Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 322: Troops on the border
British 2nd Battleship Squadron
Flagship Earl Draper
"Reporting to the commander, we have lost the enemy fleet and are searching for it. Please give us your instructions."

"The fleet will deploy and search a 24-mile radius of the sea within 300 hours. Once a target is found, contact them with signal artillery."

"As you command, sir."

After giving the order with a gloomy expression, Major General Harry Clark, commander of the Second Battle Squadron, scanned the sea under the moonlight with his eyes like a hawk, still with a look of unwillingness.

Ever since the main force of his fleet was mostly lost in the naval battles during the expedition to Chu State, Major General Clark's hatred for the Eastern Army has reached a deep level.

His original flagship, the Hudson's Bay, sank at the entrance to Manila Bay. To this day, the tall stern tower is still exposed on the sea surface, becoming a mark of shame for the Royal Navy that people cannot let go of.

This will become an indelible stain on Major General Clark's military career, gnawing at his painful heart for a long time and causing him to toss and turn day and night.

However, the Royal Navy had no good way to deal with these lone wolf formations that were itching to kill them.

Even if the British Home Fleet received support from ironclad ships, they were still helpless.

The ironclad ships of today have invincible defensive capabilities, but their biggest weakness is that they are too heavy, slow, and have poor flexibility, making them unable to encircle and capture the enemy armored warships galloping on the sea.

"These damn French guys! They always make the Royal Navy pay for their stupid mistakes. Seeing their hateful faces, I want to punch them hard."

Facing the vast night, Major General Harry Clark angrily punched the thick top of the ship's side, directly breaking the defense.

Lieutenant Commander Knorr-Townsend, the captain of the Earl of Draper, looked at his superior's angry expression, stepped forward and said;
"Your Excellency, General, with all due respect, attempting to hunt down the Lone Wolf Fleet in this vast ocean is a near-impossible task. We are wasting our time."

"Captain, are you questioning the orders from the headquarters?" Major General Harry Clark turned around and asked him with a bad look in his eyes.

Lieutenant Colonel Knorr-Townsend replied frankly: "I will obey any order from the headquarters. But privately, I don't think it will be of any use."

The British Royal Navy is a place where aristocrats are rampant. Lieutenant Colonel Townsend comes from a traditional earl family in Scotland with a history of more than 400 years, and he has enough confidence to say such things.

Major General Harry Clarke was deflated at this point, shaking his head in annoyance. "Perhaps... you're right. But we can't let these Orientals go. We must teach them a lesson that will last a lifetime."

"General, the current situation does not seem optimistic."

"You mean Singapore?"

"Of course, from the perspective of maintaining the glory of the British Empire, Singapore had to be taken back from the Orientals, and this would be a very difficult task."

"That's the Army's problem. General Phillips has made it clear that he won't use the fleet to withstand the fortress's artillery fire. That would be foolish."

"God, they finally did something right."

"I really can't understand it. How did these Orientals suddenly become so good at fighting after only eight or nine years? Is this some magical oriental secret technique?"

"Your Excellency, General, I believe this can be explained by the charisma of the young king. The King of Chu is a man of great courage, much like Napoleon once was. Even his enemies cannot help but admire him sincerely."

"Captain, you are crazy."

"No, Your Excellency, just think about it. In this Nanyang region, which includes the northern Shenzhou continent, who would be crazy enough to try to take Singapore and East Malaya from the British Empire? Oh, and he even threatened to invade Australia."

"This damn King Chu is a madman."

"Yes, according to the information I learned from some channels, this person was dubbed a 'madman' during the many years of civil war in the North."

"I must remind you, Captain, that the enemy this mad king will face this time is the powerful British Empire and its French allies, not those Orientals with sticks. I don't think he can win this gamble."

"Your Excellency, General, why not wait and see?" Lieutenant Colonel Knorr-Townsend possessed the inherent elegance of an English aristocrat. He smiled slightly, his gray-blue eyes appearing deep and profound, and he continued calmly.

“It must be admitted that he was an interesting man with extraordinary courage and boldness.

at this point
Some shadows of Napoleon can be seen in him, and this young Eastern king often has some strange ideas in employing troops and fighting, and always leads the coalition forces by the nose.

No one could have imagined

The Chu army dared to launch an expedition to Singapore and captured this island with almost impenetrable defenses in one fell swoop, thus firmly gaining the strategic advantage.

The dispatch of troops to Malaya had the same effect, forcing the Allies to be distracted from other matters.

Looking around the world today
There are no more than three people who can possess such courage, boldness and vision. They are definitely the world's top military strategists and are fascinating to people.

As for the rest...it depends on whether the Chu army can hold on?
If he can really take away any part of Singapore or Malaysia from us, then why not call him the "Napoleon of the East"?

