East Africa 1930: An ORBAT Quest

Turn 11 News, Rumours, & Updates: July-September 1932

Project Development

Ongoing Projects

[X] Establish the Ordnance Office - Developing an arms industry from scratch will take time and effort. An Ordnance Office will allow us to delegate some of that work to specialists. (Constant Investment.)
[X] Establish the Carabinieri Oversight Office - No one really keeps an eye on the paramilitary police force that keeps watch over the nation. If the force is to be reformed and re-established in a new role, then oversight is needed at the very least. (Constant Investment.)
[X] New Uniform Standard - The current issued uniform barely qualifies and is only truly standardised amongst the officers and the cavalry. Order new, standardised uniforms and web gear for the whole army. (3 Months Remain) ☑◻

Kismayo-Turkana Line:
Progress, Marsabit-Turkana: 52% (Est. completion October 1933)

Arisaka Rifles, Orders, and Production:
Progress, Rifle Deliveries: 50% (Est. completion December 1932)
Progress, Rifle Factory: 3 rifles per day

Type 3 HMG Project:
Progress, Reverse Engineering: 60% (Est. completion March 1933)

July 1932

International Headlines

Belgrade: Milan Srškić appointed Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.
Munich: Sixteen thousand fascists and as many social democrats hold parades campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary election.
Asunción: Paraguay government sends army battalion to reclaim forts seized by Bolivian forces.
Reims: Italian Tazio Nuvolari wins automobile Grand Prix at the Reims-Gueux racetrack.
London: Britain imposes 100% import tariffs on Irish goods following Free State's refusal to pay for land.
Lisbon: President Carmona appoints Salazar 100th prime minister of Portugal.
Paris: French senate votes down female suffrage.
New York: Dow Jones industrial average at historic low!
Lausanne: Germany freed from reparation obligations after next 3 billion RM payment.
Oslo: Norwegian government declares annexation of Greenland's eastern coast.
New York: 2,000 homeless after fire in city blocks.
Newark: Aviatrix Amelia Earhart sets new women's transcontinental record: 19 hours, 14 minutes, and 40 seconds!
Washington: Riot erupts among protestors, America president decides not to attend congress for own safety.
Hamburg: 18 dead after reds, fascists clash. Papen bans all outdoor demonstrations.
Dublin: Irish Free State retaliates, raising tariffs on British goods.
Geneva: Shouting row erupts between Italian and French delegations.
Havana: 9 dead, 55 wounded in raid on communist headquarters.
Moscow: Soviet Union signs non-aggression pacts with Estonia, Finland, Poland.
Paris: Doumer's assassin on trial: I was possessed by demon.
Washington: Rifles, cavalry, tanks, and gas used to drive protesting veterans out of American capital.
Budapest: Despite French protests, Hungarian government hangs communist after speedy trial.
Los Angeles: The Summer Olympic Games opens. More under sports.
Berlin: Hitler's National Socialist party biggest after parliamentary elections with 230 seats. No coalition can form a majority: Franz von Papen remains chancellor.
La Paz: Bolivian troops capture a further three Paraguayan forts in the contested Chaco region, including Fortín Boquerón.

August 1932

International Headlines

Asunción: Paraguay declares a general mobilisation. Bolivia responds with a partial mobilisation.
Stockholm: Carl Gustaf Ekman resigns as prime minister of Sweden: Felix Hamrin new prime minister.
Berlin: New laws to stop protests: prison for attack on policemen, death penalty for political terrorism!
Seville: General José Sanjurjo seizes Spanish city of Seville in coup, demands resignation of government. Azaña government's swift response sends rebels fleeing: conspirators arrested.
Los Angeles: Olympic Games end. United States dominates: 41 gold medals!
Pozzolengo: Auguste Piccard, assistant, set balloon altitude record: 16,201 metres!
Asunción: Dr. Eusebio Ayala becomes president of Paraguay.
London: Communal Award announced for India, separate elections to be established for various religious groups and castes.
Potempa: Crowd storms courthouse after death sentence is read for five fascists for murder of communist.
London: British Broadcasting Corporation begins to transmit 'television' signals on a regular basis. Futurists predict that by the year 2000, there may be a 'television' in every home, replacing the home radio.
Lancashire: 200,000 cotton workers enter strike!
San Marino: Sammarinese Fascist Party wins general election, taking all seats.
Berlin: National Socialist Hermann Göring elected president of German Reichstag.

