The Republic Ascendant: A France 1890-1970 AAR

[pvtlarry99]

Paris, May 1897



Paris was abuzz with activity. Its ancient streets echoed with the clanging of church bells, pounding of drums, and songs of revelers, as the population rejoiced at the news of German surrender. The latest war between the two rival nations had lasted all of four months, the speed and scale of the victory seemed almost unthinkable.



Great crowds thronged about the National Assembly, spectators jostled to pack its galleries, as the President of the Chamber of Deputies, the stately old radical Henri Brisson, strained to make himself heard over the animated crowd. Standing aside the podium were two admirals in full regalia, clearly the subject of great interest from the assembled spectators. Brisson commenced:



“Before you stand two heroes of the French Republic! Under their leadership, our Marine Nationale has been revitalized, we have had total victory over our enemies, and France stands again with her head held high among the leading nations of the world. It was not so long ago that President Thiers said that the navy is a luxury which France, emerging prostrate and humiliated from the War of 1870, could not afford. But seven years ago Amiral Ronarch stood before the Conseil des Ministres and warned of the impending German threat. He promised that if we gave him his ships, he would make le boche scream for mercy. And today, every French patriot can rejoice that he has kept his promise!



“Twice in less than ten years now, our fleet has annihilated the enemy in pitched battle and closed his ports to trade. It is these great naval victories which have permitted our armies to correct the humiliation of 1870, to retake l’Alsace in 1892, and today to raise the French tricolor over the Sarre! I present to you now Contre-amiral Duplat, to give his first-hand accounting of the great victory off the Dutch coast last month which has made our victory today possible.”



Contre-amiral Pierre Duplat rose to speak. A rather diminutive man with a slight frame, it at first seemed doubtful that he might manage to calm the standing ovation from the assembled deputies, but when he spoke, a surprisingly deep voice boomed like a cannon in the cavernous hall of the legislature.



“I first thank monsieur le Président de la chambre for his kind words, and I thank the Assembly for its support for the strengthening of our navy these past years. And I must pay tribute, above all, to the courage and sacrifice of our heroic sailors without whom there could be no victory.”



This tribute provoked another raucous applause which took a full minute to settle.



“It would now be my great pleasure to recount for the Assembly the events of this recent victory off Vliesland, which achieved the destruction of the German battle fleet. It was, if I may say, exactly the battle the navy hoped to fight, and the outcome is a credit to the good quality of our ships and the training of their crews.







It was known to us for some time that the core of the German fleet was concentrating in the port of Emden, regrouping all the enemy battleships for an attempt to break the blockade. As a result our heaviest units were concentrated in the vicinity. The day of the battle, I was present aboard the Iena, with the 1er Division de ligne, which regrouped our two Saint-Louis-class battleships, and three of the older Charles Martel-class ships. In support was the 3e Division de ligne under Contre-amiral de Kertanguy, with the three République-class ships. The bulk of our cruiser force was committed scouting ahead of the fleet, under the command of Contre-amiral Courbet.



Just before dawn the leading cruisers spotted the silhouettes of the enemy off to the northeast.



But they only hesistated a moment, as Capitaine de vaisseau Bertrand aboard the Amiral Aube opened fire just a minute later, immediately scoring a lucky hit on the lead German cruiser. A good omen which set the stage for the battle to come.



As the first sunlight crept over the horizon it was clear that we had indeed encountered the entirety of the German battle fleet. I ordered an immediate turn to starboard to attempt to get around the German cruiser screen and ahead of the enemy battle line.



By 6:30 AM the two fleets were running parallel, main guns thundering out at maximum range, as the screening cruisers fell back behind the battle lines.



Frustrated after half an hour of largely ineffectual long-range firing, at 7:00 I ordered a sudden turn to port, to close the range with the German fleet and pass their battle line by the stern, hoping to subject the rear battleships to withering fire. The maneuver seemed to catch the German fleet by surprise and the enemy battle line made its own hard turn towards the east, with the screening cruisers seeming to scatter in confusion. A pair of Blucher class heavy cruisers got caught between the French battle line and the scouting cruisers and were badly pummeled. This was the beginning of the breakdown of formation which would doom the German fleet.



