Es Geloybte Aretz - a Germanwank

Status
Not open for further replies.

carlton_bach

25 July 1907, Tornea, Finnish Lapland
Stern duty had held a greater appeal to Lieutenant-Colonel Brede in the days before he had tasted small-town garrison life. Even in times of war, the pace of life – of existence – in a place like Tornea did not change much. For a brief, hectic period there had been reinforcements, troops scrambling to emplace field guns facing the port and fortifying the waterfront, before it had become clear that the Germans and Dutch would not land here. But of course – and that, too, was as fact of life for garrison officers – that had meant being pushed aside, meant bossy, arrogant officers closer to the centre of power taking over the show. Now General Alekseyev had withdrawn most of those troops south again, to catch the Germans in the flank and squeeze their supply lines. Brede had been left behind, with a choice selection of men that no better-connected, more Russian or more noble officer wanted. Of course, half the number would have been adequate to the duties the garrison had. There was not as much freight coming across the bridge to Haparanda these days, though the number of trains was still higher than in peacetime. Shipping had practically stopped – what sane captain would risk the German warships cruising the Baltic these days? So the men not engaged in checking papers or supplementing their pay with some kind of craft were mostly posted along the coastal roads to alert him if any of the Dutch Mariniers showed up.

For the lieutenant colonel, it meant a lot of paperwork and occasional rides to check the guardposts. That part of his duties was enjoyable, and he preferred not to leave it to his subordinates – extremely superannuated company-grade officers of no particular asmbition or distinction. He relished the scent and sound of the broad expanse of forest, so much like his native Estonia and yet so alien, the strange trongue of the locals Lapps and their quaint customs. Especially in the bright light of the midsummer sun that, at this time of the year, still barely set, it was as close to paradise as anywhere with so many mosquitoes could be. Smoking his pipe and pleasantly tired after his day's outing, Brede was heading through the main gate to headquarters when his clerk met him in the street, rushing headlong out of the building. A sentry stopped him. Good – that kind of behaviour was unbecoming. But so was the guard's hat! Brede squinted in the low, golden light to catch a clearer view of a cap with the brim upturned, a bit like a bush hat, when a man in an officer's uniform stepped in front of his horse and beckoned him to stop.

A Swedish officer's uniform.

Accompanied by Swedish soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel Brede swallowed hard. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked, half knowing the answer. Another military intelligence screwup. They had been told the border was secure.

“Good evening, colonel.” the officer said, firmly taking hold of the bridle as he spoke in formal Swedish. “My name is Captain Fredriks, of the Swedish army. I believe you may not yet have been apprised that a state of war exists between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire. The courier sent to inform you was stopped by our cavalry along the coastal route. The town is under our control.”

Brede's shoulders slumped. For a brief moment he had envisioned drawing his revolver and shooting his way out of the trap, but what would the point be? There were guards posted in the barracks and no doubt elsewhere in town. No Russian troops were to be seen anywhere. With a heavy sigh, he dismounted and offered his sabre. Looking over his shoulder, he could see a train heading east across the bridge, another following. Swedish regiments pouring into northern Finland – the province almost denuded of troops in Alekseyev's grand pincer south. Damn all generals!
Click to expand...
 

imperialaquila

Well, there goes the Russian position in Finland. With Swedish troops catching them in the rear while they have the Germans and Dutch in front of them, I doubt the Russians will hold out for long.
 

Tibi088

This is really interesting but what would Sweden gain by joining? I mean the germans already support the finnish independence movement so Finland is not likely. Most likely the Aland islands but are those worth going to war with Russia? Or do the swedish think that they joined a war that has already been won by the germans and their allies and they too want some easy "loot"? In the latter case are they right or will there be still some serious fighting even if the outcome has already been decided?

And what was the official reason for the declaration of war? Not really important but im curious.

On the other hand this could start a series of declaration of war on Russia in the first place by Turkey and than any1 who hopes to gain something. In this case Russia needs peace asap for nearly any price.
 

Mr.brightside

Does Germany and its allies have at chance of taking at St Petersburg? I think that would be the victory that they are looking for. Correct me if I'm wrong but the situation seems to me that they are winning but are in need of a big victory to bring the Russians to the table on their terms.

Also I was thinking about after the war could the OE be the target of Russian aggression? They world have lost two major war and would be seeking a weaker power to rally against/prove itself as a major power. A conflict were Russia imvades the OE could bring want brings it together and last till the 50s.
 

carlton_bach

imperialaquila said:
Well, there goes the Russian position in Finland. With Swedish troops catching them in the rear while they have the Germans and Dutch in front of them, I doubt the Russians will hold out for long.
Click to expand...

