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Who's side are you on?

Veenland
- 7 (43.8%)
Magna Mongadizafra
- 6 (37.5%)
Neither, I'm just on vacation here.
- 3 (18.8%)

Total Members Voted: 16


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Author Topic: Refit and Repair 2  (Read 2402 times)

piratejoe

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Refit and Repair 2
« on: February 13, 2021, 02:18:30 pm »

Refit and Repair 2
The arms race of the waves, back for a second time, far away.

Here, at the Ocantroval Archipelago, the nations of Veenland and Magna Mongadizafra. Two nations that came to be in their modern form in far different ways in the nineteenth century, and will soon find themselves fighting against each other at the dawn of the twentieth century. However, these nations are ones who's background will be made through decisions made by you, the players.

What Is This?

This is an arms race where you will be controlling the naval forces of Veenland or Magna Mongadizafra and designing the ships, guns, fire control, ect that they use. The rules are somewhat based on They Who Dare, just like the original, though there are quite a few major differences. The key differences, however, from other Arms Races games are as such:

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Your nations will have a few traits that will be made by players choices in the pregame, these traits can be good or bad. The perks in question chosen will have effects on the game, and should lead to some interesting differences in terms of how the sides use their forces and also the characteristics of their nation, not only adding a bit of a interesting dynamic and difference between the two sides outside of name and equipment, but also potentially making the game a bit more asymmetrical. These perks are added through choices in decisions of the creation of the nation, and these choices will often either lead to another related event in the nations history, good or bad, or simply be a double edged sword. These will be selected at the start of the game, and potentially can change over the course of the game depending on the perk in question.

Abstraction in Production This game’s only resource is production points, which represent industrial production. The budget of PP fluctuates from turn to turn, dependent on national traits, how long the war has gone on, and finally the success and size of the navy. PP is spent on progressing projects as well as building and maintaining ships, along with any separate equipment. In the beginning of the game, neither side has its economy on a proper war footing, and PP budgets will increase to represent greater spending on defense. As both sides progress toward total war, the rate of increase will slow, and there will be increased competition from the army for your budget.

One does not 'hold' sea like they do land The map doesn't have a front line, however it does have regions of sea where ships will go. Of course, one side could theoretically send a cruiser force to raid convoys right in the enemies backyard, so long as they have cruisers with enough range, but going further away from friendly controlled ports has its risks. A ship hit by a torpedo a few hours from a friendly port is much more likely to survive than one hit by a torpedo that now is forced to sail at 5 knots and will take over a month to reach a friendly port in waters enemy ships commonly transit through. Its important to mention that unless enemy ships sail there, sea zones behind the main areas of fighting are under your control, and that ships can be intercepted before they reach sea zones as they cross others.

Land for Landlubbers Battles on the ground are done over bases that exist on the map, and fights over said bases are represented with a cross of swords, however should the base flip over to the other side, the battle might still continue as the last pockets of defense stubbornly hold onto their last bastions on the island, or as the enemy army remains not too far from the base they just lost control over. Needless to say, docking at a base currently being fought over is generally a unwise idea, though you can still use it should it be in your control while in combat, and this might be more useful later on should the game reach certain years.

Companies are useful, you know. Should the game reach a point where aircraft are a useful addition to the navy, you will be able to request a type of aircraft and a few general characteristics you'd like from it. After a turn or two, three companies will present offers of aircraft for you to take, all with their pro's and cons. These stats are naturally rolled, which means some are obviously better than others at times. However companies tend to have a trend in a few things they are good at.

The Roma wasn't built in a day. Ships that are under construction take time to make, the amount of time to make a ship decreases as time goes on and on perks. Ships that are damaged usually take less time to repair than building a new one from scratch and so too is refitting a ship. Finally ship designs are limited by the size of the dry docks you have, which can be expanded for production points in order to make bigger ships, though this will take a year to do.

Cargo sends its regards. While development of things like X Lighters can be done, other certain Auxiliary ships like repair ships or sub tenders, no cargo ships will need to be produced or made by your navy. Do not take this to mean that you can try to throw landing forces everywhere while they are unguarded, as you don't have an infinite number of them or marines, and losing them will hurt future landing attempts for a time.



The Nations:

The Republic of Veenland. Once a Dutch Colony, it is best known for it's long guerilla war against the British for their freedom after the colony was taken by the British during the Napoleonic Wars, and it being the worlds first Socialist nation. It's heartlands are full of fertile fields, and low hills, and mires for which it is named. It's form of government is a Proto Syndicalist Republic

The Republic of Magna Mongadizafra. Once controlled by the Spanish, the Republic became free during the collapse of the Spanish Empire in a relatively bloodless revolution. It's heartlands are quite warm, and have distinct tall mountains and mostly rocky or dry lands around them that are rich in ore. It's form of government is a Representative Republic






The Sequence of Play:

There are 4 turns per year, with each turn split into the Design, Revision and Refit, Production/Deployment, and the Battle phases.

During the Design Phase, you can propose Projects and Ship Designs, along with progressing existing ones. Projects can be anything from guns to weight saving techniques, while Ship Designs are purely for ships. Each team has 6 dice to spend on rolls every turn, and can bank up to 4 dice to the next turn. To start a project takes 3 dice: one to roll time estimate, one to roll initial progress, and one to roll project expense. Additional dice may be added to ‘double-roll’ any of the projects dice rolls. After the initial rolls are made, the design rolls 3 main dice for Effectiveness, Cost and Bugs. These will be the final rolls for the project if no revisions are made.

Each die of progress rolled has a corresponding cost in Production Points (PP) that must be paid. For every such ‘paid’ die, you can choose to rush the project, which adds an extra die worth of progress (not subtracted from the 5) but has a 50% chance of adding a bug to the project or worsening an existing bug.

Ship designs meanwhile use 4 dice, however unlike projects they don't have the initial three dice rolls and instead just have the final three rolls instead along with a single d4 to determine how many seasons it takes to finish the design, with a minus or plus depending on the size, class, and complexity of the design in question. The time required for the ship to actually be completed in the shipyards is determined by me based on the size of the ship, its complexity, and quite simply any national bonuses or cons in effect on top of it. Additionally, for it to progress, 1 PP must be dedicated to it per season. A few example of a project and ship design is:

2 Pounder Pine Gun | 12/15 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 6 PP invested

Van Bergenaar Class | 2/3 Seasons to Completion | Armored Cruiser | 6/2 PP cost | 7 Season Construction Time

During the Revision & Refit Phase, you can spend one die on making a Revision. Examples of revisions are fixing a flaw that causes your 14 inch guns to explode violently when firing. Meanwhile, Refits are spent on things like modifying your oldest Battlecruiser with the newly developed fire control and anti aircraft guns. It should be noted that it is possible to lower Cost through a revision, but it will result in either bugs or a reduction in effectiveness except on high rolls. Of course, you can turn this to your advantage by specifying exactly which aspects of the existing design should be traded-off for a reduction in cost. Revisions that fix bugs will be applied for free to all deployed equipment, however refits will be used to fix bugs on finished, constructed ships. Retrofits that add capabilities or fix bugs with finished ship designs will only be applied to newly produced ships and ships that stay at home port getting refit.

