WesWorld

July 2, 1930 - Berlin

The office of Grand Admiral Raeder has released a statement thanking the US Naval Attache for his work. "We thank the US and in particular the US Naval Attache and his staff for their work in examining U-1. We expected the results to be what they were, but nonetheless we, both in the Kreigsmarine and in the shipyard, are pleased to see our expectations vindicated."


July 16, 1930 - Berlin

The Foreign Ministry has announced that Foreign Minister Stresseman will be visiting Karlskrona later this summer. "The Foreign Minister will be paying a visit to Karlskrona starting in early August", said a Foreign Ministry spokesman. The suspicion in the capitol is that this has to do with the larger than normal number of diplomatic cables being exchanged between Berlin and Karlskrona of late, but what exactly that portends remains to be seen.


July 18, 1930 - Bremerhaven

A second heavy cruiser, currently called Ersatz B, has been laid down in the shipyards at Bremerhaven. She is reported to be identical in almost all particulars to her sister ship that was laid down in Kiel in January.


July 29, 1930 - Berlin

The Luftwaffe has announced two new competitions for weapons for the Luftwaffe. The first is for a flexible machinegun, of 7.92mm IS caliber, for use by observers or defensive gunners. Preference is to be given to weapons using a box or drum magazine, for ease in handling the ammunition. A high cyclic rate of fire, at least 800 rounds per minute, is desired. This competition is to be completed with testing of candidate weapons in April of 1931. The second competition is for a heavy machinegun, for use in fixed mountings of fighter aircraft. It is to be of 11mm or greater bore, and a cyclic rate of fire of at least 800 rpm is specified. Belt feed is required for this weapon. This competition is to take place in June of 1932.

August 8, 1930 - Fredricshafen

The airship Graf Zeppelin, carrying Foreign Minister Stresseman and his staff, has left the airdock for the relatively short trip to Karlskrona, Nordmark.


August 8, 1930 - Berlin

The Foreign Ministry has announced that the Graf Zeppelin, carrying Foreign Minister Stresseman and his staff, has now docked at the Karlskrona airdock. The Foreign Minister, according to the report, is expected to repair to the German embassy for the evening and will present his credentials to the Nordmark government tomorrow.

August 9th, 1930 - Berlin

The Foreign Ministry has announced that the Foreign Minister is working on an agreement with Nordmark, to be submitted to the Reichstag upon his return if the negotiations are successful. Given recent history, the suspicion is that the agreement is a non-aggression pact, which will calm the nerves of coastal Germans after the unhappy events of the Great War.


August 12th, 1930 - Berlin

The Foreign Ministry has announced that the Foreign Minister has reached agreement with the Crown and government of Nordmark on a ten-year non-aggression pact. The document will be submitted to the Reichstag for approval, but with the government holding 80% of the seats, this is mostly a formality.

Foreign Minister Stresseman, in his prepared remarks, said, "Germany is happy to conclude this agreement with our Baltic neighbor, and we agree that this should help keep the Baltic prosperous and the nations and peoples that border it happy."


August 14th, 1930 - Berlin

The KPD, citing the recent non-aggression pact with Nordmark, has raised the issue of spending on new armaments. The KPD's leader, Ernst Thaelman, said, "What are we spending millions of marks on armaments for, when all the nations that might threaten us are bound by treaty not to attack us? I will grant that the current budget was written before the government knew the results of the current diplomatic offensive, but given it's results, the KPD will fight tooth and nail against any further future expansion of military funding. There's simply no need for it in the Europe of today."


August 29th, 1930 - Berlin

The Reichstag has approved the non-aggression pact with Nordmark by a large margin and sent the treaty on to President Cuno for his signature.


September 26th, 1930 - Kiel

The new heavy cruiser Ersatz A was christened Admiral Hipper and launched into the water today in Kiel. Fitting out work will continue until November of next year.

September 29th, 1930 - Berlin

The Foreign Ministry has announced that the Prime Minister of Austria, Mr Vaugoin, will be in Berlin on a state visit in early November.

September 30th, 1930 - Berlin

In a speech in the Reichstag, Dr. Jarres, head of the DNVP and the Interior Minister, announced plans for the formation of a customs union with Austria. "We shall, in concert with Austria, normalize customs duties so that there is no need for duties on goods crossing from Germany to Austria or vice versa. Goods from within Austria will no longer be charged duty at the German border when bound for Berlin, nor will German goods be charged duties when bound for Viena. Goods from, for example, Italy, will no longer be charged duty twice on their way north by rail, once at the Austrian border and once at the German border, but only once at the Austrian border. The same is true, of course, for goods from, say, Denmark bound for Vienna."


September 30, 1930 - Fredricshafen

The Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin, Gmb. H, has announced that the airship Graf Zeppelin will be heading south for the winter, as far as Antartica. The great airship has been being readied for use by this years' JUGS expedition exploring the far southern continent.


September 30, 1930 - Hamburg

The first 4 vehicles of the contract with the U. S. Wheel Track Laying Corporation were unloaded today from the American freighter Moffet. Completed to a revised design from the vehicles demonstrated at Grafenwöhr, the four were loaded onto flat cars and sent south.

[Backdated item, based on India's Q3 post....]

September 3, 1930 - Kiel

A group of Kriegsmarine vessels are preparing for their first overseas naval exercise. The annual SATSUMA exercises are to be held off the coast of India this year and the Kriegsmarine has accepted an invitation to participate. The new CLs Liepzig and Nurnberg and the destroyers Z-205, Z-207, Z-208, & Z-210 will be participating in the exercises, supported by the hired tanker SS Markheim and the freighter SS Hansdorf.



September 10, 1930 - Kiel

The SATSUMA exercise flotilla has set sail for Cadiz, bound for Alexandria, the Suez Canal, and India.