September 1932

International Headlines

Potempa: Death sentences of the five fascists sentenced last month commuted to life imprisonment after an impassioned speech by Herr Hitler.
Bogotá: Peruvian army seizes Colombian town of Leticia.
Berlin: Nearly 200,000 monarchist paramilitaries march in support of Franz von Papen.
Gospić: Gendarme station in Yugoslavia attacked by revolutionary Ustaše movement.
Asunción: The Paraguayan 1st Army Corps deploys and attacks Fortín Boquerón. A hasty assault from the march is bloodily repulsed and the Paraguayan and Bolivian forces settle into a siege. The Chaco War has begun.
Berlin: Franz von Papen threatened by vote of no confidence.
Bogotá: Colombian government pledges 10 million pesos to recapture Leticia, deploys army against Peru..
Chiaotung: Guomindang government unable to control own generals: Armies of Chinese warlords Han Fuju and Liu Zhennian clash.
Stockholm: Per Albin Hanson appointed prime minister of Sweden after elections.
Poona: After hunger striking in protest against the format of the new separate elections enforcing caste divisions, Mohandas K. Gandhi signs an agreement with B.R. Ambedkar to double the number of seats assigned to Dalits or 'untouchables'.
Athens: Liberal Party retains majority in parliamentary elections.
Ierissos: Nearly 500 dead as earthquake strikes Greece!
Havana: Four dead in wave of assassinations.
Asunción: After a month-long siege, the few remaining Bolivian soldiers in Fortín Boquerón surrender to the Paraguayan commander, Lt.-Col. Estigarribia. Both sides have suffered heavily in the fighting, not only from enemy action but also from a chronic lack of water. International commentators are surprised by this result, the smaller and poorer Paraguay being expected to lose any conflict over the Chaco, but expect that as Bolivia mobilises Paraguay will have few further victories.
Havana: University students riot in street on anniversary of student leader Rafael Trejo's death.

Turn 12 Vote: October 1932

Project Development

Ongoing Projects

[X] Establish the Ordnance Office - Developing an arms industry from scratch will take time and effort. An Ordnance Office will allow us to delegate some of that work to specialists. (Constant Investment.)
[X] Production Licensing: Machine Guns - Attempt to buy the rights to produce the ZB vz.30 in 6.5×50 mmSR. (6 Months Remain) ☑☑◻◻
[X] Establish the Carabinieri Oversight Office - No one really keeps an eye on the paramilitary police force that keeps watch over the nation. If the force is to be reformed and re-established in a new role, then oversight is needed at the very least. (Constant Investment.)
[X] Organisational Reform: Wilderness Rangers - The Carabinieri is responsible for massive tracts of rural land. A specialist ranger unit trained in long-distance patrol and survival would be useful to the force as a whole. (6 Months Remain) ☑◻◻

Completed Projects

[X] New Uniform Standard - The current issued uniform barely qualifies and is only truly standardised amongst the officers and the cavalry. Order new, standardised uniforms and web gear for the whole army. (Complete!) ☑☑

Kismayo-Turkana Line:
Progress, Marsabit-Turkana: 61% (Est. completion October 1933)

Arisaka Rifles, Orders, and Production:
Progress, Rifle Deliveries: 65% (Est. completion December 1932)
Progress, Rifle Factory: 3 rifles per day

Type 3 HMG Project:
Progress, Reverse Engineering: 80% (Est. completion March 1933)

Reports

The Schedule of Industry
Industry leaders have delivered a warning to the government that the local steel and machining industries are at full capacity, as they are now producing Arisaka type 38's, establishing lines for the Czech light machine gun, and attempting to clone the Type 3 HMG.

Additional requirements will require additional means beyond mere financial investment. Production on the current lines will suffer if any more requirements are placed upon them.

The January Plan
The President has come to speak in front of the Defence Council, giving a short pre-written speech on the nature of Reewiin's future. He is exceptionally pleased with the progress of developments in the last three years, content with the re-equipped units, the improved nature of the carabinieri, and the large herds of cattle and horses that are now grazing outside the city. Reewiin is wealthy, he says, even if it is suffering the same troubles as the rest of the world.

Nonetheless, there are issues: The Kutolo has sat in harbour for months with nothing more than a handful of guards aboard it. Why, he asks, is she not being used properly? Security in the cities is also clearly an issue–should there be a formal carabinieri presence there, given the failure to protect against the rioting?

