Twilight of Europa - Cancelled

Against the Vote:
-[X] On the defensive
-- [X] Gather support for Chancellor Kurt Haessler
-- [X] Replacing semi-independent voters


Nobody in the room, apart from perhaps one man and a single woman, wanted to be there. While all five people sat at the table united under a grand coalition, the internal politics of the coalition had been shaky for a long time - but now the balance had shifted almost irrevocably, into a dangerous situation both for the chancellor and the democracy of Germania as a whole, a situation which could easily turn out to be the worst Germania had ever seen. The meeting room was, however, silent. A stiff silence had fallen over those assembled, as everyone stared suspiciously at each other.

It was Anita Ülrich, the much-cherised leader of the Yggdists, who would break the silence.

"...The main issue with the vote would be the workers, the peasants, and the faithful. Our flock is not as large as it once was, but the dissolution of the East Europan Imperial Alliance and the devastation wrought by the Valois Republic, has made us united in purpose behind the Almighty. The Yggdist Partei Germania, if our concerns are adequately adressed, will stand behind the Coalition." Her voice was a much-needed soothing balm for Kurt, soft and melodious. He had not met often with her, but Anita was a trustworthy ally on the political scene, a reasonable voice in time of crisis, such as these. "Of course. I will see what I can do, frau Ülrich." Kurt nodded to her, and looked at the rest of the table. GVP, KVP, ZP - apart from the first, he was surrounded by possible traitors to the Coalition at worst and neutral parties possibly willing to support the vote at best.

The room was silent once more, before the dam finally broke. Demands were made, questions asked, threats given and rescinded - it would be this room where four men and one woman would spend hours debating for the next hundred years. The ZP wanted a focus on the citizenry, while the KVP wanted a return to a hawkish stance against both Communism and the western half of the country, while the GVP had no objections to the current course: It would be the YPG which had the...oddest, concerns and demands of the entire group, but in the end, it would become dark before the last i's were dotted and the t's crossed.

"...alright, thank you. I hope that you all have a safe trip back home. The Communists, though they have halted the violence so far, the recent riots... Well, we cannot trust them. Again, thank you, and a good night."

As the room emptied, Kurt and Anita stayed behind. mere moments after the door closed, Kurt softly let his head fall on the desk with an explosive sigh. "Anita... Tell me, what do you think of all this?" She looked up, clutching a small Ragnite jewel, before shaking her head. "Kurt, your flock - the coalition - is divided, and even if the situation is stabilized, it will only last until the next election. There is no denying that." Again, Kurt sighed. The Vote was ruining...well, nothing. The partisan situation had already destroyed any chance of passing a law or legislature, and had kept him defanged and unable to propose or amend laws for several years now. "What would you do then, Anita? Call for elections after dissolving the Diet?"

She giggled, and Kurt looked up. "I would do nothing more but follow the will of the Skein and the Almighty Valkyur, and guide my flock." Standing up, she nodded to the door- "But, my dear, I now need to go. Please take care, and may the Valkyur bless you." -and left, leaving Kurt alone inside the office, and with a choice to make.

[ ] The ZP wants to pass laws increasing the minimum wage, limiting government oversight over businesses, and wants to reconcile with the Valois Republic. Their stance on the loss of the west is one that goes unmentioned... But it is likely to accept the new status quo and reconcile with the Federation. Their voting base is rapidly shrinking however, and a recent scandal has caused the resignation of their PR strategist Leopold Ganz - it may just be in the best interest of the Germanische Demokratische Partei to seek greener pastures.
The ZP's stance is changed to Neutral, leaning Loyal. When laws and legislature become available, one of the marked ZP-related items must be taken each turn.

