Chapter 45: Mud, Blood, Mountains and Auditors (1 to 31 May 1938)
Part 1 – Prologue: 1 May
Diplomacy. Foreign Minister Aras reports that the start of the month sees our alignment distance from the Soviets reduced to
108.32. Germany’s neutrality is now reduced to zero: they can pretty much attack anyone they want, whenever they want. But there is no practical change to views about Turkey: the main difference between now and about 14 months ago is that there are relatively few neighbours left who are not major powers (or aligned with them) to be fearful of Turkey!
Intelligence. Intelligence Head Ögel notes we still have 10 spies active in France, whose counter-espionage is down to only 2. We have 8 spare spies sitting in Ankara ready to replace any casualties in France or for assignment on new missions. C-E is kept at ‘3 bars’ for France, while Tech Espionage is taken up from 2 to 3. Domestically, C-E is kept at 1/3, and NU (our principal focus for the foreseeable future) stays at 3/3.
Leadership and Research. Current total Turkish LS is
7.87 (not the figure for a major power, alas). Given the lack of attrition in our spy ranks, the remaining Espionage LS (0.10) is transferred into Officers (raised to 1.78). This leaves 6 LS assigned to research projects and 0.1 to diplomacy – just in case we need to conduct any more diplomatic missions or trade deals in the future.
Propaganda Department Audit. In Ankara, the audit team has just been over the Propaganda Department’s accounts. Fortunately, Braanszon has managed to put all the missing money back into the account. But he’s still worried about something coming back to bite him - he’s certainly no accountant. He has an idea: next visitor’s day at
Ulucanlar Prison, he may just seek some - purely hypothetical of course - advice from Leo Bloom. If there’s anyone who knows how to cook books just right, it’s him!
Naming Rights. Meanwhile, Persephonee has worked up her sales pitch for the new national name for Turkey. The easel has been used – now she is ready for the flagpole! For now, it is kept under wraps, as half the Cabinet (including PM Inönü) are either off at the front or otherwise preoccupied with the war on Persia. She and Braanszon will present their ideas to Armaments Minister (and Supreme Armed Forces Commander) Calistar later. Word is, if the name is acceptable to Calistar, they will get to personally present it to Cabinet after the Persian war is successfully concluded. It may even be that the new name will be adopted when that occurs – to link it with the political reorganisation of Turkey’s rapidly expanded domains, also due to be announced at that point.
Part 2 - Southern Approach: 1 Cav Div ‘Recon in Force’
1-26 May 38. On
1 May (D+13) 1 Cav Div was in
Orumiyeh, moving south-east to
Yengejeh, while 3 Cav Div headed east to
Mianeh. By
6 May (D+18) they had arrived in
Yengejeh where they sighted the first Persian unit – a corps HQ in
Zanjan heading north-east to
Ardabil. After making this report they continue south-east to
Qorveh. Having arrived in
Qorveh unopposed on
12 May (D+24), 1 Cav Div continues its run to
Kermanshah, where it arrives on
16 May (D+28) and pushes on to
Dezful. Ten days later, (
26 May, D+38),
Dezful is occupied, with the next objective being the undefended VP city of
Ahvaz, at the head of the Persian Gulf. In 38 days driving through Persia, 1 Cav Div has sighted the enemy once, but not made any contact!
The Western press is reporting the invasion of Persia
calmly and with little overt criticism or hostility.
Part 3 - Main Axis of Advance: 1st Corps, 2nd Mtn Div, 7 Inf Div
1-10 May 38. On
1 May 38 (D+13), the main body of 1st Corps is in
Mahabad, heading south-east to
Orumiyeh. The plan is to head via both
Mianeh and
Yengejeh, swinging east to
Tehran. 3 Cav Div is in
Orumiyeh, with orders to move east to
Mianeh, scouting for the enemy and reconnoitering the quickest way through. By
2 May (D+14) Muzir’s 1 Mtn Div arrives in
Orumiyeh and is ordered to follow the cavalry advance guard to
Yengejeh. On
9 May (D+21), the corps advance guard – 3 Cav Div, under the new commander MAJGEN Toüdemür (SK1, Offensive Doctrine) – arrives in
Mianeh. The enemy is occupying the mountain province of
Ardabil to the east with an infantry division and a HQ. At 1500, they put in a probing attack over the river: even though the enemy are not dug in, they are fully mobilised: Even at full strength, a single cavalry division is not going to be sufficient to budge them: the opposing general is SK2, while the defending bonus is about 100% higher than the attacking bonus.
