Bloch-Dobbs Expedition

The Bloch-Dobbs Expedition was an Aerlan military exploratory expedition whose aim is to establish a freshwater port along the Makonnian Bay. The expedition led to contact with the Khamils, a tribe with whom (with some negotiation) agreed to become a client kingdom of Aerla. The mission was led by army officers Johan Bloch and Louis Dobbs. The expedition lasted from 1721 AN to the middle of 1722 AN.

Background

Johan Bloch and Louis Dobbs

Johan Bloch (b. 1675 AN) is an Olberzluetant (Lieutenant Corporal) within the Grand Army of Aerla, belonging to the 65th Expeditionary Brigade, based in Yasid. He was heavily involved with the expansion into Yasidi-Umraist held land in the Republic’s early days. Bloch also holds the honorary rank of Yunörinspektar (Junior Inspector) in the State Security Directorate.

Louis Dobbs (b. 1679 AN is a Mæjor within the GAR, as well as a Luetant-ov-Intelligens in the SSD. Dobbs first served as an SSD Agent in the 4th Intelligence Regiment, gathering intelligence during the Insurgency in Ancora. Afterwards, he was transferred to the 103rd Armored Reconnaissance Division and commissioned as a Major in the Army.

The Expedition

The expedition set off from the town of Shanshur in 1721.5 AN, The expedition was composed of 4 units, which included:

Units

• 65th Expeditionary Brigade (Olberzleutant Johan Bloch)
• 103rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (Major Louis Dobbs)
• 6th Medical Regiment (Olberzleutant ov Medisencorps Albert Hennigan)
• 39th “Yasidi” Rifle Corps (Major Muhammad ibn-Shanshuri)

The expedition also included an SSD liaison, led by Overwatchmjesta Oliver Pacston.

Contact with the Khamils

Around 100km from the border, the front column of the 103rd came into contact with 3 chieftains belonging to the Khamils, a seemingly Turkic tribe who lived on the vast plain between Aerla and the Bay of Makonnia. The chieftains led the expedition to the Khamils capital of Ishor. There, a delegation of Dobbs, Bloch, and Pacston met with the Khan of the Khamils, one Demir Khan. Demir Khan complained of the raids coming from neighboring tribes, and of the expansion of Normark and Vegno into their lands. After negotiations and consultation with higher ups in Noursala, it was agreed the Khamils would become clients of Aerla. As an act of goodwill, Demir Khan offered to personally join the expedition and help them navigate to the coast of the Makonnian Bay.

Founding of “Port Aerla”

The group continued their journey to the bay, visiting the Khamil cities of Sülüktü and Jizana. Roughly 6 months into the expedition, the group finally reached the empty corridor of land that remained unoccupied between Normark and Vegno. Demir Khan, in a somewhat hastily put together ceremony, gifted the coastal slip of land to Aerla. It was decided after much debate that Bloch and al-Shanshuri’s units would stay behind in the corridor and create a port settlement, while Dobbs, Hennigan, and Pacston would return to Aerla. Bloch and his troops to begin building an encampment, with Demir Khan promising that grain shipments would be brought to them while road links would be established to the port.

Return Journey, Discovery of the “Six Parishes”

The return group made their return first to Ishor to bid farewell to the Khan. However, heavy rainfall prohibited the Aerlans from going back the way they came, as the roads had become a quagmire of mud and stone. Khamil scouts advised the groups to head south, and to follow the Rai River back into Aerlan territory.

Soon after their departure from Khamil lands, the group were shocked to find that several Aerlan colonies existed along the river. The largest town was actually the “lost” Aerlan colonies of Newark and Azula. These towns had seemingly been wiped off the map some 15 years earlier due to famine, and this caused these areas to not be integrated into Aerla. Dobbs reported his findings to Noursala, which caused a sensation in the media. Dobbs received a radiogram from the Aerlan Military HQ at Camp Allison, stating that civilian administrators and negotiators would be sent into the area to facilitate the area's annexation into the Republic.

After a year and a half of being away from their homeland, Dobbs and Hennigan reentered Aerlan borders.

Aftermath

The expedition proved to be a great success, being Aerla's largest expansion from its inception. Bloch, Dobbs, Hennigan, al-Shanshuri, and Pacston were seen as heroes by the Aerlan public and government. It was also a large success due to the fact that only 2 soldiers had died on the expedition. Soldat Eric Sassen had died of malaria on the road to Jizana, and Lanskorpel Elliot Pushing died of heatstroke in Port Aerla, being buried at sea.

Almost immediately upon the expedition's conclusion, several teams of Army Engineers began building road and rail links towards Port Aerla.

Johan Bloch was appointed Governor of Port Aerla and promoted to a Olberz in the GAR. Al-Shanshuri was thereafter promoted straight to the rank of Olberzleutant and was allotted six months of leave for his time in the expedition. During a reception dinner with government dignitaries in Noursala, which included President Basil Fitzroy, Dobbs and Hennigan were promoted to Olberzleutant and Olberz-ovð-Medisencorps respectively. Dobbs would volunteer to command Port Aerla’s Garrison and assume the title of Komandänt. He would later go on to be appointed as the official military liaison to the Khamils.