Kiautschou
| Republic of Tsingtao Republik Kiautschou | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 | |
| Capital and largest city | Tsingtao |
| Official languages | German, Chinese, English |
| Recognised national languages | German, Chinese |
| Government | Federal/Constitutional Parliamentary republic |
| Legislature | Republikstag |
| Independent state | |
• German Concession from Imperial China | 14 November, 1897 |
• Independence from Imperial Germany | 15 August, 1914 |
| Area | |
• | 157,100 km2 (60,700 sq mi)Mainland and local islands only. |
| Currency | Republikmark (RM) |
| Time zone | (UTC+8) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy AD |
| Drives on the | right |
History
World War One
Formerly the Imperial German concession of Tsingtao, the Republic of Tsingtao declared both independence from Berlin and neutrality with the outbreak of World War One. With the Imperial East Asian Squadron, commanded by Graf Maximillian von Spee, dispersed throughout the German Pacific colonies, the last governor, KzS Oskar von Truppel, with a clarity little seen in the German military at the time, realized his position was precarious. Surrounded by China, Japan, and separated from Germany by the British “lake” of the Indian Ocean and the bulk of Asia, he realized his position was untenable. Cabling the Berlin, Tokyo and Peking, he informed them of his decision to remain out of the war, and as neutral independent state. He also informed Admiral Spee, via wireless, and recommended that the Count return the East Asia Squadron to their home port and accept either internment, establishment of a local navy, or attempt an insane dash across the Pacific and up the Atlantic, through the Allied navies back to Germany. Spee, understanding his situation, wired his ships, and gave them the same options. The Squadron rendezvoused at Pagan Island in the German Marianas, save the SMS Emden, and returned to Tsingtao in convoy with German merchantmen and passenger liners; holding the bulk of colonists evacuating from German New Guinea and Samoa or were transiting the Pacific when war was declared. SMS Emden was in port and her commander, Captain Karl von Müller, chose to remain in port, while the Austro-Hungarian SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth was interred in accordance with standing neutrality laws.
With the Chinese and Japanese declarations of war against the Central Powers on 14 and 23 August, respectively, a combined British, Chinese, and Japanese force surrounded the concession, including an Imperial Japanese naval squadron off shore. Admiral Spee, approaching the IJN blockade, hoisted a white flag on the mainmast of his flagship, the armored cruiser Scharnhorst. Receiving an order to heave-to from the IJN cruiser Takachiho. A representative of the blockading squadron, Lt. Isoroku Yamamoto, was sent aboard the Scharnhorst and met with Admiral Spee who explained to the Lieutenant that East Asian fleet and convoy were interring themselves for the duration of the war in neutral Tsingtao. With Lt. Yamamoto's return to the Takachiho, and after a flurry of wireless traffic to Allied Naval Headquarters, Hong Kong, the blockade allowed the German convoy proceeded to their anchorages within Tsingtao Bay.
Interwar Years- 1919-1930
With the Armistice declared, Allied troops began pulling out of their fortifications surrounding the city of Tsingtao, and heading to the British concession of Weihai. Minister of State Truppel began a move to return the provincial area of Shantung under their authority. By emphasizing to the province how improved the lives of the citizens of Tsingtao were and the security that the Republic could provide from the marauding bands of Chinese Army troops and warlords, the province came back under the control of the former governor. German infantry from the former III Seebataillon and Chinese militia engaged in pitched battles first against Zhili warlord clique, then the Fentiang Clique, and finally prevented an invasion by the Northern Expedition. As a measure of thanks, Minister Truppel repealed racial purity laws that had been in effect prior to and after independence, but largely ignored. After the Great War, Germans disaffected by the Weimar Republic emigrated to Kaiutschou, bringing with them their trade, military, and scientific skills, as did Czarist Russians made their way to the small republic, to escape the Civil War, and persecution from the Bolsheviks. Persistent rumors abounded Kaiutschou that Anastasia Romanov was seen in Tsingtao. The University of Tsingtao opened its doors in 1921, graduating its first class in 1925. Great Britain ceded control of their concession in Weihaiwei back to Tsingtao in 1930. Admiral of the Fleet Count Maximillian von Spee suffered a fatal heart attack on his 60th birthday, and was buried with full honors in the military cemetery in Tsingtao. With a wealth of precious metals, gems, and minerals, including oil, Kaiutschou proved independent of fluctuating oil prices and uncertain supply lines. With the Republikmarine's original ships begining showing their age, Kaiutschou's mineral wealth also allowed the Navy to begin to upgrade, and purchase ships that the Washington Naval Treaty were going to scrap. From the United States, came the ex-USS Delaware, rechristened RM Graf Spee, and several destroyers. The Royal Navy provided HMS Indomitable and New Zealand, rechristened Truppel and Tsingtao; while the original ships were relegated to cruiser duties throughout the 1920s. All ships were modernized, and all coal-fired ships were converted to oil burners.
