WesWorld

AWNR India: 1 July 1921

1. Raj Comments on Current Crisis
2. Gun Battle in As Salif
3. Babur Commissions

1. Raj Comments on Current Crisis

The Raj has surprised some observers with his take on the current hostilities between Argentina and Nordmark. Speaking with AWNR’s Aden Bureau during a brief refueling stop, the Indian leader said:

“I can identify with Argentina’s concerns over the ownership of the South Atlantic Islands. They’re not very happy that a pair of European imperial powers are conducting real estate deals involving a land mass they consider to be theirs. India has had to watch similar transactions in its past and we didn’t care for it either.

“I think the world has to grasp the fact that nations other than the European imperial powers have legitimate claims to sovereignty over many colonial possessions. In this case, I think the League of Nations should consider stepping in and declaring the South Atlantic islands a mandate until such time as its proper ownership is determined by international tribunal. Armed force - by either side - is not yet necessary to resolve this dispute.”

Asked about Nordmark’s recent demands, the Raj added: “I’ve seen nothing to suggest that Nordmark genuinely wants a diplomatic resolution to this entire fiasco. Argentina can’t possibly accept such...er, strong...demands from Nordmark; it would emasculate them and leave them utterly incapable of defending themselves. I can only conclude that Nordmark wants blood, and I would caution them against it: the last time a European sovereign was assassinated, the consequences engulfed the entire continent.

“I think Nordmark would be better served in the long run by presenting its evidence of a foreign plot to the League of Nations and allowing that body to act appropriately. If there is evidence of a foreign conspiracy, a League of Nations court - I assume there is such a thing in the charter - should try the case.

“I would also suggest that the people of Argentina determine how they wish to proceed, as their leadership would seem to be leading them down a dangerous path.”

The Raj also indicated that he is not concerned about Indian civilians now in the South Atlantic. “There are only a few dozen of my countrymen in South America, and none are likely to be mistaken for Argentines or Nordmarkers any time soon. They’ll be fine - and if they feel otherwise, it would seem that there are enough ways to get out now.”

2. Gun Battle in As Salif

One Indian soldier and three Asirites irregulars are dead following a gunfight near the As Salif salt mine. Colonel Devender Karat, commanding officer of the Loyal Bhutan Rifles, delivered this statement:

“At approximately zero two hundred, on the twenty-ninth of June, a patrol of the Loyal Bhutan Rifles were ambushed by a force of at least nine Asirite irregulars. The patrol suffered one fatality and two injuries in the barrage, but returned fire under the leadership of Sergeant Muppala Khatib. Sergeant Khatib personally killed one of the Asirites and wounded two others, both of whom were captured. The Asirites quickly routed, and escaped into the hinterland.

“Interrogation of the captured Asirites has indicated that they were attempting to raid the mine’s offices, but chose to engage the patrol as a target of opportunity.”

This is the second incident of its kind since the Indian landings in November of 1920.

3. Babur Commissions

India’s second battleship, SR Babur , commissioned on the 30th of June. The former RSAN Uruguay was purchased just days before the implementation of the Cleito Treaty, after the dreadnought was damaged in a collision with a civilian ship.

Although the acquisition strengthens India’s navy, it also adds some complications. “India now has two battleships with different main gun calibers - not an ideal situation”, commented Roger Williams of Jones’ Quaterly Naval Review. “It also means that the Indians have to allocate more of their escort forces to screen the second dreadnought. And the fact of the matter is, they don’t have a lot of escorts out there.”

Admiral Sanjay Das waved off Williams’ concerns. “The Indian Navy is readily aware of the need for additional escort forces and is budgeting as such for the 1922 estimates. Babur and Dara Shikoh are bolstering our strength, not sapping it.”

AWNR India: Q3 News Wrap-Up

(Pending, of course, any South Atlantic developments...)

August 18

The Raj and Rana returned to India this day, arriving in Cochin aboard the cruiser Bangalore . The royal couple’s lengthy trip to Europe was centered around the state funeral of Nordmark’s royal family. The Raj commented, “It was a very solemn affair, but I was impressed with the obvious affection the people of Nordmark have for their royal family. It speaks well of the nation.”

The trips to and from Nordmark included brief stops in a number of European nations. Greece, Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Germany were visited on the way to Nordmark. On the return trip, the royals stopped in at France, Britain and Iberia. In all cases, the royal couple were able to meet with government leaders.

In the absence of the Raj, Crown Prince Shrinivas is said to have carried out his role of regent in a creditable fashion. There were no significant political issues during his tenure, but the Crown Prince did tour, and order aid for, areas east of Dhaka after a cyclone killed several hundred people.

August 22

Amid great pomp and ceremony, India commissioned the aviation ship Otta today at Mumbai. The converted collier is among the smaller post-treaty aircraft carriers in existence, with a standard displacement of only 8500 tons.

Admiral of the Navy Sanjay Das was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. “Today marks an important date for India - it is a day that we demonstrate we will lead, and not follow, in naval matters. We will evaluate new technologies and devices and incorporate them into our strategies where appropriate. The men of the Otta have the unique opportunity to set the standard for naval aviation in the future, and I wish you all good fortune in your travels.”

A converted collier, the Otta was intended to carry up to forty aircraft, but it is thought that the air group will actually be about twenty to twenty-four on account of the ship’s modest hangar facilities.

Critics say that the Otta is too small and too slow to be of any value to the navy, but Admiral Das shot back, saying, “Otta is not intended to be a front-line combat unit for twenty years. She is an experimental platform, with a finite life, and she will serve her purpose - developing naval aviation doctrine and techniques - well.”

The Cleito Treaty requires that a replacement for Otta be laid down prior to the end of 1925 in order for her to be considered experimental. The next couple of years are expected to be significant as experience gained on Otta is incorporate into the design process for her replacement.

September 7

Indian-German relations are in dire straits today following an attack on Princess Prahminder at a private school near Dresden.

Reports indicate that between four and six racist fanatics breached the school’s security and confronted the Princess while she was relaxing in a courtyard. The intruders shouted racial slurs at her and accused India of betraying Germany during the Great War. The confrontation then became physical, with the fanatics attempting to attack the princess. School staff and the princess’ minders were able to subdue the attackers, but one of the intruders died as a result of injuries suffered during the struggle.

Princess Prahminder was treated for minor injuries in a hospital in Dresden before being released under heavy security. The princess is thought to have left the country the next day, although her ultimate destination was not revealed to the media.

September 26

Eight Indian soldiers and at least a dozen unidentified attackers are dead following a prolonged fire-fight in the eastern portion of the As Salif security perimeter. The battle flared up at approximately five in the morning, after the Arabian irregulars stumbled across an Indian observation post while trying to infiltrate into the town.

The battle tapered off approximately thirty minutes later when the irregulars withdrew under heavy fire. Several injured Arabians were captured by Indian troops and were treated for their injuries under guard.

Tensions are reported to be high in As Salif after rumors of renewed fighting in the region. A number of refugees have arrived in As Salif lately, claiming that the prince of Abha, Hasan Ibn Said, has revolted against the rule of Prince Faisal ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who conquered the region a year ago.

It is not clear which faction, if either, was responsible for the latest attack on Indian troops. Sources within the Ministry of Defence indicate that the Raj may be reconsidering India’s planned November withdrawal from As Salif if the violence continues.

AWNR India: Q4 News Wrap-up

October 18

The submarine IX-1 has commissioned into the Indian Navy. The boat, built by South Africa in its Uruguay facilities, is the first submarine to enter service with India. The submarine will remain in South African waters for the remainder of the year as its shakedown cruise begins, before making the lengthy journey back to India.

The submarine will not have a combat role and will ultimately be based at Sikkwe. Admiral Sanjay Das commented, “IX-1 will have three roles during the early years of her life. First, she will be a centerpiece of our anti-submarine training program for the surface fleet. Second, she will be used to develop a pool of submarine-trained crewmen and officers for future deployments. Finally, her operational experiences will be used to develop Indian submarine strategy and the designs necessary to undertake them.”

November 9

India is postponing its planned withdrawal from the town of As Salif. An average of one thousand soldiers and pioneers have been in the Red Sea town since the Indian “police operation” of November 1920.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prakash Zinta told AWNR that India is not comfortable with the situation in the Arabian peninsula. “At this time we are seeing evidence of a war in which different families are fighting for control of the land; it has been bloody and chaotic. Refugees have been arriving in As Salif for months now, and we have had clashes with soldiers of the various factions. On the whole, we think our presence is promoting stability in the area, and that it would be in the best interests of its inhabitants that we continue that presence.”

For the moment, the withdrawal has been delayed to May 1922. The announcement is expected to draw criticism from Great Britain, which has expressed prior concerns about the Indian military presence in the past year.

December 1

The Indian Navy has released its estimates for 1922. The document indicates that the navy will split its budget approximately equally between infrastructure development, ongoing construction, and new construction.

Admiral of the Navy Sanjay Das commented, “The focus for 1922 is on building up our capacity to defend our own coastal waters. This will include the construction of seven minesweepers and four sloops in our own facilities, and the purchase of twelve motor torpedo boats from a commercial yard in Cochin.”

The program is drawing fire from some critics who believe the navy needs to be spending more on building up the navy’s heavy forces. “We have a great ways to go toward reaching our Cleito Treaty limits”, commented Sourav Karat, a professor of maritime history at the University of Columbo. “At present, the navy is using just half of its capital ship allotment, and less than two thirds of its cruiser allotment. These offer a measure of deterrence that sloops and minesweepers do not.”

Admiral Das replied, “It is true that we have work to do in our major warship categories, but that work can wait while we spend the next year or two evaluating the designs and doctrines already in place. Frankly, we also want to analyze any information that comes out of the South Atlantic before committing ourselves to new designs.”

The program does include funds for a new light cruiser, as well as three destroyers and two tenders.

December 3

India is condemning the recent treaty between Australia and Great Britain. The treaty would see up to 20% of the Royal Navy’s battleline stationed at Australia, to facilitate the defense of that nation and other regional British possessions.

The Raj said, “The last thing the Pacific needs is more foreign battleships. The Australian navy is a strong regional power in its own right, and its neighbours - South Africa, the Netherlands East Indies and Japan - are all law-abiding, respectable nations. I don’t see what Australia has to worry about.”

With three centuries of generally acrimonious relations between India and Britain, there is a degree of mistrust on the Raj’s part. “The British continue to oppress and exploit the people of Asia through its colonial empire; I can’t help but wonder if these battleships are there in part to suppress the independence movements of these captive nations, through some form of gunboat diplomacy.”

India News Wrap-Up: Q1/22

9 January 1922

Just weeks after starting flight operations, there has been a fatal accident aboard the aviation ship Otta. One of the ship’s Dhairya scout aeroplanes crashed on landing, killing its pilot and observer.

“We’re still interviewing crewmen who witnessed the crash. For now it appears that the aeroplane was low and clipped the edge of the deck with its landing gear, causing it to flip over”, said Commander Mohammad Pevan of the Military Investigative Branch. “Both crewmen were killed instantly.”

Several crewmen were treated for non-life threatening injuries after being struck by flying debris. Damage to the Otta was described as superficial.

13 January 1922

India’s naval shipyards are buzzing with activity, a sight relatively uncommon across the world as the Cleito Treaty takes its toll on shipbuilding. Eight of nine dedicated military slipways are in the process of building destroyers, minesweepers, sloops, and auxiliaries as part of the navy’s Sea Control program.

