Under the Southern Cross we Stand, a sprig of Wattle in our hand
- Thread starter johnboy
- Start date
It was a disaster. It led indirectly to the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire as they sought to blame anyone, other than themselves.
It was indeed as bad as that. Enver Pasha, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was the architect of the Armenian genocide, he would be a classic figure for comic relief.
After us disastrous attack on the Russians, he led the attack on the much smaller British force in Iraq. No logistical thought and planning saw his army starve and die of thirst and suffer another classic arse kicking.
He was comically inept, but a strutting popinjay convinced he was infallible all the same.
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Indeed. Having him captured and dying of typhus was, I feel, much more than he deserved.
17 March 1915, - Alexandretta goes in
17 March 1915, PNS New England, off Alexandretta, Bay of Alexandretta
Acting General Malcolm Rumney Smith watch the 13 inch shells rain down on the barracks of the local company sized garrison. Melbourne appeared nervous as to developments in the Pacific, however, for now, it was only this campaign that he was worrying about. Landings, with naval gunfire support, were occurring the three locations.
The main landing at Alexandretta consisted of the 1st and 3rd Divisions, along with the Light Horse, under the command of Lt General John Monash. Local opposition was very light, however, the main objective was to push South East to secure Allepo. A second landing by the 2nd and 4th Divisions and the French Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient, under Lt General James McKay was to land at Svediye, where virtually no opposition was expected a then proceed North East to also converge on Allepo.
Intelligence indicated that the Ottomans had four divisions located in and around Allepo as part of their VIII Corps, namely the 8th Division, 23rd Division and 27th Divisions. It did not seem to be a great recipe for success, attacking four divisions into three enemy divisions, when normal practice was to establish a margin of 2:1 on the offense. Two more Divisions were at Damascus, another at Beirut and two more at Mosul. However, The Ottoman 4th Army as a whole was the least well equipped of all their formations.
It was thought that local defenses consisted of mainly poorly equipped fortifications, with a questionable local population. Travelling from Adana to Aleppo on road would be a logistical nightmare for the Ottoman reinforcements and it would cut off a large portion of the Ottoman 4th Army. The plan was to land and quickly secure the surrounding area and move north to set up defenses and move south east to cross the mountains as soon as possible. The combined Protectorate and French cavalry were to screen the way to Aleppo and surrounds as soon as possible. A small cavalry force, consisting of elements of the light horse and a detatchement of the French Foreign Legion, was to head North on the eastern side of the Nur Mountains to secure the pass east of Adana, whilst waiting infantry relief by a Brigade of the 4th.
It was hoped that this would cut the 4th Army in two within two weeks, cutting off Lebanon, Beirut, Syria, Hejaz, Jerusalem and Yemen. The Ottomans could then try and attack his positions, but their is only one real route to the mountain passes would be blocked. It was not an operation, like the one at the Dardenelles, that would remove the Ottomans from the war, but it would be yet another serious blow, after what had already happened in eastern Anatolia against the Russians.
Acting General Malcolm Rumney Smith watch the 13 inch shells rain down on the barracks of the local company sized garrison. Melbourne appeared nervous as to developments in the Pacific, however, for now, it was only this campaign that he was worrying about. Landings, with naval gunfire support, were occurring the three locations.
The main landing at Alexandretta consisted of the 1st and 3rd Divisions, along with the Light Horse, under the command of Lt General John Monash. Local opposition was very light, however, the main objective was to push South East to secure Allepo. A second landing by the 2nd and 4th Divisions and the French Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient, under Lt General James McKay was to land at Svediye, where virtually no opposition was expected a then proceed North East to also converge on Allepo.
Intelligence indicated that the Ottomans had four divisions located in and around Allepo as part of their VIII Corps, namely the 8th Division, 23rd Division and 27th Divisions. It did not seem to be a great recipe for success, attacking four divisions into three enemy divisions, when normal practice was to establish a margin of 2:1 on the offense. Two more Divisions were at Damascus, another at Beirut and two more at Mosul. However, The Ottoman 4th Army as a whole was the least well equipped of all their formations.
It was thought that local defenses consisted of mainly poorly equipped fortifications, with a questionable local population. Travelling from Adana to Aleppo on road would be a logistical nightmare for the Ottoman reinforcements and it would cut off a large portion of the Ottoman 4th Army. The plan was to land and quickly secure the surrounding area and move north to set up defenses and move south east to cross the mountains as soon as possible. The combined Protectorate and French cavalry were to screen the way to Aleppo and surrounds as soon as possible. A small cavalry force, consisting of elements of the light horse and a detatchement of the French Foreign Legion, was to head North on the eastern side of the Nur Mountains to secure the pass east of Adana, whilst waiting infantry relief by a Brigade of the 4th.
It was hoped that this would cut the 4th Army in two within two weeks, cutting off Lebanon, Beirut, Syria, Hejaz, Jerusalem and Yemen. The Ottomans could then try and attack his positions, but their is only one real route to the mountain passes would be blocked. It was not an operation, like the one at the Dardenelles, that would remove the Ottomans from the war, but it would be yet another serious blow, after what had already happened in eastern Anatolia against the Russians.
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18 March 1915, A failure to force to Dardenelles
18 March 1915, PNS Eureka Land, off the Dardenelles
The Dardanelles would not be forced by ships alone, that much was certain. It had been another bleak day for the Allied fleet and Admiral Carden. The ten day gap since the last push had proved some help in that it allowed the allied fleet to clear a whole line of 47 mines and some 16 of another line, as well, using trawlers supported by cruisers and destroyers, with 1-2 battleships as cover.
