January
Trade with Bavaria has slowed down. Commerce is not affected evenly - military related supplies are slowing down to a standstill, whilst mundane goods pass the frontier as briskly as before. Coal is an exception - the inflow of higher grade naval coal from Silesia has stopped.
Oddly enough, no troop movements towards the Western and North-Western frontiers have been observed. The militia, the Heimwehr, is still at its native provinces.
The regulars - whether full or part time -  have drifted towards Serbia and Galicia. The circulating rumours point to the unrest in Romania and/or Ottoman mischief in the former case, and the convulsions in Ukraina in the latter as causes of such deployments.

The venerable warrior SMS Frankreich has dissapeared from the Medditeranean, and a beehive of activity was noted at La Valetta. Apparently the battleships and attending light cruisers took to sea, on a westwards course.

The newest additions to the fleet, the small Armoured Cruisers are in the Adriatic, undergoing trials and training.

January, Fiume

The harbour ice breakers were clearing a path to the open water. Normally at this time of year, the harbour would see - Torpedoboote in the past, Zerstoerer today, alternating between the fitting out quay and the drydocks. Well, nowadays it was only between the quay and the larger drydock - no. 2. The new ships were too large to fit the smaller facility. So it was high time that work on enlarging the drydock began. But I digress, dear Readers. Normally, meaning that not this year. This time drydock no. 2 was a-humming with an unusual type of activity. A keel for a warship had been laid on its bottom, due to the dearth of slips elsewhere in the Empire.
Oh, Traitorous Tirolers, when will the effects of your mischief wane?
Hence the decision to transfer the unfinished destroyers, the Z16 and Z17, to Dubrovnik, where their sister - the Z18, was being completed. Due to familiarity with working with Zerstoerer, the Dalmatian base was chosen over the Naval Arsenal of Pola for this task.
Making use of the good weather, a small flotilla of tugs were escorting the future warships towards Dubrovnik.


EDITED - argh, how many awful typos

Quote from: Borys on October 01, 2009, 11:50:15 AM
EDITED - argh, how many awful typos

I just figured you were having a me day...

January 1915
Adriatic
Fregattenkapitaen Bogumi? Nowotny shivered under his coat on the airy bridge of the SMS Sankt Florian. He looked up at the column of sister ships - the Svaty Vaclav, Vlah and Sava, counting from the leading cruiser. They already were nicknamed the "lesser saints" - the Hungarian sailors were gleefully rubbing it in that only their patron saint, St. Stephan, was worthy of a battleship.
Hopefully the Dutch will be too busy in the Far East to send anything into the Adriatic.
The four ships were not ready to fight yet. Meh, fight. Steaming in line was a  ....
- "HARD TO PORT!!! EXECUTE IMMEDIATELLY!

Quote from: Borys on October 03, 2009, 01:07:36 AM
the Hungarian sailors were gleefully rubbing it in that only their patron saint, St. Stephan, was worthy of a battleship.

The Hungarians would do that  :)

January 20th - SMS Juan de Austria, off the Marrocan coast

VizeAdmiral Srnicek subconsciously moved with the ship, shifting his weight to acount for the long waves coming in from starboard. He was reading the latest dispatch. It had came in in clear, which was unusual, but explicable by the circumstances. Peace had been signed. He looked down the line, at the SMS Tegetthoff, SMS Arpad and SMS Babbenberg. He felt proud, even though he would not be leading this squadron to battle. Not yet, he corrected himself. And a good thing that, with such a small cruiser screen. But probably soon enough ...

Late January 1917
Habsburg Realms in general

The Heimwehr has been demobilised. Embodied since August of last year, never before had the Citizen-Soldiers of the Militia been for so long under arms. Not even during the Balkan War, or some French Scares in the mid Naughts.

The Landwehr released Reservists back into private life. Units are back to peacetime strenght.

The Heer is actively recruiting, as the formation of two new Landwehr Korps has been announced. The Tschetnik Korps will be raised for Serbia. Another corps will be raised for Parana, as to allow the splitting of the halfbreed Heilige Dreieinigkeit Korps into thoroughbred Heim- and Landwehr formations.

The AFL Korps are to return to their stations - the 2nd to Makedonia, and the 1st to Parana. New recruitment centres were opened in Haifong and elsewhere in Sud-Ost Asia.

There seems to be some sort of concentration of Reichswehr formations in Galizien - 1 Kavalleire and two Infanterie Korps, with one more Infanterie Korps in Siebenburgen (Transylvania/Erdely).  One Kavallerie Korps is in Serbia. It is expected that the Hunyadi Janos Korps, currently in Albania and Makedonia (Albadonia), will be relieved by the returning Auslaender Freiwilliger Legion (AFL).
Manning levels are high, and the Reichswehr is enjoying the luxury of being able to direct green recruits to the Landwehr. Enough fully trained militiamen have decided to go "full time" as to cover all recruiting needs of the Regular component of the Heer.

