Kingdom of the Netherlands : a alternate star trek timeline

[lordroel]

May 18, 2019 23:08:32 GMT eurowatch said:

Having gone on an editing spree to make Roel's posts more readable, I have:
- killed a lot of unnecassery commas and Spaces.
- fixed far to many grammar and spelling mistakes.
- fixed a lot of wrong uses of who and which.
- reclassed the Wolf-Class from scout vessels to corvettes.
- Included the T-25 tank destroyer among the Dutch Inventory.
- Made Dutch diplomats a bit more socialable.
- Used a lot of acronyms to replace the full name of some organisations.
- made the Dutch use their own Language to name Things instead of English.

Sorry for that, is a old timeline I made wich never got beyond 1982.

[eurowatch]

May 18, 2019 23:15:06 GMT lordroel said:

May 18, 2019 23:08:32 GMT eurowatch said:

Having gone on an editing spree to make Roel's posts more readable, I have:
- killed a lot of unnecassery commas and Spaces.
- fixed far to many grammar and spelling mistakes.
- fixed a lot of wrong uses of who and which.
- reclassed the Wolf-Class from scout vessels to corvettes.
- Included the T-25 tank destroyer among the Dutch Inventory.
- Made Dutch diplomats a bit more socialable.
- Used a lot of acronyms to replace the full name of some organisations.
- made the Dutch use their own Language to name Things instead of English.

Sorry for that, is a old timeline I made wich never got beyond 1982.

It is alright, it was a nice way to waste an hour.

[eurowatch]

Did a lot more editing, rewrote the Kito Butai attack scene, had the Netherlands take in a lot of German refugees and gave the Dutch Navy some new toys to play With.

[lordroel]

Part 20 1954

January 21st
The first nuclear powered submarine USS Nautilus is launched in Groton, Connecticut (1).

February 15th
Dutch Navy destroyer Hr.Ms. Van Ghent is decommissioned with her role to be taken over by one of the four to be completed Van Speijk-class frigates.

February 21st
US president Dwight Eisenhower authorizes 100 million dollar to be used for military aid to the United Republic of China.

March 13th
A border clash erupts between the United Republic of China army against the Japanese army and the China-Nanking army in the divided province of Sichuan.

March 15th
The US detonates a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb at Johnston Atoll. A KNRD class-5 probe observes the blast and sends the data to KNRD command at Guyana space centre .

March 23rd
After ten days of fighting the United Republic of China army and Japanese imperial army cease their attacks against each other in the province of Sichuan. The ten day border clash has seen the most intense fighting between the two sides since the creation of the United Republic of China in 1949.

April 1st
In the Netherlands the Amsterdam-Maastricht motorway opens.

April 3rd
Vladimir Petrov (2) defects from the Soviet Union and asks for political asylum in the Dutch East Indies.

April 14th
A Soviet spy ring in the Dutch East Indies is wrapped up by the MID.

May 10th
The construction of Utopia Planitia space yard enters its six month and thanks to the limiting miming done by KNRS ER-1 and ER-2 its construction is kept on schedule and under budget.

May 24th
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands announces that after 63 years on the throne she will abdicated in favor of her daughter Juliana.

June 16th
The Netherlands shortens military conscription time from 20 to 18 months.

July 7th
As DAF is still working on designing a new main battle tank for the Royal Netherlands Army and the KNIL it unveils the T-30 Tjiger II (3), an upgraded T-20 Tjiger tank as a stopgap measure.

April 7th
President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his "domino theory" (4) speech during a news conference.

April 16th
US vice president Richard Nixon announces that the United States may be “putting more military advisors in the United Republic of China regardless of Soviet protest”. This comes after the domino theory speech made by president Dwight D. Eisenhower and the heavy border fighting between the United Republic of China and Japanan a month ago.

May 20th
The national assembly of the United Republic of China reelects Chiang Kai-shek as president and Mao Zedong as prime minister of the United Republic of China.

July 8th
While construction of the first Wolf-class corvette is well underway at Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard, construction of the second Wolf-class corvette begins. As the Wolf-class is only 50 meter long, there is room enough for two to be build at the same time.

September 4th
The first Celebes-Class helicopter cruiser, Hr.Ms. Celebes is commissioned at Wilton Fijenoord dockyard in Schiedam. Hr.Ms. Celebes is a very modern design and carries 4 Kolibrie II helicopters, a twin-arm missile launcher and a 76mm auto-cannon.

September 6th
Thailand joins the San Francisco Security Treaty.

September 8th
Juliana becomes queen of the Netherlands.

September 26th
A typhoon hits the Japanese mainland. 5 ferryboats sink killing about 1,600 people.

October 23rd
West Germany joins NATO. 

November 3rd
The first Godzilla movie premieres in Tokyo. It is an anti-west propaganda movie where American use of nuclear weapons has created a giant monster that is eventually defeated by the Imperial Navy.

November 12th
Together with her husband prince Bernhard, Queen Juliana visits the Dutch East Indies for an one week tour of the Netherlands largest colony.

November 22nd
After touring the Dutch East Indies for a week, Queen Juliana and prince Bernhard depart and fly back home to the Netherlands onboard a Fokker F27M royal flight (5) turboprop.

December 15th
The Netherlands Antilles becomes co-equal part of Kingdom of Netherlands, receiving the same status as Netherlands Guyana and the Dutch East Indies. This causes some protests among leaders in the DEI, who see the Netherlands Antilles as an insignificant part of the country and don't think it should have any influence at all.

(1) While the USS Nautilus may be the world first nuclear-powered submarine, it is not the most modern. That title is reserved for the Dutch Zwaardvis-class submarines even if they use diesel-electric batteries, they have a test depth of some 400 meters and probably the most advance radar and sonar in operational use by any submarine in the world.

(2) Vladimir Petrov was a member of the Soviet Union's clandestine services who was sent to the Dutch East Indies to recruit spies, keep watch on Soviet Citizens and making sure that none of the Soviets abroad defected. Ironically he decided that life in the Netherlands would be better then in Russia and after coming in contact with a MID officer he defected in return for supplying information regarding a Soviet spy ring operating out of the Soviet consulate located in Batavia.

(3) The T-30 Tjiger II, while superficially resembling the Tjiger I has significant differences like mounting a bore evacuated 105mm main gun and four crew members instead of the Tjiger I 90mm gun and five crew members, an improved diesel engine, a better shaped turret, improvements to the armor protection and shock absorbers, a stabilization system for the main gun and a thermal imaging system.

(4) The domino theory speech made by president Dwight D. Eisenhower is about that if the United Republic of China falls to the Japanese empire then surrounding countries will follow in a domino effect.

(5) The Fokker F27M Royal Flight is a modified version of the Fokker F27 Friendship turboprop aircraft which entered service with the KLm, KNILm and the royal Netherlands naval aviation service in 1952. Fokker has produced several versions of the F27 like the military transport version F27-300M Troepschip and the armed maritime reconnaissance version F27 Maritieme Versterker. Its civilian variant the Fokker F27 Friendship is also in service with KLM and its daughter company KLM East Indies.

[lordroel]

Part 21 1955

January 14th
Hr.Ms. Sumatra, the last serving Java-class cruiser is retired. Her role is taken over by the state of the art helicopter cruiser Hr.Ms. Celebes.

January 22nd
The Pentagon announces a plan to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles armed with nuclear weapons.

January 28th
The United States congress authorizes president Dwight D. Eisenhower to increase military aid to the United Republic of China.

February 10th
The US Navy Seventh fleet begins a large naval and air exercise of the coast of the Philippines. Joining them are the USAF based out of the Philippines, the Philippine air force and the Philippine navy. The exercise is closely monitored by the Japanese.

February 12th
US president Dwight Eisenhower sends more US advisors to the United Republic of China, bringing the total to 700 military advisors.

March 5th
Hr.Ms. Van Speijk is launched as the nameship of the Van Speijk-class frigates, and is slated to replace the recently decommissioned Hr.Ms. Van Ghent. Hr.Ms. Van Speijk is the fifth vessel in the Dutch navy named after Jan van Speyk.

April 3rd
Orbiting above the surface of Mars KNRS ER-3 test fires the Mark-2 spatial torpedo (1) against a target placed on the Amazonis Planitia test and weapons range .

April 5th
Winston Churchill resigns as the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

April 6th
Anthony Eden becomes the new prime minister of the United Kingdom.

April 11th
The Japanese Kempeitai (the army’s secret police) sabotage a Lockheed constellation aircraft, killing 16 but failing to assassinate the United Republic of China minister of foreign affairs Zhou Enlai, who was not onboard.

April 15th
At Guyana space centre the first Type A class shuttle (2) designated KNRS A1, is put in use with the KNRD.

