Stories and News from the Empire of Japan

[Desertfox]

More Japanese News towards end of H1/1914


The Imperial Japanese Army thanks the Vilnius Union for their very generous offer. Unfortunately, due to timing and financial constraints the Army can not accept this offer at this time. However, the ship does match the requirements the Army is looking for, and if a similar ship would happen to become available at a later date, the Japanese Army would be very interested.

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The Foreign Affairs office has announced a deal with the Aztec Empire for rights to a naval base at San Diego, in exchange the Aztec Empire will receive reciprocal rights for a naval base in Guam.

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The Imperial Japanese Navy has reported a number of ship movements. The battleships Katori and Kashima will undertake a visit of Australia and the battleships Shikishima and Hatsuse will visit Seattle. In order to defend the new territory of Guyana, the armed troop transport Aikoku Maru and the tender Jingei with four [100 ton] submarines will be deployed. Not reported but also expected will be the armored cruisers Tsugaru and Aso will sail to Acapulco for planned maintenance. The cruisers Akashi and Suma are also reportedly planning a visit to Aztec New Zealand.

[Desertfox]

Melbourne Naval Base, Sometime H1/14

Lieutenant Commander Azula was one-of-a-kind. The brilliant and determined, daughter of Admiral Ozai, had accomplished the impossible, skillfully wrangling the imperial bureaucracy to not only become the first female officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy but also getting her own command, the Black Lotus, a Type 13 intelligence schooner. She quietly observed the talented Aztec Captain Ohtli school the Japanese Army officers in the art of horsemanship. She made a mental note to find the Aztec officer at a later time for a private conversation and perhaps some private lessons, horsemanship was one skill she had not mastered...yet. On a different note, she would make sure to report on the activities to her father. He had quite the pull in the imperial court after the victory at Bulalacao Bay and she knew quite a few highborn young ladies that would jump at the opportunity to join an all women's cavalry division, after all two of them had already joined her crew. Japan had pull itself out of the dark ages of the shoguns by learning best practices and modernizing from the Europeans, why not also learn from this Empire to the east?

Her musing where interrupted by a messenger. "Commander, we have a high priority message from Yokohama for your eyes only." New orders had arrive. The message was brief but clear, she would sail, not west towards Perth as initially planned, but east towards Aztec New Zealand and then across the Polynesian Islands towards the Inca Empire.

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Jakarta Naval Base

Another naval base, another brilliant young commander, another message. The 2nd Submarine Squadron executive officer was about to be promoted to command, for the Wolf of Mindoro, Commander Sokka was about to board the Tatsuta Maru bound for Angola.

[Desertfox]

Late H1/14

The Imperial Japanese Navy has announced a deal with the Aztec Empire. The Aztec navy will lease four Chikuma class protected cruisers and two Aikoku Maru class auxiliaries for a period of one year starting on July 1st, 1914. While the IJN did not announce what they received in return, there are rumors it might be related to basing rights or a future purchase of Aztec warships. The cruisers and auxiliaries are expected to be used in the defense of the Aztec territory of New Zealand.

[Desertfox]

Early July, Tatsuta Maru, Somewhere in the South Atlantic

In the privacy of his room, Commander Sokka opened the envelope marked 'TOP SECRET' he had received in Angola. The orders where most interesting. It was not as he had first guessed a trip to Iberia to pick up the new submarines being built there or to Guyana to command the squadron to be located there, but rather a much different location and goal. After a quick stop in Guyana, he was bound for the Aztec island of Martinique with orders to train new Aztec submariners, and it appeared he would not be going alone, certain other packages would be coming along.


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Early July

As word of the fighting reaches Japan, the Imperial Japanese Navy in conjunction with the Foreign Affairs office has announced that they will make the diplomatic ships Tatsuta Maru and her sister ship available as hospital ships to treat wounded of both sides in the war. In addition four Kaibokan class rescue ships will also be made available. Arrangements are reportedly being discussed with neutral powers in the region to provide a base for the ships.

