Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 508 Occupation of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná
"His Majesty has arrived!" Following the announcement from the attendant officer, Li Mingyuan walked into the conference room.

"Everyone, please sit down." Looking at the senior generals who stood up in unison in the hall, Li Mingyuan waved his hand and sat down in the main seat.

"After returning from the front lines and the garrisons, you should have been given a break to rest, but military urgency does not allow for slackness or carelessness. You will continue to work hard for a while, and after this battle is over, you can take a long break to rest."

"Serving the country and killing the enemy on the battlefield is the duty of a soldier and what the military should do."
"Well, knowing your determination to perform your duties faithfully and fight bravely, there is no need to be modest." Li Mingyuan waved his hand to end the greetings with everyone and went straight to the point: "The army and navy of the Republic of Brazil have suffered heavy losses and have basically lost their ability to fight back. In the next stage, the main goal of our army is to pursue the victory and take advantage of the favorable opportunity of the Republic of Brazil's lack of troops and low morale to advance into the territory of the Republic of Brazil and further expand the results of the war.

General Zhao, I will introduce to you the general combat strategy of our army in the next stage and the situation around the Republic of Brazil. "

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lieutenant General Zhao Yongzeng, Chief of the Army General Staff, stood up, walked to a combat map hanging on the wall, picked up the pointer in his right hand, and pointed to the location of the Republic of Brazil.

"Around the front line of the Republic of Brazil, our military combat forces are mainly divided into four directions:

To the southwest is the original Asuncion front, with a total strength of about 13.5. It is planned to leave 2 troops to occupy various places along the line in Paraguay and maintain local order. The remaining 11.5 will continue to advance along the line of Concepción, Castelo Olimpo, and Aquidaoana, and occupy Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Goiás, southern Mato Grosso and other places when the opportunity arises. The combat goal is to advance to the area along the Brazil-Paraguay territorial border in 1879.

The southern direction is the former Paraná River Front, with a total strength of 4.5. It is planned to leave 1 troops to cooperate with subsequent militia forces to occupy the southern and northeastern regions of Paraguay.

The remaining 3.5 troops advanced northward from Toledo and Cascavel, attacking and occupying the western part of Paraná State.

The troops in the Luozhou direction have a total of about 5 people, responsible for the frontal attack and tying down about 4 Brazilian troops at the border.

The last direction is the sea assault force, with the navy providing cover. 5 troops boarded transport ships and landed in Santos and Itanhaen in Sao Paulo State in three to five batches. After the landing troops occupied Sao Paulo City, the capital of Sao Paulo State, 4 troops were sent south to form a three-sided encirclement of the Paraná State garrison with the troops in the south and Los Angeles directions, completely occupying the entire Paraná State. The remaining troops followed the railway trunk line to attack Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Republic of Brazil, to the north. "

After Zhao Yongzeng introduced the combat strategies and goals of each unit, he continued: "According to intelligence analysis, the Brazilian Empire will launch an attack on the Republic of Brazil within half a month at the latest. Therefore, our army must effectively use the current window of opportunity when the war is suspended to complete the replenishment of troops and supplies as soon as possible, and strive to resume the full-scale attack on the Republic of Brazil within a week."

"The southern combat direction of the Malacaju River is close to the Guaira Falls, where the water is turbulent and there are many undercurrents. When troops take transport ships through this area, they must be careful. If the hydrological conditions do not allow, it is better to take the land route and travel a longer distance rather than risk continuing to sail."

After Zhao Yongzeng finished speaking, Li Mingyuan added.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The commander in charge of operations in the southern direction, the commander of the 7th Division, He Yanliang, responded calmly.

"The bottom line of the next phase of the combat objectives is to occupy the entire states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná. Sao Paulo, Goiás, Mato Grosso and other areas can be occupied as the situation develops.

The maximum attack range of the troops is limited to the south of Rio de Janeiro, Barbacena and Urrabe.

In addition to the occupation of the target areas, one of the goals was to destroy the industrial production potential of the Brazilian Republic.