Admiral Sanjay Das, who was on hand for the launch of the survey ship Palk Bay earlier this month, commented, “Our first and greatest priority must be an ability to prevent sea denial activities aimed at disrupting our merchantile shipping in time of war. A strong force of anti-submarine and mine-warfare vessels is the key to this goal.”

4 February 1922

After three years of serious experimentation, the Indian Army is equipping its first combat unit with armored vehicles. The First Jagganatta* Battalion will be deployed to the Eight Field Force, which is situated along the border with British Pakistan, later in the year.

The battalion is expected to consist of three combat companies, each with a different type of vehicle. One company will be equipped with Sher (“Lion”) tanks, which are reported to be equipped with a 1.4" cannon and four machine guns. Another company will field the Gadaa (“Bludgeon”), which carries four 0.6" machine guns and two light machine guns. The third company will operate armored cars mounting two 0.6" machine guns on a wheeled chassis.

All three vehicle types are the result of experiments performed by the army’s 48th Motorized Cavalry Regiment, based near Delhi. That unit has tasked with developing and testing a range of motorized vehicles with military applications.


*OOC: Jagganatta is the term from which the word juggernaut is derived; it refers to a practice in which devoted worshippers would throw themselves under the wheels of carts and wagons bearing religious decor.

20 February 1922

India has asked the League of Nations to grant it a mandate over As Salif and several other towns on the western shore of the Arabian Peninsula. “Our intention is to ensure the security of As Salif and other settlements in Asir until such time as the citizenry can determine its future without fear of war. This will be made difficult without the support of the League.”

A civil war has been ongoing in the region for some time, and has resulted in numerous skirmishes in the proposed area, some of them with Indian soldiers. Although conservative forces under Prince Saud are thought to be winning the war, both India and Great Britain have described the situation as “fluid”.

There is no firm figure on the population of the proposed mandate, but it is estimated at XXX.

28 February 1922

The Yemeni government in Sana’a has denounced India’s request for an As Salif mandate as nothing more than “a veil concealing stark imperialist desires.” A statement released to several newspapers further indicated that the national security of Yemen would be endangered by a long term presence of India military forces on its northern border.

“Yemen has been strongly against India’s presence on the peninsula since even before the whole unfortunate business with Raveena Pillai”, commented Dr. Erik Gerhardt, a professor of political science at the Frankfurt State University in Germany. “As a small and relatively weak nation, there is an understandable fear that any larger nation will be tempted to annex it.” As with many other aspects of Arabian geography, there is little known of the size and capability of Yemen’s army. Nor have the Indians discussed what manner of military presence it would have in As Salif.

Professor Gerhardt suggests that while India has ulterior motives behind its request to receive a mandate, it is not based on imperialism. “I think there’s a combination of saving face and gaining status at work here. Certainly it would be embarrassing for the Raj to see the town assaulted by one of the local factions the day after his soldiers boarded their transports; there would be voices asking why India allowed it to happen. If, however, the mandate is awarded, India can take the time to ensure an orderly departure - and, at the same time, make a political statement about its ability to influence regional affairs.”

AWNR India News Wrap-up, Q2/22

2 April

A gruesome discovery east off Ceylon has the Indian Coastal Security Force perplexed.

“Acting on information provided by a fishing boat, a CSF patrol boat boarded the tramp freighter Khachchahr approximately three hundred nautical miles east of Trincomalee”, recited a CSF official in the force’s Ceylon office. “The boarding party found the remains of the freighter’s seventeen man crew in the ship’s forward hold, where they had been murdered.”

CSF has not disclosed how the men were killed, or what the freighter was carrying. It is not the first incident of apparent piracy this year, but is certainly the most violent.

19 April

India’s Naval Design Bureau has released the plans for what might have been the nation’s first aviation ship. While the former collier Bhima proved to be the testbed for naval aviation, there had been consideration in 1920 for modifying the incomplete cruiser Male into a hybrid aviation cruiser.

The conversion would have seen a landing deck installed between the aft-most turret and an enlarged second funnel. A flying deck would have extended from the bridge forward, with a transit deck connecting it along the starboard side to the landing deck. Two small hangars would have been installed under the decks, with approximately a dozen aircraft carried. As a consequence, the ship would have had its main armament reduced to three 8.2" guns - the port, starboard, and aft-most weapons.

The Navy ended up rejecting the proposal, in part because it wanted the cruiser completed as planned. Regardless, the design was also considered too much of a compromise, and would have proved unsatisfactory as either a cruiser or aviation ship.

4 May

The second Indian Ocean Naval Symposium begins next week in Mumbai. The annual event first began in Durban in May of last year, and proved to be a success.

There is somewhat less fanfare associated with this year’s conference, but the slate of topics remains strong. There will be two days of discussions on the Nordmark-Argentina conflict, along with a day each on naval aviation, logistics, and a review of last year’s naval exercises.

A series of manoeuvres will take place in and around the Maldives, primarily involving cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats.

7 June

An early cyclone has wreaked havoc in southern Ceylon. Several fishing villages have sustained heavy damage and an estimated three hundred people have been killed.

Several units of the Coastal Security Force and a naval destroyer have arrived in the area to render assistance. A hospital ship is en route from Columbo, with a capacity to treat hundreds of sick and injured people in a day.

The Meteorological Service of India says that the storm is not atypical. “It’s that time of year, unfortunately”, said Kamal Pashira, the service’s director-general. “With advanced warning of the storm’s intensity and course, we might have been able to warn the villages in its path. That might have saved lives.”

22 June

Following the disastrous cyclone that struck Ceylon earlier in the month, the Government of India announced a new program intended to predict the path and strength of cyclones.

Kamal Pashira, speaking from the MSI office in Bangalore, said, “We’re going to erect a chain of weather monitoring and forecasting stations on islands in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. We will start with installations on Ceylon, the Andaman Islands, the Maldives, and the Chagos Islands. We’ll look for other areas that may be well-placed to serve as forecasting stations, but some may be in foreign jurisdictions. In those cases, we will ask the Ministry for International Affairs to speak with the appropriate governments.

India News Wrap-Up, Q3/22

6 July 1922

Having graduated with his bachelor's degree in political science, Crown Prince Shrinivas has just three weeks to relax before his next challenge begins: a military career.

The Crown Prince will be breaking from the tradition established by his ancestors back to the Mughal times: he will not be an infantry officer. Instead, he will be reporting to the Naval College at Mumbai, for training as a seaman. It is expected that, following completion of the training, the prince will serve only the minimum two years as an enlisted man before being accepted into the 1925 Officer Recruitment Program.

The break in tradition has not surprised royal watchers, who noted that India’s development into a regional naval power made the decision a logical one.

30 July 1922

Following relatively unsuccessful government relief operations in monsoon-stricken Dhaka, an anonymous group of local citizens have taken the unprecedented step of asking to elect the region’s senior officials.

“The appointed men were not sensitive to the needs of the people as a whole”, said a typewritten statement mailed to the Dhaka Daily Update newspaper. “When alleviating the suffering of families becomes secondary to controlling a budget, something is wrong with the government. We respectfully ask that the Raj consider our request to choose those senior officials responsible for local issues, so that decisions are made for the people, by the people.”

Neither the Raj nor the government has responded to the statement, which is considered a bold move given how strongly the government has previously reacted to any perceived threats to its power.

17 August 1922

The Raj is recovering in a hospital in Chittagong after contracting a case of malaria. The Imperial Physician’s Office stated that the case was relatively minor, and that the Raj is in no danger. “The Raj has agreed to remain in hospital for a few days so that his condition may be observed”, said a spokesman.

It’s not known when the Raj contracted the disease, as malaria patients can have further bouts of the ailment well after their initial infection.

2 September 1922

Another cyclone has brought death and destruction to Indian shores. The storm made landfall about eighty miles west of Dhaka, bringing with it tremendous volumes of rain, high winds, and a storm surge estimated at five feet. Approximately four hundred people are believed to have perished in the villages hardest hit.

The death toll is worse offshore, where an overladen ferry and her would-be rescuer sank in bad seas. Survivors say that the ferry had left Dhaka with about six hundred people, despite only being authorized to carry three hundred fifty. The ship began taking on water after being caught by the cyclone, and a distress signal was sent out. The destroyer G-112 attempted to take on the passengers and crew of the ferry, but was repeatedly smashed into the ferry’s side by the cyclone’s high waves, causing serious damage to the warship and hastening the ferry’s demise.

It is believed that barely two hundred passengers made it off the ferry before it sank; most of them, and all but eight of the destroyer’s crew, lost their lives when the destroyer went down about two hours later.

31 September 1922

Commissioning ceremonies for the aviation ship Palk Bay were held today at Madras. The nation’s first purpose-built naval aviation ship is designed to carry up to ten seaplanes, and is also fitted with hydrographic and scientific facilities.

Admiral Sanjay Das told reporters, “Palk Bay provides the nation with much need scouting and scientific abilities. Following the completion of her shakedown cruise, she will deploy to the Chagos Archipelago to undertake surveying activities in conjunction with the Naval Oceanographic Institute.”

India News Wrap-up, Q4/22

3 October 1922

The Indian Navy has cancelled the naval auxiliaries that were to form a key part of its building program. Five ships - two oilers and three destroyer tenders - had been planned, and two have already been laid down. Only the oiler Mahanadi , which has already been launched, will be completed; the tender Mannar Gulf , which was laid down three months ago, will be scrapped.

A source in the Naval Works Bureau, which oversees ship construction and refitting, told AWNR that the Navy belatedly realized it would be more cost-effective to purchase and refit civilian ships. The navy is even now beginning to approach ship owners to identify potential transactions.

30 October 1922

A small flotilla of Indian warships are embarking on a good-will tour of South East Asia. The heavy cruiser Bangalore , light cruiser Cochin , and two destroyers will visit a number of ports, although only Rangoon has been specifically identified thus far.

14 November 1922

The Coastal Security Force has concluded that the crew of the tramp freighter Khachchahr - found slaughtered in their vessel’s hold in April - were smuggling illegal goods. However, the CSF won’t say what those goods were, and whether they were headed into or out of the country.

“Though unfortunate for the crew and their families, we can take consolation that it did not herald a wave of piracy”, an official commented.

23 November 1922

Despite the freezing temperatures and stormy seas, the Meteorological Service of India has chartered a ship to monitor the weather off Antarctica. MSI’s Kamal Pashira told AWNR, “We’re curious to see if any correlation exists between the climate of the waters north of Antarctica and the climate of our nation. We’ve outfitted a freighter with several instruments and converted a hold into a laboratory for a small team of scientists.”

The ship is expected to collect data until early February, though it will make repeated trips to Diego Garcia for resupply.

“Ultimately, we may find sufficient data to warrant a meteorological station on Antarctica itself”, Pashira said.

1 December 1922

The Indian Navy has released its estimates for the 1923 naval program. Whereas last year’s program was equally divided amongst new and ongoing construction and naval infrastructure, there is a decided bias towards infrastructure development in the coming year.

“Our blue water forces will be bolstered with the laying-down of a second Trincomalee class cruiser, Lucknow, and eight new destroyers of the G-135 class, plus the acquisition and refit into service of two destroyer tenders for our remote stations. The coastal defence program initiated in early 1922 will continue with a minimum of four sloops and four minesweepers laid down, plus ten more light torpedo boats”, commented Admiral Sanjay Das in Mumbai. "Every one of the navy's slipways will be occupied throughout the year in order to see this work through."

“The existing construction - Trincomalee , two destroyers, two minesweepers, three sloops and an oiler - will all be completed on schedule.”

