Kaap Kourier

[Desertfox]

"Definitely. Personally, I was getting annoyed by repeated Swiss requests to enter the war to bail them out. We could not afford another land war in Afrika, and a naval showdown with the Austrian and Holland. Or alienating France just after our relations warmed up."

Strange, considering I have made no such requests.

[P3D]

Then how the Foreign Minister should translate those frequent allusions?

[Desertfox]

Anything short of war, what OR is doing at this very moment is exacly what I asked for, direct intervention I have never mentioned(to OR that is).

[The Rock Doctor]

Then how the Foreign Minister should translate those frequent allusions?

It seems a few of us received those allusions but decided they weren't quite enough to merit active involvement.

[swamphen]

It would seem that Nverse Rule Number One is, never get involved in a land war in Africa.  :D

[Carthaginian]

Lemmie guess.... the second is "never make a bet with a Swissman when death is on the line?" ;)

[P3D]

Kaap Kourier, October 10, 1908

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that negotiations with Brandenburg is under way to purchase the colony of Zambia and Malawi. Details of the deal are not yet released, but it is understood that Orange would pay the staggering amount of 275 million rands in 6 years. Also, Orange will hand over an island in the Chuvosa Archipelago to the DKB. Some of the expenditure will have to come from a reduced defense budget, but the normalization of relations would definitely allow for such a reduction.

[P3D]

Kaap Kourier, November 23, 1909

The shipping firm "Zwingli&Zwingli" announced that its temporary headquarters, move to  Durban at the start of the South East Asia war, will become permanent. The not yet restored telegraph connections, the political instability in the New Swiss isles and Australia, and the informal hindrances placed upon Swiss merchants all over the world stand in sharrp contrast to the business-friendly climate offered by Orange. In addition, our operating costs will be reduced by the removal of most of the installed weaponry demanded by Swiss maritime laws. The move expected not have any significant effect on the day-to-day operations.

It was also announced that stocks of the company will be withdrawn from the Phoenix Stock exchange, and will be floated in Durban instead.

Several other shipping firms are understood to follow the example of Zwingli&Zwingli.

[P3D]

August 1910
Acapulco, Democratic Republic of Mesoamerica

The guy on the other side of the table was someone important, judged by his spectacular... jewelry. Huge earrings, small silverlike - most probably platinum - rings in the brows, and upper incisors with diamonds and rubies in gold settings in their center, something his dentist would call inlays. The 'smiles' were just a way of showing off. The headdress did not hide the flattened forehead either. Monsieur Kranitz drink from the light beer. All those features proved to be some distraction during the negotiations, but his partner was apparenltly more used to the inquisitive look of outlanders than he was to the local customs. And Socialism, like other European concepts, were apparently not interpreted the same way as in Kaapstad or Paris.

He arrived in Acapulco on a relatively fast New Swiss freighter from Phoenix, which had a few cabins for passengers like him. No much need for huge liners, without the immigrants from Europe. Three years after the lost war the Pacific trade was still far from its pre-war levels, but the Swiss still dominated the Mesoamerican trade. Mainly due to the fact that they still maintained the best relations with them.

"That's what I can offer" concluded Herr Martin Kranitz (of Kranitz&Co., Industrial and Mining Equipment Import-Export Company, Durban), with brochures of different military equipment before him. "Different bore sizes are not out of the question, but there would be no need to ammunition commonality here, in case of the larger howitzers. The question, however, is the quantity available."
"And what that would depend upon?" The French of the Mesoamerican was good, without the local accent he encountered in the harbor.
"Smaller amounts and ammunition can be readily available. Larger quantities would require a political decision. The same is valid for some special equipment. Scout planes, armored cars, as those have limited availability. And as all political decisions, they are facilitated by apparent pretexts."

"There is one, which would be acceptable even to the international community..."
Hearing it Herr Kranitz nodded. "That would be perfect" But why it seems like as it would be a great joke to his costumer? He must have misinterpreted the subtle signs of this different culture. Most probably.
"I believe we are concluded here, Monsieur Kranitz. I hope your government would accept our reassurance. We are looking forward to make business with you"
"My pleasure" answered Kranitz,  and the local important guy with the hardly pronounceable name left. His minions followed.

Herr Kranitz sit there for a while, drank the left of the beer. Time to be come 'Monsieur Leblanc' and to send a telegram, about 'dyes', 'tequila', 'silver' and how he found the Mexican cuisine. Not if he weren't familiar with it.

[Carthaginian]

It appears that the DRM has cooperate sponsorship. ;D
Might make for some interesting happenings along the southern border, especially if socialist terrorists begin seeing the new hardware.

