WesWorld

[A few pieces are still missing and will be added ASAP...]

24-08-1934
Brazilia. The South African ambassador handed over an official note to the Brazilean government today protesting against Brazils actions to further drive the region into collapse. Based on the information found recently there is solid evidence Brazil is doing everything to fan the flame in Paraguay thus making sure all efforts taken by other countries such as the SAE to end the civil war are useless. Not only does Brazil help the rebel forces by selling arms to them. Brazil also supports camps where young Paraguayans like the pilot recently recovered are trained to fly their planes  planes also provided by Brazil.

25-08-1934
Brazilia. The Government of Brazil denies South African reproaches and states there are no camps in Paraguay where rebel pilots are trained.. The plane crashed might have been a former Brazilean plane as 10 were officially sold to Paraguay in early 1933. However, that was a legal deal and South Africa has no right to dictate free countries in their neighbourhood what they are selling or buying and to whom they are doing so. An author in Brazilias larges newspaper writes. This is typical behaviour for colonial powers who think they are the masters of the world and can force their weaker opponents into submission.

28-08-1934
Montevideo. His Majesty battleship Monarch was launched and named today. The latest evolutionary step in the Empires battleship development will need another 2 ½ years until complete but her hull already is quite impressive. The long and sharp bow gives an idea of the vessel capabilities once finished. Our children will sleep well with our brave navy sailing the seven seas in metal behemoth like that.

30-08-1934
Montevideo. The government of Grand Uruguay announced today the installation of a permanent and tight control of all foreign vessels entering our waters in South America. Inside the 3-Mile-Zone every ship will be investigated, most likely boarded by Coast Guard forces to check the vessels holds and crew for illegal arms and ammunition. To support the Coast Guards efforts units of the Royal South African Navy will be detached to help.

01-09-1934
Callao. The dreadnaught Atahualpa (ex-RSAN Koning Frederick II) entered the port of Callao in Peru today. She was introduced to her new countrymen in a ceremony attended by the President himself. Also attending were the Minister of the Navy, the South African ambassador and the Iberian ambassador. The chance was used to discuss the political situation in all Central and South America as well as relations to Atlantis. During the talks the South African ambassador expressed his hope that Atahualpa as well as her soon to follow sistership will never sail for Atlantis or Atlantean ships in anger. He is quoted saying something like It would be such a pity to sink her with some former fleet mates should the SAE be forced to side with their ally.

03-09-1934
Pretoria. The Brazilean ambassador left the Empires capital today due to family reasons.

05-09-1934
Havanna. Italian exercises including landings on Pantelleria raised eyebrows and worries among Caribbean nations like Mexico and Cuba. Even though Italy expressed no interest in the region the action lead to more feather ruffling between Atlantis and Italy, further increasing tensions. The wisdom behind the Italian manoeuvres can be questioned as they must have known what kind of sign such fleet action would be. However, Italy is a sovereign power protecting her own interests and no sane naval analyst can argue against the training of landing actions given the number of islands in Italian home waters.

08-09-1934
Cleito. The Atlantean government has expressed their will to support international efforts to ease the burden civil persons have to bear due to the Paraguayan conflict. Currently talks among Atlantean and South African logistic experts are aimed to find a solution how to get the goods available in Atlantis (tents, medical supply, food) to the places they are so badly needed. Plans for shipping the stuff from a south atlantean port to Buenos Aires are currently under investigation. Atlantean military forces and railway companies will help gather everything at a port yet to be named.

12-09-1934
Montevideo. Several foreign steam ship companies and trading organizations have issued their protests against the actions recently taken by the Empires Coast Guard and Navy units. According to the companies those controls cost several thousand dollars each day due to the fact that their ships are often delayed for many hours if not days as the Coast Guard forces are seriously stressed with their task despite the help from the RSAN. Departure plans are totally mixed up and several times perishable goods have been spoiled. The protest was placed in hope to end the controls. Next step would be to take the South African government to court and seek some kind of compensation for the financial losses a spokesman explained. However, we understand the situation the Empire is in and so we think an agreement is possible.

14-09-1934
Cordoba. Talons over Cordoba started with great international attention. Planned as a great event the SAE send a team as some kind of good-will signal because of the improved relations with Argentina. However, from the Empires perspective the first day ended with a disaster for our RSAF flyboys as the great JFM F-6B Swollow flown by Adolph Gysbert Malan was disqualified under dubious circumstances. Despite all protest the judges rated the planes as lighter than it should have been. Such decision can hardly be understood as the so-called discrepancies were only marginal at best according to the very same judges. Compared to the modifications other teams were allowed, especially the Germans, one can only guess what real powers have been involved behind the curtains. The incident also raised much tension among Argentinean and African ground crews resulting in a fist fight in Cordoba the same night. RSAF officials who attend to the Talons over Cordoba event denied any official comment regarding Malans disqualification but eventually rated the experiment to send the Empires team to Talons as failed. Negative press and old resentments may make it impossible for the SAE to return to Argentina for this so-called airborne tournament.