April 18th
The Asian conference (3) begins in Bombay, India. It is also attended by Zhou Enlai, who thanks to a delay in his traveling was able to escape an assassination attempt by unknown forces.

April 24th
The Asian conference ends after six days of discussion.

May 5th
The Allied occupation of West Germany ends and with it the Federal Republic of Germany becomes an independent sovereign state with the ratification of Paris agreements in Bonn, Germany.

May 9th
West Germany joins NATO.

May 14th
The Warsaw pact is signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

May 15th
Building of space travel center at Baikonur, Kazakhstan begins.

May 18th
Queen Juliana opens the E55 fair in Amsterdam.

May 31st
Construction begins on Soviet cosmodrome launch facilities.

June 6th
Second Type A class shuttle designated KNRS A2 enters service with the KNRD. As production of the shuttle takes only a year, mostly due to it not having a warp drive, weapons or shield it’s hoped that the Type A class shuttle will fully replace the older Type-7 and Type-15 shuttle pods before 1956 as the KNRDs new workhorse.

July 14th
Dr. Anton Mussert, former leader of the Netherlands national socialist movement, dies at age 60 after suffering a heart attack at his home in The Hague, Netherlands. Very few mourn him.

Augustus 30th
First official act of Netherlands crown princess Beatrice, when she launches the second Celebes-class cruiser Hr.Ms. Borneo.

September 12th
A MID officer briefs prime minister Drees about the communist party of Indonesia telling him that it has a membership of between 3,000 to 5,000 spread across the DEI and they pose no threat to the security of the colony. Thanks to the defection of Vladimir Petrov almost a year ago the MID was able to sweep the communist party of Indonesia and pick up those mentioned by Vladimir Petrov. 

October 2nd
The first production model of the D-24O tornado M.2 jet fighter (4) begins serving with the KLm 312th fighter squadron based at Volkel air base. Production of the D-24O tornado M.2 jet fighter at Fokker aircraft corporation East Indies is slated to begin early next year.

October 28th
The light aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy, becoming Australia first aircraft carrier. The Dutch Navy East Indies Squadron notes with satisfaction that it is smaller then the Hr.Ms. Willem van Oranje.

December 6th
Jiro Minami, the Japanese 8th governor-general of Korea from 1936 and 1944 and a member of the privy council from 1944 to 1947, dies in Tokyo.

December 14th
Ireland is together with Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Libya, Nepal, Portugal, Romania and Spain admitted to the United Nations.

(1) The Mark-2 spatial torpedo is an improved version of the Mark-1 spatial torpedo and has a variable yield from being able to destroy a small building to being able to put a one-kilometer crater when set to its maximum yield.

(2) The Type A-class shuttle is designed to relieve the pressure from the 20 year old Maas-class runabouts both which are still in service with the KNRD and to replace the Type-7 shuttle pods and Type-15 shuttle pods which are going to be dismantle as more Type A-class shuttle enter service. The Type A-class shuttle has six seats, manual helm control and no warp drive as they are mostly designed for use in the Solar system.

(3) The Asian conference is held in Bombay, India and is attended by United Republic of China , Burma, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Ceylon and mostly discusses the current situation between Japanese and the United States and to show solidarity towards the United Republic of China.

(4) There are several version of the D-24 tornado M.2 jet fighter entering in service with the KLm and the KILm , these are the D-24O single-seat Interceptor, D-24T operational Trainer and the D-24V Reconnaissance version.

[lordroel]

Part 22 1956

January 26th
The 1956 winter Olympic games open in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

February 5th
The 1956 winter Olympic games (1) end, with the Netherlands winning one silver and two bronze medals.

February 25th
Soviet party leader Nikita Khrushchev denounces Josef Stalin at the 20th Soviet party conference.

February 29th
US President Dwight Eisenhower announces he will seek a second term.

April 10th
In the Netherlands, the first TV programs in color begin broadcasting.

April 11th
French government decides to send 250,000 reservists to Algeria.

May 4th
Queen Juliana unveils the National Neutrality Monument in Amsterdam.

May 8th
Representing the royal family and the only royal family member who is a member of the oversight commission, prince Bernhard arrives at Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard orbiting Mars to witness the commissioning of the first Wolf-class corvette for the Royal Netherlands Space Force. The 50 meter long corvette will go by the name KNRS Wolf and is the first of its class to enter service with the KNRD.

May 9th
KNRS Wolf is commissioned in the KNRD. After she has left the Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard the second Wolf-class corvette under construction is moved to the front of the space yard so construction on the third corvette can begin.

May 16th
Egypt recognizes the United Republic of China.

May 17th
With two Type A-class shuttles in service and the third and fourth almost completed, the KNRD begins scraping the three Type-7 shuttlepods at Guyana space centre (2).

May 21st
United States detonates its first airborne hydrogen bomb over Johnston Atoll, 1400 km west of Hawaii.

June 7th
KNRS Wolf begins her shakedown cruise as the ship's crew begin to familiarize themselves with the operation of the ship.

June 6th
Singapore becomes the Dominion of Singapore and with it becomes virtually independent from Great Britain but retains the British monarch as head of state it is also represented locally by a governor-general appointed in consultation with the Dominion’s government. Great Britain however remains in charge of defence, constitutional amendments and foreign affairs for the time being.

June 15th
Batavia University of Technology is founded in Batavia, Dutch East Indies.

June 19th
Second Van Speijk-class frigate enters service with the Royal Netherlands navy named Hr.Ms. Jan van Brakel. She is slated to replace the soon-to-be decommissioned Hr.Ms. Evertsen, second oldest of the Admiralen-class destroyers.

July 23rd
KNRS Amsterdam, Wolf and ER-3 begin Oefening Diamand Kraaker (Exercise Diamond Breaker) near Jupiter, the first joint exercise in the history of the Royal Netherlands Space Force.

July 25th
After two days exercise Diamand Kraaker ends. Many valuable lessons in operating multiple spaceships at once and under one command have been gained.

July 26th
With KNRS Wolf and ER-3 returning to Mars, KNRS Amsterdam remains in orbit of Jupiter as it is going to deploy the Callisto communication and observation station on Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons.

July 29th
After three days, the crew of the KNRS Amsterdam complete their mission of deploying the Callisto communication and observation station and with that task completed the Amsterdam returns back to Mars.

Augustus 22nd
United States president Dwight Eisenhower and vice president Richard Nixon are re-nominated by republican convention in San Francisco, California.

Augustus 30th
Third Type A-class shuttle designated KNRS A3 begins its test flight out of Netherlands space centre Guyana. These test flights are necessary to check for any problems before the A3 is handed over to the KNRD, which is planning to use the shuttle for flights to Moon base Eisinga and Nieuw Amsterdam moon base and back.

September 22nd
Fokker Oost Indies begins production of the D-24O tornado M.2 jet fighter with it focusing its production on producing the D-24O single-seat interceptor version as Fokker Nederland will produce the D-24T operational trainer and the D-24V reconnaissance version for the KILm.

October 16th
The Japanese empire detonated their first nuclear bomb in the Gobi desert and becomes the fourth nation after the United States, Soviet Union and Great Britain to manufacture their own nuclear bomb. The test which was unexpected was observed by an orbiting Class-5 probe which immediately send the pictures and scans it has taken to the MID headquarters in The Hague.

October 17th
A day after the Japanese first atomic test the oversight commission, the shadow government in control of the country and its colonies meets in a villa somewhere in the Netherlands. The main topic is the Japanese empire atomic test, a test they did not expect to happen this soon as Japanese technology typically lagged behind that of the West. They all come to the conclusion that the MID’s Japan section is to receive more funding and that surveillance of the Japanese empire by orbital probes is to increase as the oversight commission feels the greatest threat at this moment is the situation between the United Republic of China and Japan escalating into a bigger war, a war they thought they avoided on December 4th 1941.

November 12th
Fourth Type A class shuttle designated KNRS A4 enters service with the KNRD. A4 after completing her test flight will depart to Mars where she will operate from Mars base Hellas.

December 26th
An United Republic of China air force F-86 Sabre intercepts 2 Japanese army air service Nakajima Ki-202 jet fighters above the United Republic of China controlled part of the province of Sichuan and shoots both down (3) in the first jet-to-jet dogfight in Asian history.

(1) In OTL Netherlands athletes won no medals during the 1956 winter Olympic games but in this timeline it won three thanks to better funding by the ministry of health, welfare and sport which was created in 1951.

(2) After having served for more then 22 years KNRS Paramaribo, Batavia and Willemstad where stored at Guyana space centre in case they were needed again. But with the Type A-class shuttle entering in service the three Type-7 shuttlepods can be scraped and recycled. The two Maas-class runabouts will remain in service on board KNRS Amsterdam until replacements for them have entered into service with the KNRD.

