Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 162: The Unstoppable Conquest

When the rain stopped, it was already night.

The dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and the cleansed night sky was exceptionally clear, dotted with stars, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and the breeze blew gently across the quiet bay. Everything was beautiful.

The soldiers and sailors who had been hiding in the cabin to avoid the rain rushed to the deck to breathe fresh air.

To celebrate the victory, Fleet Commander Nie Tongsheng and Guerrilla General Zheng Shun discussed and decided to add meals to reward everyone, which aroused cheers from the fleet officers and soldiers.

The tempting aroma of the broth cooked by the chef soon spread, which made the officers, soldiers and sailors who had worked hard all day even more happy. They sang their hometown songs loudly while eating.

The deck turned into a lively party.

The only regret is
Drinking is not allowed during a long-distance voyage, but fortunately the officers, soldiers and sailors enjoyed the unique tropical broth, toasted biscuits and bananas, and they enjoyed it very much.

not long

As night fell, the bright moonlight shone on the deck. The officers and soldiers, who had eaten and drunk their fill, were drowsy. Most of them gathered on the deck, sleeping huddled together in their clothes.

The climate in the Palawan Bay in August is mild, with the lowest temperature at night being above 8 degrees.

The soldiers fell asleep quickly as the cool sea breeze blew on their bodies.

As it was too late, out of caution for safety reasons, no one from the entire task force landed.

Three man-of-war and five troop transports were all anchored in the bay, along with the captured Frankish warship, the Count Fabiano Perez.

In the lower hold of the Count Fabiano Perez
This is where goods are stored and livestock are kept. Rats often come in and out of the haystacks, and the air is filled with the smell of feces, urine, and decay, which is so choking that it makes people want to vomit.

"I protest. I am a noble and I hope to be treated as a prisoner commensurate with my status, rather than being imprisoned in a warehouse with the lower classes."

"We need food and water right now, and preferably some dried meat."

"You vulgar bastards... I have confessed everything. Now please treat us fairly. My family can pay the ransom."

"Damn it! I demand to see the commander and have a conversation with the real superiors."

Captain Major Laporte shook the iron railing angrily and shouted loudly.

His shouting attracted the soldiers guarding the prisoners on the upper deck. These soldiers dragged Major Laporte and several of his companions out without saying a word and beat them up.

The men were beaten until their faces were covered in blood and they collapsed to the ground. They were then thrown back into the cell.

Major Laporte never imagined that one day he would be imprisoned in this rotting hellish place.

The sailing warship "Count Fabiano Perez" was designed with a row of prisons on the bottom floor, equipped with thick iron bars.

It can be used as a livestock pen, a cargo warehouse, or to detain prisoners, black slaves or Chinese workers on weekdays. It is very flexible in use.

The downside is that this is the bottom cabin, the air is not circulating and it is stuffy, filled with all kinds of unpleasant smells, which can drive people crazy if they stay here for a long time.

After this incident, the guarding soldiers did not report it to their superiors, but went to sleep yawning.

next morning
At daybreak, before the soldiers had even had breakfast, the task force began its landing operation.

More than ten small sampans were launched, loaded with cargo and more than a dozen officers and soldiers, transporting personnel and supplies to the shore in trip after trip.

Just like ants moving house, each trip can transport one hundred and forty to fifty people, as well as a large amount of supplies, all piled up on the land.

The actions of these outsiders have aroused the vigilance of the local natives. The bloody battle that took place in the bay yesterday afternoon is still vivid in their minds.

Now these ferocious outsiders began to land, and the local indigenous tribal elders were frightened and at a loss, and the tribe was in chaos.

This side

Small sampans frequently traveled between the fleet and the shore. When it was bright, the number of officers and soldiers who had landed had reached more than 2000, and the supplies on the shore were piled up like small mountains.

The following small sampan transported some donkeys ashore, about thirty or forty in number.

These donkeys can be used to pull carts, 9-pound field artillery carriages, and can also be ridden, saving leg energy. They are truly multi-purpose donkeys.

The reason why war horses were not transported was that they were easily frightened, and Angel Port did not have complete port facilities, so it was impossible for the war horses to board the small sampan obediently.

The donkey was much easier to deal with. All they had to do was blindfold it, tie up its four hooves, and then five or six people would work together to use a rope to lower it from the boat, carry it to the shore, and untie it.

General Zheng Shun and a group of officers from the Xin Regiment also landed smoothly and began to organize their troops. Soldiers from each battalion and company returned to their positions and were about to launch combat operations.

There is no breakfast this early in the morning.

