ESC News 1915

[ledeper]

24/3 1915
1. Marine Brigade@ 2500 marines will be stationed in Gujarat due to the information of rising hostility against Christians and Muslims in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent in the Ganges area spreading towards the Burmese border and Kalkota.
After consultation with the other contracting partners, concerning the peace-keeping mission in
NZ, it has been decided to downsize the amount of troops considerably, to only station 1. & 2. marine companies with a 40mm Q.F.gunsection, the 250 marines will be stationed to act as a security and police force to protect emissaries from the contracting powers .

1/4 1915

Reinforcement consisting of BB 02 Torden, CL 01 Odin, CL 02 Thor, and Cl. 24 Troms arrives to Gujarat, to further increase the capability of the Asian sqdrn and to train manoeuvring and executing of bigger ships in anticipation of the completion of Bcc Gujarat.

25/4 1915

1. Battle squadron arrives in Gujarat with elements of 1.Marinebrigade (- 2 marine companies together with Cr Isafjord, which is dispatched to New Zion).

[P3D]

The whole disorder started in September-October.

[maddox]

Ledeper, the start of the situation is HY 02 1915 ...

[ledeper]

The news primarily relates to the New Zion situation,as for deploying 1.Battle squadron to Gujarat along with 1.Marine-Brigade is foremost for excersisses and secondly a wish to deploy parts of my "marine-corps" to my overseas possessions,E.G. 2 Marine-Brigade will be stationed in Guinea and 3 Marine-brigade will be sent to Bermuda,as I see no reason for the entire Corps to be stationed in the "homeland".

[ledeper]

1/5 1915
Today big celebrations started in Gujarat to celebrate the arrival of the 1 battle squadron in Surat.
As being the first naval visit from the homeland since "the red rebellion" the officers and crew were lavishly celebrated by both the Europeans settlers and the "native" population.
The resent years of economic investment is starting to become more evident, as more and more Indians work in the newly developed industries thus getting more prosperous.

5/5 1915

Army Headquarters
Bendler-Strasse
Berlin

Army Chief of Staff General-oberst Heinrich Herzog zum Mecklenburg
Navy Chief of Staff Viceadmiral Lewenhaupt:
Welcome to my lair; Heinrich chuckled, as Viceadmiral Lewenhaupt entered his office.
Any news from the high seas?
He leaned forward to grab the outstretched hand of Viceadmiral Lewenhaupt.

Not much my old friend, he answered as he sat down at the chair, not much.
Our destroyer program is moving ahead and the Gujarat will join the fleet the first of January with the Island to follow six months later and together with two more cruisers and 3 old destroyers we will have a strong Indian squadron which should be able to sustain itself until further enforcements arrive.
How about the old ships stationed in India?
The cruisers will be broken up in-situ and the two fleet cruisers guns will be reused for coastal batteries.
One near Surat, and another at the Wesermünde.
How about that cruiser of yours in New Zion?
It acts merely as an accommodation ship for the two marine companies there, and will as soon as the situation is solved it will return to Gujarat and thus be broken up.
But how is the Army at moment?

We are abut 80% finished with upgrading the army and is only missing 4 corpses along the Russian border and of course then also our 3 Fortress Corps but that should be done by the end of 1916,so we can go on to raise some motorised corpses in 17-18.

How about those flying things?

They are becoming quite interesting, as seen in the New Zion conflict, they apparently more uses than scouting, there are even rumours from E.N. of experiments with using them from ships.


I am familiar with those rumours that was partly why I asked you, Are they a feasible weapon?

I think so at least continue the training programs for pilots and begin to develop new planes for the future.

I will have E.N. look into the naval aspect of aviation abroad and can I have some of your planes and pilots, Viceadmiral Lewenhaupt said smiling jokingly to the Army chief.

Now you also want to rob me of my pilots and planes, the navy is insatiable.
Ok ok, I ill give you 25 planes with pilots.

26/7 1915

Gujarat

It has been a learning experience being able to train with these big ships, Schuottbynacht Spee remarked to his chief of staff as the Sweden was leading the formation towards another day of gunnery exercises, I really look forward to take over the Gujarat in a few months.

The navy staff has promised that we next summer will also have the Island together with two new cruisers and 3 destroyers and together with the Mine-Cruiser building we will have an independent minelayer force also.

Have you heard the rumours about the Thugee. Sir?

Yes, I regard it as utter superstition and nonsense; the Thugees were exterminated more than fifty years ago, I would not put much into it.

[ledeper]

25/10
Disturbing news of the development in India reaches Karlstad and the Parliament of

the Esc meets in an emergency setting to discuss whether what kind off measures

is to be taken. It is decided to order the CIC in Gujarat by all means necessary to

protect refugees and prevent any incursion of foreign troops on Esc territory. At the

same time the parliament decides to bring two of the four corps in Gujarat to war

footing and the other two to active at the first of January to coincide whit the

commissioning of Bc Gujarat and the withdrawal of First Battle squadron to its home

base in Hamburg.

22/11

Orders for Schouttbynacht Spee arrives in Gujarat, and the naval forces of Esc (the

First Battle squadron and the Gujarat squadron) go to sea again together with Bc

Gujarat for the last machinery and gun trails ,at the same time to provide distant

covering and escort for ships participating in the evacuations in Bombay. Though the

Esc in not directly involved in the operation, Schouttbynacht Spee decides on his own,

to coincide the last trails of Bc Gujarat with a covering operation.

28/12

The Parliament of the Esc approves of the Leipzig treaty with a vast majority, and

express support for beginning negotiations with the Republic of Eire concerning trade

and economics.

31/12

The two corps ordered to wartime setting begins to deploy along the borders in

Gujarat, while to other corps is put in to active setting.

3/1 1916

First Battle squadron together with battleship Torden and the two older cruisers CL 01

Odin, CL 02 Thor leaves Gujarat  bound for Hamburg after finishing a long series of

exercises, but is leaving Cl. 24 Troms, Cl. 25 Rhineland, DD 01 Bornholm, DD 02

Andøy,DD 03 Tingmiarmiut behind to complete the Gujarat Squadrons screening

forces and with the addition of MCr 06 in Oct 1916 and Bc Island in Jul 1916 should

the Gujarat Squadron be able to fend for itself until eventual reinforcements can arrive

from the mainland.