At 7:30 there was a moment of terrible danger, as three German destroyers suddenly swung towards the exposed French battleships. My command reacted quickly, engaging in wild maneuvers which surely saved our ships from enemy torpedoes, but this allowed the German battleships to slip further away.



It took roughly an hour of hot pursuit to close the range again.



By this point the German admiral seemed committed to making port at Emden, and began launching desperate attacks which his cruisers and destroyers in an attempt to hold back the French battleships and allow his own battle division to make its escape. Around 8:30 three enemy armored cruisers made a coordinated run against my battle line. While the French battleships were again obliged to maneuver recklessly to avoid the threat of torpedoes, the only concrete result was a considerable number of 5 and 6-inch secondary battery hits on the German ships.



Around 8:45 the German battleships suddenly turned southwards towards the Dutch coastline. Perhaps they sought to avoid being overtaken by our fleet, but in so doing they put themselves in a dangerous position. The French battleships were now able to cut the Germans off from their home port, while the French cruisers, lying in wait to the west, would oppose any breakout in that direction. The German ships would soon be cornered.



By 9:05 the disastrous scale of the German commander's error must have been obvious to him and his crews. The German battleships were now separated from their screening cruisers, the French 1er division was maneuvering to prevent them escaping eastward. The République-class ships of the 3e division menaced them from the north, and over a dozen French cruisers blocked passage westwards. The bulk of the German fleet was now pressed up against the Dutch coast with nowhere to run.



The German ships desperately steamed for the east, hoping to avoid the final closing of the trap, but they were too late. Tightly-packed and with no room to maneuver, the enemy was subjected to a horrible pounding by the French battle line.



Just before 10:00, sensing the moment was ripe, I ordered my torpedo squadrons to make a run against the German battleships, as the enemy had little room to maneuver. Several of the heroic little ships succumbed to the withering fire of the enemy, but their efforts were rewarded by no less than three torpedo hits. Like wounded elephants, the German battleships staggered and fell out of line, where they became easy targets for our able gunners.






The battle continued into the early afternoon, though by this point the contest was already decided. Our battle divisions cruised back and forth, finishing off the German battleships individually as they attempted to limp away. The German cruiser force lingered near the mouth of Emden's harbor, but myself and my commanders knew better than to attempt a pursuit into mine-strewn waters and risk our ships for such little reward.




The final result was as decisive as could be. For the loss of four 300-ton destroyers, the French navy had managed to send to the bottom every battleship in the German home fleet, and crippled a sizable portion of their cruiser force. No French capital ship had suffered more than superficial damage. The enemy now had no hope of resisting the blockade, and that is why, gentlemen of the chamber, he has been forced to sue for peace so soon after brashly declaring war.”


This account brought the assembly to its feet again with roars of approval. Président de la Chambre Brisson remounted the podium: “Chers collègues, chers compatriotes, this chamber salutes the heroes of our navy! Vive la marine nationale, vive la république, vive la France! »

[pvtlarry99]

This is a first attempt at an AAR for me so forgive me if the presentation is rough around the edges. I intended to start in 1890, but things frankly got off to a dull start and I didn't feel like writing too much fluff to try to disguise that fact.

The short version of events leading up to this was that I fought a single war with Germany from 1892-94, which consisted mostly of quite dull skirmishing between cruisers. I finally won after a single major fleet action, which took place in pitch blackness with 1893-era fire control. It was a confusing melee in the dark with no tactical coherence to speak of and not terribly interesting to recount. After a few years of peace I was given a rematch and finally a battle worth talking about, so I'm choosing to take this as my starting point. From here I'll start talking about ship design and the evolution of the fleet, but my primary interest is naturally how it performs in battle. So expect peace time posts to generally cover fairly large chunks of time.

