GC 2Q1904

[Borys]

 24 April: La Prensa Nacional

President Rey Alizandro has condemned the United Kingdom of America's apparent intent to conquer the Eastern Kingdom.

"The UKA has chosen military intervention despite the fact that neither New Swiss government has asked for their assistance and despite indications that the New Swiss government in Hawaii may have reached an agreement with the Eastern Kingdom. Further, they appear determined to mount a campaign aimed at seizing Eastern Kingdom territory, rather than taking the more logical step of simply transporting ground troops directly to Anchorage by sea."

President Alizandro acknowledged that, if nothing else, the recent UKA actions invalidated that nation's position on the Anahuac crisis. "If the UKA can invade Newfoundland to avenge a murdered monarch, so Gran Colombia can take action to avenge our losses to the Anahuac. If the UKA can intervene in the Anchorage affair based solely on ancient heritage with the New Swiss, so too can the Catholics of Austria and the DKB support their brethren in Brazil."

While the government has expressed its support to the Eastern Kingdom against UKA aggression, that support appears limited to the diplomatic variety. Defence Minister Ricardo Alizandro confirmed that there are no plans to become involved militarily, though a cruiser has been dispatched north to Dodan to evacuate Gran Colombian diplomatic personnel and their families should the UKA assault the city.

[OOC: The armored cruiser Sentinela sorties on 23 April, carrying a full set of ammunition, extra marines, and several tightly secured, unlabelled crates, guarded by some of said marines. At a cruising speed of eight knots, and with a coaling stop in San Francisco, she should arrive at Dodan around 28 May or so.]

29 April, Manaus: HQ Army of the Amazon

The offensive was now a week old, and General Geologo found himself nursing a vodka and orange juice while going over the initial reports from I and V Jungle Corps.

Having started from positions about ten kilometers north of the Amazon, I Jungle was pushing northeast along a wide front north-northwest of Manaus. V Jungle had started out from a line between Manaus and the village of Urucurituba and were slogging in a slightly more northerly direction. I Jungle had advanced thirty-one kilometers; V Jungle twenty-two, primarily on account of stiffer resistance from the Anahuac.

Those distances probably wouldn't impress many civilians, but Geologo trusted General Falcon to ensure the government understood that jungle warfare actually included fighting the jungle and not just the bad guys lurking within it. Trails had to be hacked out of the vegetation, supplies had to be transported forward, the existing fauna had to be dealt with (V Jungle Corps had, despite their rigorous training, still suffered six fatal snakebites thus far). Frankly, he was pleased with the progress.

Since the frontage was considerable, the four divisions were basically advancing as discrete regiments and battalions, with each division maintaining its own reserves. Behind them was II Infantry Corps, responsible not only for holding the ground but for maintaining the supply routes. Most of those men were being employed hauling supplies forward due to a lack of dedicated logistical units in the Army as a whole.

His other infantry corps, VI and IX, held his defensive perimeter along the Amazon, including Manaus and the smaller villages, though one of IX Corps' divisions was concentrated at Manaus as a strategic reserve. While they were seeing virtually no combat, they were busy working on roads, defensive positions, and gathering food, forage, and anything else that could be useful. Supplies coming downriver from points west were limited, and ammunition would get priority if transportation got to be an issue.

The Anahuac were not, naturally, behaving as they had against the Rohirrim. No massed attacks, no headlong charges. Nothing so easy. No, they had perhaps a division's worth of men fighting dispersed in small groups, employing ambushes and traps where they could. Sometmes the Anahuac managed to surprise and cut down a platoon or company from ambush. Sometimes they stayed too long and got involved in attritional battles. Sometimes the Gran Colombian scouts found the ambushes first and turned the tables on the savages. It was really a war of platoons and companies, and Geologo could see that he'd probably want to examine his junior replacement officers carefully to ensure the right men were leading those units up there.