(3) The United Republic of China air force acquired 160 ex-USAF F-86 Sabres from December 1954 to June 1956. The Nakajima Ki-202 jet fighter in use with the Japanese army air services is the successor to the Nakajima Ki-201 which in turn is a licenses version of the German Messerschmitt Me 262.

[lordroel]

Part 23 1957

January 10th
Anthony Eden resigns and Harold Macmillan becomes prime minister of Great Britain.

January 20th
Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States.

January 26th
KNRS Panter is commissioned, becoming the second Wolf-class corvette to enter in service with the Royal Netherlands Space Force.

January 29th
The United States congress passes the United Republic of China resolution and with it establishes an American commitment to protect the sovereignty of the United Republic of China which is made clear by president Dwight D. Eisenhower’s radio address the same day. In it he promised to protect "territories under the jurisdiction of the United Republic of China against invasion and aggression by foreign countries.”

March 8th
With construction of the third Wolf-class corvette at Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard underway, construction of the fourth corvette can begin.

March 17th
The Netherlands government lifts the ban on Sunday driving.

May 15th
The first detonation of a British Hydrogen bomb happens at Malden Island in the Pacific.

May 23rd
The royal democratic party becomes the largest party in the Netherlands house of representatives for the sixth time and prime minister Willem Drees can begin his third term as prime minister.

June 10th
Fifth Type A-class shuttle named KNRS A5 begins her test flights out of Guyana space centre.

April 20th
KNRS Panter begins her shakedown cruise.

July 15th
A Fokker 27-100 belonging to KLM East Indies crashes near Java, killing 44 passengers and crewmembers.

Augustus 15th
A Japanese army air service G10N1 Fugaku heavy bomber drops the first Japanese air dropped nuclear bomb over the Gobi desert during the second atomic test conducted by the Japanese empire.

September 14th
KNRD command orders yellow alert for all space ships and bases and prepares itself for the arrival of a Vulcan survey ship called D'Vro (1) which according to historical files is due to enter the Solar system in two days.

September 15th
KNRS Amsterdam, Panter and Wolf arrive at Pluto where they are to intercept the Vulcan ship D'Vro which is already being picked up by KNRS Amsterdam long range sensors and due to arrive the next day.

September 16th
First contact is made with Vulcan survey ship D'Vro which immediately after arriving in the Solar systems is hailed by captain Jonan Andre, captain of the KNRS Amsterdam.

September 17th
With his ship still orbiting Pluto, the captain of the D'Vro has met captain Jonan Andre in person who informs him that the D'Vro will be escorted to Mars where the captain will meet with rear admiral De Jong, commander of the Royal Netherlands Space Force. The Vulcans are baffled that a civilisation with such an advanced ship has yet to meaningfully expand outside its home planet.

September 18th
A day after the arrival of the Vulcan survey ship at Mars, the captain of the D'Vro and his second in command T'Mir (2) have met with rear admiral De Jong at Mars base Hellas. There the captain, who is in contact with the Vulcan High Command, informs rear admiral De Jong that they are sending another ship with an ambassador onboard which will arrive in three weeks time.

September 28th
Queen Juliana opens the Velser Tunnel in the Netherlands.

October 4th
Failed launch of Sputnik I (3) due to it being rammed by a special killer satellite, destroying it before it is able to send it’s signal.

October 27th
With the Vulcan ship D'Vro entering its third week in orbit of Mars its four member crew have been allowed to visit Mars base Hellas, Utopia Planitia and the KNRS Amsterdam when news arrives that a second Vulcan ship is heading towards Mars.

October 28th
With another Vulcan survey ship named the D'Vahl orbiting Mars, Vulcan ambassador Senek meets with prime minister Drees at Mars base Hellas. The prime minister explains to the ambassador that no Vulcan ship is allowed to enter the Solar system without permission from the Royal Netherlands Space Force. PM Drees explains that the policy of the Dutch government is to prevent any alien race making contact with Earth as they believe humanity is not ready for first contact with the Vulcans or any other alien race.

November 3rd
The Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik II (4), and with it the first official Earth orbiting artificial satellite achieves orbit.

November 4th
After six days of negations, diplomatic relation between Vulcan and the Netherlands are established (5).

November 6th
At the residency of prime minister Drees in The Hague, members of the oversight commission and cabinet are discussing the diplomatic relation between Vulcan and the Netherlands that where establish two days earlier and come to the conclusion that the Netherlands has to be careful to expand in outer space as there are many other races out there who are not as friendly as the Vulcans. They come to the conclusion that a new planet has to be found which will replace Mars as the new base of operations for the KNRD and use it to expand without having to fear being discovered by other humans and to build a credible space fleet to protect Earth and its interests.

November 7th
The Vulcan survey ship D'Vro heads back to Vulcan, leaving the ship D'Vahl as the only Vulcan ship present in the solar system as it is used as ambassador Senek’s personal transport.

November 30th
Governor general of the DEI, Jan van Baal survives a grenade attack Indonesian communist party member at Cikini School in Batavia. Six children are killed in the blast

December 4th
Governor general Jan van Baal bans the Indonesian communist party after the attempted attack on his life and the deaths of six children five days earlier. The Hague also condemns any use of violence to reach a political goal.

December 6th
The first United States attempt to launch a satellite fails as the Vanguard rocket blows up.

December 15th
Population of Dutch nationals living in the Dutch East Indies reaches 500,000.

(1) The visit of the Vulcan survey ship is recorded in the historical files known to the KNRD and therefore they are able to prepare themselves for the arrival and establish first contact with the Vulcans peacefully as they know what kind of race they are going to deal with.

(2) The D'Vro crew is unaware that the KNRD already knows everything about them.

(3) Sputnik I was destroyed by a Dutch killer satellite as the KNRD wants to delay and hamper the Soviet Union and United States space program as best they can without it being seen as deliberate and without causing to much attention. They are also counting on both countries being to busy blaming each other to suspect the Netherlands.

(4) Sputnik II is the backup unit of Sputnik I and was launched successfully by the Soviet Union. The KNRD decided not to destroy it, for one as it already managed to delay the launch of the first official artificial Earth satellite by one month and second, another failed launch would cause to much suspicion.

(5) During the negotiations the Vulcans agreed to the wishes of the Netherlands and not enter the Solar system without the permission of the Netherlands and to minimize and limit their presences as much as possible. In return they are allowed to visit Earth when escorted by the Dutch.

[lordroel]

Part 24 1958

January 6th
Cuban revolutionary forces capture Havana.

January 8th
The first mission out of the solar system by Royal Netherlands Space Force command is given to the KNRS Amsterdam, which will explore and establish a permanent outpost in Alpha Centauri and visits Vulcan.

January 17th
Captain Jonan Andre, commander of KNRS Amsterdam is briefed by rear admiral De Jong who informs captain Andre that the Vulcan’s have offered a liaison officer to be placed on his ship and that prime minister Drees has accepted that offer, despite the admiral urging him not to do so as it would give away secrets to them.

January 31st
The first successful American satellite, Explorer I is launched into orbit (1).

February 3rd
Sputnik II, the first successful launched satellite which was launched on November 4th, 1957, falls back to Earth.

February 11th
Marshal Chen Yi succeeds Zhou Enlai as the new United Republic of China minister of foreign affairs.

February 3rd
Subcommander T'Mir (2) meets with Vulcan ambassador Senek at the Vulcan embassy located at Mars base Hellas where she is informed that she is assigned as the Vulcan liaison officer on the KNRS Amsterdam.

February 4th
Subcommander T'Mir meets with captain Andre onboard the KNRS Amsterdam as the spaceship prepares itself for beginning it’s mission to Alpha Centauri and Vulcan.

February 8th
First ship of the Koningin Wilhelmina-class light carriers, Hr.Ms. Koningin Wilhelmina is launched.

February 12th
With more than 1,065 crew members and a Vulcan liaison officer onboard the 24 year old spaceship KNRS Amsterdam leaves the orbit of Mars and goes to warp 6 which will take her to Alpha Centauri in less then two days.

February 14th
Arriving at Alpha Centauri, KNRS Amsterdam drops out of warp near Alpha Centauri I.

February 17th
In three days the KNRS Amsterdam has thoroughly explored Alpha Centauri, launching several Class-5 probes, beaming a survey team down to Proxima Centauri b, visiting Alpha Centauri III, IV and VII.

February 21st
A week into the exploration of Alpha Centauri, the KNRS Amsterdam establishes a small outpost on Proxima Centauri b called Nieuw Batavia with approval of captain Andre. Despite the grand ceremony held on Mars and on some locations on Earth, the outpost itself is a humble affair, consisting only of a few small buildings and twenty citizens. It is first later that february 21st becomes a day of celebration.
With the outpost safely established KNRS Amsterdam heads towards her last mission of visiting Vulcan.