There are technically speaking, no diminishing returns for multiple revisions to improve a ship design beyond original specifications, but obviously, in practice its hull will be outdated and its machinery likely as well with time. While the latter can be replaced, it tends to take significant time to do so, additionally, adding too much without doing things that reduce the ships weight can cause it to become overweight.

During the Production & Deployment Phase, each team spends Production Points on producing new ships and equipment, and on maintaining existing ships. Unspent PP will not be banked to the next turn. Ship's cost a certain amount of PP each turn when being built, and not spending their PP cost on them will result in construction being paused. If a ship has a cost of 3/1, that means that producing a new ship of the class costs 3 PP per turn until its finished, while maintaining that ship costs 1 PP a turn. When a ship is under Refit, it is treated similarly to a ship being built, however it generally costs much less and takes much less time, with an exception being if its a major conversion, like turning it into an aircraft carrier, or replacing all of its machinery. Additionally ships under construction when a revision has been done to the design can, depending on the state of construction, take a delay in order to apply the new addition. It also should be noted that sometimes, ships might have a delay in construction, or be ahead of schedule, and this applies to ships being Refit as well.

A very important aspect of the game is suggesting Deployments or Operations for the ships produced. Examples of deployments would be for a battleship escorted by two cruisers and four destroyers to bombard a particular coastal town to assist in a landing, or for a cruiser to raid enemy shipping by itself. Note that suggesting deployments of multiple ships together is important, a battle cruiser on its lonesome is, while less likely to be spotted, much more vulnerable should it come to face a fleet of other ships or be spotted by submarines than a battle cruiser with a proper escort.

Finally, in the Battle Phase, you simply wait for the other side to finish or for me to write how things are going on the high seas. There is nothing to be done during this phase.



Ships

The main unit of your Navy is a ship, who'd guess? They always represent one specific vessel of their class and they often will have a special little card made by me with general specifications on them. Despite this a quick short description of any ship will also be provided. An example of a ship is as such:


Each ship also has a level of both crew and captain experience, which in this case is “Regular” and "Elite" respectively. Experience is tracked from 0 to 100, but in- game you will only get to see the experience levels. These levels are, in ascending order: Poor(<10), Greenhorn(11-24), Trained(25-44), Regular(45-70), Veteran(71-90), Elite (90>). Those of poor skill have basically just completed the most basic of training and haven't been given time to have any working up, while those of Elite are master sailors and strategists who run with almost clockwork efficiency.

Experience of a crew determines how accurate the ship is, how good its damage control is, how likely it is not to break down, and generally just preforming its job better. Captains meanwhile determine how well it maneuvers in combat and how likely it is for the right calls to be made. Captains also have a nature, being either Aggressive, Cautious, or Balanced. An aggressive captain is more likely to order his ship to risk getting closer to try and unleash a well aimed torpedo spread that can be devastating to an enemy battleship at the risk of his own light cruiser, while a cautious captain may elect to try and leave battle and not risk the ship if it takes too much damage. Lastly, a captain may have varying traits. There are one to three which are hidden initially, but more can be gained as their service record continues. These can be anything from prone to bouts of rage, to unlucky, to even such things as being a War Hero.

When a ship is finished it will enter a state of Working up for two seasons, in which the crew will get to a Greenhorn status, however they can be ordered to go out into the fight before this if so desired. Over time, should a ship not engage in combat, its crew will slowly gain experience as they properly man the ship, however if they are engaged in combat missions and get into gunfights with other ships often, experience increases faster, proportional to the intensity of the combat. Experience also can decrease to represent losses in combat should they suffer enough yet not sink.

Every ship that is more than a fishing boat that was confiscated by the navy and had a gun slapped on it has a captain. It also should be mentioned that the captain in the biggest, newest, most important ship in a fleet will generally be put in command of said fleet. If there are multiple ships of that description, I'll pick the most experienced captain of the bunch, though you can specify who if you wish.



Marines and other misc things.

Both sides have Marines and they have their own equipment that is designed by the navy. This equipment can be designed using revisions or designs, but regardless they aren't the focus of this game. They still exist, and you'll probably be hearing a lot about them if you decide to try an amphibious invasion of an island, likely about their success as they land or their failure as their transports are sunk. But their equipment can make a difference, especially if things at sea are mostly even.

Should the game get to a point where naval aviation is a thing, each turn you can tender a proposal for aircraft, with a primary and secondary focus on the craft. Three aircraft will be rolled up in a season or two and you will then pick one of these aircraft for use. Squadrons based on either carriers or land will have their own experience, and you can have things like flying boats and floatplanes for scouting. They use the same experience levels as crews, and each squadron would cost a small amount of maintenance.

Should either side make Submarines, they will be able to be ordered like a normal ship, but they likely won't have a special unit card made for them...Mostly because the thing I use for ships only really works for surface ships, not submarines. Regardless, should you create a submarine, you can also set up a general doctrine telling them to use prize rules, simply go and do as the Jerries did and go unrestricted. Both have their pro's and cons. Related to that, you can make Auxiliary cruisers...Pinguin fans rejoice.

Land fortifications and installations are a thing, however, for the Navy they are mainly defensive guns, docks, and if we get late enough, airfields. Defensive guns are quite cheep, and useful should your navy be on the other side of the archipelago...or below the waves. It should be noted you have a home dock where your ships are made, it has a displacement limit on what it can make, and you can expand it for some PP, which takes 4 turns to complete.




Spoiler: The Rules of Conduct (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Random questions (click to show/hide)


Discord is here.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2021, 04:08:19 am by piratejoe »
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NUKE9.13

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2021, 03:10:21 pm »

I am patriotically required to join Veenland.
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ConscriptFive

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2021, 03:54:44 pm »

Tulips and spices.  Gotta get 'em all.  Put me on Veenland.