Except for Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, the attacking forces must dismantle all the major industrial machine tools, machinery, and mining equipment in the occupied areas. The relevant warehouses and properties of the Brazilian government must also be sealed up and transported back to the mainland by sea, water, and land along with the dismantled industrial equipment. In particular, the Rio de Janeiro Shipyard is the most comprehensive and technologically advanced warship and civilian ship construction base in the Brazilian Republic, with the ability to build ironclad ships of 3000 tons or more. After the troops occupied the shipyard, the relevant machines, equipment, technicians, and completed or unfinished ships in the shipyard were all dismantled and packed and taken back to the country.

The technicians in the Rio de Janeiro shipyard are still of great use. Technicians with good technical skills are assigned to local shipyards and are allowed to leave after serving for a few years. Technicians with average technical skills are moved to Songkhla and Lan Fang, which can also strengthen the shipbuilding technology foundation of the two places.

Shipyard technicians are valuable talents, and they must be used and arranged reasonably.”

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Once we occupy the Rio de Janeiro Shipyard, we will ensure that all the machinery and equipment, as well as the skilled workers, will be brought back to you without a single one left behind."

Ye Chenglin, Major General and commander of the Fifth Division, expressed his opinion with a serious and confident look on his face.

"It's good to have confidence. I also believe that with your abilities and the efforts of the soldiers on the front line, we will be able to successfully complete the combat objectives. When the war is over, you will be rewarded for your meritorious service, commendations, titles, and honors. All the rewards you deserve will be given to you."

Li Mingyuan stood up and made a solemn promise: "I am in Xianghe City, waiting for the good news of your victory."

"I will live up to your majesty's expectations!"

All the generals attending the meeting stood up and expressed their opinions loudly.
The Xianghe Army-Navy Joint Military Conference ended, and the generals who attended the meeting returned to their respective units one after another. After a tense and rapid supply of troops and materials, the scale of the war once again expanded to the entire territory of the Republic of Brazil.

On the morning of December 1889, 12, the Han Navy's Atlantic Fleet launched a naval artillery attack on Itanyaem. In the afternoon of the same day, 11 army troops launched a landing operation under the cover of naval warships. At 5000 pm, the landing troops broke into the port and the defenders were defeated.

On December 12, Santos fell. The navy left some warships to provide cover for the transport fleet, and the main fleet sailed towards Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Republic of Brazil.

On December 12, the naval fleet and a landing force launched a fierce attack on the port of Rio de Janeiro from the east, south and north. On the 16st, after five days of fierce fighting, the remnant fleet of the Brazilian Republican Navy trapped in the port of Rio de Janeiro was defeated and surrendered. Including a 21-ton armored cruiser and a 5-ton medium-sized cruiser, a total of more than 5000 large and small warships were all captured by the Han army.

In the southwestern combat direction, on December 1889, 12, the Han army, which had completed its material supply, launched another attack.

On December 12, they occupied the Castelo de Olimpo and wiped out 15 enemy troops. On the 2000th, the defenders of Aquidaoana fled without a fight and retreated to Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul.

On the 24th, the troops of the Southwestern Front launched an attack on Campo Grande from Aquidaoana and Maracarju. After five days of fierce fighting, the defenders retreated after suffering 4000 casualties.

The Han army followed in pursuit and wiped out 3000 retreating enemy troops.

In the direction of Paraná State, on December 12, the Han army surrounded the Brazilian defenders who were defending the border from the north, south and west. At the same time, the eastern sea was also facing a military blockade by the Han naval fleet. Except for the areas around the border fortifications, the entire Paraná State fell under the control of the Han State.

In the direction of the Brazilian Empire, on December 12, the Brazilian Empire declared war on the Republic of Brazil. The two armies fought fiercely in the border area and the war was at a stalemate.

By January 1890, 1, the Han army had basically completed the occupation of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná states, and the frontline troops continued to advance in the direction of Goiás, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other directions.

(End of this chapter)