Finland is done. Alekseyev will need to concentrate on holding Karelia and the way to Arkhangelsk. Anything else is illusory at this point.

Tibi088 said:
This is really interesting but what would Sweden gain by joining? I mean the germans already support the finnish independence movement so Finland is not likely. Most likely the Aland islands but are those worth going to war with Russia? Or do the swedish think that they joined a war that has already been won by the germans and their allies and they too want some easy "loot"? In the latter case are they right or will there be still some serious fighting even if the outcome has already been decided?

And what was the official reason for the declaration of war? Not really important but im curious.
Click to expand...

The official reason was the barbarous treatment of Swedish subjects at the hands of Russian troops in Finland. There were a few incidents (and you really can't expect a Patriotric Union NCO from Tcherkassy to be able to distinguish a Swedish-speaking Finn from a Swede). But of course the real reson is different. Firstly, the Swedish government wants to maintain influence in the setup of the Finnish state. Ideally, territorial gains, but most importantly, a foot in the door. Second, the Swedish government is betting on Germany for win. They have long been accustomed to dealing with a strong Russia as their neighbour, but would much prefer a weak Russia and a strong Germany as their ally. They realise that this will mean a subordinate position, but at this point Stockholm will take a minority stake in a good thing over 100% of a lousy deal. Norway just went a few years ago. The nation can use a boost. And finally - not an inconsiderable issue - the voters are very Russophobe at this point. Two years of newspaper reports on the horrors of Russian oppression, plucky Finns and Poles fighting for independence, and a steady trickle of well-groomed, fluently Swedish-speaking Finnish rebels in exile doing the lecture circuit have had an impact. The gift of Rättvisan merely clinched the deal.

On the other hand this could start a series of declaration of war on Russia in the first place by Turkey and than any1 who hopes to gain something. In this case Russia needs peace asap for nearly any price.
Click to expand...

It will. This is the point at which the world realises Russia is on its last legs and opportunistic scavengers join in. China is already in with a view to driving the Russians out of Mongolia and maybe grabbing bits of West Turkestan. Very soon, Bulgaria will heroically declare war so as not to be left out of the coalition of the winning (it's a nervous existence being surrounded by victorious powers with an interest in your territory). The Ottomans will take longer because their government is still in turmoil and the French oppose the move.

Of course, Nicholas is not the kind of person to view this development with equanimity. Or even sanity. He'll make this war more expensive than it ever needed to be.

Mr.brightside said:
Does Germany and its allies have at chance of taking at St Petersburg? I think that would be the victory that they are looking for. Correct me if I'm wrong but the situation seems to me that they are winning but are in need of a big victory to bring the Russians to the table on their terms.
Click to expand...

Not this year. The strongest Russian formations in existence - the Armies of the Niemen, the Bug, and the Dvina - stand between St Pete's and the Germans. Going through Karelia is not practicable until the Gulf of Finland is well and truly bottled up and Viborg reduced.

Also I was thinking about after the war could the OE be the target of Russian aggression? They world have lost two major war and would be seeking a weaker power to rally against/prove itself as a major power. A conflict were Russia imvades the OE could bring want brings it together and last till the 50s.
Click to expand...

That is actually a much better and more plausible scenario than what I had in mind.
 

Jotun

Not Vyborg, Viipuri. Soviel Zeit muss sein ;) I think we are at a point where the city can be called by its proper Finnish name again.
 

Cecil

Fredriks is an odd name for a swede is it not? Its more likely to be Fredriksson as a surname. Or Fredrik as a given name.
 

carlton_bach

Cecil said:
Fredriks is an odd name for a swede is it not? Its more likely to be Fredriksson as a surname. Or Fredrik as a given name.
Click to expand...

Could it have its origin in the German surname Friedrichs? I don't know where it's from, I just went and picked a random Swedish name off Wikipedia. :p
 

New Yorker

I missed something a long way's back and I've wanted to ask for a long time, but have been embarrassed to do so: when and why did the Dutch enter the war?
 

carlton_bach

New Yorker said:
I missed something a long way's back and I've wanted to ask for a long time, but have been embarrassed to do so: when and why did the Dutch enter the war?
Click to expand...

The Russian navy briefly occupied Heligoland and used it to blockade the Elbe and Weser ports back when they hoped for a French entry into the war. Therefore, a lot of German trade went through Rotterdam. The Russian cruisers tried to interfere with the convoys, pushing perilously close to Dutch territorial waters and accidentally sinking a Dutch fishing vessel. As a result, the Dutch sent two of their Holland-class cruisers to meet the next convoy to make a point. A Russian ship mistook one for a Rostock-class and put a torpedo in it.
 

wietze

during a battle in the northsea dutch fishing ships came to the rescue of the sailors of the sinking/sunk ships. the russians attacked (and sunk) some.