However, it had also assisted the Ottoman defenders. Many of the forts had been almost out of ammunition. The proceeding ten days respite had allowed that to be made good and the area reinforced by a new battery of mobile howitzers. The fleet had pushed forward and it was the battle-cruiser Inflexible, the old pre dreadnought Caesar and the Lord Nelson (again) that took much of the brunt, yet the attack was still pressed. Rumeli Mejidieh had been knocked out by 1205, a huge column of smoke denoting an ammunition explosion, as had a battery of mobile howitzers that had been causing so much trouble.
However, soon after, at 1232, the old pre dreadnought Caesar was badly hit by the troublesome Hamideah II battery, and, after burning badly for 6 minutes, suddenly exploded whilst the crew were in the process of abandoning her, just as the minesweepers were commencing operations. Then, with the minesweeping proving to be a slow operation, at 1518, Inflexible was again hit, this time by a 9.4 inch projectile. It was to burst in the wheelhouse and the ship, instead of turning away, continued up the strait for two minutes under power before she started to turn away. As she was finally turning away, she was seriously damaged by a mine that blew a large hole in her starboard bow and flooded the forward torpedo flat, drowning 41 men. At the same time, she was hit four more times as she surged forward, including by another 9.4 inch shell that pitched just short and exploded in her damaged starboard bow.
The flooding proved to be much worse than expected and attempts to get the ship to the island of Bozzaka proved to be fruitless, the ship losing power at 1802 and finally sinking at 1956. The loss of two more capital ships, one a more modern fleet unit, saw Sackville Carden not only step down from his post due to ill health, but a telegram dispatched to London indicating that the straits could not be forced with ships alone.
The withdrawal came at a fortunate time for the Ottoman defenders, with one of the keys guns in the Hamideah II battery having burst its barrel, leaving only one gun in operation. Rumeli Mejidieh battery had been destroyed, as had the mobile guns, Chemelink was almost out of ammunition. On the European side only Namazieh fort was truly operational.
It was to result in both British and French Division being landed to reinforce Cape Helles in April, resulting in an 8 month campaign that achieved little more than bleeding both sides dry, with casualties of nearly 150,000 on both sides, before the Entente were to give up the ghost in December 1915 and evacuate. Naval losses would also continue to mount, the British and French losing four more pre dreadnoughts, four submarines and a destroyers, whilst the Ottomans were to lose another pre dreadnought and a destroyer.
It had, at least, resulted in an extraordinary loss of artillery for the Ottoman army, including pieces that were desperately needed elsewhere.
The Dardanelles would not be forced by ships alone, that much was certain. It had been another bleak day for the Allied fleet and Admiral Carden. The ten day gap since the last push had proved some help in that it allowed the allied fleet to clear a whole line of 47 mines and some 16 of another line, as well, using trawlers supported by cruisers and destroyers, with 1-2 battleships as cover.
However, it had also assisted the Ottoman defenders. Many of the forts had been almost out of ammunition. The proceeding ten days respite had allowed that to be made good and the area reinforced by a new battery of mobile howitzers. The fleet had pushed forward and it was the battle-cruiser Inflexible, the old pre dreadnought Caesar and the Lord Nelson (again) that took much of the brunt, yet the attack was still pressed. Rumeli Mejidieh had been knocked out by 1205, a huge column of smoke denoting an ammunition explosion, as had a battery of mobile howitzers that had been causing so much trouble.
However, soon after, at 1232, the old pre dreadnought Caesar was badly hit by the troublesome Hamideah II battery, and, after burning badly for 6 minutes, suddenly exploded whilst the crew were in the process of abandoning her, just as the minesweepers were commencing operations. Then, with the minesweeping proving to be a slow operation, at 1518, Inflexible was again hit, this time by a 9.4 inch projectile. It was to burst in the wheelhouse and the ship, instead of turning away, continued up the strait for two minutes under power before she started to turn away. As she was finally turning away, she was seriously damaged by a mine that blew a large hole in her starboard bow and flooded the forward torpedo flat, drowning 41 men. At the same time, she was hit four more times as she surged forward, including by another 9.4 inch shell that pitched just short and exploded in her damaged starboard bow.
The flooding proved to be much worse than expected and attempts to get the ship to the island of Bozzaka proved to be fruitless, the ship losing power at 1802 and finally sinking at 1956. The loss of two more capital ships, one a more modern fleet unit, saw Sackville Carden not only step down from his post due to ill health, but a telegram dispatched to London indicating that the straits could not be forced with ships alone.
The withdrawal came at a fortunate time for the Ottoman defenders, with one of the keys guns in the Hamideah II battery having burst its barrel, leaving only one gun in operation. Rumeli Mejidieh battery had been destroyed, as had the mobile guns, Chemelink was almost out of ammunition. On the European side only Namazieh fort was truly operational.
It was to result in both British and French Division being landed to reinforce Cape Helles in April, resulting in an 8 month campaign that achieved little more than bleeding both sides dry, with casualties of nearly 150,000 on both sides, before the Entente were to give up the ghost in December 1915 and evacuate. Naval losses would also continue to mount, the British and French losing four more pre dreadnoughts, four submarines and a destroyers, whilst the Ottomans were to lose another pre dreadnought and a destroyer.
It had, at least, resulted in an extraordinary loss of artillery for the Ottoman army, including pieces that were desperately needed elsewhere.
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30 March 1915, - On the way to Allepo
30 March 1915, Deir Samaan, Ottoman Empire
Lt General John Monash's campaign had not gone as quickly or as smoothly as he had hoped. The Navy's confidence that they would quickly build two functioning piers to service his supply needs had proven to be optimistic and he had been forced to reply one small jetty and Pacific barges to transport his supplies for the first six days, until such time as he had built up sufficient supplies and forces to contemplate an advance. Resistance had been very scattered and, in a number of cases, his troops were even welcomed by some Armenian (in particular) and Arab families. Even so, he was now half way to Allepo and still encountering only sporadic resistance.
