Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 166 Navy Establishment Ceremony
After visiting the fleet's maritime exercises, Zheng Guohui became more confident in the combat effectiveness of his naval officers and soldiers, and therefore made a decision.

He then ordered

On August 8, the day after tomorrow morning, an altar will be set up to worship heaven and earth, worship ancestors, hold a flag-raising ceremony for the formation of the Great Chu Navy, and appoint naval officials.

This shows that the Marshal has recognized the combat effectiveness of the navy and will make it an independent army, a branch of the military that is equally important as the army.

As soon as the news came out, all the naval officers and soldiers cheered excitedly. The naval base then added more food and meat, and each officer was given three taels of white wine to celebrate.

At the same time, Admiral Dong Kuifa received the order;

After the flag-raising ceremony on August 3500, a small escort fleet was immediately formed to escort the "B" Regiment of the First Expeditionary Division, totaling more than 2100 officers and soldiers (Note: including sword and shield soldiers), on the expedition to Cagayan in northern Mindanao.

This nail must be removed before the Northern Expedition.

The home port of the Da Chu Navy Fleet is located in Davao, and the escort fleet departs from here.

Whether sailing west through Zamboanga or east around the Davao Peninsula and then turning north, the two routes to Cagayan de Norte are about the same distance.

The "B" Regiment of the 1st Expeditionary Division is stationed in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The relevant troop deployment orders have been conveyed via telegram, and the 1st Expeditionary Division will make preparations before the expedition.

Once the escort fleet arrives and they form an expeditionary task force, they will immediately attack Cagayan.

Compared to Port Angeles, which had no Frankish military presence, it was now explored;

In Cagayan
It had a French army of 367 men, equipped with muskets and four 4-pound smoothbore cannons, a strong wooden palisade and three outposts located in different locations in Cagayan Bay.

The Marshal still sent out an infantry regiment, namely the "B" Regiment of the 1200st Expeditionary Division. The entire regiment also consisted of more than 6 infantrymen, reinforced by 12 1400-pound field artillery squadrons, with a total strength of more than people.

The difference is that more than 2100 sword and shield soldiers were selected from the newly arrived Chinese immigrants to participate in this expedition.

Whether it is this small-scale expedition or the large-scale Northern Expedition that is about to begin.

Zheng Guohui is not even planning to mobilize Chinese immigrant families who have already settled down and have jobs. It is enough for the early Chinese immigrants to have more children and live a stable and happy life.

The recruited auxiliary combat forces, the sword and shield soldiers, were mainly selected from the recently arrived refugees.

Don’t think that refugees are just refugees. Their composition is very complex.

Most of the refugees sent to Southeast Asia today come from the war-torn northern provinces of Shaanxi, Shandong, Yi, Hubei, etc. These are places where the Nian Army and the Hui Rebellion are rampant. There are flames everywhere and wars are frequent.

The people are living in dire straits. Their miserable situation needs no further elaboration; it can be summed up in one sentence:
I would rather be a peace dog than a person in troubled times.

Under the protection of his father-in-law, Li Hanzhang, Governor of Hunan, and his second uncle from the Yue family, Li Hongzhang, Governor of Liangjiang, as well as his own powerful forces entrenched in Jiangnan Province, the refugees transported from the middle and lower reaches of the river were mostly young and healthy, both men and women.

Zheng Guohui does not accept all kinds of refugees. He does not accept the elderly, the weak, the sick, the very young, the disabled, those under 12 years old, or those over 25 years old. He mainly accepts men.

Among these refugees from the northern provinces, there were indeed many simple farmers, but there were also many soldiers who fled from the rebellious army, the rebel forces that were dispersed, the officers and soldiers who deserted, and people who farmed in peacetime but became bandits during the chaos, as well as desperate caravan workers, scholars who fled from their homes, craftsmen who were forced to flee, etc. The composition was extremely complex.

The advantage is that it is extremely easy to form a team of swordsmen and shieldmen to assist in combat.

Among the five or six thousand new immigrants, at least fifteen or sixteen thousand sword and shield soldiers can be recruited, and most of them have combat experience. Isn’t that amazing?
At the command of the Marshal's Office, the recruitment of swordsmen and shieldmen for the Northern Expedition has begun, and the number of applicants is extremely enthusiastic.

The Marshal's Mansion is not just about ordering people around, it gives them benefits in the form of real money.

Those who participated in the Northern Expedition were given a settlement allowance of 6 taels of silver, two pairs of shoes, two sets of clothes and trousers, a felt hat, a cowhide belt, a rattan shield, and a sword.

The monthly salary is one or two taels of silver, including food and accommodation. There are different amounts of subsidies for participating in combat, and there are also lower levels of subsidies for participating in patrols, guard posts, blockades and other tasks.

If you have military merits, you will be rewarded with silver, women, or land, all with different prices.

