The War September 1939

[Käpt'n Korky]

Since discord is a bit flimsy even with pinned messages, I decided to hang the results of the war here as well. I think the title makes it re-findable.

It is time for the results of Week 1, Captains.
[05:13]
Not a surprise to most, Italy Ranked #1:

East African Strategy
"Italy benefited from the relative security provided by the French and the British presence in the Mediterranean, enabling the Regia Marina to project its power into the Red Sea.
Morgana raids around the Horn of Africa weren't merely disrupted; they were shattered. Enemy access to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal was sharply restricted by the end of the week - earning Italy gratitude from the United Kingdom, whose emphasis on the defense of the British Isles left trade lane protection significantly overstretched.
Moreover, the Morgana salvage collected around the Somaliland coast may ultimately be a source of vital revenue and investment for Mogadishu (despite early concerns about potentially toxic effects of the stockpiles), and plans to build modern shipyards and an industrial base in Ethiopia suddenly began to seem almost feasible. For better or for worse, Mussolini's grip on East Africa has never seemed stronger.
And, in a week when the wider world seemed in danger of falling apart, the Italian Empire can be said to have improved its global reputation for competence and decisive action.
One perhaps unavoidable consequence is that the Italian public is more dismissive of the League of Nations and its various enterprises than they were in August. If the Empire has gained prestige, the people who tried to hold the Empire back have been discredited - at least for now."

Italy
Relations: United Kingdom +1
Unlock Progress: Scrapped Belle +1
Colonial Stability: Ethiopia +1
Prestige: Kingdom of Italy +1
League of Nations Support -1

Ranked #2 was the United States:

The Battle of Belle Harbor
"The United States held its own in the first week of the conflict, scoring perhaps the first organized, decisive victory against the new arrivals. The Morgana ""sneak attack"" on New York - popularly known in some quarters as ""the Battle of Belle Harbor"" after a period of sustained bombardment of a suburban neighborhood in Queens - was thoroughly repulsed in what may have been the initial manifestation of the famous USS Recruit.
(Indeed, the fact that the newspapers called her ""the Belle of Belle Harbor"" after the attack seems to have led to the near universal adoption of ""Belle"" as a moniker for our friendlier new arrivals.)
Belles are now all the rage in the United States, instant symbols of both glamor and heroic service, and a great deal of that public admiration has been fostered by Hollywood, which is already preparing dozens of new productions based on the careers (fictional or otherwise) of the Belles.
That said, the American public was not prepared to be attacked by unknown enemies, either materially or psychologically. National moves to fortify the eastern coastline were enthusiastically embraced by the American people, but there’s still a hint of fear in the air. Might worse still be coming?
Given that, it’s perhaps unsurprising that American attitudes toward the Royal Navy have been shaken; raids along the eastern seaboard herald the end of the guarantee of free trade on the high seas.
Naval planners know that the Panama Canal and control over the Caribbean will be the decisive element in preserving the safety of American coasts and prosperity."

United States
Belle Relationship +1
Political Cohesion +1
Propaganda Strength +1
Coastal Defence: Eastern Seaboard +1
Preparedness -1
Relations: United Kingdom -1

Ranked #3 was Japan:

Recall Naval Forces
"Though the IJN's choice to prioritize the defense of the home islands was controversial in some circles - particularly among Army leadership, which felt that their forces and supply lines in Korea, Manchuria and China were far more exposed and more in need of support from the start - the decision proved extremely popular with the Japanese public, and profoundly beneficial to Japanese ports. Every indication is that they plan to build upon their successes, turning the finest minds in Japanese naval and industrial circles toward building preparedness against this deadly new foe.
The Navy, and its political supporters, now have capital in Japanese politics that they didn’t enjoy over the summer, and if these trends continue the effects could be profound.
And not just internally - reports suggest that certain Soviet Pacific assets have been forced to appeal to the IJN for protection despite decades of mistrust and hostility.
The trade-off, according to voices linked to the Imperial Army, is that Morgana rampages around the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese coast have endangered the stability of Japan’s overseas projects - and, indeed, unrest seems to be markedly rising. That, however, is not a point that casts the Army in a particularly favorable light either.
A looming threat to all of Japan's interests is the problem of oil. Although the stockpile is sufficient for 9-12 months, the prioritization of the defense of the home islands will degrade the security of the long routes by which oil must travel if it is to reach Japan."

