Saphroneth
Banned
n.b. of the anecdotes given for the Armstrong gun, only one is not OTL! (Obviously it's the one from the commander of Beaver.)
If they will not meet us on the open sea (a Trent TL)
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Saphroneth
Banned
Bit off topic, but I thought I'd highlight one of those startling ships from OTL.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castore-class_gunboat
The ultimate gunboat!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castore-class_gunboat
The ultimate gunboat!
5-10 October 1863
Saphroneth
Banned
5th October
The 5th Hussar regiment of France takes part in a long-range raid into Republican Mexico. They are armed with the Westley-Richards as part of a weapons trial under combat conditions, as Napoleon III's advisors consider this the best of the non-Snider weapons from the British trials.
Carrying 100 rounds of ammunition each along with three days of supplies, the 5th Hussars brush aside a Mexican picket with only three casualties and ride north into Chihuahua.
6th October
A large purchase of steam locomotives and rolling stock arrives in North Carolina, to operate on the rail line to Egypt NC (where there are coal and iron mines, and considerable production of pig iron is already taking place).
This also highlights one of the issues that some (notably PGT Beauregard) wish to address about the Confederacy's strategic geography - the rail lines are inconsistent in their gauge.
One plan under consideration is to double-gauge the sections currently of a wider gauge, though regauging is also a possibility. Beauregard suggests that the gauge used should not be the same as that used by the Union, if standardization is to be taken up. (Whether this is because it would offer defensive possibilities or just because it would be less Union-ish is not noted.)
7th October
The 5th Hussars run into a substantial Republican brigade at Santa Eulalia near Chihuahua (about three depleted regiments, roughly 2,000 strong) and a meeting engagement develops - distinctly not as planned for the Hussars, who were planning on a raiding operation with as little actual combat as possible.
Their superior weapons (along with their training to the standards of Vincennes) mean that despite being a cavalry formation running into superior numbers of infantry they are able to more than hold their own. A firefight develops which varies in intensity for some time, until Mexican cavalry reinforcements approach from the south and the 5th Hussars retreat.
What the French colonel does not realize for some time afterwards is that this small engagement (with about thirty dead on his own side, twice that wounded, and perhaps a hundred Mexican casualties) has had a huge effect on the war - the brigade was an escort for Benito Juarez, who took two bullets to the chest within minutes of the engagement starting and is in critical condition.
9th October
With less than a month to go before the first Confederate elections as an independent country, a terrifying vision has appeared in the new nation - the political party.
Most are still unaffiliated, but half-a-dozen candidates in Kentucky refer to themselves as the Independent Democrats and a group in Louisiana have taken the name of Southern Conservatives.
10 October
Benito Juarez dies of his wounds in Chihuahua.
This sparks an immediate question in the Republican cabinet - Juarez was elected by the Mexican people, and had his term extended by the Mexican congress, but the legitimacy of his successor will necessarily be in question. (A confirmatory election is obviously impossible under the circumstances.)
General Diaz suggests a temporary military government for the duration of the 'emergency', and is rebuffed.
The 5th Hussar regiment of France takes part in a long-range raid into Republican Mexico. They are armed with the Westley-Richards as part of a weapons trial under combat conditions, as Napoleon III's advisors consider this the best of the non-Snider weapons from the British trials.
Carrying 100 rounds of ammunition each along with three days of supplies, the 5th Hussars brush aside a Mexican picket with only three casualties and ride north into Chihuahua.
6th October
A large purchase of steam locomotives and rolling stock arrives in North Carolina, to operate on the rail line to Egypt NC (where there are coal and iron mines, and considerable production of pig iron is already taking place).
This also highlights one of the issues that some (notably PGT Beauregard) wish to address about the Confederacy's strategic geography - the rail lines are inconsistent in their gauge.
One plan under consideration is to double-gauge the sections currently of a wider gauge, though regauging is also a possibility. Beauregard suggests that the gauge used should not be the same as that used by the Union, if standardization is to be taken up. (Whether this is because it would offer defensive possibilities or just because it would be less Union-ish is not noted.)