“With the additional industrial capacity being completed this week, our naval infrastructure development will focus on the construction of a class three slipway at Mumbai. This is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 1924, whereupon it and the similar slipway at Madras will be a focus of activity in that year.”

The news was once again greeted with disdain by Professor Sourav Karat of the University of Columbo. “Again the Navy persists in small-minded thinking, insisting that the escorts and auxiliaries are what we need. They aren’t. Build battleships, build aircraft carriers. That is what will keep us safe.” Asked about the planned class three slipway to be built, the professor replied, “Given the navy’s reluctance to abandon their ‘Cruiser Warfare’ philosophy - never mind their public dismissal of it, it’s a smoke screen - I suspect they intend to build the remaining two Type A cruisers we’re allowed to operate.”

An Interview with Commodore Virendra Iraani, Indian Naval Training Command

AWNR: Commodore Iraani, good morning.

VI: And to you.

AWNR: Commodore, training is a job that a lot of naval enthusiasts don’t often think about. Tell us about your job and why it is important.

VI: I supervise the Naval Training Command, which has facilities and squadrons in Columbo and Sikkwe. My job, and that of my staff, is to give young men the skills they need to serve on our warships.

AWNR: And what sort of facilities do you have for that purpose?

VI: We have extensive lecture and educational facilities at the Nautical College in Columbo, where our younger cadets start out. Our faculty includes several dozen full-time instructors as well as a number of guest speakers - for example, we recently had Pilot-Captain Tijori speak to a class about naval aviation.

AWNR: We’ve met with the Pilot-Captain. Tell us about the training flotilla, Commodore.

VI: Our training flotilla consists of two squadrons. The First Squadron consists of the old battleship Ashoka and the protected cruiser Mysore - it’s based here in Columbo. The Second Squadron consists of the submarine IX-1 , torpedo boats L-97 and L-99 , the yacht Vikrant , and several small craft. These are home-ported in Sikkwe at the fleet base; apart from the submarine, they’re also all fairly old vessels.

AWNR: Those are some historical ships in the list.

VI: Yes, indeed - it’s a large portion of the so-called “First Fleet” the Germans built for us back in the late eighties and early nineties.

AWNR: Now, how did a powerful ship like Ashoka end up in a training capacity? I’m surprised she wasn’t used in the war with the Dutch.

VI: Well, it came down to a matter of politics and capacity. Ashoka and her sister, the original Chandragupta , made up our most powerful squadron through the first part of the decade. When Chandragupta blew up in ‘09, though, we didn’t have the capacity to build a replacement locally, and the Germans couldn’t spare a slipway, since they were busy trying to keep pace with British construction. It was decided that it made no sense to operate Ashoka alone, so she was taken out of front-line service and the burden of combat passed to the cruisers.

AWNR: Now, how busy have you been of late?

VI: Well, to put it in perspective, our ship crews at the end of 1918 totalled about five thousand. By the end of this year, we’ll be up to almost twelve thousand. So we’ve more than doubled in size in four years, meaning that we have a lot of young, inexperienced crewmen out there. Every one of those lads had at least a semester in the college and another on a ship.

AWNR: Has the training suffered as a result?

VI: No...no, I wouldn’t say so. We had sufficient lead time to plan for most of the increase - the new cruisers and destroyers, mostly. We were also able to employ a number of retired or discharged men who had been injured during the war and could no longer perform full-time naval careers. Captain Sunil Ramesh, for example, has lectured extensively on surface combat techniques.

VI: The two battleship crews could have been a problem, but the South Africans came through for us - part of the purchase agreement, as you’ll recall, included training for the crew of the Dara Shikoh. When we bought Babur, we basically split the original battleship crew in half. It hurt their readiness in late '21, but both ships are now up to standard.

AWNR: How about officer training? How does that work?

VI: It’s a bit of a holdover from the early years, when we had German officers. When the decision was made to replace the junior officers in 1891, the Navy decided it was better to promote experienced enlisted men, rather than have an entire cadre of inexperienced new officers who’d never been on a tour. It worked out well, for the most part, and so the system has stayed that way, with the original enlisted men in some cases now holding flag rank. Right now, any enlisted man can apply for officer training after serving two years or more. If they are screened in, we then have specialized courses here at the college for them.

AWNR: Is the crunch over now? Will things quiet down?

VI: Our longer term planning assumes that the navy will be close to its Cleito Treaty limits by 1930, and we have a general sense of what’s being built and when. Depending on the specifics, we expect our ship crews will total between 28,000 and 30,000 at that time. That’s an increase of at least 16,000 over our current total. Obviously, a number of men will also be leaving the service in that timeframe, so we’ll have to replace them as well. Essentially, we think it’s reasonable to assume that we need to continue training at least 3,000 men a year. We can work with that.

AWNR: You have the faculty and lecturing facilities you need - what about the ships?

VI: We’ll need some new vessels very soon - even with the South African help we had, our ships have about hit their capacity. Ashoka hasn’t got a lot of time left in her career, she’s now almost thirty years old, and Mysore isn’t much younger. We’re hoping to acquire one or two of the Calcutta class cruisers as they get retired in the latter part of the decade, probably also one of our existing battleships as they’re replaced. Perhaps a couple of the destroyers as well. We’re not so sure how we’ll deal with naval aviation - we’d love to take over Otta , but the treaty has been interpreted as not allowing carriers to be retained for training purposes.

AWNR: Thank you, Commodore.

VI: Thank you.


Addendum: India’s Naval Training Command forces

SR Ashoka is the flagship of the Naval Training Command. A Brandenburg -class battleship, she was ordered by the Indian navy in 1891 from Kaiserliche Werft (Wilhelmshaven) and was commissioned in 1894. She, along with her sister Chandragupta , the protected cruisers Mysore, Surat , and Patna , and eight torpedo-boats were known as the “First Fleet”, vessels built in Germany between 1889 and 1896. Ashoka saw action at the liberation of Diego Garcia, when the fleet surprised and overwhelmed a depleted Iberian squadron. After Chandragupta was destroyed by a magazine explosion in 1909, the ship was deleted to a training capacity. She saw no service during the Andaman War, though her use was contemplated more than once. She displaces 10,970 tons, and is currently armed with two twin 10.2", six single 4.1", and about eight lighter guns as well as submerged 17.7" torpedo tubes. A thirty-five caliber, 10.2" gun mounted amidships was removed in 1911 for use as a defensive battery at Mumbai.

SR Mysore is a Wacht -class protected cruiser, ordered from A. G. Weser (Bremen) in 1889 and commissioned in 1891. Mysore was flagship of the fleet when India brought the Maldive Islands into the empire in 1892, and saw action at Diego Garcia, suffering significant damage that put her out of service until 1900. Mysore was stationed along the west coast until 1919; she saw no action during the Andaman War, instead being tasked to monitor British activity off Pakistan. She was relegated to training duties when the light cruiser Columbo was commissioned. She displaces 1,250 tons, and is currently armed with three 4.1", two 3.5", and six lighter guns, her torpedoes having been taken out of service in 1919.

SR L-97 and L-99 were built at Schichau, Germany in 1888 and saw service in coastal duties until being replaced by locally built torpedo boats in 1910. Neither ship saw action during their careers, though both were used extensively in anti-smuggling operations in the east. Displacing just 96 tons, they are currently equipped with a 0.6" machine gun and a pair of 17.7" torpedo tubes.

SR Vikrant was a motor yacht purchased from a private owner in 1903. The ship saw use as a surveying vessel in the Maldives for much of her career. She was refitted as a sloop in 1915, with one 1.4" cannon, one 0.6" machine gun, and twelve depth charges. Assigned to NTC in 1918, she serves as an anti-submarine training platform.

SR IX-01 is an I-class vessel commissioned in 1921 after being built in South Africa. After working up in Uruguay, the submarine sailed to Indian waters in early 1922. She is now used in a training capacity as an “enemy” for surface forces needing ASW training, and is also being used operationally to develop submarine doctrines. Her displacement is 450 t, and she is armed with a 4.1" cannon and five 19.7" torpedo tubes.

India News, Q1/1923

5 January 1923

India has confirmed that its military is training a cadre of local fighters in a camp near the town of As Salif. Foreign Affairs Minister Prakash Zinta called the move, “a prudent measure to ensure that the people of As Salif and its neighbouring communities can have the safety and security they deserve when our mission ends.”

India’s military presence has quietly increased over the last year as a result of the ongoing warfare spanning the Arabian peninsula. The army has a force of two infantry battalions, one of cavalry, and one of artillery present, and a mixed squadron of pursuit and reconnaissance aircraft has been stationed at a new airstrip at Kamaran Island. The navy, meanwhile, has stationed two torpedo boats at Kamaran.

Although Yemeni fears of an invasion have thus far been unfounded, the Indians have aggressively patrolled a wide perimter around As Salif in recent months, fighting a number of skirmishes with bandits and irregular militiamen. Over thirty Indian soldiers have perished in these encounters.

Reports have suggested that India originally intended to leave As Salif over a year ago, but has delayed the departure for political and humanitarian reasons. A petition to the League of Nations to acquire a formal mandate for the area has been in limbo for some time.

16 January 1923

The Imperial Ordnance Works of Pondicherry has embarked on a massive expansion of its production facilities. The plant is one of the nation’s largest producers of heavy artillery, manufacturing fifteen and twenty-one centimeter guns for both the navy and the army.

IOWP spokesmen could not be reached for comment, but inquiries to citizens of Chinna Salem, near IOWP’s proving grounds, were neither surprised nor happy to hear of the news. “That just figures”, complained local schoolteacher Smriti Kumar. “There are days where it seems like a god is jumping up and down behind the school. It’s very disruptive.”

A local farmer, who did not wish to be named, said, “I done my time in the army, been round every gun they use. I know their sounds. They ain’t shooting fifteens or twenty-ones over there on their range right now, nope.”

2 February 1923

The Rana is in London today, where she will be having tea with Queen Mary. It’s the first time that the two have met, and also the first direct meeting between the two royal families in almost seventy years. She will fly to Berlin tomorrow for a meeting with Chancellor Cuno of Germany.

The Rana had previously been in Stockholm, where she spent the weekend skiing with Princess Prahminder. Prior to that, she and other directors of the Imperial Bank of India had been in the United States for a tour of several factories and meetings with leading industrialists.

After a brief stop in Kiel, the Rana and her entourage will board the royal yacht Hindustaan for a return trip to India via the Mediterranean and Red Sea.

28 February 1923

The Meteorological Survey of India’s Antarctic mission has ended three weeks early, after its ship was damaged in a collision with pack ice. Kamal Pashira, the survey’s director, said, “The ship and crew were in no immediate danger but we played it safe anyway and sent the ship to Durban for repairs.

The dispatch to Durban was not surprising, as the ship made a brief stop in late December to the South African port to take on a small scientific team from the University of Durban. “It was an excellent opportunity to expand the mission to include flora and fauna studies”, enthused Mr. Pashira. “The South African team came aboard to examine the aquatic and avian populations of the Antarctic and we found some potentially interesting connections between their work and our climate observations.”

Not all of the mission was spent strictly on work. “On New Year’s Eve many of the crew boated over to a large floe and celebrated with a football game between the South African researchers and a team of Indian scientists and crewmen. I’m sad to say that although India scored twice late in 1922, the South Africans came back with four goals in 1923 to win by a final score of 4 to 3.”

Two news reports for the price of one!

5 April 1923

In Alleppey, the Rana has announced the creation of a new organization intended to promote Indian feats of exploration and discovery.