The attack continues until 2000 the next day (
10 May, D+22), when it is called off: 3 Cav Div suffers 111 killed, the Persian 4th Div loses only 34. Toüdemür is ordered to hold in place and reorganise, but at least has gained some useful battle experience, even if repulsed this time.
11 May 38. While 3 Cav Div guards the flank of the main advance in
Mianeh and awaits new orders, 1 Mtn Div arrives in
Yengejeh on
11 May (D+23) and advances south-east to
Zanjan, where only a retreating enemy HQ is present. With
Ardabil blocked, they will now take over the advance guard role leading 1st Corps east towards the enemy capital of
Tehran.
14 May 38. The recently raised 2 Mtn Div (only equipped with 2 x MTN bde and a new commander, MAJGEN Türkes, SK0, Offensive Doctrine) arrives in
Mianeh on
14 May (D+26). Türkes tries his hand at a probe on
Ardabil to see what difference mountain specialist troops can make. The odds are a slightly better, but clearly unfeasible, so that probe too is quickly halted, with the loss of 38 Turkish troops to 7 Persians. Both 3 Cav and 2 Mtn Divs are ordered to bypass
Ardabil and move to
Zanjan as soon as they have finished their post-attack reorganisation. 11 Inf Div (now commanded by another ‘new boy’ MAJGEN Özalp, SK2, Offensive Doctrine) has been ordered to
Mianeh and will arrive soon.
15 May 38. The main body of 1st Corps (the veteran 1, 3 and 5 Inf Divs) and 15 Inf Div make it into
Yengejeh in the early morning of
15 May (D+27). 1, 3 and 5 Inf Divs are ordered straight on to
Zanjan for the main thrust on
Tehran. 15 Inf Div will continue south-east, following up 1 Cav Div and leading the southern portion of 2nd Corps’ advance. 1 Mtn Div is still en route to
Zanjan, but will arrive ahead of the main body and clear out any light resistance first.
20-25 May 38. 1 Mtn Div occupies
Zanjan on the morning of
20 May (D+32) without resistance: the enemy’s HQ 1st Corps is already retreating north-east to
Ardabil. However, an enemy infantry division is seen to the south-east in the plains of
Abhar. Muzir is ordered to wait until reinforcements to arrive (on their way from both
Mianeh and
Yengejeh) before attacking.
Toüdemür arrives in
Zanjan with 3 Cav Div in the early hours of
23 May (D+35), while Gürzlin’s veteran 7 Inf Div arrives late on
24 May (D+36). All three are then ordered to attack the enemy in
Abhar without further delay. By 1300 the next day (
25 May, D+37), the battle has been won.
After some initial resistance, a mixed Turkish advance guard of cavalry, infantry and
mountain infantry defeated the Persian 2nd Division in Abhar, on the approaches to Tehran.
26 May 38. At 0300 on
26 May (D+38) 2 Mtn Div has arrived in
Zanjan from
Mianeh and it too is ordered to
Abhar, where it is expected to push further south-east towards
Esfahan, another VP objective to the south of
Tehran. At 1900, 1st Corps’ main body (1, 3 and 5 Inf Divs) also arrives in
Zanjan – all continue to
Abhar, where they plan to smash any serious attempt by the Persians to defend
Tehran or its approaches.
Turkish troops from 1st Corps’ main body bivouac in Zanjan on their way to Abhar, then the main objective
of Tehran. The weather has improved and they have not needed to do any fighting after over a month
on campaign. This is about as good as active soldiering gets. But a fight for Tehran surely lies ahead.