7th October
The 5th Hussars run into a substantial Republican brigade at Santa Eulalia near Chihuahua (about three depleted regiments, roughly 2,000 strong) and a meeting engagement develops - distinctly not as planned for the Hussars, who were planning on a raiding operation with as little actual combat as possible.
Their superior weapons (along with their training to the standards of Vincennes) mean that despite being a cavalry formation running into superior numbers of infantry they are able to more than hold their own. A firefight develops which varies in intensity for some time, until Mexican cavalry reinforcements approach from the south and the 5th Hussars retreat.
What the French colonel does not realize for some time afterwards is that this small engagement (with about thirty dead on his own side, twice that wounded, and perhaps a hundred Mexican casualties) has had a huge effect on the war - the brigade was an escort for Benito Juarez, who took two bullets to the chest within minutes of the engagement starting and is in critical condition.
9th October
With less than a month to go before the first Confederate elections as an independent country, a terrifying vision has appeared in the new nation - the political party.
Most are still unaffiliated, but half-a-dozen candidates in Kentucky refer to themselves as the Independent Democrats and a group in Louisiana have taken the name of Southern Conservatives.
10 October
Benito Juarez dies of his wounds in Chihuahua.
This sparks an immediate question in the Republican cabinet - Juarez was elected by the Mexican people, and had his term extended by the Mexican congress, but the legitimacy of his successor will necessarily be in question. (A confirmatory election is obviously impossible under the circumstances.)
General Diaz suggests a temporary military government for the duration of the 'emergency', and is rebuffed.
Saphroneth
Banned
Sounds like a winner.
Before long the Poles will realize they have no names left for actual cavalry...
Before long the Poles will realize they have no names left for actual cavalry...
Why are the Poles naming non cavalry units after cavalry units. Why not just call them Infantry Regiment X, Artillery Regiment Y.
Saphroneth
Banned
At first, when the uprising began, they had no cavalry. Huszaria was the organically invented name for irregular rifle skirmisher units (like how the name Tank was assigned OTL to armoured vehicles) and then they expanded it. So a Hussar is any rifle sharpshooter, a Uhlan is any artilleryman.
Basically it is the Polish rebels using historical names for morale purposes, and they still haven't had the time to actually train good cavalry!
CaekDaemon
Donor
Maybe the term Hajduk could be revived for the infantry, instead of using a cavalry term? The page on the military of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth also mentions żołnierz dymowy as a kind of infantrymen, and there is also Kosynierzy as another kind of footman 
Yeah but Huszaria is a specific word in Polish with a specific meaning. You might get mounted skirmishers being named Huszaria even if they weren't equipped as Huszaria but you're not going to get infantry called that. It would be as weird as an English speaking nation setting up an Army and calling an Infantry unit Lancers, never mind an artillery unit.
RodentRevolution
Banned
The Honourable Artillery* Company being a regiment of infantry for much of its existence I really do not feel English speaking nations can point too many fingers and yell weird.
*there is actually a reason for the name but if that is an excuse then calling a group of infantry lancers would also be excusable for reasons of historical etymology
Saphroneth
Banned
The idea behind it when I first wrote it (which I think was a couple of months ago!) was that they were acting in the role of the hussars in that they were the "elite troops" of the reborn Poland.
The kind of thing I'm thinking of is how "grenadier" or "fusilier" remained as terms long past the time their original meaning went away, and were often applied to quite different units than the originals - or how, indeed, "Samurai" went from meaning a cavalryman skilled with the lance and the bow to meaning an armoured infantry soldier with a katana.
A similar example would be how the British Paras don't tend to jump out of planes, the US Marines have an armoured component and the South African Light Horse Regiment uses armoured cars.
Heck, I found an example of US "Hussars" who were converted to anti aircraft artillery.