[ ] The KVP, in contrast to the ZP, wants instead to focus on restoring national pride. 2-year long conscription, the return of west Germania to the Fatherland, economical reform, and the growth of Germania into a major Europan power are all parts of their programme. However, the KVP voting base is becoming increasingly radicalized due to the lack of KVP laws being passed, and is in fact slowly shrinking with many of their former voters having joined the YPG, the GNVP, or even the KPG.
The KVP's stance is changed to Neutral, leaning Loyal. When laws and legislature become available, one of the marked KVP-related items must be taken each turn.

[ ] The YPG is an oddity in the coalition, and so are their concerns and demands. Religious education and military expansion, economic reform and a focus on finding the souls of the Valkyur whom have taken up human form as Valkyria, and the tentative return to Germanian expansionism and Imperial restorationism. It is the YPG's voting base which is growing the most the fastest, but it has many different streams of thought and policy, some of which contradictory to other branches.
The YPG's stance is changed to Devoted Coalition Member, and the YPG will be guaranteed to join a new coalition with the GDP. When laws and legislature become available, one of the marked YPG-relared items must be taken each turn.

---

The success chance of the Vote of No Confidence is lowered by 15. The Success Chance is now 55.
Actions by the GNVP to raise the success chance have failed due to streetfighting with the Communists and a fire at the party headquarters burning vital documents.
Actions by the KPG to raise the success chance have failed due to streetfighting with the GNVP and internal party politics.

---

Military Investments:
-[X] The Universal Tank concept
DC: N/A. Rolled: 89 (A-44/100 - A-44/122 - T26A1 (90mm) - T46A1 (90mm))

Report from Armoured Vehicle Testing Department, April 2nd, 1948 (2.4.48)

It is with much pleasure that the Armoured Vehicle Testing Department can announce that the A-44 medium tank, to be designated as the T46A1 Assault Tank upon adoption by the Kaiserliche Reichswehr, has passed a variety of tests with success and has cleared all present and past requirements for an armoured fighting vehicle to replace the various medium and heavy tanks currently in service within the Kaiserliche Reichswehr.

The A44 however has unfortunately gained increased weight in part due to improvements made to the suspension, road wheels, turret rotation mechanism, armour composition and angling, general improvements to maintain speed and maneuverability and the Ragnite engine, for an increase of mass from 34 tonnes in the mild steel prototype to 46 tonnes to the final model. Despite the increased weight, general maneuverability, range and speed of the vehicle has not suffered to a large extent. The 46-tonne prototype A44E5, from here on referred to as the A44, was subsequently tested with full combat load. What follows is a summary of the testing.

Armament:
The main weapon of the A44 is an 90mm L/53 anti-tank gun, designated with the ordnance designation '90mm/53 anti-tank gun, M44', and is mounted in a centrally position turret on the hull, capable of -10 degrees and +20 degrees of gun dpression and elevation respectively. Performance of the weapon, compared to Second Europan War 122mm, 85mm, and 76.2mm tank guns, is superior to all these weapons in ballistic performance, while the 122mm/43 D-25T tank gun maintains a penetrative advantage due to the heavy weight of the shell fired, at 25 kilograms - however, due to the shell drop at long distances, the 90mm/53 is overal a better choice for long-distance shooting.

Penetration table of Kaiserliche Reichswehr tank guns (in mm) at combat ranges, calibre above 50mm

Penetration tests on both captured Minute medium tanks and Imperial Heavy Tanks have led to the conclusion that both vehicles are vulnerable to the 90mm/53 M44 tank gun at ranges exceeding 1,000 metres, with the Minute tank in particular being vulnerable at 2,500 metres to a frontal shot from the gun.

[...]

The secondary armament of the A-44 consists of three machine guns, one mounted in a ball-mount in the hull, one mounted coaxially for use by the gunner, and one mounted in front of the commander's cupola for anti-infantry use: All three machine guns fire the standard Germanian 7.62mm round to lighten the logistical burden of the tank on the supply chain.

Armour
As a result of both testing and demands by the Reichswehr in regards to tank procurement, armour of the A-44 prototype has been substantially increased. Primarily done according to reports of increasing amounts of 76mm and 76.2mm, the heavy increase of armour has not impacted performance to a high degree.

