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[evictedSaint]

Combat Phase
Spring 1952
Turn 5

The United Nations War Crimes Council

The UNWCC holds its first major trial since the end of WW2.

The trial concerns whether Nogrania’s NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor" is a violation of Protocol VI on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Automatic Weaponry, of the Geneva Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious, Have Indiscriminate Effects, or Greatly Enable and Encourage the Pursuant of Armed Conflicts Between Nations.  Toskesh is prosecuting, claiming that the use of the NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor"  is a War Crime and that the offending nation should bear the appropriate repercussions for their development and continued use of said weapon.

 The article in question:

Spoiler: Protocol VI (click to show/hide)

VI.    Automatic Weaponry:
Protocol VI on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Automatic Weaponry prohibits the use of weaponry which fires greater than one projectile per activation of the device.  This includes weapons which in the user is able to continue the firing of said weapon without further input or intervention.  The reason is that such weaponry enables one user to rapidly cause the death of many in an indiscriminate fashion, needlessly accelerating the rate at which casualties are inflicted during the conflict.

The weapon in question:

Spoiler:  NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor" (click to show/hide)

NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor" – A modified variant of a copy of the famous Vickers Machine Gun, chambered for .303 caliber rounds. Uses a crank and a semi-auto limited to achieve rapid rates of fire.  Frequently jams, terribly inaccurate, produces heated water for tea.  Requires six men to move, or a horse. 2 Ore.  [Cheap].

The trial begins with opening arguments from both sides.

Spoiler: Toskesh (click to show/hide)

Article six has two main points. The first, and most clear, the technicality of the violation, that there must be but a single action per projectile. The second, and somewhat vague, that it must be granted no further input between targets. The primary subject of this prohibition is the "machinegun" which I shall be citing as an example.

To address the first point, internally, the "machinegun" performs many actions. Pulling in ammunition, ejecting casings, detonating charges... it is not defined by internal processes, but instead the actions performed by the operator. Where is the "single action" of a wheel? A full rotation? Until it "clicks"? Dramatic hyperbole! There is no discreet action to define until it ceases to rotate. The difference between a "machinegun" and a permissible weapon with a self-loading mechanism, is that it comes to a complete rest between shots. The trigger must stop. So long as the trigger does not come to a complete stop between projectiles, forced by the very nature of the firing mechanism, the weapon can fire more than once per activation, and is clearly a violation of article six. I invite the judges to visit the firing range and operate the weapon as swiftly as they are able, and then to guess how many bullets it fired. It will immediately become clear that the correlation between activating the thing and firing it is completely incoherent.

As to the second point. While vague, it is quite brief to address. A "machinegun" will fire when it fires. Ending human lives just a matter of sweeping across them and watching them fall. A rifle requires that each victim be sited, then the trigger pulled. First the victim is identified, and then the choice to kill them is made. Or not! Separate actions mean a chance to identify civilians, surrenders, or helpless wounded. With this new weapon of slaughter, the rate of death is decided by the spin of the wheel, relegated to the unconscious mind by the incessant motion. I again invite the noble minds who shall pass judgement to try this weapon for themselves. Rotate this "wheel trigger" until the motion is even and steady, then look down at the targets and ask yourself: Are you choosing to fire, or waiting to fire? Choosing to end a single human life at a time, or watching as the inevitable slaughter takes place...

Our opponents will tell you that they must continue to apply force to this trigger of theirs, or that some internal mechanism separates the shots, and I tell you honestly that a "machinegun" is the same. They will say that they can choose each shot that they fire, and I tell you that they spin them like madmen with no such restraint. That only binding restraints have relevance here. To comply the ENTIRE weapon, convoluted triggers included, MUST come to a COMPLETE halt between discharges. No other state can be tolerated by a responsible society who wishes to avoid the mistakes of the past...

-RAM

Spoiler: Nogrania (click to show/hide)

Ladies and gentlemen, I shall endeavour to keep this brief.

Article six bans automatic weapons, defined as weapons which:
-fire greater than one projectile per activation of the device.
  The Wictor fires one bullet per quarter rotation of the firing crank. Each quarter turn is a distinct activation of the device.
-which in the user is able to continue the firing of said weapon without further input or intervention.
  The Wictor requires constant input (turning of the crank) in order to fire. Should the operator stop turning the crank, the device stops firing immediately.

Article six does not ban weapons based on rate of fire, or any other criteria not mentioned. By any reasonable interpretation of the law, the Wictor is legal.

-Nuke9.13

Judicating the trials are representatives from the Soviet Union, the United States, China, France, and Britain.

A large portion of the trial consists of debating the finer points of what counts as an “activation” and where the line between semi-auto and full-auto lies.  Centermost is the Wictor itself, an un-tampered copy of the weapon brought in (unloaded) for examination by all in attendance.  The trials temporarily visit a shooting range for a practical demonstration during which the judging body could personally examine the weapon in action.  Despite being a NATO country, France surprises everyone by shifting their stance against Nogrania at this point, with the French representative even going as far as to issue the statement, “The recoil bruised my shoulder, which can happen if you don't know what you're doing. The brass shell casings disoriented me as they flew past my face. The smell of sulfur and destruction made me sick. The explosions — loud like a bomb — gave me a temporary form of PTSD. For at least an hour after firing the gun just a few times, I was anxious and irritable.”  It is around this point a fist-fight breaks out between the prosecution and defense, but the scuffle is quickly broken up by the U.N. security in attendance.

The crux of the argument comes down, ultimately, to whether the crank constitutes a single activation from the time it starts spinning to the time it finishes spinning, or whether parts of the rotation by themselves count as individual activations.  Toskesh argues fervently that the delineation between fractions of the cranks rotation is arbitrary, and then go on to insist that a trigger must stop between each round in order to provide a discrete method of activation.  “The correlation between activating the thing and firing it,” argues Chief Prosecutor RAM, “is completely incoherent.”

Nogrania’s defense is remarkably concise in comparison.  “The Wictor fires one bullet per quarter rotation of the firing crank. Each quarter turn is a distinct activation of the device,” Chief Defendant Nuke states.  “The Wictor requires constant input (turning of the crank) in order to fire.”

After several weeks of debate and careful deliberation, the trials come to a close.  China and Russia, predictably, openly side with the prosecution.  The United States and Britain side with the defense with likewise predictability.  France, who was one of the strongest advocates for the Geneva Conventions on Conventional Weaponry following WW2, is the deciding vote.

“After much deliberation,” the French representative says from his podium, “it has come down to this.  If we are to be a fair and balanced council, we must judge each infraction by the letter of the law.  In an ideal world we would go by the spirit, but when men are swayed by their own agendas and short-sighted desires the only security we have is that in the impartial judgement we make when the Articles are considered.

“With this in mind, France votes Nay – the Wictor is not in violation of Protocol VI.  The nature of the crank is such that the user must apply force in four discrete, alternating directions in a conscious, continuous motion in order to operate the weapon.”

The crowd murmurs among itself as the French representative goes on to point out that despite the ruling, the Wictor is clearly a vile, evil weapon designed to replicate the mass-murder capabilities of World War II machineguns.  He condemns Nogrania for using it, and despite admitting that Protocol VI has no limit on rate of fire he asks that the Geneva Conventions be amended to blanket this loophole.  While the other state representatives nod along with his request, legal analysts later admit they are pessimistic about the possibility of such an amendment occurring any time soon - if at all.

It was a close case, but ultimately the Wictor is found to not be in violation of the Geneva Conventions.  Due to the validity of their case, Toskesh is not guilty of filing a frivolous suit and has not hurt their standing with the UNWCC.

Spoiler: Other Arguments Presented During The Case: (click to show/hide)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the United Nations.

