Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 279 Singapore’s Fatal Escape
"Well, the second batch of important military supplies from Kolkata just arrived yesterday, including a lot of artillery and military equipment. I don't want anything to go wrong with this batch of supplies. That would be embarrassing." Governor Ode was obviously relieved and spoke in a slowed-down tone.

Governor Ode's tone downplayed the importance of this batch of military supplies.

But his secretary Wijnaldum, the Civil Affairs Commissioner Sir Joachim Anderson and other senior officials behind him all knew that this batch of military supplies from the reserves of the British Indian Governor-General's Office must not be lost.

Otherwise, it will seriously affect subsequent expeditionary military operations.

The fleet that arrived at the port yesterday at noon, consisting of 21 cargo ships, is now docking for unloading operations.

The arrival of the Chu invasion fleet interrupted this process.

Under the unified arrangement of the British port authorities, British cargo ships had to temporarily stop unloading and sail to designated secluded anchorages to avoid the war.

The group stood at the fortress on the top of the mountain and chatted for a while. They saw that the invading Chu sailing fleet was always patrolling the periphery and did not dare to rush into the bay.

Governor Ode and his entourage gradually felt relieved and were invited to the fortress command headquarters for a cup of coffee.

Major General Ciarán Slicker, the commander of the Army Fortress, was confident that with 3722 British white soldiers and ample ammunition reserves, he could withstand an enemy force 10 or even 20 times his size and kill as many as he could.

The design of the Singapore Fortress brings together hundreds of years of British experience in coastal offensive and defensive warfare. It deploys a three-layer firepower structure as a whole, covering the entire bay with almost no blind spots.

In other words, the Chu sailing fleet was alert and always hovered several miles away.

Otherwise, you will really suffer.

What Major General Sailan Slicker didn't know was that the Singapore fortress's defense system had a fatal weakness.

That is the tropical rainforest area between Singapore and Malaya, which is behind Singapore's fortress defense system and has been completely ignored.

The British naively believed
Attacking Singapore from land was simply unthinkable, as it would require passing through an almost impassable tropical jungle area, which was technically impossible.

Until World War II more than 70 years later
After careful research, the Fuso army discovered this fatal weakness and took advantage of it. Through careful deployment, they broke through the tropical jungle area and successfully occupied Singapore.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu, who was well aware of the course of history, would certainly not force a fight. He had made long-term preparations for this and had conducted a very thorough study of the relevant geographical conditions of this tropical rainforest area in the Johor Strait.

While the frontal blockade fleet was distracting the British attention, a huge fleet made a mighty circle, led by the lead ship.

At around 3 pm, we arrived at the designated landing area.

This is the narrowest part of the Johor Strait and the closest point for Singapore to the Malay Peninsula. The coasts on both ends of the strait are covered with lush and dense tropical jungles that stretch as far as the eye can see, making it difficult for the army to pass through.

"Let's start." King Zheng Guohui of Chu said in a faint voice.

At this moment

More than ten single-masted Fuzhou ships sailed out from a hidden cape. They were an auxiliary fleet hidden here in advance and had been waiting here for more than ten days.

These single-masted Fuzhou ships weighing hundreds of tons each approached the troop transports one after another, unloaded a large number of soldiers and supplies from the troop transports, and sailed towards the bay blocked by reefs with their full loads.

In this small bay

At some unknown time, a floating dock was built by six or seven ships. The ships were connected by iron chains and covered with thick wooden boards, forming a floating dock for unloading personnel.

In this way, transportation efficiency is greatly improved.

more than three hours later
King Zheng Guohui of Chu also came to the land by the bay. He looked around and nodded secretly.

At this time, more than 10 Fujian ships were shuttling back and forth, and more than 30 small sampans unloaded from the cargo ships were also assisting in transportation, and the floating dock was busy.

The Singapore Expeditionary Force had unloaded approximately 6200 personnel, more than 170 mules and horses, dismantled carts, and a large amount of other supplies.

On the beach at low tide

Basically, seven or eight people were working in groups, using axes, hammers and other tools to assemble four-wheeled carts, and there were dozens of construction sites.

The assembled cart was harnessed to mules and horses, and some supplies began to be carried upwards. After loading was completed, it was covered with a tarpaulin and tied securely. Everything went on in an orderly manner.

