WesWorld

August 22
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team departed Bar, Yugoslavia today, flying to the Bulgarian seaplane base at Lake Chaika, outside Varna, on the second stop of their demonstration tour.

August 23
President Theisman departed Germany late this evening after a busy day of discussions with German officials. Theisman held a joint press conference with Chancellor Adenauer where both leaders spoke on their desire to improve the Franco-German relationship. In response to a reporter's question, Theisman commented "For the last century our nations have fought over the control of the rudder of continental Europe. My grandfather once told me that 'Europe is too small for both France and Germany'. Twenty-three years ago, I returned to what had once been my home in Metz and saw the result of that attitude. It no longer matters who first was to blame; it matters that we stop and reconsider our course for the future before we do something we - and the rest of the world - would regret. Even now in Germany there are voices crying to avenge the result of the Great War, and in France there are people who, fearing just that, think we ought to weaken and isolate Germany to prevent it. These people do not know what would ensue from their lack of foresight. Chancellor Adenauer and I agree that the time is right for both of us to act together to create a less imperfect world for our children. If history remembers us, let it be for this."

August 25
The French Army reported that the Mecanique-Aviation-Traction (Matra) company of Vélizy-Villacoublay, which was selected earlier this year to perform aftermarket modifications to Berliet GBC-6 trucks to install rocket-launching rails, received an additional contract today to assemble 132mm and 200mm artillery rockets.

August 27
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team left Bulgaria and made a short flight to Romania in order to demonstrate their aircraft to the Romanian military.

August 28
President Theisman arrived in Rome today for general consultations with the Italian government, including Duca d'Aosta (leader of the Italian senate), Prime Minister Galan, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Grandi.

August 31
President Theisman left Rome this afternoon after several days meeting with Italian leaders, as well as a visit with the Pope. Theisman, in his remarks to the press on leaving Rome, declined to comment in substance about the discussions, but noted they'd discussed both international security and economic issues.

September 1
Close on the heels of his return from Rome, President Theisman flew to London, where he met with British Prime Minister Sir Howard Kingsley Wood, as well as King Edward VIII.

September 2
A technical committee reviewing the July 30 crash of a Farman F.400 bomber prototype released their findings today. According to the committee, a compressed oxygen bottle in the port wing root exploded, severing a main wing spar and all of the aircraft's portside controls, resulting in the aircraft spearing violently out of control. A prompt reaction by the pilot managed to partially redress the loss of the portside controls, but lack of altitude and airspeed prevented any further actions.

In the aftermath of the crash, however, ONERA's chief test-pilot, who flew another F.400 prototype both before and after the crash, drew up a list of over eight hundred faults with the aircraft's design and performance, thirty-one of which were listed as "critical issues". As a result, ONERA has recommended that the F.400 be grounded until Avions Farman has corrected all of the critical issues identified so far.

September 2 - Le Matin
Some advance voting has begun in Indochina on the regional elections for Governor-General and other key positions. The general elections are scheduled for September 7.

[SIZE=3]Military Unit Spotlight: The Syrian Armed Forces[/SIZE]
Article from Le Spectateur militaire. Military Unit Spotlight is a monthly feature which focuses on a unit or type of unit fielded by either the French military or another world army.

Creation of the Syrian Armed Forces
The Syrian Armed Forces were created in 1936 prior to Syrian independence, originally as independent branches of the French armed forces. Upon the independence of the Syrian Republic, the French-trained native units earmarked for the purpose became the Syrian Armed Forces. Training and equipment, have all followed the French model, and most officers are graduates of French military academies. Total manpower is estimated at less than twenty thousand men.

As part of the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence, Syria is responsible for aiding the French in wartime, including allowing French aircraft use of Syrian airspace. In exchange, France guaranteed Syrian borders and places no tariffs on military exports to Syria.