February 1917
The Ocean-Sea

1 - commercial traffic of Habsburger flagged vessels is to return to normal;

2 - upon exhaustion of supply of East Indians wishing to settle in Parana, vessels on the "settler run" are to shift back to the Atlantic;

3 - warships curently in the Med are to continue on routing training tasks;

4 - the monitor SMS Feldzugmeister Laudon is to return to Europe. After cessation of hostilities the ship sailed to DKB Niu-Guini. Making use of good weather it is to take the scenic route - across the Pacific, visiting the Gra Colombian base built with some Habsburg funding. After passing through the one of the Pacific-Atlantic canals it will visit CSA ports in the Carribean

5 - the remaining ships in the Far East - SMS Siligia, SMS Frankreich, SMS Hussar and SMS Grenzer  - will concentrate in Haifong. In the middle of the month the squadron will sail north, to Shanghai and Taku. From there the Far East Squadron will proceeed to Japan - Yokosuka. Then down the island chains to Neu Brandenburg. The return route will lead through Davao, Saigon, Bangkok, Rangoon, Goa, Aden and the Suez Canal.
Special ceremonies will mark passage through waters where KKK ships had been lost - off China, between Davao and Rabaul, the Sulu Archipelago.

6 - the battlefleet currently off Funchal, Madeira Island (Iberia) - SMS Juan de Austria, SMS Tegetthoff, SMS Arpad and SMS Babbenberg, plus 6 cruisers, will sail to Brail, visiting Sao Luis de Maranhao, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and the big three ports of Parana - Paranguia, Desterro, Portol Allegre. At this point the squadron will divide, with three cruisers steaming to the DKB held island in the Chuvosa Archipelago. The heavy ships will visit Montevideo and Buenos Aires before heading back north - by way of Pernambuco to Cayenne. After that - San Juan at Peurto Rico, Charleston, and Norfolk.

7 - the Parana Station is to prepare for refits of its six ageing avisos. Due to the local heavy industry being occupied with providing materiel for the expanding naval base of Desterro - and lack of experience with shipbuilding and upkeep - spare parts will be provided from Europe. The refits will probably commence in the 3rd Quarter.

February 1917, Wien
The Fussball Liga was announced. After dramatic and protracted negotiations between the regional football associations and leading clubs - the agreed to scheme called for a 10 team national league.
Major provinces were to have one club - the provincial champion, while smaller provinces played-off their champions for a Liga bearth. The capital, the largest city in the Empire - 2M - was given special status.

1. Bohm - Sparta Prag
2. Mahren - 1.FC Brno
3. Kleinpolen - Cracovia Krakau
4. Galizien - Pogon Lemberg
5. Kroatien - Hajduk Split
6. Steyermark/Kaernten/Kraina - Sturm Graz
7. Austria -  Lower and Upper - KSV Kapfelberg
8. BSK Belgrad
9. Wien - Rapid
10. Wien - Austria

The season will run from the third Sunday of March, when there should be no snow on the ground all over the non-Hungarian lands, and finish on the last Sunday of October. The summer season is in contrast with the Hungarian football championship, which follows the school year. The "light" fixture list is to allow the clubs dates to compete in provincial competitions and cups.
If succesful, the Liga may be expanded to 12 teams. There also are rumours that unhappy runners-up are pressing for a second tier to the competition, with automatic promotion and relegation between the two. The so-called "loser league" advocates are even claiming that the "B-klasse" of the Fussball Liga could be launched this very year!

The Hungarian sports press gleefully pointed out that such a competition has been running since 1901, and with 12 - not 10 - teams to boot. The fact that the initial seasons were disputed by 4-5 teams was glossed over.

February 1917, Wien

The B-Klasse of the Fussball Liga was announced. The particpants:

1. Bohm - Boehemians 1905 Prag
2. Mahren - FK Olomouc
3. Kleinpolen - Wisla Krakau
4. Galizien - Ukraina Lemberg
5. Kroatien - HASK Agram
6. Steyermark/Kaernten/Kraina - Olimpija Leibach
7. Austria -  Lower and Upper - Schwanenstadt SC
8. Serbia - Samudija Kragujevac
9. Wien - Admira
10. Wien - 1.FC Wien

Season will run along identical lines as that of the A-Klasse. After the full calendar of 18 games is played, the Champion of the B-Klasse will replace the 10th team from the A-Klasse. The team with the worst average from three seasons will be considered to be in a relegation position, and may be demoted from the Fussball Liga if a suitable replacement applies for membership.

In related news, the Emperor's Cup was announced. This will be a knockout competition, with replays if necessary. The twenty Fussball Liga clubs enter automatically, with twelve XIs named by the provincial football associations.

February-March 1917
Various Habsburg ports

With the thaw setting in, out came the shovels. All over the Empire great expansion works at naval yards and bases began. Slips were expanded, drydocks enlarged, quays extended. New equipment was ordered and the relevant buildings to store or operate it constructed.

