Riddermark 4Q1903

[Borys]

October 3, 1903

Work on the New Beleriand Canal has taken a priority, especially security in light of the recent raids in New Rhun by Anahuac and other unknown parties. The Baug Argival is suspected to be behind some of these raids and incidents due to Rohan's unwillingness to give in to his kind of blackmail. Rohan suspects that the price on the man's head from at least three major powers will make him a walking dead man, and soon afterwards just a dead man.

October 16, 1903

Minrimmon, Cruiser of the Mark was completed today in Harlond. The cruiser is expected to conduct trials until April when it will join the Central Pacific Fleet at Ammon-In-Gelydh.

October 28, 1903

Shipment and installation of the first of the new steam turbines in Arcadia, Battleship of the Mark, has been on schedule. The battleship should be commissioned into the fleet within the month. Shadowfax's engine has arrived and will be installed within the week.

November 3, 1903

The Kingdom of Rohan prepares to escort the Fürst Bismarck to Eglarest by dispatching Calmacil, Combat Cruiser of the Mark to greet our friends from across the Great Western Ocean.

November 4, 1903

Two destroyers of the Shearfoot-class have been laid down in South Mithlond near the Starkhorn, Belted Cruiser of the Mark. The increased production of lighter fleet units will help replace ships that of the Mark that are rapidly becoming far to old and outdated for use in modern warfare.

November 6, 1903

The Republic of California has placed a bid to purchase several older Rohirrim warships to replace there aging battleships, which are also of Rohirrim design. The Kingdom of Rohan has offered to sell the Californians both of Rohan's remaining Dwarven Battleships along with a single older Combat Cruiser for a small sum. California has offered to pay a smaller sum and return their aging battleships to Rohan for scrap. The Riddermark has agreed to these terms and will get the vessels ready for transfere within the next four months.

November 9, 1903

The Calmacil, Combat Cruiser of the Mark, towed the battered, broken, but still proud Armored Cruiser of the Brandenburg, Fürst Bismarck, into Eglarest harbor. With them was the Queen Emeraldas, which also looked like it had seem some sort of combat damage. No word on how or why the Germanic ship looks like she does or how the Queen Emeraldas got into a fight and survived. The Marshals will probably release more information as it becomes known.

November 11, 1903

The Kingdom of Rohan issues a formal complaint to the Republic of France over the Incident with the "Profitable". While the Beleriand Canal was not as often targeted as the Gran Columbian Canal, the suggestion that Legionnaires were involved in the plights of those within the "Western" Hemisphere outside French controlled land is not tolerable. While Rohan does not seek compensation for this incident, Rohan does suggest that vessels conduction similar operations to that of the "Profitable" near Rohirrim Waters will be subject to search or destruction by agents and warships of the Mark. While loitering and "partying" are not crimes, the suspected purpose of a covert armed French vessel near an area in competition with France that is under repeated attack is highly suspect. Removal of vessels conducting such actions would be advised, as would suggesting to civilian ship owners to not loiter near the canal zones without logging a form of intent with either the Kingdom of Rohan, or Government of Gran Columbia. This should reduce the chance for a similar incident from happening again in the future.

November 13, 1903

Westron freighters have reported rumors from Brazil that the Anahuac and other Followers of the Eye have taken over great sections of this largest territory of France. However, no evidence of any Followers of the Eye have been discovered in any port city the Westron have visited since the Denethor's trip earlier this year.

November 18, 1903

Several warships of the Mark have been assigned to patrol the waters between the New Beleriand Canal zone and the French Grand Canal Zone.

November 21, 1903

Arcadia, Battleship of the Mark, has been launched and comissioned into the Fleet of the Rohirrim. She will conduct trails for a few days and then join her sister ship in Eglarest as she is commisioned. The pair will conduct trails together until June.

December 1, 1903

Shadowfax, Battleship of the Mark, was commissioned today in Eglarest with her sistership, Arcadia in the harbor. Both ships were saluted by and saluted the remaining crew of the crippled Armored Cruiser of the Brandenburg, Fürst Bismarck, which lay near Shadowfax's dock. Shadowfax and Arcadia will go on trails as a pair until June.

December 5, 1903

Early reports from the trials from the two Arcadias say that the new turbines work as requested, the two new Battleships have cruiser like speed, making 20 knots with ease. The gunfire drills suggest that the triple turrets might still have problems however.

December 13, 1903

A new factory will be ready for business in New Beleriand in January. Work for the locals has increased with increased naval construction and the canal project. Estimates suggest that the Riddermark will increase spending on the Army in order to cover the new expanses of the Gondorian frontier.

December 25, 1903
Fellowship Day

In the spirit of Fellowship Day, Theocro, King of Rohan has announced that the Flag of Rohan will be altered to reflect the new and expanded Gondorian realms. With the addition of Hondoras and New Rhun to the Gondorian New Beleriand, a regional government position has been created for all Gondorian affairs, placing the older Gondorian affairs position to just that of New Beleriand as it was before the Anahuac War. To reflect this change, the Blue of New Beleriand has been dropped on the flag of Rohan in favor of the Sable of the old Kingdom of Gondor. New Beleriand itself will keep the blue of the sea for itself, but all the new Gondorian lands will be under the sable of old with the white horse on a green field there it help when the white tree is in need.

December 29, 1903

Reports from the Arcadia suggest that the problem with the triple turrets is not structural, but practical. All the tripel turret's guns are in a single sleeve and thus all have the same elevation. While this makes for tight groupings, it has lessed the ability for ranging shots from the triple turret batteries. Fortunately the Arcadia's have twin turrets on the wings as well as having two triple turrets, making the number of shots used in a salvo for ranging greater and allowing for a quicker zero in time period...or at least that it was the gunnery officer has been telling the news service. If he is correct or not, we do not know.

December 31, 1903

The two Arcadias will make for Confederate waters on their trails in a "show the flag" effort. The Confenderate States of American have been rather inward looking in the last year. With all the talk of socialism and rampant rebellion because of it in many places in Europe, Africa, and Asia, Rohan was surprised the Confederates haven't had the same problem with their semi-oppressed black population. But since little has gotten out to Rohan from the Confederates of late, anything is possible. Theocro King wanted to see have the former Legion of Freedom soldiers were doing, as they fought well against the Anahuac during the war, dispite being an all volunteer army, one of thei colonels, a Theodor Roosevelt, won great honors from the King personally for his actions against Anahuac forces during Rohan's greatest times of need.