Borogravia-Carthaginian War

The Borogravia-Carthaginian War is an ongoing armed conflict between Borogravia and New Carthage.

Causes
The Borogravia-Carthaginian War was caused by Carthaginian expansion. Following the discovery of Australis, New Carthage colonised large parts of the continent, as well as Tuesday Island and Providence Island.

Borogravia, possessing no overseas territories of its own besides a tiny territory in Alituria, was eager to expand itself. As a result, it began to look to other nations such as New Carthage as possible sources of colonies.

Mobilisation and Declaration of War
In April 1908, large numbers of Borogravian soldiers and artillery including 30,000 infantry, 200 gatlings, 200 mortars, and 20 cannon, as well as a logistics corps with 400 horses, sailed down the Kneck to the Aliturian Colony. Submarine bases were also built in this colony, from which submarines purchased from the West Carthage Company could operate in the Hinsho Sea and as far down the Aliturian coast as the Straits of Punicea.

War was declared on Sunday May 3, 1908 at 9:00 AM. The threat appears not to have been taken seriously by New Carthage, as 20 submarines were capable of passing through the Straits of Punicea and into the harbour undetected. Perhaps this was because of their doubt of Borogravia's ability to wage such a war, or because they had already been in a phoney war with it in 1900. In any case, wartime defences were not attended and no attempts were made to defend, other than mobilising.

Submarine attack on Carthaginian Fleet
On the evening of Monday 1st August, 1908, 20 submarines of the Duchess' Royal Navy snuck into the military harbour at New Carthage. They remained below water with engines switched off until 8:00 AM on Tuesday 2nd, when they opened fire on various naval and civilian vessels. In the Carthaginian fleet were 1 pre-dreadnought, 1 coast-defence ship, 2 armoured and 2 protected cruisers, plus 8 torpedo boats. Out of these, the pre-dreadnought, the coast-defence ship, 1 armoured and 2 protected cruisers, and 4 torpedo boats sank. The frigates were out with destroyers on reconnaissance. Personnel loss were 800 sailors. 3 Borogravian submarines were destroyed, with 30 sailors.

Reception
Following the attack, Radio New Carthage announced that the "[...] attacks by Borogravia submarines into our very harbour, to attack our great fleet, are an unacceptable act of war. We will go to war, wage just war on the aggressor, fight to the last to defend our territory and our colonies. We will not surrender in a hurry [...] Long live the Republic. Long live Carthage and the Punic people".

New Carthage declared a state of war on Borogravia, and a Tyrant was elected.

Among others, the RCM offered aid to New Carthage. This was turned down.

Bombing of Saguntum Nova
In order to cause New Carthage to surrender and hasten the war's end and perhaps force a negotiation, Borogravian airships rented from the Airship Co. bombed Saguntum Nova and its docks and shipyard. 400 civilians were killed and loss to property amounted to over £860,000 nocks. As a result of civilian killings, New Carthage labelled it a "war crime".

Invasion of Tuesday Island
On December 20th 1908, Borogravia dispatched an amphibious assault fleet bound for Tuesday Island, with 4,000 infantry, 100 gatlings, and 50 mortars, with 1 gunboat for the bombardment plus an escort of 2 protected cruisers.

This island was strategically valuable; it made an ideal base for submarines, making possible a blockade of New Carthage using the Solis-built submarines which made up the backbone of the Borogravian fleet. It also prevented free movement between New Carthage and Australis, and allowed a possible invasion of Providence Island, which would be used as a springboard to an offensive on the Australisian mainland.

Interception of Borogravian fleet

Setting forth from the colony under the cover of night, the convoy was intercepted by the Hinsho Fleet with 1 protected cruiser and 2 torpedo boats intercepts the convoy off Gomūbashō. During the confrontation, 1 transport was severely damaged and returned to port with all surviving crew. 14 casualties were recorded. On the Carthaginian side, 1 torpedo boat damaged and returned to Port Claudius, Humerlandish Inutilia, which was officially neutral, for repairs.

Landing
The reduced force consisting of 2,700 infantry, 67 gatlings, and 34 mortars, landed at Tuesday Island on 1st January 1909 at 4:00 hours, supported by a barrage from 1 gunboat and 2 protected cruisers. They were met by a Carthaginian force of 1,500 infantry, 60 mortars, 60 gatlings, and 10 cannon. The gatlings raked advancing troops with fire while the big guns on the ridge bombarded them; 870 casualties were recorded.

