Nanyang Storm 1864

There was almost no suspense. A week later, the remnants of the Dutch army and their families who fled Palembang chose to surrender after being surrounded by the pursuing Chu Royal Army.

At this point, the entire island of Sumatra belonged to the territory of the Great Chu Kingdom, the fighting here came to an end, and there was no longer any so-called "Dutch-occupied area".

At this time, the battle of Batavia also entered the final stage of close combat in the city.

batavia
There are collapsed buildings everywhere, showing the brutal battle. The Dutch army has a strong will to resist, especially the colonial army which is mainly composed of white people.

After more than 10 days of bloody fighting, the fortifications outside Batavia were removed one after another. The Chu army arrived at the city and entered the city from two directions.

In order to defend their colonial rule that had lasted for more than 300 years, the Dutch were ruthless and threw a large number of forcibly recruited indigenous soldiers into urban street fighting, without caring about their lives at all.

These indigenous soldiers, armed only with spears and swords, were forced to launch rounds of desperate charges under the escort of the supervising team.

The result was obvious, most of them died under the dense volleys of gunfire.

At this point, both sides were no longer hiding. Artillery, machine guns, grenades, Molotov cocktails and all other weapons that could be found were used in the battle for the city.

Faced with the Dutch's desperate tactics, General Huangshan showed his rich experience as a veteran.

He ordered the two directions of the blocked attack to maintain the original front line, and then transferred troops to open up new attack channels from the north and west.

Heavy artillery was used to clear the way and large areas of shanty towns were set on fire. The raging fire burned for two days and two nights, leaving everything in its path in ruins.

The city fire forced the Dutch defenders into the old city. The Java Corps concentrated 12 155mm field heavy artillery and blasted a road from the west side directly to the Dutch Governor's Palace in the city center square.

The powerful firepower network composed of Maxim heavy machine guns and 37mm rapid-fire cannons trapped the indigenous soldiers driven in by the Dutch army in a terrifying death network of fire, and the corpses were piled up as high as seven or eight layers.

In addition to some Chinese residents who escaped during the war, totaling about 40,000 to 50,000 people, there were more than 100,000 people trapped in several streets centered on the old city.

After days of hard fighting, the Javanese Corps lost 4.3 to men, while killing more than enemies, most of whom were indigenous vassal troops.

General Huangshan was furious and ordered the roads out of the city to be completely blocked and set on fire again. This was a sign of a city massacre.

The ensuing fire spread, and the attacking Chu Royal Army took advantage of this opportunity to withdraw the front-line troops that had been fighting hard for days to rest and replace them with well-rested reserve troops.

The fires that broke out from all directions of the city created thick smoke that covered the sky and almost shrouded the entire Batavia in dark clouds.

The stench of corpses mixed with the choking smoke turned this once prosperous city into a living hell.

"May God forgive us! We will all die here, Your Excellency the Governor. Is this what you want?"

After more than 10 days of bloody fighting, Lieutenant General Holdek's eyes were bloodshot and his haggard face was covered with black and gray.

In today's cities

All the officers, soldiers and civilians were covered in dust. When they opened their mouths, countless ashes floating in the sky would pour into their mouths, choking them and making them cough continuously.

Governor William Roseboom also looked grimy, but his eyes were still fierce, and his gray-blue eyes showed indifference to life. He replied coldly;

"Your Excellency, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, I am a soldier first and a governor second. In fact, I am not very good at governing a colony."

Speaking of here
He glanced meaningfully at Lieutenant General Holdek, whose face showed despair, and then glanced at General Hertz, allowing them to fully digest the meaning of this sentence.

Then he continued;

"I have been entrusted with this mission in times of crisis, shouldering the honor of my noble family and the trust placed in me by His Majesty the King. Now is the time to demonstrate the convictions of a loyal knight.

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must fight to the end.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands could not afford to lose its East Indian colonies. The Boers fought brilliantly in South Africa, and we can do the same."

Admiral Hertz broke the silence and said solemnly;

“War is a matter for soldiers, but there are more than 2.7 white families in the city, many of them are white-haired elderly people and children, and they should not die here.

To be frank, this is a war with no hope.

There has never been an unbreakable fortress in this world, and these Chu people are not easy to deal with. They have blocked Batavia's only retreat.

No matter what, we must find a way out and get them out of the encirclement."

