiral d'escadre Régis Bérenger will bring the 2nd Division de Croiseurs (Jean Bart and Jeanne d'Arc) and the 7th Flotilla Torpillieurs (8x Forbin-class destroyers) from Noumea to reinforce the ships in Indochina.
-- FR: Contre-amiral Ernest Bailly will bring the Force opérationnelle Atlantique Sud (carriers Zélé and Héros, heavy cruisers Redoubtable and Renommée, four destroyers and eight escortiers) from Dakar to Djibouti. In Dakar, this task force covers much of the same region as the Atlantean Navy, and does not materially affect coast guard duties in western Africa. Moving it to Djibouti allows them to redeploy a lot more quickly to support the FNEO. If events demand, they may end up bypassing Djibouti and heading straight to the South China Sea.
-- RU: The carrier Reval, currently working up out of Brest, will receive orders to join Pacific Fleet upon completion of her working-up period in May. He will likely transit via the Mediterranean.
-- FR/RU: On March 26th, joint admiralties will issue an advisory to all French and Russian merchant vessels to leave Chinese ports at their earliest convenience, or to turn around if bound there.
-- FR: February 25th, French Navy requests that the German East Asia Squadron (IIRC, unit is Custozza and Novara plus the eight Jagd-class and support units) be sent to Straits of Singapore or Sunda Strait in preparation to interdict Chinese merchant shipping in this area. (Note: depending on Dutch/British response, these orders may be withdrawn.)
-- FR: At the present time, no immediate deployment of the French carriers is ordered, but logistics units are assigned to prepare for this movement, and Vice-amiral André-Georges Lemonnier is ordered to draw up operational plans to this effect.
-- RU: At the present time, no immediate deployment of the Russian Northern Fleet is ordered, but logistics units are assigned to prepare for this movement, and Vice Admiral Gordey Levchenko is ordered to draw up operational plans to this effect.
-- FR/RU: Antisubmarine booms and anti-torpedo nets are taken out of storage and inspected for deployment. If the 27th passes without Chinese withdrawal, they will start being deployed.

Ground:
-- FR/IN: Indochinese Territorial Army will call out the reserves effective February 27th, and begin establishing defensive lines in the north. Should Chinese forces advance, some territory will inevitably be written off without contest.
-- FR: The 1er Division d'Infanterie Navale d'Assaut (1er DINA), 10e Division Parachutiste (10e DP) and the 14e Division de Grenadiers de Marine (14e DGM), part of the French ready-response ground troops, will receive orders to prepare for deployment to Indochina. Shipping will be arranged, and the 1er DINA will likely be sent to the theater immediately, followed by the 14e DGM.
-- RU: Russian Ground Forces orders immediate estimate of military stockpiles in Siberian and Russian Far East combat zones.
-- RU: Russian border with China is closed.

Air:
-- FR/IN/RU: Fighter aircraft moved to dispersal runways; interceptor units in the north of Indochina are placed on high alert.
-- FR/IN/RU: Ammunition is distributed to AA troops and daily drills are ordered.
-- FR/RU: Germany is requested to advise whether or not they could move an anti-shipping air unit either to Indochina or to Vladivostok region.

Political:
-- FR: On February 25th, French ambassador to Manila instructed to inform the Philippines of the French Union's ultimatum to China, its expiration on February 27th, and notification that the French will demolish the Chinese station at Macclesfield Bank on March 1st.
-- FR: On February 27th, if French ultimatum to China is not met, France will ask its allies to terminate any civil and military contracts with China by April 1st.
-- FR: France will ask SAER powers (principally Netherlands, UK) to terminate any shipments of military use (principally oil and other strategic materials) to China, and prevent Chinese ships-of-war from calling in their ports.
-- FR: France will ask Japan & Chosen to terminate any shipments of military use (principally oil and other strategic materials) to China, and prevent Chinese ships-of-war from calling in their ports. (I believe this is already a non-issue considering their current relations.)
-- RU: Advises Mongolia that Russian Ground Forces will be made available to defend Mongolian soil in the event of a war, but Mongolia is requested not to enter hostilities unless provoked or attacked by China. (Mongolian Army is in the middle of reforming - defense of Mongolia represents a major liability to Russia.) Russia will nevertheless transfer two tank divisions worth of T-44 medium tanks (obsolete in RU service) and supporting trucks to the Mongolian Army.