To the South, James McKay's 2nd Corps had advanced at a much quicker pace and was only 40km from Aleppo, with a small French cavalry screen having already moved South and cut the railway at Sermin, South of Aleppo to block the influx of any reinforcements.
Intelligence reported a substantial Ottoman force at Allepo, so they taking of the city would no doubt take much in terms of both time and lives.
Lt General John Monash's campaign had not gone as quickly or as smoothly as he had hoped. The Navy's confidence that they would quickly build two functioning piers to service his supply needs had proven to be optimistic and he had been forced to reply one small jetty and Pacific barges to transport his supplies for the first six days, until such time as he had built up sufficient supplies and forces to contemplate an advance. Resistance had been very scattered and, in a number of cases, his troops were even welcomed by some Armenian (in particular) and Arab families. Even so, he was now half way to Allepo and still encountering only sporadic resistance.
To the South, James McKay's 2nd Corps had advanced at a much quicker pace and was only 40km from Aleppo, with a small French cavalry screen having already moved South and cut the railway at Sermin, South of Aleppo to block the influx of any reinforcements.
Intelligence reported a substantial Ottoman force at Allepo, so they taking of the city would no doubt take much in terms of both time and lives.
31 March 1915, - A stopover in Hawaii
31 March 1915, Hilo Bay Naval Base, Hawaiian Kingdom
Captain William Kingston watched from the bridge of PNS Swan River as the vessels sister ship, the Capricornia, nudged her way into Hilo Bay and dropped anchor. It had been a struggle to rapidly put together crews for both ships. His normal appointment was as the naval attache at the Australasian Embassy in Washington. Yet he had rapidly caught the train to New Jersey and joined the reduced crew to sail the dreadnought across the Pacific to Hawaii. It was very much a skeleton crew of only 390, down from the normal designed compliment of 1100. No weapon systems on board were manned at all during the passage and 180 PNS personnel were supplemented by some 20 reservists and 180 civilians with merchant marine of US Navy backgrounds.
Capricornia was much the same, having an even smaller crew of only 330, made up of an even larger number of civilians, some 205. They had been offered quite handsome wages to make the voyage, with citizenship no questions asked in Australasia, if they so wished it, on arrival. Some 76 scattered across both ships were to take up the offer.
Whilst the United States had taken up the offer from the Hawaiian Kingdom of a naval base at Pearl Harbour in 1895, there had been little interest in Australasia in taking up the offer of a similar facility until the start of the war in 1914. This had seen the establishment of a coaling station and base at Hilo Bay in October 1914, with facilities still under construction. In the bay lay the new light cruiser Bendigo and the old colonial cruisers Newcastle and Norfolk, as well as the small liners Cuba and Java and the iron barques Lady Jane and Lady Charlotte. Large numbers of iron or steel hulled ships were in use for the grain and wool trade between Europe and Australasia and the navy had taken over more than 20 of these ships for transport duties. In this case, they had carried coal and stores.
After a four day break, during which time the 1050 sailors waiting to board were allocated to the battleships, the liner Java, the Bendigo, Cuba and both battleships and other units would be underway for Sydney. There they would undergo changes that allowed more crew space that involved deletion of the 4 inch gun mounts.
Captain William Kingston watched from the bridge of PNS Swan River as the vessels sister ship, the Capricornia, nudged her way into Hilo Bay and dropped anchor. It had been a struggle to rapidly put together crews for both ships. His normal appointment was as the naval attache at the Australasian Embassy in Washington. Yet he had rapidly caught the train to New Jersey and joined the reduced crew to sail the dreadnought across the Pacific to Hawaii. It was very much a skeleton crew of only 390, down from the normal designed compliment of 1100. No weapon systems on board were manned at all during the passage and 180 PNS personnel were supplemented by some 20 reservists and 180 civilians with merchant marine of US Navy backgrounds.
Capricornia was much the same, having an even smaller crew of only 330, made up of an even larger number of civilians, some 205. They had been offered quite handsome wages to make the voyage, with citizenship no questions asked in Australasia, if they so wished it, on arrival. Some 76 scattered across both ships were to take up the offer.
Whilst the United States had taken up the offer from the Hawaiian Kingdom of a naval base at Pearl Harbour in 1895, there had been little interest in Australasia in taking up the offer of a similar facility until the start of the war in 1914. This had seen the establishment of a coaling station and base at Hilo Bay in October 1914, with facilities still under construction. In the bay lay the new light cruiser Bendigo and the old colonial cruisers Newcastle and Norfolk, as well as the small liners Cuba and Java and the iron barques Lady Jane and Lady Charlotte. Large numbers of iron or steel hulled ships were in use for the grain and wool trade between Europe and Australasia and the navy had taken over more than 20 of these ships for transport duties. In this case, they had carried coal and stores.
After a four day break, during which time the 1050 sailors waiting to board were allocated to the battleships, the liner Java, the Bendigo, Cuba and both battleships and other units would be underway for Sydney. There they would undergo changes that allowed more crew space that involved deletion of the 4 inch gun mounts.
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1 April 1915, - The fleet turns for home
1 April 1915, PNS Eureka Land, Bay of Alexandretta
Commodore Henry Cayley was as the convoy assembled ready for departure. Six dreadnoughts, four light cruisers and four destroyers accompanied five large liners of 16,000 tons each, the 10,000 ton ex White Star Line Majestic, purchased by Blue Line in 1914, the cruisers Powerful and Terrible, as well as 18 other ships. It was the cutting edge of the navy and would depart this morning for Sydney, via Suez, Aden, Colombo and Darwin.
