Invasion of Portugal 1903 - Counterrevolution triumphs

[Borys]

Maddox     
Posted: Sep 24 2006, 09:45 AM


Hegemon
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Following the outbreak of communisme in Spain and the Baltic confederacy ,Portugal got in uproar and a civil war like in Spain erupted.

King Carlos I and family ran, and found shelter with their peers in the UKA.

The violence spilling over the borders in Europe did made France very attentive to the situation, and after a series of conferences, Plan Vinland Conference was set up.





QUOTE
March 11th 1903,

Offices of Premier Palpaté.

Ah Minister Paixhans, you bring news about the Conference Vinland?
Yes Premier, The operation is running well. Surprisingly well even, and the weather couldn't be better. Only light overcasts, maybe a bit drizzle, 4-5 beaufort winds at max.

So Minister Paixhans, what is your prognosis? I don't like the idea of another Tangiers.
It all depends on the Spanish and Baltics. But the Baltic fleet at Bergen isn't doing much, so it's up to the Spanish to interfere or not. We can sail easely trough contested waters, and we'll drop anchor before the port of call. From there on it depends on the foolhardiness of the local defenders if they want to die horribly or join the anti communist cause.
With the firepower we brought together, we could level the city in 3 days, and the green shells can do it in 6 hours, if we opt for that economical warfare. Only Vertite carries those and not many of them either, so, we have a merchant ready with more of the green shells. That means the operation will be delayed for a day at best if the situation calls for that.

So dear Ministre de Defence, all is going to plan, and the rightfull rulers can be placed on the throne after this. Not that I like the idea of monarchs- as real republican- but we have the responsibility towards Europe, and our United Kingdom of America friends asked it nicely.
Hmmm, let me know if anything goes wrong. And have a better look into the Option Canal, it seems securité has troubles doing the dastardly deed, so open militairy action could be called for.

At once Premier.



QUOTE
Iberian Peninsular west coast

14 March 1903


Admiral Jean Dilige on the flag bridge of Vertite, and Admiral Beatty on the bridge of Ocean are overlooking the preparations of the coming invasion. All hinges on the fear they can instill in the opposing troops.
If that fear is big enough, the port of Lisboa will be a new base to reinstate the monarchs of portugal. The joint support of France and the United kingdom of America should be more than enough to wipe out the communist criminals.

The unfortunate engine troubles on the French battleship Carnot delayed the action with 4 hours. But that gave the elder sloops :Salve, Dragonne, Dunois and La Hire more time to sweep the few Spanish mines they found.
With Fleurus in mind, the crews do a wonderfull job, and non of the ships gets damaged in the Spanish waters.

Late noon, dusk in this time of year, the fleet arrives at the entrance of the port of Lisboa. Heligraphs and marconies demanding the surrender of the Portugese coastal fortresses.

An hour later,
Without Portugese replies, not even sending out ships- neither defensive or offencive the dombined UKA/French fleet maintains distance and the big guns of the larger vessels aim for the defensive works.

Darkness falls, heliographs repeat the orders to surrender in naam of the King Carlos I.
On Normandie a zouave offers his dinner over the side to Neptune, the waiting a hell on the crammed together soldiers.



QUOTE
14 march 1903

Estuary of the Taag river, 2200h. Slowly the search lights of the grand fleet sweep the dark waters, to avoid surpises by communist torpedo boats.
The fortress of Bugio standing out as a black shadow in the dark of night, until Terrible's flank erupts in flames and debris. Mine or Torpedo, the night doesn't reveal a clue, but the reaction is horrible, crews tired and frustrated by the long waiting pull the lanyards, electrical signals command huge shells to fly and create havoc.
Anything resembling a target to the frenzied eyes of gunners and observers is subject to a torrent of fire!


A searchlight brings out a low slung hull of a contre torpilleur out of the darkness - "Sir! It's none of ours!" - "FIRE!"
And thus D'estrees was blown out of the water by the UKA cruiser Red bank.

- "Sir! D'estrees is fired upon! Oh my God, she just fell apart! The Portugues cruiser is almost on top of us"
- "Signal rest of squadron! Full speed! Arm torpedos! Turn to engage!"

In the flashes of Red Bank's guns,  the observers noticed the wakes of turning torpedoboats - "Sir. There's more of'em!"
- "FIRE!"
Not clear who is shouting what at the bridge
SIR! THEY ARE SEAWARD! THEY MUST BE OURS!
Stop fire!!
FIRE!!
Show flag!
Signal to them!
Turn bow at them!

- Torpedos fired! Turn away! OMIFUKINGAWD DEY IZ OURS

After a confusing night battle against invisible foes, commanding officers get their act together, and soon the last gun is fired.

The men at Fortress Bugio, first puzzled, but then cheering for the night assault of their commerades on the huge fleet don't participate in the shooting.

