October 1, 1925
The Royal Chosen Navy announced the ships it is sending to the SATSUMA exercises, which will be held in several weeks time. The ships in question are the Armored Cruisers Nisshin and Aso, the Protected Cruiser Chitose, the Destroyers Arara and Ariake and the Gunboat Yodo.
A spokesperson of His Majesty Yi Ch'ok, told AWNR: CFJ “I doubt we will make much of an impact during the exercises but our men shall definitely do our best to get a good result.”
October 2, 1925
It has been announced by a spokesperson of the Imperial Military Air Force (IMAF) that the Fuerza Aerea Filipinas has put in an order for a total number of 40 fighter aircraft of the type Nakajima Ko-4.
October 3, 1925
It has been announced by a military spokesperson of the Imperial Military Air Force (IMAF) that he made a mistake in yesterdays announcement and that the ordered number of the plane in question is 50 and not 40.
October 4, 1925
Ships of the Royal Formosa Navy left Tahei (=Tai-Pei) today. The ships selected for the First SATSUMA exercise are Armored Cruiser Kasuga, the Protected Cruiser Tsugaru, the Light Cruiser Tone and the Destroyers Asakase and Asatsuyu.
“We don’t expect much,” Captain Zu Yang Tao of the Kasuga told AWNR: CFJ. “We expect to get our buts kicked all over the Sulu region. We have adequate materials, but these vessels are no match for a reasonable sized and/or modern navy. But we shall go down fighting.”
October 19, 1925
A great welcome in the Philippines for Japan’s great Naval Hero, Count Togo Heihachiro. He was on the bridge as his former flagship arrived in Davao’s harbor.
“Looking at the ships out there makes me feel good and incredibly proud. We shall see what SATSUMA’s forces can do,” the Count told AWNR: CFJ.
More than twenty years ago, Togo, then an Admiral, scored a decisive victory over the Russian Forces the Tsushima strait. The Mikasa was his flagship during the Ruso-Japan War.
October 24, 1925
Post SATSUMA exercise.
Japanese Vice Admiral Naoe wasn’t too happy with the various decisions by the Filipino referees.
“I think they were too eager with some aspects of the engagement and ignored some of the other aspects that should have been more effective. I’m fairly sure that in a real engagement, things would have been different. Well, we’ll see what will happen during the next SATSUMA exercise. Should I be selected to participate there, I will use the knowledge of this exercise to make sure that my performance will definitely be better.”
"What did I tell you?"Captain Zu Yang Tao laughed when meeting with AWNR: CFJ reporter Huang Kuan-yin. "We got beaten up badly!"
November 7, 1925
Both the Emperor and the Shogun sent their congratulations to Filipino President Enrique Monastario with his victory in the November 2 elections.
(Still they are curious if there was an opponent or that Enrique Monastario was the only candidate that could be selected.)
November 12, 1925
Antarctic explorers and builders set out from Japan’s Antarctic Station for Environmental Observation (JASEO) with materials for the construction of the Mount Erebus Volcanic Observation Station (MEVOS). It will be a long and dangerous journey, but the group is confident they can make a start to the observation station.
November 18, 1925
There were a lot of celebrations going on in Osaka as today the Ocean Liner Empress Yoshiko was completed. Her construction went smoothly and the launching of the vessel was a low profile business. For some odd reason AWNR: Japan was not allowed to make any reports on the launching of not only the Empress Yoshiko here in Osaka, but also the launching of her sister ships the Empress Yasuko in Kobe and the Empress Asako in Yokohama. According to estimates, the Empress Yasuko will be completed in the spring of 1926 and the Empress Asako will be finished somewhere in the fall of 1926.
Somewhere in the coming weeks, this large Ocean Liner will set out to sea for various trials before she will start performing her task of transporting passengers across the world.
November 26, 1925
“Welcome to the Antarctic club!!” Tsuda Odoshiro shouted after hearing that the Filipinos made a claim on a sector on the continent of Antarctica. “But what on Earth will you be doing in this cold and godforsaken frozen region of the world when you could be in always warm Manila?!?”
Tsuda Odoshiro is head of the Japanese Antarctic Researchers Organization (JARO) stationed at Japan’s Antarctic Station for Environmental Observation (JASEO).
“Well, it will probably become busier in the region but it still damn cold here!” Odoshiro said with a grin. “Good thing I’m from Hokkaido. I’m used to winters, but a Hokkaido winter can’t match the temperature of an Antarctic summer. The sun shines here every day during the summer, but that does not seem to help raise the temperature. I hate to be here in the winter. Should be much worse then.”
4 December 1925
The Imperial Navy today announced that the Marina de Filipinas made an order for 30 Yokosuka E1Y naval reconannisance floatplanes. While a number have already been constructed, they have yet to replace the current planes stationed on the capital ships. It is quite possible that the two ships of the Yukino class recently completed will be the first ships to be equiped with the E1Y.
December 5, 1925
Today the Empress Yoshiko has set out on her trials. It is expected that she will start her passenger service somewhere in June.
December 29, 1925
Japanese explorers made an unusual discovery under the icy surface of the Antarctic, discovering a
large, odd ring-shaped object in an ice cavern.
Upon hearing the news Peter M. Olson, a British explorer who is part of Tsuda Odoshiro team told AWNR: CFJ “We can’t be sure what it is... but I seem to remember hearing a story that the Atlanteans once had a colony here a very, very long time ago. Something before there was all this bloody snow and ice here on Antarctica. Perhaps this story is nothing more than a load of rubbish, but we think it is definitely worth investigating what it is.”
Asked for the location of the cavern, Olson replied “This is the frikkin’ Antarctic!! How the hell can one give the exact location of a tiny cavern in the middle of frikkin’ nowhere of this huge continent... covered by nothing but bloody snow?!?!”
Asked about the influence he has on his boss, Tsuda Odoshiro, in regards of the bad language, Olson replied “No bloody comment, mate!”
AWNR: CFJ has a suspicion that Olson has been lying about his nationality when he joined up with Tsuda's team of explorers, but has not been able to proof anything yet. The Shinsengumi seem to know it, but they refuse to make it public. “We checked his background and he checked out okay,” A Shinsengumi spokesperson informed AWNR: CFJ. “No need to bother him any more.”