Civil:
-- FR/IN: Indochina will begin distributing gas masks to civilians in cities.
-- RU: Russia will begin distributing gas masks to civilians in cities.
-- FR/RU: If the French ultimatum passes without response, France and Russia will expel all Chinese citizens on February 28th; they will have until March 13th to leave. Ethnic Chinese in Indochina (approximately 5% of population) are explicitly exempted from this order; however, if they maintain dual citizenship in China, they will be asked to revoke it (or leave Indochina).

Requests to Allies:
-- RU: Assuming Germany is politically willing to assist in a war with China, Russia requests that German Heer and Luftwaffe immediately send a technical commission to consult with Russian General Staff; Russia expects that the Germans will be more amenable to assisting Russian forces on the Chinese northern border (for reasons of supply and better familiarity with the terrain types).
-- RU Ground Forces asks the German government to open a line of negotiations with Mongolia. If Mongolia becomes involved in the war due to Chinese actions, the Russians would like to propose that German ground units form a reserve that could take a lead in the defense of at least one sector of Mongolia.
-- RU: German Luftwaffe is asked to contribute their airbase-building troops to start immediate work on at least two military airbases in the Kazakh border region, with Luftwaffe air units to deploy there immediately upon their completion. Should the crisis pass, the Russians will purchase the airbases.
-- FR: The Chileans and Atlanteans are asked to reinforce Papeete with fleet and marine units, and conduct patrols in this area.

Requests to Others:
-- FR: request sent to Manila for immediate exchange of military intelligence on Chinese naval, air, and ground forces in the theater.
-- FR: request sent to Manila asking for mutual exchange of information on zones of patrol for each side's ships (to prevent potential accidents).
-- FR: French ambassador to Manila requests that Philippine government hold off abrogating Article VII of the Treaty of Saigon until March 1st; if China fails to respond to the French ultimatum by this date, then France/Indochina will support Manila in this action.
-- FR: The British are asked to strengthen their naval, air, and ground forces in Singapore and Hong Kong. Britain is advised that, should war break out, large French and Russian fleets will be dispatched to the Asiatic Area of Operations. Britain is further advised that, should such events transpire, France and Russia may invite allied German fleet units to take up patrols in areas traditionally outside their normal area of operations.
-- FR: The Dutch and British will be asked to monitor Chinese merchant ships moving past Singapore and through the Sunda Straits (and other waterway passages of relevance), and advise French naval authorities of their positions and supposed cargoes. Similarly, they will be asked to track any Chinese submarines operating in the region, and pass that information on to the French.

I find it interesting that the Australians have been completely ignored. They have no love for either side, but they can be a very big wildcard right next door to the French islands.

Quoted from "Desertfox"

I find it interesting that the Australians have been completely ignored. They have no love for either side, but they can be a very big wildcard right next door to the French islands.

No reason to worry about nations with whom France shares cordial relations. Although I suspect we'll have something to fear in the upcoming Great Barbecue Cook-off of 1949.

Quoted from "Desertfox"

I find it interesting that the Australians have been completely ignored. They have no love for either side, but they can be a very big wildcard right next door to the French islands.

How so? I'm not sure if that's a threat or a hint about cooperation.

Quoted from "thesmilingassassin"

Quoted from "Desertfox"

I find it interesting that the Australians have been completely ignored. They have no love for either side, but they can be a very big wildcard right next door to the French islands.

How so? I'm not sure if that's a threat or a hint about cooperation.

I suspect that someone has overlooked the "regime change" in Canberra, the Commonwealth Adjustment.

Britain could be churlish and point out that Australia left SAER which guarded against this kind of threat. Luckily for Australia the commonwealth bond still ensures that Britain would protect Australia.

In practical terms, if China is tangling with a Franco-Russo-Germano fleet then they will have their hands more than full to worry Australia.