February 22nd
The KILm uses D-24O tornado M.2 jet fighter against dummy air targets over Sumatra for the first time.

March 5th
Explorer II, launched by the United States fails to reach orbit due to a failure in the rocket during launch (3).

March 6th
Flying for more then 12 days at warp 6, the KNRS Amsterdam arrives at Vulcan.

March 7th
Subcommander T'Mir shows captain Andre, ShiKahr the capital of Vulcan. Afterwards he and Albert Colder, a diplomat from the Netherlands ministry of foreign affairs meet with administrator T’Pro, head of Vulcan High Command.

March 8th
The battleship USS Iowa is decommissioned, leaving the United States Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1896 (4).

March 12th
After several meetings between Albert Colder and administrator T’Pro, the Netherlands are allowed to establish an embassy in ShiKahr.

March 17th
The United States successfully launches the Vanguard I satellite into orbit.

March 19th
After spending 13 days in orbit of Vulcan, the KNRS Amsterdam departs back to Proxima Centauri b where she will help expand Nieuw Batavia outpost before heading back to Mars.

March 26th
The United States successfully launch Explorer III.

March 27th
Nikita Khrushchev becomes premier of the Soviet Union.

March 31st
The Soviet Union suspends nuclear weapons tests and urges the United States, Great Britain and the Japanese empire to do the same.

April 2nd
Back in orbit of Proxima Centauri b, the crew of the KNRS Amsterdam are surprised in seeing the KNRS Wolf in orbit as well as she is also bringing supplies to Nieuw Batavia outpost.

April 8th
The KNRS Amsterdam heads back to Mars. Together with her is the KNRS ER-3, which arrived two days earlier at Nieuw Batavia outpost.

April 12th
With the KNRS Amsterdam back at Mars, Nieuw Batavia outpost receives a platoon belonging to the Dutch Marine Corps special operations battalion. They arrived on board a cramped KNRS Panter and will be the first garrison unit for Proxima Centauri b, which now has 80 people working and living on the planet.

April 14th
The Soviet satellite Sputnik III disintegrates in space after several orbits.

May 15th
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik IV which is also the first satellite to carry a living dog called Mushka (5).

May 23rd
The American satellite Explorer I ceases transmission.

May 30th
The body of an unidentified soldier killed in action during world war II is buried at the tomb of the unknowns at Arlington national cemetery.

June 23rd
The Phobos weapon platform orbiting Mars is activated. It is the first automated planetary defense system for the KNRD and is armed with 100 Mark-3 spatial torpedoes, two phaser banks each containing two phaser emitters and a force field to protect the facility. Its main function is to defend Mars, Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard and the almost completed Utopia Planitia space yard.

July 14th
Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi army overthrow monarchy of Iraq.

July 18th
Hr.Ms. Koningin Wilhelmina is commissioned. Since she can only carry thirty jet fighters and two helicopters, crew from the Hr.Ms. Willem van Oranje and Graf Zeppelin look down their collective noses at the ship and mockingly nickname it “the baby carrier”.

July 26th
The American satellite Explorer IV is launched.

July 29th
The United States Congress formally creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, replacing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

Augustus 16th
The third Van Speijk-class frigate enters service with the Dutch navy. She is named Hr.Ms. Evertsen, the same name as the decommissioned Admiralen-class destroyer and is slated to replace Hr.Ms. Kortenaer.

Augustus 17th
The first Thor-Able rocket is launched carrying Pioneer 0 from Cape Canaveral air force Station but the launch fails due to a first stage malfunction.

Augustus 23rd
The Japanese imperial army begins bombardment of targets in the United Republic of China controlled part of the province of Sichuan. In response the United Republic of China army begins counter-firing against target in the China-Nanking controlled part of Sichuan (6).

October 1st
NASA starts operations and replaces NACA.

October 2nd
The Japanese empire and the United Republic of China end their longest continuous border fighting to date in which more than 450,000 artillery shells were fired by both sides, more then 7,000 lives where lost and which saw the first use of special modified United States air force supplied F-86 Sabres jet fighter for the United Republic of China air force carrying the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile which managed to engage and destroy several Japanese jet fighters.

October 11th
The launch of the American satellite Pioneer I is unsuccessful due to a failure of its Thor-Able rocket.

October 17th
The KNRS Amsterdam visits Vulcan for the second time and brings with it the newly appointed ambassador Colder to the temporary Dutch embassy on Vulcan.

November 8th
The third launch of a Thor-Able rocket, carrying Pioneer II, is unsuccessful due to a third stage failure.

December 2nd
The Belux treaty is signed by Belgium and Luxembourg.

December 6th
The American satellite Pioneer III reaches 107,269 km before falling back to Earth.

December 16th
Nieuw Batavia outpost on Proxima Centauri b reaches a population of 200.

December 21st
Charles De Gaulle wins a seven year term as the first president of the 5th Republic of France.

(1) With the Soviets having have been delayed in successful launching Sputnik I, the KNRD decided not to destroy or to delay the launching of Explorer I by the Americans.

(2) Subcommander T'Mir was one of the four crew members of the Vulcan survey ship D'Vro who made first contact with a Dutch spaceship and due to her having spend time with humans she was promoted to Subcommander and assigned as the official Vulcan liaison officer onboard the KNRS Amsterdam.

(3) The launch was a failure as it was OTL and did not need to be sabotaged by the KNRD.

(4) Only three Iowa-class battleships were constructed between 1939 to 1944 and of them the USS Iowa is the only ship left to be decommissioned and placed together with her sister ships into the reserve fleet in Bremerton, Washington. With this the Japanese imperial navy is the only remaining user of battleships in the Pacific, with their two Yamato-class battleships still in service and which still remain the largest battleships in the world by size.

(5) Mushka was one of three selected dogs with the other two dogs being Albina and Laika.

(6) The Japanese empire feels that they can get away with attacking targets in the divided province of Sichuan as they now consider themselves a nuclear power and therefore the United States will not attack or declare war on them.

[lordroel]

Part 25 1959

January 1st
Fidel Castro leads Cuba to victory.

January 2nd
Soviet Union successfully launches the Luna I spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

January 4th
After 34 hours of flight, Luna I impacts the Moon, a process which is tracked and observed by both Moon base Eisinga and Nieuw Amsterdam moon base personal and its sensors (1).

January 7th
The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.

January 19th
The KNRS Amsterdam visits Alpha Centauri VII, this is the seventh visit to Alpha Centauri by the flagship of KNRD since her first visit to Alpha Centauri last year.

January 22nd
The USAF concludes that less than 1 percent of UFOs are unknown objects (2).

January 23rd
Wernher Von Braun predicts that men will be living and working on the moon by 1974. He also adds that "the Soviets can put a man on the moon this year, but can not bring him back yet’’

January 27th
NASA director T. Keith Glennan discloses that the first 110 candidates have been selected to be the first American in space and that he believes that man will land on the moon by 1969.

February 17th
Vanguard II, the first weather satellite, is launched by the United States from Cape Canaveral.

February 20th
Canada cancels the Avro Arrow program.

March 3rd
Pioneer IV, the first United states probe to enter solar orbit is launched.

March 4th
United states Pioneer IV misses the Moon.

March 13th
The third Wolf-class corvette named KNRS Jaguar is commissioned into service with the KNRD. With the third corvette now in service, only one more Wolf-class corvette is going to be build at Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard.

March 22nd
Second Koningin Wilhelmina-class light carrier, Hr.Ms. Koningin Juliana is completed.

March 30th
Another Type A-class shuttle designated KNRS A8 begins her test flights out of Guyana space centre. With this more than eight Type A-class shuttles are in service with the KNRD, and two of them are deployed out of Nieuw Batavia outpost.

March 31st
Dalai Lama visits India, his first visit to a foreign country ever.

April 2nd
NASA announces the names of the seven men chosen as astronauts for project Mercury.

April 4th
In a speech at Gettysburg College, president Dwight D. Eisenhower announces the American commitment to keeping the United Republic of China an independent nation and states "that our own national interests demand some help from us in sustaining the morale, economic progress and the military strength necessary to continue its existence in freedom.”

April 7th
Prince Bernhard visits Nieuw Batavia outpost at Proxima Centauri b, flying onboard KNRS Wolf.

April 9th
The first seven Mercury astronauts are introduced at a press conference held by NASA in Washington. By rank, they are Lt. Col. John Glenn, lieutenant commanders Wally Schirra and Alan Shepard, air force captains Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom and Deke Slayton, and navy Lt. Scott Carpenter.

April 10th
The powerful Japanese Imperial household ministry begins selecting a bride for crown prince Akihito from among the daughters of the court nobility.

April 11th
Prince Bernhard flies back to Mars onboard KNRS Wolf after having spend four days at Nieuw Batavia outpost.