Organization
As of 1941, the Syrian armed forces are divided into four major branches. The most senior of these branches, dating back to before Syrian independence, is the Syrian Police and Border Troops, which is responsible for enforcing the law, reducing civil disorder, protecting private and government property, patrolling Syria's land borders, and manning border-crossing stations. The Syrian Army is responsible for territorial defense, while the Syrian Air Force is responsible for assisting the Army and defending Syrian airspace. The smallest and most junior service is the Syrian Navy, which is responsible for the defense of the Syrian coastline and protection of the country's territorial waters.

Three of the four branches of the armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) are grouped together in the Ministry of National Defense, which reports to the nation's president. The Police and Border Troops are placed under the authority of the Syrian Ministry of the Interior.

Syrian Police and Border Troops
The Police and Border Troops are descended from the French Gendarmerie, and many of the current officers were Syrians employed by the French during the Mandate. This force is responsible for civil protection and border control. The Police and Border Troops may be involved in aiding criminal investigations, but this task usually falls to other groups better equipped for the task.

Syrian Army
At the present time, the Syrian Army fields two infantry brigades, three defense battalions, one engineering and supply battalion, and one antitank company. See Figure 1. Manpower is estimated at no more than thirteen thousand men total, including support staff. Syrian officials have acknowledged that further growth of this force is almost certain, but is proceeding slowly due to fiscal reasons.

Much of the infantry gear was passed on from French stockpiles, although Syria introduced earlier this year a new uniform pattern, produced locally, which bears a strong resemblance to the previous French-supplied uniforms but differs in color. A modest quantity of the earliest-production MAS-36 semiautomatic rifles was provided to Syria upon independence, although these rifles ended up in the use of the most high-profile police troops. Most regular infantry formations have been equipped with war-capture Mauser rifles, all manufactured before 1917. FM-24 light machine guns are used exclusively, though there have been unproven rumours of FM-37 machine guns being sold to Syria.

Quoted

Figure 1: Syrian Army, 1941
- 2 Infantry Brigades: ~4,200 men (1 infantry regiment, 1 artillery battalion, 1 reconnaissance squadron, 1 heavy mortar company, support troops)*
- 3 Defense Battalions: ~950 men (includes AA troops)
- 1 Engineering and Supply Battalion: ~850 men
- 1 Antitank Group: ~250 men
- Total Manpower: ~12,350 men + Military Staff, HQ, & support troops

Syrian Air Force
The Syrian Air Force was first formed in late 1937 using in-country equipment purchased from the Armee de l'Aire. At the present time, a large minority of SAF pilots are foreigners involved in training the next generation of Syrian pilots. Syria's greatest weakness is their lack of a training program, whether it is basic or advanced training, or even mechanic and ground crew training. At the moment, Syrian pilot candidates are sent to basic training with the French Air Force, although there have been high-level discussions about sending pilots for training in Turkey, or putting together a local pilot training academy. Operations are based around Damascus, although a number of small landing fields are scattered around the country, mostly left from the French Mandate period.

Following independence, the Syrian Air Force acquired a total of sixty aircraft, with the largest portion being elderly Breguet 19 light bombers, which have doubled as training aircraft for the last few years. However, the most modern aircraft are the twenty-two ex-Armee de l'Aire Dewoitine D.520 fighters which form the 1st Fighter Squadron. Syria also fields three army cooperation squadrons (with eight Breguet 19s each), one bomber squadron with eight LN.411 dive bombers, and one flight of six liaison and transport aircraft. The Ministry of National Defense has expressed interest in modernizing the Air Force and recently gave a report to the Syrian Parliament on how to modernize the aircraft fleet, but financial issues mean that any major changes will be several years coming.

Quoted

Figure 2: Syrian Air Force Order of Battle, 1941
- 1x fighter squadron: 22x Dewoitine D.520 fighters
- 1x bomber squadron: 8x Loire-Nieuport LN.411 dive bombers
- 1x transport escadrille: 4x Caudron Simoun liaison aircraft, 2x Bloch MB.220 transports
- 3x army cooperation squadrons: 8x Breguet 19 light bombers each
- Total: 22x Dewoitine D.520s, 8x Loire-Nieuport LN.411s, 4x Caudron Simoun liaison aircraft, 2x Bloch MB.220 transports, 24x Breguet 19 light bombers (60x aircraft total)

Syrian Navy
The smallest and newest branch of the Syrian armed forces is the Navy. Although officially founded in late 1938, no armed vessels were acquired until an EA-13 utility craft arrived from France in 1941, followed by the announcement of an order of four French-designed patrol boats, which will be delivered over the next few months. Under the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence, the French are responsible for protecting the Syrian coastline and merchant vessels until such time as the country is capable of doing so themselves.