As has come to our attentions that our fair nation has been accused of violating the Geneva Conventions on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious, Have Indiscriminate Effects, or Greatly Enable and Encourage the Pursuant of Armed Conflicts Between Nations , Protocol VI.

Nogrania rejects these accusations strongly and categorically. Nogrania seeks not to violate international law, and instead seeks to work with and within its confines. Nogrania has, and will continue, to uphold the conventions.

The argument laid by our detractors is of nature of a weapon system nicknamed Wictor, that is used by Nogranian Armed Forces. Claim is that this weapon violates the Protocol VI, by the virtue of firing rapidly. Yet, I shall call attention to the fact that rate of fire of weapon system is not defined within Protocol VI. Instead, Protocol VI defines automatic weapon as that which “fires greater than one projectile per activation of the device” without requiring active manual input.

It does not define rate of fire. A trained marksman can operate a semi-automatic rifle at extreme rate of fire, yet would this council ban such weapon based on individual soldier? Is the users personal skill and ability factor in defining whenever or not weapon is to be considered automatic? I say no. Individual soldiers skills are far too varied to be categorized into illegal or legal framework.

And this brings us to main point of contention. Wictor is a semi-automatic weapon, with a trigger that requires input to start an activation. Each activation fires once projectile. No more, no less. One projectile. Combined with this legal trigger is the hand crank with four spokes, that strike the trigger as crank is turned. Each 90 degrees turn requires different action to be carried out. user is constantly required to change the movement of their hand to maintain fire.

Wictor requires more action from the user than a semi-automatic rifle. User is required to turn the crank 90 degrees in order to activate the weapon, each activation requiring further 90 degrees turns. It is up to the user to run the crank, to run the weapon, fast enough to provide suppressive fire. If a soldier were to, for example, be able to empty a semi-automatic pistols 30 round magazine in 2 seconds, that would mean fire rate of 15 rounds per second, total of 450 rounds per minute. Would this tribuna declare such weapon illegal? Does this tribunal declare a human being illegal?

The rate of fire of the hypothetical weapon, as well as very concrete Wictor, comes not from the weapon itself, but from the ability of user to carry out rapid activations. The weapon fires only a single projectile per action. It is up to user to run the device fast enough to reach desired fire rate.

As such, based on logic and letter of the law, Wictor does not violate Protocol VI.

-Mandemon


The toskesh bring forward what they claim is a violation of the geneva conventions, specifically, they claim that we have broken and attempted to subvert the Tenants of article 6 of the conventions.

This is categorically False, my good sirs. Article 6 of the Geneva convention, prohibits weaponry which fires more than one projectile per activation of the device. Example of such weaponry includes Shotguns, Autocannons, select artillery systems and, of course, the much-vaunted Machine gun. The machine gun is an automatic weapon that is banned, because of its ability to fire more than one projectile with only a single press of the trigger. The Device fires more than one Bullet per activation.
This Violates Article 6.

An automatic weapon is defined as, and I quote my good sirs from the dictionary of Oxford

“An automatic firearm continuously fires rounds as long as the trigger is pressed or held and there is ammunition in the magazine/chamber.”

The Wickers Does not.
The Wickers does not fire more than one projectile per activation.
The Wickers Does not fit the definition by the dictionary definition of either a Machine Gun OR an Automatic weapon.
 The Wickers Does Not Violate article 6 of the Geneva Convention.
 The cranking motion is a defined activation, firing One projectile per predefined Rotation, and fully requires the constant input and conscious action of a human Being to fire.
The Wickers requires the constant input of its operator and as such does not violate the second prevision of articles 6's ban. Every bullet fired from the wickers, require the full conscious action of its operator.
The Wickers is not automatic.
 Every bullet fired from the wickers requires an individual motion and action, in this case, operating the Crank.

 As such we move to dismiss this Motion that has been brought before the council, as the wickers does not violate article 6 of the conventions, and the toskesh belief that it does represent either willing ignorance over the very rules that they bring before you, or willing Disdain for the intelligence of this council, and a belief that you would not know the very Conventions that you have been brought together to enforce.
Under Every definition of an automatic weapon, the Wickers is not an automatic weapon.
-Frostgiant


In considering this frivolous complaint, it is important to look towards the fundamentals, the internal actions of the device in question. Contrary to the banned machine guns, the Wiktor uses a semi-automatic action. These weapons reload automatically, but in an important contrast to the machine gun, require the pull of a trigger to fire each bullet.

The Wiktor is fundamentally equal in it's way of operation to M1 Garand, the SKS or even the Tokesian Zha-Buqiang. All these acquire their semi-automatic action in different ways, but the principle of automatically loading but not firing weapon does not change. We believe that given the UN has not sought to ban any of these aforementioned weapons (or any of the many similar ones), the Wiktor should not be banned either, to prevent inconsistencies from arising in the interpretation of the declaration.

Now, Tokesh may choose to concentrate on the crank to obfuscate this obvious conclusion. This is nonsense, firstly because the crank does not change the operation of the gun, anymore than that adding a string to a trigger would change it. Cranks are easily manufactured parts, and can be fitted to any gun without serious modification. Secondly, the inclusion of a crank itself does not violate UN rules. Cranks have no meaningful inertia, ensuring that further input or intervention is always required. In addition to that, the range of motion a user needs to exercise a crank is vastly greater than the mere repetitive twitching of a finger that is required to fire any other firearm.

Given the obvious precedents that legalize not only the Wiktor but also other semi-automatics, and the fact that Tokesh themselves operates weapons that require less user action to fire than the Wiktor, we advise the court to dismiss this clearly frivolous case.
-10Ebbor10



Gentlemen and women of this UN War Crimes Council, I, representing the proud nation of Toskesh, am horrified to inform you that a heinous act that has been performed at Serouda, during the Toskeshian Liberation War against the Nogranian oppressors. Few months ago, in the area commonly known as the Badlands, the Corporal Lin Na was raiding enemy positions alongside her squad. There she encountered a NAF-AFW-51 Hexapod, aka "Hippo", and prepared to fight it in accord with the Geneva Conventions, as she has been instructed to do. Suddenly, a hail of bullets from the top of the Hippo quickly slaughtered her unit, leaving the bullet-ridden corpses for the vultures. Only one man survived for enough time to tell what he had seen.

Similar incidents started to appear in all the open fronts of the war, causing hundreds of casualties. The Nogranian Army has put a crank-operated machine gun on top of their Hippos, violating the Geneva Conventions. The NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor", while suffering from numerous technical bugs, is capable of unleashing a rain of fire upon unsuspecting troops. While the internal mechanisms has been slightly altered in order to resemble semi-auto fire, the actual rate of fire isn´t, making it a de facto machine gun.

Article VI forbids weapons which are able to shoot “greater than one projectile per activation of the device” or “weapons which the user is capable of continued firing of said weapon without further input or intervention”. Both definitions are addressed if the operator of the Wictor doesn´t stop cranking the lever for every bullet fired, an attitude they are not keen to indulge in.

Not only have the Nogranians tried to use inhumane tactics on our dear island, but they have the nerve to copy the design of an existing outlawed weapon, the Vickers machine gun, shamelessly imitating it, as if challenging this very chamber to clench his teeth and grudgingly admit this Not-A-Machine-Gun weapon because of a minor technical detail that is irrelevant to the definition written in the conventions. Not only does it fire and kill like a machine gun, but it looks like one as well. Yet Nogranian engineers act like all that has emerged from their drawing boards is a tea kettle.