With the land battle having moved away from the coast, the need for gunfire support had evaporated and he would be left only two smaller armored cruisers, the seaplane carrier Albatross, four destroyers and 24 other ships, all civilian, although he was expecting two old Queenstown Class colonial cruisers. It would be a far less dodgy proposition than trying to force the Dardenelles. The ships were to depart the same day two more dreadnought departed Hawaii for Sydney. Clearly, something was up at home, thought Cayley.
Commodore Henry Cayley was as the convoy assembled ready for departure. Six dreadnoughts, four light cruisers and four destroyers accompanied five large liners of 16,000 tons each, the 10,000 ton ex White Star Line Majestic, purchased by Blue Line in 1914, the cruisers Powerful and Terrible, as well as 18 other ships. It was the cutting edge of the navy and would depart this morning for Sydney, via Suez, Aden, Colombo and Darwin.
With the land battle having moved away from the coast, the need for gunfire support had evaporated and he would be left only two smaller armored cruisers, the seaplane carrier Albatross, four destroyers and 24 other ships, all civilian, although he was expecting two old Queenstown Class colonial cruisers. It would be a far less dodgy proposition than trying to force the Dardenelles. The ships were to depart the same day two more dreadnought departed Hawaii for Sydney. Clearly, something was up at home, thought Cayley.
10 April 1915, - The situation on Hailing
10 April 1915, Government House, Hailing Island
In 1915, Hailing had a population of around 210,000. Among them, 10,075 were non-ethnic Chinese from Australasia and 2,014 were white, with another 270 of British nationality, 77 other Europeans and 2,057 of mixed race. 38 Germans and Austrians had been interned ad moved to Melbourne. Many people served in the commercial houses involved in the port trade or in government. Hailing was a cosmopolitan city, where people of different ethnicities settled. On the other hand, it was a society in which class and racial segregation existed. The large Chinese population, perhaps excepting the 14,000 who were white or Australasian, were largely disconnected from the government and the ruling elites. The Governor was aware of the fact.
In contrast to the general Australasian ethos, it was as far from an egalitarian society as could be. Membership of the ruling class was based on birth and race, yes, but could also be accessed quickly via another method, wealth. There were at least three local Chinese who served on the 13-man Governorial Council. All were self-made Taipans of successful companies based in Hailing.
One could easily overlook the diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds of the hundreds of thousands of people who were categorized rather casually as “Chinese”. They included the villagers in the LeÁn (commonly known as Leanne), the biggest area of Hailing, the mainland territories. Hailing consisted of the island itself (111 square km), Fentou Island (4.6 square km), Dahou Islands (1.4 square km) and LeÁn (406 square km). Ethnically, the population was divided between the Hakka boat people and mainly city dwellers from different parts of China. Most saw Hailing as their permanent home, due to the commercial opportunities, good(by other standards) wages and the fact that, of all the European communities in China, discrimination against Chinese was less in Hailing.
The government and the garrison were unprepared for any kind of protracted conflict, which was why the April 1915 telegram from Melbourne that a conflict with Japan was quite possible was so alarming. Fortunately for the colony, the governor, Randolph Amos, considered himself an effective leader, havng served as a reserve army Major for many years. He was concerned with the state of defence of the colony.
The island and mainland had a small garrison of an infantry battalion, a platoon of cavalry, several coastal batteries totaling 6 6-inch and one 4-inch guns, and a small local defence flotilla consisting of two old colonial cruisers. Supposedly, the forward and the most important defence of the colony was the Australasian fleet, but its presence was considerably weakened after its 1914 deployment to the Mediterranean. In comparison, the Japanese fleet was huge, with 14 battleships or battlecruisers, including many quite modern. To protect the port and the surrounding sea lanes, Amos ordered a German ex-merchant ship interned in 1914, the 2,191-ton Petchaburi, to be converted into an armed merchant cruiser with one 6 inch and three 4-inch guns in the Hailing dockyard to supplement the forces on hand. The slow 13 knot ships would be only of limited help, however.
He was nervous about a Japanese attack. Hailing had no means to detect incoming threats; the warning system consisted only of artillery batteries of two 6-inch guns at Battery Point and Dahou Island posts at the entrances of Victoria Harbour and flag signals at Shandy Peak (the highest point of Hailing Island). The traffic of the Inner Harbour could be easily disrupted if block-ships were scuttled in the narrow entrance.
As the majority of the Australasians in Hailing were businessmen and administrators and not many chose to go back to Australasia and join the armed forces, especially with the war in Europe a long way away. By April 1915, there were only 27 volunteers. As a result, the Hailing Defence Corps, a local territorial army unit, was formed on his orders, in May 1915. It’s stated aim was to create two more battalions of troops, using mainly native Chinese, who would be paid for their service.
In 1915, Hailing was a progressive city by contemporary standards. A university had been established in 1912, one of the few modern universities in Asia, attracting well connected sons from prominent Chinese families, as well as local people. However, political participation of the population was limited to the few appointed by the Governor to serve as members of the non elected council. The Chinese population, among them people from a variety of backgrounds, were not active in asserting any political agenda, but not insensitive to nationalistic feelings and the turmoil created by the Yuan Shikai coup and many secret societies for this and that existed.
In 1915, Hailing had a population of around 210,000. Among them, 10,075 were non-ethnic Chinese from Australasia and 2,014 were white, with another 270 of British nationality, 77 other Europeans and 2,057 of mixed race. 38 Germans and Austrians had been interned ad moved to Melbourne. Many people served in the commercial houses involved in the port trade or in government. Hailing was a cosmopolitan city, where people of different ethnicities settled. On the other hand, it was a society in which class and racial segregation existed. The large Chinese population, perhaps excepting the 14,000 who were white or Australasian, were largely disconnected from the government and the ruling elites. The Governor was aware of the fact.