Some soldiers were feeding the animals, mainly nutritious soybean meal cakes, black beans and water, to ensure that every large animal was full and refreshed.

After getting off the ship and eating something, the other 3 soldiers took tools and started to build a road along the way. They built a passable road in the tropical jungle, about meters wide, just enough for carriages to pass through.

With more than 2 people working together, even if each soldier built a road 3 meters long and 6 meters wide, they could build kilometers long at a time, which was enough to pass through the dense rainforest.

in this era

The causeway connecting the Strait of Johor and Kuala Lumpur has not yet been built. The strait behind Singapore is about a thousand meters wide and is a lush tropical jungle with extremely lush shrubs.

The Chu expeditionary force landed behind Singapore, in the strait closest to the West Malaysian Peninsula.

The few bayside outposts here had been cleared, and under the cover of the lush tropical forest, they could act with impunity and open up a path wide enough to pass through.

In the evening
The sunset glow in the sky is brilliant, casting a golden glow on the clear blue waters of the Strait of Malacca, creating an extremely beautiful scene.

"Your Majesty, my advance commando team has captured the nearby village and controlled the entrance and exit. The tropical jungle road leading to the village has been completely repaired, and supplies are being escorted and transported. Everything is progressing smoothly."

"Very good, proceeding as planned. The landing personnel will first enter the village to rest, so that the soldiers can eat and drink enough and prepare to work."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You will lead the expeditionary force headquarters forward. The supplies and personnel that have landed in the rear will be continuously transported forward."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Major General He Ruolin raised his hand and saluted excitedly, then hurried away with several officers.

Less than an hour apart

The landing troops were expanded by more than 3,000 men, bringing the total number of landing troops to over 9,000, and a large amount of supplies were also brought ashore.

There were no more mule and horse carts, which greatly increased the speed of landing. The subsequent troop transport ships mainly transported soldiers and equipment. It is estimated that the landing of personnel can be completed in another 3 to 4 hours.

As for the accompanying supplies and equipment, it will take at least one to two days to fully land them, but this will not affect military operations.

Nearly 200 mule and horse carts are traveling between the landing beach and the village, carrying a large amount of supplies on the beach through the nearly 6-kilometer tropical jungle road to the remote mountain village.

This small mountain village is located in the northwest corner of Singapore Island, backed by lush tropical jungle and nestled in the mountains, about 33.5 kilometers from Singapore Port.

Get out of this small mountain village
You have to go around the rugged path, passing through more than ten kilometers of rural mountain roads and four mountain villages before you can reach the relatively flat and wide road ahead.

The so-called "main road" is also a dirt road, but it can accommodate four-wheeled carriages smoothly.

All these difficulties were not difficult for the landing Chu army.

Lieutenant Colonel Han Wenqin and Major Pan Changfu of the Fifth Division, who had already penetrated deep into Singapore, had gone deep into the mountain villages many times and used their feet to accurately measure the roads that needed to be opened. The difficulties were far less than they had imagined.

The landing troops carried a sufficient number of pickaxes, shovels, hammers and other road-building tools. They only needed to mobilize enough manpower to quickly open up a road that could accommodate four-wheeled carriages.

before dark

The landing troops traveled light and quickly penetrated into the hinterland, fully controlled several small villages in the mountains, and sent out several scouts.

By the beach
The soldiers who landed on the shore in the dark rested for 1 to 2 hours, ate some food to replenish their energy, and then lined up and stepped onto the road opened up in the tropical jungle.

After nearly two hours of marching, we arrived at the first remote mountain village and took a short rest there.

In the village, over twenty boiling pots were set up, each one blazing over a bonfire. Thick chunks of meat were simmering, and the villagers were mobilized to make flatbreads, which were then poured directly onto a white cloth spread on the ground, forming a small mountain of dough.

Soldiers here have plenty of meat soup and bread to eat. If they can't finish it, they can put a few pieces in their arms to eat when they are hungry during the night march.
The soldiers continued to march in formation, fully armed. The torches in the team were so long that they could not be seen at a glance. The new recruits were mixed with excitement and nervousness, while the veterans looked much calmer.

After eating and drinking his fill, the old soldier did not forget to fill the bamboo tube he carried with him with broth containing large chunks of meat, and took a few more breads with him.