"This is unrealistic, Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief. All our military forces are used to resist the powerful enemy. Thousands of people die in this city every day, and there is no extra force to open up a way out." Governor William Roseboom flatly refused.

He knew that once a large-scale retreat began, it would turn into an uncontrollable rout and ultimately a complete defeat.

I want to run, but how can I possibly run?
Behind them, tens of thousands of Chu troops were in pursuit. They had artillery and trucks, and they passed through the city and pursued them along the way at a very fast speed.

Now in the city
The Dutch army could forcibly recruit the indigenous people as cannon fodder, forcing them to charge with the muzzles of their guns, to die, to consume the enemy's ammunition, and to struggle to maintain the current situation.

The white colonial army was basically used as a supervisory team. Only when the crisis was really serious would they reluctantly withdraw a few hundred people to counterattack and retake important positions.

The repeated tug of war also consumed the Chu army's offensive momentum.

If they break out, it will easily turn into a disorderly escape, just like a flood breaking through a levee.

Admiral Hertz also knew this. He frowned and said, "What about the more than 2 people in the city?"

Most of these more than 2 people were white Dutch men, and most of the women and children were evacuated to the Bandung front line, which was located in the mountains and had a strong fortress defense, so their safety could be temporarily guaranteed.

These more than 2 Dutch descendants are old and young. The oldest ones range from to years old to or years old, while the youngest ones are only or years old, and are not even as tall as a rifle when standing up.

It's okay to help transport some weapons, ammunition and food in the city, strengthen the city's defense fortresses, replace soldiers in patrols, check posts, and do some second-line work.

If we really go to war, we will be pure cannon fodder.

Governor William Roseboom ordered with a cold face, "Any men who can be used in the future should be immediately added to the combat team, with priority given to those infantry companies that have suffered heavy losses. All we can do is find some suitable weapons for them."

It's true, this devil.

Governor William Roseboom is clearly planning to destroy himself along with the enemy. If that's the case, what else is there to say?
As senior officers of Dutch aristocratic descent, possessing lofty chivalric beliefs, Admiral Hertz and Lieutenant General Holdek were not afraid of death, but they just couldn't bear to see so many of their compatriots die in the flames of war.

But the Governor was resolute, and they had no choice but to obey. "As you wish, Your Excellency, my troops will fight to the bitter end."

"My troops are doing the same, but I must remind you, Your Excellency the Governor, that there have been four mutinies so far today, and the danger is becoming increasingly apparent."

"May God bless the Netherlands! Good luck to you!"

The two generals and their men quickly left the church and returned to their respective defensive directions.

Follow orders
They will soon add white men who can carry guns to the companies that are seriously short of staff to maintain basic combat effectiveness and prevent it from being too weak.

As the fire in the city weakened, the Chu Royal Army launched a new round of attacks.

The heavy artillery roared, and the madly roaring 37mm rapid-fire cannon was like a demolition machine, knocking down the brick and stone buildings in front of it, filling the air with smoke and dust.

The Dutch defenders hiding in it burst into a bloody mist, and the broken limbs and arms torn apart by artillery fire flew into the sky, and a new round of fierce fighting began.

Java is a long and narrow island with intermittent mountain ranges running through the entire island. It is 970 kilometers long, 160 kilometers at its widest point, and only 45 kilometers at its narrowest point. It is seriously lacking in winding depth.

Because of these geographical restrictions, the Dutch defenders were unable to implement deep penetration, detours and evasive tactics, and could only hold on in the face of attacks.

The Chu attacking army stretched out its front as wide as 20 to 30 kilometers. They adhered to a step-by-step offensive strategy and fought in a very methodical manner.

Under the absolute artillery advantage of the Chu Royal Army, the Dutch were constantly suppressed.

Now they are compressed into an area of ​​more than ten kilometers around the old city. The large shanty towns around them have been burned to ashes and can hardly become an obstacle to the attack.

Whenever the Chu heavy artillery blasted a gap, the Chu army would rush in.

The Dutch defenders had to launch a resolute counterattack, once, twice, three times... at great cost, until they regained their position.

This was because the Dutch defenders could not allow the gap opened by the Chu army to widen, thereby outflanking their rear. That would have resulted in a serious collapse of the battle line, which would have been out of control.

The Chu army also saw this clearly, so they turned the breakthrough point into a killing field for repeated battles.