“The Adventurer’s Guild of India will provide funding, administrative, and logistical support to those who push forth into new territory, be it geography or technology”, the Rana said to a packed audience in the Imperial Hotel’s Grand Ballroom yesterday.

The new organization, for which the Rana will be the executive director, will be based in Alleppey. A call for abstracts is expected in the summer, which would in turn support projects mounted in 1924.

Initial funding for the Guild includes the entire 50,000 rupee sum that the Rana collected in 1921 after a long-range flight by Japanese pilot Oonishi Manzo. The daring voyage reportedly caught the interest of the Empress, who began laying the groundwork for the guild early last year.

18 April 1923

Near As Salif, six Indian soldiers are dead following a skirmish with guerrilla forces belonging to Arabian ruler Prince Saud. No details have otherwise been released by the army.

This is the first instance in which Prince Saud’s forces have been clearly identified as being involved in a clash with Indian forces in the As Salif region.

31 May 1923

The Indian government has confirmed that it is largely responsible for loans to Germany earlier this year. Those loans barely allowed the German government to avoid defaulting on reparations payments to France and other nations.

Had the reparations not been paid, it is believed that France would have invaded Germany, possibly leading to a wide-scale conflict.

9 June 1923

The Adventurer’s Guild of India has opened its doors to receive proposals for funding. Three men were waiting when the event took place - mountaineers Bhaskar Awati, Vishnu Soblok, and Madhvendra Sagar, who have between them scaled many of the tallest mountains in India.

“We are here to request funding for an organized expedition to scale Sagarmatha”, Awati told a crowd of reporters. “The British have twice climbed upon it without reaching the peak, and seek to try again next year. We believe it is important that an Asian mountain be conquered by those of us who live around it - not by tourists from the other side of the world. To this end, we will seek funding to finance the expedition, and also ask that the Guild negotiate permissions from the governments of Tibet and Nepal to attempt the feat.”

Sagarmatha, is the world’s tallest mountain at twenty-nine thousand feet and straddles the Nepalese-Tibetan border. Known also as Qomolangma on the Tibetan side, and as Mount Everest in European circles, the mountain has yet to be climbed. A British expedition led by George Mallory got to within 2000 feet in 1922, but lost seven sherpas in the process. Mallory has stated that he intends to try again in 1924.

14 July 1923

The first cyclone of the season has come and gone. Apart from a few lost fishermen east of Dhaka, the storm left little more than flooding and structural damage in its wake.

1 August 1923

The Indian Navy’s power projection capabilities have been enhanced now that the oiler Mahanadi has joined the fleet for its shakedown cruise. The ship is expected to join the Western Maritime District, where it will support deployments to As Salif and Europe.

5 August 1923

Another skirmish and more deaths in the As Salif area after Indian and Saudi soldiers clashed two nights ago. This time it seems that India got the upper hand in the encounter, killing eight while losing three of its own infantrymen.

A British official in Sana’a, Yemen, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Our sense is that Prince Saud is sufficiently irritated with India’s occupation of As Salif that he intends to drive them out. I can’t say I disagree; India has no business here.”

India’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jal Kadharni, responded by saying, “India has a moral obligation to secure the lands around As Salif for the benefit of its people. We have been waiting almost two years for the League of Nations to accept our request for a mandate in the region, only to be confronted with dithering and disdain by some of the member-states. Once that mandate is received, we can complete our task and the people of Asir can determine whether they wish to join in Prince Saud’s newly-carved kingdom.”

8 August 1923

More heated words from Riyadh, Sana’a, and Hyderabad as British and Saudi officials commented on Indian statements about As Salif.

“The Indian foreign minister said that India has the obligation to secure As Salif for the benefits of its people. I fail to see how the people of India can possibly benefit from such imperialistic actions”, said Sir Oscar Pakingham, the British ambassador to Yemen.

The Yemeni government issued a terse and somewhat cryptic note to the effect that Indian aggression would be repelled with dire consequences, while a Saudi official noted, “Their words betray their intentions.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Kadharni was visibly angered by the attacks. “Obviously I meant that India would secure As Salif for the benefit of the people of As Salif. My words are being twisted to meet the ends of others”, the minister said when reached by telephone.

2 September 1923

A source within the Indian Navy has confirmed that the fleet will be starting construction on two battleships next year.

“I think we were going to wait a bit longer, but the brass are getting worried by the surge in building by countries like Denmark and the Netherlands - not to mention the Dutch alliance with Italy and Iberia now. There’s a fear that we’ll wake up one day to find a Danish battlegroup at Tranquebar, demanding their old outpost back.”

As for where and when the ships will be laid down, the source replied, “With only one class three slipway completed so far, the first ship - Akbar will be her name - will have to be built at Madras once the cruiser Lucknow is launched. The second ship will undoubtedly use the class three slip being built at Mumbai right now. That probably means a lay down next summer or fall.”

2 October 1923

Word is only now reaching the outside world of a devastating cyclone that struck deep into the state of Bangaldesh last week. The storm made land-fall on the twenty-nineth of September, after inflicting severe damage on the local fishing fleet and sinking several larger ships.

Telephone and telegraph lines to the region around Chittagong have been destroyed, and extensive flooding has prevented foot messengers from reaching less damaged areas of the state to pass along the news.

A high storm-surge and heavy rains have left hundreds of square miles inundated with murky, debris-covered water. Military aircraft are now over-flying the region to estimate the true extent of the devastation; one aviator told AWNR, "I've never seen anything like it...so many bodies...", before choking up.

The Government is mobilizing thousands of relief workers as well as three divisions of infantry to start rescuing displaced families and bury the dead. Warships of the Eastern Maritime District are now in the waters off Chittagong, searching for survivors of the many vessels lost in the storm.

The Government has not provided an estimate of the death toll, but one source said, "It will be substantial."

18 October 1923

Disaster relief operations continue in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, where an estimated 23,000 people lost their lives in a cyclone three weeks ago.

Despite the presence of large numbers of military and civilian relief workers, there has been sharp criticism of their effectiveness in restoring crucial infrastructure, burying the dead, and tending to the sick and injured.

A spokesman for the upstart Concerned Citizens' Coalition - founded after the cyclone that hit Dhaka last year - said, "The horror of this tragedy is compounded by the fact that nobody in government seems to have learned from what happened in Dhaka. They're sending the wrong supplies, have their priorities all wrong, and the various organizations aren't coordinating their activities well at all. We also have evidence of at least three government officials engaged in ethically questionable activities since they arrived here."

There are sketchy reports of a riot in a refugee camp north of the city, but the state governor's office would only say that there had been a minor disturbance resulting in three arrests.

20 October 1923

The aviation ship Otta , collier Indrayati , and destroyer G-125 are embarking on a "milk run" that will see them ultimately arrive in Belgium next month.

"Otta is scheduled to deliver a number of cargoes of various kinds", said her captain. "We will be transporting a dozen Dhairya-C scout-bombers to the army aviation base at As Salif, as well as several armored cars, plus the personnel required to operate them. We then proceed into the Mediterranean for a brief visit to Greece, and on to Cadiz, Iberia, to deliever the Naval College football team for a tournament."

After that, the squadron will continue on to Belgium, to rotate the "Chosen", the military security team assigned to the embassy there.

1 November 1923

The Meteorological Service of India is planning another Antarctic mission this winter. This time, the mission will attempt to land on a region dubbed "Enderby Land" to take weather observations for up to three months.

"Ultimately, our goal is to spend a whole year taking observations, so we can see if any conditions here can warn us of storms like 1923-K before they reach our shores", said director Kamal Pashira.

5 November 1923

The army has been called in to break up riots and "illegal activities" around Chittagong. As many as thirty people may have been killed in the process.

Several members of the Concerned Citizen's Coalition have been arrested after allegedly using force to take over distribution of food supplies to the eastern part of the city. A coalition member, who did not wish to be named, said, "There's been far too much attention paid to the plight of the wealthy, and not nearly enough to the poor. The only way left to us was to physically prevent it from happening."

1 December 1923

The Navy has tabled its estimates for 1924. While only a handful of ships will be built, the types of ships mark a departure for the fleet.

Admiral Sanjay Das said, "Nineteen twenty-four will be a milestone year for India as we take further steps toward an all-purpose navy. The battleship Akbar will be laid down on the first day of the year, with a second battleship, Jahangir , to follow in July. By 1927, these fine vessels will be the nucleus of our battleline, freeing up the Dara Shikoh and Babur for other duties.

"Further, we also begin the expansion of the fleet submarine arm, with the construction of three coastal submarines for operations in the Bay of Bengal. We have learned a great deal from two years of trials with our South African-built IX-1 , and anticipate developing a large arm of coastal and ocean-going submarines before the end of the decade.

"We will continue to upgrade our support forces. The final unit of the Brahmaputra class coastal minesweepers will be built, after which we will initiate work on a group of larger, ocean-going minesweepers. We have identified and purchased two oilers which will be converted to military use to support fleet operations.

"Regarding infrastructure, we will complete the class three slipway at Mumbai, and will embark on construction of a similarly sized drydock at Madras."

4 December 1923

The Government of India has invited delegates of a number of navies to attend the lay-down ceremony for the battleship Akbar .

"It's a very important event for us, as we join that small, elite club of nations willing and able to build capital ships. We've sent invitations to all signatories of the Cleito Treaty, plus Denmark, the Philippines, Siam, and several South American states. I don't know that they will all attend, but I imagine there are some folks curious to see what we're going to build. Our operational security has been fairly good so far, after all", said Admiral Das.

The ceremony will take place in Madras on January 1, and will feature an unveiling of the design, plus key-note addresses by the Raj, Admiral Das, and Dhiren Naidu, the country's leading naval architect. A formal dinner will take place aboard SR Babur following the ceremony.

1 January 1924

On a cool Madras day, with the sun flitting from cloud to cloud, thousands sit in a wall of wooden bleachers, watching an empty slipway with anticipation. Just two months ago, this space was occupied by a light cruiser, a vessel now tied up several hundred yards away, its superstructure partly complete.

Out in the harbour, dozens of foreign warships lay at anchor, ranging from nimble grey destroyers to battlecruisers still working up. Many are well known and represent the cutting edge of their types: Mocambique , Sviatoslav , Siboney , Regina Elena . Others are seasoned veterans, no longer new but still to be respected: Bretagne , De Hollandia , Thor . A large part of Indian naval power is present - two elderly dreadnoughts, attended to by five cruisers, several destroyers, and a half-dozen other vessels.

A frail, bald man walks bare-foot to a podium before the crowd. Clad only in a white cotton robe, he leans toward the microphone and utters a sentence that none of the visitors understand. The Indian attendees, however, quickly rise to their feet and bow their heads, prompting the visitors to follow their lead with alacrity. The man - a Hindu priest - says a brief prayer, asking for the health and well-being of all who are present. He then sits down in a nearby chair and the crowd quick to return to theirs.

An honor guard of Indian Naval Infantry marches in from the left, their legs and arms moving in unison as the sergeant in command grunts indecipherable orders to them. Six stop on each side of the podium and stand at attention. Immediately, three more men march out; two wear the uniform of the Chosen, the third the unique attire of the Admiral of the Navy. The two sentinels take station behind and to the sides of the Admiral as he settles before the podium.

Admiral Sanjay Das is a slightly portly man of sixty years. His uniform fits him perfectly, a suit of white with silver and gold thread. A Raj’s Sapphire dangles from a ribbon on the left breast of his jacket, sparkling in the sun. The admiral speaks for several minutes in Hindi before giving an abbreviated version in English, which is to be the second language of this ceremony. “Honored guests and fellow citizens”, he begins. “Centuries ago, our shores lay undefended against the predations of those who would have struck us down. Invaders came, landed as they chose, and established enclaves to allow them to exploit our economy, depose our chosen leadership, and impose their religions upon us. It was with great effort, and much giving of blood, that we ejected the invaders.”

