Nanyang Storm 1864

"What?! Send my 500,000 troops to the Eastern Front? This is an order from the Allied Command! This is absurd! How could they change their orders so easily?"

Upon hearing the telegram, General Chu-Zheng Hui, Commander-in-Chief of the Great Chu Empire's Expeditionary Force, was furious.

The original plan to reinforce the western front was changed by the Allied Command after the February Incident in Russia, which forced the Allied General Headquarters to urgently change the plan and send the first batch of troops from the Great Chu Empire to the eastern front.

its purpose

The goal was to tie down 47 German divisions on the Eastern Front, making it difficult for them to move to the Western Front and putting greater pressure on the Anglo-French forces, who were already locked in a stalemate.

at this time

Let alone 47 German divisions, even half of them would have been overwhelming for the British and French forces on the Western Front.

From the perspective of the overall battle situation

The Allied military alliance needed to continuously deplete the strength of the Central Powers, led by Germany, on the Eastern, Western, and Southern fronts, constantly bleeding them dry in order to achieve its ultimate goal of victory.

Compared to the stalemate on the western front, the rapidly collapsing eastern front needed reinforcements more.

The political situation in Tsarist Russia changed abruptly, the Tsar was forced to abdicate and be placed under house arrest, and the Russian troops at the front spontaneously withdrew, triggering a domino effect of collapse on the Eastern Front.

To stabilize the eastern front, we can only rely on the army of the Great Chu Empire.

After glancing at the telegram, General Chu-Zhenghui, Commander-in-Chief of the European Expeditionary Force, gave a cold snort with an ugly expression, crumpled the telegram into a ball, and casually threw it away.

Then he walked out of the headquarters with his hands behind his back, leaving the senior officers, including Chief of the General Staff General Tang Baoguo, looking at each other in bewilderment, and the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

"Alright, comrades, don't let your imaginations run wild. Let's focus on preparing for the army's departure. Judging from the current situation, it's highly likely that we'll be deployed to the eastern front. This order is no joke."

"Commander Tang, how should the army be organized?"

"The Germans are probably going to give us a hard time. The initial battles will be fierce. They will deploy 15 Black auxiliary divisions to the Eastern Front. The Imperial Army will deploy the Third, Ninth, and Tenth Armies, totaling more than 33 troops. Please come up with a detailed deployment plan and I request that you review it, Commander-in-Chief, and we will proceed with this troop deployment plan for now."

"Yes, Commander Tang."

"Quickly draft a troop deployment plan; the escort fleet has already arrived. It is estimated that the entire army will be deployed within the next two or three days, so we must act swiftly."

"Yes, Commander Tang."

After giving his instructions, General Tang Baoguo stepped out of the command room and chased after the direction the commander-in-chief had gone.

As soldiers who value honor, the senior generals of the Great Chu Empire are never afraid to go to the most dangerous battlefields, to tackle the toughest challenges, and to fight the most difficult and intense battles.

Today, the battlefield on the western front of Europe is the most dazzling stage in the entire world.

The 15 Black auxiliary divisions arranged by General Tang Baoguo were given special numbers by the military. They were the Provisional 101st to Provisional 115th Divisions of the Central African Corps, and their military organization serial numbers were all outside the 100th digit.

Furthermore, each division is designated as "temporary" and has a similar number of personnel to a reorganized division of the Imperial Army, around 11,000 to 20,000 men.

The Great Chu Empire was wealthy and powerful, providing these black servants with complete clothing and equipment. The soldiers' rations were half that of the Chinese soldiers, and each soldier was basically equipped with a Type 09 Manila rifle.

Unlike Tsarist Russian soldiers, who had to share an old-fashioned rifle with only 3 to 4 men and even had to go to the battlefield with sticks and pitchforks to become cannon fodder.

The Great Chu Empire was not short of money, equipment, or supplies. Even the black indigenous cannon fodder were fully equipped and performed better on the battlefield.

Among these provisional divisions

The junior officers at the company and platoon levels were all retired Chinese veterans. After being re-enlisted, some of them were assigned to provisional divisions as junior officers to coordinate the combat process.

Each provisional division was assigned 2,300 to 2,400 Chinese veterans as the backbone, who also served as the division's guard battalion, communications battalion, military police battalion, and supervisory battalion, and were responsible for logistical support.

These provisional divisions of Black Native soldiers had generally received more than three months of military training. Their offensive capabilities were questionable, but they were certainly capable of holding their trenches.

They were primarily intended to be used to fill trenches at the forefront of the Eastern Front, directly facing the fiercest German attacks and bearing the brunt of the fighting, thereby reducing casualties among Chinese-American soldiers.