2d Sino-Japanese War and the 1930s
The 1930s dawned with saber rattling from Japan, continued civil war in China, and continued stability for Kaiutschou. It also saw creation of the Air Force (Luftstreitkräfte) and expansion of the Army (Heer), as well as reaffirmation of the country's neutral status, going even as far as enforcing its neutrality by arms.
The “Mukden Incident" [1], and subsequent invasion and occupation of Manchuria by the Japanese Kwantung Army, brought a sense of alarm to Tsingtao. The fleet was redeployed to the harbor at Dongying, and the infant Air Force, with its six squadrons of P-12s, Gamecock IIs, and CR.20s and two squadrons of obsolete Fokker D.VII and Albatros W.4 fighters, deployed to improvised fields along the Bohai Sea and Yantai. With the Shanghai Incident in 1932, increasingly bellicose language coming not from Tokyo but Manchuria coupled with the Tanggu Truce, the Kaiutschou military began to fortify the western border as well. In 1935, several skirmishes between the Heer and elements of the Kwantung Army, following the abandonment of Hebei by the KMT with the signing of the He-Umezu Agreement, were fought, with no change to the status quo ante bellum.
Negotiations with American, British, French and German governments saw increased arms sales, particularly with interest in tanks, artillery, and aircraft. Vickers 6-ton, Panzer Is, IIs, and Pz38(t)s along with Soviet BT-2s arrived in sufficient quantities to field an effective armored corps, while Boeing Peashooters, Curtiss Hawks, Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Hurricane fighters replaced the older post-war biplanes.
With an actual declaration of war between the KMT government of China and Imperial Japan, reservists within Kaiutschou were called up for longer training periods, while the Navy practiced more coastal defense drills. RM Elisabeth suffered a crippling engineering casualty that resulted in the aging cruiser being towed back to Tsingtao and laid up, her guns removed and transported to become coastal artillery on the Mingdao Islands.
As Japanese forces expanded their attacks against China in the late 1930s, Kaiutschou defended itself against continued probing aggressions, while attempting to maintain a neutral stance in the larger conflict. Apart from probing attacks by the Kwantung Army on the western borders, Kaiutschou maintained an effective naval patrol, and while the Imperial Japanese Navy wasn’t as land hungry as the Kwangtung Army, Republikmarine and IJN cruisers did skirmish. The IJN cruiser Jintsu, while transiting well within Kiautschou’s 3 mile limit off Sushan Island, was intercepted by the RM Graf Spee and the destroyers Luchs and Tiger. While the official Japanese report stated the RM vessels fired first, the RM ships’ and Sushan lighthouse keeper logs reported that the Jintsu fired after being ordered to heave to. Graf Spee received hits on her superstructure, the Jintsu was bracketed by the Spee’s 12 inch forward batteries, and suffered hits from the Luchs’ and Tiger’s 4 inch batteries. The Jintsu limped out of Kiautschou territorial waters with the Luchs and Tiger making sure the Japanese cruiser remained at sea, while the Spee headed for Tsingtao for repairs.