Terrible, badly hurt, crew fighting a raging fire amidships limps away from the scene, PC Guychen escorting the large ship.

Admiral's quarters BB Vertite, Admiral Dilige gives the orders to load green shells and bombard the fortress into submission at dawn.

****************************
Dawn , march 15 1903.

The defenders of Bugio ,tired, but confident that their fortress will weather the storm, after the bad shooting of the battleships last night.

Vertite unleashes its devils, the big 305mm guns spit out thunderous flames and dark smoke, 4 shells sail over the fortress and explode in the ocean. None of the other ships fire.

None of the guns of Bugio can reach the battleship, and after a few shots, the defenders opt for conservation of ammunition.

The next series of shells erupt and this time a huge gout of sand is thrown up on the fortress walls .

In the turrets, green painted shells are loaded, the gun crews extremely concentrated . The next salvo fired, 2 of the shells now impact on the sandbar, and a sickly green-yellow cloud erupts from the small craters.

The soft breeze carries this cloud over the walls.

The next salvos just repeat this performance and after 5 salvos with the green shells, 8 hits on the small fortress have created hell on earth.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 24 2006, 01:40 PM


Hegemon
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Not for fainthearted people...
Minors and people with a dislike of violence do not read following parts.



You're warned. Realistic descriptions of acts of war in following text.



QUOTE
The tide was running out and the boat slowly made its way against the current. But finally it hit the sand surrounding the pockmarked fort. The party, mostly composed of officers, marched quickly towards the walls of Bugio. No shots had been fired at the approaching boat, so none were expected now. They spied the entrance, on top of a flight of stairs, the door being just above the high water mark.
Dead eyes on faces sticking out of gun ports had followed their approach.
It stank. They first smelt the overpowering stench when they walked up to the door. The entrance was open, as there was a corpse sprawled across the threshold. It was clear from the man's position that he was part of the group, which had rushed the gate and managed to unbolt it. But they all died moments after prying open the door, which their combined bodyweights then pushed, open. After the vomit and coughed up phlegm had filtered down, the bottom-most body had been squeezed out on those revolting lubricants, thrusting its contorted face to greet the perpetuators. His tongue was swollen, blistered, with blood oozing from the recesses.
The dead all had their faces twisted by pain, their bodies thrown about in violent death throes. All were blue in the face from asphyxia and had puddles of vomit and blood specked drool under their open mouths. Tongues swollen, blistered. Eyes blood-shot and bulging.
After making their slippery routed over the bodies most of the party retched. No change in smell was noted. Wide eyed with sick fascination over what they had seen and eager to see more they light up their lamps. One however had enough – muttering ,,Mon dieu! Mon diue!" the officer staggered out of the building.
The others continued on their discovery tour.
Few of the corpses were at their battle stations. The dead, all with blood shot bulging eyes, blood specked vomit and phlegm around them, seemed to be concentrated around windows, gun ports, fire slits – Where they hoped that the fresh sea breeze would have pity on their burning eyes. Where they hoped to bring relief to their burning, heaving, water filling lungs. None had the serenity of death on them – all had open mouths, with faces frozen into masks of horror and pain.
In the dank stench the visitors soon numbed to the sight of horrible death and began to pick out only extreme cases. Here an officer under the wall, with no face and half head left - his brain splattered around – he had shot himself out of pain. Under the stairs a soldier who had broken his leg and crawled away, the fractured bone making a blood-filled rut in the dust. There a soldier who had ripped out his eyes and had crawled around in a circle before finally succumbing to the death bringing cough. Here and there unfinished attempts at writing something on the wall. A body slumped against the wall, the whole front covered with dried, flaking blood and vomit, the bitten off tongue among the noodles on his lap.
And the flies were already there, buzzing around everything that was damp and smelly and slimy ...









QUOTE
The commanding officer of the scouting group, Luitenant Halez raises the Tri-Colore over the intact fortress. To show the world the new might of France.

This signal gives a new impulse to the messages sent to the other fortresses and city itself.
QUOTE
Surrender to King Carlos or suffer the same fate as fortress Bugio.

One of the communist leaders, observing the invasion fleet from another fortress accepts the invitation of Admiral Dilige and thus Anibal Ferreira took the opportunity to resque his comerades at Fort Bugio.