April 13th
The United States and Great Britain ask the Soviet Union and the Japanese empire to join them in a moratorium on above-ground nuclear weapons testing.

April 16th
KNRD command makes a decision to move Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche and Utopia Planitia space yards to a new location at Sun–Earth L3 point, which is located behind the Sun and relocating most of the KNRD off-world activity to Alpha Centauri III.

May 5th
The KNRS Jaguar becomes the first KNRD ship to conduct her shakedown cruise in the Alpha Centauri system.

May 20th
The shah of Persia arrives in the Netherlands onboard the cruiser Hr.Ms. Jacob van Heemskerck for a three day visit to the country.

May 26th
The 1964 summer Olympic games are awarded to Detroit (3).

June 3rd
Lee Kuan Yew becomes the first prime minister of the Dominion of Singapore.

June 6th
The Hr.Ms. Koningin Juliana is commissioned into the Royal Dutch Navy. She will serve as part of the East Indies squadron on a rotating basis with her sistership.

June 14th
Vulcan survey ship D'pra arrives at orbit of Proxima Centauri b where it will observe what the Dutch are doing on the planet by order of the Vulcan High Command.

July 8th
Two American military advisors become the first Americans killed in the United Republic of China by a Japanese army attack in the divided province of Sichuan.

July 9th
The United States resumes U-2 spy plane flights over the republic of China-Nanking after several months of not having flown over areas controlled by the Japanese puppet state.

July 13th
The population of Nieuw Batavia outpost reaches 500 and is elevated to colony status by the KNRD command.

Augustus 9th 
To commemorate the 350 years of relationship between the two countries a Japanese delegation will make a three day visit to the Netherlands. After a ceremonial exchange of gifts they are given a guided tour of famous landmarks and some factories. Some members of the delegation are interested and pay close attention to the guides while others make a show of being unimpressed.

Augustus 12th
The visit ends at the Land Warfare Centre in Amersfoort where the Japanese delegations observes an exercise by the Dutch army and air force. As they expect the Japanese to do, the Netherlands is using this as an opportunity to show off its military muscles.

August 13th
A Dutch delegation arrives in Tokyo for a three day visit. Like their Japanese counterparts were they are given a guided tour of famous landmarks, Kure naval base, the battleship Yamato and some selected factories after the ceremonial exchange of gifts. A noted difference is that some members of the delegation are wearing microscopic spying devices, the MID is using this as an opportunity to get all the information they can straight from the source.

Augustus 14th
Earth is photographed from outer space for the first time by the American satellite Explorer VI, which had been launched on August 7th.

Augustus 15th
The Dutch delegation in Tokyo observes the Japanese army training at the East Fuji Maneuver Area. Like expected, Japan is also using this as an opportunity to show off its military powers. Privately, the Dutch officers mock the Imperial Army, saying that it tries to make up for in cruelty what it lacks in firepower.

Augustus 16th
The final part of the ceremony is a “friendly” war game between the Dutch Navy’s Willem van Oranje carrier battle group and the Japanese Navy’s first carrier division. Using a class-5 probe as a spy satellite and flying low over the sea to avoid radar, the D-24Vs were able to get the drop on their Japanese counterparts, “sinking” the fleet carriers Shōkaku, Zuikaku, five escorting destroyers and two cruisers. 
The captain of the Shōkaku is later fired for “unpatriotic” actions.

Augustus 28th
India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declares in a speech that India will protect the borders and independence of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and in some extent the independent nation of Tibet.

September 3rd
A new Singaporean flag is raised. The new flag is based on the old flag it replaces which was used for more then 140 years. It is another indication that the Dominion of Singapore is a independent nation in the Commonwealth of Nations while retaining its relation to Great Britain.

September 13th
The first Soviet satellite Luna II crashed near the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. Several hours later four Dutch astronauts operating from Moon base Eisinga arrive at the Luna II impact side to investigate it and recover it for study at Moon base Eisinga.

September 14th
The Soviet Union announced the success of Luna II on Moscow radio with the words ’’yesterday on the 13th of September, the second Soviet cosmic rocket reached the surface of the moon’’.

September 17th
A typhoon kills 2,000 in Japan and Japanese Korea.

September 24th
In the race to be the first to photograph the dark side of the Moon, the United States suffers a setback when the Atlas-Able rocket explodes on the launch pad during tests.

October 4th
Luna III is launched by the Soviet Union.

October 6th
Just before it is about to send the first pictures of the far side of the Moon, Luna III suffers a malfunction of an unknown kind, preventing it from sending pictures to the Soviet Union (4).

October 7th
A Philippines RB-57 surveillance plane, flying at an altitude of 20,000 meters, is downed by three ground to air missiles as it flew over Tahoka (5), becoming the first aircraft downed by a surface-to-air missile.

October 12th
Yuri Gagarin and Georgi Shonin are among the first test pilots selected to be Soviet cosmonauts, following evaluations at the air base in Murmansk.

December 14th
The strategic rocket forces is created in the Soviet Union as a separate branch of the military, with responsibility over all Soviet ballistic missiles.

December 17th
The United Nations committee on peaceful use of outer space is established.

December 19th
After 5 years the construction of Utopia Planitia space yard is completed and immediately is renamed L3 space yard after the new location it will be moved to. Nieuw Feijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard is allowed to keep its current name and will be moved to its new location at Sun–Earth L3 point as soon as the last of the Wolf-class corvettes is completed.

(1) Luna I only carried radio equipment, a tracking transmitter, a telemetry system and five different sets of scientific devices for studying interplanetary space. It was decided that it posed no threat to the two Dutch moon bases and therefore was allowed to reach the orbit of the Moon.

(2) The sightings that the USAF concludes are unknown objects are actually KNRD probes, shuttles and the occasional spaceship orbiting Earth.

(3) OTL the 1964 Summer Olympic Games were awarded to Tokyo with second place being Detroit but here in this timeline the 1964 Summer Olympic Games where awarded to Detroit due to the ongoing clash between Japan and the United Republic of China.

(4) The malfunction of Luna III happen when the KNRD jammed it, preventing Luna III from sending its pictures to the Soviet Union and as a result crashed into the Moon’s surface.

(5) Tahoka is the Japanese name for Taipei, which is the Japanese colonial government capitol on Formosa.

[lordroel]

Part 26 1960

January 2nd
United States senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for president.

January 4th
The European Free Trade Association treaty is signed in Stockholm by Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the Netherlands, forming the European free trade association, an 8-member alternative to nations that cannot, or do not want, to be in the 5-nation European Economic Community (1).

January 9th
Vice-president Richard M. Nixon becomes a candidate for the Republican nomination for the president of the United States.

January 17th
It is announced that United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower will make a ten day tour of the Soviet Union from June 10th to June 19th, as the guest of Soviet premier Nikita S. Khrushchev.

January 18th
L3 space yard is towed to its new location at Sun–Earth L3 point.

January 19th
The treaty of mutual cooperation and respect between the Soviet Union and the empire of Japan is signed in Moscow (2).

February 13th
France becomes the world's fifth nuclear power when it successfully detonates a nuclear bomb near Reggane in the Sahara Desert.

February 19th
The empire of Japan begins its first step "in reaching outer space", with the launch of a liquid-propelled rocket. The rocket makes a successful sub-orbital flight and is detected by an orbiting class-5 probe of the Royal Netherlands Space Force.

March 6th
President Eisenhower announced that 3,500 American troops will be positioned in the United Republic of China.

March 7th
The first 20 Soviet cosmonauts are selected in preparation for manned spaceflight.

March 11th
Pioneer V is launched from Cape Canaveral.

March 25th
The Euromast, a 101m high structure, is opened in Rotterdam by crown princess Beatrix.

March 23rd
Explorer VIII fails to reach Earth orbit.

April 11th
First weather satellite launched, Tiros I.

April 19th
United Republic of China’s prime minister Mao Zedong is welcomed in New Delhi by India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

April 20th
The empire of Japan strikes oil six days after Japanese workers began drilling at Taching in the state of Manchuria.

May 1st
An American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, enters China-Nanking airspace ten minutes after takeoff from an US base in the United Republic of China, his plane is hit by shrapnel from an exploding Japanese air to surface missile. While flying at 70,500 feet Powers manages to parachute out and chooses not to commit suicide before he is captured alive by the Japanese army.

May 5th
Japanese prime minister Hideki Tōjō announced to the supreme council (3) that an American military plane has been downed in China-Nanking territory on May 1st.

May 6th
PM Tōjō surprises the world by announcing that the pilot Francis Gary Powers has been captured "alive and well" in China-Nanking, along with film taken of military bases and China-Nanking currency.

May 11th
At a press conference, president Eisenhower accepts full responsibility for the U-2 incident and said that spying on the republic of China-Nanking and the Japanese empire is justified. "No one wants another World War," he said, adding. "In most of the world, no large-scale attack can be prepared in secret, but in the Japanese empire there is a fetish of secrecy and concealment."

