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Evoan Naval development and general history 1914-1922
The declaration of war by King Väinö II was not faced with overwhelming support and at the front of facing a humiliating loss of the cabinets confidence vote in the Diet, King promptly dismantled the diet and the new elections were cast only months later when the nationalistic fervor and enthusiasm resulted a strong majority of pro-war parties, splitting the Evoan Social-democrats into pro war majority and anti-war minority, whose leaders were constantly under suspicious over communist sympathies.
At the very start the main role of Evoan fleet became essentially that of securing the transfer of the Evoan Expeditionary Forces into the mainland Ellardaë and their supply and on the other hand, to protect the vast empire and the essential resource-trade to fuel up Evoan military expenditures. Against these both task, a huge shadow was cast by the powerful Kommunaalilaivasto, which allocated most of its strength to escort and protect the Transoceanic transporting of Interkommunaali’s soldiers to Nomidaë and creating heavy forward basing of its main battlefleet, in concert with main body of the Nomidaëan fleet In Niwes Hawre, at the Northern Coast of Nomidaë, effectively protected by the Islands of Junit Balquë or Palkkisaaret. The Interkommunaali’s strategy was to tie down the powerful Evoan fleet into sort of staring match, so that it couldn't disperse its forces to raid down the supply lines, and in effect this strategy was successful. Outside the home fleet, only one Battlecruiser and collection of Armored cruisers of Evoan flag were pressed against the impossible task of both securing the Colonial traffic and at the same time hunt down and occupy all Nomidaëan holdings and forces.
1914 saw the most fierce naval confrontations in the distant waters When the combined League squadrons tried to hunt down the Nomidaëan and Interkommunaalis ships. While the success against Nomidaën units was conclusive, not least due to the partial demoralizing effect of the Communist revolution on the colonial world and two armored cruisers defected in the Far East. Two more were taken by the Evoan Far East Squadron in the 1st battle of Yrdyr Sea, but the 2nd battle saw the bulk of Evoan force, the two large Armored cruisers to sink against Interkommunaali’s cruiser-battleships. Two more Evoan older armored cruisers sunk in the Golden Sea in 1914-15 leaving the foreign stations to soldier on with mostly light cruiser forces, as the all but one Battle Cruisers were held home as scouting force for the main Fleet.
Further skirmishes of scouting cruiser forces consisted of the main naval war events for the first two years of the war, while the aggressive mine warfare and submarine activity caused the bulk of all losses to both sides. Two more Evoan and three Interkommunaali’s armored cruisers were sunk in the Ellardaëan theater, highlighting the type’s obsolescence against modern capital vessels, as well as the danger of the underwater threat that was now fully utilized for the first time in maritime warfare. Both sides built vast escort and minesweeper forces to fight this new type of warfare, while the submarine operations from both sides tested the internationally recognised rules of war, with accusations of war crimes being common in propaganda. For Evo, the loss of the secure feeling of the “Fortress of Waves'' was especially difficult in terms of the general attitude to the war, as the colonial world provided Evo much of its food exports and fear of famine was ever present in the minds of not just the public but the War Cabinet itself. Raiding submarine menace sinking civilian flagged freighters became almost exaggerated (against the true effects and results of the Red Side actions) in the Evoan propaganda and lived long in the folklore ever after. Lot less
attention naturally was given to the Evoan own submarine campaign to disrupt the Interkommunaali’s supply transports. Although there was some success in that regard, the Evoan submarine doctrine was still heavily focused around submarines as subordinated to the battlefleet as scouts and rear guards, despite no actual satisfactory result in this regard were gained. Most success came from the Little war in Raiven and Golden seas against Rim Sach and Nomidaës secondary forces.
In 1915 and during early 1916 Both sides tried unsuccessful coastal raids, which were to lure out enemy out of its positions for open engagements, but they ended up in just local clashes of the fast scouting elements before disengagements and gave no indication for the strategic standstill as both side anticipated and feared a dreadful war of attrition to commence. The King Väinö II was anxious to tip the balance in decisive naval victory to overcome the numerical supremacy of the Red side, thought at any state by 1916, the League nations were not aware perfectly, of how big portion of its Battlefleet Interkommunaali had brought to the Old world.