31 May 38. Early on the morning of
31 May (D+43), 3 Cav Div is the first Turkish unit to occupy
Abhar, where Toüdemür reports observing the Persian 2nd Div (which has just been defeated in
Abhar) retreating towards
Tehran, immediately to the east. There looks to be another infantry division set up to defend
Tehran, with a couple of HQs units already retreating. Again, 3 Cav Div will need to wait both to reorganise and for reinforcements (initially the other units that attacked
Abhar) to come through. It may well be that the main body of 1st Corps will pass through and attack
Tehran as soon as they arrive, depending on which forces are ready first.
Part 4 - Supporting Operations: 2nd Corps (-)
1-6 May 38. The month starts with 2nd Corps' 17 Inf Div well on its way from
Mahabad to
Tabriz, the first VP city objective of the campaign. The rest of 2nd Corps is heading south to
Orumiyeh, tasked with conducting supporting operations in the north of the main advance, providing any necessary back up to the main advance, plus following up the (comparatively) rapid advance of 1 Cav Div south towards the Persian Gulf objectives of
Ahvaz and
Bushehr. On the night of
6 May (D+18), Orbay’s 17 Inf Div arrives in Tabriz, occupying the city without a fight. They will hold in place while the rest of the Army heads to the south-east.
16-31 May 38 – Northern Front. An enemy cavalry division is spotted arriving in
Ahar, to the east of Tabriz on
16 May (D+28). HQ 1st Corps and Özalp’s 11 Inf Div are due in
Mianeh shortly.
The 1st Persian Cavalry Division, moving into position in Ahar on 16 May 38.
The reinforced HQ 1st Corps will hold the flank in
Mianeh, while Özalp will be sent in to lead his first battle as a divisional commander, once HQ 1st Corps is in place to cover the enemy sitting in
Ardabil. 11 Inf Div and arrives on the morning of
17 May (D+29) and holds. The enemy cavalry division is not moving anywhere. HQ 1st Corps reaches
Mianeh on the morning of
22 May (D+34) and Özalp heads north as planned at 0700. By 1200 they have joined battle with the Persian 1st Cav Div in
Ahar. It will be a proper fight.
The battle continues until 0400 on
23 May (D+35), when the Persians retreat having taken 112 casualties to 11 Div’s 25. Özalp’s first battle is a victory!
11 Inf Div arrived in
Ahar on the morning of
31 May (D+43). They find the enemy 1st Cav Div, having retreated from their earlier defeat, trying to slip back into
Ahar from
Meshgin Shahr. This probe is quickly defeated. Özalp is ordered to hold in place for now, to secure the northern line of the advance (and Turkish supply lines) against any Persian units that may try to infiltrate on the Northern Front.
15-31 May 38 – Southern Front. 15 Inf Div, under MAJGEN Gataly, arrives in
Yengejeh early on
15 May (D+27): while 1, 3 and 5 Divs head off east to
Zanjan for the advance on
Tehran, Gataly’s 15 Inf Div follows the trail blazed by 1 Cav Div, south-east to
Qorveh. They reach
Qorveh late on
23 May (D+35) and immediately continued to follow up 1 Cav Div’s advance to
Kermanshah, which they reached a week later (evening of
30 May, D+42). They will keep following 1 Cav Div (who are now in
Dezful), to help secure the two Persian Gulf objectives of
Azhar and then
Bushehr.
Campaign Summary
The map below shows the main lines of advance and battles on all fronts since the beginning of the campaign.
Tabriz has been secured and our lead elements are now in sight of
Tehran and
Ahvaz. For those wondering about the lack of air intervention: the nearest airfield is in
Ankara! So the Air Force is sitting this one out. As everyone predicted (including the Turkish Supreme Command) the main features have been terrain and slow going from muddy roads, but this just means it takes longer. Persian units when finally encountered have been fully mobilised, but generally not in enough numbers or strength to significantly hinder progress when it really counts.
Part 5 – Epilogue
10 May 38. The 19 Inf Div new commander, MAJGEN Kanatli (SK0), arrived in
Canakkale with the remaining two infantry brigades of his division. These were combined with the support brigades already there to bring 4 Inf Div (Support) to full establishment, with 19 Div disbanded. Both the
Calistar Line specialist defensive divisions are now in place, as is the first level of fortifications in both
Canakkale and
Istanbul. Not enough yet perhaps to stop the Wehrmacht in full flight, but a solid start.