Madman198237

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2021, 04:27:39 pm »

I have joined the Magna-whatever monstrosity of a name because they need people. Also so I can utterly subvert the Italian design philosophies because they were bad.
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TricMagic

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2021, 05:06:07 pm »

Magna Carta Ahoy!
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Sketchykeeps

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2021, 07:28:25 pm »

Put me down for Magna Mozzarella
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piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2021, 03:07:06 am »

Summer, 1895.
All was calm. The sea's, the skies, and the shores. In both Magna Mongadizafra and in Veenland, both countries and their people continued as they had ever. Yes, tensions were high, but other than some murmuring and concerns, everything was normal as always...For the general population at least. For those up top, it was a tense moment and any wrong move could make war. And for some, they desired to do just that...Yet soon, a declaration would be made by Magna Mongadizafra, and shortly after by Veenland. War was declared. Magna Mongadizafra stating that this was a defensive conflict due to the fishing dispute and blatant disregard for the rule of law along with claims of supporting subversion. Meanwhile, Veenland claimed simply that it was to ensure the integrity of it's lands, and that it was in response to Magna Mongadizafra's declaration. And, soon after, this would be in the papers, and the war and propaganda machines of both would slowly start turning to life...

For Magna Mongadizafra, this was seen as a chance for the Navy to once again shine, and just like their conflict against the Spanish, ensure that the country's waters and islands were theirs and theirs along alongside showing that their way of life was superior and far more efficient and the 'socialist utopia' was nothing but a farce that would collapse the second one kicked the door in. Additionally, such a war, easy and decisive, would undoubtedly help the various politicians, captains, and admirals in their careers.

Meanwhile, for Veenland, this was shown as once again a war against yet another tyrant invader, no different from the British. This time one who traded the crown for the fat cooperate pockets. Further this was a clear chance to show the horrific inefficiencies of the capitalist north and surely show their people a better way of life that would lead them to the socialist path. Of course, it's also likely give quite a bit to the steelworkers, shipwright, munitions, fishing and many other unions...

Whether the Seabound Magna Mongadizafra, with their tradition at sea, or the Revolutionary Veenland with their stubborn resistance and army tactics will win is a question neither knows yet. However, both nation's flags fly high, and at the moment, for international observers it could go either way...


Spoiler: Magna Flag (click to show/hide)
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piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2021, 06:29:52 pm »

It's back!
The map is finally finished. You may return to your planning, Engineers.
Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: November 06, 2021, 11:36:26 pm by piratejoe »
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piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2021, 09:15:01 am »

Summer, 1895.

With the start of the war, the two nations swiftly ready themselves for war. Before the Navies are even out of port the first bouts of fighting begin on the Isola del Formaggio and Oudvierschelpe which have the misfortune of having been split by the two powers. Even from day one the balance of power is quickly shown to belong to the extensively better trained and equipped Worker's Army of Veenland. Luckily for the Mongadizafrain Army, the troops on the front line sensibly have been given the latest Navy surplus, and only the soldiers well on the back line far from the front lines are still using old outdated tubular magazine style rifles. Still, the Marines would soon come to support the Army and actually prove a decent match to the Veenlandish forces.

Still, with the start of the war also allows both nations to see the ships that their enemy have put to sea. And, the first ships sighted are the ones belonging to Magna Mongadizafra. Naturally it would be the Lepidus Class that is first seen trespassing into Veenlandish waters. The Cruiser is blisteringly fast and armed with 4 six inch guns, two on the port and starbord side along with one forward and one astern. It also has four more, smaller four inch guns, two for each side of the vessel. The second ship that is sighted is a far more grand and imposing sight. A true warship to rule the waves, the Veenlandish forces on Isola del Formaggio quickly get acquainted to seeing the Pompey Magnus Class bombarding the shore. A proper battleship, it is a drastic inverse of the extremely fast Cruiser that Magna has shown in the war. Armed with four large twelve inch guns, along with an assortment of smaller caliber guns upon its sides that oddly are not in casemates, the ship is the largest in the war, and one can only guess what it's armored with...

As for the Working Class's own vessels of war, the first spotted is also a cruiser, a very special cruiser. No seriously, it's literally called a Speciale Kruiser. Slightly smaller than the Magna's own, the Zeerover Class is a swift cruiser, yet not as fast as the marvel that Magna seems to have made. Despite that it makes up for it with an extensive armament of guns, some in casemates and some on deck. With eight smaller caliber guns and eight six inchers as a main armament. Needless to say, it has more than enough guns to deal with anything equal to it's own weight, and more than capable in making anything it catches suffer. The other vessel that the Veenlandish have is the Compromise Class, or the Union Class Or the Revolutionary Class depending on if you ask the Naval Union of Veenland, anyone outside of Veenland, or anyone inside of Veenland who thought the class's name didn't make sense. Regardless, the ship is a Verdedigingsschip, or Defense Ship. Yet, while one might instantly assume that means it's a costal defense ship upon hearing that designation and taking a glance at it, it's not entirely accurate as it's actually fairly fast. In fact it's not much slower than the Zeerover. And the Zeerover is not slow in the slightest. Still, it follows a similar design philosophy of 'throw as many guns on it as possible' and has two main turrets housing two ten inch guns, and there is even six inch guns in a superfiring position over these main guns. And six inch guns basically everywhere else alongside just as many if not more smaller guns...It's a bit stubby, but it could arguably be considered that grey area between battleship and costal defense ship...

The Western portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

The West is where the disparity between the Veenland and Magna's army's seems to show quite harshly. With practically the entire Veenlandish Navy in the area, and no Magna Mongadizafrain warships in the area, things swiftly go south for the poor defenders of the Magna portion of Oudvierschelpe. Or rather, north given the way the frontline goes. The situation honestly wouldn't be so bad if Navy Marines were there, but with the island facing both blockad and bombardment, there isn't much of an opening for them to come in and save the poor defenders as it swiftly becomes apparent that the Navy isn't coming. After a month the Workers Army would have closed in on the gates of Zamoviedo. After two, they'd have reached the town and after three they'd have taken it. However, the beleaguered defenders haven't given up without a fight, and the forces of Magna Mongadizafra are still close enough to the town to pose a threat, but they likely won't for much longer as what little supply they have is whittled away by ambushes. To further underline the point of the Worker's iron grip of the area, the Workers Navy would utilize some merchant ships to land marine forces at Traste after a month and a half of preparation. Naturally, without army support, the fact that it's the start of a landing, and the simple time taken to get the forces to the island, the town hasn't been taken by Veenlandish forces, or at least not yet. Really it's likely just a mater of time unless something changes, as they have managed a sizable foothold and the town is contested, while also facing further bombardments and a similar blockade...