Admiral Säärinen, the Commander of the Evoan Home Fleet begun to plan offensive operations for the 1916 sailing season in the early spring, and much of it culminated in misinformation about Evoan Landings to seize the strategic Junit Balc -Islands, or Palkkisaaret, which guarded the Nomidaëan northern Coastline and gave the Red Fleets natural defensive hiding places to conduct their operation as well as provide coastal traffic.
Aggressive submarine reconnaissance missions, together with raids to the known locations of enemy warships were accelerated as well as rumors were spread among the Continental Forces about the oncoming landing operations with faked documents. These caused somewhat alarm in Nomidaän military leadership, but general opinion was seeing behind the Evoan Bluff.
Säärinens plan was to conduct a surprise landing assault, or atleast mock approach to the Eastern part of the Islands with the fast battlecruisers as support, and after engaging the enemy, sail northward to meet the Main Fleet which approached from the North. On 1st of June 1916, these two fleets sailed off and the southern Invasion force were quite soon spotted by an Interkommunaali’s airship. There was a lot of confusion as to what the actual Evoan attempt was, as the main fleet was not in sight and the Red intelligence erroneously reported it laying still in the harbors in Haikari. Interkommunaalis leadership correctly assumed, that this had to be another attempt of trap, but Nomidaën war cabinet initially panicked as the sighting of the vast trail of transports behind the Evoan Battlecruisers were grossly overestimated and the thread of imminent invasion was thought to occur. Admiral Jarchu set sail of his 1st Squadron of 6 battleships and supporting slow armored cruisers to intercept the Evoans, despite clear warning by the Interkommunaalis leadership not to do so. As the Nomidaëans sailed from the Junit sound towards the open Sea of Kouru, the Interkommunaalis main forces under Admiral Ronkainen moved his fleet to the Achur Sound, Into the Middle of the Archipelago.
After the Jarchu’s 1st squadron met the Evoan 1st Scouting group under Vice-Admiral Savela, the disparity of the two forces speed became clearly immedient. The Evoans were quick to turn northward before Jarchus squadron could close the firing range, and they took the bait and turned also northward to chase the Evoans. This engagement saw Evoans deliberately keeping the speed low enough that the Jarchus ships wouldn’t drop the chase, but also to retain favorable distance to the Evoans, despite their smaller caliber main weapons being designed in old Evoan tradition for closer range engagements. Savela was able to direct most of the Evoan fire against Jarchus old armoured cruisers which blew up one by one, and after third consecutive explosions of the cruisers, he ordered the remaining ones back to port as it was clearly been foolish and ill taught idea that they could survive in battleline against modern capital units.
Evoans also took beating and the Saiturinmaa, Savela’s flagship took the most of it, and after some time, the Evoan formation had to reduce their speed to keep the damaged ship dragging alongside, as Savela was not keen to let her remain at the mercy of the enemy, when he was closing on the meating point with the main Evoan Forces. Eventually in the evening, the Evoan Home fleet arrived at the scene, and the full reality of the situation became clear to Jarchu. However, the speed of the Evoan Main Fleet had been slightly too fast and while the original plan investigated the meeting to take place further north in the open seas, they now met at the mouth of the Achur Sound. Jarchu turned his squadron westwards in hopes to escape to the security of the islands, But Säärinen had anticipated this move and managed to set his forward squadrons on a south-east bound curving course to block their entrance. As the decisive victory for Evoans were almost at hands, Ronkainen’s Fleet arrived from the Sound at the very same time, and as Jarchu wisely moved his fleet to reach the safety behind the numbers, Säärinen’s main force sailed its western side and was about to be facing enemy fleet at its both sides.
Savela’s 1st SG proves out to be faster and by bold surge towards south the Ships cross the T at the Interkommunaalis Battlecruisers which moved on the front of the Interkommunaalis forces.