[P3D]

SECRET

Report on the use of Zeppelins for Naval Scouting Purposes
Commader Haas, Navy Air Arm

November 05, 1911

The Navy purchased hydrogen-filled airship from New Switzerland in 1906 to evaluate usage for scouting, and a further ship was built following the same design plans. After the training of crew and officers, the two airships were used to evaluate their utility in the Navy for two years.
...
Wind speed South of the Cape has a yearly average of 12-15kts. The maximum cruising speed of the airships was 40kts. The speed margin would not be adequate even for faster airships during frequent gales and storms for tactical use. Moreover, the high cloud coverage limits both cruising height and visibility during rain.
...
The constant risk of losing operating airships far from the shore and they are usable only a limited fraction of the time due to weather, so their use as long-range scouts is not recommended.
...
The weather is much more conductive to aerial patrol to the North, especially along the coast.
...
Experience shows that six airships are needed to provide patrol for a 800nm long shoreline. An airship can conduct patrols 50-100nm from the shore during the daylight, transiting in the dark. The 4000nm Orange shoreline therefore can be covered by 30 airships, providing scouting in a 100nm width along the coast. However, they cannot be used to inspect ships.
...

Average cloud cover:
http://terra.nasa.gov/FactSheets/Clouds/isccp.gif
http://xjubier.free.fr/site_images/weather/Annual_MeanCloudCover.png

Wind map:
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/windpower/ResourceMap/sse_figure28a_rev.gif

[P3D]

Ministry of Commerce

"Unfortunately, the proposal for a full gold pavillion is unfeasible. Not even Orange has enough gold to be spared for that."
"What if we use, say, 16-carat gold instead?"
"Even so. However we could make the entrance hall from it. Consider a 2mm thick plate. One square meter has the weight of slightly more than 30 kg. What we could do is to make a dome of, say 8m diameter from it, it would need 3t metal. For which 2t gold metal would be needed. Metal worth is 3 million rands*."
"We need to ask the Treasury if they can loan the amount. And contact the Netherlands if they are willing to provide security for such. And see if could be insured."



*:2t is about 7 million French Franc (at 9/31g=0.29g gold) 25 FFR/GBP, N$10= 1GBP

[P3D]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to clarify Orange position in the Iberian-Ottoman conflict, announced that the conflict does not justify halting military exports to either country.

I.e. sitting on the fence, not interfering with Orange firms getting some business from either side making profit, and the navy has ships to spare to escort those deliveries if necessary,

[P3D]

July 09, 1912
Bosnia

The winds 300m above the heights made the scorching heat from the sun acceptable, as Kapitein Majoor van der Meide, assistant army attaché of the Orange was standing in the wicker basket of the observer balloon, glasses on his eyes, studying the Habsburger forces.
"This is not the same army that left Namibia essentially undefended" he noted in French.
Tegmen (2nd Lieutenant) Ertugrul Özdemiroglu, the artillery officer accompanying him was adjusting the overhead petroleum burner which did not decrease the temperature by a bit.
"Their attack would break on our lines, sir" was the confident reply.
White smoke rose above the gun emplacement in the line, as the Turkish cannons answered the barrage. Dirt clouds rose in the opposing valleys, where the shells fell. But the Austrian barrage had a much higher judged by the amount of smoke they produced, and was much more effective. As if to demonstrate the latter point, previously silent Austrian guns joined the fire, and in a few minute shells were falling on an Ottoman position.
"That was a 3" casemate battery...uh, sir" noted the lieutenant, somewhat shaken.
Efficient counterbattery fire. Austrian 3.5" howitzers had not much advantage over the old 75mm and 100mm Schneiders, but the larger Austrian guns had higher rate of fire, if not range over the heavier fortress guns...
"That hill, over there" pointed van der Meide, getting the others' attention, then he consulted the map in his balloon.
"6km from your lines. The 6" howitzer battery is on the opposite incline, shielded from low angle fire, and high-angle fire is less effective, as you cannot observe the fall. "
And these fortifications are over 30 years old, were not altered in response to face the rapidly developing artillery on the other side, add in neglect, corruption and complacency of any garrison troops. This is a weak point in the line a serious one, and the Austrians will exploit it. Question is, when. No need to mention, they are aware of it, looking at the hasty fieldworks in the area.
"Sir, if they launch an attack, the infantry would be slaughtered by machine guns."
"No doubt in that, lieutenant."
Next message to Orange will suggest to sell some of the heavy artillery at discount prices, a few airplanes, plus the instructors. If they arrive before the war is over.

[Borys]

Teehee :) - I LOVE the Orange attiude - the Polish saying goes something like "Lighting a candle both to God and the Devil"