I was just pointing out that back in the day there was no love between Australia and the French-German Alliance. There was even a diplomatic incident after a German overflight of Rabaul. That's why Australia left SEAR in the first place, they had no intentions of fighting in a French war. I don't know what ShinRa's plans or intentions are, but I would assume that the diplomatic incident and Australia leaving SEAR are still relatively recent to at least give the French something to think about.

Quoted from "Desertfox"

I was just pointing out that back in the day there was no love between Australia and the French-German Alliance. There was even a diplomatic incident after a German overflight of Rabaul. That's why Australia left SEAR in the first place, they had no intentions of fighting in a French war. I don't know what ShinRa's plans or intentions are, but I would assume that the diplomatic incident and Australia leaving SEAR are still relatively recent to at least give the French something to think about.

Its interesting that Australia takes that opinion seeing as the French were not the ones stomping around near Hong Kong not so long ago, it was the Canadians (of all nations) and the Australians seemed to be willing to join in the fracus if it devolved further. That certainly would not have been a "French war". The French have always stood up for the Vietnamese and their freedom to navigate in their own waters without being bullied, something you would think the Australians would sympathize with being somewhat isolated from the rest of the commonwealth. I have doubts to just how far they could go pushing the French buttons before the rest of the Grand alliance (it also includes Russia, Atlantis, Colombia and Chile, not just France and Germany) and their own commonwealth partners would step in and put enough diplomatic pressure to show the Australians how un-reasonable their position would be. If Australia actually did decide to throw caution and all reason to the wind they could find themselves grand standing off of French Islands facing Russian or Atlantean vessels. It could certainly lead to a few awkward moments...

Paris - February 28th, 1949
The sun had yet to rise in Paris when the French cabinet convened. Added to their number, at least for this special session, was Comte de Rochefort of the Deuxième Bureau, who sat in silence next to Minister of National Defense Édouard Delcroix.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Prime Minister Edmond Michelet said. "Let's get this session underway at once. We have received and just finished decoding the response of Chinese Prime Minister Chiang kai-Shek, delivered to our ambassador in Beijing shortly before the deadline. You will find copies at your place on the table. Please take a few moments to read the response."

Papers rustled for a few minutes as the cabinet glanced through the letter. "I can't say I'm fully satisfied with this response," Minister of Foreign Affairs Georges Mandel finally said aloud. "But I think it's the best we're going to get short of a forcing them to the negotiating table at the close of a bloody war."

"In general, I agree with Georges. Have they actually conceded?" Madeline Barthelemy asked from her position at the Prime Minister's right. "All of kai-Shek's talk of how this is a civilian station... it's not perfectly clear to me what their intentions are."

"Comte?" Michelet prompted.

"Our intelligence on that remains unclear," Comte de Rochefort said. "Our initial impression is that they intended to develop something like the Maunsell sea-forts that the Philippines have constructed. More recent data is... less clear, although this may be Beijing's attempt to confuse the issue after the fact. But we can prove the orders originated from Admiral Tan Won of the Southern Fleet, and almost certainly from the High Council above him. I believe that even if the station they constructed was intended to be civilian, it was done at the behest of the military leadership."

"In short," Mandel said, "Even if it was supposed to be civilian, it wouldn't have remained civilian for very long. Or would have been little more than a cover for their military activities."

"Yes," de Rochefort said.

Minister Delcroix leaned back in his chair. "The force of surface ships dispatched by Admiral Tan Won shows that he fully anticipated the possibility - indeed, the likelihood - of a conflict. If not with us, then with Britain or the Philippines. Manila, in particular, remains strongly opposed to any concession on Macclesfield Bank."

"As they have informed Foreign Affairs," Mandel agreed.

"There's one further thing," Comte de Rochefort said, his quiet voice uncharacteristically reticent. "The Iberian intelligence service passed on to me this message, sent on the 26th to the flag officer at Macclesfield Bank. It originated from within the Chinese High Council. In brief, it instructed the flag officer to attack our naval ships operating in the area - after the receipt of the President's note on the 25th. I am still working to determine where the message originated and whether or not it represented a genuine command of the High Council - or instead came from a rogue faction within it."

Mandel frowned. "Very troubling, if true."

Barthelemy gave the group a bitter smile. "And it reinforces our belief that China is not dealing with us honestly, and ultimately desires to seize regional political supremacy. In this case, however, they must have decided the time was not right."