The Chu army had already popularized American water bottles, which were war surplus materials collected from the United States. They included a full set of leather equipment for soldiers, water bottles, bayonets with scabbards, cowhide magazine belts, blankets, raincoats and canvas backpacks.

But only some veterans would carry a bamboo water bottle, which is more than a foot long, bulky and difficult to carry, but it can indeed hold a lot of water.

These are all words of experience from veterans. The Chu army never treats its soldiers badly on the battlefield. They are given plenty of fish and meat to eat, and there is never any limit on the quantity.

At this time, bringing an extra bamboo kettle is equivalent to bringing an extra large lunch box, filling a bucket with meat and broth, and bringing a few more flatbreads.

During continuous fighting, they have no time to eat or drink, so these veterans will not fight on an empty stomach.

After eating and drinking, these big bamboo tubes can be thrown away. There are plenty of them in the immigration camps and military camps anyway, and no one wants them even if they are piled up in the warehouse.

The recruits were dumbfounded, but they could only stare with envy, and they remembered everything in their hearts.

Remaining time

The soldiers had to walk for seven or eight hours at night and arrive at the designated attack location in the early morning to launch a fierce attack on the British army on time.

Lieutenant Colonel Han Wenqin of the Fifth Division has made comprehensive arrangements. The dozen or so strong men on the lead boat are all guides who are familiar with the roads and directions of Singapore.

In each forward infantry battalion, a guide is assigned to lead the soldiers to attack the predetermined target.

Lieutenant Colonel Han Wenqin and Major Pan Changfu of the Fifth Division acted together with the Expeditionary Force Command, accompanied by the Expeditionary Force's six field artillery squadrons.

Each field artillery squadron consisted of more than 12 men and was equipped with 10 -pound Parrot rifled cannons, providing the firepower support needed for infantry attacks and destroying the enemy's strong defense lines.

6 field artillery squadrons, with a total of 72 10-pounder Parrot rifled guns,
The 10-pound Parrot rifled guns equipped with these field artillery squadrons can be disassembled into three major parts, carried by three mules and horses, and then assembled after leaving the rugged mountain trails.

After assembly, it can be pulled by a mule or horse, making it easy and flexible to use.

Around five in the morning

When the sky was just getting light, the 3rd and 4th Regiments of the 2nd Expeditionary Division, which had rushed all night to arrive at the designated attack point, took the lead in launching the attack and solved the problem with bayonets.

With just one charge, they captured Toa Payoh, Nanyang Primary School, and the villages near Bishan Cemetery, and had already forced their way to the northern suburbs of Singapore.

When King Zheng Guohui of Chu arrived here, it was around six in the morning. He Ruolin had already divided his troops into three parts and launched a fierce attack from the east, middle and west directions.

The 4th Infantry Regiment launched a fierce attack to the east. Taking advantage of the British being caught off guard, they, led by a guide, had already entered the fort area in eastern Singapore and were engaged in a fierce battle with British soldiers.

There were bursts of gunfire coming from the distance, and it was obvious that a fierce battle was in full swing.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu led more than 30 of his royal cavalry guards and stopped at the gate of a large house on the edge of the village. After dismounting, they strode into the house.

Upon hearing the report from his officers, Major General He Ruolin and several other officers came out to greet them. They saluted and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. I wish you the best of luck and good health!"

"No need to formality, let's go... go in and take a look." King Zheng Guohui of Chu raised his hand and gestured beside his forehead as a return gesture, then walked inside without stopping.

In the command room
A large map of Singapore was spread out on the square table. It was all hand-measured and then drawn by the surveying and mapping personnel of the Fifth Department.

The map clearly shows that the Chu army landed at the narrowest part of the Johor Strait in the northwest corner of Singapore, opened up a road, crossed a dense tropical jungle on the coast, and arrived at a remote mountain village.

Then they walked out of the Bishan Mountain in a winding way, entered the road surrounding the Bishan Mountain, and marched at night to the designated attack area.

The place called Bishan later became Singapore's mountain forest park. It is now quite desolate and remote, and very few people come here.

The marching arrows on this map are marked very clearly.

After the main force of the landing army arrived at Toa Payoh Town, the Chu army successfully captured this prosperous town.

The arrows indicate that the troops were divided into three groups: one heading east to attack the British eastern fortress area, one heading from the center to the core of Singapore City, and one heading west to the western area of ​​the city.