He also knew that, further north, the Army of the Highlands would be engaged in a similar type of war, pushing down from Roraima with two other jungle corps and some Cordilleran troops. He also knew that some priest and a few thousand natives were fighting a guerrilla war of their own in Para, nominally still a part of French Brazil even if it was really just Anahuac hunting ground. All told, Geologo was satisfied – God willing, they'd besiege El Dorado within two months and start on reducing it.
   
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The Rock Doctor    
Posted: Jan 19 2007, 07:06 PM


Hegemon
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31 May 1904: Dodan

Felipe Diaz wasn't a navy man; he worked for Benicio Delgado's organization. As such, the Sentinela's crew had been giving him a wide berth the entire trip, other than the captain, who'd deigned to dine with him a few times.

Nonetheless, status conveyed privledge, and so he's been comfortably esconced in the officer's wardroom, making notes in his book, when word was passed along that he had a visitor from shoreside. "About time", he muttered, slipping the book into his briefcase and engaging the locks. He'd been waiting close on three days for this, and had been just a few minutes from calling it a night.

Thus he followed the marine lieutenant above decks and out to the gangplank to the pier which Sentinela was secured to. He was somewhat surprised to see that his visitor was clad in a knee-length, bright pink coat with matching fedora; he'd just assumed it had been a joke on her part.

Making his way down the walkway to the pier, he moved close to the woman as if to kiss her cheek and murmured, "The evening sun is warm on the western slopes."

"But it is the north slopes which are green, with envy", the woman responded in a hushed tone. "Right. Sorry about the wait. We've been rather busy with the damned war."

"I understand. You have some transport available, I trust?"

"At the end of the pier", she replied. Evening fog had obscured the view earlier, but Diaz could indeed hear the muffled sounds of horse teams and their drivers now that he was listening for it.

"Very good", Diaz said. "We'll use that crane there. I'll alert the officer of the watch, if you want to summon your people."

About twenty minutes later, the first crate stamped "GOVERNMENT PROPERTY" was deposited onto a wagon by Sentinela's crane. Moments later, Sentinela's marines started carrying locked metal boxes up the gangway and into the ship's small hold. The exchange took perhaps half an hour, the mist conveniently shrouding the activity while Eastern Kingdom soldiers patrolled the length of the pier in teams of three.

"Thirty-five strongboxes aboard and secured, Sir", the marine lieutenant reported to Diaz.

"Eight crates have been loaded into the carts", the Eastern Kingdom soldier reported to the woman in pink.

"You've double-checked the number?", she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am", both officers replied in unison. The Eastern Kingdom shot the marine a look of puzzlement which the marine duly ignored.

"Then we're almost done here", she stated. To Diaz, she said, "The Empress extends her thanks. This will be most helpful if matters drag out long enough."

"Gran Colombia thanks Her Majesty for such a generous gift", Diaz responded. "We will here for some time yet, depending on how the war progresses. Do contact me if there are complications."

"I will do that", the woman in pink replied. She gestured to her captain, who shouted a string of commands in the local tongue. The team of carts began trundling down the pier amidst a phalanx of soldiers.

Diaz tipped his hat to her, she nodded, and they turned to go their separate ways, each imagining the same thing: airships laden with chlorine gas bombs, filling the sky above their enemies.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Jan 19 2007, 09:38 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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If it had been a lady in red instead of pink, I'd know where in the world is Carmen Sandiego...
biggrin.gif

(Don't forget that there are two DKB panzerkreuzers (both Prinz Adalbert class ships) in the Caribbean if you want to do anything with them.)
   
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P3D    
Posted: Jan 19 2007, 09:45 PM


Hegemon
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QUOTE (swamphen @ Jan 19 2007, 06:38 PM)
If it had been a lady in red instead of pink, I'd know where in the world is Carmen Sandiego...