25 May 38. Our manpower monthly gain is now up to
5.3 (+40% from Tech, +5% from Ministerial bonus, +25% from the Three-Year Draft). This is a lot better than it was a few months ago. IC is steady at
64 (off a base of 48) with 51.32 being expended in production. All resources, supply, fuel and cash are in the green and stockpiles healthy.
27 May 38. A new militia brigade is produced and deployed to the southern port of
Antalya – part of our ‘Mediterranean Sea Wall’ designed to discourage Italian seaborne invasions once the ‘big show’ starts. A third AT brigade is started to replace it: we will need more of them later if we hope to halt the German panzers.
Research. Three techs came on line during the month. On
11 May, we developed Light Armour tech: at least now we can build our
own rubbish light tanks if no-one else will sell us a license! Time to start developing our anti-tank defences for the great trial to come. On
28 May, another useful tech advance: our attack movement improves. Much as we’d like to speed it up further, other areas beckon for our very limited research capacity: more buffing of our rudimentary AT equipment. And on
31 May, we acquired the technology for Mechanical Computing Machines to help boost our research efficiency (education and technical advancement has been a recurrent theme of President Atatürk’s policies since he came to power in the ‘20s).
International Relations. In the West of the Greater Republic, Italy has de-escalated its garrison on our mutual border, with only three divisions in garrison in
Trieste,
Zara and
Pola. Hungary too has kept our mutual border clear except for a single division and HQ in garrison in their border VP city of
Pécs: they are concentrating more forces on their border with Romania, although those too are fewer than before. We assess they are probably now deployed along the Czech border, as their German paymasters step up the pressure on that unfortunate regime, which is clearly next in the Axis firing line. Mercifully, no German forces have been sighted along their new (former Austrian) border with us. While Russia continues to garrison its Caucasus border, our alignment distance is now down to only
93: there were no more nefarious Axis influence attempts this month. Interior Minister Kaya is pleased. Many attribute this to the success ‘
Springtime for Hitler’ has had in making the not-so-Great Dictator a laughing stock in Turkey. This may not last.
The West have not raised a whimper about our most recent foray into Persia, which we have diligently attempted to sell to them as another example of our ‘tough but fair’ approach to eliminating potential Axis allies. We have pledged to keep the oil flowing both the Allies and our Soviet brethren should they ask for it (they haven’t yet, but this may change once we secure the Persian oilfields). We have also asked our Embassy in London to go out of their way to consult with and mollify Winston Churchill, who seems to be the only vocal and powerful anti-appeaser in British halls of power (see separate previous dispatches and discussions with our strategic advisor Lord El Pip and our SITH operative
Darth Kelebek (AKA
The Kelebek Kompositör, AKA
TheButterflyComposer) for more details.
*
Historical Note: The Secret Intelligence Technical Headquarters (S.I.T.H.) is the section of Interior Minister Kaya’s security apparatus that looks after ‘wet’ or ‘black/dark’ ops, within the Greater Turkish Republic. Intelligence Head Ögel runs such operations in foreign countries. Assets like Luca Brasi are shared, as the requirement demands, although in his case Ögel is his primary ‘handler’. At this time, SITH was known colloquially within the Turkish intelligence community as ‘The Dark Side’. Given its highly classified and unacknowledged nature, people often didn’t know the power of the Dark Side.
Espionage. Our industrial espionage efforts in France have not yet produced any stolen techs, but their counter-espionage is still only at 2 (we may not be the only ones affecting that, or course). Among the tid-bits we have gleaned are that they are building a naval base in
Tahiti! Money well spent, I’m sure ...
if the French are looking for a comfortable Government-in-Exile location!
News Round-up
News is dominated this month by events in Czechoslovakia. One crisis is averted, but it sows the seeds for a sad betrayal later.
3 May 38, Rome, Italy. Adolf Hitler began a week-long state visit to Italy. He was greeted by Benito Mussolini amid great ceremony. The Fascists are cementing their recent Pact of Steel (if you can cement steel).