The Kwangtung Army suffered its second major setback when elements of 179th Independent Combined Brigade attempted to force a crossing of the Zhangwei River, 25 miles north of Qingun in August 1939. Lead elements of the 1/1 Infantry and 1st Armored Regiments, 2d Division, on maneuvers in the area, came under fire by Japanese artillery. Message traffic flashed back and forth, while the two forces engaged in a spirited armor duel between Kiautschou LTKs (Panzer38(t)), Panzer IIs and IIIs, and Japanese Type 95s and Type 89s. 2/1 and 3/1 Infantry dug fortified positions 5 miles behind the front, while elements of the 2d Brigade fortified a line on the Majia River. RK forces collapsed the center, in an orderly withdrawal under fire, drawing the 179th into a pincer movement, and destroyed in detail. Much like the Soviet victory at Khalkin Gol, the Kwangtung Army was chastised by the Imperial High Command in Tokyo and several officers were relieved of their commands.
Jewish Expulsion and Emigration
With the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany in the early 1930s, Kiautschou was derided within Nazi propaganda for “giving up its Aryan heritage,” for its inclusiveness of other races, Joachim von Ribbentrop was brokering arms deals with the Republic with Hitler’s good faith, which the Republic agreed to payments more favorable to the Third Reich. This good will allowed von Ribbentrop to allow the voluntary emigration of a few hundred Jews.
But with clouds of war in Europe looming, Nazi anti-Semitic laws becoming harsher, Kiautschou opened its doors to Jewish émigrés escaping Germany and German-occupied territories. With the consulate in Berlin being contacted about the planned departure of the MV St Louis, with 935 Jewish passengers, Kiautschou's Foreign Ministry recommended the ship sail not to her planned destination of Havana, but to Tsingtao via Gibraltar and Suez, Columbo and Singapore. Arrangements were made for the ship’s fuel and provisions at those destinations to be paid for by the government; arrangements were also made through von Ribbentrop and Hitler’s Foreign Ministry to allow other ships carrying refugees to carry Jewish families, and rendezvous at Columbo. As the ships were to enter potential hostile waters off China, the Republikmarine dispatched the Emden, Dresden and three destroyers to escort the convoy to Tsingtao.
Even with the declaration of war against Germany by Britain and France after the invasion of Poland, the Kiautschou Consulate in Berlin continued to issue travel papers via the Soviet Union and Trans-Siberian Railroad, until the invasion of Russia in 1941.
Doolittle’s Raiders/Submarine Campaign/World War II Ends
With Japan’s declaration of war against the United States and allies, coupled with Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, Kiautschou's supply lines to the west were cut off. Existing equipment was reverse engineered and an internal supply line was established. The borders continued to be manned, and the fleet and air force maintained neutrality patrols.
Two B-25s from the Doolittle Raid, lost and low on fuel, slipped through the Kiautschou patrols. Lt Farrow’s crew ditched off Yantai, Lt Hallmark’s went in just north of Lanshan. Two crewmembers drowned, but the other eight survived with varying injuries, were treated and interred. Notification that the personnel were safe was made to the US Embassy in Tsingtao, but because of Kiautschou's neutrality treaty with Japan, the eight crewmen were guests for the duration of the war, with continued pay and allowances paid out of the country’s Treasury, to be reimbursed by the American government at a later date. The B-25s were recovered, repaired, and taken into Luftstreitkräfte service.
USS Sea Tiger, the only Mackerel-class[2] submarine sent to war, was operating in the Yellow Sea and survived a brutal 20 hour depth charging just outside of Kiautschou territorial waters, after expending the last of her torpedoes on a Japanese convoy. The Sea Tiger suffered critical damage to her electric motors and both of her battery packs. One of her diesels suffered from saltwater ingestion with cracked heads, and was taking on water through her portside stuffing box. Not wanting to send out a distress call, for fear of bringing the Japanese Navy down to their position, the crew provisioned and manned life rafts, and the Sea Tiger slid into the placid sea off Chaolian Island, scuttled. The crew spent a week there, before being discovered by an RM seaplane on neutrality patrol. Picked up by the battlecruiser Tsingtao, the crew of the Sea Tiger were interned in the capital, spending the war as guests of Kiautschou, along with other Allied and Axis personnel who had the fortune or misfortune to be interned for the duration.