Following the landing, Borogravian forces dug in and assumed a defensive position on the beach, with mortar- and gatling-crews and their guns set up in positions between the rocks.

Battle of the Ridge
The battle of the ridge lasted from 8:00 AM on Tuesday 3rd January, to 9:00 PM the following day. The battle involved Borogravian infantry charging up the ridge to attempt to capture the guns. The Borogravians eventually captured the ridge, resulting in Casualties: 340 Borogravians, 200 Carthaginians, 200 Borogravians killed, 231 Carthaginians wounded, 600 Carthaginians captured. 60 gatlings and 10 cannon were captured by Borogravian forces.

Surrender of Carthaginian Troops
Following the capture of the ridge, the Carthaginian force continued to fight for three weeks, but surrendered to Borogravian forces on 26th January.

Respite of late 1909
Following the capture of Tuesday Island in January 1909, there were no major confrontations between Borogravia and New Carthage until March 1910. There were encounters, including the Annagovia incident in which the Borogravian protected cruiser accidentally rammed Humerlandic fishing boats in the Aliturian Gulf, and an engagement between a Borogravian submarine and two Carthaginian torpedo boat destroyers, one of which sank with the loss of 34 lives.

During this period, 27,300 infantry, 133 gatlings, 1516 mortars, 20 cannon, 400 horses, and 1,000 cavalry were transferred by Borogravia to Tuesday Island in anticipation of an attack on Providence Island.

Submarine Warfare
In April 1910, Borogravia implemented a submarine blockade on New Carthage proper, to force it to conclude the conflict by starving it of food and other resources. It plans to use this strategy to "end the war by Christmas". While not attempting to attack ships in harbour, it has prevented all shipping through the Straits of Punicea, cutting off circulation between New Carthage and its colonies, while preventing it from trading or using its warships.

An incident on 7th March 1910 was the capture of the Borogravian Navy submarine SU14 by New Carthage Navy destroyer Aruna. The submarine was reconnoitring the strait between Himilco's Land and mainland Australis when the destroyer intercepted it off the coast of Himilco's Land.

Invasion of Providence Island
On 10th March, 1910, at precisely 4:00 AM, Borogravian landing force of 4,000 infantry, 10 cannon, 200 gatlings, 200 mortars, and 500 cavalry landed at Providence Island from Tuesday Island, with a bombardment of 1 gunboat and 2 cruisers. They were fired at by 10 mortars as they stormed the island, with 167 killed and 200 injured in initial assault, but navy sappers managed to set up 10 cannon, while the troops advanced towards the Carthaginian position, in which 500 riflemen and 30 gatlings, plus 10 mortars, were camped inside a sandbag wall. Included in the charge were 500 cavalry of the 1st Heavy Dragoons, plus 3,400 riflemen of the crack 10th Foot Regiment, Light Infantry.

Distinguished actions
During the battle, a sergeant known as Sergeant Jack Jackrum, of the 10th Foot Regiment, distinguished himself by abandoning his commanding officer, Lieutenant Blouse, and leading "his" squad of 8 infantrymen behind enemy lines, killing 17 men with his army knife, capturing an enemy gatling, turning it around to attack the enemy, and firing until out of ammunition, following which "he" retreated back to his line. "He" was court-martialled for this unorthodox technique, his disregard of orders, and "insubordination", but was let off due to a loophole found in the Duchess' Regulations and Orders, rule 796. He was also awarded the Duchess' Cross for his bravery. Sgt. Jackrum had already distinguished himself at Sheep's Drift during the Borogravia-Inutilia War of 1887, various in the Borogravian-Zlobenian war of 1890, including the capture of Kneck Keep, in the Borogravia-GDC war, and the Humerland-Borogravian war of 1897. As he himself put it, he had spent "forty years of cleaning up every bleeder within 100 miles of Borogravia".

Out of the 550 Carthaginian defenders, 131 were killed. The remaining 1919 surrendered. 100 Borogravians were killed and 400 wounded.

Reactions
Following the invasion, the West Carthage Company used veiled threats against Borogravia while offering aid to New Carthage. New Carthage refused military involvement by the WCC, but requested 3 dreadnoughts and a number of battlecruisers.