Back ashore he commandeered a train to the Cais de Sodre station (end of the coastal train line) - near the city center and the parliament at Sao Bento ex-convent building. From Caxias or Paco de Arcos it is at most an hour by train, and then a 20 minute uphill jog to Sao Bento.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 24 2006, 01:42 PM


Hegemon
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Lisboa, Sao Bento , late noon, march 15th 1903

QUOTE
The speaker Anibal Ferreira was pale, visibly shaken. One of the loudest "socialismo ou morte!" leaders. His beard, jet black in the morning, now seemed to show some silvery strands.
His spoke with his head down, shaking it from time to, as if saying "no", or wishing to clear his head of something.
- "Camaradas, we have to surrender. The French monsters have shown me the insides of the Bugio. A slaughterhouse looks like a dollhouse compared to what I had seen there ... I cannot yet speak about it, after I leave the room ask Jose Cardoso about it - he was there with me, and he seems to have better nerves than I. The horrors the French had committed on our lands during the time of Napolean are nothing. They had gone from bad to worse. They gassed our boys there. Yes, gassed them like rats in the sewer. And they will do the same to other forts. And they will do the same to the city. Yes, they will kill all - working man, woman and child here, and bring back Carlos to rule over the corpses covered with ... No, I can't speak about it. I will go now. Before anybody votes no - go vist Bugio first.


Copyright Borys
more information on Sao Bento http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Bento_Palace
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 27 2006, 12:47 PM


Hegemon
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Lisboa March 20.

The United Kingdom of America and French Liners still disgorging troops in the docks.
Smaller merchants under guidance of sloops and destroyers shuttle supplies From France to support the battalions and divisions already in the city.

Temporary encampments erected on the outskirts. The old fortresses guarding the Taag manned with the combine soldiers.

The rebelious Portugese reds interned at Oeiras , the French Battleship Vertite in plain sight, barrels aimed at the pow camps. Like a messenger of death her still grey form ignores the waves.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 27 2006, 01:04 PM


Hegemon
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Paris 31 March 1903, parliament,


It seems our actions in Portugal are curing the red disease. Albeit the world is rejecting one of the medicines.
The reinstatment of King Carlos I, as wished by our ally , the UKA, will be sooner than expected.
Unless the few resistance groups of communist rebels, supported by the cornered Spanish try to regain their territory.

The risk of this, is low, but still excistent. So the army is diverting the 2de corps Brazil to Lisboa.

Ok Minister Paixhans. Thanks for this short update on Conference Vinland.
Minister Dupré, How are the social reforms in Brazil?

I'm afraid the messures France is taking aren't strong enough. Not even after releasing the 2 northeren provinces to Gran Colombia.
I'm afraid Plan Pacification with the "new horrible cure" could be an option.

Wich Cure? The humane one, under guidance of our local ally? Or the strong one?
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 09:43 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Balplatz, Diplomatic Despatch, 1st of April, 1903
To the Governments of Republic of France and United Kingdom of America

The Kaiser and His Government express appreciation for the crushing of the Red Scum in the Kingdom of Portugal. Truely Your two Govt's have demonstrated to the World what a Constructive and Responsible Foreign Policy looks like.
His Imperial Majesty's Government would like to know the position of the Two Allied Powers on the situation in South Africa, namely the occupation of most of Angola and annexation of Mozambique by the Republic of Orange. It is Austria's view that in both cases the status quo ante should be reinstated, with restoration of Portuguese rule.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 10:54 AM


Hegemon
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Diplomatic dispatch to Austria Hungaria

QUOTE
Concerning Southern Africa.

The Orange Republic assured France of its good intentions of denying the Red revolution a foothold in Africa.

When Portugal recovers from the  civil war they just had, and the Combine forces can leave the land under the just governement of King Carlos I and his parliament, the Orange Republic will leave the lands internationaly acclamed as Portugese.

In Effect, what The United Kingdom of America and France does in Portugal, and Austria Hungaria partialy in Spain, the same is done by the Orange Republic in southern Africa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Capet,
representing the wishes of the french people , by Premier Palpaté
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 3 2006, 01:22 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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April 17th

Handscriblled letter from Stefan von Habsburg of Austria to Carlos de Branganca of Portugal

Brother, as the war in Spain is winding down, and now I have forces to spare, do you need any assistance in exterminating the Red vermin?

Stefan
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 3 2006, 01:30 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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17th of April

Linienschiff SMS Kaiser, Panzerkreuzer SMS Prag and SMS Innsbruck, Kleiner Kreuzer SMS Graveman, Maximilian, Ferdinand are ordered to Cartegena to recoal and take on supplies. Execute immediately.

Mittlermerhauptstab
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 6 2006, 10:12 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Lisbon, 26th of April 1903
Linienschiff SMS Kaiser, Panzerkreuzer SMS Prag and SMS Innsbruck, Kleiner Kreuzer SMS Graveman, SMS Maximilian, SMS Ferdinand, under Kontradmiral Unrug, arrive at Lisbon. Between them and and the s/s Dunkirk they carry the 8th Auslander Regiment

   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 6 2006, 11:18 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Lisbon, 29th of April 1903

After several days of furious off the scenes negotiations, the Austrian fleet sailed west.