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Post by theconeezeanemperor on Jul 5, 2023 12:28:57 GMT -6
10 September 1894 - Adriatic Sea, Bari CoastCoastal Bombardment
After another major Italian base was identified, a bombardment mission was once again ordered. However, given the smaller scale response expected, only a cruiser force was sent.
As the fleet approaches Bari, an enemy Cruiser fleet is sallied forth to intercept, however, they find themselves woefully undergunned compared to the Austrian forces, resulting in the swift overpowering of the sole Italian armoured cruiser, and subsequent withdrawal of the remaining protected cruisers.
After successfully dispatching the Italian fleet, the Austrian cruisers progressed towards Bari, where despite the best efforts of the defensive 4 inch batteries, the enemy base was successfully bombarded to rubble. Following this, the Cruisers began a coastal raid, successfully catching and destroying an Italian trade ship, before withdrawing.
These coastal raids were becoming fairly commonplace, and through this war the K.u.K Kriegsmarine was becoming rather skilled at enacting them.
Other News
With the completion of the design study on the Aspern class protected cruiser, the first four in the class can be laid down. Rather worryingly, the Trient class armoured cruisers do not seem like they will be ready in time to keep the budget in the black due to the additional cost of the Aspern class, however, the increase in tonnage is deemed vital enough for the war effort that this issue can be addressed later down the line, where critical progress has been made on the ships.
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Post by theconeezeanemperor on Jul 7, 2023 10:29:08 GMT -6
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Post by theconeezeanemperor on Jul 7, 2023 10:53:48 GMT -6
27 November 1894 - Adriatic SeaEnemy Coastal Raids
Through the first half of November, the Regina Marina made two major attempts to return the favour of recent Austrian coastal attacks. However, the K.u.K Kriegsmarine was able to swiftly head them off before any bombardment could begin, and the smaller, outclassed, Italian armoured cruisers had more than learnt by now to withdraw should Austrian Adria class ships appear on the horizon.
Fleet Battle
Presumably infuriated by the failed attempts, the Italian admiralty ordered a full naval assault, sending their full battlefleet against the Dalmatian coast. A threat that had to be met in kind, of course, even with the Italian Regina Marina's numerical superiority. This assault had been noticed setting off at night, presumably an attempt to further ensure this coastal raid managed to actually attack the coast by reducing the time the K.u.K Kriegsmarine had to respond, however agents in Bari had relayed the information far before the Italians presumably expected scouts to notice their ships. As such, the Austrian 1. Battle Division and its accompanying cruisers set off.
This was the first battle to occur after the SMS Habsburg had been commissioned, and hopes were high that her modern cannons, thick armour, and generally far superior design to her predecessors could at least in part outweigh the Italian numerical advantage.
As soon as the sun began to rise at dawn, the enemy fleet was spotted, and Schlogel ordered the fleet to engage. With public unrest being as it was, the propaganda advantage of Austrian coastal bombardment being successful while the Italian attempts were turned away, was far too valuable to lose.
An Italian Battleship was crippled by a lucky hit in the initial flurry of shots between the battlelines, and much like on past occasions, the Austrians skillfully pushed the main battleline away from their stricken compatriot, isolating it perfectly for a semi-controlled sinking. Further, during the first joining of the lines, another Italian battleship was visibly heavily damaged, and heavily ablaze, but managed to remain mobile enough to remain with her fleet.
Ordering the 1. Cruiser Division and SMS Habsburg to dispatch the floundering Caio Duilio class, the 1. Battle Division pushes forward to try and catch another Italian armoured cruiser or battleship in a similar manner.
Battle is swiftly joined again, and as the Caio Deilio class is confirmed to be sinking, the Habsburg and 1. Cruiser Division return to the 1. Battle Division and continue this second joining of the battlelines.
As the lines drew dangerously close to one another, the Austrian ships were taking a pounding, however, the SMS Lissa managed to get a torpedo strike, almost certainly dooming another Italian battleship, and Schlogel immidiately orders the Austrian line to pull back into a safer range to allow the stricken ship to slow and seperate from the main Italian fleet, once again planning to isolate and eliminate.
However, once she was sank, the bruised and beaten Austrian ships were in too poor a state for Schlogel to risk going for a third kill, and as the Italians pursued, he lead the Austrian fleet back to port in Cattaro. However, the goal was achieved, as the Italians were far too damaged to risk staying long after the Austrians returned to port, and fled the Dalmatian coast with their tails between their legs.
Other News
There is brilliant news from the Venetian Front. The Austro-Hungarian offensive was majorly successful! Pushing the Italians back through Belluno and Treviso, the frontlines now sit dangerously close to Venice itself, threatening the old and prestigious city. Italian probing assaults have not proven successful against the now well-dug-in Austro-Hungarians.
Further, the SMS Triol is finally finished working up, and joins her sister in the fleet!
To add to the great news, scavenging from the remains of the Italian battleships after the Battle of the Southern Adriatic has sourced a number of advanced Italian Armour Piercing munitions, which has significantly helped Austrian efforts in those areas!
