Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 461 Recapture of Yangon (6K)

When Dalhousie heard this, his expression froze obviously, and then he said with a happy face.

"Haha, are you serious?"

"What is the current situation of the war in India?"

Upon hearing this, Pierre began to explain.

"In reply to the Governor-General, according to the information currently known, our British army will enter India to suppress the rebellion in two groups."

"One army will attack Delhi from north to south, and the other from west to east."

"Now, both armies have made considerable progress. I believe it won't take long to put down the rebellion in India."

When Pierre said this, a smile from the bottom of his heart appeared on his face.

Dalhousie couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

"Ha ha!"

"It couldn't be better, it couldn't be better!"

"I believe it won't be long before Great Britain, after suppressing the Indian rebellion, can send troops to reinforce the Burmese war."

At this moment, Drosen, who was assigned to arrange defenses outside the city, hurriedly climbed up the city wall and came to report to Dalhousie.

"Governor, something happened!"

"The artillery at the mouth of the Irrawaddy River reported that they had spotted the Tang army's fleet in the Burmese sea."

As soon as Drosen said this, the expression on Dalhousie's face couldn't help but freeze.

The smile that just appeared disappeared in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, good news turned into bad news.

The ups and downs of life are nothing more than this!
Taking a deep breath, Dalhousie continued.

"Pass the order down, order all units of our army to prepare to meet the enemy."

"If the Tang fleet dares to enter the river mouth, we will strike hard!"

Yangon was the British ruling center in Lower Burma. In order to ensure the city defense of Yangon, the British deployed several artillery batteries in the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River.

These artillery batteries have considerable firepower delivery capabilities, and should be able to cause some hindrance to the Tang army's fleet.

Upon hearing this, Drosen nodded vigorously and turned around to carry out the order.

After he left, Dalhousie looked at Brigadier General Pierre standing beside him and made arrangements.

"I'm afraid the artillery batteries we have deployed in the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River will not be able to stop the Tang army's attack."

"Here in Yangon City, we should make preparations early!"

Upon hearing this, Brigadier General Pierre immediately nodded to show that he understood, then turned around and ordered his soldiers to prepare for battle.

……

The mouth of the Irrawaddy River!
The Tang army fleet deployed its troops and headed towards the Irrawaddy River with great momentum.

The British artillery batteries stationed at the mouth of the river began firing in an attempt to hinder the offensive of the Tang fleet.

But, it didn't work!
The range of the Tang army's naval guns was far greater than that of the British army's fortress guns. The Tang army's fleet only needed to launch an orderly bombardment to suppress the British artillery.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"..."

Deafening artillery fire continued.

Shell after shell was fired at the British artillery position as if it were free.

At the same time, the Tang army also sent out landing craft and began to land on the beach.

After completing the waiting, the Tang army troops quickly launched an offensive and raided the artillery position at the river mouth from behind.

Under the attack of the Tang army by land and sea and with thunderous artillery fire, the British artillery positions at the mouth of the river were quickly captured.

After taking the artillery position, the Tang army only made a brief rest before heading upstream towards the city of Yangon.

Soon, in the early morning of the next day, the Tang army fleet arrived outside the city of Yangon.

And began to prepare for the offensive on Yangon city.

The Tang army’s first target was the defensive fortifications set up by the British army outside the city of Rangoon.

In order to ensure the safety of Yangon, the British army, after repelling the invading Burmese army, seized the opportunity to dig three trenches outside Yangon and build dozens of bunkers.

Trenches and bunkers together formed the British army's defense system outside the city of Yangon.

Obviously, this is the advanced experience the British army learned from the Tang Dynasty.

Today's British army is no longer the British army that had just come into contact with breech-loading weapons a few years ago, was stunned and unable to keep up with the rhythm, and could only charge forward stubbornly.

After learning a lot from the Tang Dynasty and the Crimean War, the British Army now has its own ideas on the application of breech-loading weapons.

boom! Boom boom!

The Tang army remained the same.

As soon as the war began, the artillery began to roar.

The huge fleet lay across the Irrawaddy River, with its black gun muzzles aimed at the British positions outside Yangon, and then began to deliver fire.

Boom! Boom!
The heavy artillery opened fire, and the sound of artillery rumbled.

The recoil force generated by the artillery firing was transmitted into the river water along the hull of the ship.

The next moment, ripples appeared on the surface of the river.

The ripples spread out in all directions with the ship as the center.

The shell flew out of the barrel, mixed with smoke and flames, and fell heavily towards the British position.

Balls of blazing flames burst out on the British positions.

The shock wave swept wildly!
Especially the 270mm main gun on the Zhenyuan ship, the killing effect is even more amazing.

The effect of the explosion after the shell hits the ground can even flatten the area within a radius of dozens of meters.