This proved out to be major mistake from Ronkainen’s part, as the superior position allowed
Savela’s squadron to sink two Interkommunaali’s battle cruisers. Interkommunaali’s vanguard then took a rapid turn to south which is mirrored by the Ronkainen’s main force, closing into Savela’s now rather worn 1st SG, which disengaged at the same time as Säärinen turned the Evoan fleet to south-east to engage Ronkainen. The Red line had now been reinforced with the most intact units of Jarchu’s squadron as well as the reserve Nomidaëan 2nd Sq.
The following 20 minutes saw the biggest naval artillery duel between armored ships as
the main components of each fleet engaged. Quite soon Säärinen came to a quick assertion of the situation and found the odds unfavorable against him, as the combined Red fleet's 30 all-big-gun capital ships outmatched Evoan strength of 21. He ordered disengagement, in which the Evoan Fleet turns rapidly towards North-East while the 1st SG and the Feets light units conducted a daring attack against the enemy fleet, to allow the main Fleet to flee. 1 more of Interkommunaali’s battlecruiser is blown up, but Evoans lose 4 small cruisers and 5 Torpedo Boats in this surge. Also, Saiturinmaa, Savela’s flag ship had to be sunk by the Evoans during the retreat, as it was unable to stay afloat and keep speed with the rest.
Old battleship Runvali, whose steering was damaged during the fight, was eventually captured by the Interkommunaali’s chase and sunk. The dark came to Evoans help and
The Red Fleet was unable to re-engage and Ronkainen cut off the chase.
Evoan Order of Battle to the Battle of Palkkisaaret 31st of May 1916
Avomerilaivasto
Amiraali Reino Säärinen
Fleet Flagship Aamukaupunki
III Laivue
5. Viirikkö
Uiskomies
Varpamies
Aravanpoika
Vanha Väki
6.Viirikkö
Kultanokka
Metsähovi
Routavuori
I Laivue
1.Viirikkö
Akka Jeliro
Haakonki
Tellervo Savolainen
Elsioinen
2.Viirikkö
Nouseva Tuuli
Luohikäärme
Ukkoslintu
Sananvarsi
II Laivue
3.Viirikkö
Gollevainen
Louhi Tulentekijä
Runvali
4.Viirikkö
Kimpulainen
Voilavainen
Tonavainen
4.Tiedusteluviirikkö
Small cruisers
Tiedustelulippue (Vara-amiraali Veijo Savela)
1. Tiedusteluviirikkö
Saiturinmaa (Lippu)
Sarastusmaa
Tuhatkunta
Vaeltajainmaa
Iso-Evo
2.Tiedusteluviirikkö
small cruisers
In the aftermath, the Battle of Palkkisaaret has got an almost mythical reputation as the tipping point for the entire war and Evoan history in general. In essence, it was a strategic defeat that was recognised almost immediately, although kept outside of the public knowledge. The reports only focused on the tactical victory and sinking of several Red Large cruisers. It was not told however that the Navy was unable to defeat the combined might of the Enemy in decisive naval battle, thus not control the seas. There was a sense of alarming defeatism and panic caused by these after action assortments and much of the future Evoan naval doctrine and production strategies began to circumvent the resulting “Most important strategic challenge '' that is the restoration of naval supremacy around Ellardaë. . The King was furious over the defeat and even the possibility of bigger disaster, if the Enemy would have been luckier. Säärinen was replaced with Savela taking the command of the Ocean Fleet, and history generally remembered him as the Hero whose gallant tactical maneuvers raised him
among the famed Evoan Admirals of past centuries.
There has also been much speculation by later historians, how much the changed naval situation actually had changed and how much did the spreading defeatism by the Evoans accelerated the assortments of how bad the situation really was in terms of overseas transports and Evoan Navy’s ability to protect them. Despite the victory opened strategical
opportunities for Interkommunaali to conduct large scale and decisive trade interdiction against Evoan shipping, really little increase was actually evident. Lot more Evoan convoys and shipping were simply canceled and called back due lack of escort over anticipated danger than actually sunk. Most Interkommunaali’s actions post-Palkkisaaret was focused on increasing volume of its own troop transports across the ocean. While these reinforcements naturally affected on the land situation, the actual tipping points for the war
came from the supply issues for the Evoan domestic population. The shortages of winter 16-17 were alarming and the “Hungerwinter '' of 17-18 were major causes for the support of the anti-war sections of the social-democratic fractions as well as communists themselves.
