Nanyang Storm 1864

Half a month later
Eastern Front, Warsaw Front
Thanks to the timely arrival of reinforcements from the Great Chu Empire in mid-March at the ports of Odessa and Romania, the retreat of the Russian army on the front lines was halted, and the situation on the eastern front was not too bad.

The war entered its fourth year. A tremendous upheaval occurred in Tsarist Russia. After the new government came to power, the situation of the Russian troops on the front lines did not change substantially, and they remained in dire straits, suffering from hunger and cold.

Although the new government ordered the Russian troops at the front to hold their positions, a large number of rank-and-file Russian troops who were unwilling to continue fighting left the battlefield and joined the Tsarist-Red Army.

A large number of deserting Russian soldiers were shot by law enforcement. Along the more than 900-kilometer-long eastern front, the bodies of Russian soldiers lay scattered everywhere. The enemy and friendly positions were intertwined, making the situation extremely complex.

Forced by circumstances
The newly arrived Great Chu Empire Expeditionary Force, spearheaded by the Ninth Army's tank units, organized a semi-mechanized corps consisting of over 2300 trucks and over 6500 mule-drawn carts to launch its first campaign in the European War, known as the "Spring Thunder Campaign."

After landing at the Romanian ports of Constanta and Mangalya, the army marched north across Romania, traversing the entire country in just six days and sweeping across the eastern front.

Faced with overwhelming assault firepower, a few enemy units that ventured deep into enemy territory were annihilated, and some lost Russian positions and lines were quickly recovered without causing serious consequences.

The Allied Eastern Front Command, located on the Romanian side, deployed Bulgarian and Austro-Hungarian troops, who were utterly unable to withstand the armored onslaught spearheaded by light tanks and collapsed at the first contact.

When German General Junkers learned of the situation on the battlefield, he was shocked. He had not expected the Great Chu Empire's army to arrive so quickly and fiercely, with an unstoppable momentum.

In this situation

General Junkers was forced to order the German forces at the front to retreat, avoiding a direct confrontation with the rapidly advancing elite forces of the Great Chu Empire and thus suffering unnecessary losses.

Ends July 3th

Taking advantage of the fact that the vast plains of Ukraine were still at the end of the cold winter in March, with the ground frozen solid, the Ninth Army spearheaded an offensive northward, advancing as much as 82 kilometers in a single day.

Its attack route basically followed the defenses of the Eastern Front northward, rather than penetrating deep into the Allied forces led by Germany, so it encountered less resistance.

If they launch a surprise attack along the rear of the defensive line, and the allied forces penetrate too deep and fail to retreat in time, they could easily be outflanked by the overwhelming force of the Great Chu Empire's army, resulting in their complete annihilation.

The Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force, spearheaded by the Ninth Army and flanked by the elite Third and Tenth Armies, followed by 15 provisional divisions, swept across 537 kilometers of the eastern front in two weeks, essentially restoring the pre-war stalemate between the two sides.

Behind the Ninth Army's assault, the elite Third and Tenth Armies were responsible for mopping up the remaining enemy forces, while 15 provisional divisions following behind were gradually added to the battle line, bringing the total to twelve divisions, totaling approximately 14 troops.

The remaining 7-plus Black auxiliary troops entered the second line of defense and were mixed with the Chinese-American troops of the 10th Army, forming a new line of defense.

The vanguard of the 9th Army's light tank units advanced all the way to central Poland on the Eastern Front, where they encountered the Russian 12th Army stationed there, halting their rapid advance.

By the end of March
The "Spring Thunder Campaign" was a complete victory. The reinforcements from the Great Chu Empire, which entered the eastern front, shielded the vast Ukrainian plains from the rear and re-established a defensive line.

In Warsaw, the capital of Poland

General Chu-Zhenghui, commander-in-chief of the European Expeditionary Force, who had traveled a long way to the area, held a high-level meeting with Marshal Petrovich, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, and redefined the defense zones of both sides, roughly half for each side.