Those who are close to it, even if they are not killed by the artillery, the shock wave generated by the explosion of the shells can still shock them to death.

……

Just as the Tang army's fleet launched artillery fire.

The Tang army's landing troops are also actively preparing for war.

"quick!"

"Everyone has it, hurry up!"

"Check the gun to make sure it's correct!"

"I'm talking to you, put on your helmet, don't think it's too heavy, it's going to save your life when you're on the battlefield."

"Also, put in the bulletproof plates. If you don't mind the weight, you can put in two..."

Now the Tang army is also doing some research on bulletproofing for its soldiers.

Soldiers were not only equipped with helmets, but also bulletproof vests.

Of course, this so-called bulletproof vest is actually just a vest with a pocket on the chest, into which a bulletproof plate can be inserted.

The so-called bulletproof plate is actually a two-millimeter thick steel plate.

It's not light, but the bulletproof effect is good.

"..."

Amidst the chaos, the Tang army prepared for battle.

Listening to the rumbling artillery fire coming from the river, Fu Chang took a deep breath and said to the people in front of him.

"Wait for the order later, then we'll charge!"

"But everyone should be careful, the queue should not be too dense, and be sure to take evasive action."

"Let's drink together after this battle is over!"

"It's my treat!"

Upon hearing this, everyone around responded in unison.

Fu Chang looked towards the direction of Yangon City, his eyes filled with passion.

He was originally a police captain in the Tang Concession in Batavia.

But after the Tang army captured Batavia, these so-called policemen were collectively reorganized and re-enlisted in the army.

Because Fu Chang had made great contributions in the Tang army's battle to recapture Batavia, he was promoted several levels, directly from company commander to deputy battalion commander and acting battalion commander.

He was then sent to fight in Burma!

He swore that he would make great achievements in this battle and remove the word "deputy" from his official rank.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, and a gust of wind blew away the smoke on the battlefield.

The sun was high in the sky and heat waves were surging on the ground.

At this time, the Tang army fleet's bombardment also stopped.

The shrill sound of the charge soon resounded throughout the battlefield.

Fu Chang saw this and shouted loudly.

"Brothers, follow me and kill!"

Shouting, he led the team forward.

In the blink of an eye, a Tang army soldier appeared on the battlefield, shouting and rushing towards the British position.

At this moment, the British troops on the position also poked their heads out of the trenches and bunkers and began to fight back.

For a while, the sound of rifle shots continued to ring out.

In the bunker, the muzzle of the machine gun turned and began to pour out fire.

Dada! Dada!

A dense barrage of bullets was fired towards the charging Tang army.

Under the blockade and strafing of dense rain of bullets, the Tang army inevitably suffered casualties during the charge.

Of course, the casualties were not heavy!

One reason is that the Tang army adopted a skirmish line charge, with relatively dispersed forces and each person being at least ten meters apart.

With such a sparse array, even machine gun fire can only cause limited damage.

Secondly, most of the Tang army soldiers were elite veterans who had been trained for a long time and experienced the hardships of the battlefield.

When faced with enemy machine gun fire, they don't even need to use their brains; they can make evasive moves based on muscle memory alone.

For example, when the enemy's machine gun is about to sweep over, change from running to lying down, and then crawling forward.

It can even be said that the Tang soldiers were fighting back even while lying on the ground.

Pull the bolt and shoot, all in one smooth motion!
And the shooting accuracy is very good, and a hit can be achieved every three to five shots.

Bullets poured back in one after another, also suppressing the enemy's firepower.

"grass!"

"How many weapons did these Burmese rubbish leave for the foreigners?"

Looking at the chaotic situation on the battlefield, Fang Haiyang's face darkened.

He knew that the Burmese had served as transport captains in Rangoon, but he didn't expect that they could send so much to the British at once.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Haiyang made quick arrangements.

"Let our naval guns continue to deliver firepower, aim at the firing points on the British positions, deliver firepower, and knock them down for me!"

"Cover our infantry's attack!"

Unlike the Burmese who were reluctant to use artillery shells, they filled the gap with human lives.

In the Tang Dynasty, human life is much more valuable than artillery shells.

Especially those elite veterans!

If you want to train an elite veteran, you need to recruit soldiers, provide more training, equipment, and death compensation.

And the driving role that veterans play in the military!

The costs and benefits involved cannot be compared to the value of a few artillery shells.

As Fang Haiyang's order was issued, the Tang army's fleet continued to open fire.

Boom! Boom!
Deafening artillery bombardment echoed throughout the battlefield.

……

Peter once participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, and then suffered losses at the hands of the Tang Dynasty.

But now he is a machine gunner in the British Army.

Facing the charging Tang army, he turned the handle of the machine gun excitedly.

As he watched the ammunition belt getting shorter and shorter and the bullets pouring out, his face was flushed with excitement.