I cannot stress enough how important is for this chamber to make an example out of Nogrania to show other nations the resolve of the U.N. to not let clear violations of the Conventions go unpunished.  Can´t you see the future that awaits us if you let this go unpunished? Planes with hydraulic mechanisms that subtly move their wings up and down, countries marking all territory as “minefields” so they can deploy devices wherever they want or giant naval “hospitals” loaded to the brim with artillery. For all the widows who will nerve see their husbands again, for all the orphaned children, for all the empty chairs at the bar, I plead you to crack down on those who try to revive the hell of past wars.

-Wizgrot

The United Nations War Crimes Council
Toskesh, not easily deterred, has brought the UNWCC's attention to another one of Nogrania's latest inventions: the NAF-BC-51 "Rabid".  They claim it is a violation of Protocol VI on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Automatic Weaponry, of the Geneva Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious, Have Indiscriminate Effects, or Greatly Enable and Encourage the Pursuant of Armed Conflicts Between Nations.  The UNWCC has taken this claim very seriously and called both Nogranian and Toskesh officials to the War Crimes Tribunal to determine whether or not a violation has occurred.

Both sides have until the Strategy Phase of next turn to submit a 500 word argument explaining why the NAF-BC-51 "Rabid" does or does not violate Protocol VI of the Geneva Conventions.  The UNWCC will listen to both sides, examine the accused instrument, and come to a just ruling.  Should the ruling be to find the instrument in violation, the offending side will receive a fair sentence proportional to their violation.  Should the ruling be to find the instrument not a violation, then the case will be dismissed; depending on how frivolous the accusation was, this may hurt future cases!  Limit of 1 submission per player.  Best submissions from each side will be used.

[evictedSaint]

Technological Developments

Nogrania has produced the NAF-NG-52 "Duke" this turn.  It’s a 4" (or 101.6 mm's for imperial users) "Pack Howitzer", meaning it can be disassembled into smaller parts to ease transport and reassembled into an entire piece once in place. It is twice the size of Nogrania’s previous Ironcaster artillery piece and outranges it considerably at around 5.3 miles (or 8.5 kilometers).  Depending on how skilled the crew is, firing rates range between 6-8 rpm.  The gun works fine, but Nogrania fails to produced re-sized mountings on their Paradigm mobile artillery walkers and Herald-class destroyers, meaning both vehicles will still use the 2” Ironcaster for their main armaments.

For their revision they have produced the NAF-TS-52 "Shire", a more modern version of their turboshaft engine.  Key improvements such as smarter compressors and fuel nozzles, internal flow streamlining, and more efficient exhaust disposal means their new turboshaft is not only makes greater use of the fuel it consumes, but can consume pretty much any available fuel they have on-hand.  Petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and kerosene can be run through the engine without damaging it (though with differing levels of horsepower).  This reliability also means that small amounts of moisture can be sucked into the air intakes without completely shutting down the engine, although operations in heavy rain is not advised.  Most notably, their Draft now costs 1 less Oil; however, attempts to convert the Draft into a TC vehicle are met with failure as the helicopter does not have the lift, speed, efficiency, or cargo capacity to be an effective resource transporter.



Nogrania Military

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ground Forces
Nogrania Mills Bomb – British grenades, developed in 1915. Features a distinctive “pineapple” shape, a pin, and lever spoon. Relatively heavy grenades with a seven second fuse, which results in infantry typically “cooking” them for a few seconds before throwing. The grooved surface results in unpredictable shrapnel spread. Not terribly useful for anti-infantry use due to the long cook-off time and short range, but can be used to throw off the tread of a tank or clear small areas. 1 Ore.  [Cheap].

NG-11 “Earsplitter” Revolver – Standard infantry sidearm, proudly produced in Nogrania. Named after the deafening bang produced by the short-barrel 0.50” rounds. Six cylinder with a stiff trigger, single-action hammer, and smooth-bore barrel. Reloading is slow and requires spent shells to be ejected one at a time, meaning it is rarely reloaded during combat. Recoil makes it difficult to use, but has high stopping power and is accurate out to 40 yards, if the user is a decent shot. 1 Ore.  [Cheap].

NAF-BC-51 "Rabid" – A .280 caliber 30-round banana-magazine assault rifle, with Full-Reset, Half-Reset, and Semi-Auto firing options.  Features rails on the perforated barrel shroud for grips and sights and a recoil spring in the wooden stock.  Reliable, sturdy, and fairly accurate.  Can be equipped with a solid stainless steel barrel shroud for preparing tea.  1 Ore. [Cheap].

NAF-NMG-51 "Wictor" – A modified variant of a copy of the famous Vickers Machine Gun, chambered for .303 caliber rounds. Uses a crank and a semi-auto limited to achieve rapid rates of fire.  Frequently jams, terribly inaccurate, produces heated water for tea.  Requires six men to move, or a horse. 2 Ore.  [Cheap].

NG-31 “Ironcaster” Fieldgun – A 2” light artillery piece developed during Japans expansion in the Pacific, this relatively inexpensive cannon was designed to be quickly moved from place-to-place in order to rapidly defend Nogrania's shores. It finished development an entire month after Toskesh's 50mm “Sunrise” fieldgun, but the design team is quick to point out that it is 0.8 mm larger and therefor superior. Though the range was too short to target ships offshore, it was ideal for hitting beachheads during landings and retreating out of danger. It requires a truck to be towed from place to place, but with the Geneva Conventions that is no longer possible. We’ve taken the liberty of knocking the wheels off the frame and attaching skids to allow it to be pulled by horse, fulfilling compliance with Article IV of the Conventions. It’s still a decent gun, but not ideal for offense any more. 3 Ore.  [Cheap].

NAF-NG-52 "Duke" – A 4” pack howitzer.  Can be disassembled and reassembled, in order to ease transport.  Range extends out to about 5.3 miles and has a fire rate ranging from 6-8 rpm.  A single Duke must be split into two or more loads to allow a Draft to be able to carry it.  Comes with a handy-dandy range-finding sheet pasted to the Thin shield giving estimated shell travel times per elevation angle.  3 Ore. [Cheap].

SPAT-35 “Thatcher” Pattern 4 V3 – The Thatcher was designed soon after Toskesh's first Mobile Artillery piece came to the field and has featured numerous upgrades over the years to keep in step with enemy designs. Featuring a closed-in Ironcaster artillery piece with an extended barrel, the tank is turtle-shaped and low to the ground. It features a reasonably powerful engine, but has thin armor, a cramped interior, and a limited ammo load. The Thatcher does not feature any anti-infantry machinegun ports and relies on support to avoid being overrun. Tends to perform better in rougher terrain with plenty of cover and concealment, in order to make up for its weaker armor and small ammo load.  It was struggling to stay relevant, even before it was made illegal by Article IV of the Geneva Conventions. 6 Ore, 3 Oil. [ILLEGAL].   [Very Expensive].

NAF-SPAT-51 "Paradigm" – Nogrania's first attempt at a legal mobile artillery piece.  Uses four stumpy legs that make use of hydraulics to move in a crawling zig-zag pattern.  Not fast by any means.  Makes use of the 2" Ironcaster Field Gun as the main armament.  Low ground clearance and exposed engine and crew.  Must stop in order to fire, but is surprisingly stable.  Can "rest" on its belly if all legs are in "push" configuration.  Five crew members.  Completely unarmored save for a thin shield mounted on the gun.  5 Ore, 3 Oil. [Very Expensive].

NAF-AFW-51 "Hippo" Hexapod – A six-legged tank walker.  Reasonably fast.  Light armor on the body, Thin armor on the legs.  2" Ironcaster in a hydraulic-powered turret is the main armament, with optional mountings for machineguns in the coaxial port and pintle mount on the cupola - now filled with Wictor NMG's! Plenty of room inside for ammo, but no tea-making station, thus requiring the greasy water from the Wictor water-cooling jackets to be used instead.  Can't turn and move at the same time, and very vulnerable to damage. 7 Ore, 3 Oil. [Very Expensive].