On the bright side for the Mongadizafrains, this is arguably the only place where things don't go well for them, because the entire Veenland fleet, or at least most of it, is in this location and the other vessels aren't really seen outside of one incident.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Central portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the central area of the archipelago, a large fleet of Pompey Magnus class battleships supported by Lepidus class cruisers sail to the central island, Isola del Formaggio, and hunt for both merchantmen and warships. Yet, much to the disappointment of Mattia Cason, the leader of the taskforce, there is nary a enemy warship in sight. Just shipping. With this, the big guns turn to the island and start supporting the advance of the ground forces of the Republic. For the defenders, shooting down Magna soldiers is quite easy, even if making them surrender isn't. Yet despite this the Marine forces that start coming in actually prove themselves as competent to the Veenlandish forces, and with supplies inconsistent what with the usual disruptions by the cruisers, and the bombardment, they are slowly pushed back. Though, the issues with supply are supplemented in part by ambushes and hideouts behind Magna lines that trickle supply back to their side and turn the enemies guns against them. Though, this only works for small arms and provisions, not artillery, which due to the constant bombardments from both the Magna's own guns and the battleships doesn't exactly have the greatest lifespan for the Workers Army. Still, there are moments where the Veenlandish forces catch a break, whenever it's foggy or raining the Navy usually doesn't come out in full force. Though, this isn't due to any caution on the enemy admiral's part, but his superiors. Though, eventually even this doesn't seem to stop them from going aggressively into the frey, with cruisers close, to bombard the Veenlandish forces to hell. Still, the Veenlandish are damn well not giving an inch without blood. And while the forces of Magna Mongadizafra find them selves at the town they were advancing upon, they have yet to take it.

For the Mongadizafrain Navy, it was a nice bout of gunnery practice at least...Other than this, there are a couple of reports of sightings of Mongadizafrain cruisers are reported far to the south in Veenlandish waters. Though they don't seem to sink too much, unlike elsewere.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Eastern portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the east, the situation is fairly simple. A sizable force of Mongadizafra ships sail past the various islands and raid as much shipping as they can unopposed. Everything from fishing boats to proper cargo ships are either taken and sent back to Magna shores or are sunk after the crew has abandoned ship. After all, the rules of war at sea are civilized and the Mongadizafrain navy isn't made up of barbarians, despite any propaganda. Still, while they do cause a large amount of issues for shipping in the area, this isn't the prelude to an invasion, at least, not one that will come in this season. They do at one point bomb a military instillation they stumbled upon though, and while they stay a bit close to the shores, they do this simply to be able to destroy more shipping of the Veenlandish Merchant marine, and any unlucky members of the Fishing Union in the area... Still, it's a nice relaxing cruise for the Mongadizafrain navy... ​

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The world outside of the Evandron Archipelago[/u][/b]
French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is convicted of treason and publicly stripped of his rank. The SS Elbe sinks after collision in North Sea and 332 people die. The Cuban war for independence begins. The Spanish cruiser Reina Regente sinks in straits of Gibraltar, resulting in the deaths of over 400. And Los Angeles gains it's first street car service.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2021, 01:06:13 pm by piratejoe »
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Battleships Hurl insults from behind thick walls, Destroyers beat up small children, Carriers stay back in the kitchen, and Cruisers are a bunch of tryhards who pretend to be loners.

piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2021, 06:53:04 am »

Autumn, 1895.

With the war escalating into a proper conflict as infantry of both nations fight harder against each other, the capabilities of each others forces becomes more clear. As was likely made obvious, the Magna Mongadizafra army is less trained than the forces of Veenland, and the Marines of Magna Mongadizafra are roughly the only comparable force. And on a related note, the arsenals of both nations ground forces have expanded significantly. Further the first actual combat between vessels has occurred finally, and will likely be a interesting source of discussion for future historians and the admiralty of both nations.

With regards to what the ground forces of both nations have been equipped with now, the forces of Veenland have been equipped recently with an extremely powerful heavy machinegun. The UVW T95MG "Stoommachine" the nickname related to the noise it makes while firing. Both the Workers Army and Navy forces seem to have gained the weapon, part of a joint project. And even though it only arrives in small numbers so far due to it's recent introduction, it is a nightmare for the Magna Mongadizafrain army, and proves to also be a surprise for some of the rest of the world due to it's extreme effectiveness contributed to it's accuracy and how long it seems to be able to just keep firing.

Magna Mongadizafra's ground forces meanwhile have expanded significantly in regards to it's arsenal to the point that it's practically a grand replacement for their Marines. Though their army forces are yet to see the benefits. From an improved version of their main rifle that can load clips far faster thanks to clips in the form of the Magdala N95 Fucile or the Punto Nord M10 Carabina which similarly is loaded. Further, the equipment of the new Punto Nord M6 Fucile da caccia is also implemented and is great for clearing out trenches and other defensive structures. The last two things of note for the Army, or rather marines, is the Casciano P95, which is a rapid fire small caliber pistol, not too dissimilar from the Schönberger-Laumann, even if improved. Though it hasn't replaced the Sette d'oro 87 Rivoltella, instead being used alongside it. Lastly, is the fairly simple Bomba di latta, which is basically just a fairly simple makeshift bomb utilizing a tin can and some gunpowder that can be made in the field. In fact, the one thing the Army has in abundance of all this new equipment other than the revolvers is the Bomba di latta, and only because it's literally just a improvised grenade that the knowledge of how to make thankfully spreads fast.

The Western portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

While the Magna Mongadizafra Navy reaches the west, they wouldn't find any Veenlandish warships, and while they would stop a number of transport ships that were headed to Traste, the forces already landed would begin to part and disperse from the front line. While initially this was met with celebration, it'd be short lived as the Veenlandish soldiers did what they did best, guerilla warfare. On the brightside for Magna Mongadizafra, their civilians on the island aren't exactly keen on the Veenlandish forces on their island causing havoc, and the territory is more familiar for the Mongadizafrains rather than the Veenlandish. Still, even so the Veenland marines aren't giving up just yet, and are determined to hold. Though, unlike in other places it's likely they won't last long... Meanwhile at Zamoviedo a number of attacks by Mongadizafra marines would crash against the attackers, with occasional bombardment being forced on the Veenlandish forces. This along with supplies of marines, new equipment, and munitions and food manages to reverse the horrible state of the Mongadizafrain forces on Oudvierschelpe is just in time to prevent a complete collapse, and the forces manage to reorganize and start pushing against the Workers army. Though, while progress is being made, especially as marines with the new weapons arrive in sizable numbers, it's slow due to the damage done to the army forces that were already there, along with the fact that the Veenlandish have the "Stoommachine" and the Mongadizafrains do not. Though while thankfully the number of those machine guns is limited, they are annoyingly still there for the Mongadizafrain forces to deal with as the Workers Army is still supplied decently, partially due to the split nature of the Navy's focus of its small force in the area, and partially due to the time given to stockpile resources.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Central portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the central portion of the Ocantroval Archipegalo the sea's are quite calm for the first month. The Mongadizafrain Navy sailed to engage in bombardment actions or occasionally even to try and interdict convoys, however they wouldn't be met by Veenland forces for some time. In fact, the fact the Veenland navy was undetected for the entire month on all fronts was cause for some concern to the recently appointed Comandante Superiore Corbiniano Ugolini, as Mattia Cason was appointed elsewhere. Unknown to the Veenlandish, the Mongadizafrain Navy had orders to engage in a landing behind the forces in Maartenbosch to encircle the forces there and deal with them once and for all. The Coriniano thought such an operation was risky, and expressed his concerns, especially seeing how the majority of the Mongadizafrain Navy was heading elsewhere and how he was assigned only a single escort ship. And this only further grew as the Veenlandish navy remained hidden. However, by the end of the first month, the Marine forces would be done packing up and loading onto the transports, and orders were orders. So, the Mongadizafrain Navy set off on it's escort.

