Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 603 Shakes the World
Because this naval battle took place in the early hours of Christmas Day, it is historically known as the "Christmas Naval Battle," which ended with the complete annihilation of the Fusang Combined Fleet.

In the submarine raids that broke out in Nagoya and Osaka, the Japanese Allied Fleet, anchored in the harbor, lost a total of 10 battleships: 7 sunk and 3 heavily damaged; 11 cruisers: 5 sunk and 5 lightly or heavily damaged; and 6 destroyers were hit by torpedoes and sank.

This battle completely wiped out the main force of the Fusang Allied Fleet.

Only one cruiser squadron and two destroyer squadrons remain in Tokyo Bay, consisting of twenty or thirty ships, the largest of which are the 9700-ton heavy cruisers Asama and Tokiwa. These are the few remaining capital ships.

It also includes the cruisers Izumo, Iwate, Yakumo, Chitose, and Shinkō, totaling seven cruisers, which constitute the remaining strength of the Fusō Combined Fleet.

The shocking news of the "Christmas naval battle" was met with widespread despair in Japan, causing a particularly heavy blow to the confidence of the Japanese people.

The once glorious Fusang Combined Fleet was almost completely annihilated in the harbor, a humiliating situation that the Fusang people could hardly accept.

This sparked a massive outrage that quickly spread and fermented throughout society.

Even the once-renowned Admiral Togo Heihachiro was questioned. People criticized the Japanese Combined Navy for its lack of ambition and launched a concentrated attack on its cowardly "entering port to protect the ships" behavior, believing that it would be better to die a glorious death.

I only wish for a fleeting moment of brilliance like cherry blossoms, not such a disheartening end.

This was also due in no small part to the propaganda and literati cultivated by the Great Chu Empire, which stirred up trouble and made the situation even more chaotic during this time of national grief.

The impact of the "Christmas naval battle" spread throughout the world, causing a huge stir as well.

Major naval powers such as Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia, and Italy have all focused on the "Manta Ray" class submarine, a new era of naval weaponry, and have significantly raised their tactical evaluation of submarines by two levels.

Even the notoriously stubborn and arrogant British Royal Navy had to acknowledge the power of submarines.

This new type of combat platform, which lies submerged beneath the sea, has had a profound impact on the world's naval community, forcing them to acknowledge the role of submarines in naval warfare and their significant threat to main fleets.

With such a great victory, the Royal Navy Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Chu Empire was greatly encouraged and quickly launched a continued attack on Sasebo and Nagasaki, successfully landing two days later.

After a series of arduous and bloody battles, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force occupied important towns such as Sasebo, Nagasaki, and Hizen by the end of January 1908, expanding its occupied territory to nearly four-fifths of Kyushu Island.

The ensuing mopping-up operations saw a dozen or so battles of varying sizes occurring almost every day. The ruthless soldiers of the Great Chu Empire brutally suppressed all resistance, often massacring villages and towns indiscriminately.

The entire island of Kyushu was plunged into bloodshed and chaos. Every day, several immigrant ships departed from Kyushu to the port, carrying large numbers of helpless and fearful young Japanese women who could be sold for a good price back home.

Some immigrant ships carried large numbers of Japanese men, whose final destination was the hundreds of mines in Japan that were in dire need of labor, and these were all high-quality laborers.

The Fusang Kingdom lodged a strong protest with the European powers in response to the Great Chu Empire's misdeeds in the occupied territories, especially its British ally, which was almost terrified by the Fusang government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Due to the special provisions in the Anglo-Japanese Alliance

The military alliance treaty does not involve Chu and the United States, and its scope is limited to the Korean Peninsula and the northern mainland, making it a typical example of a specific condition exclusion clause.

Moreover, after entering the 20th century, the strength of the British Empire declined sharply, and now, especially facing the severe challenge of the German High Seas Fleet, it is extremely difficult to spare any attention.

Faced with the rapidly growing and powerful Chu Empire, Britain was speechless.

Within the British upper class, the debate over the situation in the Western Pacific was very intense, but the majority of opinions favored non-interference, even though this would be seen as a betrayal of Japan.

the reason is simple

The value of Japan had been fully utilized. After the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Empire's eastward strategy suffered a severe blow and it was no longer able to expand eastward on a large scale.

The military strength displayed by the Great Chu Empire deeply alarmed the British, and given the close political and economic ties between the two countries, neither side wanted the situation to deteriorate.
From the perspective of importance

The Great Chu Empire has been clearly positioned by Britain as a global action partner, making it far more important than a mere watchdog chained to the Far East.