Japan
Navy Reputation +1
Preparedness +1
Deterrence: Soviet Union +1
Colonial Stability: Korea -1
Interservice Rivalry: Army -1
[05:15]
Coming in at #4 was Germany:

Anti-Nixe Pivot
"The war with the Morganas began at literally the same moment as Germany's invasion of Poland - and the business of conquest was slowed, though certainly not stopped. The Kriegsmarine seemed to prioritize engaging the new Morgana threat above supporting the Heer in its move eastward, and there’s some evidence to suggest that this decision was not supported, nor particularly appreciated, by Germany’s political leadership.
It can’t be denied that the Kriegsmarine largely successfully protected Germany’s great ports, whose fortifications are now underway, and - perhaps ironically, given the benefits to Polish ships seeking refuge with Britain - did more than anyone else to maintain a degree of safety for marine traffic traveling between the North Sea and the Baltic. Moreover, the ferocious combat in the Baltic gave German naval forces a core of early experience that many of the world’s other navies would struggle to match.
In comparison, German land forces ran into difficult problems both with the tenaciousness of the Polish resistance and also the appearance of sinister Morgana riverine craft.
It’s possible that the Kriegsmarine has managed to exacerbate interservice rivalries, and to alienate their paymasters, even as they distinguished themselves at sea."

Germany
Navy Reputation +1
Coastal Defence: German Coast +1
Combat Experience +1
War Progress: Poland -1
Interservice Rivalry: Army -1
Political Cohesion -1
[05:15]
At #5 was France:

East Atlantic Strategy
"Where Italy's defense of its overseas holdings seems to have been a gamble well rewarded by the turn of events, France's feverish battles for its European heartland yielded more complicated results.
Her Atlantic ports were spared the worst of the Morganas' depredations through the truly heroic efforts of her defenders, but the picture in the Mediterranean was more complicated; there, French defenders seemed to be luring Morganas away from Italian waters as much as anything else, and French interests in the colonies - perhaps particularly the French Antilles - were badly served.
International trade, particularly along trans-Atlantic routes, slowed to a trickle.
The unexpected threat seems to have permanently suspended any attempts at the rescue of Poland, as well.
Perhaps more dangerous still: on the peripheries now, there’s a fear and a discontent that wasn’t there before. Are they to be left defenseless while the nation’s defenders patrol outside Bordeaux?
For all that, there were positive signs. France has been inspired to turn its energies toward preparedness; systemic work has begun on improving the nation’s coastal defenses, and French industry has begun the urgent discussion of how the Marine Nationale might best be served.
The cohesion of the Francophone world may have been bruised, but the war is not yet lost."

France
Preparedness +1
Coastal Defence: Atlantic Coast +1
Colonial Stability: Antilles -1
Colonial Stability: Indochine -1
Trade -1
[05:15]
At #6 was the United Kingdom:

Home Defence
"Early decisions by the Admirality to prioritize the defense of the British Isles above all else led to difficulties and inefficiencies in trade lane protection- the primary purpose of many of the ships on station outside of home waters. As with France, international trade plummeted - but, for the British, that meant blockades on both the vital supply links East and West and the looming specters of famine and industrial collapse.
The defense of home waters was magnificent, however. The North Sea was held against impossible odds - albeit with some help from Germany, of all nations - and Britain’s great ports and industrial centers remained largely undamaged, even when poison mist made them unsafe temporarily.
The decision by the Kriegsmarine to focus first on the Morganas has benefited British security. But the two nations are still at war, and direct cooperation is impossible.
And, of course, the performance of HMS Bulldog, as well as her inspiring speech, will doubtless be remembered in Britain for generations.
The British people seem resolved to face the challenge ahead of them. Some even argue that this is, in fact, an opportunity for the Royal Navy and the British Empire to seize their destiny and to prove that they will never be surpassed, nor fall into twilight.
There is no doubt that the savagery of Morgana raids on Calcutta, Bombay and Cape Town will long be remembered; there are many who wonder where the Royal Navy was as hundreds were taken. There are even some who say this single week has done more damage to the whole idea of empire than any series of events since the independence of Ireland."