Russia's defenses on the eastern front stretched 533 kilometers from Poland to the Baltic Sea in the north, with a force of over 340 million troops stationed at the front, primarily facing German forces.

The Great Chu Empire's defensive line was approximately 406 kilometers long. Facing part of the German forces in the central part of the front, as well as the Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces on the eastern front, the front was mainly located in the central and southern parts, extending south from the Polish border to the northeastern provinces of Romania.

After each country established its own defense zone, the relevant deployments were reported to the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers for record-keeping, and a system of mutual liaison officers was agreed upon, thus concluding the process.

Warsaw City

Late at night
The high-ranking officials of the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force, who had attended the high-level military meeting, returned to their residence in a long line of black cars. It was a magnificent palace-style building, said to be the palace of the King of Poland.

Everyone was exhausted and had no interest in appreciating the extremely luxurious palace. After taking a quick hot shower, they went to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, after a good night's rest, the military leaders, having regained their energy and spirits, gathered together for breakfast and lunch.

It was already past nine o'clock, and several high-ranking military officers, their stomachs growling with hunger, came to the canteen to have a hearty meal and, incidentally, discuss the most pressing matters at hand.

When Prince Chu-Zheng Hui arrived, Lieutenant General Hu Junchen, commander of the Ninth Army, Lieutenant General Zheng Zhongyi, commander of the Third Army, Lieutenant General He Yong, commander of the Central African Corps, and others were already sitting at the dining table, smoking and drinking tea, waiting for his arrival.

"His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief has arrived!" the protocol officer announced, and a group of senior generals stood up in unison, raised their hands in salute, and said, "We respectfully welcome His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief."

"Please sit down, everyone. I was a little late because I just finished reviewing two urgent telegrams." His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui waved his hand warmly and sat down first.

The other officers then sat down one after another, all with their hands on their knees, their upper bodies much straighter than before.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui looked at them, picked up his chopsticks first, and called to the generals, "We're all brothers in the same boat, so don't be shy. Come on, help yourselves to whatever you want to eat. I'm starving, so I won't stand on ceremony with you."

"Since the commander is so kind, we'll start eating," said Lieutenant General Hu Junchen, commander of the Ninth Army, with a smile, as he and the other officers picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.

The Ninth Army was formed by a large-scale expansion of the original Ninth Expeditionary Division and is one of the most famous elite divisions of the Great Chu Empire.

The most famous battle of the early 9th Expeditionary Division was when it served as the main force in Australia and made great achievements in the conquest of the western Pacific region, which was praised by His Majesty the Emperor.

Most of the officers and soldiers below the middle rank of the 9th Expeditionary Division remained in Australia and are now thousands or even tens of thousands of farmers of all sizes, wielding enormous influence in Queensland, the Northern Territory, New Wales, and Victoria.

The Ninth Division Veterans Association of Australia is one of the most influential political groups in the country, with members spread throughout Australia's upper class.

The Ninth Army was formed by absorbing the Ninth Expeditionary Division, the 17th Division, the 20th Division, and the 31st Division. These were all regular units of the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui was the commander of the Ninth Division during the Chu-Japanese War more than ten years ago. Lieutenant General Hu Juncheng, the current commander of the Ninth Army, was the division's chief of staff at that time and was one of Prince Chu's old subordinates.

Lieutenant General Zheng Zhongyi, commander of the 10th Army, was the former commander of the 35th Division. They fought side by side during the Chu-Japanese War and shared a common military career, making command quite smooth.

The Third and Tenth Armies were largely similar, formed by drawing on elite Royal Army divisions and incorporating other field divisions. They were well-equipped and possessed considerable combat power.

The table is laden with a variety of dishes, including meat buns, vegetable buns, red bean buns, fried dough sticks, shumai, and more than 10 delicate stir-fried dishes, as well as cold dishes with pickles, congee, soy milk, and milk. Noodles can also be ordered separately if desired.

These high-ranking officers ate with great relish, drinking porridge, eating steamed buns, or drinking soy milk and eating fried dough sticks, indulging in whatever they liked.