May 12th
PM Hideki Tōjō states to several newspapers that if the United States attempts further overflights of the Japanese empire or its allies "that this might lead to war" and added that further aggression will be met "with nuclear bombs in the first few minutes".

May 15th
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik IV, a five ton mockup of a manned spaceship, as a prelude to putting human beings into outer space. However, recovery of Sputnik IV fails.

June 10th
President Eisenhower arrives in Moscow to begin a ten day tour of the Soviet Union.

June 18th
Nikita Khrushchev and Dwight D. Eisenhower hold their final conversations in Moscow.

June 19th
After having toured the Soviet Union for ten days, visiting Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad, president Eisenhower returns back to the United States.

June 23rd
The last of the four Wolf-class corvettes, KNRS Lynx enters into service with the Royal Netherlands Space Force. With this all four Wolf-class corvettes are now in service and Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard can be prepared to move to its new home at Sun–Earth L3 point.

July 8th
The U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is moved from China-Nanking to Japan where he will stand trial for espionage.

July 28th
Fort Doorman is founded and becomes the second colony on Proxima Centauri b to be establish by the KNRD and is named after its first commander, former rear admiral Karel Doorman (4).

Augustus 10th
The KNRS Lynx begins her shakedown cruise in the Alpha Centauri system.

Augustus 17th
The trial of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers begins in Tokyo.

Augustus 19th
In Tokyo, former U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is convicted of espionage against the republic of China-Nanking and her allies and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor.

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik V satellite with the dogs Belka, Strelka, 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants on board.

Augustus 25th
The 1960 Summer Olympics open in Rome.

September 24th
The world's first nuclear powered carrier aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is launched at Newport News, Virginia.

November 1st
The Belux treaty between Belgium and Luxemburg goes into effect.

November 8th
In a close race, John F. Kennedy is elected over Richard M. Nixon and becomes the youngest elected president of the United States.

November 19th
An Andorian imperial guard battlecruiser enters Alpha Centauri after she was ordered by the Andorian imperial command to investigate why the Vulcans have so much interest in this system. Immediately the captain of the battlecruiser receives world that two unknown vessels are closing in on her position. Those two unknown vessels are the KNRS Lynx and KNRS Jaguar, which intercept the Andorian battlecruiser. Instead of opening fire the Andorian captain decides to hail them and so first contact between the kingdom of the Netherlands and the Andorian Empire is made.

November 20th
A day after first contact the Andorian captain has contacted the Andorian imperial command ,telling them that he has found why the Vulcans are so interest in the Alpha Centauri system as there is a colony on a planet in the system occupied by a race called humans who are ruled by the kingdom of the Netherlands. He also mentions that he has spoken with the governor of Proxima Centauri b, who informed him that the Netherlands will treat the Andorian empire the same way as the Dutch are treating the Vulcans and that is the Solar system is off limits for any Andorian vessels without permission of the KNRD.

December 13th
The Andorian empire establishes an embassy in Nieuw Batavia, Proxima Centauri b.

December 27th
France sets off its third nuclear bomb at its atomic proving grounds at Reggane, Algeria.

December 31st
Soldiers belonging to the Royal Dutch marines special operations battalion stationed at Nieuw Batavia break up a fight between Vulcans and Andorians at a bar. Several hours later the Andorian ambassador and the Vulcan consulate general (5) are informed by the Dutch governor that the Netherlands will not get involved in or chose sides in the Vulcan-Andorian cold war and that if both sides cannot behave themselves or show restrained when in the Alpha Centauri system then they are both not welcome anymore. Both the Andorian ambassador and the Vulcan consulate general assure the governor that they will not cause any more trouble, before continuing to accuse each other of starting the fight as the leave the governor’s office.

(1) The European Free Trade Association treaty is the first major treaty the Netherlands has signed so far in Europe.

(2) The treaty of mutual cooperation and respect replaces the third Soviet–Japanese neutrality pact which was signed in 1950.

(3) The supreme council is the de facto inner cabinet of Japan, and was established in 1945 , replacing the earlier created supreme war council.

(4) Former rear admiral Karel Doorman is still alive and enjoying his retirement in the Netherlands.

(5) While the Vulcans have their embassy at Mars base Hellas, they also have open a consulate in Nieuw Batavia whose main mission is to observe and report the Andorian presence at Proxima Centauri b. 

[lordroel]

Part 27 1961

January 3rd
US president Dwight Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed all relations with Cuba.

February 3rd
In order to feed its 90 million population, the United Republic of China uses a 30 million dollar loan from the United States to buy grain from Canada.

January 11th
At their new location at Sun–Earth L3 point Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard and L3 space yard each begin building a new type of space vessel. At L3 space yard construction of a destroyer called the Holland-class destroyer begins, while at New Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard construction of a freighter begins (1).

January 20th
John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th president of the United States (2).

February 9th
Escorted by an Andorian imperial guard battlecruiser the KNRS Jaguar arrives into orbit of Andoria, capital world of the Andorian Empire, for a short orbital visit before she is escorted out of Andorian space by the same Andorian battlecruiser which was her escort when she arrived (3).

February 16th
The Empire of Japan starts its first nuclear reactor.

March 6th
Queen Juliana of the Netherlands celebrates her seventh year on the throne.

March 9th
A report is presented to rear admiral De Jong, commander Royal Netherlands Space Force, in which it is written that the KNRS Amsterdam will reach the end of her operational capacity in 1965 and that it is not recommended to operate the ship after that point. The report suggests to strip KNRS Amsterdam of weapons and use her as a transport vessel from Mars to Alpha Centauri for the four years she has remaining and then to convert her to a space station and let her orbit Proxima Centauri b (4).

April 5th
Pieter Platteel becomes the new governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, taking over from Jan van Baal who was the governor-general from 1953 to 1961.

April 10th
Dutch foreign minister Luns speaks to US president John F. Kennedy about establishing closer relations between the two countries and invites the president to visit the Netherlands.

April 11th
A day before the Soviets will send their first man into space, the KNRD command orders the corvette KNRS Panter to monitor and observe the event.

April 12th
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin officially becomes the first human in space on board Vostok I, his entire 108 minutes of space flight is observed and tracked by KNRS Panter.

May 5th
Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3, his flight is observed also observed by a KNRD spaceship. KNRS A5 is flying far enough away to not be spotted by him or radar on the ground.

May 16th
General Park Chung-hee becomes the first Korean born citizen who is made commander of a Manchukuo Imperial army division when he takes command of the 4th infantry division of the Manchukuo Imperial army.

May 17th
Wth the permission of the KNRD, the Vulcans, begin building the Vulcan compound at Fort Doorman, Proxima Centauri b (5).

May 23rd
For the seventh time the royal democratic party becomes the largest party in the Dutch house of representatives and prime minister Willem Drees begins his fourth and last term as prime minister of the Netherlands (6).

May 25th
President Kennedy announces his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade to a special joint session of Congress .

May 27th
The prime minister of the Commonwealth of Malaya holds a press conference in Singapore, announcing his idea to have the Dominion of Singapore and Brunei join the Commonwealth of Malaya (7).

May 31st
US president Kennedy visits prime minister Drees in Amsterdam where they discuss the possible entry of the Netherlands as a member into the San Francisco Security Treaty.

June 1st
Having spent a day in the Netherlands and meeting with prime minister Drees and Queen Juliana, president Kennedy travels to Paris, where he will meet with French president Charles De Gaulle.

June 2nd
President Kennedy and president Charles De Gaulle meet in Paris.

June 4th
US president Kennedy and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev meet in Vienna, where they begin discussing nuclear tests, disarmament and the increasing conflicts in China and Berlin.

July 18th
The KNRD command decides that all American and Soviet manned space flights in the future will be tracked by monitoring installations at Guyana space center and long range monitoring installations at Moon base Eisinga and Nieuw Amsterdam moon base.

July 21st
Gus Grissom, piloting the Mercury-Redstone 4 capsule Liberty Bell 7, becomes the second American to go into space.

Augustus 6th
Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov becomes the second Cosmonaut in space, onboard the space capsule Vostok II.

Augustus 7th
Vostok II with Soviet cosmonaut Titov onboard lands in the Soviet Union.

Augustus 13th
Construction of the Berlin Wall begins, restricting movement between East and West Berlin.

October 27th
A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in divided Berlin heightens Cold War tensions.

November 17th
Michael Rockefeller, son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and his traveling companion are found by a Kolibrie II helicopter of the KLILm in the jungles of Dutch New Guinea after their boat sinks, and brought to Hollandia, capital of Dutch New Guinea.

November 18th
President John F. Kennedy sends 1,800 military advisors to the United Republic of China, bringing the total of US military advisors there to 3,200.