Using fierce artillery fire to cover the Dutch army, a large number of casualties were caused, the will to resist was weakened, and small victories were accumulated into a big victory.

The Dutch army also knew the opponent's vicious plan and had no way to deal with it.

They could only be led by the nose passively, continuously replenishing troops at several breakthrough points to maintain the shaky front line and fight on with gritted teeth.

Until 4 days later
The attacking Chu Royal Army suddenly launched an attack, opened several new gaps with artillery fire, and launched a resolute assault, completely defeating the exhausted Dutch army.

The sounds of gunfire, shouting, and screaming in the city lasted for a whole day and night, and only gradually calmed down towards dawn.

After this battle
The Chu Royal Army suffered 1.02 casualties and killed a total of more than 2.61 enemies, including main Dutch troops, and seized countless spoils. The entire city was almost reduced to ruins.

This battle laid the foundation for victory in the Java Campaign. While the Royal Army continued to expand, its main force also entered a three-week rest.

At the same time, a large amount of weapons, ammunition and supplies were transported from the rear to replenish the huge consumption in the battle and prepare to launch the subsequent Bandung Campaign.

Manila Palace

When King Zheng Guohui of Chu received the news of victory in the battle of Batavia, he laughed excitedly and could not hide his excitement. He kept saying "good, good, good".

Palembang has been taken, Surabaya has been taken, Batavia has been taken, are we still far from the final victory?
In another month, around mid-March 1900, we will be able to complete the unification of Southeast Asia. This is cause for celebration!
After nearly forty years of careful planning, how can one not be excited to see that the final goal is within reach?
Overjoyed
The King of Chu ordered a reward for the entire army, encouraging the royal expeditionary force to make persistent efforts, fight bravely and kill the enemy, and write a perfect chapter for the glorious process of the Great Chu Kingdom's expansion of territory.

At this time, a small incident occurred.

German Emperor Wilhelm II was very dissatisfied with Chu's military action of taking advantage of its misfortune, and issued a public verbal warning in Berlin, hoping that Chu would stop.

Otherwise, they will "become the public enemy of the civilized world" and "set a very bad example."

William II was indeed a black sheep. He first made the British furious, and then he provoked the State of Chu, acting like the arrogant world leader.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu did not indulge him either, and publicly stated;

"Wilhelm II is attempting an extremely dangerous path, one he is neither adept at nor capable of controlling. This will inevitably lead the glorious German Empire into the abyss of destruction."

"He was the worst monarch Europe had ever seen, arrogant, greedy, and contemptuous, with a mouth full of rotten teeth but a good appetite."

"God knows who would take a Kraut seriously."

"Within twenty years, the German Empire will come to an end in his hands and be reduced to an insignificant little player."

This is the famous "King of Chu Prophecy", which accurately predicted the future fate of the German Empire and established his status as an outstanding world-class strategist.

When the news reached Berlin, German Emperor Wilhelm II was immediately devastated.

He swung his sword and chopped his beloved British marshal's uniform into pieces, shouting wildly that he would personally lead an army of 20 to attack the State of Chu, capture the King of Chu and humiliate him.

Of course, this is just talk.

He did dare to do so, but it frightened Admiral Tirpitz and the German cabinet ministers, who tried to dissuade him with all their heart.

With the current strength of the German Royal Navy, it would be difficult to break through the Red Sea fortress.

The navy has no advantage at all, let alone traveling thousands of miles to the Western Pacific for a decisive battle. Isn't that tantamount to giving away lives?

Today's Germany simply does not have the ability to deploy large numbers of troops across the ocean.

At most, there are 20,000 to 30,000 people. No more than that is impossible. How can we fight the war if we can't supply weapons, equipment and logistical supplies?

Just look at the map and you will know that Germany has almost no colonies and ports in the Indian Ocean and Pacific regions, and lacks large ocean-going immigration ships.

The only territory bordering the Indian Ocean is German East Africa, which is also subject to the Chu East African Governor's Office and the Governor-General of Madagascar, whose strength is far superior to that of the other.

There were only 27,000 to 28,000 white immigrants in the German East African colonies, and they had only been there for a dozen years, which was a far cry from the millions of people under the jurisdiction of the East African Governor-General of the Chu State.

The strength is not even on the same level, how can we fight across the ocean?
This is a classic case of self-humiliation, and being ridiculed is embarrassing, which has become the happiest thing for the British recently. (End of this chapter)