The Rest of the war saw only brief incursions of both sides inside each area of control, but no major engagements occurred. In spring of 1918, Evoan Home Fleet was briefly deployed in the Eastern Raiven against Rim Shacian Breakthrough against Alkurulaë under which the Islands of Skairon were under immediate threat of enemy invasion and were thus occupied by Evoan Marines. In the following battles, Evoans sank 1 old battleship from the Rim Sach and damaged another.
The most direct consequence of the Palkkisaaret Battle was the spiraling naval race which Evo saw no means but to win by every cost. Already in 1915, when the early war saw major toll on Evoan armored cruiser force, 4 new battlecruisers were laid down, followed by 3 more in 1916. As the large cruisers were approaching 30,000t size the leap in the Battleship category was even more drastic as Evo laid down two 45,000t monstorious Battleships of the Päättäväinen class in 1918, armed with 42cm guns to suppress everything after rumors of Interkommunaali’s 40,000t battleships under construction spread across the intelligence field. Although Evo was determined in strengthening its battlefleet was a matter of life and death, the spiraling cost from the size increase was already seen as unattainable for long term.
In the summer of 1918 the situation of the Intervention league became increasingly hopeless after the failure of the spring offensive in the Western Front and the gradual collapsing of the East, when Alkurülae was forced to sue peace against Rim Sach and the situation in Thunordak was not much better. The previous winter saw widespread riots and strikes at Evo, which the government crushed mercilessly leaving much dissent among the Evoan population which had become rather fed up with the war. The Social Democrats had decided to drop their favor for the war in order to unify its own rivaling fractions and this meant the loss of warsupport in the Diet for the King who was still stubbornly dedicated to the war effort despite dim prospects. The overall morale among the Evoan Expedition forces begun to deteriorate after the dispropriate losses in the spring campaign, and while the Government tried to hide the figures from the home public, the rumors begun to circulate which further flamed the demands of peace by wide range of the population from all sides of the political spectrum.
By late September 1918 the Evoan situation in the frontline had deteriorated even further as the Communist summer offensive had driven the frontline out of Nomidaë and into a sometimes chaotic retreat into Avudak and Sagordaë. As a desperate and panicked decision, the Evoan High command ordered most of the forces to withdraw into Sulraiven’s border, which left the Mitchedaëan flanks open and caused a major rift among the League's joint leadership. The High command informed the King that the war was a de facto loss and that the evacuation of the Evoan forces was an immediate concern. After this report, the July cabinet resigned and the Social Democrats under the leadership of Reetu Perttilä took the helm instituting a formal request of ceasefire to the Interkommunaali’s forces and ordering constitutional changes that made Evo a constitutional monarchy. The Interkommunaali’s response was initially negative as they demanded abdication of the King and dismantling the Colonial empires of All Ellardaëan nations. These demands were not agreed but the situation soon began to roll out of the government's control. The troops in Sulraiven soon descended into disorganization and deserted towards the ports and The constitutional changes was meeted with even more demands by the radical elements of the Evoan Left and series of strikes spread around all major industry and demand for revolution was echoed in mass scale of demonstrations in Saraste and other major towns. Some strikers proclaimed workers councils to take over the power and in face of more radical revolution, Perttilä convinced the King to abdicate, which took place in early november.
After the news of the abdication spread to the Ellardaëan front, the High commander of the Evoan Expedition force, Field Marshal Haakkila met the Interkommunaali’s Northern Front leader Eskilä, and the two agreed a ceasefire and terms of Evoan forces withdrawal beyond the consent of their each government at the time. The Whole of Evoan Fleet sailed to the Strait of Kouru to supersede and defend the enormous evacuation effort that was about to take place.