Meanwhile, Commandeur Marlijn de Wal was fairly annoyed at the situation. The Mongadizafrain navy refused to stay out long enough for him to actually strike when he desired, and he recognized a more aggressive approach was required in his current situation. While the timing he desired was unlikely, as long as he moved closer to the front lines, and was careful in his movements, still leaving only at the right time, he could potentially finally get his prize while they were bombarding the Workers Army. Still, he would leave port far earlier than he had the past few weeks since arriving, and sail a distance away from the island. And, at the evening of May 11th, the scouting force of the Veenland's main navy would spot smoke on the horizon. This scouting force, lead by the Geest van het brengen van unionisme naar de massa door hun spullen af ​​te nemen, with it's captain Bartje Brugmans, would approach in the evening. The sun obstructing their smoke and allowing them to spot the enemy force from a vast distance and discern that this force was made up of at least a few warships. With this in mind, the ships would return back to the main fleet to give the information at full speed, while the Mongadizafrain force only noticed a bit of smoke as they left, it being presumed to be a merchant ship by Beato Imondi, the captain of the  Lucullus which spotted the ship. Though, thankfully he would send a short signal to the message to the rest of the fleet, which only brought Ugolini more stress.

When the scout force returned, and informed de Wal of their sighting, he would swiftly send for the force of scouts to join the screen his battleship force had, and move toward the force which was, unknown to him, not primarily made up of enemy warships, but merchant vessels. He would move his force closer, and the setting sun would be at their back as they closed in on the Mongadizafrain force. Once they were fairly close, relatively speaking, the smoke given off by the Veenland force would be noticed and considered to be not of a merchant force. As such, Corbiniano Ugolini made the cautious move to withdraw and gave orders for the merchant ships to full steam and sail back, and aimed to try and use his forces to protect them in their withdrawal. Ideally able to use the dark to withdraw after delaying the Veenlandish navy. Unfortunately he would soon find out that would be a lot harder than originally thought.

Combat started late in the evening, with the Veenlandish ships closing and eventually opening fire at modest range, where they would stay at for a time, the Mongadizafrain ships needing to close in order to fire effectively. Still, the first hit would go to Mongadizafra, who would get a shell into the Pirat's bow, the only damage the cruiser would take in the action. Soon both sides fired at eachother extensively, however the Veenlandish screen seemed to be slightly focusing on the Lucullus. And while a large number of shells would miss, a number of quick fire shells managed to proliferate the decks with splinters and reduce the return fire that the cruiser offered, and in a stroke of extreme bad luck, The Union would manage to land a ten inch shell into the Lucullus' bridge, killing a number of officers including the captain Imondi. As things went from bad to worse, Corbiniano ordered a withdraw, yet despite this the Workers Navy moved closer and closer...And then, just as things were getting particularly dark, and Corbiniano thought he could withdraw seeing as the enemy force was much larger than he knew he could deal with, he would be shocked and horrified to see a bright light above his vessel soon, and a number more. For the Workers navy, the flares were quite useful, allowing them the ability to see their enemy ships quite easy, and allowing them to close further and have an easier time shooting at them while the night made it harder and harder for the Mongadizafrains to return fire.

The battle would continue extensively into the night, and despite the dark, and despite being outnumbered, while the Magna Mongadizafrain ships would find themselves seemingly unable to escape they certainly refused to go down without a fight. In fact, in the battle Corbiniano's ship, the Julius Caesar, would fight hard, managing to batter and bruise the Veenland's Lourens van Vilet, even managing to disable one of the ships turrets and getting a hit into the bridge. And the Marcus Antonius, mistaking the Zwerver for a capital ship, would manage to land two of it's twelve inch shells into the ships engine room, damaging it severely. Yet, the Mongadizafrain ships were still forced to fire more or less blind, and this resulted in it being quite hard to track targets, and remain consistent in striking those targets, resulting in their damage being far more spread out compared to the Veenlandish forces. And with just how many small shells were going in the direction of the Mongadizafrain battleships, they soon would have to deal with a number of fires on deck as the night went on. It would only get worse when a torpedo seemed to be sighted heading for the Octavius Augustus. Yet, nothing would happen when it struck the vessel. This threw the Octavius Agustus into a number of movements to try and avoid torpedoes, yet it would manage to in it's maneuvering get struck by a torpedo that would have missed had it not turned, and with a major explosion burst from its side as the torpedo actually managed to work, the ship would soon find itself practically doomed as it's speed screeched to a halt.

While the Octavius Agustus had it bad, the Marcus Antonius was similarly unlucky and took a working torpedo to it's starboard bow, yet kept on plowing through despite the damage, and the Julius Caesar would manage to be spared any strikes from torpedoes, instead taking shell after shell as it's fires grew higher and hotter. The first of the Magna's ships to sink would be the Octavius Agustus, which would capsize due to the casualties it had taken to damage control crews and the flooding from both shells and another torpedo to it's one side as it was practically dead in the water. Despite this, the Julius Ceaser kept on fighting and refused to go under, despite all the fire it's way. And, the ship managed to avoid a number of torpedoes. However, despite angerly firing at a number of vessels, specifically those which were lit up by fires that were on the ships due to previous hits, it eventually would find it's own fires going out of control, and despite the extensive beating it would give to the Workers navy, it eventually would succumb...