With the end of the war, the internees were either transported to their home countries, or granted alien citizenship within the Republic. The latter was taken by European combatants whose nations were in the Soviet sphere of influence of Europe, including the entire complement of the Free Polish Navy cruiser ORP Dickmann, a British Danae-class cruiser that had grounded off Lanshan, after a navigational error put her in Kiautschou waters while on a shore bombardment mission on Ganyu. The grounding resulted in minor damage, but she was stuck fast until RM deep water tugs pulled her off. The Dickmann was taken into RM service, rechristened the Yantai, her crew resuming their duties aboard the ship.
Otto von Spee retired from the Republikmarine after 35 years of service with the rank of Flottillenadmiral, and entered politics. His brother Heinrich was promoted Flottenkapitän, and assigned to Headquarters, 3d Squadron in Laizhou as Chief of Staff.
Chinese Civil War
The death of Chiang Kai-shek to a Kwangtung assassin during the War had been a wake-up call to the Nationalists, to stop their infighting and deal with their enemies properly, but without the focus on defeating the Japanese, the fragile alliance between Mao’s Communists and the Nationalists splintered, reigniting the Chinese Civil War. While unable to hold western China, even with the support of Muslim generals Ma Hongkui, Ma Hongbin, and Ma Qi, the Nationalists were able to consolidate their hold on Taiwan, Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, and Anhui.
In an attempt to bring Kiautschou into either state, both the People’s Republic and Republic of China invaded the Republic. Nationalist and Communist armored spearheads were blunted by the Heer’s Panzer IIIs, Panzer IVs and an indigenously built version of the Panzer III/IVs, while infantry and artillery dueled along the border. Several skirmishes also occurred in the Bohai and East China Seas between armed sampans and gunboats of all three powers.
Chancellor Hartwig Baumgartner sent emissaries to both powers to arrange for a cease-fire, and to begin negotiations. The Chancellor met with Hua Guofeng, representing Mao’s Communist Party, and Nationalist governor Chen Yi in Hong Kong for talks. During the month and half talks, an accord was hammered out between the three states, effectively ending the Chinese Civil War. Although there have been continued border skirmishes between the three states, they have been primarily over smuggling of goods, customs duties and the maritime economic exclusion zone.
In the 1970s, Chancellor Zongli Grotewohl brokered a deal with the Republic and People’s Republic of China and the United Nations, where both states have possession of the permanent Chinese seat on the Security Council, rotating ambassadors on a biannual basis with neither having an elected membership to the Security Council.
The Cold War
Kiautschou remained staunchly neutral throughout the Cold War, intercepting and escorting PLAAF, ROCAF, Soviet and USAF/USN reconnaissance aircraft flying through its airspace. During the Korean War, US 5th AF B-29s and Tiger Force Lancasters and Lincolns that had been crippled during bombing raids on the west coast of North Korea, and unable to return to their bases in Japan or South Korea were interred, and their crews paroled through the International Committee for the Red Cross.
The Republikmarine began a significant upgrade in capabilities beginning in the 1950s, replacing 1930s and early 40s vintage equipment with newer equipment from Western nations, including the Republic’s first aircraft carrier, the RM Pluschow in 1947. The Republikmarine’s battlecruisers and battleship, while long past their prime, continued to serve through the 1950s, with the Graf Spee, into 1956.
The Republikmarine christened a new Graf Spee, the just retired USS Oregon City, CA-122, in 1971, followed by the acquisition of a second carrier, the RM von Richthofen in 1977, the just retired USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. The von Richthofen was towed to Newport News Shipbuilding for a proper, and correct modernization. This upgrade, set the Republikmarine's ship modernization budget back 250 million dollars, coupled with the purchase and refit of the HMS Ark Royal, R09, led to an inquiry in the Republikstag's Republikmarine committees. This expense was justified, when Typhoon Ike hit the Philippines from August 31- September 4, 1984. Offloading fighters and attack aircraft, the von Richthofen, Lowenhardt, and Pluschow uploaded all four Sea King squadrons, both Seasprite squadrons, 1st and 3rd Aviation Brigades, 3d Aviation Assault and 4th General Aviation Battalions. The von Richthofen also took aboard both HU-16T squadrons. This carrier battlegroup, with full cruiser and destroyer escort, began humanitarian air operations while off Rapu Rapu Island on the 6th of September. The RM coordinated its operations with both the Philippine government, US Pacific Command and 13th Air Force.
