So this leads to a more decisive Russian push in the early days on the Eastern Front...was this what you were trying for in the first place, fenk? I remember you saying you wanted to do a TL about that a while ago...
Question to those of you interested:
How long can Konigsberg hold out against a Russian siege? And how good of a siege can the Russians pull off?
According to my old friend, The WWI Databook, Fortress Koenigsberg has 11 Battalions of Infantry, 6 Squadrons of Cavalry and 6 Batteries of Field Artillery. Russian artillery ammunition may be in short supply. Pre-WWI they stockpiled 1,000 rounds per gun, which is a lot more than they had in the R-J War, but quite a bit less than the French, who had c.1,370/gun, IIRC. That said, they should be ok for a siege, I'd think. It might end up something like the Japanese siege of Tsingtao. However, I'd imagine in this case, the Germans can still bring in their Baltic Fleet to fire in support of the besieged forces, and possibly do more, if they can find any spare troops - not that I can think of many places they could strip of sufficient troops to relieve the place, tbh.
The German front lines are probably 25-30 miles away from Konigsberg's defense lines, so Hindenburg will probably launch an offensive to relieve the city, one that could very well work.
In the (unlikely, IMHO) case it doesn't succeed, the Germans could transfer ships over to the Baltic side, but this would be a last-ditch attempt, seeing as they have no desire to lose the Kriegsmarine on the minefields which the Russians would undoubtedly try to put in place.
I´m sceptical if that course of events will have any long time advantages for the Russians. The HSF can send all PDNs into the Baltic, maybe add two older DNs of the Nassau-class and the Baltic is a German lake. Things might change a bit at the end of 1914 when the four russian DNs get ready for combat, but that was no problem in OTL.
By the way, fenkmaster can you provide some technical data about the Swedish coast defence ships(size, no. and cal. of guns).
ecit: Scratch that! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_%C3%84ran Clearly inferior to a PDN.
I am from Sweden and from what i know ther wouldnt be a reson for our navy to be anchored in Farosund. The main base is Karlskrona, with a secondary base somewere in the Stockholm archipelago.
Besides that, what is Sweden going to fight with? Weapons dating back to the ACW? We hardly have enough weapons to fight a war with Norway.
Good story, keep it up and you may butterfly me away
The Swedish navy was stationed at Gotland, according to a WW1 history of Russian naval operations in the Baltic which I no longer have with me.
Hmm...perhaps I ought to update this.
The Swedish navy was stationed at Gotland, according to a WW1 history of Russian naval operations in the Baltic which I no longer have with me.
Hmm...perhaps I ought to update this.