In contrast to the general Australasian ethos, it was as far from an egalitarian society as could be. Membership of the ruling class was based on birth and race, yes, but could also be accessed quickly via another method, wealth. There were at least three local Chinese who served on the 13-man Governorial Council. All were self-made Taipans of successful companies based in Hailing.
One could easily overlook the diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds of the hundreds of thousands of people who were categorized rather casually as “Chinese”. They included the villagers in the LeÁn (commonly known as Leanne), the biggest area of Hailing, the mainland territories. Hailing consisted of the island itself (111 square km), Fentou Island (4.6 square km), Dahou Islands (1.4 square km) and LeÁn (406 square km). Ethnically, the population was divided between the Hakka boat people and mainly city dwellers from different parts of China. Most saw Hailing as their permanent home, due to the commercial opportunities, good(by other standards) wages and the fact that, of all the European communities in China, discrimination against Chinese was less in Hailing.
The government and the garrison were unprepared for any kind of protracted conflict, which was why the April 1915 telegram from Melbourne that a conflict with Japan was quite possible was so alarming. Fortunately for the colony, the governor, Randolph Amos, considered himself an effective leader, havng served as a reserve army Major for many years. He was concerned with the state of defence of the colony.
The island and mainland had a small garrison of an infantry battalion, a platoon of cavalry, several coastal batteries totaling 6 6-inch and one 4-inch guns, and a small local defence flotilla consisting of two old colonial cruisers. Supposedly, the forward and the most important defence of the colony was the Australasian fleet, but its presence was considerably weakened after its 1914 deployment to the Mediterranean. In comparison, the Japanese fleet was huge, with 14 battleships or battlecruisers, including many quite modern. To protect the port and the surrounding sea lanes, Amos ordered a German ex-merchant ship interned in 1914, the 2,191-ton Petchaburi, to be converted into an armed merchant cruiser with one 6 inch and three 4-inch guns in the Hailing dockyard to supplement the forces on hand. The slow 13 knot ships would be only of limited help, however.
He was nervous about a Japanese attack. Hailing had no means to detect incoming threats; the warning system consisted only of artillery batteries of two 6-inch guns at Battery Point and Dahou Island posts at the entrances of Victoria Harbour and flag signals at Shandy Peak (the highest point of Hailing Island). The traffic of the Inner Harbour could be easily disrupted if block-ships were scuttled in the narrow entrance.
As the majority of the Australasians in Hailing were businessmen and administrators and not many chose to go back to Australasia and join the armed forces, especially with the war in Europe a long way away. By April 1915, there were only 27 volunteers. As a result, the Hailing Defence Corps, a local territorial army unit, was formed on his orders, in May 1915. It’s stated aim was to create two more battalions of troops, using mainly native Chinese, who would be paid for their service.
In 1915, Hailing was a progressive city by contemporary standards. A university had been established in 1912, one of the few modern universities in Asia, attracting well connected sons from prominent Chinese families, as well as local people. However, political participation of the population was limited to the few appointed by the Governor to serve as members of the non elected council. The Chinese population, among them people from a variety of backgrounds, were not active in asserting any political agenda, but not insensitive to nationalistic feelings and the turmoil created by the Yuan Shikai coup and many secret societies for this and that existed.
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Very interesting. It doesn't look good for the small island garrison if the Japanese do try and invade, but perhaps better tactics will still give them a chance to hold out until the Pacific reinforcements arrive.
I wonder if we're seeing the birth of an Australian Hong Kong, so to speak, with the cultural make-up of Hailing Island and the business focus of many of its immigrants.
I wonder if we're seeing the birth of an Australian Hong Kong, so to speak, with the cultural make-up of Hailing Island and the business focus of many of its immigrants.
Well, there is no war, at least at this stage, but tensions are going up. At this stage China has not said no to Japan's demands, but time is running out to give an answer.
The mutual defence treaty has already been triggered, so a fresh declaration of war would bring in the British into the conflict, likely as wella s the Russians, given the events of 1905.
No, Australasia never claimed any land in the settlement or Tianjin.
17 Apr 1915, - Allepo falls, as does the 4th Army
17 April 1915, occupied Allepo, Ottoman Empire
General Malcolm Smith pondered the events of the last two days. The city of Allepowas had been defended by lines of trenches on its western, southern and to a lesser extent northern outskirts, supported by shallower trenches and small fortified redoubts, in reality little more than earthen mounds. Defensive preparations had been hasty, with the area thought secure as little as a month ago.
High points, such as the top of small hills were also used and this covered all approaches to the town. There were however, little or no wire defences for the attackers to deal with. From the vantage of hindsight, Allepo seemed poorly defended for a location of such strategic importance. Ottoman forces garrisoned at Allepo were numerous, as to be expected for the third largest city in the empire, but well under strength. Not only was Allepo the strong point of the eastern end of the Ottoman defensive line, the town also contained a major railway station, with connections back to Bagdad, even though the line back to Anatolia was, as yet, incomplete.
The Australasian plan was simple enough, to invest the town from both the North and South, however, it was also intended to use the Light Horse and the French cavalry to sweep around and approach the town from the East. Critical to its success would be to execute the attack in a day, to avoid the destruction of the infrastructure in the town, including the railway. Mindful of this, the plan called for a concerted artillery and infantry attack on the town's Northern side by Monash’s 1st and 3rd Divisions, with the Light Horse Division sweeping around and attacking from the East Northeast, where it was anticipated defences would be weaker. At the same time, James McKay’s 2nd and 4th Divisions would attack from the South, with French cavalry attacking from the SouthEast.
Three under-strength divisions of the Ottoman 8th Corps awaited them, distributed to the west, south and east of the town. Very little remained in reserve to deal with unexpected attacking forces and this was to prove crucial to the success of the operation.