That one could work for assault infantry, yes.Maybe the term Hajduk could be revived for the infantry, instead of using a cavalry term? The page on the military of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth also mentions żołnierz dymowy as a kind of infantrymen, and there is also Kosynierzy as another kind of footman
I'm afraid I write in English.
I was following the author's lead in suggesting a high status name for the unit. Hajduk has some difficult associations with brigandage and servitude
That doesn't work in polish language unless there is some armor involved somewhere, because this name has some actual meaning.
Anyway, elite infantry in polish would be called grenadierzy (grenadiers) or strzelcy (for rifles or skirmishers and similar troops), not after cavalry.
Cavalry units names in Poland beside traditional cavalry are/were used by armor, mechanized infantry in armored cavalry brigades, reconnaisance and air cavalry units, and some cyclists.
Saphroneth
Banned
Okay, here's my idea for how to solve the problem without too many changes.
I really want to keep the organic nature of the "Huszaria" term because it seems to me to be a good equivalent of how names arise in situations like this - someone somewhere said the rifle skirmishers showed up "like the old hussars" and it stuck - and the sejm goes along with it because (like their use of the term sejm itself) it's symbolic of the Poland of old.
The Uhlans one in this context would be the military of Poland trying to stick with the theme. And the assault troops would be grenadierzy once the military realizes that they're stretching something a lot further than really works, and switches to an infantry name.
The raising of the first proper Polish cavalry (sometime in 1864) would be an opportune time for a redesignation - reclassifying the rifles into strzelcy (known informally as huszaria piechota for the units which predated the redesignation) and the artillery into artyleria.
It'd hardly be the first time nor the last something complicated like that had actually happened - the mere existence of the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division or the Non-Combatant Corps shows how odd things can get, and there still exists a unit of the Army Navy Air Force in China.
I really want to keep the organic nature of the "Huszaria" term because it seems to me to be a good equivalent of how names arise in situations like this - someone somewhere said the rifle skirmishers showed up "like the old hussars" and it stuck - and the sejm goes along with it because (like their use of the term sejm itself) it's symbolic of the Poland of old.
The Uhlans one in this context would be the military of Poland trying to stick with the theme. And the assault troops would be grenadierzy once the military realizes that they're stretching something a lot further than really works, and switches to an infantry name.
The raising of the first proper Polish cavalry (sometime in 1864) would be an opportune time for a redesignation - reclassifying the rifles into strzelcy (known informally as huszaria piechota for the units which predated the redesignation) and the artillery into artyleria.
It'd hardly be the first time nor the last something complicated like that had actually happened - the mere existence of the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division or the Non-Combatant Corps shows how odd things can get, and there still exists a unit of the Army Navy Air Force in China.
12-19 October 1863
Saphroneth
Banned
12 October
The 5th Hussars in Mexico report back to Imperial lines. Their casualties in the raid were heavier than anticipated, but this is recognized to be due to the unexpected encounter with skilled Republican infantry - had they been armed with their previous carbines they would have suffered quite badly.
Having collected reports from his men the previous night, the commander is already writing a report on the Westley-Richards and on breechloaders in general. He includes that there is a distinct tendency towards volume fire instead of aimed fire, but that trained men are not as susceptible to it as might be feared (this based largely on the fact he still has ammunition left!); that the Westley-Richards is a fine weapon, but that it may be too fine and hence expensive for general infantry use; that cavalry regiments armed with this weaponry may well be more effective at pushing home the charge than those without (by being able to dismount an organic base of fire without giving up too many men from the charge) and that firing from horseback is made technically possible but not encouraged!
14 October
Polish assault troops are formally designated grenadierzy by the Sejm.
Also brought up for discussion is that trained horsemen are starting to muster in larger numbers, and that soon the question to be answered will be what kind of cavalry would be appropriate for Poland. (This results in some slight embarassment as the Sejm realizes they already have men designated as huszaria and uhlan - neither of them cavalry.)