“We have learned from this mistake. Almost forty years ago, the nation gained a new line of defense in the Bharatiya Nau Sena, first with torpedo boats and protected cruisers, then light cruisers and pre-dreadnoughts, and at last with true battleships. Today, we take our next step towards establishing the Bharatiya Nau Sena as the dominant naval force in this part of the world; today, we begin to build our own battleships.”

The admiral pauses as Indian attendees cheer raucously and the foreign visitors applaud politely. Not everybody in attendance is particularly pleased with the Admiral’s words, after all. “I will ask Mr. Dhiren Naidu to tell you of our venture. Mr. Naidu has supervised the design of the battleship since scoping studies began in 1920.”

From the right comes a rumble, and twenty naval infantry come into view, pulling an jagganath. Usually, these enormous wooden carts bear the image of a deity and are dragged through city streets during religious festivals. Today, the icon has been replaced by a large, canvas-shrouded object.

By the time the cart has ground to a halt beside the podium, Naidu has arrived at the podium from the other direction. The nation’s leading naval architect is a thin, gangly, older gentleman in a khaki suit. His voice quavers slightly as he speaks - he’s more accustomed to lecturing a half dozen of his staff, as opposed to more strangers than he can count. “Warship design is not a simple process”, he begins. “It is easy to say that a ship should be faster, better armed, and better protected than its opponents, but one rarely has the resources to make this a reality. When constrained by law, the task becomes that much more difficult.”

“In designing a battleship for the Bharatiya Nau Sena, we have to recognize our own limitations - we have never built such a ship before, our industrial capacity is limited, and it must work within the scope of the Cleito Treaty. We must look out at those around us and consider how to counter their vessels - Dutch great cruisers, British dreadnoughts, American standards, et cetera; a confusing mix of fast and slow, armored and fragile, heavy hitting and lightly armed. We have thought long and hard on this; tested our South African-built dreadnoughts, examined foreign dreadnoughts and great cruisers, looked for trends and technologies to be aware of.”

“Our answer is thus”, Naidu says, and the canvas is whisked off an eighteen-foot long model warship sitting on the jagganatha.

It’s a peculiar vessel; wide-beamed, with a slightly bulbous bow. A massive quadruple gun turret is situated forward, another aft. Super-firing over each main turret is a smaller twin turret, and other those, super-fire two more. The superstructure is a tall, narrow tower, with an imposing heptapodal mast looming over it. The mast looks almost Japanese in origin, not dis-similar to what has been seen in some design sketches of the Tosa class; the mast’s platforms are liberally adorned with searchlights, range finders, and communications lamps. Aft of this are two funnels with the ship’s boats between them. On either side of each funnel, a small twin mount is situated. The aft superstructure is a smaller tower, with a tripod mast. A catapult and crane sit at the stern of the ship.

“Here she is. Four years in the making, a dreadnought of almost twenty-seven thousand tons, carrying eight thirty-five centimeter guns developed from existing South African, German, and Austro-Hungarian designs. Able to shrug off hits of similar-sized guns at great distances, and fast enough to run down her foes. A truly modern capital ship.”

The Indian attendees are on their feet, cheering; some of the foreigners are also standing, though often so that their view is not obscured by the locals. Almost everybody taking a critical look upon the model can find fault with her:

“She’d lose half her broadside to a single hit.”

“She’s only got eight secondary guns.”

“She’s too fat to be a fast dreadnought.”

“What are they thinking with that ghastly pagoda?”

Naidu bows as the applause continues, and takes a seat beside Admiral Das. The cheering escalates as an exquistely-tailored man strides to the podium. It’s the Raj; though he may be plump and losing his hair, he exudes exceptional self-confidence and charisma. The emperor of India smiles as he arrives at the podium and the cheering cuts off instantly.

“Honored guests, and citizens of India, I thank you for joining me today for this most joyous occasion. Today we invoke the memory of a great warrior and diplomat, a man who inherited the throne as a teenager. He survived intrigue and war to expand our frontiers. He fought barbarian and nature alike to preserve the state.

“Though just four generations removed from the great conqueror Tamerlane the Mongol, he was no despot bent on violence and plunder. He wed a Hindi princess, tried to reconcile Islam and Hinduism, and fostered the arts. He established a stable, effective government whose institutions evolved into those that serve the nation today. Without Akbar, there would be no India as we know it.”

A crane situated behind the slipway stirs, slowly slinging a steel beam toward the center of the slip. The Raj continues: “As we honored our glorious emperors of times past before, so do we honor them once more. The first battleship built by Indian hands shall be named for a man who built India: let construction of the Emperor Jalal ud Din Akbar begin!”

The beam is deposited on the slipway as the Raj concludes his speech. Flashbulbs pop by the dozen as reporters vie for the best image; the winner will no doubt experience strong newspaper sales the following day.

The old priest makes his way back out to the slipway and the audience stands again. He stands before the steel beam as if it were an altar, and utters another prayer. This time, he asks for the safety of the battleship and all who sail upon her, whether in peace or war. He asks that she be victorious and honorable in war, and alert and merciful in peace. Finally, he asks for the safety and well-being of all who will spend the next three years working in this yard.

A twenty-one gun salute begins out in the harbour, as the heavy cruiser Male receives the order to fire turret Anton. The twenty-one centimeter practice round heads out to an empty stretch of water that has been subtly kept clear of traffic by local patrol units. She fires five rounds in all, concluding with turret Emil, then the battleship Dara Shikoh fires off her eight guns in sequence. The dreadnought Babur concludes the salute by sending eight thirty point five centimeters shells rumbling down range.

As the last report fades away, the Indian guests instinctively stand and start to leave, while many visitors check their programs to confirm that the ceremony is over. It is. Now they only have to weather out whatever India considers a proper formal dinner...

2 January

It’s the largest naval review ever held in Indian waters. Contingents from Great Britain, the United States, South Africa, Russia, Denmark, Atlantis, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Iberia, and Italy are arrayed with Indian warships across the harbour in several lines. Seven capital ships, over a dozen cruisers, and numerous destroyers are looking their best, recently painted and scrubbed down just in case the Raj decides to pay a visit.

The harbourfront is a scene of organized chaos, as berths are being kept clear for boats and launches ferrying civilians and guests alike to those vessels that are open for tours. The lines are longest for the capital ships and larger cruisers, and shortest for the aircraft carriers - though the people touring the carriers are surprisingly knowledgeable about the state of naval aviation, and have interesting perspectives for their hosts.

Overhead, Indian aircraft of several types drone across the sky. The South African airship SA4 slowly circles the city, treating a few lucky passengers to a spectacular aerial tour of Madras and its visitors.

Around ten in the morning, the Raj, Rana, and sixteen year-old Princess Mamtaz arrive in a pinnace to begin inspecting the assembled warships. Escorted by four small patrol boats, the pinnace begins nearest to shore and cruises slowly down the starboard side of the line. Part way down, a patrol boat peels away toward the Russian cruiser Sviatoslav ; the royal couple has chosen their first tour of the day. The cruiser has about twenty minutes to prepare for this, which is adequate - though the ship is new, her captain is a veteran who has trained his crew to handle any crisis - including short-notice diplomatic missions.

The tour of Sviatoslav is by necessity brief, lasting just thirty minutes. Rear-Admiral Ivanov concludes the tour by giving the Raj a box of Black Sea caviar; the Raj thanks him and presents an etched copper engraving of Akbar , whose construction has properly commenced now that the work area is cleared of VIPs. Only ten such engravings exist; nine will be handed over to visiting warships today, while the tenth will be turned over to Akbar ’s captain when she commissions.

Along the next line, the Raj visits the Dutch Z19 , which comes as a bit of a surprise to her young captain (and the Dutch squadron commander, who barely manages to get over to the tiny ship before the tour begins). The Raj expresses his respect for the courage and skill of Dutch destroyermen, who fought the Indians to a stand-still in the Andamans seven years ago. He presents the captain with an engraving, and moves on.

The Atlantean aircraft carrier Siboney is third to be visited. One of the world’s premier flat-tops, she’s certainly the largest in the harbour. Although the Raj enjoys the tour, it’s clear to the carrier’s skipper that the Rana made this selection; the Empress of India is an aircraft enthusiast of the first order.

South Africa’s Mocambique is fourth. The Raj recognizes and greets one Lieutenant-Commander Wim van de Loo, who as an exchange officer on the cruiser Columbo , was present when the ship duelled with Asirite artillery at As Salif in 1920. Van de Loo is one of a few non-Indian holders of a Raj’s Ruby, won for his heroism in preventing an explosion of Columbo ’s torpedoes following a major-caliber hit.

The Danish cruiser Vaerge is fifth; the Raj observes that the Danes were one of a few who came to India with good intentions and didn’t overstay their welcome. He gives an engraving to Vaerge ’s captain with the hope that the two nations will be able to maintain good relations in the future.

Sixth on the tour is the Italian destroyer Varese . The Raj is impressed with the large destroyer, and thanks her captain and Admiral Socritano for their cooperation with Indian authorities in trying to quell gun smuggling in the Red Sea. The captain is pleased to offer his guests a mid-afternoon snack of pizza, which is happily accepted.

Next comes the Filipino cruiser Palawan . The senior Filipino officer on the ship, Commodore Garcia, is intrigued to hear of the Raj’s recent snack, but confesses that he’s having some difficulty as a result of the curried lamb at the formal dinner last night. Palawan’s captain, fortunately, has some diplomatic savvy and is able to provide the royal couple with a quick but comprehensive tour of his command.

The eighth ship to be visited is the Iberian scout cruiser Torquemada , which is commended for its role in the war on piracy in the South China Sea. It’s later noted that young Princess Mamtaz was “establishing visual contact” with Torquemada’s executive officer rather frequently, prompting some teasing from her mother back on the pinnace.

The ninth and final tour begins just after eighteen hundred hours, and takes place aboard the USS Pennsylvania , the first American warship to visit India since 1912. The tour is relatively brief, as the Raj is starting to tire, but he tells the battleship’s captain that he likes some of the new ideas the American Navy is developing - such as “all or nothing” protection. Though surprised that an emperor would even have heard of such a thing, the captain comments that it seems to be the way of the future.

As the sun sets in the west, the last civilians are returned to the harbour. There, they walk, bicycle, or take trolleys back home, while the Raj and family are ferried over to the royal yacht Hindustaan for the night.

The review is concluded, and the “Akbar Fever” begins to release its grip over Madras...

It's a long one...and you may have to flip back to Q2/22 for one reference. The Odell quote at the end can be found on a number of websites related to the historical portion of that particular event.

India, Q2/24

8 April

The Adventurer’s Guild of India has announced which feats it will sponsor in the 1924 fiscal year. The Rana made the announcement yesterday from the Guild’s headquarters in Alleppey.

“We are pleased to say that funding and logistical support will be given to the Awati-Soblok-Sagar team in their effort to reach the summit of Sagarmatha, or Mt. Everest, as the western world knows it. Unfortunately, these gentlemen can not be here today, as they are already in Nepal in preparation for their June attempt on the mountain”, the Rana said to a crowd of reporters and hopeful applicants.