Well, he left Amsterdam on a ship carrying a red-white-black flag FYI.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Jan 20 2007, 08:48 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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"He"?

user posted image

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen Sandiego
   
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Desertfox    
Posted: Jan 20 2007, 09:35 PM


Commander Johann Wyss
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That makes 3 of us with dreams of raining death unto our enemies from above...

And Swampy dont you go geting any ideas, Carmen Sandiego is in the pay of the SSS.
   

[Borys]

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The Rock Doctor    
Posted: Jan 21 2007, 09:54 PM


Hegemon
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5 June 1904

On the river once again. It seemed that the Marco was out patrolling the length of the Amazon as often as she was tied up at Manaus, joining in the quiet naval war the rest of the world wasn't hearing about. Barges, freighters, steamers and sailboats - anything bearing a cargo for El Dorado - was being intercepted and disposed of. Sent back to Manaus with a prize crew, if the vessel could be boarded without too much trouble. Sunk, otherwise.

It was the tugs-turned-gunboats and the torpedo-boats doing the brunt of the work, the small fleet's two protected cruisers functioning as a back-stop against possible French retaliation - which had, surprisingly, not been forthcoming - or engaging in escorting the transports during deployments.

On a bright morning on the Rio Paru de Oeste (well inside nominally Brazilian Para, incidently), the captain was not at all surprised to hear, "Sir! Boats off the port bow!"

The captain raised his field glasses and scanned the wide blue expanse. "Oh my", he remarked. War canoes - dozens of them, laden with Anahuac warriors, straining to paddle from the east bank to the west bank. "Battle stations!"

The tugboat was equipped with a single 65 mm gun on the forecastle, two 47 mm guns amidships, and three machine guns. All six weapons were manned and trained forward (with the exception of the aft machine gun) within a minute. The captain watched as a portion of the canoes turned to face Marco, while the others continued to paddle madly. "Alright, lads, this is how we're going to do this. We're going up the middle, taking out these brave buggers first before we go after the runners. Be sure to target the closest boats upstream of us - don't worry much about those that get by us, we'll deal with them when we turn 'round. Sink every boat you can, and don't be shy about strafing swimmers. Especially if they're swimming our way. Last thing we need are boarders."

Nervous laughter around him faded away as the captain added, "Weapons free."

The sixty-five barked, the machine guns rattled. The portside fourty-seven coughed, then its starboard sibling. A faint crackle of rifle fire rose from out ahead: many of the paddling Anahuac were letting the currents bring them down toward Marco while using their weapons to try and hit Marco.

The slaughter was appalling, but Marco's crew had grown insensitive to it all. They cheered each canoe blasted apart by a big gun or shredded by a machine gun. Swimming Anahuac were gunned down whether they were heading towards Marco or the shore. Some bullets did hit the tug, to be sure, and two of the crew were killed; but each canoe carried a good fourty or fifty warriors, and by the time the captain called for a ceasefire, he reckoned they'd wrecked at least two dozen.

"Captain? Those other canoes are almost ashore", the bosun called out.

"I know", the captain replied. "We'll just let the guns cool off a bit. Helm - take us towards the shore. Men: stand by for another go at 'em."

13 June 1904

The scout, known as Seven Blue Feathers in his own language, was only a few metres ahead of the closest Anahuac warrior when a flurry of arrows erupted from the bush around him. The Anahuac, struck three times, sprawled to the ground, screaming as the impact drove one of the arrows through his chest and out his back. The other four skidded to a stop, dropped their spears, and tried to unsling their rifles - and were cut down in quick succession as a result.

Seven Blue Feathers kept running for a few seconds more until he risked a glance back and found the Anahuac were no longer behind him. Easing down to a jog, he turned about and approached the site of the ambush. By the time he arrived, a number of Los Cruzadores were out, cutting the throats of the three wounded Anahuac and searching their bodies. Padre Batista watched this impassively, shotgun and machete still slung.

"Excellent timing", Seven Blue Feathers gasped. "I was starting to fade."