[...]

Angled backwards at 46 degrees, the original 80mm thick frontal armoured plates have been replaced with a plate that is 101mm thick, increasing effective armour to 174mm at maximum and rendering it completely immune to 57mm, 75mm, 76mm and most ammunition fired by the 76.2mm anti-tank cannons of the Atlantic Federation. The A-44 can as such be used as an assault tank that can reliably engage enemy armour from the front. However, the side and rear armour has been thinned to allow for the heavier frontal armour, to 72 and 50mm respectively, lowering survivability in urban battles and environments.

Turret armour, like the hull armour, is also increased in comparison to the base A-44 prototype. Cylindrical in shape, the 170mm strong gun mantlet is strong enough to absorb enemy fire, while the rest of the frontal turret armour ranges from 155mm to 175mm due to the rounded shape of the turret. Side and rear armour is thinner, at 110mm and 76mm respectively, though the forward side armour is cylindrical in shape, and thus varies in actual thickness from 110mm to 164mm. Roof armour is 25mm thick.

Mobility
The primary reason for the increase in weight, apart from the improved armour, is the installation of the Ho-456 Liquid Ragnite Engine which allows the A-44 to maintain a top speed of 35 (~21 mph) kilometres per hour on both paved roads and off-road terrain, and to meet the range requirement of 250 kilometres before new Ragnite fuel needs to be pumped inside the fuel tanks. The suspension, though stressed by the additional armour and weight, is not at risk of breakdown if the vehicle is regulary maintained and serviced, at least once per two weeks at minimum. Bridges with a weight limit of 45 tonnes and lower cannot be crossed by the A-44: If the depth of the river is properly ascertained, and is lesser than one and a half metres deep, the tank can safely ford to the opposite river bank.

[...]

It is however cautioned that new drivers for the A-44, once accepted in service, should be trained to the utmost to avoid losses due to the failure of the engine, transmission, or suspension. It should be noted that during the testing process, the A-44 only broke down thrice due to engine failure and once due to a broken track. The vehicle is reliable and capable, and a worthy addition to the arsenal of the Kaiserliche Reichswehr.

Report has concluded. The T46A1 is cleared for service.

--=--

The adaptation of the new T46A1 tank, the replacement for the obsolescent Assault Tank of old, had on some levels not been a surprise. The Atlantic Federation had adapted their own new armoured vehicles following the war after all, to replace their aging Minute tanks, and though the Claude medium tanks were failing to meet the high expectations of the post-War armies of the Federation, it was still a vehicle which could easily destroy the ubiquitous Imperial Assault Tanks of the various post-East Europan Imperial Alliance states.

It was, however, a surprise for Tank Plant no.092. Though warnings had been given by the government that Assault Tank production would soon cease, the foreman and the boss of the factory, a certain Lohn Wilde, had in fact refused to cease Assault Tank production: Perhaps out of the expectation that the Germanian government would write off the new T46A1, the manufacture of the old Assault Tank had even sped up, with three hundred complete hulls finished by the time the T46A1 was finished and cleared to enter production.

While the foreman and Lohn Wilde have been called to explain themselves to the CEO by now and the factory retooling went underway, the government has a problem. Three-hundred finished Assault Tank hull-shaped problems, to be exact. The turrets for the tanks have not been delivered, and with the production of T46 turrets taking priority, it is likely that these last hulls will never receive them. As such, Lieutenant-Colonel Schöffer has suggested that the tanks be converted into self-propelled artillery: In particular, to mount either the 105mm leFH M43B, or the 150mm sFH M43B.

Though not expensive compared to halting retooling, producing three-hundred turrets and to then restart retooling, it is still a drain on resources - and it will completely consume either 105 or 150 milimetre howitzer production for the next four months. Alternatively, surplus 76.2mm tank guns can be mounted in a rear or front-mounted casemate, turning the hulls into assault guns.