Killing the indigenous people is not worth much. Killing three, five, or ten people will only result in a small reward, ranging from a few hundred coins to one or two taels of silver. A reward of one or two taels of silver is the maximum.

But the reward for killing a Frankish soldier is much greater. Killing a Frankish soldier will be rewarded with 20 taels of silver, or it can be exchanged for an indigenous woman, and so on.

Killing a Frankish armed civilian will be rewarded with 10 taels of silver. Accumulated military merits can be exchanged for indigenous women, with no upper limit.

Killing a Frankish officer will reward you with 50 taels of silver, which can be exchanged for three acres of meritorious land, or you can give priority to selecting two indigenous women of the same value.

The above military achievements are counted based on the number of heads taken. Killing a Frankish officer requires the seizure of military badges or officer swords as proof.

Such a generous reward immediately drove the newly arrived Chinese immigrants in Mindanao crazy. Even the old immigrants wanted to sign up jealously, but were rejected.

Mindanao sends in about 3 new Chinese immigrants every month. With a simple mobilization, tens of thousands of swordsmen and shieldmen can be gathered in minutes.

I have to say that these new Chinese immigrants to Southeast Asia are indeed very tough guys and are not afraid at all.

All immigration fleets that have recently arrived in Mindanao will rest on the spot and do not need to return to Chongming Island for the time being, waiting for instructions from the Marshal's Headquarters.

The two prefectures and six counties mobilized food and supplies and began loading them onto ships. As the war was approaching, the entire Mindanao island was filled with a tense and expectant atmosphere.

January 8st

Nanyun Temple Square, Davao Province

Nanyun Temple is one of the newly built temples in various places after Chinese immigrants landed in Mindanao. It ranks among the top three in terms of size and has been very popular since its completion.

Nowadays, large and small land temples, Guan Gong temples, Taoist temples and ancestral halls have sprung up like mushrooms in towns and villages across Mindanao, expressing the overseas Chinese's deep longing for their homeland. Most of them were built with donations from villagers.

Nanyun Temple Square
A three-story altar more than ten meters high has been built. The altar is wrapped with a large piece of red cloth with black edges, and a total of 108 triangular flags are fluttering in the wind.

At the top of the altar, a huge flag of the King of Chu is extremely eye-catching, which already reveals many meanings.

The background color of the flag of the King of Great Chu is yellow, proclaiming that they are "descendants of Yan and Huang", so it should be the same color as Huangdi. The national virtue is defined as water virtue, and a huge ancient seal character "Chu" is written on it.

Although the Marshal has not yet ascended the throne, the propaganda of local government offices all call themselves "Da Chu", such as Da Chu Davao Prefecture, Da Chu Zamboanga Prefecture, etc.

The people were called "Chu people" and the army was called "Chu army". The only missing word was "country". The meaning was obvious and became increasingly undisguised.

As for the "King of Jinghai", that was purely a statement to fool the envoys of Governor Frankie. The Chinese in Mindanao never knew about it, no one promoted it, and no one knew about it.

At around 8 o'clock in the morning, there was already a huge crowd of people watching the sacrificial ceremony. Amidst everyone's eager anticipation, the low sound of eighteen trumpets was heard, resounding over the square.

36 cavalrymen entered the venue, each holding a flag, and quickly formed up on the left and right.

Then the sound of orderly running was heard. In the reflection of the bright sunlight, the expeditionary officers and soldiers appeared in front of the onlookers fully armed, which attracted shouts of surprise, followed by waves of warm cheers.

The attire of these expeditionary officers and soldiers was very different from that of previous generations. They wore iron hats, which were similar in shape to those worn in the Song Dynasty.

The iron hat has a built-in cowhide lining, which keeps soldiers warm, increases their defense, and improves their ability to withstand external blows.

The front of the soldiers' helmets is decorated with the Great Chu military emblem. It is below the ancient seal character "Chu". A knife and a rifle are crossed, and the emblem is decorated with wheat ears and banana patterns. It looks simple and easy to understand.

The soldiers wore gray Western-style uniforms and crossed cowhide belts, which made them look more majestic. A bayonet sheath was hung on the right side of the belt, with a sharp bayonet inserted in it.

The soldiers had cowhide ammunition magazines on their belts, iron water bottles slung across their shoulders, leggings, and cloth shoes (note: it was a etiquette requirement, and straw sandals were worn during combat). They ran into the field with rifles in their left hands. They looked really uniform, majestic, and very inspiring.

These individual soldier equipment such as cowhide belts, gun belts, ammunition magazines, canteens, etc. are all imported from North America. They are bought for 80 cents a set, which is outrageously cheap, almost like giving them away for free.

When equipped on soldiers, the visual experience is greatly improved.

The only thing that costs money

It is an iron hat produced by dozens of traditional iron smelting furnaces. It is easy to make and not expensive.

But as the quantity increased, it cost several thousand taels of silver.

"Wow... so domineering, this military uniform is refreshing!"

"The Great Chu is mighty, and its army is mighty."