In the homefront the abdication was met with rivaling declarations of republican government, by both the communist fractions of the Left as well as Nationalist and royalist extremists. In face of civil war, Perttilä requested the E.E.F to restore the law and order under their arrival and after some clashes and riots, Perttiläs Government managed to field both power and trust of the armed forces in order to balance between the demands of social revolution and its repel by the old ruling class.
The 1st Class War ended in November of 1918 after the remaining League nations were forced to sue for peace under the Communist armies in Ellardaë. Under a myriad of ceasefire and surrendering agreements, the formal end to the war was far from settled, as the rapid collapse of the League Forces after Evoan withdrawal was quite much of surprise to the Interkommunaali and Nomidaës leadership. While most of Central Ellardaë came under occupation by the Red Forces, Evo was initially safe from any such attempts and overtures for actual peace negotiations were cautious during the end of 1918 and early 1919. The winter brought another dire economic situation into Evo, as the situation in the colonies was very much confused and no clear signal was even heard of what the Perttiläs government's stand was regarding it, as decolonisation was a major wargoal for Interkommunaali. In early March of 1919 the Neutral Ondore surprisingly, under their secret agreements with Rim Sach moved to occupy the Nauri canal area. This was a major shock in both the Colonial stations and in Saraste, and while Interkommunaali was not keen on mere changes of the colonial possessions, it had no aspiration to move into protecting Evoan rights.
Food was the major element in the Post war Evoan political life as the changes in agriculture and the gradual dismissal of the Landed aristocracy’s power had made Evoan farming sector into mere subsider of the overall consumption, which was fed mostly by imports from Kesämaa and Asmuurinmaa due the low tolls and import restrictions. Thus Evo was depended on foreign food sources over its own making and the Perttiläs government was keen to maintain the population happy by excess of food and provide full-employment rates by keeping the industry at work with providing them the resources it needed, all dependable by the retaining of the Colonial Empire. Thus the Interkommunaali’s plans for total decolonisation at the Peace conference in Ispor in spring of 1919 was an unacceptable position, and privately, Perttilä was ready to restore hostilities, if the Red Forces were to move against Evoan positions. Meanwhile, a strong fleet was gathered and sent to the Golden Sea to reclaim the Nauri lands, and against the wishes of the pacifist far left, the naval building program was not canceled, not least because it kept the Yards occupied and the workers happy. The Golden Sea expedition proved to be a major success, as already the reconnaissance raid with fast motor boats inflicted major losses to the Ondorean fleet and after the Evoan Main Fleet arrived, the local Ondorean Command was happy to negotiate over their withdrawal.
This sended the desired signal to both Evoan Colonial cities as well as to Marksila, that Evo was ready to protect its possessions and that the Complete decolonisation was out of the table if Evo was to participate in the peace treaty. The 1919 Ispor Peace conference proceeded nevertheless with harsh terms inflicted on both Valagrillaë and Balc, which were to release all of their over sea territories. Biggest implication of this conference was the creation of the Internationaali, A true global instrument of collective security under which all the nations and people of the world were under the same negotiation organization. Interkommunaali’s goal was from the start to include all the defeated nations of the League as well as the forcibly released new emerging states in the formerly colonized world.
Biggest surprise of the Ispor Peace conference was the releasing of Nomidaëan colonial imperium into various independent nations under the Internationaali’s protection as well as complete withdrawal of Nomidaën forces from its eastern neighbors, lands that had traditionally been part of the Nomidaës empire and what some nationalist fractions had hoped to be annexed after the 1918 victory. Together these defeats in inner communist relationships and the vast and unpredicted decolonisation were to form the fate of the world for the next decades to come.