Cool! It’s really fucking cool!
He finally experienced the pleasure of seeing the Tang army machine gunning and covering them with fire.

But just as Peter turned the handle wantonly and unleashed the fire.

The sound of artillery fire was heard again on the battlefield.

On the river in the distance, the Tang army's fleet continued to fire, tilting its firepower in their direction.

Suddenly, a shell landed on the bunker where he was.

Amid the loud explosion, gravel, sand and soil fell from above.

boom! Boom boom!

The shelling continued.

Peter didn't take the shell seriously.

However, at this moment, he suddenly heard a series of crackling sounds. He looked up subconsciously and saw a brick falling directly towards his head.

Peter subconsciously widened his eyes, and then everything went dark and he fell to the ground.

But at this moment, there was a loud bang.

Another shell fired over.

Amidst the rumbling sound of the explosion and the cloud of smoke and dust, the bunker finally collapsed.

Seeing this scene, the Tang army soldiers who were charging couldn't help but raise their arms and shout.

"The Tang Dynasty is victorious!"

"The Tang Dynasty is victorious!"

Amid shouts, the Tang army soldiers continued their charge.

"Brothers, kill!"

"Kill all those foreign devils!"

Fu Chang led the team to the front, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The sound of bullets whizzing through the air kept ringing in his ears.

From time to time, bullets would fly past his ears, making a sharp sound as they cut through the air.

There were also artillery firing on the British positions.

A shell landed a few dozen meters in front of Fu Chang.

The shell exploded, and the blast instantly spread out, and Fu Chang, who was charging, was blown away.

Fortunately, he was still far away from where the shells landed.

That's why it was just blown away.

After his vision went dark, Fu Chang got up from the ground. He shook his head and his ears were ringing violently.

"Damn!"

"It hurts!"

However, even though he felt severe pain all over his body, Fu Chang still gritted his teeth, got up, and continued to rush forward.

boom! Boom boom!

The Tang army fleet on the Irrawaddy River continued to fire.

Keep pouring out firepower!

On the British position, bunkers were blown up and artillery positions were flattened.

Gradually, their threat to the charging Tang army became smaller and smaller.

Only a few rifles were left firing.

But this threat to the Tang army was limited.

Amid the deafening roar of artillery fire, the Tang army's offensive forces finally reached the British army's first line of defense.

In an instant, the two sides came into close combat and began a fierce fight.

"kill!"

"Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"

"The Tang Dynasty is victorious!"

"..."

In the chaos, the soldiers of both sides collided with each other like two torrents.

The sound of gunfire, the sound of bayonets piercing flesh, screams, wails, and shouts of killing, mixed together, formed a symphony called war.

The Tang army's naval guns began to raise their muzzles and extend their firing to suppress the British army's second and third lines of defense.

Boom! Boom!
This is done to cover the attack of their own infantry.

The second was to block the British army's reinforcements to the first line of defense.

In the brutal fight, the battle became intense right at the beginning.

Corpses fell to the ground one after another, blood flowed everywhere, and a pool of blood formed at the bottom of the trench.

Mixed with the soil at the bottom of the trench, it turned into bloody mud, and the scene was horrifying.

The bayonet pierced into the chest of the foreigner in front of him. Fu Chang took several steps back, covering the wound on his stomach, and sweat broke out on his forehead because of the pain.

Seeing this scene, several British soldiers prepared to take advantage of the situation and kill the Tang army officer.

But at this moment, the guards around Fu Chang also rushed over.

The two sides instantly grudged each other!
The ferocity of the hand-to-hand combat was far greater than the previous charge and musket fight.

The close-range, bloody fighting was a great mental torture for the soldiers.

If anyone has a weak mentality, they would probably collapse as soon as the two sides engage in battle.

The situation on the battlefield continues to change!
As the Tang army continued to send reinforcements to the front line, the British army's first line of defense was quickly torn apart.

The Tang army's front line continued to advance!

The heavy artillery is still roaring!

Mortars capable of firing indirect ballistic missiles were brought up.

After calibration, aim at the British trenches and begin covering fire.

While mortars were covering the British troops hiding in the trenches, Tang's offensive force launched another charge.

"Brothers, kill!"

The fierce fighting lasted all day.

By dusk, the three lines of defense set up by the British army outside Yangon were all breached.

Large flags with Tang characters on them were planted on the British positions.

The remnants of the British army retreated back to the city of Rangoon while fighting.

……

Dalhousie stood on the city wall and looked out at the British positions that were captured by the Tang army.

The expression on his face was extremely complicated.

Now he has truly realized it.

The Tang army is really not comparable to the armies of other small countries in East Asia.

The two sides are almost completely in two different dimensions.

The combat effectiveness is totally incomparable.

"Your Excellency the Governor, there are less than 500 soldiers in our army who are still capable of fighting."