7 May 38, Prague, Czechoslovakia. Ambassadors from Britain and France opened a discussion in Prague on Sudeten Germans. They advised Czechoslovakia to make greater concessions to ethnic Germans within its borders. More appeasement from the weak West. They should be encouraging the Czechs to stand up to Hitler and offer them security guarantees! Turkey knows full well had that been applied to them over Yugoslavia, they would almost have certainly backed away. Germany may be more powerful, but the principal still applies.
19-23 May 38, Prague, Czechoslovakia: the “May Crisis”. 5,000 marched in an anti-Nazi demonstration through the streets of Prague. That’s the spirit! But will their Government show the same fortitude, or be given the support it needs to stand up to Hitler? Perhaps, as the next day Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš ordered a partial mobilisation in reaction to reports of suspicious German troop movements. The ‘May Crisis’ passed on 23 May when Germany denied any planned aggression against Czechoslovakia.
22 May 38, Paris, France. Turkey’s extensive spy network in Paris discovers that British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin
[Ed. Lord Halifax in OTL] has told the French ambassador not to count on British support in the event of a war over Czechoslovakia. We have heard also that Poland's ambassador also told French Foreign Secretary Leon Blum
[Ed. Georges Bonnet in OTL] that Poland would not move if France moved against Germany to defend Czechoslovakia. And so the scene is set for Hitler’s Springtime to continue: a farce indeed, but alas not of the harmless kind being performed on the stage in Ankara.
Another dreary morning in the Propaganda Department
On 31 May, Braanszon and his immediate boss, the Head of the Propaganda Department (and editor of the ‘Path to Glory’) Bahadir Karaduman are summoned to the office of Minister Calistar. They are not given any read-out for why the meeting has been called. They both wait nervously to be called in, wondering whether it will be a new task, or something more ominous.
Propaganda Chief Karaduman and BJ Guildenstern wait to be called into Calistar’s office.
As they are unaware of the reason, they naturally worry about what may have gone wrong.
It’s probably just another task in connection with the war in Persia.
The two propagandists are ushered into Calistar’s office. Apart from their boss, there is another man sitting in the corner of the office. He wears pince-nez glasses, looks bookish and wears a grey three-piece suit.
“Gentlemen,” Calistar starts, betraying nothing. He sits at his desk, looking relaxed and holding a manila folder in his hand. “I just wanted to go through this report with you.”
Both men breathe a sigh of relief. This looks pretty innocuous – business as usual.
“I have been presented with the Propaganda Department Audit Report for the last quarter,” Calistar continues, giving nothing away. “The balances all appear to be in order.”
Again, both men are relieved but show no outward sign of emotion. Though Braanszon wishes he had a shot of the whisky he consumed too much of last night, while a thin sheen of sweat – half tension, half hangover – forms on his brow.
“But the Auditor, Taşkıran over there, had some questions he wanted to ask you about. A few … discrepancies.” Hello, this
is sounding a little ominous now.
“Yes, thank you Minister,” Taşkıran’s voice is quiet, and sounds a little reminiscent of sandpaper working soft wood. “I would like to draw your attention to three transactions, each of 40,000 lira, made on consecutive days in early January this year for ‘printing services’ to Istanbul Typography Incorporated. No details of the task are provided.”
He hands over a sheet to Karaduman, who shows it to Guildenstern. “Do either of you remember these transactions.”
Karaduman is genuinely mystified, while Guildenstern professes blissful ignorance. While inwardly cringing that his bogus transactions used to withdraw the funds he invested in Bialystock and Bloom’s ‘Springtime for Hitler’ have been discovered by this prying accountant.
A fish-faced enemy of the people, as Max would say!
“Hmm, very well.” Taşkıran hands over another sheet. “Then, on the 26th of April, the entire sum – 120,000 lira – was refunded by the same Istanbul Typography Incorporated, citing an incorrect invoice having been issued.”
“Well, that’s all right then – clearly an honest businessman.” Karaduman is tap-dancing now, but really has no idea what the point or problem is.
“Perhaps,” says Taşkıran, in a manner which suggests the likelihood of finding such an honest businessman in Istanbul in this day and age must be statistically indistinguishable from zero. He takes out another three pieces of paper from his well-worn leather briefcase and hands them over to Karaduman. “These are the three invoices. You have signed each one – this is your signature?” Karaduman examines the invoice payment forms and nods – it is definitely his signature. “And you can’t remember what they were for? We want it for the record, you understand.”