[Desertfox]

Late July, after news of the Battle of Caicos reach everyone

The Imperial Japanese Navy and the Foreign Affairs office have announced that they have reached an agreement with Wilno to base Japanese rescue ships in [Haiti]. The Tatsuta Maru will be on station by August and he sister and four Kaibokans will be ready later in the year. Japan invites both warring parties and neutrals to station observers on board to make sure any survivors are treated with the proper care. The Japanese ships will be properly marked and lit at all times with their sailing routes clearly broadcast to all parties. The radio signals will be provided to all parties in the case they require assistance.

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In other news as part of the reported deal with Wilno over the province of Guyana, Japan will be sending a force of at least 5 brigades (LPs) and the armored cruisers Azuma and Izumo for their defence. Unconfirmed rumors state the the battleship Katori and her sister will likely follow with additional reinforcements in January of 1915.

[Desertfox]

Late August 1916, Off Wake Island

Captain Mako had never expected peacetime duty to be so hectic. No sooner had he taken command of the newly refitted Chikuma that he had been ordered to Wake Island to meet with and be the liaison to the Aztec Pacific Fleet. The next few weeks had been a whirlwind of activity, taking on board an Aztec liaison team, getting their communication systems tuned to the Aztec frequencies, and observing the Aztec naval exercises. The new Aztec battlecruisers had put on a show and the battle experience was evident. But for the last two months Mako had been in the dark as to what the goal was. Alot of effort was being expended to practice on this remote island and the two armored cruisers of the IJN Seattle Fleet had accompanied the Aztecs.

That all had changed with the arrival a day back of an IJN schooner with top secret documents. Their mission was about to become evident and it was time to inform their Aztec friends of the details. Mako strode into the second radio room, now manned by Aztec personnel, "Radio Vice Admiral Netzahualcoyotl, request a meeting with him." The only question remaining was whether the Aztec were interested in spending their upcoming R&R in Japan or at the brand new naval base at Truk.


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December 1916, Georgetown Guyana

Commodore Bolin observed his small fleet from the deck of his current flagship, the river boat tender Opal Maru. Fleet was a strong word for the motley collection of ships in front of him. The Opal Maru and Beifong Maru were brand new but neither was a true warship and neither were the two 20t river boats carried by the Opal. The four Magallanes where heavily armed with eight 140mmm guns among them, but they were positively ancient, slow, and annoyingly short legged. Bolin was unsure what path had lead him to this point, had it been his exemplary performance as a cadet at the Iberian Naval Academy and his proficiency in Spanish, or was it his performance or lack thereof in the Mindoro War? A submarine skipper during the war, his sub had been plagued by mechanical problems and had been the only one of the four to not record a single hit on a Chinese ship. His fellow skippers had all gone to command their own submarine squadrons and here he was in charge of a eclectic collection of river boats as far away from Japan as one could possibly get.

"Commodore, General Kuvira requests your presence."

The aide's statement reminded Bolin that something was afoot. The general had recently arrived with another two regiments of IJA infantry, perhaps there would be a chance to atone for his previous lack of results. As he strode to meet the general  he began to form a training plan. His motley group of boats would be ready when the time came.

[Desertfox]

Sometime in late 1916, near an unnamed Deccan controlled island n the Pacific

To an outside observer the Red Lotus appeared to be in bad shape. The 200 ton schooner was listing, her forward mast broken and with it her long-range wireless antenna. However, the short-range wireless was still operational and alternating "CQD" and "SOS" codes could be heard if anyone was listening. "Sir! Land of the starboard bow!". The skipper of the small craft, Xai Bau, looked over his charts again, there could only be one island in that location, supposedly Deccan controlled, not much was known about it. It would have to do for emergency repairs, there wasn't anything else out here for hundreds of miles. "Has anyone responded to our distress calls? Set course for the island, and keep calling." The small schooner laboriously turned headed for landfall. 

Fifty miles away from prying eyes, another wireless operator aboard the Tatsuta Maru noted something strange, instead of "CQD" one of the calls had come in as "CQX", to anyone else it sounded the wireless operator on the Red Lotus had made a mistake adding an extra dash, to the Tatsuta Maru it meant something else. "Sir we got the agreed upon code, they have spotted land and are proceeding as planned.", "Very well our work here is done, make course for Truk."