[ ] Turn the Assault Tank hulls into 105mm self-propelled artillery.

[ ] The 150mm howitzers need to be mechanized, and the Assault Tank hulls will do the trick just fine.

[ ] There is a dire lack of infantry support weapons... Converting them to assault guns is the best option.

---

Production of the T46A1 Assault Tank begins, and will gradually replace the Imperial Assault Tank in service over the course of three turns, being finished in January-April 1949.
Three-hundred pieces of either self-propelled artillery or self-propelled guns will be added to the national stockpile in Turn two, May-July.
An Encyclopedia Europa entry will be added to the glossary.

---

[X] Creating a mobile army
DC: N/A. Roll: 27 (very limited mechanisation - limited mechanisation - widespread mechanisation - complete mechanisation)

Report from the Reichswehr Mechanisation Committee

The SPz-1 has, reportedly, become a sensation amongst the soldiery whom have been able to exchange their older trucks and armoured personnel carriers for the new SPz-1 model, and the Schützenpanzer has become a fixture of the tank arm too for the support the vehicle can offer during assaults and reconnaissance.

It has, unfortunately, proven to be impossible to completely mechanise the entirety of the Kaiserliche Reichswehr in the limited timespan that has been allocated to this monumental task, even with all available efforts directed at this programme. Resource shortages, and a need to produce a truly enormous amount of moden Schützenpanzers needed to fully achieve the goal of total mechanisation, has largely halted this project from being realized. As a result, only a limited amount of divisions and units have been mechanised and equipped with Schützenpanzers, which have taken up the mantle of Panzergrenadiers to raise espirit de corps: However, while equipping the entire Reichswehr with Schützenpanzers has proven to be difficult and currently unachievable, strategic planners within the Reichswehr Mechanisation Committee have suggested that a small force of elite and highly motorized and mechanised units would work better than a large force of soldiers largely untrained in the intricacies of mechanized operations.

[...]

This quality-over-quantity approach, and the positive results gained therefrom, can be seen with the convertion of the 8. Infanterie-Division (mot.) and the 3. Infanterie-Division. While the 1. Panzergrenadier-Division (formerly the 8. Infanterie-Division (mot.)) exceeded expectations in training exercises and stimulated maneuvers, the equally-as-well trained 3. Panzergrenadier-Division (formerly the 3. Infanterie-Division) failed in her duties and tasks before routing in a display of incompetence which during the War would have the commanding officer shot.

[...]

However, while this inefficacy may be remedied with further training and acclimatization, adequately training the officers and soldiers in the correct usage of their new charges will be time consuming and, to the detriment of the Reichswehr, completely remove several divisions from the field of battle until such a time their training is complete, with the time of absence ranging between eight months to two years, in addition to the greatly increasing Ragnite usage - of which there is a limited amount available, and most of which has been diverted to tank production - and seriously stretching production capability. As such, the Committee suggests to first begin with the removal from draft animals from the divisional structure before expanding the process of mechanising the army.

[...]

In the end, however, the decision lays with the Minister of the Reichswehr.

[ ] Keep a few mechanized divisions, and slowly mechanize the rest. It will take more time, but less strain will be put on the industry - which is also producing T46A1 Assault Tanks in mass quantities - and it will not rapidly increase Ragnite usage: There is only a minor surplus of the latter, and overstretching this resource can have unwelcome consequences.
Rewards:
1. Panzergrenadier-Division (Elite, fully equipped.)
2. Panzergrenadier-Division (Experienced, fully equipped.)
3. Panzergrenadier-Division (Recruits, missing Armoured Personnel Carriers and trucks.)