Just before 0600 of April 16, 1915, General Smith ordered the artillery to begin a bombardment of the main Ottoman trench line in front of 8th Corps, southwest and northwest outskirts of Allepo. Around one hundred field guns and howitzers fired on the Turkish positions, about twenty specifically targeting the enemy's artillery batteries, while the others sent high explosives and shrapnel over the advanced, Ottoman trench lines. With dust and smoke filling the air and obscuring targets, units of the 1st Division attacked a small ridge line, directly ahead of the main Ottoman front line. Meanwhile, 3rd Division edged forward, and by noon had captured their objectives, suffering 900 casualties in the process, but gradually grinding forward.
From 0500, in the north-east of Allepo, units of the Light Horse Division moved forward to block the Eastern Road and rail line and take the small hill there. They would then advance on the city from the East. This manoeuvre would block both an enemy retreat as well as any enemy reinforcements. The momentum of the Allied assault continued as the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade took ridge, before faltering, as Ottoman forces from Allepo itself successfully resisted attempts to take the last high ground outside the city. Ottoman artillery began targeting the new threat.
Monash ordered all three Divisions to close in on the town and press the assault. It would take them a little over 2 hours to breach and capture the first line of Ottoman trenches, with nearly 3,000 casualties.
To the South, 2nd and 4th Divisions suffered similar experiences. However, the French Orient Corps, with Foreign Legion units and cavalry leading the way, rapidly penetrated against light opposition to the Southeast and were able to enter the city by 1330, overrunning Turkish artillery as they did so. The Ottoman garrison commander, Miralay Bey, recognising impending defeat, ordered a general retirement of the garrison, then, when he realised that this was impossible, gave a series of conflicting orders. In many cases, men left fortified positions and then retreated to a city that was already partially occupied.
By 1700, Ottoman 8th Corps commander concluded that, Allepo was untenable, and unknown to the attackers, a withdrawal was ordered. Yet, there was no where to go and units were left to fight their way out of the trap that they found themselves in. Many fought doggedly, yet less than 3,800 men were to fight their way to freedom of the 20,000 men of 8th Corps and the 2,000 supporting local militia, the later of which were quite happy to lay down there arms.
By 1900 that evening, with dusk setting in, the town of Allepo was under control of the Australasian and French forces. By midnight, Allepo was declared clear of the enemy and further pursuit of the retreating Ottoman forces was discontinued.
After the battle, it left the Ottoman forces in southern Palestine, consisting of the 10th and 25th Divisions, along with irregular troops, in an impossible position, completely cut off from any supporting forces. Of the 4th Army, with it’s seven divisions, only the 35th Division at Damascus and the 36th at Mosul were not destroyed or cut off. With the railway from Anatolia not completed and the mountain passes blocked, these forces remained isolated from further assistance. Combined with the recent disasters in the Caucusus, the Ottoman’s started to the war was less than spectacular. Aside from the newly forming 5th Army, of the four field armies in 1914, the 4th had been dealt and fatal blow, with the 3rd destroyed in the Caucasus.
For Smith’s forces, it had been a hard fought victory, with 2,036 dead and 4,116 wounded. However, Ottoman losses had been 3,616 dead, 3,919 wounded and 12,715 captured, with no heavy weapons saved by the 3,000 or more that had escaped the attacking forces.
General Malcolm Smith pondered the events of the last two days. The city of Allepowas had been defended by lines of trenches on its western, southern and to a lesser extent northern outskirts, supported by shallower trenches and small fortified redoubts, in reality little more than earthen mounds. Defensive preparations had been hasty, with the area thought secure as little as a month ago.
High points, such as the top of small hills were also used and this covered all approaches to the town. There were however, little or no wire defences for the attackers to deal with. From the vantage of hindsight, Allepo seemed poorly defended for a location of such strategic importance. Ottoman forces garrisoned at Allepo were numerous, as to be expected for the third largest city in the empire, but well under strength. Not only was Allepo the strong point of the eastern end of the Ottoman defensive line, the town also contained a major railway station, with connections back to Bagdad, even though the line back to Anatolia was, as yet, incomplete.
The Australasian plan was simple enough, to invest the town from both the North and South, however, it was also intended to use the Light Horse and the French cavalry to sweep around and approach the town from the East. Critical to its success would be to execute the attack in a day, to avoid the destruction of the infrastructure in the town, including the railway. Mindful of this, the plan called for a concerted artillery and infantry attack on the town's Northern side by Monash’s 1st and 3rd Divisions, with the Light Horse Division sweeping around and attacking from the East Northeast, where it was anticipated defences would be weaker. At the same time, James McKay’s 2nd and 4th Divisions would attack from the South, with French cavalry attacking from the SouthEast.
Three under-strength divisions of the Ottoman 8th Corps awaited them, distributed to the west, south and east of the town. Very little remained in reserve to deal with unexpected attacking forces and this was to prove crucial to the success of the operation.
Just before 0600 of April 16, 1915, General Smith ordered the artillery to begin a bombardment of the main Ottoman trench line in front of 8th Corps, southwest and northwest outskirts of Allepo. Around one hundred field guns and howitzers fired on the Turkish positions, about twenty specifically targeting the enemy's artillery batteries, while the others sent high explosives and shrapnel over the advanced, Ottoman trench lines. With dust and smoke filling the air and obscuring targets, units of the 1st Division attacked a small ridge line, directly ahead of the main Ottoman front line. Meanwhile, 3rd Division edged forward, and by noon had captured their objectives, suffering 900 casualties in the process, but gradually grinding forward.
From 0500, in the north-east of Allepo, units of the Light Horse Division moved forward to block the Eastern Road and rail line and take the small hill there. They would then advance on the city from the East. This manoeuvre would block both an enemy retreat as well as any enemy reinforcements. The momentum of the Allied assault continued as the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade took ridge, before faltering, as Ottoman forces from Allepo itself successfully resisted attempts to take the last high ground outside the city. Ottoman artillery began targeting the new threat.