Karaduman is at a loss. He signs many such payment vouchers and January was a hectic month. His wife was haranguing him incessantly for more money; his oldest son was threatening to join the Communists due the Karaduman’s own propaganda in favour of the Comintern alignment; and his mistress was demanding more jewelry and threatening to expose him to his wife if he didn’t give her a better apartment in uptown Istanbul. How was he supposed to notice, let alone remember, such details?
Guildenstern is just happy he had his little consultation with Bloom a few weeks back and has prepared himself for this eventuality. “Hey boss,” he offers helpfully and with his best faux innocence. “Perhaps it was for printing extra copies of the Path to Glory that month – circulation had increased markedly since the great victory over the Former Yugoslavia.”
“Ah, yes, that’s it, I remember it clearly now,” Karaduman seizes on this idea and runs with it. Anything to make this silly and inconsequential bureaucrat, with his boring and irrelevant questions, go away. “Is this nonsense over now – I’m a busy man and have important matters to deal with.”
“Almost,” says Taşkıran, glancing quickly at Calistar, who has remained nonchalant and seemingly disinterested all along. “Just one last point and then we can clear this up.”
Karaduman gets up and makes ready to leave.
“Because there was no task or indication of the specific services rendered, and because the amount was refunded just before the audit closed, I sought to check the details with Istanbul Typography Incorporated, so we could close off the audit.” Taşkıran pauses.
“Yes, well, what did you find?” asks Karaduman impatiently.
“Nothing,” says Taşkıran simply.
“Come again?” says Karaduman, nonplussed. “What do you mean, ‘nothing’?”
“Just that,” replies Taşkıran quietly. “The company doesn’t exist. It has never existed. The transactions are bogus. It looks like whoever generated them got cold feet just before the audit was due and hastily repaid the money. They would have got away with it if I hadn’t had to check up on the details. Very amateurish on the part of the perpetrator.”
BJ gulps inwardly, that sheen of sweat slightly thicker now. Has his Bloom-inspired diversion done the trick? Karaduman is gob-smacked. His life flashes before his eyes.
“So, Karaduman,” asks Calistar. “Been having personal problems recently? Some unexpected expenses? Your personal life impinging on your efficiency, blurring your memory – or judgement?"
Karaduman can only stand there, face white, attempting to maintain his composure and thinking furiously of how to get out of this unexpected hole he has managed to dig himself ever more deeply into, without realizing it.
“Mehmet!” Calistar barks into his intercom. “Show in those men Kaya sent around.” Karaduman is on the point of losing not only his composure, but his breakfast. “Ah, Mr Kelebek, do come in!”
Karaduman looks around. A menacing figure stands there, wearing a long black leather overcoat and a broad-brimmed dark hat, pulled down low so that his face is shrouded in shadow. He wears round sunglasses, despite being indoors. He makes a point of standing to one side, where the light is dim.
“So, Mr Karaduman,” he asked softly. “Do come along to the Interior Ministry with me, there’s a good fellow. My associates may have a few questions to ask of you.” Karaduman stumbles after him, in a daze. “And how is that Stalinist son of yours? He seems to be taking your propaganda a little bit too closely to heart. Though one couldn’t accuse that greedy mistress of yours of being a Communist, now could we?”
Karaduman disappears out the door and around the corner. Guildenstern never sees him again. Nor do any of his family. It is as if he has disappeared off the face of the earth. Braanszon slithers out as calmly as he can manage. He now feels stone cold sober. Which he intends to rectify as quickly as he can. In private.
Coming Up: Will June bring the end of the war in Persia? And a new name for the Republic? What potitical settlement does the Cabinet have in mind – a simple national republic no longer seems adequate for the leadership of what is now a
de facto empire. And will they be sufficiently impressed by Persephonee’s work to finally agree to a new national name? Has Guildenstern learned his lesson – is he capable of doing an honest day’s work (or at least a
legal one) for an honest lira? What event are going to take place in the wider world and what will their effect be on Turkey and its road map for the Path to Glory?
After all, you are also fighting the clock. "I think"