There was also a desire in Evo to participate in this newly established concept of common security and international peace conference as a way to settle disputes instead of wars, but there were no means and support for a similar level of decolonisation under Interkommunaalis terms. Between 1919 and 1922, several overtures between the Internationaali and Evo were held but although there were lots of common goals achieved, Eventually it took until 1923 when Evo, and the newly established “Evoan Commonwealth” of its empire as now semi-independent entities in “growing up to statehood” joined the Internationaali. A Evoan concept of decolonisation, mostly on name only however. The concept was to create autonomous states along the vastly spread colonies, where their domestic politics were open to much more internal freedom, while retaining formal ties to the new Republic and its continuous military support. Perttiläs government sought to ensure the old empire as much as possible under its control, but at same time appease the decolonisation lobby and the fractions that wanted rapprochement with Interkommunaali.
Major boost for the eventual Evoan joining of the Internationaali came as a side bargain in the international Disarmament negotiations that took place in Marksila in 1922 and focused on naval race. Both Evo and Interkommunaali were at the face of spiraling cost of warship sizes and sought not to relive the 1910-1914 period of naval buildup. Both parties sought number one position respectively, and in face of Interkommunaali-Nomidaëan alliance, it was beyond the economic realities for Evo to match the combined strength of her former enemies. At the start, major Evoan bargaining chip was its participation in the Internationaali, and its main goal was the dissolution of the Red alliance, and banishing of the Kommunaali-fleet from Ellardaë. Further Evoan goals aimed to gain maximum tonnage limits for capital ships in so that the Combined strength of both of her former enemies would not surpass the Evoan allocation, but this position soon became untenable as would come the notion that the “2nd” tier navies wouldn’t have strength to overmatch the Evoan strength.
After lengthy negotiations, it was decided that the overall Tonnage limits of both Evo and Interkommunaali’s Capital ship fleets would be equal, at 525 000 tons, Fleets of Rim Shac and Marlannon would be 315,000 and those of Nomidaë and Ondore would be at 175 000 tons. The maximum size of new capital ships would be set at 35,000t and to 406 mm guns, and a new measure of calculating the standard displacement of warships was formulated. Construction of Capital ships were to be banned for the next 10 years and the treaty gave listings of which capital ships each signatory nation was allowed to maintain. All ships above 10,000t and armed with bigger than 203mm guns were determined as capital ships and the Aircraft Carriers were also first time acknowledged with set tonnages of both Evo and Interkommunaali as 135 000t and similar relation to the smaller nations in terms of the ratio of 5:5:3:3:1:1. As the aircraft carrier class was a rather new novelty in maritime affairs, the treaty gave rather arbitrary maximum tonnage of 27 000t for aircraft carriers and the possibility to convert two existing ships or hulls of 33,400t maximum into aircraft carriers.
Under the Treaty Evo was allowed to retain following Battleships and Battlecruisers:
Uiskomies 25800t
Varpamies 25800t
Aravanpoika 25800t
Vanha Väki 25800t
Tuhatkunta 24000t
Sarastusmaa 25900t
Pitkäjärvienmaa 25900t
Toivo Kultaparta 28530t
Taisto Tulenloimu 28530t
Jorma Hiidensilmä 28900t
Oskari Karitsa 28900t
Lauri Pöllö 31000t
Antras Onninpoika 31000t
Lintumieli 31000t
Laurakainen 31000t
Aallokas 34000t
Taipumaton 45000t
Päättäväinen 45000t
of total tonnage of 541,360 tons.
Following ships were allowed to be converted as aircraft carriers
Pekko Aikamiehenpoika 33400t
Pertteus Pasakoskilainen 33400t
After the treaty was ratified, the age of Naval laws came to their final legislative end, and the new law of limitation of international Armaments thus became to maintain the strength of the New Republican Navy. In language, the old Evoan terms “Linjalaiva” (ship of the line) and “Suurristeilijä” ( Large cruiser) traditionally used in conveying Battleships and Battlecruisers were effectively replaced with the term “Taistelulaiva”, ( Battleship) to refer into the new combined type somewhat presented by the monstrous Taipumaton class, and also the legislative term of the Marksila’s 1922 Naval treaty for Capital ships. In everyday usage, the terms Taistelulaiva for Battleships and Taisteluristeilijä for Battlecruisers begun to be used most notably in referring to the ships that no longer bore the prefix of H.M.L Hänen majesteettinsa laiva as the new era of Evoan history had begun.