Due to this clear violation of the geneva convention, the dutch declared war
 

Cecil

carlton_bach said:
Could it have its origin in the German surname Friedrichs? I don't know where it's from, I just went and picked a random Swedish name off Wikipedia. :p
Click to expand...

Actually the only time I´ve ever heard that particular word spelled like that in swedish would to indicate the genitive form of Fredrik. As in "Fredriks horse" or some other owned object. Not that it really matter all that much, its just sticks out as odd when you speak the language.
 
DrakonFin

DrakonFin

carlton_bach said:
Welcome to postwar Finland :D
Click to expand...

You mean the name will a subject of debate in Finland, or that the city will be a part of Russia, not Finland? In an independent Finland that holds the city it would be called Viipuri more often than not, though officially it would of course have both a Finnish and Swedish name, like all towns and municipalities that, well, have Finnish and Swedish names. Often it isn't even to do with the composition of the local population, as there are places in Eastern Finland, say, that have Swedish name (along with the Finnish) to this day even if scarcely having an actual Swedish minority now or for a long time.
 

carlton_bach

27 July 1907, Cruiser Izumrud off the coast of Kabinda
Captain Kolchak looked across the glittering surface of the ocean at the sleek, white hull of the SS Alexandra Woermann and wondered why guerre de course was so complicated. He had taken two cruisers, Izumrud and Gromobey, all the way to the African coast, playing a game of hopscotch with Brazilian-flagged colliers and dodging anything that looked like a warship. There might be German vessels about – nobody could tell him for sure. And now that he had reached his hunting ground off the shipping lines to South America and Südwest and nabbed a prize on the first day, the headaches just kept coming. What was he to do with the passengers? Had he caught a cargo ship, he would simply have put the crew into lifeboats or taken them prisoner. But you couldn't put women and children into a boat off the African coast. In the end, they had decided to take the prize in close to the mouth of the Congo and flag down a passing neutral steamer to transfer the civilians. It was not optimal, but he figured the wirelessmen on the German liner had already betrayed his whereabouts anyway. He'd have to swing west and see if he could catch German steamers coming from Argentina or Brazil.

From the northeast, Gromobey was escorting in a Belgian tramp steamer. The captain had agreed to take his captives to Port Banana, where they would be the problem of the French colonial authorities. The prize crew could open the sea cocks, and he wouldn't even need to waste shells. But sitting out here made him nervous. Kolchak had internalised the lesson of fighting in the North Sea campaign – keep moving. If you stayed put for long enough, the enemy would be able to muster superior force against you. He lifted his spyglass again and idly followed the path of a gig returning from the Alexandra Woermann. Russian sailors in tropical whites manned its oars. Someone was coming over. Adjusting magnification, he could make out Lieutenant Kotenkov, the prize commander. This had to be important.

Kotenkov came aboard hurriedly, clutching a bundle of papers, his face radiating excitement. Kolchak immediately took him to the captain's cabin and closed the door.

“Sir”, the young officer reported, “I'm sorry to have left my command, but I did not want to risk signalling this.”

“A problem?” the captain asked.

“No, Sir., It's – you would not believe what that ship is carrying.” He opened the pages of the cargo manifest and pointed to the entry. Kolchak took a few moments to decipher the German.

“Carried on behalf of Deutsch-Südwest Mineralgesellschaft mbH – diamonds?” He looked upo. “You have checked this?”

Kotenkov nodded. “An agent of the company is travelling on board, Sir. There are three steel boxes in a locked first-class cabin. According to his papers, almost a million pounds Sterling worth of raw diamonds. He has one set of keys with him, which he surrendered on .. encouragement. But there is a second lock to which he has no key. I'm sure he's telling the truth.”

A million pounds Sterling! A fortune in precious stones, lying around for the taking! Kolchak dimly remembered stories of Francis Drake and Charles Bellamy, takers of treasure ships in the heydays of piracy. These days, it seemed, were not all over yet.

“Ready the launch, Kotenkov. Select reliable men, and have the boxes transferred to Izumrud. I'm sure our artificers can deal with a couple of locks.” He paused, considering the implications. On a ship as crowded as Izumrud, there were no secrets. Only rumours. “Have them brought into the wardroom and opened there. And be sure to order the wirelessmen to be present. We'll spread word that they contain codebooks.”
Click to expand...
 
Top
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top