“Basic funding has also been allocated for two projects testing long-range aviation, one for the purpose of mail delivery, the other for the purpose of passenger transport. In conjunction with the Pioneer Corps, we will fund the construction of a berm complex along a stretch of the coast southeast of Dhaka, to test new methods of controlling storm surges related to cyclones. Finally, we are cooperating with the Navy and the Meteorological Survey of India to develop a dedicated Antarctic survey vessel capable of supporting our scientific endeavours in that part of the world.”

“A number of smaller projects are also being funded, and a list will be handed out following the press conference.”

19 April

Indian forces in Asir are on alert following reports that King Ibn Saud of Nejd has conquered the kingdom of Hijaz. The region has been relatively quiet but it is believed that King Saud and his followers will strike at Asir, Makkah, or Medina soon.

“This news underscores the need to resolve our mandate request”, Foreign Affairs Minister Jal Kadharni observed. “Southwestern Arabia remains free of repressive rule - but not for long. The League needs to make a decision, and quickly, before it is too late.”

India’s forces in Asir currently consist of infantry, armored cars, aeroplanes, and light naval forces.

30 April

The Chief of the Chittagong Constabulary has confirmed that the weapons seized from the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition last month are foreign.

“The weapons are, specifically, Danish-built. Unfortunately, the serial numbers have been filed down, so we can’t determine where the weapons came from. We’re probing a possible connection to the slaughter of the crew of the steamer Khachchahr two years ago but have no further information at this time.”

8 May

Two soldiers are dead after being shot by a sniper in Chittagong this morning. The victims, along with a squad of infantry from the 75th Infantry Division, were awaiting a lorry outside a store in the city’s eastern district when the shootings took place. Police secured the area but were unable to locate the sniper.

17 May

Five members of the CCC have been killed and three soldiers injured following a raid on an apartment building.

“Acting on a tip, an army commando squad executed the raid this morning at dawn”, Defence Minister V. K. Chandra told reporters. “The guerrillas, however, were prepared and shot at the soldiers rather than surrender. They were killed when the soldiers returned fire.”

Several witnesses, none of whom would provide their names, told reporters afterward that there was no gunfire until several minutes after the raid began - by which time the commandoes were already well inside the building. One person told this reporter that he heard a voice begging for his life to be spared, followed by a gunshot soon afterward.

“That is patently ridiculous”, countered Minister Chandra.

The army did confirm that it seized an amount of weapons and ammunition, but did not provide an exact list.

26 May

A mortar attack on the Chittagong barracks has killed thirteen soldiers and injured dozens more. The attack came at the morning revel as troops of the 75th Division turned out for their morning parade.

Police investigating reports of suspicious activity in a warehouse not far from the base were taken under by several men equipped with rifles and a machine gun. Four policemen and two gunmen were killed in the exchange before the insurgents fled. Police confirm that the site was indeed used for the mortar attack.

2 June

The weapons seized in a raid in Chittagong on the 17th have been identified as Danish-made.

“Army commandoes recovered eight rifles, two machine guns, five pistols, and a volume of grenades and ammunition, all of it Danish-made. Most of the serial numbers had been filed away, but those on the machine guns were not. We have reason to believe that these two weapons, if not the entire collection, originated in Siam”, Defence Minister Chandra said.

The weapons are all said to be quite new, and may be part of recent arms purchases made by Siam in the past year or so. “We’re going to be contacting the government of Siam for some information in the next few days. If the weapons are coming from there, hopefully we can put a stop to it.”

6 June

The race is now on to climb Sagarmatha. Teams from Britain and India are both said to be pushing for the mountain’s summit in the next few days. Thought to be the world’s tallest mountain, Sagarmatha has so far resisted all efforts at reaching its peak, just over 29,000 feet above sea level. A team led by George Mallory approached with a thousand feet of the peak in 1922, but had to turn back after several sherpas died in the harsh conditions.

Mallory and Andrew Irvine are making a bid to plant the British flag on the mountain’s peak, while Indian mountaineers Bhaskar Awati, Vishnu Soblok, and Madhvendra Sagar are attempting to plant the tricolor and chakra atop the mountain. Both teams will have to contend with icy temperatures, harsh winds, and thin air in order to succeed, let alone survive the experience.

17 June

A long and bloody firefight in Chittagong’s harbour district has killed at least seven soldiers, five police, ten civilians, and an unknown number of gunmen belonging to the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition.

“Police searching a tramp freighter for illicit goods were shot and killed by concealed gunmen”, Defence Minister Chandra said. “Army commandoes were called in and seized the vessel after a prolonged engagement. A large quantity of weapons have been seized, and several prisoners have been arrested, possibly including some foreign nationals. The vessel, registered to the Siamese port of Phuket, has been seized and its crew are also being interrogated at this time.”

30 June

Both expeditions to climb Sagarmatha have ended in tragedy.

British geologist Neil Odell, investigating rocks partway up the mountain, had this account of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine’s push for the peak: “At 12.50, just after I had emerged from a state of jubilation at finding the first definite fossils on Everest, there was a sudden clearing of the atmosphere, and the entire summit ridge and final peak of Everest were unveiled. My eyes became fixed on one tiny black spot silhouetted on a small snow-crest beneath a rock-step in the ridge; the black spot moved. Another black spot became apparent and moved up the snow to join the other on the crest. The first then approached the great rock-step and shortly emerged at the top; the second did likewise. Then the whole fascinating vision vanished, enveloped in cloud once more.”

However, neither Mallory nor Irvine have been seen since. Given the limited amount of food and water they were able to carry, both are presumed to have perished somewhere on the mountain.

The Indian expedition of Awati, Soblok and Sagar turned back some eight hundred feet shy of the summit after leader Bhashkar Awati was swept off the mountain by an avalanche. Madhvendra Sagar was also injured by the avalanche and died sometime in the evening of June 10. Vishnu Soblok, the remaining member of the expedition, was able to return to the Indian base camp, suffering from frostbite and numerous bruises and lacerations.

2 July 1924

The Indian Government says it believes the Siamese government is, in fact, conspiring to ship weapons to militants in the Chittagong area.

"Among those we arrested on June 17 were four men whom we believe to be members of the Siamese Army", said Defence Minister Chandra. "Their identification appears to be falsified, they act like they're military, and they are sticking to a simple and not wholly believable story."

Minister Chandra says that for now, "We will be treating them as common criminals and charging them with numerous counts, including Homicide against Government Officials, which is a capital offence."

The weapons seized on the tramp freighter Myat Ket have been confirmed as being of Danish origin - as was the case with previous arms captured by the government. However, Minister Chandra noted with some sarcasm, "These weapons are not part of the list of weapons, stolen from Mae Sot, that was provided to us by Siam. Perhaps there has been a second theft?"

13 July 1924

The Indian Government is said to be somewhat surprised by the League of Nations decision on the request for an As Salif mandate.

In the final day of the League's 29th Council Session, June 17, the League agreed to grant India the mandate. The exact boundaries, however, were only released to India and the public yesterday.

"We had requested a security perimeter around As Salif and Kamaran Island", Foreign Affairs Minister Jadkharni commented from Madras. "What we got was a much larger area, from between 15 degrees and 16 degrees 20 minutes North, and from 42 degrees to 43 degrees east, including several but not all of the islands in the area."

The area includes the port town of Al Luhayyah and several dozen other villages - leaving India with a much larger burden that it had anticipated.

The British Government applauded the decision, stating, "Now is the time for India to step up and show the world that it can and will make a difference in the lives of the unfortunate."

The Yemeni and Saudi governments condemned the decision but would not say if they intended to appeal it.

18 July 1924

Another battle in Chittagong has killed four soldiers and two suspected CCC members. The battle took place when a patrol was ambushed on its way to the city's industrial district. No civilian casualties have been reported.

21 July 1924

Raveena Pillai is off to the United States. The songstress is going to New Orleans, where she will perform for several days at a local concert hall before touring the country.

Ms. Pillai's new album, Blue , will be released in August. It is her first studio work since her abduction almost four years ago. Insiders say that the album mixes traditional Indian and Arabic music and is, according to one person, "quite melancholy."

23 July 1924

At least thirteen government workers are dead after a machine-gun attack against the Ministry of Infrastructure building in downtown Chittagong. The attack took place as the building closed at 5 PM, when several dozen employees were still in the building's courtyard.

29 July 1924

A landing of weapons near Chittagong has been broken up by the Indian Navy. A naval sloop investigating suspicious activity along a barren stretch of the coast landed a party of officers and men - only to come under small arms fire from both shore and a fishing boat.

The fishing boat sank after being struck by a number of 3.5 cm shells from the sloop. Several survivors were taken aboard the warship and transferred to the Constabulary for questioning.

"It's a Siamese boat, from Phuket", observed Minister Chandra. "There appears to be a common theme developing in this regard."

The shore party suffered two dead and three injured, and collected several abandoned weapons and numerous shell casings once the attackers fled in lorries. No arrests have been made there.

August 1924

This is the Andaman Sea conflict, and since it's rather involved, I'll just link to the thread in question.

http://wesworld.jk-clan.de/thread.php?th…36bdb564cec48a7

Does the link work? That's another question.

Edit note: the bit about the gov't getting impatient has been edited and moved to 5 September, following Danish news reports of 6 and 11 September.

31 August 1924

Two more Indian warships lay on the ocean floor today. The destroyer G-107 and sloop S-109 were sunk as targets west of Sittwe today by the Indian Navy, a little over a week since the two vessels sustained heavy damage in action against Denmark.

“S-109 was wrecked to the point that she would never be the same again”, Admiral Sanjay Das said. “G-107 , meanwhile, was old and somewhat outdated - given how heavily our resources are being strained to repair our other vessels, it seemed more practical to delete the vessel from the fleet list.”

Interestingly, the ships were not used for gunnery practice, instead being sunk with torpedoes. Rumors that some of the torpedoes failed to explode were not confirmed by the Navy, but the destroyer G-134 was observed to take on six torpedoes after returning to Sittwe Naval Station.

2 September 1924

His Royal Highness Able Seaman Shrinivas Canangasundrum has been released from Sittwe Military Hospital. AWNR has learned that the Crown Prince was serving on SR Chennai as a member of the damage control team when the ship saw action at Ko Racha Yai last month.

“The Crown Prince sustained two serious shrapnel wounds to his right arm late in the engagement with the Danish Navy”, commented a government spokesmen. “Prior to this, he had also accumulated a number of bruises, lacerations, and minor burns. This would not be surprising given that he spent the battle top-side, fighting fires and clearing debris.”

The Crown Prince is expected to be on medical leave for some time yet, as his arm is said to require some rehabilitation.

5 September 1924

The Indian Government is growing impatient with the Danish investigation into arms smuggling. “It’s been almost two weeks, and we’ve heard virtually nothing. It seemed that they were suggesting involvement by some of the Siamese military back on the 30th, and even that was a media report, not a formal communication”, commented a senior bureaucrat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Jal Kadharni says that the government, nonetheless, “will honor the commitments made by the Raj and await the results of the investigation, however long it takes.”

Defence Minister V.K. Chandra told AWNR that just one arms shipment has been intercepted since the battle off Ko Racha Yai, “and that vessel was intercepted on August 27 - so it obviously departed Siam well before the 23rd. We’ve seen no evidence of further shipments since, which we have to think is a result of whatever the Danes have learned. That’s good - I’d just like to know what’s going on.”

The stoppage of arms has not yielded a corresponding stop to violence in Chittagong. Over fifty soldiers, police, and civilians have died in daily violence since early August, while thirty or more insurgents have been killed. “We’ve stopped the flow of arms”, Minister Chandra said ruefully, “But they still have ammunition.”