Air Forces
NAF-UH-51 "Draft" – Nogrania's first helicopter.  Uses two upgraded Shire turboshaft engines for power, mounted in the nose.  Prone to capsizing in inclement weather.  Can carry 1 pilot and 5 passengers, or 1 pilot, 3 passengers, and 2 Wictor NMG's mounted on the doors.  Tricycle landing gear, no armor, pilot cabin mounted over the fuselage to make room for the engines.  Angled tail boom, two blades on the main rotor, and a tea-making station in the pilots cabin. 4 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Cobalt, 1 Aluminum. [Very Expensive]

Locus 1944 V4 – Originally envisioned as a cheap aircraft, the Locus was ultimately over-designed and exceeded its targeted cost. Reasonably fast with a V12 motor, the Locus is a fixed-wing monoplane. Equipped with two Wickers and a two hard points on the wings to which 110 pound bombs can be attached, allowing it to pull double duty as both a fighter and dive bomber. Guns overheat quickly, and it features a rather sluggish roll rate and stability issues. Rendered illegal by Article V of the Geneva Conventions. 4 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Aluminum. [ILLEGAL].  [Very Expensive].

Naval Forces
Herald-Class Destroyer – Little more than an upgraded steamboat, the Herald-Class features two 2” Ironcaster field guns mounted in closed turrets; one fore, and one aft. Two Wictor Not-Machine Guns serve as anti-air defense, replacing the previous Wicker machine guns. The ship is powered by two oil-fired boilers. The ship is reasonably well-armored, but its small engine and armament keeps it light at a displacement of 1,100 tons. 6 Ore, 2 Oil.  [Very Expensive].

NAF-UV-51 "Whale" – A gutted Herald-class Destroyer, used for transporting goods.  No armor, no guns.  Conning tower, crew quarters, and deck have been either removed or reduced to allow for cargo space.  Has some issues with balance, but is fine for calmer waters. 4 Ore, 2 Oil.  +1 TC (Sea). [Expensive]

Misc.
NAF-TS-52 "Shire" – Nogrania's first turboshaft engine, upgraded for better fuel efficiency and moisture tolerance.  Modern by our standards, and by the standards of other countries from half a decade ago.  Reasonably powerful, but not cutting-edge.  1 Oil, 1 Cobalt. [Cheap]

Wallace Truck – A simple diesel-powered truck. Four-wheel drive enabled, straight-six engine, and with enough room in the bed for ten soldiers to sit comfortably...although it can no longer be used for such purposes. Originally designed to transport military equipment, the Wallace is now only used for transporting raw goods. 4 Ore, 2 Oil. Provides +1 TC (Land).  [Expensive].

NG-AMR "Opera House" Pattern 2 – Surprisingly advanced for our technologically stunted nation, the Opera House is a vacuum-tube AM radio small enough to be worn as a rather heavy backpack. Infantry wearing this radio must forgo any equipment more heavy than their rifle or risk becoming over-encumbered. A handset is attached via cord, allowing the user to communicate quickly and easily. Communications are entirely unencrypted, but luckily the enemy doesn’t speak English.  The Opera House can be added to vehicles for no added cost or weight. 1 Ore. [Cheap].

Nogrania Soldiers Uniform 1951 – Uniform distributed to most Nogrania soldiers.  Grayish-green in color with blotchy off-colored dyed patches, features stylish canvas leggings to go over the boots, a bandolier rig to hold ammo, grenades, and anything else the soldier might need, and a light overcoat for colder weather.  Helmet is a vaguely soup bowl-style design made of mild steel, and provides minimal protection.  Comes with woolen gloves and leather patches on the elbows and knees to make crawling and kneeling easier. 1 Oil. [Cheap].

Heroes
Corporal Ellis Green – A tanker promoted to Acting Corporal when war resumed in Serouda, later promoted to Corporal.  His actions prevented the western flank of an infantry assault from being crumbled by artillery fire. Performed admirably in the Battle for the Ridgeline of Questionable Strategic Value. Spearheaded a push to regain a foothold in the Fjords. Fit for Duty.

Starting Resources:
Starting:       2/1/1Co
U.N. :           1/1
E.D.T. :        1/0
Available TC: 2
3 Ore, 2 Oil, 1 Cobalt

Economic Development Track: Level 2
0/3 -> 1 Oil Import

Available Credits:
1 Resource Credit
1 Research Assistance Credit

Toskesh has spent their design this year producing a much-needed TC vehicle, the Zìyóu-52 Merchant Vessel.  A truly massive ship at a displacement of 20,000 long tons, it is quite literally the biggest thing ever produced on Serouda.  It features three massively up-sized Type-51 turboshaft engines to power the screws to propel the ship at a slow speed.  Living conditions are minimal and crew size is small.  Can carry approximately 18,000 long tons.  Does not have any defenses, armor, or cranes, requiring docks specially built which can offload the cargo for it.  The incredible size and upscaled gas turbines makes it rather expensive, but allows it to provide +3 TC (Sea).

For their revision, they give their failed shoulder-mounted rocket launcher from last year another try.  Named the ”Jin Na” SMRL xi-52b, it is a more modest weapon.  The warhead is the same 80 mm used in their rocket artillery with a necked-down cordite propellant charge, fired out of a steel tube padded with wood to keep the user from burning himself.  The magneto spark ignition is fixed and actually works now, and the weapon launcher comes with a shoulder brace.  Toskesh engineers were uncertain on how to add fins that fit within the launch tube, so for now it does not feature any.  This means the rocket is prone to cork-screwing wildly if the user moves while firing, and is inaccurate as a whole.

Toskesh Military

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ground Forces
Toskesh Model 24NG Grenade – A cheap copy of China’s cheap copy of Germany’s “Model 1924 Stielhandgranate”. Essentially an explosive charge on the end of a stick, which lets the user throw the device further and harder. Not particularly reliable and does a poor job of damaging anything more heavily armored than sheet metal, but is light and easy for troops to use. 1 Ore.  [Cheap].

Meng 35 – Proudly designed and produced in Toskesh. Designed in 1935 during the interwar period, this 9 mm handgun features an 8-round magazine and is accurate out to 20 meters. Does not feature iron sights. Does not feature a safety. Does not feature a trigger guard. Reliable even when dropped in mud, and easy to reload. 1 Ore.  [Cheap].

Xi-52 Dài-I Zha-Buqiang – Toskesh's first semi-automatic assault rifle.  Fires 8 mm rounds out of a thirty-round magazine.  Long-stroke gas piston, stamped-metal receiver, and two rails on the top and bottom.  Mostly made of metal, with a sturdy wooden stock. Ammo is red and blue, making it very patriotic.  Rarely fires out-of-battery. 1 Ore.  [Cheap].

Type-51a Páoxiāo de léi shēng RGL – First repeating grenade launcher in the world.  Fires 25 mm rounds out of a box magazine, and features a blow-forward semi-auto chambering system.  Has a wooden stock due to high recoil.  Heavy, meaning soldiers must give up their rifle to carry it.  Struggles to crack Thin armor.  Can be mounted as a fixed emplacement. 2 Ore. [Cheap].

“Jin Na” SMRL X-52b – A shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, named after the late Jin Na.  80 mm warhead, cordite propellant.  Terribly inaccurate without fins.  Magneto sparkler ignition, wood-padded steel tube.  1 Ore, 1 Oil. [Cheap].

Type-51b Páoxiāo de léi shēng RGL – 45 mm variant of the Type-51a.  Too heavy for infantry to realistically use unless absolutely necessary.  Can crack Thin armor, and with lots of effort can penetrate Light armor as well.  Most useful as a fixed emplacement. 2 Ore. [Cheap].