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
[SIZE=3]Military Unit Spotlight: The Syrian Armed Forces[/SIZE]
Article from Le Spectateur militaire. Military Unit Spotlight is a monthly feature which focuses on a unit or type of unit fielded by either the French military or another world army.

A very interesting summary. I look forward to reading more articles of this type.

Thank you. Hopefully the future articles of this type will remain interesting.

Very interesting article, actually I hadn't even realised Syria was independent!
Nice to see what they have though.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Very interesting article, actually I hadn't even realised Syria was independent!
Nice to see what they have though.

In OTL, France and Syria signed a treaty giving Syria independence in 1936. However, the French Parliament feared that the Nazis could use that treaty to intervene in the Middle East, and never ratified the treaty. When I was getting caught up in French news, I decided not to deal with the news of the independence movements at that time in the interests of getting caught up. As I have since gone back to research and review the relevant information, I decided that I'd touch on what happened with Syria. My decision was that Syria gained full independence on January 1, 1938, but in game terms, will remain under the control of the French player for the foreseeable future. Syria has no materials factories, so all of their in-game construction will be funded out of the French naval budget.

September 3
The AIAI IA.30 Épouvantail counter-insurgency aircraft developed in conjunction with Thailand made its first flight today in Saigon, becoming the first modern aircraft ever developed in Southeast Asia. The twin-engine aircraft was jointly developed by AIAI (under the umbrella of Loire-Nieuport) and Thailand's TNAC. The Thai-built version of the aircraft is expected to fly within a few days. This represents a major advance of capabilities for aviation in Southeast Asia.

September 4
Deliveries of the production 1942 Citroen 2CV began today. Citroen has been working to increase production to address the backlog of orders, with a two year estimated waiting list before the car even entered production.

September 5
The 3rd Cannes Film Festival began today in the Riviera town of Cannes. Among the films being shown is Séraphin, a Franco-Atlantean production filmed by a cast of bilingual French and Atlantean actors; the movie was a major hit when released earlier this summer.

September 7
Voters across Indochina have gone to the polls to elect a governor-general, as well as representatives to the 35-seat Indochina Governing Council.

September 8
Initial results from the Indochina elections appear "too close to call", and colonial officials declined to comment further.

September 9
Nguyen Van Minh of the Viet Dan Party conceded the Indochina Governor-General election to Truong Van Bao of the Viet Tan Party early this morning, accepting the results of a surprisingly close election. According to election officials, Nguyen Van Minh only trailed Truong Van Bao by a margin of four thousand votes in the region, with both candidates receiving approximately 41% of the total vote. The remaining percentage of the votes went to minor candidates.

However, the Viet Dan, to the surprise of many, have seen the election of nineteen party members to the Indochina Governing Council, winning a majority of the thirty-five open seats in the Council. [1] This body is capable of forcing the resignation of the Governor-General through a vote of censure (a capability shared by the French Parliament). The French Parliament will receive, later this month, the official certified results of the election and will vote whether or not to confirm Van Bao as Governor-General Elect. If the French Parliament does so, then Van Bao will take office on November 8th.

Notes:
Note [1]: According to the current charter of the Indochina Governing Council, thirty-five seats are to be filled in the election of 1941, while fifteen seats are filled by representatives appointed by the French President, then confirmed by the French Parliament.

September 11
In a memo made public earlier today, highly-placed individuals in the Armee de l'Aire's research and development office requested permission to investigate fallback options in the event that the Farman F.400 Ourse fails to materialize.

