"Fordlândia Useful Layout For Jungle Secret Base In 1930s?" Topic

Imagine something like this but for some 1920s or 1930s crime fighting organization, espionage base, clandestine research, or perhaps as a operations center or lair for an evil genius.

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And I'm sure there must have been other such "experimental" settlements in jungles during that time, though I only know of Fordlândia. Hopefully they can inspire terrain projects for those looking to make a secret base (for training, manufacturing, laboratory, etc), for foreign powers or for some evil genius?

QUESTION
Were there other such REAL isolated jungle settlements (in South America, Africa or SE Asia), initiated by US or European millionaires or leaders in the 20s and 30s that could be used to model a secret base of some sort?

If so, which specific ones?

Thanks

Dan
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In Hartford, ct there is an enclosed huge building, which was supposed to be a mason utopia. It has a ornate dome on top…and was built by proud mason, Samuel Colt….aptly named Coltsville….everyone thinks it is a mosque. Much more interesting than that.

If you have access to a show called hunting Hitler…you will see several jungle bases in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a very good show imho….plausible he escaped the bunker.

Well, give me a bit on jungle, but here's one in California--a smallish place our pulp hero can break into driving out from Los Angeles.

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Of course, a slightly militarized San Simeon has merit.

Might also want to look into Reise--the big underground command complex in Silesia with a castle on top. Never quite finished in our world, but about right for a serious pulp adventure.

And here's the proposed Nazi base in Argentina:

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Not much by way of clandestine US jungle bases interwar, though the Marines are active in Nicaragua and Haiti. You might want to look at the British "Battle Box" at Fort Canning in Singapore--the underground command center they built for the defense of Malaya.

battlebox.com.sg

There's a book on that one with suitable photos and maps.

Just from a campaign perspective, though, I think you only really need five or six in total. Cover Arctic/Antarctic, jungle, desert, underground and temperate, and do air base, command center, refuge/holiday and research so you'll have a sort of checklist to go through when your party heads that way. The adventurers will not be issued maps, after all.

Ah. Take a look at the airbase attack in Grant's Scenarios for Wargamers. Grant based it on his own WWII stationing, so it should have all the parts of the base a wargamer needs to concern himself with.

Robert: "Might also want to look into Reise--the big underground command complex in Silesia with a castle on top."

Wow, I have got to look that up!

Thanks

Dan

Dan, it seems I can't spell in German any more than I can in English--but here's a start.

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Notice how neatly it ties in with that Polish legend of a lost train from the evacuation of Breslau, too. All kinds of RPG potential.

The Hartford site is the old Colt firearms factory. No Masonic conspiracies. No one ever thought it was a Mosque.
It is being repurposed into shops and apartments. The factory has been a famous local landmark since the 19th century. Nothing to see here folks…

The origins of the Australian Coastwatchers goes back to 1919 but did not really get operational until war broke out in 1939. The bases they operated from look similar to your images.

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I think the Phantom comics could be a good fictional resource (and you get to make a skull cave!)

Well, there is this building in San Diego, Califorina link

Copy this:

and make it a bit bigger…