Dominion of Southern America - Updated July 1, 2018

The problem with steam power isn't reliability, it's power-to-weight ratio. Those tanks won't carry much or go very fast, but they'll run just fine - possibly better than OTL's early armor did.

Now, what I'd worry about is the crew getting cooked like lobsters when a shell goes through the boiler.
 

Glen

Moderator
That new pic is of one gawdawful ugly monstrosity that probably goes 0-2mph... eventually.

Yeah, that's about right.

But if I were some Russian dirt-farmer conscripted into the army that just managed to survive the Year of Blood, seeing that mechanical monster charging right at me impervious to my rifle, I would be rather... discomfitted.

That's the idea - these won't win the war alone, but they will contribute to breaking the deadlock.
 

Glen

Moderator
I'm assuming that tanks have been introduced for the same reason as OTL, which is to defeat trench warfare by motoring over the top then racking up the kills by mschine-gunning down the lengths of the trenches into all those lovely undefended bodies lined up against the trench wall who are supposed to be concentrating on shooting the supporting infantry.

That said, has Glen actually mentioned trench warfare as being rife yet? It seemed to be advancements on every front last thing I recall.

You are basically correct - the stalemate in Europe (The YEar of Blood) naturally develops into trench warfare, though with the notable absence of one OTL innovation - no barbed wire. Still, TTL's machine gun analogues are enough to create a no man's land situation in Europe.
 
You are basically correct - the stalemate in Europe (The YEar of Blood) naturally develops into trench warfare, though with the notable absence of one OTL innovation - no barbed wire. Still, TTL's machine gun analogues are enough to create a no man's land situation in Europe.

Glen

Why no barbed wire? Presumably the same circumstances that generated it OTL would apply again here.

Steve
 
Glen

Why no barbed wire? Presumably the same circumstances that generated it OTL would apply again here.

Steve

well to my knowledge the big push for it came from the herds of cows being driven through the farmers fields durring the age of cowboys. here Texas is more populated and industrialized so should have more train stops and not need to go as far for processing so barbed wire could easily be delayed. assuming I'm remembering right.
 

Glen

Moderator
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While tensions between Korsgaardista Mexico and the Dominion of Southern America had been rising just prior to the Mexican invasion, and several expatriote Mexican groups had made claims that the Mexican Empire would attack, the sheer audacity and scale of the MExican invasion still took the Dominion of Southern America by surprise. The troops sent to man the very long border between the Dominion and Mexico had never been adequate to assure true security, and thus despite the many acts of bravery in the early days of the Dominion's invasion, the Mexican forces made heavy inroads along their three spearheads.

The second line of defense in those early days were hit and run raids in a running retreat made by the Royal Southern American Rangers, and in New Mexico, the unlikely allies of the wild tribes there who took payments from the Provincial governments to raid the Mexican supply lines.

New Mexico had always been sparse in population, and thus the Mexican army was able to cut deep into the dry land along the old Mexican road to Santa Fe, in the process cutting off the railways to Albion. Albion itself, especially the city of San Diego, were targeted and occupied to the south, though attempts to penetrate the Central Valley were met by hostile resistance in the mountains by the farmers of that region.

Texas was the most populated of the invaded provinces, and the occupation of the southern regions of Texas wore hard on the proud Texans. The Mexicans were stopped at the Battle of San Antonio (often misidentified as occuring at the City of San Antonio, when in fact it occurred along a line stretching from that city along the San Antonio River to San Antonio Bay. Along this line an impromptu army of British Army regulars, Dominion auxilliaries, Rangers, and volunteers held the tide against the Mexican forces. The Line of San Antonio would go down as a glorious moment in Texas history.

With the Global War engulfing the world, the British relied on locally raised and armed Southerners to take the fight to the Mexican Empire. Local recruitment provided more seasoned troops than might be obvious at first glance, as many Southerners spent some time in the British Armed Forces before returning home to the Dominion. The locally raised Armies of the Provinces would prove decisive in North America, especially in the counterattack to free occupied Texas.

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The Dominion will prevail. (Although if they're wearing those fire-engine-red uniforms into battle, there'll be a lot more martyrs to freedom than strictly necessary.)

I hope I'm not starting another page-length argument over logistics, but what do the supply lines for the Armies of California and the Rio Grande look like?
 
The Dominion will prevail. (Although if they're wearing those fire-engine-red uniforms into battle, there'll be a lot more martyrs to freedom than strictly necessary.)

I hope I'm not starting another page-length argument over logistics, but what do the supply lines for the Armies of California and the Rio Grande look like?

I reckon that was from early on in the war and they quickly adopt khaki (or whatever works in the south-western deserts) once it becomes clear how deadly modern weapons are. Its cool to see that Albion's farmers are resisting Mexico, hope they can hold until relieved.
 

Glen

Moderator
I think your overestimating how reliable a steam engine can actually be. If the AST has an engine anything like that of the steam engines on many preserved railways, it'll suffer a lot of breakages even without enemy fire. Of course it'll be easy to repair them (dedicated facilities, specialists etc...) but it will still be a major hinderance on their abilities.

Not certain that the 'preserved' railways are quite the same - from what time?

In any event, they don't actually need to be terribly reliable - they just need to make it to the other side of the lines.:)

What I meant was that they'll last until real tanks come along

Well, that is true.