The battle was the new Comandante Superiore's last, yet thanks to his brave actions the marines would be thankful for his sacrifice, as none of the transports would be sunk after the battle, all of them managing to return to a nearby port with plans changed to have the marines simply assist in a more traditional attack. Much to the horror of Magna's public however, the Workers navy would claim the Julius Ceaser, Octavius Agustus, Marcus Antonius and Lucullus had sunk. The Mongadizafrain Navy meanwhile claimed the Zwerver, Lourens van Vilet, and Reinout van Diermen as sunk



Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Eastern portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the east, the Magna forces are once more unopposed, and with this they are able to make two landings, one at Drachtvoort and another at Echtwaarwith, with ease and opposed only by the ground forces there. Thankfully for the Mongadizafrain Marines and Army, their enemy didn't have their fancy new machineguns due to the disruptions that were caused by the vessels that protected their transport. And this was made fairly easy due to the fact that the small size of the two islands meant that they could reliably stop any ships and provide supporting bombardment on anything in port if absolutely necessary. Still, the landing has show the value of Mongadizafrain's new equipment, especially the Punto Nord M6 Fucile da caccia, which proves clearing defensive structures extensively. Though the Workers Army hasn't been going easy on the invaders, and while a beachhead is secured on both islands, it'll still take time until both ports are secured for the Mongadizafrain forces. Especially considering unlike in the west, the territory is well known by the Workers Army, and they certainly have plenty of civilians willing to aid them in small ways should they be forced to abandon more traditional methods of warfare and go back to their roots.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The world outside of the Evandron Archipelago[/u][/b]
Polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen reaches a record latitude north, with his expedition reaching the closest to the north pole. Joshua Slocum sets sail from Boston on a solo around-the-world voyage aboard an oyster sloop named Spray. Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the world's first radio receiver in St. Petersberg. Emile Levassor wins the first automobile race in history. And Doukhobors burn their weapons as a protest against conscription by the Tsarist Russian government.

(Team updates will be posted shortly)
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Battleships Hurl insults from behind thick walls, Destroyers beat up small children, Carriers stay back in the kitchen, and Cruisers are a bunch of tryhards who pretend to be loners.

piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2022, 03:08:02 am »

Winter, 1895.

As the war comes close to it's first full year since it had started, the nations continue their struggle, yet on the surface little seems to have changed other than the army in Magna Mongadizafra having a slight change in organization. Both nations are further geared to the war and are ramping up production heavily in order to meet the demand of both nations war needs. Though, little overt has come out from either side's navy.

The Western portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the west, for a time the waves would be quite calm as neither side received reports of the other's navy in any meaningful capacity. Yet it would be Donatello Cortesi who would break this silence first, as after a week he moved his forces out to support various infantry movements on Oudvierschelpe, specifically around Zamoviedo. Though this wouldn't last for long given the task bestowed upon their rivals forces. Still, while Donatello was concerned at the lack of sighting of the enemy fleet much like the late Corbiniano Ugolini, he figured they were badly damaged and, if he needed to face them, he could defeat them. Besides, he had his orders, and he couldn't wait any longer without potentially being called out for his cautiousness.

Meanwhile, Egbert Hazenkamp waited for preparations to finish before he got a report of a sizable enemy fleet in the area. As such, his plans changed, as his orders accounted for this possibility. Still, while those plans were canceled, he would prepare his fleet to sail. While it would be a few days before his fleet finally found their target, once in the general region of the fighting, his force was able to spot the enemies smoke on the horizon and swiftly ordered a ship to scout, and once more the Geest would move to scout ahead. They would manage to make out the rough composition of the enemy force and upon returning to their fleet stated they were confident there was only one battleship among the enemy force. And with this, Egbert ordered to advance.

While the Geest had managed to do it's modest scouting, it was also spotted by Donatello's force. And once informed, he would swiftly send out orders to prepare for combat and to load AP shells. After, he waited for his enemy to approach. He wasn't sure about the enemy fleet's composition but he didn't need to know such. Just that it was there, and he presumed that they would come after his force. And if they simply followed from afar he'd move to scout and then engage. But he wouldn't need to do such a thing for a battle to begin, as soon the enemy force would be on the horizon and approaching. He just hoped the enemy fleet was weakened enough for his small force to be able to endure it.

The conditions were great for a battle. A sunny day and only a mild breeze in the midday at sea... Yet this peace would be broken with gunfire. Once more, Veenlandish ships would close in to firing range before both sides started to open fire at the extremes of their range. Yet, the Veenland force wouldn't close much further, instead keeping a sizable distance, something that the Magna captains were relieved about as their worries about torpedoes faded from their mind for the time being. Both forces exchanged fire for some time, with the first hit being from the Crassus managing to land a good hit on the Herman Van Veen's bow with it's main armament, managing to knock out once of it's secondary guns. For the most part the battle would continue like this for a while, with the Veenlandish force getting hit far more than Magna's force as the two exchanged shells. Yet, while things were going in Magna's favor, one simple thing would drastically change the battle.

On the Horatius, a order to change heading would be misinterpreted as a order to charge the enemy, and swiftly the ship would move full speed ahead. This caused some confusion in the fleet, but the Labienus which was following and who had correctly the identified the signals orders would desperately try signal to the Horatius to turn back and rejoin formation though this wouldn't be seen. Needless to say, this put Donatello in a bad situation, however he would simply carry on, hoping the crew and captain of the Horatius would realize the mistake before it caused issues. Meanwhile, with the pounding the force Egbert Hazenkamp was leading had taken, he ordered to close in to try and utilize the torpedoes to end the fight as soon as possible or at least scare the Magna forces off. He did not believe that his force was able to keep this fight up and needed to end it as quickly as possible. And given the damage he had taken, he knew that if the enemy commander tried pressing the advantage with their faster lighter ships to constantly harass them they would potentially take greater damage and losses.

The Horatius' charge would manage to actually work somewhat in Magna's favor, as the ship swiftly went to work dealing a number of good hits on the Pirat and Avonturier. However despite this, with the enemy force closing, the threat of torpedoes and the heavy focused fire it suffered made it turn to rejoin the fleet and retreat. While both sides at this point were about half way through their ammunition, Donatello Cortesi would order a withdrawal. However, despite the damage that the enemy ships had taken, the Crassus proved to be the main downfall for the Magna fleet, as the flagship slowed down the rest of the force that otherwise could easily have escaped. And slowly but surely Veenland got closer and closer. Realizing what was happening, Donatello would try and order the Lepidus class ships escorting him to delay, but soon he would realize that the damage the Crassus had taken was too much, and that his best effort. As such, he gave the order for the other ships in the force to prioritize their own survival while aiming to cause as much damage to the enemy while the Crassus still was afloat, and that should the Crassus be sunk to withdraw.

Naturally, the Veenlandic fleet would aim to torpedo the Crassus, and the mostly undamaged Geest would be the ship to do so, managing to get two even. However, seeing the enemy fleet avoiding them, Egbert Hazenkamp would give the order to withdraw. The Crassus was flooding heavily, the Horatius was missing two turrets and was burning, Virgil had damaged engines and was burning, Labienus was fighting flooding in the bow, and the other Lepidus class ships were running low on ammo. So, while the Herman Van Veen, Eldert Schimmelpennink and Avonturier were burning heavily, and the Pirat listing both forces withdrew. There were some parting shots, mainly by the Geest for Veenland and the Clodius and Cassius, but soon both fleets limped away, desperate to control the fires and flooding they were suffering.