"So were they. Nonetheless, the six of you were making enough noise to give us fair warning", Batista replied. "I'm pleased that the Lord has seen fit to deliver you safely."

"He has", Seven Blue Feathers agreed. He walked around Batista in circles, not wanting to stop moving after such a long run lest his muscles cramp. "I am pleased to say that I was able to get inside the city."

"Well done. I will not press you for details, but perhaps a few generalities?"

Seven Blue Feathers grinned. "There are, perhaps, sixty thousand warriors in the city, well trained and equipped, and overseeing the construction of some trenches around the city. There are fortifications, but incomplete, and they have spent some time burying things as well. There are guns, with mouths as wide as my hand. They are working the slaves hard, losing tens each day, but they will not finish the work for a few moons yet."

"The city itself?"

"Close to self-destruction. The white men, the rulers, the workers, the slaves - they all fight. There isn't enough food, so the slaves are going hungry. The factories aren't producing all that the rulers demand. The white men are terrified because their king is coming and the rulers aren't listening to them."

"Palpete?", Batista asked.

"They refer to him with a word I do not know. But he is spoken of with fear."

"It must be him. He must be travelling overland, or the Armada would take him on the river", Batista remarked. "Pity. How close was the army?"

Seven Blue Feathers had to calculate it mentally. "Thirty of your kilometres. They are of good quality, and nearly caught me on the way in, so I tried to avoid them on the way back. That nearly proved to be a mistake."
   
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The Rock Doctor    
Posted: Jan 22 2007, 06:14 PM


Hegemon
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28 June 1904: Cartagena

"First order of business - Brazil", President Rey Alizandro said, looking to his uncle as the cabinet meeting kicked off.

"General Geolog's Army of the Amazon is now within twenty miles of the city. He expects to be within artillery range by mid July. The Army of Guyana is about twenty-five miles away. The armies have linked up to the west of the city but not in the east. However, the Armada is catching most of the river traffic trying to get in that way."

The President nodded. "What is the butcher's bill so far?"

"Approximately nine thousand killed in action, another two or so from environmental factors. About twenty-five thousand injured."

Industry Minister de Soto grimaced. "How many captured?"

"Few, if any", Ricardo Alizandro replied. "There's no illusion about what happens to soldiers captured by the Anahuac. The men would rather go down fighting."

"What about Anahuac losses?"

"Difficult to estimate, but likely comparable. Despite our numerical advantage, the Anahuac's troop quality is marginally better, and they're on the defensive. We've taken a handful of prisoners, more for intelligence purposes than anything else."

"What's the extent of our positions just now?", asked Agriculture Minister Escalante.

"We've asserted control over essentially all of Roraima and Amazonas other than El Dorado and the salient to the east. Fighting has been minimal - the Anahuac never got established in the interior, so where there has been trouble, it's been with a few little pro-Portuguese groups. Most of the population, not that there's a lot of them, would rather have Gran Colombia in charge than a bunch of other factions vying to be in charge."

"So we're not in Brazil, then?", Escalante queried.

"You didn't let me finish. We have expeditions moving into Rondonia and northeastern Mato Grosso using river craft. We also have some patrols in southwestern Para, on the south bank of the Amazon. They're acting fairly covertly, and must be doing well at it, as France hasn't made good on the threat of war yet."

"Padre Batista's men are doing well in northern Para", Cardinal Rodriquez added.

"Yes", Ricardo conceded. "They had a rough start but it seems like they're getting the upper hand on the Anahuac there. I'm not very happy about it - they'll be a thorn in our paw after we vanquish the Anahuac."

"We'll ensure our administration is appropriate", Rey replied.

"A point of curiousity", Foreign Minister Torres. "Are we concerned about the Austrian gains?"

"Yes and no", Ricardo replied. "Yes, they're covering a lot of territory, but the Anahuac are generally declining battle and trying to get up to El Dorado to make a stand, which is why our own advances have been so slow. On the other hand, we'll see if they get to keep any of it afterward. We'll still have Roraima and Amazonas at the very least, including El Dorado."