The choice is obvious.

From a purely strength-based perspective, Britain also lacks the capability to intervene in this significant war taking place in the Western Pacific.

The Great Chu Empire was equipped with the Kunlun Mountain-class battleships, which had a displacement of nearly 3 tons, making them extremely powerful.

To date, Britain has only seven battleships of the same class equipped with 343mm main guns, including four new Lion-class battleships, with the rest still under construction in the dock.

Even the most arrogant and overconfident Royal Navy would not dare to send battleships equipped with 305mm main guns to the Western Pacific to confront the powerful Kunlunshan-class battleships, as the two were simply not in the same league.

After the emergence of the Kunlunshan-class battleships, dozens of Royal Navy battleships equipped with 305mm main guns became outdated.

If the British fleet heading to the Western Pacific is not powerful enough, it would be better not to go at all, to avoid losing face.

The British understood this principle well, and thus, in their response to Western Pacific affairs, they displayed traditional bureaucratic and sluggish characteristics, and their attempts to mediate and negotiate with Japan, which was in a state of great distress, were met with no response.

By late February 1908

After several battles, the expeditionary force of the Great Chu Empire completely occupied Kyushu Island, eliminated the remaining enemy forces, and thoroughly controlled the situation in Kyushu.

During the more than one-month-long occupation, thousands of Kyushu residents were driven away by boat almost every day to face their unknown fate.

In addition, the Great Chu army was ruthless, cracking down on any townspeople or returning soldiers who dared to resist through merciless and bloody suppression.

This also led to a rapid stabilization of the situation in the occupied territories, simplified the burden on the occupying forces, and made them more docile.

Who says the people of Kyushu are unruly?
That's just because they didn't kill enough, or they didn't kill hard enough. Nowadays, when people from the Nine Provinces see soldiers of the Great Chu Empire, they must stand respectfully with their hands hanging down on both sides of the street and bow their heads to show their submission.

Any fierce or resentful look in one's eyes will bring about catastrophic disaster.

In just over a month, Kyushu’s population plummeted by 530,000 to 540,000, most of whom were young local Kyushu women, as well as some Japanese men who were sent to the mines for forced labor.

Of course, a considerable proportion were also suppressed.

This large-scale outflow of population continued, and the Chu expeditionary force had now set its sights on more critical areas such as Tokyo Bay, which greatly alarmed the Fusang Kingdom.

The crux of the problem is that without the Fusang Allied Fleet as a trump card, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force can land anywhere and bombard coastal towns everywhere, forcing the Fusang people to set up defenses everywhere, yet feeling that their defenses are inadequate in every place.

Since the start of the war

The fierce attack of the Great Chu Empire on the Japanese mainland was an unprecedentedly difficult war for the Japanese army and navy. Not only was the main force of the combined fleet completely annihilated, but the Japanese army also struggled to advance.

The Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force possessed an absolute firepower advantage, and with "Scorpion" tanks leading the way and armored trucks accompanying them sweeping through the streets, they were accompanied by infantry attacks.

Every attack always begins with a fierce barrage of artillery fire, indiscriminately covering the target and razing all fortresses and town buildings to the ground, causing indiscriminate casualties.

This unprecedented method of warfare left the Japanese divisions, which consisted mainly of light infantry and draft horses, bewildered and disoriented, making them appear like inexperienced novices who suffered repeated defeats on the battlefield.

Having endured the bloody baptism of the Great Chu Empire's steel bullets, with artillery fire seemingly free to bombard them, the Japanese army lost every battle they fought, and no matter how tenacious they were, they could not hold out for long.

Flesh and blood can never truly stand against steel; this is almost an inescapable fate.

Sadly
The extravagant use of artillery firepower and armored assaults by the Great Chu Empire was something the Fusang Kingdom could never emulate; a single large-scale war could bankrupt its finances.

However, the Great Chu Empire, with its strong economic power, almost wiped out the once-powerful Sixth Division and swept through the Japanese local forces throughout Kyushu Island, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Even the most die-hard resistance fighter, veteran Yamagata Aritomo, pessimistically pointed out...
"This war against the invasion of the Great Chu Empire represents the most profound survival crisis faced by the Yamato people, and it is also a new characteristic of the most powerful army in the world today, representing the development direction of the world's army."

"If you fall behind, you will be bullied. Sadly, the Yamato people are not prepared..."
The Japanese army was not afraid of face-to-face bayonet battles. Even in hand-to-hand combat with tens of thousands of Russian troops, they showed no fear and displayed great courage.