The soldiers ate their meals with dry biscuits, pickles and cold water from bamboo tubes.

But the morale of the entire army was high, which made General Zheng Shun very satisfied.

In the coconut groves and bushes on the shore, there were countless local indigenous warriors hiding. They were cautious at first, but later they became bolder.

Many indigenous warriors dared to stand up, waving the long-haired bone knives in their hands, making strange "wow wow wow" sounds, staring and showing their teeth in a threatening manner, just like wild monkeys.

Although we don't speak the same language, we can see the extreme rejection of the indigenous people.

"General, please, I'll have to trouble the officers and soldiers of the expedition team to carry out this military operation. The morale of the entire army is high and we will surely return in triumph. We just have to wait for good news." Cao Yuxiu and his civil affairs team also landed on the beach and said refreshedly.

Guerrilla General Zheng Shun smiled slightly, looking at the dozen or so small sampans traveling back and forth on the sea, and answered confidently;

"Your Excellency is too polite. This is the duty of the officers and soldiers of our expeditionary force. How can we say it is hard work? With your auspicious words, our army will be invincible and unstoppable."

"Hahaha...that's just right."

Between greetings
The officers and soldiers have finished forming their formation and are sitting down to rest.

The officers and soldiers who followed the small sampan to land later found their own companies one after another, and then quietly joined them.

At around nine in the morning

After more than three hours of transfer and transportation, the remote target completed the inspection. More than 1400 officers and soldiers and artillery teams of the Xin Regiment, plus more than 1400 sword and shield soldiers all landed and immediately began the clearing operation.

The entire army was organized into battalions of 400 men each, with an equal number of sword and shield soldiers assigned. Together they formed three expeditionary forces of more than 800 men, which quickly advanced into the inland hinterland in three directions.

The artillery team follows behind and can provide fire support at any time.

The entire Palawan Island is 434 kilometers long and only 39 kilometers wide at its widest point. The main mountain range runs through the entire 434-kilometer-long island. Mount Mantaringahan in the south is the highest peak at an altitude of 2 meters, and the mountains stretch out in a vast expanse.

The entire island covers a total area of ​​11853 square kilometers, more than % of which is mountainous. Only the narrow coastal plain is arable and is also the traditional gathering place of local indigenous tribes.

Near Port Angeles
The island is less than 30 kilometers deep, and the path from the coastal plain into the hilly terrain is about ten kilometers long, surrounded by densely populated indigenous villages. The reason for the large number of indigenous tribes here is that it is home to Palawan's largest narrow bay plain, which is also the easiest place to cultivate.

When the army was divided into three teams and prepared to start military operations, the indigenous tribes that had already gathered in the surrounding dense forests could no longer hold back and jumped out one after another.

It won't take long
Around the beach, there were dense crowds of indigenous warriors, probably as many as three or four thousand of them. They were holding spears, homemade bows and arrows, and bone knives, and they were jumping around and shouting with a ferocious look on their faces.

It looks like they want to scare the expedition team away.

Seeing this, Zheng Shun waved his hand calmly.

To the sound of military music and drums, the officers and soldiers quickly deployed and formed a semi-arc-shaped formation convex to the front, with sword and shield soldiers in the first row and two rows of musketeers at the back, forming a two-stage combat formation.

The remaining sword and shield soldiers gathered in companies on the left and right sides of the team, waiting for orders to attack.

"The First Battalion is loading and preparing for battle."

"Second Battalion, main unit, reload and prepare for battle."

"The Third Battalion is loading and preparing for battle."

The officers' commands came one after another, and the musketeers, one foot in front and one foot behind, put their muskets on the ground sideways.

The musketeer took out a paper bag full of ammunition from the cowhide magazine at his waist, bit open the softer end with his teeth, poured black powder into the gun from the muzzle, and pulled out the ramrod to tamp it down.

Then he bit off the round end with his teeth, loaded the oval Minié lead bullet into the muzzle, and tamped it down again with the ramrod.

Finally, pick up the rifle, put a fulminate of mercury fuse into the powder tank, and then wait for the order to fire.

The entire loading process is skillful and natural, as if it is part of physical memory.

For these well-trained soldiers, using the advanced American rifles in their hands, they can fire three bullets per minute, forming a terrifying intensive firepower.

After reloading

In order to maximize the lethality of the rifles, the commanders ordered the troops to march forward in unison and move towards the forest where the indigenous warriors gathered.

The swordsmen and shieldmen in the front row struck their shields with their sharp swords, making neat and murderous "bang bang" sounds that cut through the sky above the tranquil tropical jungle, forming a murderous intent that seemed tangible.