A meeting takes place in London between the representatives of Cambridge Rules football clubs and Sheffield Rules football clubs. After a somewhat disastrous game earlier in the year where the clubs played to rather different rules, it is agreed that Something Must Be Done - and, indeed, something is done... the agreement that another meeting should take place to decide on common rules.
17 October
The news of Juarez' death, and the Republican turmoil that has resulted, reach Mexico City and the rest of Mexico.
Maximillian decides to take the opportunity for clemency, and issues a proclamation that anyone who is willing to swear allegiance to the duly chosen Emperor of Mexico and his government will receive full amnesty. (This action does not please many of his local advisors, who have bitter memories of the Reform War, but he overrules them by noting that he is a Habsburg Emperor who they invited to become their absolute monarch.)
19 October
HMS Curacoa grounds and capsizes entering Auckland harbour, with the loss of almost three quarters of her crew and the Australia Squadron commander (Commodore William Wiseman, baronet of Canfield Hall). The blame is attributed to the port authorities for failing to adequately establish lights marking the clear channel, though some also attaches to the Curacoa's captain for failing to update his charts adequately to come in after dark.
The loss of Curacoa complicates matters in the Land Wars - her shallow draft had made her a useful unit for riverine campaigns - and the next mail ship to leave New Zealand carries a request for both a replacement ship and a replacement flag officer.
The 5th Hussars in Mexico report back to Imperial lines. Their casualties in the raid were heavier than anticipated, but this is recognized to be due to the unexpected encounter with skilled Republican infantry - had they been armed with their previous carbines they would have suffered quite badly.
Having collected reports from his men the previous night, the commander is already writing a report on the Westley-Richards and on breechloaders in general. He includes that there is a distinct tendency towards volume fire instead of aimed fire, but that trained men are not as susceptible to it as might be feared (this based largely on the fact he still has ammunition left!); that the Westley-Richards is a fine weapon, but that it may be too fine and hence expensive for general infantry use; that cavalry regiments armed with this weaponry may well be more effective at pushing home the charge than those without (by being able to dismount an organic base of fire without giving up too many men from the charge) and that firing from horseback is made technically possible but not encouraged!
14 October
Polish assault troops are formally designated grenadierzy by the Sejm.
Also brought up for discussion is that trained horsemen are starting to muster in larger numbers, and that soon the question to be answered will be what kind of cavalry would be appropriate for Poland. (This results in some slight embarassment as the Sejm realizes they already have men designated as huszaria and uhlan - neither of them cavalry.)
A meeting takes place in London between the representatives of Cambridge Rules football clubs and Sheffield Rules football clubs. After a somewhat disastrous game earlier in the year where the clubs played to rather different rules, it is agreed that Something Must Be Done - and, indeed, something is done... the agreement that another meeting should take place to decide on common rules.
17 October
The news of Juarez' death, and the Republican turmoil that has resulted, reach Mexico City and the rest of Mexico.
Maximillian decides to take the opportunity for clemency, and issues a proclamation that anyone who is willing to swear allegiance to the duly chosen Emperor of Mexico and his government will receive full amnesty. (This action does not please many of his local advisors, who have bitter memories of the Reform War, but he overrules them by noting that he is a Habsburg Emperor who they invited to become their absolute monarch.)
19 October
HMS Curacoa grounds and capsizes entering Auckland harbour, with the loss of almost three quarters of her crew and the Australia Squadron commander (Commodore William Wiseman, baronet of Canfield Hall). The blame is attributed to the port authorities for failing to adequately establish lights marking the clear channel, though some also attaches to the Curacoa's captain for failing to update his charts adequately to come in after dark.
The loss of Curacoa complicates matters in the Land Wars - her shallow draft had made her a useful unit for riverine campaigns - and the next mail ship to leave New Zealand carries a request for both a replacement ship and a replacement flag officer.