Type 24.1 HMG – A knock-off of the original Type 24, the 24.1 is chambered in 7.92 mm. It is a top-fed water-cooled fully automatic machinegun. Usually supported by a tripod and a crew of four, it is typically used in defensive emplacements against air and infantry assaults. Already inferior to modern machineguns, the Type 24.1 was recently declared illegal by Article VI of the Geneva Conventions on Conventional Weaponry. 2 Ore. [ILLEGAL]. [Cheap].

TOS-31 “Sunrise” Fieldgun – A 50mm light artillery piece developed during Japans expansion in the Pacific, this relatively inexpensive cannon was designed to be quickly moved from place-to-place in order to rapidly defend Toskesh’s shores. It’s sadly 0.8 mm smaller than Nogrania's 2-inch “Ironcaster” fieldgun, but the design team is quick to point out that it was produced one month faster and therefor superior. Though the range was too short to target ships offshore, it was ideal for hitting beachheads during landings and retreating out of danger. It requires a truck to be towed from place to place, but with the Geneva Conventions that is no longer possible. We’ve taken the liberty of knocking the wheels off the frame and attaching skids to allow it to be pulled by horse, fulfilling compliance with Article IV of the Conventions. It’s still a decent gun, but not ideal for offense any more. 3 Ore.  [Cheap].

Type-51w 'Huā zi' MRRL(Muti-Role-Rocket-Laucher) – A medium rocket artillery piece.  Range of about 5 km's, eight tubes of 80 mm rockets.  Long load times, but high fire rate.  Can be mounted on the Qi-Chu or Dogbite for +1 Oil, but requires a steel shield to prevent the backblast from igniting the deck or melting the rubber skirt.  Inaccurate. High-Explosive warheads.  1 Ore, 3 Oil. [Expensive].

IFT-29 “Wuhan” Pattern D.3 – Toskesh's most recently developed tank, the Wuhan has featured numerous upgrades over the years to keep it up-to-par with Nogrania designs. It was originally designed as Mobile Artillery but evolved into an Infantry Fighting Tank as warfare evolved on Serouda. It uses a slimmed-down Sunrise cannon for the main armament, and the shells are primarily HE for soft targets or solid shot for enemy armor.  It is equipped with a top-mounted Type 24.1 for anti-infantry. It’s reasonably light, but box-shaped and plagued by a faulty and under-powered engine, hand-cranked turret rotation, and poor suspension. It tends to do better in flat, open terrain where the weak engine and poor suspension are less of an issue.  It was struggling to stay relevant, even before it was made illegal by Article IV of the Geneva Conventions. 6 Ore, 3 Oil. [ILLEGAL]. [Very Expensive].

Xi-51b Qi-Chu – The first hovercraft ever developed.  Uses two Type 51 Turboshaft engines to inflate the skirt, lift the craft, and provide propulsion.  Uses two stationary rearward-facing fans with rudders for navigation.  Features a 50 mm Sunrise Field Gun as the main armament and four (not very useful) stabilizing legs.  Large air intake and fans prevent the craft from firing rearward.  Burns fuel at a staggering rate.  Skirt is divided into eight sections to make it more resilient against enemy fire.  Cannon can be removed to give up to eight soldiers a ride, or be replaced by a 'Huā zi’ with a steel backblast shield for +1 Oil.  Quite fast, but fragile. Turboshafts flame-out in wet weather.  4 Ore, 5 Oil, 1 Cobalt. [Very Expensive].

Air Forces
Immortal Mk.III-B – A fixed-wing monoplane. Features a 9-cylinder radial engine, gull-wings, and two Type-24.1’s. Pulls double-duty as both a fighter and dive bomber, with a single hard-point allowing up to 100 kg bombs to be attached. Guns tend to jam in high altitude and cold weather, and elevator will lock up at high speeds. Rendered illegal by Article V of the Geneva Conventions. 4 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Aluminum. [ILLEGAL].   [Very Expensive].

Naval Forces
TOSN-34 “Dogbite” Destroyer – Little more than an upgraded steamboat, the Dogbite features three 50 mm Sunrise field guns mounted in open turrets; two fore, and one aft. Two Type 24.1’s serve as anti-air defense, but they have been removed in accordance with Article VI of the Conventions. The ship is powered by three coal-fired boilers using their own coal as protection to the port and starboard sides. The ship is virtually unarmored, otherwise making it fairly quick and light at a displacement of 1,100 long tons. 6 Ore, 2 Oil.  [Expensive].

Zìyóu-52 Merchant Vessel – A massive merchant vessel at 20,000 long tons.  Features three up-sized Type-51 turboshaft engines.  Minimal crew and crew accommodations.  Features no armor, weapons, or cranes, and requires docks equipped to help off-load cargo.  Cargo capacity is approximately 18,000 long tons.  10 Ore, 5 Oil, 1 Cobalt. +3 TC (Sea). [National Effort].

Misc.
Lingxin-Chao Pattern A Truck – A simple diesel-powered truck. Four-wheel drive enabled, straight-six engine, and with enough room in the bed for ten soldiers to sit comfortably, although it can no longer be used for such purposes. Originally designed to transport military equipment, the Lingxin-Chao Pattern A is now only used for transporting raw goods. 3 Ore, 2 Oil. Provides +1 TC. [Cheap].

Mk.4 Wireless Radio – Surprisingly advanced for our technologically stunted nation, the Mk. 4 is a vacuum-tube AM radio small enough to be worn as a rather heavy backpack. Infantry wearing this radio must forgo any equipment more heavy than their rifle or risk becoming over-encumbered. A handset is attached via cord, allowing the user to communicate quickly and easily.  Communications are entirely unencrypted, but luckily the enemy doesn’t speak Mandarin Chinese. The Mk. 4 can be added to vehicles for no added cost or weight. 1 Ore. [Cheap].

Toskesh Standard Uniform 1935 – A standard uniform.  Designed to be worn in layers for varying temperatures, going from a drab-green shirt and trousers to a heavy wool overcoat.  Belt is equipped with pouches for ammo, hooks for grenades, and pockets for anything else a soldier might need.  Helmet is thin, mild steel in a vague bowl-shape, more for show than for actual protection.  Does not come with gloves, but does come with a stylish pair of suspenders to help hold up the wearers trousers and heavy belt. Features standard variants for airmen and tank crews.  1 Oil. [Cheap].

Type 51 Turboshaft – A slightly better turboshaft than our first attempt.  Meets a more adequate power requirement through a more intelligent and efficient design.  Produces more power for the same amount of fuel, but still obsolete by more modern standards. 1 Oil, 1 Cobalt. [Cheap].

Heroes
Private 1st Class Jin Na – Toskesh hero, gained notoriety when she single-handily saved her squad from a Hippo tank walker using nothing but her quick wits and a Xi-52 Dài-I. Fatally wounded by a Wictor NMG mounted on a Hippo tank walker during an assault on Nogrania Ironcaster emplacements in the Badlands.  Killed in Action.

Starting Resources:
Starting:       2/1 /1Co
U.N. :           1/1
USSR:          1/0
Available TC: 4
4 Ore, 2 Oil, 1 Cobalt

Economic Development Track: Level 1
1/3 -> 1 Ore Import

Available Credits:
1 Resource Credit

In an effort to keep the equipment lists concise and relevant, starting next turn [ILLEGAL] and [OBSOLETE] equipment will be moved to the Legacy Equipment List in each sides Master Post.

[evictedSaint]

Combat Report

Nogrania has elected to push the Mountains and Fjords.
Toskesh has elected to push the Badlands and Eastern Seas.


Combat in the Mountains

Spring has arrived.

