Italia News

[ctwaterman]

Saint Peters Square Vatican City Rome- Tuesday Evening February 7th 1913.

The Crowd had been gathered since just after lunch to await the results of the voting going on within the walls of Sistine Chapel.  But now it was nearly dark the son was setting and it was well past the time the Cardinals had announced there results in the last few days.   And now it was a full hour past the time to go to supper.    The Crowd was restive the lights were still on in St Peters Basilica and still no sign of smoke and soon it would be to dark to see it.   And even more annoying was the rumor that Prince Mario Chigi and several Bishops and a bunch of guards had rushed out of one of the back entrance to the Vatican City hours ago and had been whisked away in a waiting motorcade.

[ctwaterman]

Imperial Military HQ outside of Rome, sometime in June 1913.

The Actors:
Spurius Valerius Maximus Consul of Military Affairs.
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Admiral Italia Mediterranean Fleet
The Imperial Marina Admiralty Staff and Planning Board.

Spurius Valerius Maximus  "So gentlemen it has come to my attention that there appears to be a problem with our cruiser force as well as our Battle Ship force.   According to this gentlemen,"  taps a book on the table Jane's Cruiser of the World. "Italia ranks well dead last tied for that with only 2 cruisers ranked as modern by the standards of the modern world.  Well what have to say for your self's."

Lucius Sulla "The problem with the Battle Ships as you know is even know being resolved with the planned construction of 2 new Battle Ships within the next 4 years.   However the need to increase the our Naval Infrastructure particularly the size of our slips and dry dock's  to support the larger ships that are currently being built and designed has meant we could not afford to build as many cruisers as we needed.  In addition it has delayed proposed rebuilds and refits of several of the existing cruisers."

Spurius Valerius Maximus  "So how long do you think it will take to restore cruiser production."

Lucius Sulla Waves an aid over with a report. "We currently have one AC 1913 building in French Yards as payment for all the Destroyers they requested we build for them this year.  In addition we have one of the New Small Light Cruiser I believe we are calling it a destroy leader of the 1913 design and it will complete by the end of this year and commission early next year.  We are also laying down Keel of a 2nd AC 1913 even as we speak.  So the only question is what design we will be laying for our new Protected Cruisers in 1914 and what our refit schedule will be for the Battle Ships and Old Turbine Command Cruisers."

Spurius Valerius Maximus  "This is excellent news the situation is not as bad as I had originally thought.   Have our diplomatic corps approached the French about selling them the technology to build Large Destroyers on their own.  I am still hearing the cries of anguish from the planning board over the disruption there request caused to our building schedules for this year."

Lucius Sulla "I haven't heard anything positive from the diplomatic side of things yet.  Have your heard from the Emperor about the proposed rebuild and scrapping plans?"

Spurius Valerius Maximus  "Yes I have conferred with the Emperor and the planning board as well.  We agree that to maximize the building of new ships we will have to cut some of the old ships.  So you are authorized to recall the following ships to Italy for Scrapping starting in July.  The Ships were SC-2 Diana, SC-5 Jupiter, SC-3 Fortunata, SC-6 Mars, SC-1 Cupid, and SC-4 Juno.  In addition it has been decided that despite her history and my own attachment to her that BB-1 IMS Italia usefulness even after the proposed rebuild does not justify the cost of such a rebuild.  So recall her as well and scrap her but save her name and I want it and the ships colors reissued to a new built Dreadnaught as soon as possible.  If there is nothing else then good job gentelmen and I will see you all at next months planning meeting."

[Borys]

Imperial Military HQ outside of Rome, sometime in June 1913.


Lucius Sulla Waves an aidE over with a report.

WOW - this guy is STRONG!
Borys

[The Rock Doctor]

You don't mess with the Sulla.

[Tanthalas]

You don't mess with the Sulla.

(he is the emperors brotherinlaw after all) Damn rights you dont

[ctwaterman]

December 1st 1913-

Commander Caesar sat quietly on the train bound back to Rome.  It had been a long year spent in Sicily and he had missed the sights and the ladies of Rome.   But his new posting had proven thrilling, exciting and even dangerous to some extent.  The throb in this left arm reminded him of the danger of flying new and untested aircraft or in this case of teaching a cadet to fly a simply trainer.   His memory slipped back to the report he was even now composing about this summers aircraft tests and the results.

It was a hot summer day in Sicily and off the coast below is biplane Commander Caesar could see the IMS Nido Delle Aquile slowly steaming back and forth while young pilots learned to take off and land from her deck.   Crashes among inexperienced pilots had been very high earlier this month so the expedient of having a deck sized landing space painted in white on the Airfield had been used until the pilots were more familiar with slow landings.   Only the best and most experienced pilots would be allowed qualify to operate from the Aquile in the future.   In addition Caesar was forced to admit that for now the payload of the aircraft operating from the Aquile was extremely limited and would most likely be limited to pure reconnaissance duties.  Also some sort of improvement in the Aquile layout would probably be necessary, but those were things for the future.   Now, Caesar piloted his new twin engined  aircraft towards the bombing range leading a group of  2 other bombers.  Given the limitation of the engines currently available the bomb load of the aircraft was still small but with testing and strengthening of some structures improving.  Bomb accuracy was still not what one would desire but improving to the point that they were no longer frightening the Judges on the ground with near misses.  And now the sheer thrill of piloting the aircraft and holding it steady while the gunner/bomb aimer tried to release the bombs at the proper moment to hit the red X placed in the middle of a large white ship shaped target painted on the ground.  He recalled the exhileration he felt as one of the small practice bombs hit the white outline.

Commander Caesar awoke suddenly as the train lurched its way through a sharp turn and entered a tunnel.   The passenger car was cooling off and he recalled fondly his wish mere months ago for some cooler weather.  Now he sighed and wished it was warmer, as he got up and went to add some more coal to the small stove that heated the car he was ridding in.   As he sat back down his mind slowly returned to the problems he had encountered this summer and the ways he was going to try to deal with them.   He was pretty sure that he could fulfill Senator Maximus' desire for Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft in the near future.  Some of the twin engine land based aircraft and a few of the Sea Planes that had been purchased could easily fulfill those roles if they simply were to forgo any bombs.  Caesar made a mental note to speak to the design bureau in Rome about the torpedoes he had been sent for testing.   There simply had to be a way to make them shorter or they were going to end up destroying more aircraft on take off then was acceptable.   Even the smallest torpedo was still longer then many of the aircraft and trying to balance one under the fuselages of the aircraft was proving difficult.  Some success with a 16" Torpedo and specifically modified aircraft had resulted in planes taking off grossly overloaded and they were able to deliver there payloads over very short distances.   Caesar mussed to himself that Senator Maximus would not view the test as successful but that the capability might exist in the future.  New Engines, new planes, and newer torpedoes would be needed.
Overall he thought to himself my report is positive, our training regimen is proceeding and by the end of 1914 Italia would have several hundred or more trained pilots.   More Aircraft and more airfields would be needed and while the current aircraft couldn't seriously damage a ship they might harass ground forces from the air and maybe damage some infrastructure in a port.   But mostly his report would be glowing about the new engines that had been tested with more horsepower and the new improvements made in the field to existing aircraft all these things pointed to more exciting and innovative discovery's yet to come.
With that happy thought He slowly drifted back off to sleep knowing that by morning he would be back in Rome and that while he might not receive a hero's welcome from his superior officers his slight wounds received in the line of duty should merit him at least some attention among the ladies of Rome.