The approach of the expedition soldiers caused great unrest among the indigenous communities.

can be seen
Many indigenous warriors were frightened and were no longer as aggressive as before. Instead, they retreated step by step.

Although this place is remote, it is not completely isolated from the world.

The legend about the ferocious foreigners has been circulating for the past two or three hundred years, causing these indigenous tribes to feel deep fear and awe from the bottom of their hearts.

However, under the harsh scolding of the indigenous tribal chiefs and elders, these indigenous warriors dared not and could not retreat.

The indigenous tribe’s home is just behind them. With women and children here, where can they retreat to?

When the distance between the two armies was less than a hundred yards, these numerous natives still hesitated.

Some indigenous chiefs wanted to lead their troops to attack, while others hurriedly stopped them, intending to scare them away but not to actually fight.

The chiefs belonging to different tribes have internal disagreements, making it difficult for them to act in a unified manner, but the invaders will not wait for them.

"Everyone stop advancing! Sword and shield soldiers, be on alert."

"First Battalion Musketeers, take orders! Raise your rifles, aim... and fire!"

……

“Pah pah pah pah…Pah pah pah pah pah…”

The attacking expeditionary force didn't care about all this. They took advantage of the good opportunity when these indigenous tribal warriors gathered together to catch them all in one fell swoop, frightening these indigenous barbarians so much that they no longer had the thought of resisting.

All that was heard was the dense sound of gunfire like popping beans, and from the dense formation of indigenous warriors over a hundred yards away, there was a series of muffled "puff puff puff" sounds that made one's scalp tingle, and blood splattered out.

The deadly bullets came like locusts, chiseling through the soft flesh, just like blood-stained rhododendrons blooming in the jungle. The indigenous warriors standing in the front row fell down like wheat being cut, and suffered heavy casualties immediately.

Such a huge change frightened the natives so much that they fled in all directions like rabbits.

But where can I get it?

Dense volleys of gunfire ruthlessly harvested the lives of the indigenous people. Corpses were scattered all over the jungle, and the strong smell of blood was choking and nauseating.

After two volleys of gunfire, the expedition team blew the charge horn.

In the long horn sound of "Woo Woo"
The three expeditionary camps were like three sharp arrows, rapidly expanding and advancing towards the inland hinterland.

They collected prisoners along the way and killed anyone who dared to resist. It was like entering a no-man's land.

The three distant camps quickly disbanded their formations and began to encircle and suppress the surrounding indigenous tribes and villages with company-level combat units of more than 200 people.

From morning to afternoon
The sounds of gunfire, shouting and screaming continued. The teams that went out to encircle and suppress the enemy escorted a long line of indigenous prisoners. Group after group returned, along with some cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock. It was obvious that the spoils were rich.

At dusk
Battle reports came in one after another, indicating that the expeditionary force's mopping-up team had expanded more than 20 kilometers to the left and right along Angel Port, and more than 10 kilometers in depth.

More than 40 indigenous villages were cleared out one after another, more than indigenous people were captured, and the area around Port Angeles was basically under full control.

The mopping-up team set up several checkpoints at the far end of the defense line to guard against night attacks and infiltration by local indigenous warriors, and posted visible and hidden sentries to take preventive measures.

at dusk
The new Angel County Magistrate Cao Yuxiu has led his officials to settle down in the largest local Bata indigenous tribal village, and occupied the best-equipped Catholic church and chief's manor.

This is an indigenous tribe of two to three thousand people, with hundreds of mud and thatched houses scattered around. Although I don't like them very much, at least they can shelter me from the wind and rain.

In the center of the village are three wooden totems. Each totem is as thick as two people can hug together. There are carvings of green-faced and fanged monsters on the totems, tied with colorful cloth strips. The bottom has turned black from smoke and fire.

This is caused by the smoke from the bonfires for months this year. Opposite the earthen pole, like a fighting ring, is the Catholic church built by the Franks.

This simple Catholic church does not have as many complicated Baroque carvings, spires and arches as ordinary Catholic churches, but it is also built with solid large stones and painted with whitewashed lime.

It is said that this was built with special funds from the Luzon Governor-General's Office for Catholic priests to spread the gospel and faith.

Now Father Grimaldo, a white man, and his assistant were driven into a thatched house on the side. This house became Cao Yuxiu's county government office, where more than 70 of his subordinates lived.

The three churches were immediately packed, leaving only a small space for each person.

Fortunately, this is a stone house. We can work during the day and sleep here at night. Although it is a bit crowded, it is lively after all, isn’t it?
(End of this chapter)