[center][u][b]Age of Imperialism 2.0: TURN 4| January, 1920[/b] (Week 3)[/u] (Turn 4, Part 4 of 12)[/center]

[b]Friday, January 22nd[/b]
The [color=1a7b30][b]Yuxiang Clique[/b][/color], with over 45 million people, was a ruthless dictatorship just east of the Imperial Republic of Fuso. A landlocked state stuck under the Yuxiang Regime, refugees often made their way over the border into Fuso when they could, or Qingstao if they had no other choice. A landlocked power that had neither the capacity nor the inclination to wade into the Dominion, turned it's eyes instead West to the coast. Ki-Yuxiang, the Warlord of the Yuxiang Clique, was a former Dominion army general who saw the opportunity of the [i]Qingstao Fallout of 1909[/i] and seized a huge slew of former Qingstao territory.

[center][img]http://www.chinaexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/top.jpg[/img]
[i]Yuxiang Clique soldiers pose for a photo, January 1921[/i][/center]

With an army of 170,000 in the summer and only 100,000 or so in the winter, Ki-Yuxiang understood that nerves were lessened in the winter. "An army of summer soldiers," a Fusan general once commented. During the summer, many of the soldiers went home to tend their farms. Then was the time to strike. With two infantry divisions, Ki-Yuxiang ordered his men to cross the Fusan border during the night of January 22nd and into the countryside. With rudimentary uniforms and a plethora of various weapons, the Yuxiang Clique was an army only in name. The Fusan eastern provinces, which (like the majority of the country) was not garrisoned, put up no defense. For 40,000 Fusan civilians, it was wanton slaughter.

Ki-Yuxiang knew the Fusan Army would mobilize, and so by the morning of the 23rd, the Yuxiang soldiers had long gone, taking back off into the Clique highlands across the Fusan border.

[b]Saturday, January 23rd[/b]
The [color=ed1c24][b]Battle of Larakt[/b][/color] goes quiet, with only intermittent artillery barrages on either side. Tthe battle settled into a static line of trenches just northeast of the Ferrareian capital. The Jentinks, Terrible War tanks donated by Soroya, were unfortunately not being put to good use due to inexperienced Ferrereian military command. Along the trench line, which ran through the Larakt National Forest, the Jentinks were stationed among the trees. Their 37mm cannon not withstanding, they were simply subpar artillery guns. 

During Saturday, January 23rd, sighted in Korenian artillery managed a direct hit against one of the J2's, knocking it out of action.

[center][img]http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/FT17_2.jpg[/img]
[i]J2 next to another knocked out J2, 1921[/i][/center]

[b]Sunday, January 24th[/b]
The [b]Sesso-Survaekom Summit[/b] begins. To discuss possible dismantling of the [b]Tervasan League[/b] and future Sesso-Survaekom cooperation, diplomats met in Aville to discuss the possibilities of these two events.

[center][img]http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/bellenglise/versailles/images/a02615.jpg[/img]
[i]Sesso-Survaekom Summit. From left to right Sessauan diplomat, Survaekom diplomat, Ardenoisian diplomot, Samovian diplomat & Aydinian diplomat[/i][/center]

[b]Monday, January 25th[/b]
While the [b][color=red]Battle of Larakt[/color][/b] stagnated on the ground, in the air it only intensified. Regular patrols of Korenian Sinier F.130 fighters and Ferrareian Strzelec-1F fighters met over the battle lines almost daily. While the Korenians held a numerical advantage, the Strzelec-1F was found to be a slightly superior fighter in terms of overall combat effectiveness. In the evening of Monday, January 25th 8 Sinier F.130's pounced on 4 Strzelec-1F's just a few miles north of Larakta. The battle lasted only minutes, but in the end 3 of the Strzelec-1F's were shot down, and 4 of the Sinier F.130's met the same fate. 

[center][img]http://www.greatwarflyingmuseum.com/aircraft/images/commonwealth/sopwith_f1_camel_pic.jpg[/img]
[i]Korenian pilot about to take off in his Sinier F.130, circa 1921[/i][/center]

[b]Tuesday, January 26th[/b]
The [b][color=maroon]Grand Survaek Empire[/color][/b] begins mass production on it's new tankette, the [b]SA-20[/b]. Like the former experimental SA-17, the hull of the SA-20 is made of framework of steel “angle iron” beams, upon which armored plates (6 to 12 mm/0.24-0.47 in thick), are riveted. The driver (on the left) has good visibility through an armored shutter and bullet-proof glass. To his immediate right is placed, in a fixed position, a light Zurrandt-12 machine-gun, fired using an open cable. The offset turret is placed on the right hand side, the gunner standing behind another Zurrandt-16 (.30 caliber) machine-gun well protected by an armored mantlet and fitted in a ball mount. The turret itself is limited in size, and the Zurrandt-16 is shorter in order to serve in tanks. Normal provision is 3700 rounds.

[center][img]http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/czech/Tanks/CKD_AH-IV_Iranian.png[/img]
[i]Survaekom SA-20 tankette, circa 1921[/i][/center]

The engine is a six-cylinder, water-cooled Taevir-6 totaling 3.4 liters (211.6 cu in), producing 55 bhp (41 kW) at 2500 rpm, for a 14 bhp/ton ratio. Max speed is 45 km/h (28 mph) on flat terrain and road, which is far better than the former tankette, as was the operational range. However, this engine, which sits on the rear part of the fighting compartment, is not compartmented, and the cooling system used the commander and driver hatches for draft, which can cause many problems during their active life. The engine is served by a semi-automatic Terk-12 transmission and a 4-forward/1-reverse speed gearbox. The suspension and drivetrain are brand new and the most successful feature of this model, with four large wheels sprung by leaf springs. There is just one return roller at the middle, and the drive sprocket and idler wheel are placed at the extremes. The tracks are composed of moderately small soft metal links, with a total ground pressure of only 0.5 kg/cm2. It is capable to cross a 1.5 m (4.92 ft) wide ditch, climb a 50-60 cm (1.64-1.96 in) high obstacle or ford a stream 80 cm (2.62 ft) deep.

[b]Wednesday, January 27th[/b]
The [b][color=blue]Second Boletarian Republic[/color][/b] purchases a production license for a Sessauan half ton truck. The Sessauan version, called the STT-1, will be slightly modified for smoother Boletarian roads and called the SKT.1

[b]Thursday, January 28th[/b]
Pozzouli's [b]K Force[/b] convoy unloads at Izzi. 10,000 soldiers and their equipment, as well as a half squadron of ten armored cars, an artillery battery and several aircraft are taken off at the harbor to reinforce an otherwise quiet front in the [b]Po-Chaegonian War[/b]. With all eyes on Korenia, the forgotten Chaegonian and Pozzoullian soldiers continue hiding in their trenches, waiting for the next big offensive.

[hr]

[b]LOSSES[/b]
-- [b][color=brown]Republic of Ferreraia[/color][/b]
* 3 Osika Strzelec-1F Fighters
* 1,432 Regulars (1,521 Rifle I | 1,501 Equipment I)
* 2 Artillery I ([i]Gothpat 105mm[/i])
* Terrible War Tank ([i]Soroyan Jentink[/i])
-- [b][color=gold]Republic of Korenia[/color][/b]
* 4 Sinier F.130 Fighters
* 2 Artillery I ([i]Gambio K.19[/i])
* 2,311 Regulars (2,421 Rifle I | 1,842 Equipment I)
-- [b][color=maroon]Grand Survaek Empire[/color][/b]
* 1 Light Trainer I ([i]Unknown[/i])