"Is that due to the military situation?" Michelet asked, looking at Comte de Rochefort.

"Possibly," the Comte replied. "I continue to stand by my earlier assessment that we have a three to five year window where the combination of our technological edge and our foreign alliances gives us a decided advantage over the Chinese military. But their economy is growing - albeit not as fast as Indochina or the Philippines - and they have such a huge mass of manpower that they still could overwhelm any single nation on their borders. And we have yet to see what the future holds for the Dutch East Indies. If they gain independence as the trends seem to indicate, the Dutch could end up bowing out of our regional alliances, and the Chinese could - conceivably - find in the newly independent state an ally - or at least a power more suitable to pressure or manipulation."

Michelet nodded slowly. "So getting back to the matter at hand, what is our consensus on a response to China?"

"Wait and see," Delcroix said. "Just because the Chinese said they'd abandon their construction doesn't mean they actually will do so. We should hear within the next day whether or not the Chinese have withdrawn from Macclesfield Bank. If they have not..."

Barthelemy spoke up. "We can afford to wait a few days, certainly; it will allow Indochinese civil officials to finish some of their preparations in case war does break out... particularly given how the Comte believes the Chinese will immediately resort to chemical weapons on civilian populations. But ultimately, I council against waiting too long to deal with China."

"If the Chinese continue their construction," Delcroix agreed, "then by all means, I support going forward with Operation Espèce."

Speaking OOC, a most interesting discussion of the situation and its implications.

French Warships Visit Italy
Thursday, January 20, 1949 - In a rare occurance, French destroyers of the 4th Flotilla Torpillieurs visited the Italian port of Taranto.

Iberian Airliner Crashes in French Algeria
Friday, January 21, 1949 - A Bloch MB.970 Transatlantique owned by Iberia Air crashed in French Algeria today while attempting to make an emergency landing at Algiers. The airliner's pilot reported a loss of power from the two port engines. The plane came down in a field while on approach to the airfield. Most of the passengers and crew survived, but nine fatalities were reported.

Fiji Cane Railways
Monday, January 24, 1949 - The Banque de l'Indochine has extended a loan of 2m francs to expand and modernize the Rarawai-Kavanagasau Light Railway, which operates a large number of sugar cane tramways (light railways) on Fiji. The 60cm railway hauls sugar cane to the mills, and currently operates with a pair of 0-8-0T Brigadelok locomotives (built by Orenstein & Koppel, and acquired from Germany in 1918 as war reparations), a trio of Schneider locotracteurs, three 0-6-0 Decauville steamers, and a single 'DHR D Class' 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt-type locomotive.

Jet Fighter Rolls out of Indochinese Factory
Friday, February 4, 1949 - The first domestically-produced jet fighter rolled out of the Dassault-administered AIAI (Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique d'Indochine) factory in the outskirts of Saigon, in a ceremony attended by senior members of the French and Indochinese military. The Dassault MD.451 Ouragan II jet fighter, designed in France by Marcel Bloch, is officially licensed for manufacture by AIAI.

In spite of this milestone, industry insiders noted that AIAI's facilities in Saigon faced significant struggles to construct the Ouragan, which requires both complicated metallurgy, sophisticated machine shops, and a skilled work-force to produce. Dassault's contract to operate the AIAI shops, however, has proven quite fruitful. The Dassault firm has consistently held a position as one of the industry leaders not only in technical development, but also labor relations. This reputation means that every job posting at the AIAI factory generally draws hundreds, and occasionally thousands, of job applicants.

Treaty Talks With Syria Fail
Saturday, February 5, 1949 - Talks between the Republic of France and the Republic of Syria came to a close today after two weeks, with no consensus reached. Last year, the Syrian government, led by President and Prime Minister Khalid al-Hafiz, withdrew from the 1936 Treaty of Mutual Defense, which contained a certain number of border agreements governing Lebanon, which remains a French protectorate. The French government is keen to resolve this issue as Lebanon slowly moves toward independence, but has been discouraged by the attitude of al-Hafiz, who has offered competing statements on the matter.