These Black Native soldiers received no compensation for their injuries or deaths, and those seriously wounded were not given effective treatment; they were simply used as cannon fodder.

However, the Great Chu Empire did this quite discreetly, ensuring that these native black soldiers received the same uniforms and weapons, ample ammunition, and decent supplies, which was already commendable.

On the increasingly difficult battlefields of Europe

Whether British and French soldiers or German soldiers, it was difficult to guarantee that they wouldn't go hungry. Luxurious supplies such as cigarettes, chocolate, sugar, and canned meat had been absent from many units for months.

Russian soldiers often fought on empty stomachs, with few bullets left in their guns.

The Great Chu Empire had sufficient supply capacity to at least ensure that the black indigenous soldiers had enough to eat; as for being well-fed, that was another matter.

Similarly, the supervisory teams and military police battalions adopted brutal repression measures against Black Native auxiliary soldiers who disobeyed orders, evaded combat, or responded passively, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Only in this way can basic combat effectiveness be guaranteed.

Actually

The Black auxiliary officers and soldiers who went to the battlefield were mostly deployed on the front-line trenches, while the second and third-line trenches were filled with Chinese expeditionary officers and soldiers, who had no way to escape.

What these provisional divisions lacked was heavy weapons. The heavy firepower regiments, artillery regiments, and even tank battalions assigned to them for combat were all composed of Chinese officers and soldiers.

Initially, the Allied Powers, mainly Britain and France, were dissatisfied with the Great Chu Empire's conscription of more than 40 black soldiers, and they preferred that Chinese soldiers fill the front lines.

The response from the Great Chu Empire was simple and direct:

Those were the British Indian Regiment of the British Expeditionary Force, and soldiers from Algeria and other African colonies in the French army, who were also filling the front line of the trenches.

A common saying among the British is, "The British Empire will not lose the war until the blood of the Indian subcontinent is shed."

If Britain and France could use this method to effectively reduce casualties, then the Great Chu Empire could do the same.

The European Expeditionary Force consisted of 20 provisional divisions, with a total of approximately 230,000 to 240,000 officers and soldiers.

Aside from the Chinese officers and soldiers, the total number of Black indigenous soldiers was slightly over 20, with the remaining 20 being supplementary troops used to replenish losses after battles. This arrangement took into account the harsh conditions of the European battlefield.

In the unprecedentedly bloody and brutal positional warfare, several divisions of troops would be wiped out in one or two days, or at most a week to ten days, after being deployed.

Without sufficient reinforcements, a division can be easily wiped out, which severely impacts morale and long-term combat effectiveness.

Return to the present
General Tang Baoguo could understand the disappointment in the commander-in-chief's heart. Compared to the great attention on the western front, the eastern front was much less prominent and received little attention from European countries.

The fact that the Russian army lost seven or eight million soldiers on the Eastern Front was only mentioned briefly and did not cause much of a stir.

The Anglo-French forces suffered a total of more than 260 million casualties in the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun. The former was a "battlefield in hell" and the latter was a "meat grinder," a fact known to the world. This is the difference between the two.

In early March 1917, Tunis resembled a giant military camp, with seven or eight out of ten people in the bustling crowds on the streets being soldiers.

There were a few Black soldiers, but the majority were Chinese-American officers and soldiers. They paraded around the city with local white women, venting their seemingly inexhaustible energy.

Wandering through this city with its unique and exotic architecture, amidst the domed religious buildings and narrow alleyways, one is surrounded by Chinese faces speaking in various accents, a final frenzy before setting off on a campaign.

Of the first batch of over 600,000 troops who arrived on the Mediterranean coast, more than 200,000 were black auxiliary soldiers from the Central African Republic. The remaining 200,000 were active-duty Imperial troops mobilized in organized units, and there were also newly formed divisions totaling over 100,000.

With so many troops dispersed along the Mediterranean coast in the Kingdom of Jordan and Tunisia, as well as in coastal cities of Britain, for acclimatization training, the cities appeared to be teeming with people, turning them into massive military camps.

The bell tower of the church next to the expeditionary force headquarters
This clock tower, with its distinctive Arabic features, is not large, only allowing three or four people to stand. Its large, arched opening provides an excellent view, offering a panoramic vista of Tunis's cityscape and the azure bay in the distance.

General Tang Baoguo knew that the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force would definitely be here; this was a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle.

In other parts of the city, soldiers are everywhere.

In order to maintain order
The military police headquarters was incredibly busy every day, dealing with hundreds of cases of fighting and brawling caused by jealousy, drunkenness, and disorderly conduct. There was never a moment of peace.

"Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, I was right. When you're feeling troubled, you must come here to enjoy the view. I was right after all," General Tang Baoguo said with a smile as he stepped forward.

General Chu-Zheng Hui was not only the Commander-in-Chief of the European Expeditionary Force, but also His Highness the 42nd Prince, who possessed exceptional military talent and held the important position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Army.

After the victory in the European war, he would inevitably be granted the prestigious title of Imperial Prince, and it would be almost a certainty that he would succeed as Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Army.

"You flatter me, sir, but I'm feeling quite troubled," General Chu-Zheng Hui shook his head, looking dejected.

He had no desire to be a firefighter on the eastern front; he preferred to face the severe challenges on the western front.

However, since the Allied Command had sent a telegram regarding such a crucial decision, it must have been communicated with the Imperial High Command. New orders would be issued soon, and he was powerless to disobey.

This would certainly require His Majesty the Emperor's approval. Even if he had a few more lives, General Chu-Zheng Hui would not dare to question it, much less disobey his father's orders.

In his heart, his father was the heavens.

So I'm standing here to enjoy the cool breeze and relieve my inner gloom.

General Tang Baoguo walked to his side and looked towards the horizon where the sea met the sky, where one after another, huge warships and cargo ships were densely packed and stretched as far as the eye could see.

Cargo ships on the Eurasian route, after unloading their cargo in various parts of Europe, would sail empty to Tunisia, and the same would happen in Haifa and coastal cities in England.

They prepared to transport hundreds of thousands of troops and massive amounts of logistical supplies from the Great Chu Empire to the European battlefield to participate in the war.

General Tang Baoguo glanced at it a few times and then gently advised:
"Your Excellency Commander, in my humble opinion, going to the Eastern Front and taking over Crimea at the same time, and developing this territory as soon as possible, might not be a bad thing. It would save us from having to ask the Allied military bloc for it after the war, which would inevitably lead to a lot of trouble and disputes."

"No need to comfort me, General Headquarters also considered securing the spoils first. It's just that we never expected that Tsarist Russia would be the first to fall in this war. It's really too unexpected." General Chu-Zheng Hui shook his head with a wry smile.

After a brief pause, he continued;

"It is a pity that we ordinary mortals are so short-sighted. Even after decades of training, we are still not even a fraction as good as our father."

As early as the end of the last century
The Emperor strictly forbade the Empire from cooperating with Tsarist Russia in the financial field, prohibiting loans and credit, and strictly limiting political, economic and military exchanges.

The Emperor had long seen that Tsarist Russia was an unreliable country and had been on guard against it for a long time.

The prophecy has come true; now the Americans are crying their eyes out.

A few days ago, I was looking through "A Global Overview of World Events" and I remember a set of figures: the United States loaned $39.5 billion to Britain and $17.2 billion to Russia, 65% of which were generated in 1916. Now it's possible that all of them have been lost.

What about our Great Chu Empire?
The total amount of loans to Russia was 0.12 billion silver dollars, all of which were private business loans. The amount was so small as to be negligible and had virtually no impact.

The difference is immediately apparent when comparing the two.

"His Majesty's wisdom and insight far surpass those of us mediocre people. I, the commander, deeply admire him and feel honored to share in his glory."

"His Majesty is wise and mighty, and his plans are flawless, as has been proven over the years. Residing high in the palace, he can strategize far beyond the horizon, a feat unmatched by anyone in the world. This is a blessing for our empire." General Tang Baoguo spoke of this with immense admiration.

“Of course,” General Chu-Zhenghui replied, then asked, “Has the Supreme Command issued the order and the troop movement plans been finalized?”

"It's in progress and will be presented to His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief later today. We haven't received the transoceanic telegram from the Imperial mainland yet; there's probably some time lag."

"Let's get ready first. The army will set off in the next day or two. Notify the naval escort ships and transport fleets to get ready, notify the docks to make scheduling plans, and notify the warehouses and all units of our army to make preparations."

"Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief, everything has been arranged."

"Yes, going to the Eastern Front to help Tsarist Russia clean up the mess will definitely be an extremely challenging task!"

"Before the army set out, we were both mentally prepared that this European war would be the most severe test of our military careers. To be honest, Commander-in-Chief, I am interested in going to have some fun with the Germans."

"Hehe...that's exactly what I was thinking."

Two senior generals of the expeditionary force stood atop the clock tower, overlooking the exotic city of Tunis, discussing military deployments in a relaxed tone, as if chatting casually.

The Tunisian sun was intense in March, shining brightly throughout the city—a seemingly good omen. (End of Chapter)