WesWorld

April 4, 1932

Bolivian Infantry divisions have broken threw the line and are advancing on Chuquicamata and Calama. Chilean infantry regiments have fallen back to the cities but the Army has stated that they don't believe they can reenforce the area in time. Poor weather has keep the Air Force and Navy from providing air support for the last three days. Armor units have also pulled back.

April 9, 1932

Chuquicamata and Calama have fallen to the Bolivians. Reserve and new personel for the Army are in training or enroute to the fronts, but the Bolivans are moving a a fair rate from their border into Chile.

April 14, 1932

Chilean Forces near Arica have begun a counter-offensive towards the Bolivian border. Aircraft from the carrier Mapuche have managed to maintian air superiority in the Arica province.

April 18, 1932

Bolivian Armored Units have halted Chile's counter-offensive in the north. While many enemy tanks were destroyed by Chilean Aircraft, the remaining units have managed to pin down the Chilean Army.

April 29, 1932

Bolivian Forces are pressing hard and fast towards Antofagasta on the coast. They seem to be trying to cut off the Northern Army from the rest of Chile. The Air Force as been attempting to cut the Bolivian supply line, but Bolivian Fighters prevent air superiority.

May 3, 1932

The Queen Emeraldas has returned to Talcahuano.

May 5, 1932

Bolivian Forces were attacked fifty miles from Antofagasta by black aircraft on an unknown model. The Aircraft sported what looked like a flaming dragon insignia. The aircraft reportedly had no wheels and flew circles around the few Bolivian aircraft that dared to engage them. Chilean Air Force aircraft were not seen on that day to to casualties.

May 7, 1932

Again more of the unknown black planes attacked Bolivian forces moving on Antofagasta. Chilean Aircraft challenged the intruders to identify themselves, but got only barn storming in reply. Considering the effectiveness of the aircraft against Bolivian fighters, the Chileans decided not to press the issue.

May 9, 1932

Chilean Naval Aircraft from the Floatplane Cruiser Hyatt reported several aircraft of unknown design heading out to sea following a battle with the Bolivian Air Force. The floatplane attempted to follow the unknown planes, but was forced to turn back due to a lack of fuel.

May 10, 1932

Naval forces have begun a patrol of their waters away from their territorial waters in an effort to locate the source of their mysterious, though helpful black airplanes.

May 13, 1932

The Naval patrols have been recalled to Chilean territorial waters after three days of searching.

May 16, 1932

Bolivian Forces have marched to within twenty-five miles of Antofagasta. The Northern Chilean Army has managed to press back to the Bolivian border, but the main Bolivian force has not pulled away from its objective.

May 18, 1932

The first of the Reserve Units have attempted to relieve the regular army units near Antofagasta but have been beaten back by Bolivian Armor.

May 30, 1932

Antofagasta is under siege by Bolivian forces. Dreadnought Almirante Latorre began shelling Bolivian positions from just outside the harbor.

June 8, 1932

Bolivian bombers and artillery fire have driven off Almirante Latorre.

June 10, 1932

Antofagasta has fallen to the Bolivian invaders. The country is noe split in two with the veteran armies in the north. The Nothern Army is attempting to press south along the old border to link up with the remains of the Army that faced the Bolivian main push.

June 14, 1932

The black aircraft have attacked Bolivia Army units attempting to catch the Chilean Army of Antofagasta as it moves to join with the Army of Arica.

June 15, 1932

Patroling aircraft from the Floatplane Carrier Hyatt have discovered a new airfield twenty miles south of Iquique. The black planes seem to be operating out of that location.

June 19, 1932

The Army of Antofagasta and Army of Arica have joined and reformed into the Army of the North.

June 23, 1932

Bolivian Forces have moved on Tocopilla. They seem to be attempting to secure all of the territory of Antofagasta before moving again into the North of Tarapaca.

June 28, 1932

Tocopilla has fallen to Bolivia. Aside from small pockets of resistance all of Antofagasta has been retaken by Bolivia, lost to them since 1882.

June 30, 1932

The Chilean Army of Atacama has been built up to double regular strength by bringing up the reserves and the general call to arms. It and the Army of Coquimbo now stand ready to face the Armies of Bolivia....

It is a dark hour for Chile.

Luckily... Harlock hates Bolivia?!

Quoted

April 18, 1932

Bolivian Armored Units have halted Chile's counter-offensive in the north. While many enemy tanks were destroyed by Chilean Aircraft, the remaining units have managed to pin down the Chilean Army.

What were they destroyed with? Machine guns won't do much harm and hitting them with bombs is basically impossible.

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral

Quoted

April 18, 1932

Bolivian Armored Units have halted Chile's counter-offensive in the north. While many enemy tanks were destroyed by Chilean Aircraft, the remaining units have managed to pin down the Chilean Army.

What were they destroyed with? Machine guns won't do much harm and hitting them with bombs is basically impossible.

Maybe Chile has dive bombers. It's almost impossible to hit a tank directly either way, but a 250-500kg bomb hit near an early 30s tank might be enough to throw off a tread or incapacitate the crew (see: rivets).

But I agree, the destruction of "many" tanks is unlikely.

The 'many' is propaganda of course. To lift the morale of the Chillean people, giving them the impression that the enemy is suffering heavy casualties.