It was like two sharp knives, piercing straight into the city of Singapore, while the outer circle of solid coastal defense fortresses was completely avoided.

It is equivalent to bypassing the hard shell and going straight into the soft belly, from where you can attack and occupy the whole of Singapore.

"Your Majesty, while the British troops are mostly concentrated in the bay fortresses surrounding Singapore, leaving the city defenses empty, with only a few military police and red-headed Indians, our army has been able to advance smoothly."

"Your Majesty, please look, the vanguard of the central army has arrived here and is engaged in a fierce battle with the British troops they encountered."

Major General He Ruolin's face was filled with excitement. The success of the attack far exceeded his imagination.

The British army's resistance was so weak, not even one-tenth of what was expected. The vanguard had already entered the city of Singapore and started hand-to-hand combat.

At this moment, it can be said that the general trend has been determined.

The Singapore Expeditionary Force had a total of 1.66 troops, and they all marched unimpeded into Singapore City. How could the British resist?
Singapore was the core city of the British Straits Settlements. The troops deployed here accounted for nearly half of the troops under the command of the Straits Settlements Governor-General's Office, totaling just over 5,000.

Among them, most are garrison troops in artillery forts.

Seventy percent of the total 3800 British troops, or more than 2540 people, are stationed in more than a dozen artillery forts in the surrounding areas on a daily basis. Basically, half of them are on duty in the forts, and the other half are on vacation.

Now facing the attack of the Chu fleet, all British officers and soldiers on leave were cancelled and urgently recalled to defend the forts. More than a thousand additional British officers and soldiers were recruited to strengthen the sea defense alert.

This meant that more than 90% of the troops under the command of Major General Ciarán Slicker, Commander of the British Army, were deployed to defend the forts surrounding the Singapore Forts and were not allowed to return at night.

Most of the British military officers and soldiers stationed abroad had families in Singapore, including women and children. Guarding the forts was more like a job. Nothing had happened for decades, and no one dared to invade Singapore.

Many of the wives and children of these British officers and soldiers were not their original wives. Some were local Chinese women, and some were French, Dutch or German women who had drifted to Singapore and formed temporary families in this British overseas territory.

The British colonial authorities turned a blind eye to this. After all, overseas troops were far away from their homeland, and their lives were lonely and hard-working, so there was nothing wrong with them having some fun.

Back to topic
The Chu State's tactic of "making a feint to the east and attacking in the west" successfully attracted the attention of the British defensive garrison and basically emptied the main force of the local British garrison, leaving the town extremely empty.

Of the remaining 718 to British armed forces, were garrison and security guard officers at the Royal Navy Singapore base, and more than were Indian patrolmen led by white police officers. It was these people who were now resisting.

As the gunfire became more frequent, many British and French white residents living in Singapore rushed over with rifles and joined the resistance.

But all this is obviously in vain.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu stood at the gate of this house, watching the endless stream of fully armed soldiers marching quickly forward to reinforce the city ahead.

With the force of a mountain pressing down on one's head, it swept across more than a dozen streets in Singapore's city center, and the sound of gunfire from the fierce fighting in the city became increasingly obvious and loud.

By around eight in the morning, it was already bright.

The subsequent field artillery squadron finally arrived, and the 10-pound Parrot rifled cannons pulled by mules and horses hurried to the front line of the fierce fighting in the city, using fierce artillery fire to blast open the road to victory.

Seeing the artillery squadron arrive, King Zheng Guohui of Chu turned around and met his eyes with Major General He Ruolin. Both of them showed knowing smiles in their eyes.

The temporary difficulty in the urban attack was due to the fact that many white citizens spontaneously resisted with guns. They occupied sturdy urban buildings and caused great casualties to the attacking soldiers.

The attacks were repelled once, twice, and three times, which greatly boosted the morale of the armed white residents who gathered in the rear. All kinds of boasting were heard everywhere, which was all as expected.

The British side also urgently dispatched some British soldiers down the mountain to participate in the city defense battle, and launched artillery from the barracks to block the intersections, which invisibly increased the difficulty of the fierce fighting in the city.

The addition of this new force, the field artillery squadron, will greatly enhance the offensive power of the Chu army.

The fall of the entire city is only a matter of time, there is no suspense anymore.

(End of this chapter)