[OOC: Note that I’m not impatient - just my characters!]

8 September 1924

The last of India’s dead have been laid to rest. The remains of Gunner’s Mate Surinder Grival were cremated at Sittwe yesterday in an official ceremony attended by Admiral of the Navy Sanjay Das and His Royal Highness Able Seaman Shrinivas Canangasundrum. Grival was a member of SR Chennai and was seriously injured when a shell destroyed the gun at which he was serving. He succumbed to his wounds two days ago.

The Navy says that it expects all remaining casualties of the recent conflict to recover. Admiral Das noted, “Four hundred and three men have perished since the blockade was put in place, and another four hundred fifty-eight have been injured. We must ensure their loss was not in vain - that their sacrifice ensures the safety and security of all India.”

The death toll was worst on the light cruiser Delhi , which was torpedoed and sunk with an estimated 174 dead, the torpedo boat T-14 , lost with all forty-six of her crew, and the light cruiser Trincomalee , which lost fifty-seven killed.

As would be expected, there has been much grieving in Sittwe, where virtually every one of the men were based. Friends, family, and clerics of all faiths have joined together to support the wives and children of those killed. One unidentified woman said, “It’s like the city itself has been bloodied.” Indeed, the city has been unusually quiet since the return of the blockade forces at the beginning of the month, with festivities, weddings, and other normally happy occasions either being downscaled or deferred altogether.

One elderly man summed up the mood of the city thusly: “We will heal, then we will question.”

16 September 1924

There are no reports of Indian casualties following a massive explosion in Manila, where the Rana and four vessels were on hand for the launch of the Filipino cruiser Basilan three days ago. Ironically, the incomplete cruiser sank as a result of the explosion, which appears to have been a magazine detonation as another ship was being de-ammunitioned.

“It’s a dreadful disaster”, the Rana commented from the royal yacht Hindustaan . “We’ll help our friends in anyway possible, of course, but I think they have the situation in hand.”

The Rana says that she’s satisfied with the unveiling of the SATSUMA treaty but thinks that the outcry around the world is overly harsh. “The point that Lady Tokugawa, Presidente Monastario and I all tried to make, in our different ways, is that the people of Asia deserve lives as fulfilling as those of anybody else. However, they can’t achieve this if their culture, ethics, and values are dominated by foreign governments interested only in commodity exports. SATSUMA is intended, among other things, to encourage those foreign governments to at least improve the lives of my neighbours.”

The Rana shrugged off the notion of a SATSUMA-led military campaign to liberate Asia: “Whether or not our navies are up to such a task is moot; you can only vanquish an oppressor with a land campaign. India has been capable of ejecting the British from Pakistan for years - but we haven’t, because we’d prefer to see Britain depart Pakistan voluntarily, and we’d like to work with them through diplomatic means to see that happen.”

The Empress of India finally noted, “One must also remember that I am not just an empress but a mother, whose son has bled and hurt as a result of military action; neither I nor my husband take that pain - or the pain our people have felt - lightly.”

13 September 1924

This is the signing of SATSUMA, which is another thread that is lengthy.

http://wesworld.jk-clan.de/thread.php?th…36bdb564cec48a7

Q4, 1924

7 October

There’s an unfamiliar ship in Sittwe this morning - the battleship Dara Shikoh . The dreadnought has just returned from the Philippines, where she was present at the signing of SATSUMA and for the launch of the ill-fated Filipino warship Basilan .

With four of India’s fourteen cruisers under repair, the battleship is taking on the role of coordinating the interdiction of possible arms smugglers in the Chittagong area. That role will be handed back to the cruiser Hyderabad in December, when the latter completes her post-repair work-up.

9 October

The Rana, also on her way back from the Philippines, took advantage of a two day visit to Sittwe to pay her respects to the recently slain, and to visit dozens of seaman still in hospital.

“These men gave their blood in exchange for the security of all Indians. The least I can do is thank them personally for that sacrifice”, the somber Empress remarked at the Sittwe Military Cemetary and Crematorium yesterday.

22 October

The commanding officer of the Indian Navy’s Western District has been relieved of duty. Vice-Admiral Anil Tagore is said to be facing a court-martial over the August 20 attack on Danish warships by the aviation ship Otta .

A source in the senior ranks of the Indian Navy told AWNR, “The Danish warships were days away from our blockade, and no declaration of war had been delivered to Denmark. A strike against the ships made military sense, but was outside our rules of engagement. The Danes could have interpreted the raid as an act of war - and so Admiral Tagore is going to pay the price for that.”

The date of the court-martial has not been set.

27 October

There is renewed fighting in Chittagong, following a bold attack on a constabulary station in the city’s northern outskirts. Five constables were killed in the battle and several others were briefly abducted.

An anonymous letter from the Concerned Citizen’s Coalition confirmed that it was responsible for the attack, noting that it was in retaliation for the alleged brutal behaviour of the constabulary itself. Sittwe’s Captain of the Constabulary, Anupam Surjeet, countered by defending his men, saying, “They’ve conducted themselves as well as can be asked of anybody at risk of being shot by apparent civilians. I applaud them for that.”

There are unconfirmed reports that the constabulary’s armory was looted during the raid, but Captain Surjeet declined to comment.

1 November

Vice-Admiral Anil Tagore has resigned from the Indian Navy, mere days before he was to be tried on three charges.

Admiral Sanjay Das said that the court-martial would not take place, noting, “Admiral Tagore has done the honorable thing and acknowledged his actions. Given his long history of service to the nation, I accepted his resignation, which I believe will be punishment enough for him. The Navy in his blood; being apart from it will hurt him.”

12 November

An ambitious research project is underway, as the chartered yacht Sharmila left Alleppey today. The Sharmila is carrying a team of Indian meteorologists and geologists, bound for Antarctica.

First, though, the Sharmila will sail to Durban, where a group of South African researchers, including biologists and renowned cartographer Maas Van Der Meer, will join the expedition. Van Der Meer, known for his work surveying along the Trans-African Railway, told AWNR, “We’re going to let the ship be frozen in, to provide a base of operations for the scientific staff as we spend a full year at work. When the ship breaks free again, around this time next year, we’ll come home and conclude our work.”

Van Der Meer acknowledged that the mission is potentially dangerous, but commented, “We’re incorporating the lessons learned from past voyages, successful or otherwise. We have ample supplies for two-plus years, wireless, and support from both South Africa and India. It’ll be a hard winter, but a fruitful one.”

The Sharmila expedition is a collaboration between the Adventurer’s Guild of India, the Meteorological Service of India, the University of Durban, and the South African Geodesic Survey.

18 November

A week of violence in Chittagong has left about forty people dead and many more hospitalized. The killing began six days ago when an army patrol was cut down by ambushers in the textile district.

Chittagong Constabulary raids against suspected CCC hide-outs resulted in eight deaths and several arrests. Nonetheless, additional CCC raids struck against the Constabulary, the Army, and random government buildings.

Yesterday, the CCC staged a brazen raid on the Department of Agriculture building in downtown Chittagong. A lorry drove slowly past the building as a machine gun concealed in the canvas-shrouded back fire about one hundred fifty rounds. Eleven people were killed, and about thirty more hospitalized. The lorry was found abandoned several blocks away.

Harry McMaster, an American businessman from the state of Louisiana, was among those injured in yesterday’s violence. “Just a long volley a' shots like I got used t' hearin' in France. Caught me in the leg, but ah’ll be fine. Be good to put 'n end to this, though - the point was t' make sure people got disaster relief, but now it’s just random attacks and retaliation. Not good for business.”

21 November

India’s Western Military District has a new senior naval officer. Rear-Admiral Salman Sikdar has been promoted to Vice-Admiral and handed the assignment.

Sikdar led India’s close blockade of Siam in August, and commanded the navy’s forces at the battle of Ko Racha Yai late that month. Sikdar has faced some criticism of his strategy since then, as many believe he could have won a more decisive victory if he had concentrated his cruisers and met the Danes as a single force.

Sikdar himself has been quoted as saying, “My job was to stop the convoy, not the Danish Navy. I did that.”

1 December

Admiral of the Navy Sanjay Das has tabled the revised fleet estimates for 1925.

“The material effects of the August conflict will be felt through the year. We have had to cancel three ocean-going minesweepers as well as an ice-breaking survey ship built specifically for expeditions to the Antarctic. Work will resume on those vessels currently suspended by the diversion of labor and materials to our damaged cruisers and destroyers. Construction will also continue on the battleships Akbar and Jahangir , which have not been affected by our recent events.

“Our new construction will be limited to seven vessels. Four destroyers of the G-143 class, featuring the new 12.5 cm gun, will be laid down in the first half of the year. A second ocean-going minesweeper will also be started, after being cancelled earlier this quarter.

“A single ocean-going submarine will be commenced, with the expectation that she will report to the west coast next year. Two additional units of the same class have been pushed back to 1926.

“Finally, we will take a bold step forward in our naval aviation program with the lay-down of SR Urumi . This aviation cruiser will anchor the scouting force of our battleline, utilizing scout-bombers for reconnaissance and anti-ship operations, and will embark fighters for fleet air defence. She will be as fast and well-armoured as a cruiser, and carry the armament necessary to defend herself from such a ship. Urumi will be laid down on the first day of July, with an anticipated completion date of May, 1927.

“Our infrastructure work will focus on completing the much-needed drydock at Columbo. Our experience over the past four months demonstrates that India has the ship-building capability it needs, but not the ship maintenance facilities it also requires.”

17 December

The yacht Sharmila is now bound for Antarctica with its crew of nineteen and thirty-two researchers. The amibitious year-long expedition is expected to arrive in an unnamed bay in Queen Maud Land, at about six degrees west, seventy degrees south, early in January.

The first order of business, once the ship is at anchor? “Find a flat area and have re-match”, said Indian meteorologist Jaya Musharraf from Durban three days ago. “Our Afrikaaner friends took the football match last time - we need to even it up. Then we’ll get down to work.”

"We've got five geologists now, and they're used to long traverses with heavy loads. They should add speed and endurance to our offence."

22 December

A spokesman for the Concerned Citizen’s Coalition says that the violence in Chittagong needs to come to an end.

“The wheel of misery must stop spinning”, the spokesman, identified only as “K” said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We must take the first step in making Chittagong safe for the people again, so we will cease our attacks until the end of the month. We ask that the Raj call off his dogs and negotiate a conclusion to this mess with us, before more innocent lives are ended. If the Raj refuses to speak with us, we’ll have to consider resuming our activities.”

Captain Surjeeet of the Chittagong Constabulary replied, “We don’t negotiate with insurgents. We bring them to justice. Whatever it takes, we’ll see it through.”

1 January 1925

In a surprising development, the Raj has agreed to meet with delegates of the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition to address the violence in Chittagong.

“I deplore unnecessary violence and pointless death”, the Raj noted from Hyderabad. “Should the CCC refrain from violence of the sort that has wracked Chittagong for months, I will meet directly with two individuals of their choosing three weeks from today, in Dhaka.”

The CCC hailed the announcement as “A new hope for peace. We will most certainly be in attendance.”

6 January 1925

The joint South African-India Antarctic expedition is now settling into their home for the next year. The yacht Sharmilla has dropped anchor in a small bay at approximately six degrees west, seventy degrees south in Queen Maud Land.

As expected, the crews’ first act was to have a rematch at ice football. South African cartographer Maas Van Der Meer scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Indian team.

Over the next few weeks, the scientific staff will be busy undertaking traverses of the coast, mapping the geology, collecting botanical and zoological specimens, and monitoring weather conditions. Meanwhile, the ship’s crew are making it ready for encapsulation in pack ice.