Everyone at the table was engrossed in their meal, deciding to eat until they were mostly full first.

If His Highness speaks later, you must put down your chopsticks and listen to his instructions.

As the headquarters of the Imperial Expeditionary Force, it has a dedicated high-class kitchen staffed entirely by skilled Chinese chefs, making such an exquisite Chinese-style breakfast a piece of cake.

In the expeditionary force of the Great Chu Empire

In headquarters at the basic division level and above, there are dedicated chefs who provide authentic Chinese cuisine, so that these high-ranking officers far from home can eat to their heart's content.

Once you reach the regimental or battalion level, the meals are provided only by the cooks at the regimental or battalion headquarters. The quality is naturally not as good as that of professional chefs, but the food is still acceptable.

Upon arriving at this eastern battlefield, it was immediately apparent that the soldiers of the Great Chu Empire were well-fed, robust, and had rosy complexions, a stark contrast to the skinny Russian soldiers.

The Great Chu Empire was rich in resources, possessed a strong economy, and had excellent equipment. With the support of powerful logistics, its combat effectiveness was significantly higher than that of the Russian army.

Even the native auxiliary soldiers were equipped with full uniforms and gear, and they looked strong and powerful.

As for the Russian officers and soldiers who had spent several years on the battlefield, apart from the officers who were dressed somewhat decently, the soldiers were really ragged and barely better off than beggars.

Within the same Russian army, the treatment of the elite directly subordinate troops and the miscellaneous troops differed greatly. His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui also had a hearty appetite, eating several steamed buns, drinking a bowl of porridge, and eating two fried dough sticks with a bowl of soy milk before finally wiping his mouth with a hot towel, satisfied.

He picked up the teacup beside him and slowly took two sips.

Seeing His Highness pick up the teacup, the other senior officers hurriedly stuffed a few pieces of food into their mouths, then picked up towels to wipe their mouths and took a sip of tea to moisten their throats.

Waited for two or three minutes
His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui cleared his throat and said:
"Yesterday, I discussed the regional deployment with the Russian army. I plan to set up the General Headquarters in Kyiv. The deployment areas for each army have been roughly determined. There will be some minor adjustments, but there will be no major changes."

The Spring Thunder Campaign has ended. Each army should submit its report on the campaign summary and post-battle rewards within one month, and the General Headquarters will compile a comprehensive summary.

At this stage, a rest and recuperation period of 3 to 4 months will begin. Each army will be stationed at its existing positions, familiarize itself with the local conditions and hydrological and geographical features, and make corresponding preparations to defend against a German attack.

Here, I, the coach, would like to emphasize...

Whoever lost the position, must retake it. Stability on the Eastern Front must be maintained, or face court-martial.
During this period
The expeditionary force will not initiate new offensive campaigns, but will focus on familiarizing itself with the local situation and will enter a relatively long period of rest and recuperation.

From Romania to Poland, as temperatures rise in late April, the region enters its unique frost-prone period, making fields and roads extremely muddy. Firepower forces, primarily armored and heavy artillery units, can only rely on existing roads for mobility.

You need to consider the difficulties more thoroughly.

In April and May, the Ukrainian plains, with rising temperatures and abundant rainfall, are essentially a muddy, quagmire, making the movement of heavily armed troops extremely difficult.

This also means that when you lose ground, it will be difficult for the artillery divisions and armored regiments under the Expeditionary Force Headquarters to provide timely reinforcements and necessary fire support.

The second batch of Imperial reinforcements to Europe will arrive in Europe in early July, which will take about three months. During this period, our main task is to hold the Eastern Front.

"No rash advances, no risky moves, no need to actively seek battle. Just hold the line steadily, everyone understand?"

"Understood, Your Excellency Commander." The generals stood up in unison, raised their hands in salute, and replied.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui nodded, picked up his teacup and took a sip, then stood up and said, "Alright, sit down. Those who haven't finished eating, please continue to eat. I have finished my breakfast, so I'll take my leave now."