With the warmer weather the snows fade and run into the mountain streams.  The air is still a bit chilly but the worst of the weather is gone.  Now that they no longer have to worry about their engines freezing, Nogrania quickly brings their Hippo and Paradigm walkers into the mountains and resume their push north.  Their Duke is fairly useful as a pack artillery piece; were it a solid piece, it would have been difficult to use in the steep, winding roads.  Nogrania makes good use of their 4” gun and its improved range to shell enemy positions and respond to rocket barrages with counter-battery fire.  A particularly clever commander orders a few Dukes to be disassembled and carted to hard-to-reach mountain peaks aboard the Draft helicopters, which are able to stand up to the light spring rains thanks to their upgraded engines.  Up high and without any precise or long-range munitions to target the exposed artillery or even any helicopters of their own, Toskesh doesn’t really have any response.  Nogrania can shut down entire mountain ranges with just a few guns – assuming the Draft can constantly resupply the positions with 100 mm shells.  This tactic won’t be possible once the winds pick up, but for now it’s extremely effective.  Nogrania suffers from having few helicopters, meaning they can’t perform aerial troop insertions or afford many of these mountain-top artillery positions, but the artillery bonus is worth it.

Toskesh deploys their Jin Na SMRL’s in the mountains with mixed results.  On one hand, the SMRL is a dream for convey ambushes.  The narrow mountain roads limit the Hippo and Paradigm’s ability to engage, and the ambushes can be close enough that the poor accuracy isn’t much of an issue.  On the other hand, the smoke clouds give away ambush positions instantly.  Despite this drawback, Toskesh has remarkable success with their new weapon and is able to limit Nogrania’s armor deployments.  SMRL teams often consist of three or four Jin Na’s all firing at a one or two targets to make up for the poor accuracy, and a few riflemen to cover the retreat.  This method of hit-and-run can stall Nogrania advances for hours, but the teams often take heavy casualties – especially since the poor accuracy dictates closer engagements.

Ultimately, though, Toskesh’s guerilla tactics are just delaying the inevitable.  Nogrania’s armor capabilities may be reduced, but they are still the only side with actual armor.  Their infantry may be vulnerable to Páo grenade launchers, but the higher rate of fire on their rifles help make up for it.  Toskesh may have medium rocket artillery, but their inability to “shoot-and-scoot” and their poor accuracy means the Duke and Paradigm can fire back and advance.  Once again, Nogrania plants their flag in Toskesh’s last mountain camp and the Ursine banner waves in the breeze.

Nogrania pushed far enough north to claim the Mountains Theatre! They will generate +1 point on their Economic Development Track for each turn they continue to hold it.


Combat in the Badlands

Toskesh makes great use of their Qi-Chu mounted rocket artillery in the Badlands.  The barrages are horribly inaccurate, but the Qi-Chu is able to quickly move in, empty all eight rocket tube, and retreat before Nogrania can respond.  The area of affect tends to be widely dispersed since the Qi-Chu was never the most stable firing platform and the Huā zi rocket artillery struggles with precise barrages to begin with, but the psychological effect is profound.  Toskesh can barrage troop positions with impunity and soften them up for infantry assaults, and (with some effort) wear down artillery emplacements from a distance.  Being highly mobile means they’re often immune to counter-battery fire, and with Nogrania’s Draft unable to perform sufficiently as an assault gunship the attacks go unpunished.

Nogrania’s defensive emplacements consist largely of artillery and NMG emplacements, with Hippo’s acting as “fast” mobile support.  The Duke’s extended range and larger payload means it can hit targets long before the battle starts, but it often performs in reduced numbers from the days and days of prior rocket harassments.  Toskesh’s Páo Repeating Grenade Launcher is useful for clearing NMG nests if they can get close enough – which they often can due to the Wictors hilarious inaccuracy.  The Jin Na is less useful than the RGL since it can’t arc downwards into trenches and behind sandbags, but in close support and enough numbers it can often take out a supporting Hippo.  The downside is that the Páo RGL and Jin Na both require infantry to give up their rifles to use, making them limited in what they can do in infantry-on-infantry combat.  Even then, Nogrania’s riflemen typically use Full-Reset mode to increase their rate of fire, letting them out-shoot their opponents.  Toskesh doesn’t have armor to support their assaults either, and their Qi-Chu is a poor substitute for dedicated mobile support artillery.

The battle is extremely close.  Nogrania has NMG’s, artillery, and Hippos to support their defense, and Toskesh has rocket Qi-Chu’s, SMRL’s, and RGL’s to support their assaults.  Luckily for Nogrania, they have Corporal Ellis Green deployed to the Badlands to assist in their defense.  In a remarkable display of bravery, Corporal Green single-handedly repelled an assault on an over-run portion of Nogrania’s front lines.  His Hippo, which already struggles to repel attacks with its inadequate armor, was struck and rendered immobile by multiple Páo and Jin Na strikes.  While the rest of his crew retreated, he continued to man the NMG mounted on his commanders cupola and repelled Toskesh attackers until the weapon irrecoverably jammed.  Armed with only an Earsplitter revolver Corproral Green continued to defend his position, even going as far as to reload it in combat – a remarkable feat in and of itself.  It was only when he was out of ammo did he retreat, at which point the Toskesh assault had been delayed long enough for support arrive and drive them back.  For his “exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy”, Corporal Ellis Green was later awarded the Military Cross.  The High Council has acknowledged his contribution, noting “had he not been present, the outcome of the battle would certainly have been unclear.” 

Nogrania maintains their control of the Badlands, but only just.  Had Toskesh had air support or armor of their own, thing would certainly have gone the other way.

Nogrania has maintained their hold on the Badlands.  They have gained +1 point on their Economic Development Track!



Combat in the Fjords

With spring, the foliage in the Fjords has eagerly sprouted and choked the land.

This is bad news for Nogrania, who's attempting to push this theatre this turn.  The Paradigm mobile artillery walker once again struggles with the thick bushes and vines that eagerly grab hold of the undercarriage and limbs, stymieing their advances.  Even the Hippo struggles to a lesser degree and must stick to clearer and less dense patches of land to keep from being slowed.  It's more than what Toskesh can field, at least; their Qi-Chu is once again useless on land.  The only place the Qi-Chu can be fielded is on the water, with mixed results.  The Huā zi rocket launcher mounting is excellent for off-shore bombardments, but once again the spring rains have made using their hovercraft difficult as the Type-51 Turboshaft will flame-out with any moisture.  The Draft, with its new engine, does not have such limitations and can easily ferry troops behind enemy lines. 

Despite struggling with the undergrowth, Nogrania is able to bring more to bear in the Fjords than Toskesh is.  Toskesh's Páo RGL and Jin Na SMRL help with Hippo walkers and their Huā zi rocket barrages are certainly a useful tool, but they are either band-aids for having no armor of their own or out-ranged by the Duke.  Combined with Nogrania's faster-firing Rabid assault rifle and their naval advantage, this means it's no contest.  Nogrania pushes north into the Fjords once again.

Nogrania has pushed the frontline north and gained a section of the Fjords Theatre! Toskesh has failed to hold the theatre for one turn and will not generate +1 point on their Economic Development Track.



Combat in the Eastern Seas

With their new Zìyóu-52 Merchant Vessel ferrying in Russian Ore, Toskesh's Dogbite destroyers are now merely Expensive.  This means they now considerably out-number Nogrania's Herald destroyers and are able to use this numerical advantage to push them back, gaining control of the central zone in the Eastern Seas.  They will now be able to apply their naval advantage to the center section of the Fjords Theatre.

Toskesh has pushed the frontline south and gained a section of the Eastern Sea Theatre!


Olympics:
The 1952 Summer Olympics will be held in Helsinki, Finland this year.  Our nation has the opportunity to participate!  Unfortunately, we do not have 1) a National Anthem or 2) an athlete we can send. 