There are problems, and the Defence Council is still required to solve them. In January of 1933, the President will require a new long-term plan to be presented to the House by the Council. Prepare to make your case.

The Kismayo-Marsabit Line
The first truly modern train line in Reewiin is finally finished. Two tracks have been laid side by side, one running East and the other West. Trains, D50 locomotives, and rolling stock imported from Japan are now busily shuttling iron into Kismayo and construction materials back to Marsabit. This may or may not increase the pace of construction on the second half of the line: that is yet to be seen. It will certainly increase the steel mills' production capabilities in the coastal cities, boosting the local economy.

Another effect of the new line is the presence of passenger trains, which are already bringing young men from their family farms inland out to the bustling metropolis of Kismayo. They provide the manpower for the expanding steel mills, and this excess of labour creates downward pressure on wages, further boosting the economy.

Gain one (1) investment point.

Machine Guns
We have obtained an agreement in principle with ZB. Our order of 350 guns had their negotiating team muttering with each other, and it appears unlikely that we will be getting a sweetheart deal on the guns. Attempts to praise the quality of the typewriter have not helped, and detailed negotiations are continuing.

Uniforms
The Army is largely happy to have received new uniforms and load-bearing equipment, but protests the overreach of the Council in not consulting them for the design and acquisition. Nonetheless, many officers have praised the new, modern look of soldiers in uniform.

Informal reports from army personnel indicate that actually getting the soldiers to wear the new uniforms and equipment is proving difficult: soldiers complain that the new blouse and western-style trousers are too warm, while the web gear makes the experience of wearing it clammy and uncomfortable. The boots are an especially loathed item, and soldiers complain of blisters and walking around in puddles of their own sweat.

The new NCO corps has more or less quashed rumours that the new boots are made of pig leather.

The weight of the new equipment is also an issue: between the uncomfortable fit and weight, much of it ends up carried by hired porters, while soldiers tend to wear a mix of old and new uniforms to keep cool.

The cavalry, and some officers, make silent protests against the uniform appearance the new uniform creates. They've taken to wearing the old or privately purchased uniforms to distinguish themselves from the enlisted infantrymen. Some junior officers have taken to wearing ostentatious hats as a sign of rank.

Defence Council Investment - October 1932

The Defence Council currently has two investment points available to be spent on any area.

Industry and Logistics

Armaments
[ ] Weapon Testing: Machine Guns - The Ordnance Office will buy a handful of machine guns from around the world and test them until they break. Afterwards, they will make recommendations to the Defence Council on the topic of machine gun licensing. (6-Month Investment. Recommendations will be made at the end of this process.)

[ ] Production Licensing: Machine Guns - Attempt to buy the rights to produce a machine gun design. Include a weapon available in 1931 as a Write-In. Some will be easily acquired, others will be immediately refused. (12-Month Investment. Initial production will be low-rate, and improve over time.)

[ ] Increase Funding: Type 3 - By funnelling additional investment towards the Type 3 project, it may be possible to have a prototype ready faster. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Restructure the Ordnance Office - Reduce staffing in the Ordnance Office to retain oversight of programs in progress and free up capital for investment elsewhere. This does not cost an investment point and can be done at any time. (3-Month Investment.)

Breeding and Working
[ ] Equine Acquisition: Purchase Arabians - Buy Arabian horses for service en masse from Egypt. They will be monogender, and we will not be able to maintain the line if they're used for breeding stock. They also may not be resistant to AHS/ASS. (3-Month Investment. Sufficient mass of horses should be available in as little as one year.)

[ ] Equine Acquisition: Stud Farms - Buy a small number of Arabian studs from the United States. These will make good breeding stock for future programmes. (3-Month Investment. A breeding programme can begin within the year.)

[ ] Government Action: Push for Equine Conscription - While pastoralism is not exactly a major industry in Reewiin, there are a large number of animals that could be put to wartime use, were they assessed in a proper census. (6-Month Investment. Implementation will occur at the government's pace.)

[ ] Restructure the Veterinary Oversight Office - To reduce operational costs the Veterinary Oversight Office has been shrunk significantly. Funding and personnel would allow the Office to perform specialised tasks. (3 Months, Constant Investment)

Lanes, Trains, and Automobiles
[ ] Road Expansion: Somali Coast - Build some metalled roads connecting major towns and cities. (6-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Road Expansion: Inland Networks - Improve the unimproved road network to be more extensive and less vulnerable to flooding in the wet season. (6-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

Doctrine and Organisation

DCIRRO
[ ] Establish the Information Review Team - This group will be tasked with drafting reports on various arms of the internal structure of Reewiin. (12-Month Investment. Will enable additional work in this specific area, including write-in Information Review requests.)