December 11th
First USAF planes carrying 400 US army personnel arrive in the United Republic of China capital of Xining.

December 18th
India occupies the Portuguese colonies of Goa, Damao and Diu.

December 19th
Goa is officially ceded to India after 400 years of Portuguese rule.

December 27th
On Proxima Centauri b, the newly created Netherlands bureau of penology (8) establish the new Veenhuizen penal settlement on a small island in the West Centauri sea. This settlement will house all prisoners who are sentenced to life in jail, or who are considered a severe threat to the Netherlands or her colonies.

(1) The Holland-class destroyer will be 200 meters in length, have a crew of 150, a maximum speed of warp eight, shields, two transporter rooms, a holodeck, front and aft tractor beams, 3 twin-mounted phaser banks, two torpedo banks carrying a total of 56 Mark-3 spatial torpedoes and two new B class shuttles onboard. The freighter which is being built at Nieuw Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard will be 100 meters long, have a maximum speed of warp 3, no weapons or shield and has a crew of 12.

(2) John F. Kennedy is the same person as in OTL, except that he served in Europe during World War II instead of in the Pacific.

(3) The Andorian chancellor decided that if the Netherlands does not allow the Andorians to visit Earth, then the Netherlands may not set foot or establish an embassy on Andoria. But he did allow a Dutch vessel to visit the capitol world of the Andorian Empire as he considers the Netherlands people a valuable ally against the Vulcans.

(4) In 1965, the KNRS Amsterdam will reach her 31th year of service with the KNRD.

(5) The Vulcans have decided to move their embassy located at Mars base Hellas to a compound near Fort Doorman as they feel restricted in their movement at Mars base Hellas by the KNRD. The reason that Fort Doorman was chosen was that the Vulcans did not want to be near the Andorian embassy at Nieuw Batavia.

(6) PM Willem Drees is with this fourth term the longest sitting prime minister in the Netherlands sins 1848, and he has mentioned that the fourth term will be his last as he will have been in office for more than sixteen years.

(7) Former British Malaya was given its independence from Great Britain in 1957, becoming the Commonwealth of Malaya.

(8) The Dutch bureau of penology falls under the supervision of the KNRD and has only one settlement at its disposal which is the new Veenhuizen penal settlement which has a capacity of 800 prisoners. Effectively, the Netherlands is trying to pull an Australia on Veenhuizen.

[lordroel]

Part 28 1962

January 8th
Thanks to the Netherlands having one of the best passenger railway companies in the world, a train disaster, which in a different time would happen in Harmelen and which would be the worst Ducth rail disaster ever, is averted.

January 12th
The KNIL and KNILm begin a large scale exercise in Netherlands New Guinea called Operation Ijzersterk (TL:strong as iron).

January 18th
The two Maas-class runabouts KNRS Maas and KNRS Marowijne, which have both served onboard the KNRS Amsterdam for more than 28 years are decommissioned and are stored at Guyana space centre. Now that the first Type B-class shuttles are about to enter into service they are no longer considered necessary.

January 9th
Cuba and the Soviet Union sign a trade pact.

Albania accepts a Soviet Union offer of military and financial aid (2).

February 3th
The United States embargo against Cuba is announced.

February 5th
The first Type B-class shuttle, KNRS B1 takes off in the middle of the night from Guyana space centre to begin her first test flights.

February 9th
The Batavia Stock Exchange opens.

February 10th
The captured American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers is exchanged for a captured Japanese spy in Geneva.

February 15th
The Dutch government rejects the idea of becoming a member of the San Francisco Security Treaty, but approves the idea of becoming a permanent observer.

February 20th
Onboard Friendship 7, astronaut John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth. He orbits three times in 4 hours 55 minutes.

March 9th
US advisers in the United Republic of China join the fight on the border of the divided province of Sichuan.

March 21th
Construction on the Dutch Navy’s new fleet carrier begins. Using lessons learned from two decades of operating the Hr.Ms. Willem van Oranje, the new carrier will have a steam catapult, an angled deck, the ability to carry 70 fighters and the most modern CIWS in the world.

April 7th
The former flagship of the Royal Netherlands Space Force, KNRS Amsterdam begins her new mission as a transport ship, ferrying material, supplies and people from the assembly points of Mars base Hellas and Mars base Utopia Planitia to Alpha Centauri (3).

April 14th
A small demonstration for an independent Indonesia is held by some 50 people in Amsterdam.

May 24th
Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth 3 times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.

May 30th
After nearly thirty years in service the guided missile cruiser Hr.Ms. Prinz Eugen is moored in Den Helder to be converted into a museum ship.

June 4th
While waiting to board the SS Maasdam in Rotterdam a passenger called Lee Harvey Oswald falls between the ship and the pier and drowns. Mister Oswald was heading to the US from the Soviet Union and was in the Netherlands for a stopover.

June 16th
2 US army officers are killed in a mortar attack on the border of the divided province of Sichuan, China.

July 5th
Algeria becomes independent from France.

July 11th
Soviet cosmonaut Micolaev sets the record for the longest space flight yet, lasting four days.

September 1st
A referendum in the Dominion of Singapore shows that the majority of Singaporeans do not support joining the Commonwealth of Malaya and instead wish to remain an independent nation in the Commonwealth of Nations.

September 2nd
The Soviet Union agrees to send arms to Cuba.

September 12th
President John F. Kennedy, in a speech at Rice University, reaffirms that the US will put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.

September 29th
Launched from Vandenberg AFB, California, the Canadian Alouette I becomes the first satellite built outside the United States and the Soviet Union to reach orbit.

October 14th
A U-2 flight over Cuba takes photos of Soviet nuclear weapons being installed.

October 15th
In a televised address, president John F. Kennedy announces the existence of Soviet missiles in Cuba to the US.

October 23th
US Navy ships begin a blockade of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from bringing in supplies to complete their missile bases.

October 24th
During the American blockade of Cuba, Soviet tanker Bucharest approaches the quarantine zone. US military forces go to DEFCON 2, preparing for full-scale war with the Soviet Union.

October 25th
KNRD command orders the KNRS Lynx to move to a position in which she can intercept ICBMs in case of a war between United States and the Soviet Union despite knowing that the Cuba Missile Crisis will end with the removal of the missiles placed in Cuba.

October 28th
Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he has ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba.

November 1st
The Soviets begin dismantling their missile bases in Cuba.

November 2nd
The KNRS Lynx departs Earth orbit after have been there for more than seven days, watching and being prepared to retaliate at the orders of the prime minister if war between the United States and the Soviet Union was to break out.

November 16th
The first flight of the Koolhoven Helikopter Industrie’s new helicopter named the KH-3 Falcon (4), happens at Deelen Air Base, home of the helicopter groups of the Dutch air force.

November 20th
In response to the Soviet Union agreeing to remove its missiles from Cuba, president John F. Kennedy ends the blockade of the Caribbean nation.

November 28th
Former queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands dies at age 82. Despite knowing that she would die at this age she refused any medical help to prolong her life and dies happy, knowing that the Netherlands is now a strong and proud country.

December 2nd
After a trip to the United Republic of China at the request of US president John F. Kennedy, US senate majority leader Mike Mansfield tells the US media traveling with him that the fighting at the border of the divided province of Sichuan between the United Republic of China and China-Nanking looks more like it is straight from world war I instead of what one would expect from a modern country.

December 8th
Former queen Wilhelmina is buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the traditional burial place for Dutch royals.

December 17th
On Proxima Centauri b the third colony is founded and is named Port Wilhelmina, after the former queen who died nineteen days ago (5).

(1) The Type B-class shuttles are a vast improvement over the Type A-class shuttles which are now in service with the KNRD and can reach a top speed of warp 2, have a seat capacity of eight people and a shield to defend itself as regular Type B-class shuttle will not be armed. The Type B-class shuttles are mostly going to be used onboard the Holland-class destroyer which is being built at L3 space yard.

(2) With no People's Republic of China to have relations with, the People's Socialist Republic of Albania is forced to swallow its pride and to accept and to obey many of the Soviet Union's demands.

(3) Despite her new function as transport ship, KNRS Amsterdam is still the most powerful vessel in the KNRD, even with her now reaching her 28th year of service.

(4) The KH-3 Falcon is based on the OTL Polish build PZL W-3 Sokół medium-size, twin-engine, multipurpose helicopter. Several versions are being planned ranging from a military passenger version to a medical evacuation version, to the first gunship version armed with twin cannons and four pylons for weapons.

(5) Port Wilhelmina is the third colony and the smallest and newest of the three. The largest is Nieuw Batavia with a population of 5,000, Fort Doorman with a population of 2,000 and Port Wilhelmina which has a population that will consist mostly out of personal belonging to the Dutch engineering corps. Then there is also new Veenhuizen penal settlement, which is not considered a colony but has a population of 100 prisoners and 60 staff members.