15-09-1934
San Francisco. With great pomp the so called San Francisco talks have begun. Delegates from many countries gathered to discuss chances for a follow-on to the Cleito Treaty. Due to very different positions of several attendees it seems unlikely a new treaty text can be agreed on. Nevertheless all efforts have to be focused on the goal as a world without a general naval arms limitation treaty will soon see a new arms race which inevitably will lead to another great war, much like 1914.

Quoted

However, Italy is a sovereign power protecting her own interests and no sane naval analyst can argue against the training of landing actions given the number of islands in Italian home waters.

I suppose Italy could have invaded Jugoslavia as an exercise instead....

I could always take part in landing excersizes with Yugoslavia and give the Italians the best look at Atlantean ships they will ever get. Perhaps landings on Corsica....

Quoted

30-08-1934
Montevideo. The government of Grand Uruguay announced today the installation of a permanent and tight control of all foreign vessels entering our waters in South America. Inside the 3-Mile-Zone every ship will be investigated, most likely boarded by Coast Guard forces to check the vessels holds and crew for illegal arms and ammunition. To support the Coast Guards efforts units of the Royal South African Navy will be detached to help.

{snip}

12-09-1934
Montevideo. Several foreign steam ship companies and trading organizations have issued their protests against the actions recently taken by the Empires Coast Guard and Navy units. According to the companies those controls cost several thousand dollars each day due to the fact that their ships are often delayed for many hours if not days as the Coast Guard forces are seriously stressed with their task despite the help from the RSAN. Departure plans are totally mixed up and several times perishable goods have been spoiled. The protest was placed in hope to end the controls. Next step would be to take the South African government to court and seek some kind of compensation for the financial losses a spokesman explained. However, we understand the situation the Empire is in and so we think an agreement is possible.

The Philippine & Pacific Steam Ship Co. is among the protestors...

As is HAPAG out of Germany.

Royal Australian Steam Ship Lines is numbered among those protesting.

Hmm...are airplanes included? The Civilian Carriers can sit just outside the zone and fly in.

The German consul in Montevideo inquires as to just what the SAE is defining as "illegal arms and ammunition". Certainly the SAE has a right to control it's own borders and to prevent arms that it has banned from entering the hands of it's peoples. However, if a shipment is NOT destined for delivery in SAE territory, but instead is merely passing through SAE territory en route to another nation that has contracted for said arms, is that shipment illegal? If so, does this not constitute a blockade under the Hague Treaty?

Argentina supports any such blockade and indeed welcomes these efforts which match our own.

Argentine shipping firms have had any complaints quashed by the Ministry of Transportation.

(of course the supply of arms by the Argentines is denied as is any shipments that go through Argentina)

[Heh, depending on how the SAE is defining things, a shipment from Germany destined for Argentina itself might be seized, if the ship carrying it enters SAE waters.....]

I think it's pretty easy to avoid the 3 mile limit to reach argentina or any other destination.

It is, unless you happen to have an emergency.

Heh, it seems the simply solution is to not have an emergency!

You want a comprehensive list of British lines protesting? It'll be a few dozen, including the usual suspects.

16-09-1934
Montevideo. The protest again the SAEs new border control doctrines continues. The Philippine & Pacific Steam Ship Co., the German HAPAG, the Royal Australian Steam Ship Lines are among the most prominent. Especially the Germans seem to be worried. Their consul in Montevideo handed over an official note asking how the SAE is defining illegal arms shipment. "The answer is simple." Captain Alfonso of the Coast Guard stated on a press conference. "All ships will have their papers, holds and crew quarters checked. Any kind of weapon or ammunition found which is not validated by official papers and which source and destination is not 100% proven will be rated as illegal. The ship carrying such illegal arms and ammunition will be escorted into the closest harbour or further investigations until all questions are answered. The ship may then be released and allowed to continue her voyage. Should the investigation reveal illegal arms smuggle the crew will be arrested and the ship confiscated. This will also be true for ships not bound for SAE waters but Argentina or Brazil. If such ship enters our waters it will be investigated. We need to handle it that strictly. Otherwise we would have no chance to catch any smugglers at all as the 3-Mile-Zone doesn´t give our forces much room and time to manoeuvre and intercept once a ship turned from international waters towards our coast."

