Solution - Imperial Geography

By Nishant Pappireddi


As clued by the flavortext, the given clues refer to locations which were once part of the British Empire. The first letters of the clues spell out "SEE WIKIPEDIA LIST OF UTC TIME OFFSETS". This Wikipedia page lists locations within each time zone, and labels each time zone with the military time zone letter for that UTC offset. Solvers must identify each British Empire location, then retrieve the time zone letter for that location.

Clue British Empire Location Time Zone Letter
Speedy invasion of this colony by an enemy empire allowed it to invade the Empire's crown jewel by land, but the Empire defeated that invasion and later reconquered this colony. Burma F
Exclusive settlement by non-convicts made this state capital in the Empire's continental Dominion unique. Adelaide I
External territory of the Empire's continental dominion that is named after a winter holiday. Christmas Island G
Winning a war over drugs gave the Empire control of this important trading port, but its eventual return signaled the end of the Empire. Hong Kong H
Inside the Empire's oldest Dominion, this city is the most populous in its province and is the second most populous city in the Western part of the Dominion. Calgary T
Known as the capital of the crown jewel of the Empire. Delhi E
Island where a slave revolt and its brutal suppression contributed to the Empire abolishing slavery a few years later. Jamaica R
Port city used by the Empire to control passage between its namesake gulf and a colored sea. Aden C
Each of the major islands of this antipodal Dominion, which is often forgotten on maps, is named for a cardinal direction New Zealand M
Developing massively since it was a protectorate of the Empire, this city is the most populous within a federation of seven members. Dubai D
Interestingly, this province in the Empire's oldest Dominion is shaped like a rectangle. Saskatchewan S
An important city on the west coast of the Empire's oldest Dominion, though curiously not on the nearby island that shares its name. Vancouver U
Located between two seas, this waterway linked the Mother Country to many of her colonies, including her crown jewel. Suez Canal B
In the Empire's continental Dominion this large region is not a state and does not contain a large city. Northern Territory I
Several convoys were assembled at this naval port in the Empire's oldest Dominion for transit to the Mother Country in two major wars. Halifax Q
This provincial capital in the Empire's oldest Dominion is named for a famous monarch of the Empire. Victoria U
On account of it serving as a fleet base, this far Northern city in the Empire's continental Dominion was bombed by the enemy during a major war. Darwin I
Furthest North provincial (not territorial) capital in the Empire's oldest Dominion. Edmonton T
Underpopulated and remote island that may sometimes be confused for the state within a country that successfully rebelled against the Empire, or the country bordering the largest country and a colored sea. South Georgia O
This island in the Empire's oldest Dominion contains a provincial capital and shares its name with its province's most populous city. Vancouver Island U
City equidistant from the West and East Coasts of the Empire's oldest Dominion, which is also the capital and by far the most populous city in its province. Winnipeg S
This major trading port controls a vital shipping lane between two oceans and was the site of one of the Empire's greatest surrenders. Singapore H
Island located in the center of the Middle Sea that was the base for the Empire's fleet in said sea. Malta A
Many islands comprise this territory of the Empire's antipodal Dominion, and these islands are named after the Empire's famous explorer of the largest ocean. Cook Islands W
Even though it is the most populous city in the Empire's continental Dominion and the capital of its most populous state, it is not the capital of the Dominion. Sydney K
Off the coast of the Empire's crown jewel, this strategic island was used to base one of the Empire's fleets during a major war. Sri Lanka E
Formerly the most populous and now the second most populous city in the Empire's oldest Dominion, and one that speaks the language of the Empire's greatest rival. Montreal R
First overseas colony of the Empire, this aptly named island took a long time to join its neighboring Dominion. Newfoundland P
Surprisingly, this archipelago was jointly ruled by a condominium between the Empire and its greatest rival. Vanuatu L
Essentially a giant rock, this territory was seized from an Imperial rival, and was used by the Empire used to guard the entry into a major sea. Gibraltar A
Though not an Imperial territory, but owned by its oldest ally, this island group was used by the Empire to secure passage through its ocean in a major war. Azores N
Small country which borders the Empire's crown jewel and is the source of a famous (or infamous) class of soldiers. Nepal E

The final clue's answer is a number instead of a location. There were 9 former British Dominions: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, Ireland, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Combined, the cluephrase is "FIGHTER CMDS UBIQUITOUS HAWKER PLANE (9)". This should be read as "RAF Fighter Command's ubiquitous Hawker plane (9)", and the answer is HURRICANE, the name of a Hawker plane that saw heavy use in World War II.

Authors Notes

Since Doctor Whooves is based on Doctor Who, a British TV character, I got the idea to do a puzzle about the British Empire and time zones. Since every time zone has an associated letter, and since the British Empire contained territories from almost every time zone, I was able to spell out a cluephrase containing most of the letters of the alphabet. Making the first letters of the clues spell out a cluephrase was sometimes a bit tricky, but it worked out in the end. The answer being a famous British aircraft was also very fitting.