To this end, we've first commissioned our best song writers to compose a piece that properly reflects the glory of our esteemed nation.  Secondly, we've begun looking for an athlete we can send to participate in the Olympics.  Due to the ongoing war we can't exactly afford to send someone to every event.  It's not a justifiable drop in manpower, after all - we need people to build ships and forge guns, and we need people to man those ships and shoot those guns!  So, we will instead send one (1) man or woman to compete in a sport of our choosing.  We must select an individual, lay out their training regime, and choose which sport they will participate in.  Depending on how well they perform, there is a chance they could become a national Hero and inspire the troops on the battlefield once they've returned!  We have a total of three months to train before sending them off to compete.  Good luck!

Other News:
In the US, the University of Tennessee admits it's 1st black student.  At least 20 people are killed and 100s injured during riots in Cairo against the British, and Egyptian government-Ali Maher Pasja resigns.  Prime Minister Churchill announces that the UK has the potential to build an atomic bomb, though they definitely have not built atomic weapons of their own, honestly.  Queen Elizabeth II succeeds King George VI to the British throne and proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and King George VI is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England.  A military coup led by General Fulgencio Batista overthrows President Carlos Prío Socarrás in Cuba before elections can be held, becoming a US-backed dictator.  The final ratification of a peace treaty restoring sovereignty to Japan by US Senate occurs around this time, and the Korean War truce talks deadlock.

Heroes:
I have been reconsidering the rules regarding War Heroes.  Right now both sides must press a theatre and result in a tie in order for a coin-flip to occur, awarding one side a Hero.  A potential change might be to tweak this rule so that any theatre that results in a tie would instantiate a Hero coin-flip regardless of whether or not both sides have pushed that lane.  Hypothetically, we could also make it so that only the side that pushed the theatre is eligible to win a Hero from the coin-flip in order to make things more fair.  If this is something people are interested in, I can make this change starting next turn.  Please let me know what you think!


Theatre Progress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mountains:
Nogrania - 3/Toskesh 0

Badlands:
Nogrania - 3/Toskesh 0

Fjords:
Nogrania - 1/Toskesh 2

Eastern Sea:
Nogrania - 2/Toskesh 3

Jungle:
Nogrania - 3/Toskesh 0

Frozen Swamps:
Nogrania - 0/Toskesh 3

EDT Progress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Nogrania: Level 2, 1/3 -> Oil

[color=000099]Toskesh[/color]: Level 1, 1/3 -> Ore

[Sosoku234]

Design: NNF-SS-52 "Sea Scorpion" - A large submarine used to hunt in shipping lanes to destroy Toskesh's supply lines. It is 150 feet long and is armed with two torpedoes and a Duke artillery piece. It is complemented by 53 people. The top speed is 12 knots. It is driven by a large Diesel motor. It has a displacement of 600 long tons.

Design: NAF-SH-52 "Dragon Turtle" - A superheavy tank that travels using one leg and a movement method like that of a snail or slug. The leg is housed within the tank and lifts the tank off the ground in order to move forward or backward. It turns using gear sets to turn the leg and chassis alternately. The armor is foot thick steel in a round shape with a taper on the top. It utilizes the Duke as it's main armament. It has five NMGs pointing outward to protect the flanks. It has a crew complement of 12 (1 driver, 1 main Gunner, 5 auxiliary gunners, 1 loader, 2 engineers, 1 commander, and 1 radio operator.). The balance of the tank is maintained with a large weight that is moved slightly to correct leaning.

[Mandemon]

NAF-UH-52 "Mule"
A large tandem engine helicopter, designed to carry high amounts of equipment. It has two sets of turboshaft engines to give it requires engine power and lift. It is intended to be capable of lifting both Hippo and Paradigm, although both of these vehicles must be carried underneath the aircraft.

NAF-LAW-52 "Salamander"
Salamander is a Light Assault Walker. It has four legs, but the leg movement is significantly improved to allow high speeds. It's legs are also more articulated, allowing to more easily find stable ground. As the designation implies, Salamander is designed to be a light assault vehicle and for this purpose only has light armor and NMG in it's turret.

NAF-ASW-52 "Grasshopper"
Grasshopper is a single-user bipedal Armored Scout Walker. It is designed for rapid movement and scouting. The walker itself is unarmed. In many ways, the walker is simply a set of legs with engine and control systems on top of them. Altough Grasshopper is relatively lightly armed, it's main purpose to to gain experience for more advanced desings.

This might be something for later date, but we could try this now too.

NAF-ICA-52 "Lancelot"
Lancelot is an Infantry Combat Armor. It uses a complex series of pressure plates and hydraulic engines to encase the user in a full-body plate armor and granting the user significant strength and protection. User can, for example, carry Wictor one handed and aim it without problem. Users are also equipped with gasmasks to ensure they do not breathe any noxious gasses. An engine at the users back provides power required to operate the armor. Unit identification is to be marked on the shoulder.

Now, as for the anthem, here is mine to the tune of Scotland The Brave:

Spoiler: Anthem to the tune of Scotland The Brave (click to show/hide)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSH0eRKq1lE&ab_channel=glenzboyz

[Verse]
Hark, the sun is rising,
Hear, the drums are calling,
See our enemies falling,
As last of them now fall!
Down where’s the cattle grazing,
Into earth blood is seeping,
Nogrania, proud and tall!

[Chorus]
Tough where I may roam,
Nogrania is my home,
Where my soul may freely fly!
Sky blue as azure,
Fertile green pasture,
Tough we may banter,
Nogrania shall never die!

[Verse]
From the Scottish Highlands
To the Irish Island,
By the English kingdom,
To them we said goodbye!
Wild are the winds to meet you,
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines
Nogranian shall never die!

[Chorus]
Tough where I may roam,
Nogrania is my home,
Where my soul may freely fly!
Sky blue as azure,
Fertile green pasture,
Tough we may banter,
Nogrania shall never die!

[Verse]
We'll fight for our homeland,
Sword and gun in our hand,
With the truth upon our side,
We will prevail!
Digging the ditches,
Standing in the threnches
So that her bright future we may unveil


[Chorus]
Tough where I may roam,
Nogrania is my home,
Where my soul may freely fly!
Sky blue as azure,
Fertile green pasture,
Tough we may banter,
Nogrania shall never die!

And here is the defense for Rabip:

Ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations War Crime Council, this shall be brief.

Rabid is not a violation of Article VI. Article VI defines a machine gun as a weapon that fulfils one of two requirements:

1) Weaponry fires greater than one projectile per activation of the device and
2) Weapons which in the user is able to continue the firing of said weapon without further input or intervention

First definition is simple. Trigger is pulled, weapon activates and fires. Result is a single projectile fired and weapon resets, physically forcing the user to end the activation and start a new one.

Second definition, user is physically forced to move their finger forward. This action means that anytime user wishes to fire the weapon, they must, consciously, pull the trigger. User can not simply maintain trigger down, as their finger is physically forced to end such action.

Full activation of Rabid is no different Toskesh own rifle. Trigger is pulled, a single projectile is fired and a new trigger pull is required to fire the weapon again. If user does not pull the trigger, a conscious and intentional action from users part, the weapon does not fire. To even further expand this, user must pull and then allow the trigger to reset. What Rabid does, is offer mechanical assistance for this one part. It does not actually fire the weapon again. It only assist in resetting the weapon to ready state, no different from any other weapons ability to expel casing, load itself with new cartridge and fire again with a new trigger pull

Furthermore, as the esteemed inspector will see on the range, additional latch prevents weapon firing unless reset, whenever assisted or not, is successfully carried out. As such, simply holding down the trigger will not work, assuming user can fight against the forces that are in work when using assisted reset.