[pvtlarry99]

Paris, 1898

Amiral Jean-Michel Ronarch sat waiting in the Hotel de la Marine, his toe tapping impatiently as his eyes trailed over the ornate gold leaf fixtures of the Navy Ministry’s offices. His companion, the celebrated naval engineer Emile Bertin, was by contrast decidedly unbothered, occupied in scribbling away furtively in his notebook, only pausing occasionally to note with mild amusement the admiral’s frustration.


Finally, breaking an interminable silence which was only occasionally punctuated by noise drifting in from the bustling Place de la Concorde, Bertin dryly remarked “It’s a bit over the top this place, isn’t it?”


Ronarch snorted. “Say what you will about Napoleon III, but when he wanted something done he certainly didn’t spare a penny. Now we can only hope President Carnot is inclined to show the navy similar largesse today.”


Finally, only twenty minutes late, Ministre de la Marine Édouard Lockroy bustled in, ushering the two men into his office.


“I’m terribly sorry for the delay sirs,” he began, words pouring out at a rapid clip as he carelessly flung his hat and jacket over a waiting chair, “I’ve had to rush back from lunch in Saint-Germain where, frankly, I hardly had time to eat at all, given all this clamoring about the elections. It’s like herding cats you know, trying to keep the likes of Barthou, Waldeck and Juarez pulling in the same direction. But, in any case, it’s not your concern in the end if I keep this portfolio,” he chuckled, finally taking a seat and gesturing for the others to do the same,” So, admiral, you wanted to discuss major redeployments?


“That’s exactly right,” the Admiral replied, “With Germany neutralized as an immediate threat and relations with Britain in a good state, it is essential that we turn our full attention to the Mediterranean. I want to transfer the 3e Division de Ligne and a fair number of cruisers, and it will be necessary to replace the Massenas of the 2e Division, they’re simply too slow to be of any use in a real war.”






“The Germans are down, but they’re not out,” countered Minister Lockroy, “Tensions rise each day our troops occupy la Sarre, and the latest reports say they have some 8 battleships under construction, along with a healthy cruiser force already afloat. Unfortunately as long as Germany has a coastline, we’ll need to be ready for them.”


“I understand sir, but when are tensions ever low with the Germans? Meanwhile, the Austrians and Italians have been rapidly closing the gap in tonnage, they have us outnumbered in terms of cruisers, and torpedo boats are especially a concern, they’ve built dozens of the things.”


Now Bertin, silent to this point, intervened: “They’re catching up in capital ships as well, the Italians have 14 battleships in service and the Austrians 16, and they’ve both got more coming off the slips –”


Lockroy cut in: “Their battleships are no match for ours though. The majority of the Austrian battleships are lighter than our armored cruisers. The Italian ships are more capable, but still come in some 3,000 tons lighter than our newest ships. Two Democratie-class ships will launch in the next six months, as will the first Kleber and D’Entrecasteaux class cruisers, which will have better speed and protection than anything we have in service today. Our current naval programme is surely sufficient to see to the modernization of the Mediterranean fleet without making any drastic moves?”




“I’ll certainly be glad to have the new ships, sir, our fleet is aging, the cruisers especially. I’ve had to order the transfer of a full third of our Jeanne d’Arc class armored cruisers into the reserve division because they can’t make full speed anymore. But given the latest advances in metallurgy, even our newest ships are obsolete. We must begin work immediately on new capital ships which take full advantage of these advances in protection, and that is why I’ve requested Monsieur Bertin join us today. We were fortunate enough to secure his early return from Japan, and he’s produced some preliminary designs which you will surely agree are highly intriguing.”


The Minister spread his hands, “well admiral, I’m always ready to be impressed. Show me what you’ve drawn up.”


Two junior officers unrolled a set of blueprints for the trio, as Lockroy spread his arms to brace himself, leaning forward and poring over the designs.