However, all this reckless courage was of no use in the war against the Great Chu Empire.

The barrage of steel bullets raining down on them, coupled with the attack led by armored tanks, turned the Japanese soldiers' fighting spirit into a brick wall, leaving only bloodstains.

The efficient and bloody slaughter by the Great Chu Empire's army made the inhabitants of the Nine Provinces exceptionally docile.

"Is this the Kanmon Strait? Very well, I, the Commander, will not allow any ship or any unauthorized civilians to cross the Kanmon Strait. The War Command will establish an impenetrable defense line along the strait. Anyone who dares to trespass will be executed without mercy!"

Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui sat high on a white warhorse, his expression cold and serious as he carefully observed the situation in the Guanmen Strait. He was currently serving as the deputy commander-in-chief of the First Expeditionary Force, and his jurisdiction was right along the Guanmen Strait.

"What have the Japanese pirates been up to lately?"

"It's much better than before. Any attempt to transport weapons and personnel to Kyushu through the Kanmon Strait has ended in a shameful failure, leaving them battered and bruised. Now these Japanese pirates have realized this and will no longer make futile attempts."

"The Japanese pirates are cunning and ruthless, so we must not let our guard down. We must tighten this loophole."

"As you command, General."

On the sea, Chu state destroyers patrol back and forth, along with some small patrol boats, keeping watch over this area day and night.

在陆地上
The area surrounding the Guanmen Strait, stretching 13 kilometers in length and 7-8 kilometers in depth, is a military restricted zone, heavily guarded by military and police personnel and numerous sentry posts. Military personnel and supplies from Honshu Island are strictly prohibited from smuggling across.

Entering February 1908
The Chu Kingdom's occupying forces tightened their control over Kyushu Island. With the island's population declining rapidly, many Japanese families had their property confiscated, and any resistance was ruthlessly suppressed.

Under such iron-fisted suppression, the local residents of Kyushu Island had no chance to cause any trouble.

The army of the Great Chu Empire did not practice benevolence or leniency; it adhered to a system of oppressive rule. Many die-hard resistance fighters were executed in Okinawa Port.

After inspecting the defense and security situation around the strait, Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui returned to Fukuoka Prefecture around noon, where his headquarters are located.

This once prosperous city in Kyushu bears the marks of war everywhere. Buildings destroyed by artillery fire and large areas of charred streets tell tales of past devastation.

Fukuoka City now appears unusually deserted, with few people on the streets. The aftereffects of the rampant abduction of people are evident, and there are hardly any young women to be seen in the city.

The presence of heavily armed Chu army patrols caused the locals to flee in panic.

Back at the temporary mansion, there were many more soldiers. The soldiers coming and going quickly moved aside, stood at attention, saluted, and greeted their superiors!

Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui nodded in acknowledgment and walked straight to the back courtyard, a quiet and secluded place.

The artificial hill and white stones are arranged with a Zen-like feel, making it a typical example of Japanese garden architecture.

Back in the inner quarters

Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui relaxed, loosening his uniform collar as he asked, "Any new orders from the Empire or the military today?"

"Reporting to the General, the military headquarters has informed us of the ongoing diplomatic negotiations with the Japanese pirates. It seems that progress is not going well, and these Japanese are stubbornly unwilling to back down."

"Hehehe... that's just because the pressure wasn't high enough."

"The general is absolutely right. It seems that the imperial leadership is considering the second phase of the operation plan and will continue to put pressure on the Japanese pirates."

"That's to be expected. What about the expeditionary fleet?"

"The main force of the fleet is currently resting and reorganizing in Kagoshima and Nagasaki, and will be replenishing ammunition and supplies in stages. It is expected to launch a new military operation at the end of this month or the beginning of next month."

"Yes, the plan to besiege the Fusang Islands has been effective. I estimate that the Japanese pirates won't be able to hold out for much longer," Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui said confidently.

His words were not unfounded. After two months of strict blockade, a full-blown food crisis broke out in the Fusang Islands, and the famine became increasingly severe.

The food shortage on Honshu Island may only be 10% or 15%, but it affects far more people at the bottom of society, numbering in the tens of millions.

The starvation deaths are widespread in many villages and towns on the island, and the situation is getting worse, which is shocking.

This was a disaster far more severe than war. As the Chu army pressed in, it also tightly blocked the channels for importing grain from outside, further exacerbating the famine.

The question of which side to follow and which to abandon is a difficult problem facing the government of Taro Katsura in Japan.

(End of this chapter)