However, the cruel reality is that even with such a major victory, Italy has more than enough new ships on the way, including a whole new class of five battleships. Rumours are that Britain is funding their war effort behind the scenes, and it does not speak well to Austria's chances in a long war...
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Post by theconeezeanemperor on Jul 7, 2023 16:36:04 GMT -6
April 1895January Back-and-Forth
Just off the coast of Crete, an Italian blockade patrol passed too close to the Habsburg-aligned island, and swiftly a cruiser force was sallied forth to chase the Italian force. Once again, seemingly cowed by the strength of the Austrian armoured cruisers, the Italians fled, with their blockade seeming weaker and weaker with each month.
Further cementing this paradigm shift, the K.u.K Kriegsmarine once again performed an attack on the Italian coast, almost entirely unopposed with the responding Italian cruisers fleeing almost immidiately.
War Loan
After another abortive Cruiser battle mid way though February, buoyed by the K.u.K Kriegsmarine's latest successes, the Reichsrat believes that this war can infact be won, and more importantly, this blockade overturn, and authorises a major war loan to fund the construction of yet more protected cruisers.
Anglo-German War Continues
In a stark contrast to the skittish Italian cruisers, and quiet March, the Anglo-German war continues to be fought fiercely, with a major battle resulting in the sinking of a major British battleship.
Launch Of The Trient Class
After another successful coastal raid on the Italian coast, albeit without the intended coastal bombardment due to the fact that some mistake in Naval Intelligence resulted in the cruiser force not being told where said target was (the game gave me no bombardment target lmao), protests began in earnest again. Despite assurances that the blockade, and rationing, would soon be over, the public did not calm down, so more extreme measures had to be taken to retain public order.
As these protests continued, national media made great fanfare of the launch of the SMS Trient and SMS Margburg, two 11,000 ton armoured cruisers larger than any Italian battleship. It was hoped that such propaganda would help pacify the public as the war dragged on. Even as the public were crying out against the war, the capitalistic interests of business kept going, happy for the opportunities war provides. The dockyards, now free of the Trient class, offered a new, discounted, Protected cruiser, something which Montecuccoli accepted almost immediately due to their desperate need for tonnage.
However, despite the public image of confidence and strength, will within the Imperial Court was draining, and some were considering a white peace. Montecuccoli opposed this fullheartedly, not the least because of how many officers he had lost in the conflict already, but also because he was planning an invasion of Sardinia for when this blockade finally broke. In his view, if Austria was to secure its place as a dominant naval power in the Mediterranean, it needed to escape the Adriatic. It needed to avoid being able to be penned up once a foreign navy secured the Ionian sea. Having the Hellenic state was one step on this path, but a major base on the other side of Italy would be tremendously strategically useful, allowing for a far easier blockade of Italy, a base from which to strike France or Spain should it be required, and a clear message to the world that the K.u.K Kriegsmarine was a major world navy.
A Dire Situation
Despite winning almost every engagement, despite being able to bombard the Italian coast with impunity, despite all of that, the truth of the matter was that Italy was still outproducing Austria. The latest informant reports indicated that the Regina Marina had access to almost double the funding the K.u.K Kriegsmarine did.
However, those same reports carried some good news too. The latest Italian battleship that had been so feared, was far from scary. It carried a reasonable speed, comparable to the Tirol class, it even had the advantage of the usual Italian twin turrets of two 12 inch main guns each, but its secondary battery was lacking, and most importantly, its armour was exceedingly thin. Five and a half inches of belt armour wouldnt even stand up to an Austrian armoured cruiser, and was comparable to the recently launched Trient class' protection.
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Post by theconeezeanemperor on Jul 8, 2023 8:46:45 GMT -6
August 18951 May 1895 - Adriatic Sea, Bari Coast
The doctrine of regular coastal raids continues, both for propagandistic purposes, and to suppress any attempted built up to invade Dalmatia or the Hellenic State.
13 May 1895 - Adriatic Sea, Pescara Coast
Another coastal raid, this time conducted with the full fleet-in-being to attempt to harm Italian morale in Pescara. All the Italians could respond with was a small cruiser force, which resulted in the sinking of one of the Italian armoured cruisers.
28 June 1895 - Adriatic Sea, Pola Coast
The Italians attempt to respond in kind, to offset the embarrassment suffered during the Battle of Pescara, however, they are swiftly turned away by a superior Austrian cruiser force.
However, the continuing blockade, despite our victories, is taking a serious toll, as rationing has to be further tightened to maintain food supplies for the military.
5 July 1895 - Adriatic Sea, Dalmatian Coast
Determined to succeed with at least one coastal raid, Italy's admiralty orders yet another attempt, which goes even worse than the last, losing the majority of their cruiser force to the Austrian response.
However, the increased rationing is not going down well with the middle, much less the lower, classes, resulting in even further protesting, and almost full on rioting. Military police had to be deployed in a number of port cities,
Italian Revolutionary Locked Away For Life
Desperate to end the war, some in the Imperial Court suggest deporting an Italian revolutionary to Italy, to destebalise their government, however Montecuccoli immediately vetos the decision. As he points out, with Austria-Hungary suffering from as sever an unrest problem as it is, potentially offering the people an example ideology to take up would just be adding fuel to the fire.
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