“Aiming to set a new weight record again I see?” Lockroy chuckled, eagerly absorbing the details of the plans for the Mirabeau-class battleships. “Splendid. Beautiful work. And here we have, goodness-” He paused, brow furrowed, studying the design of the Marseillaise-class cruiser. “Am I reading this correctly Monsieur Bertin? This ship would be nearly twice the size of our most modern cruisers!”




“There’s nothing like it afloat anywhere,” Bertin replied, nodding, “Though, I fear, not for long. The British Argyll class will weigh in at 12,600 tons, and the Italian Regina Elena at 11,000. Not to mention the Germans who we’re so worried about are building a cruiser which will come in at 13,600 tons. The Marseillaise will keep us ahead of any rival – at 23 knots it will keep pace with light cruisers, while a 5-inch belt means that it will be able to go blow-for-blow with anything smaller than a battleship. My staff and I are also working on a somewhat more economical 10,000-ton design, the Victor Hugo. It will have to be slower of course, but perfectly fit to replace our aging cruiser force.”


Lockroy stroked his moustache, eyes still drifting over the plans. “Indeed… Well sirs, I appreciate you’re having come in today. There’s no question that our designs must remain ahead of the Germans at the very least, and if I can make that argument at the Council of Ministers, then I may be able to shake some funding loose."

--

It took just days for Ronarch, back at the Atlantic Fleet base at Dunkerque, to receive a telegram from Minister Lockroy"

"I'm pleased to inform you that you will be getting your new battleships. Finding a way to pay for the cruisers, however, may prove difficult."

[cwemyss]

Great work!

[cwemyss]

Duplicate post.... so I'll elaborate. The writing's great, and the fleet graphic is great!

[pvtlarry99]

Jun 3, 2023 15:14:36 GMT -6 cwemyss said:

Duplicate post.... so I'll elaborate. The writing's great, and the fleet graphic is great!

Thanks! Not so pretty as yours of course though haha. Always a favorite feature in your US AAR which is what made me want to take a stab at my own.

[fugshipyay]

If I might ask, how did you make the fleet division (for lack of a better word) map? It looks pretty snazzy with the blue outlines- which I also have questions about - But this looks pretty solid!

[pvtlarry99]

Jun 4, 2023 18:26:14 GMT -6 fugshipyay said:

If I might ask, how did you make the fleet division (for lack of a better word) map? It looks pretty snazzy with the blue outlines- which I also have questions about - But this looks pretty solid!

I did it all in paint.net, I just used the generator in game to create the ship profiles and then just fill them in solid color with the paint buket tool haha. Not the most elegant method perhaps but I'm pretty happy with the results.

[pvtlarry99]

Throughout 1899, French authorities in the Protectorate of Tunisia were confronted with rising rural banditry. The rural districts of southeastern Tunisia became increasingly restive, and in the governates of Tataouine and Medenine, the authority of the Bey of Tunis and his French benefactors was increasingly in question outside of the larger towns. In early June, a shocking bomb attack in Tunis targeted the French Resident-General, who escaped unharmed, though several French soldiers and dozens of bystanders were killed in the blast. By the peak of the summer, French colonial troops were clashing with mounted bands of armed rebels in the bush. Fleeing pursuit, the guerillas would slip across the porous colonial boundary into Italian Libya, prompting Rome to openly denounce France’s failure to maintain order in the region. The Italian garrison was bolstered, with the threat that they might take matters into their own hands. For a moment, it looked as if the Franco-Italian confrontation that senior French naval officers had anticipated would indeed come to pass.