Voisin et Hennequin
Wednesday, February 9, 1949 - In the latest issue of Voisin et Hennequin, the pilots of the League of Nations detachment in the Kingdom of Rumelia face a growing tide of hostility from the neighboring land of Shazaria, acting as a patsy for the scheming Lucanian military. During one of their flights, Voisin and Hennequin are attacked by Shazarian fighters, and are forced to dogfight against the Lucanian-made machines.

Figure Skating Championship
Friday, February 18, 1949 - The 1949 World Figure Skating Championship closed today in Paris. American Dick Button took the championship for men. Czech skater Álena Vrzáňová won the women's category after the unexpected withdrawal of German favorite Eva Pawlik. The Franco-Atlantean duo of Aleksey Orlov and Alekto Iacchus won the pairs event.

Commerce Minister Conducts South American Tour
Wednesday, March 2, 1949 - Minister of Commerce Philippe Leloup has arrived in Recife, Brazil, on the first stop of a whirlwind visit to several South American nations. Leloup will start by flying to Brasilia to view the new planned city currently under construction, accompanied by talks with Brazilian ministers. Following this meeting, Leloup will travel in company with the Brazilian minister of the interior to the Brazilian cities of Tabatinga and Cruzeiro do Sul to view the significant investments the Brazilian government is making in the Amazon basin. In Cruzeiro do Sul, the minister will visit construction works for Highway BR-364, currently being built with French financial and engineering assistance, to connect the city with distant Rio Branco. In Tabatinga, Leloup will tour the new paved airport commissioned at the end of last year, and inspect the construction site of a new hospital.

Once done in Brazil, Minister Leloup is scheduled to fly to La Paz, and then onward to Chile, where he will meet with his Chilean counterparts and speak at a conference on economic diversification.

Tensions Rise With China
Tuesday, March 8, 1949 - Rising tensions in the South China Sea once again bring Oriental politics into the forefront of political discussions in Europe and abroad. The encroachment of Chinese military interests continues to ring alarm bells among observers of foreign affairs, who fear that China's leadership seems intent on courting military confrontation with neighboring powers. This belief has gained broad agreement across all French political parties, although disagreement exists about how to confront the problem. The French center-right coalition under President Clemenceau continues to hold that firm political dealings backed by military preparedness represents the best method to addressing China, a belief that is shared by a number of voices in the center-left.

Submarine Nearly Lost at Sea
Monday, March 14, 1949 - The experimental French submarine Maxime Laubeuf suffered a major fire while at sea yesterday. The fire started while the submarine was operating submerged. The Maxime Laubeuf's crew hurriedly surfaced the boat and radioed for assistance, ultimately being forced to abandon ship due to fumes, smoke, and heat. The destroyer Cimeterre quickly arrived on scene and rendered assistance. According to the French Navy's official announcement, fourteen seamen are being treated for various injuries, and it is believed that three men are dead. The fire has reportedly been extinguished and submarine is being towed back to Toulon.

A most interesting, and welcome, summary of recent affairs.

Good stuff!

I'd almost forgotten that tensions are still there between China and France (and others).

Indochina Requests Cruisers, Increases Defense Spending
Saturday, April 2, 1949 - Spurred on the recent spike of tensions with China, the government of Autonomous Indochina has voted to double their defense spending for local forces. The plan calls for Indochina to raise three more divisions of infantry (raising the total of local forces to nine), with the creation of a second armoured/mobilized brigade.

The Groupe pour la Défense Aérienne Indochinoise (Indochinese Air Defense Group), which up to this point in its history has focused solely on defense against hostile aircraft, will be renamed the Air Force of the Autonomous Republic of Indochina (Khong quan cua Cong hoa tu tri Dong Duong). The new Air Force will be commanded by General Nguyen Van Hinh, who has called for the branch to be expanded to eight hundred aircraft, up from the 220 currently in service.

The Indochinese Naval Patrol has presented a petition to the French Navy to acquire the heavy cruiser Indochine to serve as their new flagship. The Naval Patrol, however, has struggled in recent years due to its explosive growth straining their reserve of manpower, particularly in terms of officers and trained NCOs. The Marine Nationnale indicated they were willing to transfer the ship under certain conditions, possibly as early as May; however, it seems likely the ship will probably remain French-crewed even after the transfer.

