Adams Bridge and a map problem

[el cid again]

Test Nine is about to have an invasion of Ceylon (I think).
Involved with advising the Axis team on the logistical
aspects of the intended operation, I have concluded that
Ceylon is not properly developed. While I did add a
couple of locations to stock's list, I believed an all out
fight for the island was unlikely, and have never before
seen one. I decided to fully develop the island for
inclusion with version 5.0 - nominally the first "official"
release of RHS - meaning we consider it developed
and playable (except for the Downfall Scenario - which
is a year or two out). I also found a discussion by
a British historian (in Grave of a Dozen Schemes) to the
effect the troops sent to Burma in 1942 could have been
used to invade Ceylon (at the time of the KB raid) -
and might have knocked the UK out of the war - so it
isn't entirely an unrealistic game strategy.

This process caused me to discover what I regard as
a fundamental map error. The Palk Strait - so called
because it IS a strait - is entirely blocked by pwhex
to any form of land or sea movement. This is wholly
incorrect and misleading. There was a rail and
road/ferry connection until a great typhoon in 1964
(in which a train, with more than 100 people on board,
was lost with all hands, and in which the bridge was
badly damaged).

This affects three hexes in game terms.

This chain of hexes is called either Adam's Bridge
or Rama's Bridge (depending on language) and
is the subject of two different mythologies. One
is that Adam crossed this bridge to reach Adam's
Peak (on Ceylon) - where he is alleged to have stood
on one foot for 100 years - and there is a natural
feature that looks like a footprint there. The other
is that a mythological army led by Rama built the
bridge to rescue his wife from the King of Ceylon -
and destroyed it later. In fact, the bridge was
entirely above sea level until a great typhoon in
A.D.1480. Its geological origins are not fully studied
and so subject to differing speculations - but it
appears to be coral growth on shallows dating
back 125,000 years.

30,45 probably should be called Manar (although
today it is spelled Mannar). It is already correctly
coded with a trail and major RR to the SE. But
the NW probably should be coded Both Shallow
Draft. In RHS, with simulated "low capacity
ferries" - it also should have a trail to the NW.
This is a port hex.

30,44 probably should be called Rameswaram
(although other choices along the island
chain exist, this location is an island connected
by bridge to the Indian mainland and, until
1964, a town of significance). This hex
should actually have a minor RR to the NE
and the NE hexside should be land vice blocked.
It probably should have the block to the East
replaced by a navigable river hexside -
representing the one part of the Palk Strait
which is navigable - but not to large ships.
In that case, 31,33 should also have its
West side coded navigable river vice blocked.
The hex should also have a Primary Road
coded to the NE across the former blocked
hexside. This is a port hex. It needs to
be recoded from sea to coastal.
To the SE it should be coded Both Shallow Draft
and, in RHS, have a trail (a "low capacity ferry").

30,43 probably should be called Ramanthapuram.
This hex already has correctly coded roads in
four directions and RR in two. It needs to
add a minor RR and a primary Road to the
SW, replacing the blocked hexside with
a land hexside to be correct. This is NOT
a port hex - Ramanthapuram is inland.

This discovery involves considerable work to
correct. More so for RHS as we have 26 pwhexe
files. It will be filed for the next pwhexe update
cycle. The CURRENT cycle will only complete
the 1945 and 1946 files to current standard.