"What's left of it", Torres countered.

"Even if we trash the place, there'll be plenty to salvage in some fashion. I'm hoping that we can use a combination of starvation, internal dissent, and special weapons to force a surrender before the city's completely flattened.

"By 'special weapons' you mean chlorine gas?", Escalante clarified.

"That's what I mean. We're into production for our 100 mm artillery now, and expect to have the first shipments reach the front in six weeks. Both General Geolog and General Murillo are prudent enough to hold off on using it until they can do so with decisive effect."

"So, going back to El Dorado", Torres said, giving Escalante a baleful look, "What are we doing with it afterward?"

"Using it as best we can", Rey stated. "If the reports are correct and the city can't be sustained at its full capacity without tremendous outside intervention, we'll scale it back. But with the proper incentives, I think we can convince a good number of Gran Colombians to make a new start for themselves on our southern frontier."


30 June 1904: La Prensa Nacional


Gran Colombia's latest sporting heroes, Ramon Salazar and Angel Ortiz, have thrilled the people with their impressive top ten finish at the inaugural Trophaenrennen Afrikanisches in eastern Africa. La Prensa Nacional interviewed the dashing adventurers following their return home earlier this week.

LPN: Congratulations on your triumph!

RS, AO: Gracias.

LPN: You out-drove and out-lasted many teams from larger nations with huge automobile industries. To what do you attribute your success?

RS: Aggressive driving and a sturdy automobile.

AO: Especially a sturdy automobile. You don't want your wheel falling off like that Panhard's did when we ran them-

LPN: Was there an air of sportsmanship and goodwill amongst the drivers?

RS: If by "the drivers" you mean the other drivers, then yes, there was.

LPN: So then, as you were all racing in a desolate, dangerous environment, do the teams help each other out?"

RS: Absolutely. When the BMW team was stopped with a blown radiator, Angel threw a water bottle to them as we went by.

AO: It clipped Hans on the head, but I'm sure he appreciated it.

RS: And when the Italians were fixing their flat a couple days later, we honked our horn a lot to let them know we were coming, sped by so the dust would blow past them quickly, then honked the horn some more to boost their spirits.

AO: I'm sure they appreciated it.

RS: I'm sure they did.

LPN: Did you see a great deal of exotic wildlife?

RS: We drove over some.

AO: And we chased that giraffe.

RS: It was a gazelle.

LPN: How about the local people?

RS: I think we drove over some of them, too.

AO: They really don't understand the rules of the road. They'd have a big herd of cattle on the road, totally oblivious to the fact that there's a race on, and we'd have to slow down or even stop. No amount of yelling and horn-honking seemed to get the idea across. Eventually we had to drive around them, adding to our times. Probably cost us a shot at seventh place.

RS: At least. We complained to the officials afterward about it, but I don't think they took us seriously.

AO: Makes me glad we weren't racing in the Middle Kingdom, though. We'd be running into people constantly.

LPN: We hear about "Deepest, darkest Africa" and its exotic geography. How did you find the scenery?

AO: Dry. Hot.

RS: Brown.

LPN: What's next for the two of you?

RS: We're waiting for word of a race in the western UKA. It's supposed to be good and flat there, and since they've killed all the buffalo, we shouldn't have to worry about hitting any.

AO: I'm going to go back to playing organ for the neighbourhood church for a while. Hymns don't sound the same when you're singing solo in a convertible at eighty kilometres an hour, straining bugs out of the air with your teeth.

LPN: Thank you both for your time.

RS, AO: De nada!
   
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Desertfox    
Posted: Jan 22 2007, 10:51 PM


Commander Johann Wyss
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LOL laugh.gif Gotta love that interview, especially...

QUOTE
LPN: How about the local people?

RS: I think we drove over some of them, too.