If Rabid is illegal, so is every self-loading weapon, including the weapons that all members of this Council currently equip their troops with. If Rabid is illegal, then so is Toskeshian Xi-52, as it is self-loading and requires new trigger pull after each firing. This applies to Soviet AK-47, as well as American M14, and every other semi-automatic weapon in the world.

[10ebbor10]

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor" Airship

The Condor is a large fully rigid airship. A duralinium framework holds up it's streamlined cigarlike form, within which reside numerous hydrogen filled gas bags. Despite it's enormous size (more than 200 meters long, and 35 meters wide), it is deceptively light. This makes it both affordable and gives it a tremendous transport capacity.

Propulsion is provided by 6 propellers jutting out of the side of the hull, each of which is reversible and can be operated individually. Beneath the airship hang 5 gondola's. The bridge gondola, the engine gondola that contains the turboshafts driving the propellors, and 3 payload gondola's, which can either contain goods/personnel, bombs, or a cannon. Additional Wiktor positions are present around the hull.

For safety, it s equipped with lifeboats,vests, and some essentials (tea) for the crew and possibly passengers.

In practice, it is supposed to see use as recon platform, troop transport, bomber, gun platform and transport solution.

NAF-IFV-51 "Ant" Hexapod

Derived from the Hippo, the Ant is both an infantry vehicle and an evolution on the Hippo. Instead of the big gun that has been carried by all our walkers before, the Ant carries only 2 Wiktors, as well as gunports. The freed mass is used to allow it to tow heavy loads, as well as carry it's own 4 cm thick armor. Various small and large improvements have been made, such as introduction of slats to further protect against enemy missiles, as well as several improvements in the propulsion system.

One of these are the larger feet, which contain attachment points for metal extensions that allow it to walk in snow and ice. Another improvement is a battery and heating coil including in the engine compartement, that can keep the engine from freezing overnight.

[10ebbor10]

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor  (1) 10ebbor10

[Mandemon]

After some consideration, I think we can make airship (and later use knowledge from that create air battleship...) and revision our ships to be better.

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor  (2) 10ebbor10, Mandemon

[Happerry]

Airships are fun and magic and more to the point, useful cargo vehicles.

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor  (3) 10ebbor10, Mandemon, Happerry

[Chiefwaffles]

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor  (4) 10ebbor10, Mandemon, Happerry, Chiefwaffles

Ebbor, mind modifying the Condor description though? I noticed some outdated bits:
Change the "possible machine guns" mention to just "Wictors" instead.
Change "ironcasters" to "Dukes" since we have proper guns now.

[stabbymcstabstab]

NAF-MAB-52 "Condor  (5) 10ebbor10, Mandemon, Happerry, Chiefwaffles, stabby

Ebbor, mind modifying the Condor description though? I noticed some outdated bits:
Change the "possible machine guns" mention to just "Wictors" instead.
Change "ironcasters" to "Dukes" since we have proper guns now.

I agree with modifying the description a bit.

[10ebbor10]

Design modified.

Wiktor's inserted, ironcaster replaced with cannon.

[Mandemon]

Here is a revision idea. We should not do it this turn, we should do the gun emplacement, but maybe next turn,

NAF-LNMG-52 "Baguette"
Baguette is a light NMG meant to replace existing Wictor NMGs. It is based on NAF-BC-52 "Rabid", with longer barrel and lacking assisted reset. Main differences are that Baguette has two different firing system. When mounted on static mount, Baguette uses crank gun similar to Wictor. When used as a squad support weapon, it will mount a bipod, frontal grip and a bump-stock. This bump-stock replaces normal stock and pistol grip, allowing the weapon to pull back due to recoil. Additional finger rest ensures that when weapon is at the back position, user can not pull the trigger. Instead, user uses the frontal grip to pull the gun forward, engaging the trigger and firing a single round. Recoil causes the gun to pull back, with user then pulls forward again, allowing high rates of fire with sufficient training. Weapon comes with 120 round drum magazine.

[10ebbor10]

Ladies and Gentlemen. I intend to keep this defense short. If you would like to follow me to the firing range.

Here, we have arranged a test example of the Rabid Weapon. As you can see, it is secured properly to the firing stand, and this metal lever will trigger the gun by pressing and holding the trigger. This allows us to observe a scientifically valid demonstration of the weapon in action, without any risk of personal injury. For comparison's sake, we have also brought an example of the now illegal Vickers machine, so the difference in operation can be properly understood.

The demonstration is simple. First, the Vickers is tested. The metal bar is pulled back, activating the trigger, and bullets fly across the testing range. A few seconds later, the short ammo belt is exhausted and the gun falls silent.

Then, the Rabid goes onto the stand. Put into full assisted reset operation (the court is invited to verify this), the ammo is loaded and the metal bar put through the trigger. The lever is pulled back, moving the bar and depressing the trigger. As the bullet flies across the range, the gun begins to cycle. A new bullet is loaded, the trigger start to move forward and then smashes into the unyielding bar. Held firmly in place, the gun stops with a metallic clank, it's trigger still depressed, having fired just a single bullet.

As you can see, gentlemen and ladies of the court, a single trigger pull result in a single bullet fired, no more no less. In fact, if you look at the schematics, you'll find that we included a latch specifically to ensure that this is the case, even under mechanical malfunction. A phenomenon like out-of-battery-fire, can therefore not occur, as it could potentially with other semi-automatic weapons.

[Mandemon]

So I wrote defense 2.0, to better address various possible claims.

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Members of this tribunal, ladies and gentlemen of UN, observers. Once more Toskesh brings a case to this tribunal and once more they shall be proven false. It is evident that Toskesh does not seek justice with this court, but rather to gain advantage in its attempts to destroy a democratic and free country.

They have brought to this court Nogranian designed "Rabid" Battle Carbine 52. Their claim is that it violates Protocol VI. This can be, quite easily, demonstrated false. I invite, nay, challenge members of this court to fire the weapon in such a way, that they can fire more than a single projectile with but a single trigger pull. I challenge this court to successfully fire this weapon in a manner that can not be replicated by a semi-automatic weaponry.

It can not be done, for Rabid is not an automatic weapon. It is a semi-automatic rifle, just as Toskesh own Xi-52. A trigger is pulled, weapon fires a single projectile and a new trigger pull is required. No doubt our communist invader will claim that the assisted reset of the weapon somehow violates the protocol, yet it does not. Whatever the mode used in Rabid, a full trigger reset is required to make weapon capable of firing again. Should one manage to keep the trigger down through the cycling, the weapon will not fire. If it does fire, then you have either a tampered weapon in your hand or a malfunction.

As Rabid is nothing more than a semi-automatic weapon, it does not violate Protocol VI. The activation is clear: A trigger is pulled and activation starts. Weapon fires a single projectile and cycles. A reset is required. Once the reset is done, activation is over and a new trigger pull, a new activation, is required to fire the weapon. One projectile per one activation, no more, no less. If user does not actively pull the trigger again, the weapon will cease its operation. The assisted reset does not fire the weapon. It does not, in fact, even allow firing of the weapon unless the trigger fully reset, regardless of the mode. Only thing it does, as its name implies, is assist in resetting the trigger.

Indeed, this assistance actively counter-acts any attempt to fire the weapon, by forcefully ending the activation. By forcefully pushing the finger away, rather than allowing to keep the trigger to be kept down. It can, therefore, be argued that assisted reset is in fact enforcing Article VI, rather than circumventing it.

In the name of international law and justice, in defense against emotion and self-interest, I call this tribunal to observe and declare Rabid to be in compliance of Article VI and to condemn nation of Toskesh aggression and its attempts to abuse and demean this tribunal, to use this tribunal as yet another way to attack our free and democratic nation.