However, the capture of German arms from rebel caches in the arid hills raised suspicion that the violence was not typical banditry. In September, Italian troops in Tripoli uncovered a stockpile of hundreds of rifles hidden away in dockside storehouses. Finally, in October, a coup, as a trio of German officers was captured in the company of rebels in the west of Libya. Outraged, Paris and Rome jointly demanded an explanation from Berlin, receiving only stony silence in return. Over the winter, the three powers mobilized their forces as the diplomats exchanged recriminations: It was all but accepted that with the melting of the snow would come another war between France and Germany. The colonial machinations of the great powers steadily melted into the background; the unacceptable reality for Berlin was the French occupation of the Saarland since 1897 – the loss of Alsace-Lorraine had been a bitter pill, but the occupation of that vital industrial region was impossible to accept. Finally, in May, 1900, German troops plunged across the armistice line, crashing into the waiting French armies.



While the German army had been spoiling for a fighting since the end of the last war, the German fleet was in the middle of a substantial construction program and was far from battle-ready. It possessed only one modern Zahringen-class battleship which could stand up to the most modern French designs in a fair fight. The rest of its battleship force was composed of coastal defense monitors, which weighed in at a mere 7,900 tons. While the German fleet possessed a number of capable cruisers, it could hardly hope to confront the French battle line in an open confrontation, especially since, with Italy joining the war as a co-belligerent, the French were free to reinforce the Atlantic Fleet with units from the Mediterranean. The only desperate hope for the German admiralty was that its large force of torpedo boats might even the playing field.



The French fleet was also little changed from the last confrontation: The Democratie and Danton had entered service with the 1er Division de Ligne of the Atlantic Fleet, two modern Kléber-class armoured cruisers had joined the 1st Cruiser Division, and its scouting force was reinforced with three of the swift D'Entrecasteuax-class light cruisers. Otherwise, the Third Franco-German War would be largely fought by the same ships which had won the Second.





As the opposing armies battled for position in the rolling hills of the Sarre Valley, the Marine Nationale moved to blockade the German coast for the third time in ten years. At the French admiralty, there was a reigning sense of invulnerability. Surely this would be another brief war.

[pvtlarry99]

The Bay of Biscay, October 1900


From the bridge of the battleship Bouvet, Contre-Amiral Henri Deleuze surveyed the ragged columns of freighters off to his port side, clicking his tongue at what he judged to be an overall poor display of seamanship from the merchant captains, though he’d allow that several old and overburdened-looking steamers were likely struggling just to keep up with even the modest speed of the convoy.







The heavy escort was on account of several reports from French agents at Germany’s northern ports and conflicting sighting reports from civilian fishing vessels in the Channel. A number of German battleships and cruisers simply weren’t where they were supposed to be, and leaving a brigade of colonial soldiers unguarded against the possible threat would be homicidal negligence. But now the rendezvous had been accomplished without incident, everyone was where they were supposed to be, and the admiral anticipated a quiet trip for the rest of the way.





However, just before noon signal flags went up on the light cruiser D’Entrecasteaux, alerting the fleet to an enemy cruiser off to the southeast. Deleuze ordered his ships to increase speed and prepare for action, and soon the silhouettes of several German capital ships appeared on the horizon, bearing northeast. The French admiral ordered his own northeast turn, hoping to get his battleships in front of the German fleet and close the range before the enemy was aware of the size of his force.








The German admiral made no attempt to alter course, pulling his heavy cruisers back behind the main force of three Worth-class monitor-battleships. The 3e Division de Ligne formed a parallel column, and began blasting away at the German ships. The French force dwarfed the enemy in firepower, and the speed of the German column sagged as the first hits were scored.





By 13:30 Deleuze was in position to “cross the T” of the enemy, column. The German admiral responded by ordering his battleships to make a sudden hard turn to port.





Keeping his fleet between the wounded enemy and the convoy, Deleuze swung his battle line around to match the German maneuver. For two hours the German battleships were subjected to a relentless bombardment but stubbornly refused to sink.




Finally, as the late October sunset began to fade on the horizon, the black flag went up on the Bouvet, and the French torpedo boats moved in for the kill, scoring their first hits around 18:00.




As darkness fell, two German battleships were slipping below the waves, the first major action of the Second Franco-German War ending in a definitive French victory.