La Valett was experiencing a boom in cruiser construction, with both slips occupied by newly ordered  vessels. Meanwhile at Pola it was mostly dirtmoving work, apart from the big dock, where the longest vessel ever constructed in Habsburg yards was laid down. Looking at the steel being cut for the Iberian vessel, and news in the papers of the SMS Siligia's tour of the Far East, local wits  saavy on naval matters quipped that "she ain't commig 'ome 'till they clear thar dock for 'er".

March 1917
Pola, Marineamt

As the KKK is close to having 30 minesweepers in operation, the decision was taken for the building programme to skip 1917. Such a decision was also spurred by the fact, that the small slips in Pola are being rebuilt, plus labour will be scarce - thee large vessels being constructed in parallel, with two super-long cruisers for Iberia to be laid down in the Summer.
Also, from 1918, and in peacetime, only two minespweepers per year will be laid down. This will keep the size of this fleet at around 30 vessels.

The Zerstoerer programme will continue unchanged, with three vessels per year, for the planned total of five flotillas with nine warships each. However, there will be a gradual shift of production from Fiume to Dubrovnik.


EDITED AND EXPANDED

July 1917
Pola
With some pomp the keels of two super-long cruisers for the Iberian navy were laid down. Construction of these two vesssels - BAI Catanduanes and BAI São Luís - was put back 6 months, awaiting the completion of the expansion of the two largest slips in Pola

Belgrad
"Na Zdar, Tsar Štiepan!" - roared the soldiers of the newly raised Landwehr Korps Tschetnik.
Stefan looked upon the joyful mass of soldiery with a smile on his face.
- "The salt of the Earth - the Poor Bloody Infantry" ...
He was pleased with himself - giving the Serbs a corps of their own kept the local politicos busy. And many, many of the younger from amongst the most ardent Serbian natonalists enlisted. This placed them where they could be controlled and put to a useful purpose. For the good of the Empire and the Dynasty.
He bowed reverently when the Patriarch started to send clouds of incense his way ...


Corpus Cristi, CSA
The SMS Feldzugmeister Laudon chugged into the harbour. Only a few traces of seaweed on the deck remained from the squal just offshore. To the admiration of the onlookers, the warship entered at low tide, and manouvered - even if sluggishly - in three fathoms of water.
- "High in the water - just like dem monitors of old. But they didn't have have their turret perched on top of a grain silo. And our monitors had TWO turrets, not ONE like this Papist obamination."



Sulu Sea
Deck of SMS Frankreich
The Fregattenkapitan Julian Niemcewicz kept on calling out the names of the sailors of the ill-fated 6th and 8th Halbflotillen. Commanded by Fregatten-Leutnant Csepel Sandor, the Seven Torpedo Boats had disapeared with all hands during an attack against the Dutch at Tarakan.
After laying a wreath in the waters, the Muster of the Dead commenced. The names were read out, and to each the chorus of the Ships's Company, in Full Dress, replied.
- Matros Alosi Gessler  ...
- Fallen on the Field of Glory!
- Matros Johann Honoratka ...
- Fallen on the Field of Glory!
- Matros ...

Summer 1917
The Ocean-Sea

The reorganisation of the KKK has begun.

The first to get their marching orders were the small fry. The minesweepers were divided into two flotillas - each with 12 ships, the 1st at Pola and 2nd at La Valetta. By year's end the last of the M7 class boats would join the KKK, bringing up both formations to full strength. The smaller, older vessels of the M1 class were assigned to Parana. The five boats (the sixth was sunk in the Balkan War, to Ottoman torpedos in the waters off the Ionian Islands) will form the selbstaendige Minensuchhalbflottille "Parana" at Desterro. The five vessels - M1 and M3 through M6 - are planned for mid-life overhauls next year.

Ultimately there are to be five Zerstoerer  flotillas, each of three divisions. At the moment the 3rd Flotilla, with Z1 class vessels, is based at La Valetta. The 4th Flotilla, with the larger Z10 class ships, is also based at Malta. The 5th Flotilla (also with Z10 ships) is still being formed, and thus is based at Dubrovnik. At present this last formation uses the oldest GTBs of the 1909 Pattern - the H6-H9.

There were suggestions to commence construction of 1500 tonne Zerstoerer, as the Empire has mastered the details of such designs. This idea was torpedoed for the sake of uniformity of vessels inside Flotillas - the Z1- design is to run to 18 vessels, as to flesh out the 5th. Only then a new design will be contemplated.

The 1st Flotilla, with H10-H18, is based at Pola, while the 2nd - with H19-H28, at La Valetta. Over time these will be rearmed with the future Z19 class.


IT WILL TAKE ME SOME TIME TO COVER THE WHOLE FLEET - WATCH THIS SPACE

Good post.

QuoteSelbstandigminensuchenhalbflotillen

Good thing I'm viewing this post on a widescreen monitor...