"Gunpowder, bullets and other military supplies are being consumed severely."

"In a short period of time, our army may not be able to recover its combat effectiveness!"

"Yangon City can no longer be defended..."

Brigadier General Pierre said with pessimism in his voice.

Beside him, Dalhousie's expression also changed.

"So, what should we do?"

"Should we follow the example of the previous battle in Yangon and launch a night attack from the city?"

Pierre just shook his head when he heard this.

"Governor, the Tang army is not the Burmese army!"

"After the night attack, the Burmese army collapsed and fled, but the Tang army would never do that."

"Even if the Tang army is attacked at night, they will be able to react and quickly organize a counterattack."

"By then, the situation we face will only be more dangerous than it is now."

"Also, given the current state of our army, we do not have the ability to launch a night raid outside the city..."

The reason is simple: the British army suffered heavy casualties in a tough battle during the day.

Originally, the British army had 5,000 defenders in Rangoon, almost the strength of a brigade.

After the Burmese army's attack and defense of Rangoon, the British army suffered some losses, but there were still at least 4,500 to 4,600 troops.

But after today's battle, the British army now has less than 500 soldiers capable of fighting.

Although not all of the more than 4,000 soldiers died in battle, a considerable number of them were merely injured.

But we can still see the cruelty of today's battle!

The British army today no longer has the ability to launch another night attack.

Upon hearing this, Dalhousie's expression became visibly depressed.

"Oh, the world is tough!"

Pierre's expression was moved when he heard this, but he continued.

"Governor, we now only have one last option..."

Dalhousie couldn't help but let out a wry smile, looking somewhat dejected.

"let me think again!"

"Please let me think about it!"

……

Outside Yangon.

After destroying the British positions outside the city of Rangoon, the Tang army began to land in large numbers.

And set up a large camp outside the city of Yangon.

Fang Haiyang sat in the military tent, looking calmly through a military newspaper in his hand.

What is recorded in this military newspaper is exactly the casualties suffered by the Tang army in today's battle.

According to statistics, the Tang army suffered 623 casualties in today's battle.

Among them, 178 people were killed.

The injured: 445 people.

At first glance, the Tang army's casualties seemed insignificant compared to the thousands of casualties suffered by the British army.

But when compared with the casualties of the Tang army in a series of previous wars, this number is actually shocking enough.

You know, the casualties suffered by the Tang army in a series of large-scale battles such as the attacks on Manila, Batavia, Malacca, etc., added together were not as many as those suffered in this attack on Yangon.

Thinking about this, Fang Haiyang felt extremely upset.

With a bang, Fang Haiyang slammed his fist on the table and cursed with a grim expression.

"These Burmese are such rubbish!"

"If they hadn't been outside Yangon and handed over so much munitions to the British for no reason, would the Tang Dynasty have suffered such heavy casualties today?!"

"Damn it, I must report this to the court and ask the court to hold Myanmar accountable."

Fang Haiyang is really angry now.

But there was nothing they could do, they could only think about reporting to the imperial court, asking it to hold Myanmar accountable and make Myanmar pay the price for its deceitful behavior.

After getting angry, Fang Haiyang spoke again.

"Pass the order down, order our soldiers to rest immediately."

"And be prepared for a night attack from the British!"

"The Burmese army suffered a loss from the British night raid. We in the Tang Dynasty cannot repeat their mistakes."

Upon hearing this, the messenger clasped his fists and left, going to convey Fang Haiyang's order.

However, at this moment, another Tang army soldier walked in from outside the tent.

The Tang army soldier walked up to Fang Haiyang and spoke.

"Commander, the British in Yangon sent someone to deliver a message, saying that they want to discuss surrender with our Tang Dynasty."

When Fang Haiyang heard this, the expression on his face froze.

But he reacted immediately and nodded.

"Well, we can talk!"

"Send someone to contact the British in Yangon and complete the peace talks as soon as possible..."

"Brothers, the casualties today are already severe enough. It would be great if we can talk."

"It's better than letting the brothers continue to fight to the death!"

The messenger heard this and said with great emotion.

"Commander is wise!"

……

Outside Pegu!

Burmese army camp!

After the defeat in the Battle of Yangon, Tun Min Tun led his troops to retreat to Pegu.

The remnants of the Burmese army stationed outside the city of Pegu to rest and await orders from Mandalay.

In the military camp, Yan Yuanzhou and several others gathered together to drink.

Unlike the last time during the war, when they only tasted a little, this time they really drank to their heart's content.

Everyone drinks to relieve their sorrows, hoping to dispel the depression in their hearts!
Damn it! This was the first time since they joined the army that they were chased by foreigners on the battlefield. They were so depressed!

This huge psychological gap really makes people feel suffocated.

(End of this chapter)