Depends on the tank too, what is Bolivia using in the way of tanks? The Mark I-IV's were netorious for taking an incredible amount of small artillary fire and keep moving, so long as the crew laid down in the tank and the rounds hit nothing vital.

Whipits don't look particularily sturdy and FT-17's would make small targets.

If there are six tanks heading towards you, three being destroyed is "many". When 60 tanks are heading at your, three is still "many". "Many" is at least as good as "any" when you are pinned down.

To be honest I have no idea. Land war is not my area. I'm assuming there are weapons avalible to aircraft in this age that can at least take out some tanks from the previous world war. Since this was the Air Force I'm assuming bombers. What's left of the Air Force in the North since the Navy is operating in that area in an attempt to maintian air superiority. What kind of bombers and other aircraft?...no clue. Information of what Chile did have verses what they need is sketchy. I'm assuming they have at least a group of 1917-1921 style bombers they bought at some point. That or someones been mounting cannon on the heavier aircraft.

Quoted

Originally posted by Ithekro
That or someones been mounting cannon on the heavier aircraft.

I'm imagining a 30mm gun duct-taped to a biplane...

I was thinking more mounted on a bomber, or in one of the tubs in place of the machine gun. How small can a anti-tank weapon be and yet remain effective? Half inch, three-quarters of an inch?

IIRC they made AP/AT rounds for .50cal (12.7mm) machine-guns, not sure if there were any smaller.

Agreed that if Bolivia is using Whippets they're meat on the table...

Quoted

I'm assuming there are weapons avalible to aircraft in this age that can at least take out some tanks from the previous world war

What you'd generally need to actually kill tanks are 20-30mm cannon on your aircraft. Bombs or rockets just aren't accurate enough, even in 1944-45.

What bombing will do is destroy soft vehicles, since they're far more vulnerable to blast and fragments than tanks are, and that's generally enough to stop an armored operation. Without the fuel, ammo, artillery (almost universally towed guns at this time), and infantry the trucks carry, tanks are pretty well useless.

Three-quarter inch would be fine (19mm roughly) I'd hope against the lighter tanks. Bolivia I think operated FT-17s just like Chile uses AT-17s at this time. They might have something else but I'd have to find some notes.

Perhaps mount an AT rifle to the nose of a twin engined aircraft? I doubt this would have little effect on the tank but you might get a lucky hit on the crew inside.

Another more likely option is bombers cratered the battleground enough to bog down the tanks enough that AT rifles and arty did the deed. The aircrews claiming the victory for propoganda purposes.

Given those "black aircraft" blitzing through all opposition together with the propoganda, the Bolivians could beleive the Chilean airforce to be very distructive.

Info I can find on Bolivia's tank force durring the historical Chaco war...

2 carden loyde tankettes, both were armed with the Vickers 7.65mm water cooled machine gun

Vickers E type (no numbers) The Bolivian cannon tank was armed with a 47mm cannon - large for it's day as most nations were installing 37mm cannons. It is not known what type of machine guns the Bolivians used on the Vickers MG tanks. Any other modifications off the basic design are unknown.

no FT-17's (which seems to be a common miss conception) according to Dr. Georg V. Rauch, author of several articles on the Chaco War, this tank never existed in the Bolivian armory.

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/

What is the general opition on the ability to destroy these tank types. What is generally required to destroy these types of tanks, and could anything is the air actually do enough damage in 1932 (or 1935 if we are jumping ahead by that much in aviation).

Of course we are assuming Bolivia in Wesworld has more than just five tanks. If they don't, all those AT-17s should have cleaned them up just by numbers alone.

Tankettes are worse than whippets...and theirs only two of them (if we go historical).

The Vickers had max 14mm armor and 2 mg's, a .303 and a 50 cal. and a speed of 22mph, 7 miles faster than the best FT-17 variant.

WWI vintage Tanks where vulnerable to bullet splash. Intense machine gun fire made the inside of them a hail of small particles disabling the crew.

The French also installed AT guns on Voisons during WWI.

Quoted

Bolivian Forces were attacked fifty miles from Antofagasta by black aircraft on an unknown model. The Aircraft sported what looked like a flaming dragon insignia. The aircraft reportedly had no wheels and flew circles around the few Bolivian aircraft that dared to engage them. Chilean Air Force aircraft were not seen on that day to to casualties.

Mexican observer with Chilean Air Force: "That plane looks vaguely familiar..."

So Mercenaries are already flying Zeros?

I'm assuming Chile did not purchase their historical six Vickers Carden Loyd Mk. VIb, taking the much larger order of AT-17s instead.

How does the AT-27 compare with the Bolivian tanks?

I'm assuming the Mercs are flying the same thing as before, or maybe one better. If sources are accurate.
Nakajima Ki-11? or Nakajima Ki-12?

Some historical American FT-17 variants used 75mm short barrel guns, as do some Atlantean variants as well.

AT-27 would be officially slower (official speed-16 mph) but with better armor. Its 35mm gun is smaller than the heavier versions of the Vickers with the 47mm gun.

I'm not sure how many of the 47mm versions of the Vickers the Bolivians would have but the AT-27's standard gun is the 35mm.