Post-Cold War and Overseas Operations
Beginning in the mid 1990s, the Republik Streitkräfte began a period of modernization. Older single-role aircraft were replaced with more modern multi-role aircraft. The Heer life-cycled obsolescent armor and artillery, and with the retirement of the American Iowa-class battleships, added Tomahawk missiles and their armored box launchers to the First Division, 4th Artillery BN.
While enroute to recovery operations in the Caroline Islands the Pluschow was struck broadside by a rogue wave, and rolled past 75 degrees. Although the 50 year old light carrier survived, several hull frames were twisted, and the entire embarked airwing knocked overboard by the roll, or so heavily damaged that they were disposed of purposefully. Returning to Tsingtao, with a 5 degree list to port and down by the head 3 degrees and pumps continuously running, it was determined that to be more cost effective to replace than repair the Pluschow. Her pennant and name would be transferred to the retired USS Guam, LPH-9, in and remain a STOVL carrier.
In 1995, the Republikmarine transferred existing vessels, aircraft and personnel into a newly formed Küstenwache, and was tasked law enforcement and sea rescue, coordinating with Luftstreitkräfte Air Sea Rescue aviation assets.
In response to a partial SOS during the capture of a Republik-flagged freighter off Great Domino Island by pirates in 1997, the Republik Streitkräfte began planning a rescue operation in the event the Foreign Ministry would be unable to secure the release of the vessel or hostages through the intervention of the Indonesian military. The RM Lowenhardt made provisions to embark elements from the three Seebataillone, Kommandotruppen Anton, Bruno, Caesar, their assigned CH-53s, and additional support elements. With the Truppel and destroyers Tiger, Yantai, and Müller in escort, the group put to sea with a fleet speed of 20 knots to allow the diplomatic corps time to get action from the Indonesian government.
With the fleet at sea, the Luftstreitkräfte sent an element of RF-4Fs, with supporting pair of KDC-10s, to Paya Lebar AB in Singapore, under the guise of a long-duration training flight. Within an hour after landing at Paya Lebar, reconnaissance overflights commenced, with the photos transmitted to the fleet via satellite. The Indonesian government was unable to send their forces to rescue the crew and ship, but agreed to turn a blind eye to any operations in their territorial waters. The ship Jining Victory, a Victory-ship converted into a small container ship, was discovered on the fourth overflight, in an inlet of a small island off the west coast of Great Domino Island. The task force anchored just off the southeast tip of the main island, and sent out an observer detachment from Anton. Upon the return of the observer detachment, plans of the pirates' camp were drawn up, and the Kommandotruppen rehearsed the assault. A predawn launch sent the assault force's Sea Stallions and Hueys, with escorting Cobras and Harriers, off the deck of the Lowenhardt. Commandos in two Stallions and Hueys from Bruno assaulted the ship, as the rest of the force rappelled into pirates' encampment. Surprise was complete, the crew of the ship released and pirates captured or killed in a brief firefight, with the worst casualties being two wounded during the firefight and one injury from a fall, when the Sea Stallion he was fast-roping from had to evade an incoming RPG. Heavily laden Skyraiders from the Lowenhardt leveled the evacuated compound with iron bombs, as the assault formation and recovered container ship made their way back to the task force.
The Republik supported 7 party (The Chinas, Japan, the Koreas, Russia, and the United States) talks regarding North Korean nuclear disarmament and unification talks, and was upset when Pyongyang pulled away from the talks. In 2010, after the attack on the ROK Navy patrol boat Cheonan-Ham, North Korean patrol boats and a submarine engaged the RK Coast Guard PCL-3, PCs 1, 7, and 8; and PCH-3 (the former USN Knox-class frigate Lang, three new build River-class patrol boats, and the former USN Pegasus-class hydrofoil Taurus) in a 24 hour running fight. Two KPAN Osa-class patrol boats were sunk with all hands by RK gunfire. PCL-3 received two torpedo hits possible from a submerged Romeo-class submarine. Shore-based S-2 Trackers working with Coast Guard Lynx helicopters dropped depth charges over a suspected sonar contact, resulting in debris, an oil slick, and reported bulkhead collapse noises on sonar.