Monash ordered all three Divisions to close in on the town and press the assault. It would take them a little over 2 hours to breach and capture the first line of Ottoman trenches, with nearly 3,000 casualties.
To the South, 2nd and 4th Divisions suffered similar experiences. However, the French Orient Corps, with Foreign Legion units and cavalry leading the way, rapidly penetrated against light opposition to the Southeast and were able to enter the city by 1330, overrunning Turkish artillery as they did so. The Ottoman garrison commander, Miralay Bey, recognising impending defeat, ordered a general retirement of the garrison, then, when he realised that this was impossible, gave a series of conflicting orders. In many cases, men left fortified positions and then retreated to a city that was already partially occupied.
By 1700, Ottoman 8th Corps commander concluded that, Allepo was untenable, and unknown to the attackers, a withdrawal was ordered. Yet, there was no where to go and units were left to fight their way out of the trap that they found themselves in. Many fought doggedly, yet less than 3,800 men were to fight their way to freedom of the 20,000 men of 8th Corps and the 2,000 supporting local militia, the later of which were quite happy to lay down there arms.
By 1900 that evening, with dusk setting in, the town of Allepo was under control of the Australasian and French forces. By midnight, Allepo was declared clear of the enemy and further pursuit of the retreating Ottoman forces was discontinued.
After the battle, it left the Ottoman forces in southern Palestine, consisting of the 10th and 25th Divisions, along with irregular troops, in an impossible position, completely cut off from any supporting forces. Of the 4th Army, with it’s seven divisions, only the 35th Division at Damascus and the 36th at Mosul were not destroyed or cut off. With the railway from Anatolia not completed and the mountain passes blocked, these forces remained isolated from further assistance. Combined with the recent disasters in the Caucusus, the Ottoman’s started to the war was less than spectacular. Aside from the newly forming 5th Army, of the four field armies in 1914, the 4th had been dealt and fatal blow, with the 3rd destroyed in the Caucasus.
For Smith’s forces, it had been a hard fought victory, with 2,036 dead and 4,116 wounded. However, Ottoman losses had been 3,616 dead, 3,919 wounded and 12,715 captured, with no heavy weapons saved by the 3,000 or more that had escaped the attacking forces.
Numbers wise the Ottomans got off light when compared to the western front.
That heavy weapons loss, ow, that's really gonna hurt them.
17 Apr 1915 - An aircraft carrying ship
17 April 1915, PNS Swan River, off Sydney Heads
Captain William Kingston watched from the bridge of PNS Swan River as the vessels sister ship, the Capricornia, was also approached by a number of small craft on the vessels first visit to her new home. She was accompanied by the small liners Cuba and Java, which were generally used to transport either men on materials. The small flotilla also included the another ship that was also seeing Sydney Harbour for the first time.
Experience in the Dardenelles had been enough to convince the naval staff that aircraft had great value for spotting purposes alone, let alone their ability to drop small bombs. Feedback from pilot operating from the seaplane carrier Albatross and the lash up sea plane carriers Powerful and Terrible was that whilst seaplanes were all well and good, it was a painful and time consuming process to recover the planes themselves, let alone deploy them. In addition, the aircraft could not take off in to high a sea state and would not get any lift to take off in a dead calm, either. It was for this reason that the navy had speculated upon a design where the aircraft could land directly on the ship itself.
The two Columbia Class cruisers had been a long way short of success in the United States Navy. Designed as high speed and long range commerce raiders, other classes quickly matched their speed. They were considered expensive to run, overpowered and under armed. By 1897, both were in reserve. Grover Cleveland, eager to establish good relations with Hawaii after the debacle on 1893, plus being keen to see the naval base at Pearl Harbour maintained, pushed to gift a Columbia Class ship to Hawaii and, in 1897, this was to occur, with Columbia herself being transferred and renamed Hawaii. It was to be a gift with thorns. If the USN thought running and crewing the ship was expensive, then it was to be even more so for the small island Kingdom. The ship was only partially manned and logged very few miles.
In 1915, the ship was sold to Australasia for a mere 10,000 Pounds, with the much more economical colonial cruiser Norfolk and two older torpedo boats exchanged back to Hawaii. Once the ship docked at Sydney, she immediately saw the slip at Mort's Dock, to begin conversion to an aircraft carrying ship with a through deck. It would be the first such ship of its kind. Considering the popularity of aviation in Australasia, this was scarcely a surprise. She was finally completed in August 1916 as PNS Phoenix.
Captain William Kingston watched from the bridge of PNS Swan River as the vessels sister ship, the Capricornia, was also approached by a number of small craft on the vessels first visit to her new home. She was accompanied by the small liners Cuba and Java, which were generally used to transport either men on materials. The small flotilla also included the another ship that was also seeing Sydney Harbour for the first time.
Experience in the Dardenelles had been enough to convince the naval staff that aircraft had great value for spotting purposes alone, let alone their ability to drop small bombs. Feedback from pilot operating from the seaplane carrier Albatross and the lash up sea plane carriers Powerful and Terrible was that whilst seaplanes were all well and good, it was a painful and time consuming process to recover the planes themselves, let alone deploy them. In addition, the aircraft could not take off in to high a sea state and would not get any lift to take off in a dead calm, either. It was for this reason that the navy had speculated upon a design where the aircraft could land directly on the ship itself.