17-09-1934
Pilar. Heavy casualties among a convoy made of three freighters and a tugboat with two barques in tow were caused by an attack yesterday. On the convoys way up the river Paraguay all had passed the city of Pilar on the 15th and were sailing for Asuncion when unidentified forces on the Paraguayan bank opened fire with mortars and machine guns. The escorting vessels, the Argentinean gun boat Patria [Note 1] and RSAN motor launches R19 and R20 [Note 2], were first targeted and hit within the first few minutes. More than 30 meters long and made of wood the two R-class vessels of the 2nd R-Boat Flotilla provided large targets which could easily fall victim to high explosive shells fired at them. R20 being closer to the enemy was soon surrounded by dirty water fountains and then struck by two mortar shells in rapid succession. The first projectile hit starboard at the aft edge of her upper deck exploding on impact, immediately killing 3 of R20´s crew and starting a fire. The second shell caused even more havoc as it struck at the vessels bridge killing all crew members in the area including her skipper Lieutenant Morris. A second fire was started and soon spread. The surprise fire of two or three MG nests also concentrated on the stricken motor launch increasing the death toll as bullets cut down the gun crew of her 2cm gun. Ablaze amidships and aft, with half her crew killed and out of control R20 was closing on the enemy. Four more high explosive shells hit before the boat finally run aground. None of her crew could escape the deadly cross fire held up by enemy gunners.

Meanwhile R19 had accelerated and circled aft around the convoy from its portside. Her 2cm gun opened fire as soon as fire arcs allowed aiming on the enemy which could be made out only due to muzzle flashes from their machine guns. Two 7,62mm standard army MGs added their fire power, manned by some soldiers that had come aboard just prior to R19 departure to meet with the convoy. Not capable of silencing the enemy´s well protected posts the vessel too was soon under merciless fire when some enemy gunners shifted target from her sistership. MG fire struck down her unprotected crew and mortar fire cut away her antennas and riggings. After 12 minutes she was a drifting wreck, engulfed in flames.

Leading the convoy the Argentinean vessel needed a few minutes to turn around when the firing began. Nevertheless, her gun crews were quick to response and opened fire under local control as soon as enemy positions could be identified. Joining R19 her skipper placed her between the enemy and the fleeing convoy with some success. Most convoy vessels could open range while a still unknown enemy concentrated on those targets in front of him. As a result Patria was hit too but not before two enemy positions could be silenced in return by her heavy armament. Remaining under control despite being hit time and again the old but solid build Argentinean patrol boat then tried to rescue R19s crew but enemy fire had cut them down except four men who had sprung over board. Patria then turned away from enemy fire struggling to get out of range and trying to close on the convoy again. One freighter who had been hit early could not be saved and was left behind burning. Most of her crew had escaped when an other freighter passed nearby.

Several hours later on their way to the city of Formosa the aging pumps on the convoys last escort broke down due to sustained stress. Incoming water now worsened the situation by every minute and so her captain decided to bring her as close as possible to the Argentinean held bank and beach her. This way she might be saved for later repairs. A core crew would remain on board making sure no Paraguayan could capture and salvage her while several men with some light guns transferred to the remaining two freighters and the tug boat. The convoy would be capable to keep up some kind of minimum defence and continue its way up the river.

[Note 1] Patria (1893), 251.4x30.66x11.25ft, 1,070tons, 2x120mm, 4x6-pdr, 2x3-pdr, speed 20.5kn (only capable of around 11kn due to lack of overhaul), range 3200nm at 10kn

[Note 2] R19 & R20 (1929), 33,20x5,00x1,75m, 94tons, 1x20mm, speed ~21kn, range 2000nm at10kn

Looks like SAE motor launches will soon mount more guns as the single 20mm seemed in adequate.

Well, probably. They´re also not made for the job anyway. Lesson learnt: A severe lack of river gun boats or similar vessels which are small enough for river duties but well protected and armed....

19-09-1934
Formosa. The river convoy reaches Formosa without further losses of ships. However, two men had died from their wounds increasing the total losses to 25 on R20, 21 on R19, 7 on Patria and 11 among the convoys ships including those lost with the third freighter and two Dutch nurses. A public funeral is planned for the 21st.

Nice story - probably a bit of a shock to the RSAN to think about riverine operations instead of blue water operations.

Heh. When Germany hears about this, it will be glad of two things: 1, that this sort of operation is unlikely in it's part of Europe, and 2, that it's been building a number of small riverine gunboats just in case it needs them.