(ADTs? or will they just still be Asts?)

Now that is a good question....

but past that point their useability will be low to say the least.

Noted.
 
well to my knowledge the big push for it came from the herds of cows being driven through the farmers fields durring the age of cowboys. here Texas is more populated and industrialized so should have more train stops and not need to go as far for processing so barbed wire could easily be delayed. assuming I'm remembering right.
There were many farming and ranching lands that had large tracts of land owned by individuals and an inadequate supply of wood or time to make old-fashioned wooden fences. Such places existed all over the American prairies and many of the drier climates as well. No matter how much Texas changes, there would have been a demand for barbed wire.
 

Glen

Moderator
The problem with steam power isn't reliability, it's power-to-weight ratio. Those tanks won't carry much or go very fast, but they'll run just fine - possibly better than OTL's early armor did.

An interesting point...

Now, what I'd worry about is the crew getting cooked like lobsters when a shell goes through the boiler.

Occupational hazard....
 

Glen

Moderator
Glen

Why no barbed wire? Presumably the same circumstances that generated it OTL would apply again here.

Steve

Barbed Wire is and will develop ITTL as it did IOTL, but at the time of the Global War, it's not quite ready for prime time, and it is simply not being thought of for this use.
 

Glen

Moderator
The Russians and their Austro-Hungarian allies were initially seen as liberators when they moved into Wallachia and Moldavia. However, after the front moved deeper into the Balkans, the people of Wallachia and Moldavia noticed pointedly that the Russians were not moving on. Russian military governors were established and it soon became clear that the Russians had not come as simple liberators but were planning to make these lands provinces of the Russian Empire. While some Russophiles embraced the occupiers, the majority were not eager to trade one foreign power for another, not when so many other nations had gained their independence. In 1890, acts of disobediance and sabotage started to become common. Russian response to these encitements was not gentle. As the fronts began to move again in 1891, Wallachians and Moldavians rose up yet again, flying a tricolor of Wallachian Blue, Moldavian Red, and shared Gold - this time for independence from Russian oppression.

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Glen

Moderator
well to my knowledge the big push for it came from the herds of cows being driven through the farmers fields durring the age of cowboys. here Texas is more populated and industrialized so should have more train stops and not need to go as far for processing so barbed wire could easily be delayed. assuming I'm remembering right.

You recall rightly. Here the development of barbed wire is a little bit slower and its intro in war is no earlier than OTL so it does not make an appearance in the Global War.
 

Glen

Moderator
The Dominion will prevail. (Although if they're wearing those fire-engine-red uniforms into battle, there'll be a lot more martyrs to freedom than strictly necessary.)

I hope I'm not starting another page-length argument over logistics, but what do the supply lines for the Armies of California and the Rio Grande look like?

Recall that t the start of the war gunpowder that was not smokeless still was in use and so a lot of people had bright uniforms. That changes as the was progresses. As to the logistics question they are stretched.
 

Glen

Moderator
In the winter of 1891-92, the British Empire returned the favor to the Korsgaardistas with the Invasion of Mexico.

In 1891, the prelude to the invasion began in the Province of Texas where the newly constituted Dominion Army launched their liberation of Southern Texas, pushing the overextended Mexicans out of Southern territory, then started advancing into northern Mexico. The Loyalist Yell once again struck terror in the hearts of the enemies of the British Empire. The Dominion's Jackson Brigade (named somewhat controversially for the founding father of Texas AND the Confederation) utilizing camels made the hard march to Santa Fe to free New Mexico.

The Jackson Brigade's Camel Corps
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Another step in the road to victory was the sweeping away of the plucky Mexican navy by waves of Shark Hunters, leading to the liberation of Albion when the Royal Navy took Santa Barbara and San Diego. In aid of the Naval action, a motley irregular force of American volunteers and Albionese farmers scrambled over the mountain passes from the British portion of the Central Valley.

Seditious Meeting in the Mexican State of Moskito
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The British had a long history of influence in Moskito. The Mexican Empire of the Korsgaardistas had been unpopular among the mostly indigenous peoples of that Mexican state. This made taking the Nicaraguan Canal an attractive proposition to the British as they found it easy to subvert the Moskitos, sitting near the Gulf entrance to the Canal, to the British cause. While the British faced pressure from both sides of the canal, thier command of the waterways was quickly established, and events in Central Mexico would soon take precedence.

Royal Navy landing at Veracruz
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The final strike to the Mexican Empire was the taking of Veracruz and the beginning of the famous Republican March to Mexico City. While the Royal Navy and Dominion forces took and held the strategic port, it was decided for political reasons for the land forces to be led by the Free Mexican Companies who were landed in Veracruz by the Royal Navy. The liberation of Mexico City by Republican forces would lead to the toppling of the Korsgaardistas, who had lost support over the preceding year from their harsh rule and the mounting casualties to feed their dreams of empire.

The Republican March to Mexico City
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Glen

Moderator
Mexico broke easy enough.

Well....they were way overextended, becoming increasingly unpopular for the casualties their war of aggression was mounting, and there was a credible opposition force to align behind rather than being occupied by a foreign nation. The Korsgaardistas rolled the dice and lost.
 
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