On the frontpage:
RN officer to give lecture on novel scouting-techniques
Rear-Admiral Murray Sueters, RN, late of the RNAS, is due to give a lecture to the Naval Academy in Karlskrona on novel aggressive scouting-techniques employed by the British Royal Navy during the Great War. The lecture will take place on may 3rd, in the Great Auditorium, for an invited audience only. By order of the Ministry of Defence, there will be no minutes published from the lecture. Present listeners will include HM the King, the Minister of the Navy, Commanding Admiral, the Commander of the Fleet, the Commander of teh Coastal Fleet, the graduating class of the Naval Academy, and others.
Sopwith to expand into new areas
As a result of Husquarna acquiring a major share in British aeroplane manufacturer Sopwith will be expanding into new areas of business. The first move will be the establishment of manufacture of sewingmachines and washingmachines for the British market.
Negotiations with Britain over Antarctic territories take unexpected turn as British, Argentinian protests mount.
Negotiations in London over the proposed Nordmark purchase of the British island South Georgia took a surprising turn a few days ago, as the British government offered to concede also the South Sandwhich islands and the South Shetland Islands, in return for greater concessions to British whaling companies for the islands. Observers believe the succesful conclusion of negotiations is close at hand, with Nordmark most likely granting full equality in treatment of Nrodmark and british whalers.
Meanwhile, protests from British whalers have remained steadfast, with the latest atrocity being the Portsmouth incident where a group of angry whalers pelted the motorcarriage of the Nordmark ambassador to Britain with rotted whale-blubber. The Argentine government has been rather more vocal concerning the matter, having recently accused Nordmark and Great Britain of 'Southern piracy', 'Antarctic imperialsim', and 'actively seeking to subvert the efforts of Argentina to take its rightful place in the world'. The office of the President of the united States of America has offered few statements in the matter, only noting that the islands in question fall outside the demesne of the Monroe Doctrine.
Reorganisation of Coastal Ranger Battalions planned
The Honourable Gustaf Dyrssen, His Majesty's Minister of the Navy in a statement to the Riksdag announced that by order of Roayl Majesty, a new organisation will be sought for the Coastal Ranger Battalions, to increase their efficiency, flexibility, and striking-power. It is considered likely that a manpower-increase will result, as well as a change in the equipment of the battalions.
It is expected also that the roganisation of the battalions may change - presently each battalion contains five companies: one heavy company with machine-guns and manpacked howitsers, three dragoon companies (infantry using bicycles or skis according to circumstances) and one headquarters- and fortress-company, employed with heavy machineguns on heavy mounts, communications-devices, sappers, and the likes.
Future of the navy being planned
In light of the new international environment imposed by the Treaty of Cleito, the navy has realised the need for re-assessment and evaluation of the future of the navy. As a result thereof, the navy has formed four committees in key areas:
- The capital ship committee, headed by Rear-Admiral Vorse, shall assess the needs of the navy in the area of battleships, and prepare the design for the two new treaty-battleships.
- The cruiser-committee is to review the navy's cruiser-force, and make recommendations for new designs, particularly with respect to combining design-practises of the Fleet and the Coastal Fleet. While the newest cruisers of the navy are good ships, it is felt that there is much left to do, and the matter of cruisers in sub-category (a) of the treaty is entirely open. The committee will be headed by Rear-Admiral von Brömssen.
- The scouting-committee, which is tasked with evaluating the possibility of new scouting-techniques, particularly in regard to offensive scouting. The committee is headed by Vice-Admiral Mowinckel, and will have the Honourable Gustaf Dyrssen, HM Minister of the Navy, as an observer-member.
- The ordnance-committee, charged with coordinating future ordnance-acquisitions, and make determinations of which calibres to retain, and which to dispense with for the future. The committee is headed by Vice-Admiral Gudmundurson, and will cooperate with the other committees.
Surge in passenger-ship orders expected
Recent announcements from a number of shipping-companies indicate that a surge of new passenger-lines may be ordered. Sources familiar with the industry have expressed concern that the Atlantic run will be overcrowded, particularly given that two relatively new vessels not long ago were pulled off the North-Atlantic run and moved to the significantly less attractive Atlantic Circle Service. It is expected that several companies will not survive this over-expansion.
The first company to announce plans was the small company Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (VDS) of Stokmarknes in Vesterålen, which announced plans for two 27000 GT 20knot ships, to be named Bodø and Nordland. This announcement was followed quickly by plans from Nordenfjeldske Dampskipsselskap (NFDS) of Trondheim for a 28000GT ship, to be named Sigurd Jarl. Two days later, both Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS) and Den Nordmarkske Amerikalinje (NAL) announced plans, the former planning a ship to be named Ariadne, of 26000 GT, and the latter an unprecedented 31000GT, the name of which has not yet been announced. Observers are now anxiously awaiting the certain demise of several traditional old steamship-companies, in this expansion-drive which surely can benefit nobody.
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