[ ] Information Review: Government - Determine what the civilian government wants out of their armed forces. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Ethiopia - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Ethiopia. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Britain - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Britain. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Italy - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Italy. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: The Foreigners Have Some Good Ideas - Send observation teams overseas to take the best ideas from foreign nations. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] NEW! Send Observers: Bolivia - Send a military attaché to learn from the Bolivian army's experiences on the Chaco front. (Until recalled or conflict ends)

[ ] NEW! Send Observers: Paraguay - Send a military attaché to learn from the Paraguayan army's experiences on the Chaco front. (Until recalled or conflict ends)

Reforming the Carabinieri
[ ] Reinforce the Somali Border - Diverting funds to the North-Eastern border will better protect against any future Italian aggression. (12-Month Investment.)

[ ] Reinforce the Ethiopian Border - Diverting funds to the North-Western border will better protect against any future Ethiopian aggression. (12-Month Investment.)

[ ] Reinforce the Kenyan Border - Diverting funds to the Southern border will better protect against any future British aggression. (12-Month Investment.)

[ ] Restructure the Carabinieri Office - Reduce staffing in the Carabinieri Office to retain oversight of programs in progress and free up capital for investment elsewhere. This does not cost an investment point and can be done at any time. (3-Month Investment.)

Reforming the Army
[ ] Manoeuvre Training - The Army Review has determined that Reewiin's standing military is not currently fit for the task. Field manoeuvres will begin to improve this. (6-Month Investment.)
- [ ] Optional: Request Japanese support for this program, improving impacts and benefiting from IJN institutional knowledge.
- [ ] Optional: Request Japanese support for this program, improving impacts and benefiting from IJA institutional knowledge.

[ ] Rifle Training - With an average of twenty rounds per man per year, marksmanship is of very poor quality. Regular range training will begin to improve this. (6-Month Investment.)
- [ ] Optional: Request Japanese support for this program, improving impacts and benefiting from IJN institutional knowledge.
- [ ] Optional: Request Japanese support for this program, improving impacts and benefiting from IJA institutional knowledge.

[ ] Cavalry Training - The Cavalry are loath to conduct operations en-masse, leaving them poorly equipped for the field. Deployments into central Reewiin will begin to improve this. (6-Month Investment.)
- [ ] Optional: Request Japanese support for this program, improving impacts and benefiting from IJA institutional knowledge.

[ ] Enlarge the Officers Corps - The Army of Reewiin lacks many things, one of which is small officers. While this is not a significant issue at the high level, it leaves the junior officers seriously overworked. Beginning a major drive to recruit and train new officers will shift this issue towards the positive. (12-Month Investment.)

[ ] Enlarge the Army - Currently, Reewiin maintains a standing Army of 6,000 men organised into five effective battalions. There are several options for enlarging this; select one or more:
- [ ] Establish a more formal reservist force from those claiming their pension.
- [ ] Increase recruitment - Write in the desired force size.
- [ ] Write in.

[ ] Confine Idle Soldiers to Barracks - We can't have the Army tarnishing its image by gambling and causing trouble on the streets! Confining the soldiers to their barracks when they don't have leave will keep them from being a nuisance. (3-Month Investment).

[ ] Give Council Position to Army Liaison - By letting an Army liaison vote on Council matters, we can reassure the Army that their concerns are given due weight. (3-Month Investment).

A New Ship
[ ] Form a Naval Service: Carabinieri Maritime Policing Unit - The Kutulo could most easily be subsumed into the Carabinieri, since they already have a boat section for policing Lake Turkana. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Form a Naval Service: Reewiin Army Navy - The Kutulo could be put into service under the oversight of the new Army HQ, allowing easy acquisition of trained officers and NCOs, although not necessarily ones trained in maritime warfare. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Form a Naval Service: Reewiin Navy - The Kutulo could form the nucleus of a true, independent navy for Reewiin, raised mainly from Reewiinite merchant sailors and fishermen. (9-Month Investment.)

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There will be a 6-hour moratorium on voting to encourage discussion. The vote will close in three days.