The battle was arguably a absolute mess for both sides, with most of their ships heavily damaged and a number of crews badly battered. However, Magna would claim victory, stating that the Herman Van Veen, Eldert Schimmelpennink, Pirat, and Avonturier had sunk. Meanwhile the workers navy would claim the Crassus, Labienus, Horatius and Virgil had sunk. After this though, things on the ground grew stagnant, and both sides dig in and stock supplies, expecting their convoys to be disrupted. Something that wouldn't happen to either side after the battle.



Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Central portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

While there was a lot of commotion around Isola del Formaggio last season, this time Magna's navy would be the only force in the area, with only two ships in the area doing scouting and occasionally cautiously probing with raids. Most of the action happens on the ground, where the marines that were saved by Ugolini would manage to oust the Veenlandish from Maartensbosch, at least for the most part. There is still a lot of heavy fighting around the area though for the most part things on the island are slowly advancing in Magna's favor ever so slowly. Even so, they are paying for each inch heavily in blood and their logistics starting to be struck by local partisans alongside proper Veenland soldiers. But they still advance, and the army can sustain the losses they are currently taking, provided they can reclaim the soldiers equipment anyway.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Eastern portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

The other half of Magna's navy runs rampant in the east, providing major support and bombardment at Drachtvoort and Echtwaar. The former falls within a month, though the latter lasts until the end of the season due to the larger number of soldiers in the area. More soldiers however doesn't matter as much when there is constant supply for your enemy and a lack of your own alongside common bombardment. The main issue for Magna as they advance is partisans and the soldiers of Veenland having a new strategy here. Training those civilians in the area who seek to fight against the capitalist invaders in acts of sabotage, raiding and intelligence gathering. While they will be a problem for a while most of the forces on the two islands are proper Marines which helps mitigate the issues with actual honest to god competency that the army soldiers have a bit of a shortage of. Thankfully the islands are fairly small, even if the Veenlandic forces and partisans are more familiar with them.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The world outside of the Evandron Archipelago[/u][/b]
Katherine Lee Bates publishes America the Beautiful. American outlaw, John Wesley Hardin is shot and killed in El Paso, Texas. An electric generator made at Niagara Falls produces its first power. Belgium begins compulsory roman catholic education. America's first automotive producer, the Duryea Motor Wagon Company, is founded by Charles and J. Frank Duryea. And France declares Madagascar a protectorate.

(Team updates will be posted in a hour or two.)
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Battleships Hurl insults from behind thick walls, Destroyers beat up small children, Carriers stay back in the kitchen, and Cruisers are a bunch of tryhards who pretend to be loners.

Iris

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2022, 03:14:09 pm »

Joining Veenland.
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Quote from: AseaHeru (on Discord), Monday, June 20, 2022 10:41 PM
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Iris

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2022, 11:37:58 pm »

I couldn't find a signature ribbon for Veenland, so I designed one! Take that, Mango-whatevers!

Code: [Select]
[color=#006600]█[color=#389CF2]█[color=#FF8100]█[/color]█[/color]█[/color]results in...
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Quote from: AseaHeru (on Discord), Monday, June 20, 2022 10:41 PM
I still want the D. The D is love, the D is life. The D is bully.
Rewind, can't keep going
My mind keeps replaying
That night when we dove in
But now I'm sinking

piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2022, 05:24:49 am »

Spring, 1895.

With a full year mere months away, it's only natural both navies would come out with something to really bring more punch to their forces. Yet both have put in work on something that mainly aids the ground forces rather than that at sea, though, one of the two certainly could be utilized under the right conditions.

For the Unions of Veenland, they have unveiled the Observatieballon. Which is exactly what it says it is. A well made advanced balloon made in such a way to always face the wind and remain stable even in harsh breezes. The balloon is quite reliable, and will dramatically increase the effective range of artillery guns that the Workers Army have. Accurate and harsh fire, counter battery or otherwise will likely be in store for the poor Magna Mongadizafran forces.

Meanwhile, for those of Magna's marines who have already received them, new howitzers under the Marine Corps Artillery Development plan have been rolled out and ready to be used on the guns that the Workers army has. Though given how few in number they are right now they won't make too much of a difference just yet, especially when up against artillery that can more easily out range them due to the new easy to build balloons. But really, if artillery can be transported to Veenland forces without being sunk or forced back by Magna's navy, clearly something has gone wrong already, hasn't it?

The Western portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

In the west, the sea's remain calm and quiet. And this is not exactly a good thing for the forces at Catalejos, especially as the marine forces have left for a grand offensive elsewhere. The continuous flow of supply of good, quality Workers Army weapons and the new balloons has lead to the Army stuck once more defending as best they can. Of course, the navy saved them last time, but for the time being that isn't a luxury they have. And once again the Magna forces on the island are pushed back further and further, put on the precipice of losing the entire island and likely causing quite a headache of a landing in the future. They still have their hold on the northern most portions of the island but things are looking only a bit better than they were near the start of the war when it comes to troop cohesion. One major upside is the soldiers stationed there who survived the first time are used to it, even if they resent the marine withdrawal. Other than the supplies and new balloons being used to good effect in bombarding the Magna forces on Oudvierschelpe and pushing to the north, there really isn't much to say other than various ground battles.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Central portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

The central portion of the archipelago is where the true size and power of the Magna Mongadizafran Navy shows itself. Many Lepidus class protected cruisers flood the seas around Isola del Formaggio. A myriad of ships are stopped and taken as prizes or simply scuttled, and swiftly the area becomes a no go zone for Veenlandic ships. While the Mongadizafran don't have enough ships to form a proper blockade, they have enough to still put a effective strangle hold on supply. The only saving grace for Veenland is the fact that their cities on the island have the industrial output to actually produce small quantities of equipment and that they can steal some from their foes. But for most non basic equipment this is no where near enough to matter. The main exception of this is the balloons, but even then the amount of artillery that Veenland has is unable to be replaced and fairly slim due to the consistent fluxations in supply. And this, combined with a determined push by Magna marine forces and proper uninterrupted Naval support see's a major push being achieved, putting one of the cities under threat and even more effectively strangling supply and another important center under risk. It's also where Magna's new artillery mainly shows itself as quite effective at blasting apart enemy infantry. And luckily for Magna, of their new and expensive artillery deployed, all but 3 guns aren't damaged in any major way or destroyed. Though this is more due to just the number of enemy guns and the number of the new artillery than the quality of these howitzers. But even then, the guns certainly prove themselves in breaking through fortifications and by extension the lines, and many more are coming off the factory lines thanks to the Navy's support.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Eastern portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