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Saphroneth
Banned
Something I've not been able to find is whether the Mexican constitution of the time explicitly defined the line of succession. I think it wouldn't change things a huge deal - Juarez was the only one with the official term extension, and it's died with him - but it'd be good to know who the 'primary' candidate might be.
Well, apart from Diaz and his slight (and ironic, given the Imperials) tendency towards Napoleonism.
Well, apart from Diaz and his slight (and ironic, given the Imperials) tendency towards Napoleonism.
Skallagrim
Banned
Appparently, the President (=supreme justice) of the Contitutional Court would become president in case the president is temporarily, or permantently ('absolutely') absent. This until such time as elections can be held:
Artículo 79.- En las faltas temporales del presidente de la República, y en la absoluta, mientras se presenta el nuevamente electo, entrará a ejercer el poder el presidente de la suprema corte de justicia.
It just so happens that there was a good reason to choose the 'president of the supreme court': he was also vice-president of the Republic! He is the obvious choice to take over authority, and this is what was supposed to happen historically anyway: it's also the correct procedure for times when elections cannot be held or the president-elect cannot assume office:
Artículo 82.- Si por cualquier motivo la elección de presidente no estuviere hecha y publicada para el 1 de Diciembre, en que debe verificarse el reemplazo, o el electo no estuviere pronto a entrar en el ejercicio de sus funciones, cesará sin embargo el antiguo, y el supremo poder ejecutivo se depositará interinamente en el presidente de la suprema corte de justicia.
...but obviously, Juarez was granted a special extension of his term instead. Since he's dead, and since the Republicans are clearly wary of dictatorship, reverting to article 79 seems the logical choice. Unfortunately, there are some issues. The function was held by general Jesús González Ortega. Although the supreme court essentially ceased to function during the years of war, he was clearly vice president of the Republic. In OTL the general in fact ordered Juarez to (constitutionally) reliquish power when his term ended in 1865. Juarez bluntly refused, and had the general arrested. The general was later acquitted, but went into exile in the USA, where he was also detained, and then returned to Mexico in 1867.
Depending on how these things play(ed) out in the somewhat different circumstances of this ATL, Jesús González Ortega might still be around and would be the clear shoe-in for president-ad-interim, until elections could be held. If we are in a situation where Juarez has already forced him into exile, however, there is no line of succession, and power is simply up for grabs.
Saphroneth
Banned
Hm, that's a tricky one - I wasn't really following the events in the Republican camp closely, partly from lack of knowledge. There was a siege of Puebla TTL (and it looks like Ortega might well have been the commander - OTL he was ordered to hold Puebla with so far as I can tell no suggestion he should retreat) but that has the distinct problem that the Mexicans were pretty heftily defeated (albeit over the course of a long time, with a lot of French/Imperial artillery fire hitting various places) and nobody got out once the perimeter was sealed.
It's entirely possible that Ortega is currently in French/Imperial custody, which would cause real chaos as some would try to get him out immediately while others (Diaz?) would counsel... caution...
It's entirely possible that Ortega is currently in French/Imperial custody, which would cause real chaos as some would try to get him out immediately while others (Diaz?) would counsel... caution...
Saphroneth
Banned
Hm. At this point I have three or four options, as I see it. Unfortunately for me they depend largely on what's happened in the past.
Option 1: Ortega is dead, and everything is going to get really complicated.
Option 2: Ortega is in Imperial custody, and a rescue attempt is to be set up to sort out who is in charge of the Republicans.
Option 3: Ortega is able to consolidate his position as President fairly quickly.
Option 4: Ortega is at the front, so takes some weeks to get back to Chihuahua, and Diaz has both time and ambition to mount a coup. (Successful or not.)
Option 2: Ortega is in Imperial custody, and a rescue attempt is to be set up to sort out who is in charge of the Republicans.
Option 3: Ortega is able to consolidate his position as President fairly quickly.
Option 4: Ortega is at the front, so takes some weeks to get back to Chihuahua, and Diaz has both time and ambition to mount a coup. (Successful or not.)