Herewith a tongue in cheek narrative of "Swan of the East", the play by email game currently under way. M
From our correspondent "Neptune", from his vantage point in the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
With war now broken out all over the vast globe, our eyes are firmly fixed on the Pacific and the drama being played out here as we await news from the battlefields of Europe.
WHERE IS VON SPEE?
Was it only this spring that Admiral Von Spee and his East Asiatic Squadron made a port visit here? The belles of Singapore certainly remember with fond recollection his glittering train of young gallant young officers, and the many balls and soirees held in their honour. Our understanding is that his squadron, now turned foe, are lurking at their base in Tsingtao, and it is hoped that the Royal Navy may soon bottle him up there.
A few other odds and ends are thought to be lurking about, including the light cruiser Koenigsberg, rumoured to be in one of Germany's East Africa ports, but we are told she poses little threat.
DEFENDERS OF THE EMPIRE
Like a naval version of the Round Table, the Royal Navy has a host of paladins who are equal to the task of defending the sea lanes and defeating the Kaiser's pirates.
Senior among them is the bluff old sea-dog, Vice Admiral Martyn Jerram. His China Squadron is said to be departing Hong Kong as I write this to confront Von Spee in his lair at Tsingtao.
The handsome and experienced Rear Admiral Sir George Edwin Patey has the honour of commanding the Empire's first colonial squadron, the Royal Navy's Australia squadron.
Admiral Patey's flagship, HMAS Australia, is one of the Royal Navy's vaunted battlecruisers. Fast and deadly, she is more than a match for anything the Kaiser has afloat in the Pacific.
From his base in South Africa, one of the Royal Navy's most seasoned salts, Rear Admiral King Hall commands the Cape Squadron.
While there are rumours that the German navy will try and sneak a ship or two around the Cape and into the Pacific, we have no doubt that Admiral King Hall and his crack squadron will see them off.
ALLIED ASSISTANCE
A source in the Russian consulate here in Singapore tells us that a powerful squadron of the Czar's navy has departed its based in Vladivostock to assist the Allied cause. We hear that these ships are commanded by veterans and boast the latest technology, a surprise to us as we thought the Russian navy was wiped out by the Japanese, whom we also are told will soon be our new allies. In this strange world, old enemies are new comrades.
If you have news that you would like to share with our correspondent "Neptune", he can usually be found in Raffles Hotel most afternoons starting at the 4pm Happy Hour, and he would be happy to accept your offer of a drink and news.
Looking forward to seeing this play out.
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