United Kingdom
Political Cohesion +1
Navy Reputation +1
Trade: North America -1
Trade: East Empire -1
Colonial Instability: India -1
Colonial Instability: South Africa -1
[05:15]
And finally, at #7, was the Soviet Union:

Baltic Sea Strategy
"From all accounts, the week was a struggle for supremacy on the seas.
With assistance (perhaps accidental) from Germany, the Morgana threat in the Baltic Sea was kept some distance from Leningrad - and in hurrying ships into battle before their intended commission, the Baltic Fleet may have sparked the awakening of Belles they would not otherwise have seen.
Small Morgana groups seem to have operated in the Black Sea with minimal challenge to their plans, and appear to be growing in strength. Sevastopol and Odessa each sustained several raids despite heroic defense from both military and civilian populations, and early reports from the Pacific suggest frankly nightmarish conditions around Vladivostok and the Soviet Far East - with some signs that local Soviet forces have even been forced to call upon the Imperial Japanese Navy for assistance.
Given a lack of coordination and a series of shared defeats, relations with Turkey are strained. Fighting is only getting fiercer in the Black Sea and the Pacific.
The naval trade lanes to Germany are as secure as can be in the present crisis, however, and the Morganas have not seriously threatened the strength nor the stability of the Soviet Union."

Soviet Union
Unlock Progress: Baltic Fleet Belle +1
Coastal Defence: Black Sea -1
Relations: Turkey -1
Coastal Defence: Far East -1
Morgana Defense: Black Sea -1
[05:16]
Reminder: you can expect these results to slowly, and over time, affect the world state, campaigns, rewards and future options. Enjoy!

Ah, someone just pointed out that I didn't include the League of Nations in the bulletin yesterday. Without further ado:

To End All Wars
"The paralysis that afflicted the League of Nations in the aftermath of the Abyssinia Crisis was broken by a surge of energetic action by the junior diplomats in Geneva, under the leadership of Sean Lester.
The clear need for a framework to govern national cooperation against the Morganas, despite the current situation, was all that was required to restore some semblance of action to the Palace of Nations. Germany, Italy and Japan augmented their unofficial delegations as well, recognizing the need for some kind of co-belligerence.
The INPF is on the way to becoming a recognized part of the world's war against the Morgana, with all the attendant benefits this may bring, instead of an ad hoc and de facto organization.
The ability of the League to forge future, and more lasting, consensus remains subject to debate, however. The inertia, and perhaps the fatalism, of the leadership in Geneva may be the largest block."

League of Nations
League of Nations Cohesion +1
Recruitment Drive +1

[Käpt'n Korky]

Well the second week is gone, but it means we have the results:
 

Coming in at Rank 1 is Italy:

Rank 1
Securing the Imperial Core
""After the triumphs of the first week of the war, the battle-hardened Regia Marina turned its attentions back to Italy and the Mediterranean - where they attempted to clear the Mediterranean as they had cleared the Red Sea. Although much work remains to be done, the Mediterranean is far safer than it was from Morgana predations.
Fortifications along Italian coastlines were strengthened, and as the Mussolini regime publicized the navy's successes the essential strength of the government was strengthened as well.
Perhaps a hint of overconfidence was beginning to show... or perhaps it was just well-earned pride?
That said, there was one unexpected consequence to the Regia Marina's triumphant return to the central Mediterranean: wounded and furious Morganas came crashing in waves against the Dardanelles, looking for easier prey in the Black Sea. A mighty malestrom travelled with them as they forced the strait, causing a heavy toll of destruction.
The Turks were not well pleased, and now a dangerous enemy has been reinforced in the Black Sea..."