"Look at this dress, it looks neat, good..."

"I think this dress is a bit similar to the foreign devil's, but different at the same time. Anyway, it looks good."

The onlookers were talking about it in a lively atmosphere, with the majority expressing praise.

The soldiers' gray military uniforms with short right lapels are produced by a bedding factory and use traditional horizontal cloth buttons. They are considered traditional clothing by the Han people and are highly accepted.

More than 2,000 soldiers entered the venue and lined up neatly in front of the altar, with swords and spears like a forest and flags fluttering, making the atmosphere of the sacrifice solemn.

Then the sound of passionate gongs and drums was heard, and Marshal Zheng Guohui appeared on the scene with a group of naval officers. He was wearing a white uniform, a white belt inlaid with gold, a sword, golden epaulettes, and a gilded iron hat on his head. His tall figure stood out like a crane among chickens.

"We respectfully invite the Marshal to ascend the altar. The Marshal is mighty." The officers and soldiers who had finished lining up shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.

Surrounded by a group of generals, Zheng Guohui ascended the altar. Hundreds of monks and Taoists chanted Buddhist scriptures, struck wooden fish and other ritual instruments, and burned incense and prayed.

The muezzin read out the prayer loudly and lit three incense sticks. Zheng Guohui led a group of generals to worship heaven and earth, worship their ancestors, and swear to obey the will of heaven, respond to the will of the people, and educate the barbarians with the culture of our great country, and exile them for hundreds of generations.

The worship ceremony lasted for a while before it came to an end.

Marshal Zheng Guohui stood on the altar and declared to the world and all people with domineering power;
“Flatter Tianzhao;
I hereby declare that the Great Chu Navy is officially established today. I burn incense to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and to our ancestors.

The foundation of the Great Chu Navy is to spread the prestige of the Great Chu among the vast waves, to keep the enemy out of the sea, and to build an unbreakable fence. It is the basis for millions of people to live and work in peace and contentment.

From now on, it will be passed down for hundreds of generations to come!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was thunderous applause.

The soldiers on the altar waved flags, firecrackers rang out, and lively dragon and lion dance teams entered the venue in jubilation, immediately reaching the climax of the ceremony.

The Marshal stood on the altar and gave thanks to the naval generals Huo Haisheng, Dong Kuifa, Nie Tongsheng, Zhang Lei, Fu Hongyu, Robert,

Phelan Williams and Fleming awarded the naval flag and fleet flag, which represented the establishment of several major fleets.

At this point, the Navy’s founding ceremony and flag-raising ceremony came to an end.

Navy General Huo Haisheng, holding the fleet flag, stood on the altar facing the Marshal and the people, leading the navy officers to swear allegiance to the Marshal, to the Great Chu, and to the navy, and to defend the honor and dignity of the Great Chu with loyalty and fearlessness...

Marshal Zheng Guohui issued the appointment;
Huo Haisheng was appointed as the first deputy commander-in-chief of the navy with the rank of major general, in charge of the overall naval affairs and concurrently serving as the commander of the main sailing fleet.

Dong Kuifa was appointed as the second deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy with the rank of major general.

Robert was appointed as the third deputy commander of the navy with the rank of major general and concurrently commander of the sailing cruiser fleet.

Li Jinghui was appointed Director of the Navy General Affairs Bureau with the rank of colonel, in charge of the construction of naval stations and ports and logistics affairs.

Appointed Phelan Williams as commander of the ironclad fleet with the rank of colonel.

Nie Tongsheng was appointed commander of the vanguard fleet with the rank of colonel.

Zhang Lei, Fu Hongyu and Fleming were each appointed with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and were also middle and high-level naval officers.

After the solemn sacrificial ceremony, the newly established Great Chu Navy immediately took intensive action.

On the one hand, four sailing warships with the Chinese character "Fen" in their names were dispatched to Cagayan. In the afternoon after the ceremony, the fleet set sail and sailed out of the Davao River estuary towards Zamboanga.

on the other hand
The navy began more intense and urgent formation sea exercises, urgently preparing supplies and dispatching personnel in preparation for the large-scale Northern Expedition.

The sword and shield soldiers recruited by the army entered the camp one after another, began to be distributed equipment, and underwent short-term high-intensity training in preparation for the large-scale Northern Expedition.

In late August, the atmosphere in Mindanao was hot and tense. It was no secret that the focus of people's discussion was the upcoming large-scale northern expedition.

Officials from top to bottom requisitioned supplies, recruited swordsmen and shieldmen to assist in combat, and assembled fleets. The colonial government operated rigorously and efficiently to prepare for war.

The Marshal's Office issued one order after another, and the appointment of army generals was also announced. From major general to major, all officers were listed in detail.

The army's grassroots officers, from second lieutenants to captains, are reported uniformly by the divisions, and the appointments are issued after approval by the Marshal's Office, without further details.

(End of this chapter)