The two Columbia Class cruisers had been a long way short of success in the United States Navy. Designed as high speed and long range commerce raiders, other classes quickly matched their speed. They were considered expensive to run, overpowered and under armed. By 1897, both were in reserve. Grover Cleveland, eager to establish good relations with Hawaii after the debacle on 1893, plus being keen to see the naval base at Pearl Harbour maintained, pushed to gift a Columbia Class ship to Hawaii and, in 1897, this was to occur, with Columbia herself being transferred and renamed Hawaii. It was to be a gift with thorns. If the USN thought running and crewing the ship was expensive, then it was to be even more so for the small island Kingdom. The ship was only partially manned and logged very few miles.
In 1915, the ship was sold to Australasia for a mere 10,000 Pounds, with the much more economical colonial cruiser Norfolk and two older torpedo boats exchanged back to Hawaii. Once the ship docked at Sydney, she immediately saw the slip at Mort's Dock, to begin conversion to an aircraft carrying ship with a through deck. It would be the first such ship of its kind. Considering the popularity of aviation in Australasia, this was scarcely a surprise. She was finally completed in August 1916 as PNS Phoenix.
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Interesting, since I expect the Australasian design philosophy will look more like the OTL US and Japanese carriers. They were intended for open Pacific operations unlike the British carriers which worried more about enemy land-based air.
For that matter, another area to look forward to is any ITTL arms limitation treaties. I wonder what a Washington Naval treaty looks like ITTL. Presumably it will have six main signatories, assuming the Germans lose and the Russians collapse, putting both of them out of the naval competition.
I would expect something like the OTL Washington treaty with rough equality between the US and the British. However, what happens below that? The simplest guess is something like the Japanese in third, but does Australasia try to stay equal to Japan, or equal to the French and Italians.
My guess is something like 200,000-250,000 tons of capital ships for Australasia, under Japan but above the French and Italians. This assumes the USN and RN have about 500,000 tons each and Japan gets 300,000 tons. I am assuming something like Washington will happen, although it may well not be in Washington. I don't think anybody will really want to continue a naval arms race after the war and few if any will be able to afford it.
I am assuming a smaller total for Australasia because I think its economy is smaller than Japans.
For that matter, another area to look forward to is any ITTL arms limitation treaties. I wonder what a Washington Naval treaty looks like ITTL. Presumably it will have six main signatories, assuming the Germans lose and the Russians collapse, putting both of them out of the naval competition.
I would expect something like the OTL Washington treaty with rough equality between the US and the British. However, what happens below that? The simplest guess is something like the Japanese in third, but does Australasia try to stay equal to Japan, or equal to the French and Italians.
My guess is something like 200,000-250,000 tons of capital ships for Australasia, under Japan but above the French and Italians. This assumes the USN and RN have about 500,000 tons each and Japan gets 300,000 tons. I am assuming something like Washington will happen, although it may well not be in Washington. I don't think anybody will really want to continue a naval arms race after the war and few if any will be able to afford it.
I am assuming a smaller total for Australasia because I think its economy is smaller than Japans.
29 April 1915 - 18 Demands rejected
29 April 1915, Government House, Hailing Island
Commandant Harold Mercer was glad to find his temporary accommodation after the briefing and dinner that had ensued at Government House. The governor, Randolph Amos, was clearly well informed. The Chinese government had delayed and delayed the response from the Japanese 18 demands. The Governor had indicated that tomorrow, they would deliver it. It was to be a complete rejection of ll of the demands, aside from the two Group 3 items.
Whilst Randolph Amos was an intelligent man, quite well versed in China, even he had missed the term "xiǎomèimei" or "small younger sister" used to describe Japan, was a common Chinese euphemism for "pussy". Despite these things, Mercer was under no illusions as to the task given him. It had been indicated that, in the event of hostilities breaking out, that the government would fulfill it's obligations to China, however, he was also told that the provisions of substantial reinforcements, aside from the small battalion that accompanied him, to be unlikely before the end of May, when naval reinforcements would also be possible.
Mercer was young for his rank, having been elevated from Colonel to Commandant at the Commencement of the war. It was a rank normally given to those in charge of an important facility or independent command and he supposed, in his case, that was appropriate enough.
What Mercer remained unaware of was that fact that on 26.4.1915, Italy had committed to the Entente powers, although she would not declare war for another month. The following day, even more pressure was brought to bear on the Greek King Constantine when the British offered Cyprus to Greece in exchange for them also joining the war against the Central powers. Or the fact that, on the same day, the Australasian fleet left both Fremantle and Sydney for Palmerston.
Australasian Military Ranks Navy/Army
Commandant Harold Mercer was glad to find his temporary accommodation after the briefing and dinner that had ensued at Government House. The governor, Randolph Amos, was clearly well informed. The Chinese government had delayed and delayed the response from the Japanese 18 demands. The Governor had indicated that tomorrow, they would deliver it. It was to be a complete rejection of ll of the demands, aside from the two Group 3 items.
Whilst Randolph Amos was an intelligent man, quite well versed in China, even he had missed the term "xiǎomèimei" or "small younger sister" used to describe Japan, was a common Chinese euphemism for "pussy". Despite these things, Mercer was under no illusions as to the task given him. It had been indicated that, in the event of hostilities breaking out, that the government would fulfill it's obligations to China, however, he was also told that the provisions of substantial reinforcements, aside from the small battalion that accompanied him, to be unlikely before the end of May, when naval reinforcements would also be possible.
Mercer was young for his rank, having been elevated from Colonel to Commandant at the Commencement of the war. It was a rank normally given to those in charge of an important facility or independent command and he supposed, in his case, that was appropriate enough.
What Mercer remained unaware of was that fact that on 26.4.1915, Italy had committed to the Entente powers, although she would not declare war for another month. The following day, even more pressure was brought to bear on the Greek King Constantine when the British offered Cyprus to Greece in exchange for them also joining the war against the Central powers. Or the fact that, on the same day, the Australasian fleet left both Fremantle and Sydney for Palmerston.
Australasian Military Ranks Navy/Army
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