Lieutenant Colonel Knorr-Townsend's opinion caused Major General Harry Clark to think deeply. After considering it for a while, he nodded and said;

"What you said makes sense, my dear Sir Townsend. Let us wait and see." "Believe me, General, this will be an exciting process." Lieutenant Colonel Knorr-Townsend said very confidently.

Moonlight on the sea

The British fleet was sweeping in vain in a search formation. In the distance, the red signal lights on the masts of warships were flashing, and could be clearly seen from a long distance away.

At this time, the "Indomitable" formation had turned south and headed towards Bandar Seri Begawan. The distance was more than 100 kilometers, and the search was doomed to be futile.

after one day
According to the combat mission arrangement before leaving the port, the 2nd Fleet had to abandon the search and turn back to perform the task of escorting the task force.

January 1st

The British Expeditionary Force task force, consisting of more than 360 ships, arrived at the Johor Strait for the second time and landed there in a large scale, with an overwhelming momentum that formed a dark cloud pressing down on the city.

two days in a row
The British and French forces mobilized tens of thousands of Malay laborers to greatly expand the landing area, leveling and widening the road through the charred, blackened woods. Large amounts of combat supplies were transported ashore and piled up into mountains.

In order to break through the strong fortress built by the Chu army, the British and French forces laid 11 kilometers of railway tracks, shipped 16 32-pound heavy cannons ashore, and pushed them to the vicinity of the mountain fortress.

It can be said that all pre-war preparations were done very well.

Perhaps because they had suffered enough, the British and French forces did not take it lightly this time and did not split their forces. A total of 5.1 troops landed in Singapore. The massive force was enough to scare anyone to death.

The remaining troops of the Anglo-French Allied Forces originally had more than 2 people (including the thousands of remnants who escaped and were rescued from the sea during the Battle of Palawan), of which a little over belonged to the French Foreign Legion.

The two batches of French expeditionary forces that arrived totaled 1.61 troops, and the third batch that arrived later had more than troops, but they were unable to catch up with the fierce battle that came before.

The majority of the subsequent reinforcements came from colonial soldiers of the British Indian Corps, totaling more than 26000, accounting for more than %.

It really proved that statement;

As long as the blood of the Indian subcontinent is not shed dry, the British Empire will not be short of manpower and will be able to continue fighting.

Mountain defensive fortress of Chu State
Some senior officers in woolen uniforms stood on the top of the bunker and carefully observed the tense preparations of the British and French forces, each with an extremely solemn expression.

No one had the relaxed look they had earlier.

Major General He Rulin also had a serious look on his face. After observing carefully for a while, he put down the telescope and said to the people around him:
"It is true that Britain and France are the world's top powers.

That's the case

I won't waste any more words, sir. All the officers and soldiers of the Singapore Expeditionary Force swear to live and die with this city.

Pass on my military orders;
3.5 civilians were immediately recruited to join the army as reinforcements, added to the combat sequence of each regiment, distributed weapons and firearms, and vowed to fight the enemy to the end.

Starting from my feet, 10 earthen cities will be built backwards. Together with the original mountain city defenses, there are a total of 13 cities. We must fight to the death in each city and no loss is allowed.

Kill one to get enough money, kill two to earn one.

As for the first city, my second division and first regiment are one of them. Who among you would like to volunteer?
I also need a regiment to assist in the defense. Even if we have to fight to the last man, we must hold out for five days to buy time for building the earthen fort in the rear."

After saying that, Major General He Rulin glanced at his subordinates with sharp eyes, his eyes full of expectation.

The voice hasn't fallen
The seven regiment leaders stood up at the same time, vying for the first place to say, "Master General, let me lead the Fourth Regiment to complete the mission resolutely."

"What are you doing? This job belongs to my Third Regiment. No one else can compete with me."

"What's the matter? You look down on my newly formed Fifth Regiment. I, Hu Jinqi, am the first to object. I want this job. Brothers, don't try to snatch it from me."

"Wait a minute, what are you doing...are there any rules? The New Second Regiment hasn't spoken yet, and it's your turn, Old Hu, to cause trouble for me. Everyone, stand back, I'll take this job."

Looking at the team leaders under his command rushing forward, there was not a single coward.

Even though Major General He Ruolin was usually known for his strict military discipline, he couldn't help but shed tears at this moment. His eyes immediately turned red and he took a deep breath, suppressing the soreness in his nose.

Faced with tens of thousands of troops approaching, the British and French forces also brought out heavy artillery, and holding out for five days was almost a life-threatening task.

He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, walked forward and patted the shoulder of Lieutenant Colonel Hu Jinqi, the commander of the newly formed Fifth Regiment, and said in a deep voice;
"Stop arguing. Leave this extremely difficult task to Hu Lao Hu. You and the First Regiment will hold out here for five days. When the time is up, immediately withdraw to the rear to rest and replenish. Good brother, I will equip both of your regiments with a reinforcement corps, a total of 5 people. Save them for me."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief." Lieutenant Colonel Hu Jinqi stood at attention and answered firmly.

(End of this chapter)