Italy
Coastal Defense: Italy +1
Propaganda Strength +1
Combat Experience +1
Political Cohesion +1
Relations: Turkey -1
Victory Disease -1
[23:15]
Rank 2 was France:

Rank 2
An Atlantic Offense
"The Marine Nationale built upon the defense of Bordeaux the week before and struck out into the Bay of Biscay and the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, carrying the glory of the Republic with them.
This gave their allies the British vital breathing room - and the French found themselves ranked as perhaps the most experienced fighters in the Atlantic.
In Europe, though, clouds still gathered.
The Italians were quick to declare that the ships protecting the French in the Mediterranean belonged to the Regia Marina - and though it wasn't entirely true, it struck some as true enough.
As for the Polish War... the drôle de guerre has already begun, with the brief attempt on the Saar petering out without any territorial gains.
Is it possible that the French, with all their advantages in men and materiel, will not prosecute the war? And what consequences might that have to an opportunistic foe...?"

France
Coastal Defense: Atlantic Coast +1
Combat Experience +1
Alliance Cohesion +1
Morgana Defense: Iberian Approaches +1
Prestige +1
Propaganda Strength -1
Deterrence: Germany -1
[23:16]
In third place is the United Kingdom:

Rank 3
Canada Renders Aid
"The United Kingdom took advantage of the successes enjoyed by the French, the Americans, the Italians and even the Germans; as the major approaches to the home islands were protected, Britain seized the opportunity to increase and protect trans-Atlantic commerce with Canada.
Welcome supplies flowed in, with record response from private citizens. Privately, early assurances were requested from Canadian leadership that the Royal Navy prioritize the defense of Canada.
Their continued emphasis on the security of the British Isles cost them overseas, however.
In Norway, it was painfully obvious that defense of the North Sea - and their own coasts - had largely fallen to the Kriegsmarine.
In India, the discussion in the provincial legislatures is beginning to mirror that of the National Congress as it becomes clear that British strength is not being expended to protect Indian subjects- what is more important? The war, or independence?
Is it possible that the United Kingdom could win this war without the resources, manpower and monies that has been for so long the gift of India?"

United Kingdom
Trade: Canada +1
Preparedness +1
Unlock Progress: Canadian Belle +1
Relations: France +1
Relations: Italy +1
Relations: United States +1
Colonial Instability: India -1
Relations: Norway -1
[23:16]
4th place is Japan:

Rank 4
Cooperative Framework
"The Empire proferred an unlikely deal with the Soviet Union, sponsored principally by the IJN. The proposal was to coordinate actions, open bases and pool resources in order to defeat the waves of Morganas pouring in from the north.
The Soviets agreed in principle, but the negotations soon encountered delay after delay- some of which seemed, in hindsight, unnecessary.
In practical terms, this meant the Japanese were protecting the Soviet pacific coastline at considerable expense without concrete aid or gains. While a brave face was put on it, the fact remains that the Soviets showed themselves to be poor partners when it mattered the most.
This appeal to an international diplomatic framework was received warmly in Geneva.
The comparative safety of the Japanese Home Islands, along with a string of victories in the north, was exploited for morale gains.
However, the triumphs in the north came at a cost to the wider war effort against the Chinese. The Morganas freely raided and disrupted convoys, worsening both the general trade situation and the direct supply lines to China.
The growing bitterness between the Army & Navy has attracted the particular attention of the Morgana Sedition, though the nature of her interest was not immediately clear. What is known, however, is that she has spared a number of fishermen, and at least one of them has evidently brought a letter to Maizuru."

Japan
Prestige +1
League of Nations Support +1
Propaganda Strength +1
Interservice Rivalry -1
Morgana: Sedition -1
Relations: Soviet Union -1
War Progress: China -1
[23:16]
In 5th place is the United States:

Rank 5
Pacific Mobilization
"The US Navy turned its attention to the West Coast, where Morgana attacks had become particularly fierce - and where widespread panic had necessitated the imposition of martial law in California and Washington.
Funding was allocated and coastal defences were reinforced all along the Pacific. And it must be said that all the country's armed forces coordinated effectively and without obvious rivalries in protecting the coast.
Moreover, in the midst of all the battle, American overland trade actually expanded, with new agreements made with Canada and Mexico and a renewal of interest in the Pan-American Railroad.
But, for all that, the American public was beginning to worry that the Navy was too busy trying to catch up to the enemy to match the kinds of victories made by the French and the Italians in the past weeks. After years of prioritized investment, a slight impatience was being to grow.
Meanwhile, the general neglect of the Caribbean - by Americans, British and French alike - was beginning to breed a whole new set of concerns with rumors and reports of Morgana incursions on land in the Antilles. Certainly, it's true that some small communities have seemingly disappeared without a trace."