September 12
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team has left Romania bound for the Baltic States. Reportedly, the team's long stay in Romania was prompted by a high level of Romanian interest, and Lioré et Olivier's spokesman acknowledged that the Romanian Navy is seriously discussing purchasing the plane.

September 15
Air France, in collaboration with LAN Airlines, announced that they have received the permission of the Brazilian government to form an international holding group to purchase three small bankrupt Brazilian airlines and merge them into a major Brazilian airline, to be named Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul (Southern Cross Airline). Cruzeiro do Sul will continue service to all locations previously-served by their smaller predecessors, but will double their locations served, and will cooperate with Air France and LAN Airlines to offer international service. The new company will be majority-owned and operated by Air France for an undisclosed period of time, eventually opening the stock up for purchase by Brazilian investors, under the scope of the agreement. Cruzeiro do Sul's air fleet, composed of aircraft acquired by the parent companies before the merger, is composed of two Dragon Rapides, on Ju52, and three DC3s. As part of the deal, Air France shall transfer three MB.970 Transatlantiques to Cruzeiro do Sul for use on a Brazil-to-Europe and Brazil-to-US joint service, and will oversee some comprehensive modernizations to the Sao Paulo airport, with the expectation of turning it into the largest and most modern airport in South America.

September 16
The French Parliament has received the certified results of the September 7th Indochina election for their confirmation.

September 18
The Indochina election results were formally confirmed without modification today by the French Parliament, following a reading of the results and a minor debate about several technical issues. In Saigon, Governor-General Elect Truong Van Bao thanked his supporters and acknowledged that he would begin naming individuals for his cabinet within the next week. [1] These positions will include Agriculture and Industry, Commerce, Education and Health, Finance, Justice, Public Works and Transportation.



Notes
- Note [1]: According to the current devolved government setup in Indochina, the Governor-General appoints a cabinet, subject to approval or veto by the Indochina Governing Council and the French Parliament.

September 19
The Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries (or Kreimists), headquartered in Jounieh, Lebanon, has announced their intention to send a mission to Valparaiso, Chile, in order to support the growing population of Maronite Lebanese emigres in that city.

September 22
High drama occurred today in Grenoble when an individual entered the lower station of the Téléphérique de Grenoble Bastille (Grenoble-Bastille Cable Car) with a gun and a box which he claimed was filled with explosives. The individual, not identified by police, ordered the cable cars stopped, trapping a number of tourists above the city; he threatened to blow up the lower station unless the police met his demands. After lengthy discussions with a police negotiator, the individual demanded the release of two imprisoned friends, a million francs in cash, a fast car, and his name in the history books. Police negotiators agreed to deliver the individual's two friends, along with a car, to the lower station; but requested several hours to gather a million francs. According to police, the gunman decided to take a nap while he waited for his friends to arrive, and the incredulous cable car operator slipped away and signaled the police, who disarmed the tired gunman and relieved him of his pistol. The box, allegedly filled with explosives, instead contained a half-dozen ham sandwiches and three bottles of red wine, apparently reserved to toast a successful getaway. The gunman, awakened from his nap, soon joined his friends in prison.

September 23
Governor-General Elect Truong Van Bao named four of his six cabinet minister positions. Lan Khiem was nominated to be the Indochinese Minister of Agriculture and Industry, Nguyen Phi was nominated Indochinese Minister of Finance, Ho Le Hung was nominated Indochinese Minister of Justice, and Jacques de Rosnay as Indochinese Minister of Public Works and Transportation.

September 24
Truong Van Bao named the final two ministers for the Governor-General's cabinet today, but followed it up with an interesting surprise. Ham Van Loc was nominated Indochinese Minister of Commerce, while Thich Anh Hung was nominated Indochinese Minister of Education and Health. Van Bao then nominated Nguyen Van Minh, the leader of the Viet Dan opposition party, as Minister Without Portfolio. Van Minh's surprising nomination lends substance to rumors that the Viet Dan party leader cut a deal not to contest the extremely close Governor-General election in exchange for a stronger voice in the post-election Indochinese cabinet.