The place the Veenlandic Navy actually went was the east, though it isn't much. The little that is left of the Veenlandic navy simply guards convoys and does minor bombardments and occasional disruption of supply. All of this isn't major. What is major however is one of the things they escort after a bit of time. A landing force of Marines. Marines that land behind the forces at Echtwaar as they are trying to push through Veenlandic forces before they can build up significant supply. This turns out to be fairly effective, as it cuts off the main ports that the Magna were relying on and catches them out of position. However, the forces that are being faced by the Workers is that of proper marines. Not the pushovers in the army. And while the move secures the majority of the settlement and causes a major blow to the logistics of the Magna forces on the small island, they are still skilled forces that are confident if they hold out for naval support they can gain relief and force a breakthrough. Still, it's not looking that good for them, and they certainly aren't anywhere near as skilled as lasting as a thorn in the side for long. Near Drachtvoort things go better for Magna, but not by that much. They gain some ground, but as resupply from Veenlandic forces comes in and minor disruptions in their own supply stalls this advance long for Veenland to gather it's forces on the island and push them back. Though, Drachtvoort has been decently fortified, even if it's population isn't that keen on having the capitalists in control of their city. Unlike with Echtwaar they will likely last for some time unless specifically targeted like Echtwaar was.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The world outside of the Evandron Archipelago
The first cartoon comic strip is printed in a newspaper. The Republic of Formosa collapses Japanese forces capture Tainan. German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen detects new electromagnetic wavelengths, called Röntgen rays, or X-rays. Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament and sets aside funds to create the Nobel peace prize. And America's first automobile race, from Chicago to Evanston, occurs.

(Team updates will, as usual be posted in a hour or two.)
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Battleships Hurl insults from behind thick walls, Destroyers beat up small children, Carriers stay back in the kitchen, and Cruisers are a bunch of tryhards who pretend to be loners.

piratejoe

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Re: Refit and Repair 2
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2022, 03:17:20 am »

Summer, 1896.

With the war having gone on a full year now, both nations have managed to shift a sizable amount of their economy to the armed forces. Be they naval or army. Still, a noticeable shift in Magna Mongadizafran spending has been seen, what with their army getting a sizable budget increase. Whether due to the Mongadizafran navy believing there is a need to invest in its ground forces outside of the army or simply generosity, the end result is the same. Some actual competency. Other than this, to outside observers nothing much else comes from Magna. Veenland meanwhile has had it's own obvious work on their infantry. Mostly new guns like the UVW T96G or UVW T96SAP, a bolt action and semi auto pistol respectively. However the inclusion of such things as the UVW T96S "Mini Coehoorn" is certainly something to cause some panic among their enemies, and more benign tools like the UVW T96S, a Shovel, or UVW T96M, a Knife are also useful to equip everyone with. Lastly, for some reason the UVW T96H "Emmer Helm" was also equipped to their forces. A metal helmet. Something that surely will never catch on and be too costly for any real army to maintain.

The Western portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

The Magna Mongadizafran Navy arrives to the west to find no Veenlandic opposition. Well, none at sea anyway. As such, operations for them are completely uncontested, and with ease they are able to escort and support a rearward landing to try and cut Veenlandic forces off. Unfortunately for Magna, the Veenlandic forces on the island have had fairly low permanent casualties, and most of the people on the island are a bit more seasoned compared to their peers. Even so, experienced soldiers alone do not lead to victory. Without support, a landing behind and with their supply soon limited and most of the new equipment not reaching them, the main Veenlandic force pulls back to a more defensible position, giving the beleaguered Mongadizafran forces some much needed breathing room. While Zamoviedo isn't retaken, it isn't that far off from the current line, and a breakthrough will likely lead to fighting in and around the town once more. Especially due to bombardments from the coast.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Central portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

While Magna ran rampant and made major gains on the Isola del Formaggio, they have gone east and west, leaving the Workers Navy to escort the various supply ships to the island. Of course, this is a major boon and once enemy forces are confirmed not in the theater, they shift to costal bombardment and escort of something greater, a landing near Maartensbosch. This, somewhat similar to the north, forces a shifting of the defending armies forces. This even manages to encircle and capture a few small brigades of Magna soldiers, though they do not take the city or are able to push past the initial landing zone after their initial success, in part due to the new integration of a few marine forces 'temporarily' taken as elite supporting troops by army divisions. Despite the landing not being as successful as Veenland hoped, the counteroffensive has put a great fear into the Magna Mongadizafran forces of the 'Mini Coehoorn' as the Veenlandish call it. A explosives device somewhat like the makeshift grenade that Magna uses, expect a lot less makeshift and thrown not by hand but launched by a rifle. Needless to say, this is a great tool on the offense and helps with the artillery disadvantage that the Workers Army has for the start of their counteroffensive, though this would return to relative parity as supply stabilizes. By the end of the season, while Maartensbosch isn't retaken, the marine forces that landed nearby have linked up to the Workers Army and the possibility for things to continue exists, provided of course things remain as they are. But stability of supply is something that seems to hardly ever happen for Magna. Even so, at the least the front has stabilized now, and the Workers army is no longer on the backfoot as it was before.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The Eastern portion of the Ocantroval Archipelago

Much like the west, the Magna Mongadizafran Navy has free reign to do what it so pleases in the area, and as such much in the way of supply finds itself failing to reach it's destination once more for the Veenlandic forces of the east. While this is nice, there is a lack of heavy fire support for the Magna Marines on the ground, instead only the six inch guns of the Lepidus class are so kind as to grace the soldiers on the ground with some much needed artillery. But even so, for the forces at Drachvoort this is enough as the island the town is on is far closer to Magna waters, and due to their fairly frequent raiding in the east has struggled far more with supply than that of the more southern counterpart that is closer to larger more industrialized islands. Still, it is enough to allow a minor breakout and reestablishment of Magna control of Echtwaar. Though, even then their control in Echtwaar is far more strenuous than that of the more north western captured town.

Spoiler: Map of the Area (click to show/hide)

The world outside of the Evandron Archipelago
Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II drives Italian General Baratieri out, to the anguish of some of the more homeland minded Magna Mongadizafran's. The Jameson Raid occurs, the failure of which causes Cecil Rhodes to resign as the premier of the Cape colony. This is met to some celebration in Veenland and results in a humorous incident where President Kruger receives praise from both German Kaiser and the council of unions of Veenland and their Kanselier. Utah is admitted as the 45th state. And the Cave of Winds at Niagara Falls almost goes dry for first time in 50 years.
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Battleships Hurl insults from behind thick walls, Destroyers beat up small children, Carriers stay back in the kitchen, and Cruisers are a bunch of tryhards who pretend to be loners.
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