[lordroel]

Part 29 1963

January 22th
The Elysée Treaty of friendship is signed by President Charles de Gaulle of France and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of West Germany.

February 19th
The Soviet Union informs President Kennedy that it is withdrawing several thousands troops from Cuba.

March 10th
The second Type B class shuttle KNRS B2 joins the Royal Netherlands Space Force. With production of the Type B-class shuttle now steady at one per year.

March 13th 
The Netherlands and Japan resume full diplomatic relations, which have been frosty since 1941.

May 8th
The Imperial Vietnamese army executes 9 suspected Viet Minh members who were arrested by a joint Vietnamese secret police and Japanese Kempeitai raid in the city of Huế.

May 15th
NASA launches Gordon Cooper on Mercury 9.

May 16th
Gordon Cooper completes 22 orbits in Mercury 9 and with it ends Project Mercury for the United States.

June 12th
The first space freighter is commissioned at New Fijenoord-Rotterdamsche space yard, and is named Halve Maen (Half Moon), after a VOC ship that explored what is now New York harbor in September 1609 (1).

June 16th
Vostok 6 carries the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who becomes the first woman in space.

June 19th
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, returns to Earth.

June 20th
The United States and the Soviet Union agree to set up "Hotline".

July 5th
Diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Republic of China governments is raised to embassy level.

July 15th
The United States, Soviet Union and Great Britain sign a nuclear test ban treaty; the Japanese empire and the French republic do not.

Augustus 14th
The flagship of the KNRD, KNRS Amsterdam drops a survey team at Alpha Centauri VII where they begin surveying the planet for a new colony. This will be the first in the Alpha Centauri system not build on Proxima Centauri b.

September 24th
The US Senate ratifies the treaty with Great Britain and the Soviet Union limiting nuclear testing.

October 10th
The second James Bond film, From Japan with Love, opens in the UK.

October 30th
The Vulcan compound near Fort Doorman, containing the Vulcan embassy is completed after two year of building. With that the Vulcans close their embassy at Mars base Hellas and move its functions to the Vulcan compound on Proxima Centauri b (2).

November 22nd
President Kennedy and his wife visit Dallas, Texas.

November 24th
President Kennedy tells in a press conference that the United States intends to continue supporting the United Republic of China militarily and economically.

December 2nd
The first Dutch rocket is launched, reaching a height of 10 km (3).

(1) The Halve Maen has six cargo modules attached to the sides of the ship giving her a total capacity of 9.000 tonn, a speed of warp 1,8 and a crew complement of 23. Being the nameship of her class all other freighters of this kind belong to the Halve Maen-class.

(2) The Vulcan compound on Proxima Centauri b is considered Vulcan territory by the Dutch Government and its size is almost as big as Mars base Hellas where the first Vulcan embassy was established.

(3) The rocket was launched in the Netherlands and is to be used for a rocket program that is in the open while also being used as s a cover for the ultra-secret KNRD.

[lordroel]

Part 30 1964

January 3rd
President Kennedy gives his third State of the Union Address.

US Senator Barry Goldwater announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President.

January 7th
The Royal Netherlands Space Force decides to dismantle Moon base Eisinga and Nieuw Amsterdam moon base as the risk of discovery is becoming too great and their function can be taken over by Mars base Hellas and Mars base Utopia Planitia since the risk of them being discovered is not that high yet.

January 14th
A week after a British firm, (Leyland Motor Corp) sold 450 buses to the Cuban government despite the United States blockade of Cuba, the main Dutch vehicle manufacturing company DAF sells 250 medium trucks to the Cuban government, a sale worth more than 12,5 million guilders.

January 27th
The French republic and the United Republic of China announce their decision to establish diplomatic relations (1).

January 29th
The unmanned Apollo 1 Saturn launcher test attains Earth orbit.

January 30th
Jean Baptiste Ngo Dinh Diem is re-elected to Chief of State of the Free Indochina Government (2).

March 16th
The Ruimte Verdediging Kommando (Space Defense Command) for Alpha Centauri is created by the KNRD and will consist of all space ships of the KNRD in the Alpha Centauri system and all forces deployed planetside.

March 20th
The European Space Research Organization is established (3).

March 26th
US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara delivers an address that reiterates American determination to give the United Republic of China increased military and economic aid in its war against the Japanese empire.

April 4th
The second James Bond movie, From Japan with Love, begins showing in Dutch movie theaters.

April 5th
Former US General and field marshal of the Philippine army, Douglas MacArthur dies at age 84.

April 20th
President Kennedy in New York and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow simultaneously announce plans to cut back the production of materials for making nuclear weapons.

May 2nd
Some 400 to 1,000 students march through Times Square in New York and another 700 in San Francisco in the first major student demonstration against the China War as it is called by the US media.

May 3rd
Fokker Aerospace, a daughter company of Fokker, which is located near the Guyana space centre , hands the first three Swarte Pijlen-class Mark I strike fighters (4) over to the KNRD.

May 28th
The unmanned Apollo 2 Saturn test is launched into Earth orbit.

June 7th
The Beatles travel the canals of Amsterdam before giving a concert in the city.

June 20th
Third Type B-class shuttle, KNRS B3 joins the KNRD.

July 2nd
President Kennedy signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States.

July 8th
Military personnel announce that US casualties in the United Republic of China have risen to 624, including 175 dead and 8 MIA.

July 19th
At a rally in the capital city of the United Republic of China, Prime Minister Mao Zedong calls for expanding the war against the entire China-Nanking-controlled province of Sichuan, instead of limiting it to the border of the divided province.

July 27th
The US sends 2,500 more military advisers to the United Republic of China, bringing the total number of US forces in the United Republic of China to 10,500.

July 31st
Ranger 7 takes 4,316 pictures before crashing on the Moon. These are the first close-up photographs of the moon with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from telescopes on Earth (5).

October 8th
The 1st space fighter squadron, based at Nieuw Batavia spaceport on Proxima Centauri b, begins operating their 3 Zwarte Pijlen-class Mark I strike fighters.

October 12th
The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, which has a three man crew for the first time.

October 14th
Nikita Khrushchev is deposed as leader of the Soviet Union. Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin assume power.

October 15th
Firsts of the four Holland-class destroyers, KNRS Holland (6) is commissioned into the KNRD after she is completed at L3 space yard. They now begin work on the second Holland-class destroyer.

October 16th
The Japanese empire detonates a nuclear bomb in the Gobi desert.

November 3rd
President Kennedy defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater with an overwhelming percent of the popular vote.

December 20th
KNRS Holland begins her shakedown cruise in the Alpha Centauri system.

(1) Until now France has had no diplomatic relations with the United Republic of China since its founding in October 1949.

(2) The Free Indochina Government was created in 1955 and is based in Paris. It is considered by the French republic the only rightful government of Indochina, and not the Japanese puppet states who have formed out of it, and which are not recognized as independent nations by the majority of the free world.

(3) The European Space Research Organization has nine member which are Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom with the Netherlands, Austria and Norway having decided not to join this new organization but to retain an observer status. The Netherlands has decided for observer status as it a good way to observe if the European Space Research Organization is doing something that can bring its own space activates into the open.

(4) The Zwarte Pijlen-class (Black Arrow-class) Mark I strike fighter has a crew of two, a top speed of warp 1, two phasers pre-set to pulse mode and pylons for Mark-3 torpedoes. They are intended to enter into service with the KNRD at a rate of three per year.

(5) While Ranger 7 has taken many pictures none have anything on it which might show evidence that the moon is occupied as in a record time of 6 months Dutch engineers dismantled and destroyed all evidence that they were ever on the moon.

(6) KNRS Holland is 200 meters long, has a crew of 150, a maximum speed of warp eight, shields, two transporter rooms, a holodeck, front and aft tractor beams, 3 twin-mounted phaser banks, two torpedo banks carrying a total of 56 Mark-3 spatial torpedoes, and two B class shuttles onboard. She is the first of four Holland-class destroyer being built for the Royal Netherlands Space Force.

[eurowatch]

After another round of editing, I have:
- fixed many instances of it instead of her or she (don't assume a ship's gender!)
- Had the Dutch continue using their language to name things instead of English (although I think Swarte Pijl sounds silly).
- Removed many location markers (you don't need to tell people Paris is in France, Roel).
- Included a ceremony where they celebrate 350 year Dutch-Japanese relatsionship. Which of course ended With a wargame.
- started wondering if Roel was paid by the comma or to promote the Dutch Navy.
- Did some more designation changing (the scout Crafts are now corvettes, the attack fighters are now strike fighters).
- Changed the name of Alpha Centauri III to Proxima Centauri b, the currently only known planet in the Alpha Centauri system.