Voisin et Hennequin
Wednesday, April 13, 1949 - French pilots Wenceslas Voisin and Claude Hennequin are forced to deal with a dangerous new adversary during their League of Nations patrols over the skies of Rumelia. A Shazarian Air Force pilot known by the nickname "Kirmizi Kilic" ("Red Sword") tangles with the League pilots over Rumelia's Morava valley. Equipped with a Lucanian-built Fiat CR.36 fighter, the "Red Sword" manages to surprise Voisin and Hennequin with his skills. At the close of their first battle, the Shazarian pilot damages Hennequin's plane, although Voisin and the other League pilots manage to drive him off.

Greek Freighter Detained as Italian Government Demands Arrest
Friday, April 15, 1949 - The Greek-flagged freighter Lefkes was officially detained in the port of Djibouti today due to a demand by the Italian government. According to the Italian embassy in Paris, the Lefkes is engaged in smuggling a large arms shipment to rebel forces in the East African State. The ship reportedly sought refuge in French waters to avoid arrest by the cruiser Ras Dejen, which has set up sentinel duty outside the limit of French territorial waters.

The French government's initial inspection of the Lefkis did reveal armaments on board the vessel, including four thousand rifles and a hundred mortars, but noted that the ship's paperwork indicated the arms were bound to the Thai military.

The East African cruiser Ras Dejen has allegedly threatened to seize the Lefkis once it leaves French territorial waters. The French cruisers Oliver and Durendal of the Indian Ocean Flotilla are currently making port call in Zanzibar, leaving the 625-ton corvette Sormonne as the largest ship in Djibouti itself.

HD.790 Speed Record
Monday, April 18, 1949 - The Dewoitine HD.790 seaplane, constructed by a team of Supaero students led by aeronautical engineer Charles Beaumont, seized the world speed record for the fastest propeller-driven seaplane. The HD.790, under the command of test pilot Louis-Antoine Messiaen, achieved an average speed of 731.1 kilometers per hour over a measured course. Messiaen made a second flight later in the day, but the Bugatti engine overheated and was written off.

Freighter Lefkis Sinks After Onboard Explosion
Thursday, April 21, 1949 - In the early hours of the morning, the Greek-flagged freighter Lefkis, a matter of contention between the French and Italian governments, exploded and sank in the harbour of Djibouti. The ship had been detained by French authorities following claims by the Italian government that the ship was smuggling arms into East Africa.

The cruiser Ras Dejen chased the freighter into French territorial waters on the 15th, and waited outside French territorial waters in the hope of seizing the freighter. However, the Ras Dejen returned to Massawa on the 19th after an engine casualty.

According to survivors, a minor explosion tore through the freighter at approximately 03:50 local time, followed by a chain reaction of further explosions several minutes later. The French corvette Sormonne and other patrol boats moved in to help fight fires, but the Lefkis sank within twenty minutes. Naval vessels found six survivors of the freighter's crew of thirty.

The freighter's sinking in Djibouti harbour, while still under suspicion of smuggling small arms to rebel groups in East Africa, has sparked a number of accusations on all sides. The Italian government was quick to deny responsibility, noting that no Italian or EAS-flagged ships were in the vicinity of the ship's sinking, and firmly reiterating that they possessed "strong evidence" tying Lefkis and her crew to black market arms reportedly entering the EAS.

Prior to the ship's destruction, Italian right-wing newspapers speculated that French authorities in Djibouti were "likely complicit" in aiding the flow of arms into East African territory, a claim that the French ambassador in Rome denied.

The Marine Nationale has stated it will conduct an investigation into the ship's sinking, and is bringing in salvage divers to inspect the wreckage, some of which remains above water.

Veterans Groups Support Reconstruction of Light Railway
Monday, April 25, 1949 - A number of veterans groups have joined in a movement calling for reconstruction of a 60cm light railway, used during the course of the Great War, for use as a working historical monument. These light railways were built by all parties during the course of the war, and used to transport supplies, men, and equipment to the Front. Although the first trench railways were built by French and British railway troops, the Canadians took on a large portion of this task as the war went on.

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.