United States
Preparedness +1
Coastal Defence: West Coast +1
Trade: Americas +1
Interservice Cohesion +1
Navy Reputation -1
Vulnerability: Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico -1

In 6th place is Germany:

Rank 6 Assisting the Royal Navy "The German Kriegsmarine found themselves the apparent defenders of the North Sea, despite the Polish War and the presence of the British Home Fleet not very far away. Although interservice cooperation had no framework, the British & German navies coordinated as well as could be against the major Morgana fleet, with German protection of trade established northward along the coast of Norway. In return, the Royal Navy seemed to tacitly agree that obstructing German-Scandinavian trade was a much lower priority than bloodying the invaders' noses. For all that, there were downsides to this priority. The Kriegsmarine rank and file were beginning to expect that their fight would not be against their fellow human beings- an attitude that made overall wartime radio and operational discipline less than it might have otherwise been. There's no doubt that Royal Navy observers gleaned important intelligence on the German Navy. The Soviets enjoyed the freedom of the Baltic as they began a series of naval exercises off the coast of Poland, with unknown intentions. The invasion of Poland was delayed by the appearance of unknown riverine craft on the Vistula and the Warta which slowed or made more hazardous the advance. Nonetheless, it has bought time only for the Polish defenses who still see no rescue coming from France." Germany Relations: United Kingdom +1 Combat Experience +1 Trade: Scandinavia +1 Deterrence: Soviet Union -1 Deterrence: United Kingdom -1

[23:17]

Last but not least is the Soviet Union:

Rank 7 Anti-Japanese Rearmament "The Council of People's Commissars was willing to partner with Japan on regional security, but Japanese arrogance and triumphalism soured the relationship almost immediately. Japan became a shield against the Morgana -an effective one- and Moscow directed weapons and materiel to the Far East for a response to both Morgana and Japanese aggression. An influx of damaged and exhausted Morganas in the Black Sea meant combat experience with low losses; something the Black Sea Fleet took advantage of as often as it could. The Soviet Far East would be fortified, and it would not be friendly to Tokyo. As resources flowed eastward, Germany took note- the Soviets had commitments, and it remained to be seen if they would be the equal of them. Meanwhile, Morganas probed Soviet defenses in the Arctic Circle, little deterred by the ice the winter would bring. Finally, Mistrust, the Morgana Destroyer, appeared at the mouth of the Vistula, bringing with her fresh river craft pulled from her own superstructure. What her intentions are remain unknown." Soviet Union Preparedness +1 Coast Defence: Far East +1 Combat Experience +1 Deterrence: Germany -1 Coastal Defence: Arctic -1 Morgana: Mistrust -1 (Bearbeitet)

[23:19]

The League of Nations: Purposes Uncrossed "For the first time in years, the League itself began to seem... relevant. Although within the Palace the speeches and meetings continued unabated and without result, the salons were full in the evenings and the business of international cooperation began to get done. Unknown parties contacted newspapers and radio news services around the world, arguing that now was the time for warring nations to set their differences aside for the sake of humanity's survival. They flattered all the great navies in every medium, calling them the civilized world's first and last line of defense, and at least some people paid attention." League of Nations League of Nations Support +1 Prestige +1 Navy Reputation +1

[23:20]

Bonus: American Captains continued to display a lack of fighting spirit and intelligent use of the weapons provided to them. The Bureau of Ordnance recommends that new Captains, with the appropriate appetite for combat, be promoted.... because absolutely nothing could be wrong with their torpedoes.