17 January 1925

The addition of Formosa and Chosen to SATSUMA is being hailed as a “Great step in the political evolution of Asia”, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Kadharni.

“In choosing to join India, Japan, and the Philippines, the leaders of Chosen and Formosa have shown that they share our vision of a prosperous and self-governed Asia.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Kadharni confirmed rumors that India has met with Dutch officials to discuss a proposed non-aggression pact suggested by the Netherlands shortly after the initial SATSUMA signing. “I can’t comment on the meeting itself except to say that we took the opportunity to raise the issue of Indonesian self-government.”

23 January 1925

The Raj and the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition have agreed to talks to resolve the insurgency in Chittagong.

“I met with the gentleman known as ‘K’ and his assistant”, the Raj commented, “And found that they have sincere grievances that need to be addressed. Recognizing that I myself cannot commit to a significant period of time on this one issue, I have asked ‘K’ to select a senior official in my government to represent me in the coming discussions.”

The enigmatic ‘K’ told AWNR, “I have a sense that the Raj is taking us seriously, and so we will halt all operations against the government while we have a sense of progress. I have asked that the Raj recall Mahatma Gandhi from the embassy in Stockholm to represent the government in our forthcoming talks. Mr. Gandhi is educated in law and has demonstrated his respect for people in all walks of life.

7 February 1925

The Rana is off to Europe for meetings in Germany. It’s not known exactly what the scope of the meetings are, but a government official stated, “It’s not a state visit. It’s a business trip.”

The Rana has been busy in the last few weeks with visits to several of the nation’s key resource extraction centers, such as the oil refinery in Digboi, several coal mines elsewhere in Assam, and the Kolar goldfields. It’s being speculated that the Rana may be going to Germany to conclude some kind of deal to export materials to that country.

1 March 1925

Amid a modest amount of pomp, the battleship Akbar was launched in Madras today. The ceremony went off flawlessly, according to the Navy, which had once planned an event on par with the ship's laying down in January of last year. Those plans were shelved after the heavy loss of life in August.

The squat battleship’s hull is now essentially complete, but only holes exist where her guns, machinery, and superstructure are to be installed. The ship is now being moored at Pier Twelve, where construction will resume within a day or two.

The Class Three Slipway is expected to be idle until the summer, at which time the aviation cruiser Urumi will be laid down.

Elsewhere in Madras, the venerable destroyer G-101 is meeting her end after fifteen years of loyal service. The nation’s first locally-built destroyer participated in the Andaman War and is credited with the sinking of a Dutch torpedo-boat at the Battle of Port Blair. In recent years, the small, coal-firing ship had been relegated to quieter duties in the Southern Maritime District.

“Unfortunately, her time has passed”, Admiral Sanjay Das noted, pointing out that a new generation of destroyer is being built right now. “The G-143 class is our new answer to world destroyer evolution.” Two of G-101's sisters are destined for scrapping, while two more are expected to be converted to training ships next year.

8 March 1925

In Dhaka, talks are now underway between the government of India and the Concerned Citizen’s Coalition. Former Ambassador to Nordmark Mahatma Gandhi is representing the Raj at the talks, which aim to bring an end to the violence in Chittagong.

There have been no incidents of violence attributed to the CCC since the Raj agreed to talks in January, though several individuals have been arrested by the local constabulary.

14 March 1925

Foreign Affairs Minister Kadharni says that India is ready to assist the Philippines if the latter should invoke SATSUMA.

“We recognize that the Philippines possess capable police and intelligence forces, but a true friend is always ready to help, even if he doesn’t believe it will be needed”, Minister Kadharni commented.

21 March 1925

Britain’s announcement of military assistance to Persia is not raising quite as many eyebrows in Hyderabad as might have been expected.

“Let’s be frank. Britain has been very passive the last few years - it was bound to react to the moves of its continental neighbours eventually. Giving Persia the means to mount a defence against Russian incursions is merely the next logical step in that on-going game Britain and Russia play in that part of the world”, a senior Foreign Affairs official noted.

“This we can accept; if Britain seeks to station troops in Persia or ensnare Persia in unrelated political accords, that’s another matter, and we’ll respond to it then.”

An official in the Ministry of Industry said, “Providing trade provisions to Britain does displease us, for it will act as a barrier to Indian trade with Persia. It’s unfortunate that the Persians felt they had to buy British protection.”

Q2/1925

Better get yourself comfortable; this is a long one.

13 April

The Sharmilla Expedition reports that it has suspended operations on the mainland of Antarctica. The weather is giving way to winter conditions and ice is starting to build up around the ship, making it hazardous to operate small craft.

Once conditions are colder, the expedition’s staff will be able to move about on the ice. This may be a few weeks to a month or more away, during which time the crew will be forced to remain aboard the ship.

29 April

India is sending additional military forces to its As Salif mandate.

Two infantry regiments - the 43rd Deccan and the Assam Highlanders - are already en route to the volatile Arabian region. A regiment of cavalry from the Imperial Camel Corps is now preparing to be transferred, while two battalions of pioneers will follow in June.

Aerial units include a squadron of Dhairya-B scout bombers, which were transported to the town of As Salif earlier this month by the aircraft carrier Otta .

The Navy says it will transfer an additional two torpedo boats, one destroyer, and the monitor Chandragupta to the area, bolstering the force of two torpedo boats, one minesweeper, and a destroyer tender already present. Another destroyer that had been on station for much of 1924, G-104 , returned to India earlier this year and is now being scrapped.

Government officials dismissed Yemeni criticism as “unnecessary hysterics” and re-iterated that India’s work in As Salif is strictly for the good of the region’s inhabitants.

10 May

The annual South African - Indian naval exercises commence tomorrow off the Malabar Coast [between the southwestern mainland and the Laccadive Islands]. The manoeuvres have a slightly different focus this year, says Admiral Sanjay Das.

“In previous exercises we’ve run some convoy defence and blue water battle scenarios. This year, however, the RSAN contingent is tasked with a simulated attack on our facilities at Columbo. They’ll be making a temporary base at our depot on Minicoy Island and sortieing, oh, probably three times to attack Columbo.”

While the South Africans will have some measure of the initiative, India will have a few additional resources at hand - several land-based maritime patrol aircraft and the submarines I-2 and I-3 will join the main elements of the surface fleet.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium will kick off in Columbo on the 25th of this month.

(OOC: A more detailed news report on the exercises themselves will appear soon)

18 May

Talks between the Government of India and the Chittagong-based Concerned Citizens’ Coalition have wrapped up for now. Former ambassador Mahatma Gandhi, representing the government, told AWNR that the discussions have been fruitful.

“We have had a very honest dialogue that has generated several possible courses of action. I will be returning to Hyderabad to consult with His Highness.”

CCC representative “K” said that he was not disappointed with Mr. Gandhi. “I believe he was negotiating in good faith. The question now will be how the Raj views our proposed agreement.”

25 May

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium began in earnest today as almost two dozen South African warships arrived in the port of Columbo this morning. Captain Jacob Hien of the RSAN Cape Good Hope told AWNR, “This will be a particular interesting conference as we have a great deal to consider from last August’s conflict off Siam.”

Today’s events include a fleet review and a formal ball, the latter to be held on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Otta .

26 May

The first day of talks at the Naval Symposium focussed on the last year of developments around the world. Speakers from SPEARFISH updated delegates on warship construction in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, while a representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs talked about the latest news on the diplomatic front, primarily addressing SATSUMA and AANM.

27 May

Day two of talks at the Naval Symposium related to the theme, “Command and Control”. Speakers discussed the ability of force commanders to make decisions and have them implemented using the latest technologies, such as wireless.

Considerable focus on the Andaman Sea conflict included the observation that India’s blockade commander, then Rear-Admiral Salman Sikdar, was essentially setting India’s foreign policy as he engaged Danish forces over the course of August. “It emphasizes the importance of selecting senior officers capable of seeing the big picture”, said Rear Admiral Shaukat Ambani, the head of the Indian Navy’s Administrative Command. “A commander must not win the battle at the expense of the war.”

28 May

Damage Control was on the minds of delegates at the Naval Symposium today, as speakers discussed the latest technologies, processes and methods for keeping ships in service despite damage.

Commander Mukesh Khan spoke at length about the changes to damage control in the Kolkata class light cruisers, “An area in which I am uniquely qualified to comment as I have had two of them sink on me.” Commander Khan noted that whereas the Kolkata itself was lost to fires caused by Dutch gunfire, the Delhi was sunk after being torpedoed by Danish motor torpedo-boats, with different forms of damage control being undertaken in each case.

“Fundamentally, however, two torpedoes is enough to sink any ship Delhi ’s size. Our damage control efforts were thus concentrated on keeping the ship stable long enough to evacuate the survivors and perhaps occupy the Danes a little longer.”

29 May

Aircraft and their carriers were the topic du jour at the Symposium. Early talks focussed on the status of naval aviation around the world, and there was discussion of the air strike delivered by the Indian carrier Otta against Danish cruisers in August of last year. “It demonstrated that our aircraft must be handled more aggressively, and carry heavier loads so that the weapons that do hit leave a mark”, one delegate observed during a coffee break.

Captain Theo Sakkers, commanding officer of the RSAN Wim Kraash , delivered the key note address, discussing the evolution of the South African naval aviation arm, from the first experiments with floatplanes to the laying down of the new RSAN Hammer . “Hammer will provide the battleline with the scouting and aerial defence it needs in its mission to control South African waters and secure our trade routes”, Captain Sakkers noted. "Should the enemy attempt to use speed to elude the battleline, one or two torpedoes from the scout-torpedo bombers will suffice to slow him down."

30 May

The final session of talks at the Naval Symposium addressed the proliferation of torpedo boats in the world’s navies. RSAN Commander Frank Klees spoke of the variety of designs existent today, ranging from the small but powerful MAS boats used in coastal defence roles to the second-class destroyers such as South Africa’s Maia class and India’s T-19 .

“Warship designers must be cognizant of the need to defend against such vessels, particularly in littorial operations. These are hard targets to hit at full speed, but one or two good-sized shells will take the stuffing out of them; alternately, one may send greater quantities of smaller shells and hope for additional hits. Either way, though, one needs to be able to fight a number of these vessels at once, for that is how they will sink their victims: by swarming in from all directions.”

2 June

No rest for the weary, as the battleship Dara Shikoh , fresh off the SAINT exercises, is now steaming to the Philippines as the centre of a four ship squadron. The battleship, two destroyers, and the seaplane tender Palk Bay will be tasked with lending naval bombardment support to Filipino forces striking against the insurgent organization known as SALSA.

Prior to weighing anchor, Captain Sankara Saraswathi told reporters, “I’m very confident that our squadron will be of great assistance to our allies. Dara Shikoh will significantly increase the firepower available to back up Filipino marines and army forces striking at the rebels.”

It’s not known how long the squadron will be away, but Captain Saraswathi noted, “We’ll stay for as long as we’re needed, but I hope we’ll have a break before our scheduled exercises in the fall.”

28 June

Details have not been released, but AWNR has reliable information to suggest that the Government of India and the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition have concluded a deal that would see the insurgency in Chittagong end.

“We’re not saying anything just yet”, a source close to the Raj commented yesterday. “We’re just waiting for him to get over his latest relapse before we go public.”

Although talks appeared to end in mid May, our source said, “Really there have been back-and-forth discussions on specific issues right up until the other day. There’s some significant decisions being made, decisions which will affect the entire country.”