Given the experiences the country has had previously with pirates, the RK has supported NATO's Operations Ocean Protector and Ocean Shield in the Indian Ocean, rotating patrol, AEW and tanker aircraft, Kommandotruppen, and all three major combatant task groups, on staggered 6 month deployments. To date, the RM has engaged multiple pirate dhows and motherships, recaptured two freighters, and rescued Iranian fishermen. One notable rescue involved the retired Cunard passenger ship Queen Elizabeth 2, on her way to Dubai. A distress call was received by the RM von Richthofen that unknown assailants were boarding her, with partial coordinates being received before being cutoff with a burst of gunfire. A USAF JSTARS aircraft identified her position 200nm north of the Kiautschou formation, and turning south towards Somalia. Kommandotruppen Caesar launched in Merlin and Sea Stallion helicopters and raced north to intercept. Abseiling aboard the former Cunard liner, the commandos quickly, and quietly recovered the ship, released her crew and apprehended the pirates.
Future technologies and advances
During the 2015 Quadrennial Defense Review, several issues were noted. The first was the age of some of the ships within the Republikmarine and Kustenwache. The Graf Spee and von Richthofen were in their 7th decade of near continual service, the Lowenhardt into her 6th. It was also noted that the majority of the Coast Guard fleet were also 40 to 50 years old. Another issues was the different types of vessels in the Coast Guard and Navy. British Type 42 and American Kidd-class destroyers, three Flight I Ticonderoga-class cruisers, three very different aircraft carriers, and the manpower-intensive flagship, Graf Spee, which was currently laid up in drydock, having been hit by three 533mm torpedoes near the maritime border with North Korea. Despite Pyongyang's denials that a submarine was in the area, sonar tapes were presented to the UN Security Council that clearly identify man-made, mechanical noises up to and including the air slugs launching the torpedoes.
The QDR report sent to the Minister of Defense recommended that the Navy and Coast Guard introduce a more streamlined fleet to reduce continual retraining of naval personnel. To be retooled
In a “Eureka” development, the High Energy Physics Department at the University of Tsingtao created the first self-sustaining fusion reaction, in a reactor no larger than two double-stacked standard 20 foot cargo containers and producing stable and continuous 1.21 GW of power.
Need to retool "Into the Future" section
Merged and Affiliated States
Nauru
With the collapse of the Nauru government in 2015, the Republikswehr deployed peacekeepers to the Pacific island nation as part of a UN-sanctioned mission. Supported by elements of DESFLOT 1, the Gigant-class replenishment ship Gottlieb Daimler, elements of 2d Division's provided ground forces for the mission, rotating every eight months with elements from 1st and 3rd Divisions. Other regional governments provided manpower and support, with the whole operation under an Australian Army Brigadier.
By 2025, after 10 years of successive governments, the interim Parliament entered into three party talks with Kiautschou and Australia, citing historical ties with the old German Empire, to become a state of Kiautschou. Representatives from Minister of State Helmut Sun and Prime Minister James Mitchell agreed, in theory, with the annexation of the island. Specifics were ironed out, the Australian dollar would have 1:1 parity with the Republic Mark, Australia would be allowed to continue to operate the Australian detention center, the United States would continue to operate its climate monitoring station. Minister of State Sun sent a respectful missive to King William V, requesting that the new Tsingtaon state of Nauru remain associated with the Commonwealth, which was granted. The Nauru seat in the United Nations was vacated, the ambassadorial position assumed by Kiautschou.
Reforestation and rehabilitation of the phosphate strip mines was begun during late Teens and and early Twenties, while solar, wind and a small fusion reactor provide power for the island, including the desalinization plants.
Nauru is host to a joint Küstenwache (Coast Guard) air/sea rescue and Navy base. Nauru International Airport (INU) provides both LuftKiautschou and Air Orion flying boat service to Banaba Island and the Gilberts on alternating days. Connecting service through Brisbane is via BAe 146-300s.
Caroline Islands
Work In Progress Scooter