1. Infanterie-Division (Experienced, fully equipped)
2. Infanterie-Division (Experienced, fully equipped)
3. Infanterie-Division (Experienced, fully equipped)
4. Infanterie-Division (Veterans, fully equipped)
5. Infanterie-Division (Recruits, fully equipped)

1. Panzer-Division (Elite, fully equipped)
2. Panzer-Division (Elite, missing armoured vehicles)

or

[ ] Total mechanisation is the top priority. While it may overstretch the industry and tax the Ragnite reserves, the benefits of having a fully mechanized force is one not to be understated: Tactical exploitation may, in fact, grow to greatly favour Germanian forces mounted in swift and heavily armed and armoured transports.
Rewards:
1. Panzergrenadier-Division (Elite, missing armoured personnel carriers)
2. Panzergrenadier-Division (Experienced, missing armoured personnel carriers)
3. Panzergrenadier-Division (Recruits, missing armoured personnel carriers)
4. Panzergrenadier-Division (Recruits, missing armoured personnel carriers)
5. Panzergrenadier-Division (Recruits, missing armoured personnel carriers)

1. Infanterie-Division (Experienced, fully equipped)
2. Infanterie-Division (Experienced, fully equipped)

1. Panzer-Division (Elite, missing armoured personnel carriers)
2. Panzer-Division (Elite, missing armoured personnel carriers, missing armoured vehicles)

---

[X] Look to the blue skies
DC: N/A. Roll: 83.

As seven aeroplanes soared majestically through the air, newly promoted commander of the Reichsluftstreitkräfte Ernst Wilberg watched the machines fly with a critical eye, judging every loop and every maneuver made. It had not been long ago that he had sat behind the controls of an aeroplane after all, and his experience in identifying even the most minute of flaws was unchallenged: Looking at the monowinged machines perform a dive that would have ripped the wings of a Second Europan War biplane, Wilberg grinned slightly - perhaps he could get his own hands on one of them? - before taking a note as the planes made a sharp turn to the right and the left, splitting up in two different squadrons and beginning a faux dogfight.

It was majestic, it was marvelous. Ernst Wilberg could never suppress that feeling of unadulterated joy that came when watching the pinnacle of human achievements, the ability to soar through the skies like birds, to gaze upon the lands from thousands of meters up high.

"Is the demonstration to your satisfaction, herr General der Flieger?" With an annoyed grunt, Ernst turned around to gaze at the civilian aide that had followed him around for the entirety of the day, a thorn in his side when he wanted to take a closer look at things, which interrupted his nostalgic thoughts and memories. "It is, herr Frank. The aeroplane, as far as I have been able to inspect it, meets all of my demands and requests: The Luftstreitkrafte will adapt the Pf.51 as soon as the demonstration is over." It would not be immediately adapted, actually. Ernst looked at the aeroplanes dancing in the sky again, performing faux attack runs and strafing runs on the ground, and already began to imagine the planes with additional weaponry: An 100kg bomb there, maybe a couple of additional machineguns there and there, the regression of the cockpit so it was less vulnerable...

Still, the planes were majestic as they were at the moment, while they gracefully made a low pass over the small crowd. Painted in the national colours, a beautiful green-white-grey, the machines looked almost exactly like those who he had flown in the War. As the squadron came in for their landing, Ernst nodded to himself. The Pf.51 would be adopted, yes - and there would be a great chance that he would fly one in the near future.

---

The Pf.51 has been accepted for service, and is entering limited production with around 13 planes per month being manufactured.
Armed with a 2cm autocannon (The belt for the autocannon consists of 200 API-T (Armour Piercing Incendiary - Tracer) and HEI (High Explosive Incendiary) ammunition, with four rounds of HEI for one round of API-T. Can be swapped out for increased armour piercing ammunition or foregoe the API-T entirely.) and two 7.62mm machine guns firing tracer and incendiary ammunition.
Though sluggish and slightly less maneuverable than the D.VII aeroplanes from the War, the increased armament and armour is much appreciated.

---

As I am currently unable to type the rest of the turn - infrastructure and regional diplomacy - due to a battery fault with the laptop I am writing on, this first part will later be followed up with part two! Moratorium is in effect for the next 3 hours.