Balkans Rework-Preliminary Ideas

[OldCrowBalthazor]

Based on discussions about the Greek 'problem'.

Salonika and Northern Greece:

Proposal to created an Event Decision that would make an Exclave or Minor Power under one of the 2 Western Entente Major Powers...that will cost the respected powers France and UK MMP's, (e.g. somewhat like the Narvik DEC in WiE and WaW), when CP units come within 1 hex of Uskub.....this proposal may solve the Greek issue in a more historical and balanced way.

As it is right now..if Serbia falls too fast..Greece gets rolled like a Luxembourg cheese round.

note: This area could be just a Minor Power, e.g. 'Northern Greece-Salonika' (under an Entente parent Major UK or France), because of the incipient civil war in Greece.

If the Entente want to create this mini-state, it should cost moderate to significant MMP's from both France and UK. Also, several infantry corps from both nations and an Hq from one or both majors would be placed on and around Salonika. This will give any surviving Serbs a place to find exile..as they did in Salonika and Corfu.

Again..this DEC should only be triggered by the proximity to Uskub by CP units.

The above Greek proposal is in conjunction with the following other ideas for a revamp of the southern Balkans to help mitigate the current imbalance that seems to be the trend, e.g. easy CP dominance of this region upon the fall of Serbia.

The M-Gambit change proposals we are working on (removal of Bosnian RR and Pec RR + Serbia minor buffs, Second capital for Montenegro at Pec.) are complimentary to this.

An alternate convoy for Serbia if Cetinje is captured should move to Salonika

This is just a preliminary work in progress btw. More will come as we work out the inevitable kinks....[:D]

[OldCrowBalthazor]

AH Ports with Bosnian-Dalmatian RR removal. More historic. Makes this rugged coast more remote, so more realistic. Eliminates 1st and 2nd turn Montenegro Gambit...but allows with proper time and planning of over land-non operational movement to pursue this gambit-stratagem.

Excerpt from Globalsecurity.org article about AH port infrastructure c.WW1:

>'One prominent item on the program of the big fleet party was the conversion into a first-class naval station of Sebenico, a fair harbor on the Dalmatian littoral. It was announced in March 1910 that a new base for ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy was being prepared at Sebenico, on the Dalmatian coast, 70 miles south-east of Trieste. The place was visited by Admiral Montecuccoli, who with his staff selected suitable sites for the fortifications, and a wireless telegraphic station was erected. As of 1910 The principal Government Dockyard of Austria-Hungary was situated at Pola. At Trieste there were two building slips at the yard of the Stabilimento Tecnico which had been made capable of receiving Dreadnoughts; and two more slips had been similarly lengthened at the establishment of the Danubius Shipbuilding Co., of Fiume.'

'In the 1911 Naval Estimate provision was made for the extension of the arsenal at Pola and the naval base at Sebenico, about half-way down the Dalmatian coast, which had a good natural harbor, was the headquarters of a rear-admiral with a command extending from Zara to Cattaro, and possessed a torpedo station, though, it is not, like Pola, a naval base in which the ordinary necessaries for a modern fleet are to be found, and it was proposed to make it such a base in order to provide for a partial decentralisation of the Fleet, the necessity for which was alleged to have been shown by the recent crisis in the Balkans.'< end excerpt.

Basically, while Austria-Hungary's Dalmatian coast had world class harbors with islands as protection, the main naval yards were on or near the Istria Peninsula, with Pola, Trieste, and Fiume as the main bases for capital ships.

When we removed the Bosnian and Dalmatian railways, which were narrow gauge, the ports sizes changed to 5 strength...which indirectly, but curiously, accurately represent that true size and capacity of the ports on the Dalmatian littoral.

[shri]

So, 1 issue, the AH navy without those 10 level ports will get decimated faster. See, trieste gets useless from 1915 onwards as Italian corps can take huge chunks or completely destroy ships. Which is a-historical.
In reality, the AH navy survived till 1918 in strength, the Dalmatian coast was well mined, the Adriatic was never cleanly penetrated by Allied vessels.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

ORIGINAL: shri

So, 1 issue, the AH navy without those 10 level ports will get decimated faster. See, trieste gets useless from 1915 onwards as Italian corps can take huge chunks or completely destroy ships. Which is a-historical.
In reality, the AH navy survived till 1918 in strength, the Dalmatian coast was well mined, the Adriatic was never cleanly penetrated by Allied vessels.

Trieste only applies IF the Italians get in there or close...and the AH player deserves to loose their fleet there if they let that happen....

Besides...we have tested this extensively...with an aggressive Entente naval foray into the Adriatic...as one scenario...and if they do that...it has to be done right..and there will be expensive losses for the Entente if they attempt it.

The AH could be given a 'mine' boost though...that's something to consider and relatively easy to incorporate in a mod we are working on..[:)]

[hottegetthoff]

Cattaro could be given a 10 as it was a more important base than others on dalmatian coast.