"We, your humble servants, respectfully see you off, Commander-in-Chief," the officers replied in unison.

His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui snorted and turned to leave.

He still had a lot to do that morning. The Russian army urgently needed a large amount of food supplies, and was lacking in weapons, ammunition, and clothing. They had already asked him, the commander-in-chief, for help.

There was no other way; we had to send some supplies over. We couldn't just watch our allies starve to death.

The situation in Tsarist Russia is currently in a state of great chaos. The already corrupt logistics system has collapsed and is unable to support the logistical supply of more than 340 million Russian troops at the front.

His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui agreed to provide the Russian army with 3 tons of emergency food, which should be enough to support them for about two weeks. This is already the most economical possible measure.

As for clothing, ammunition, fuel, cigarettes, sugar, and other supplies, they were given some, more or less, which could only alleviate the immediate crisis.

He wanted to ensure that the Russian army did not make any mistakes at the northern end of the Eastern Front, and at least stabilize the front line, stopping the large-scale desertion of the Russian rank-and-file soldiers, which was extremely damaging to morale.

If the Russian army collapses, it will be the Great Chu Empire's army that has to clean up the mess.

With only 50 troops at his disposal, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui cannot support the 940-kilometer-long eastern front. The Russian army must share the burden.

After all, the Germans were no joke; their formidable fighting power was well-known. German officers and soldiers possessed exceptional military skills, strict discipline, close military cooperation, and extremely strong fighting will, making them a very difficult enemy to deal with.

If the Great Chu European Expeditionary Force can maintain its current front line, it will have already accomplished its mission.

As for localized counter-offensive campaigns, those can only be considered once the second or even third batch of reinforcements from the Imperial homeland arrives.

According to His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui's estimate, the earliest it could happen would be in the fourth quarter of 1917, that is, after October. At present, the conditions for launching a counterattack campaign are completely unavailable.

The brutal four-year European war has proven
Who initiated the attack?
The casualties increase dramatically for each side, a characteristic of trench warfare, as proven by countless bloody battles.

The defending side always gains a huge advantage, which is the real reason why the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force is reluctant to launch offensive campaigns.

So what if they have tanks and heavy artillery?

On the European battlefield today, tanks from various countries are a common sight. French cruiser tanks, British Mark I and Mark II tanks, and tanks developed by the Germans have not changed the fundamental situation of the battlefield.

Therefore, before going to Europe to participate in the war, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui went to the palace to meet his father, the emperor, and received his father's personal instructions, the specific strategies of which were very clear.

That means that once on the European battlefield, one should play it safe and avoid launching offensives unless absolutely necessary. Even if the Supreme Command urges the launch of a large-scale counter-offensive, one must first request permission from the Imperial homeland.

During the stalemate phase of trench warfare, the main task is to fill in the Black auxiliary troops.

If 40 is not enough, then it is not difficult to scrape together another 40 by sweeping and scraping in East Africa.

In this way

There are not many black slaves left in the several princely kingdoms in East Africa, which will definitely affect local infrastructure and economic development. The empire can just provide more financial support.

Things that can be solved with money aren't really problems.

With his mind made up, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui naturally became less enthusiastic about any counterattack campaign.

During last night's meeting

The Russian commander-in-chief mentioned that the new government planned to launch a new offensive in May, named the "Kerensky Offensive," in order to revive the glory of the Saudi army, and hoped that the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force would act simultaneously.

"He threw two heavy punches, one to the left and one to the right, and knocked the German down." These were Marshal Petrovich's exact words, and His Highness Chu-Zheng Hui simply said he would consider it.

Counterattack my ass!

He now commands 51 troops and must defend a long front of 406 kilometers. More than a dozen divisions are needed to be deployed on the front lines, with each division having a defensive front of 36 kilometers.

This front line is only a thin layer. If the first and second lines of defense are breached, the entire front line will be in great danger of being broken through, and the defensive situation is not optimistic.

Fortunately, there were some weaker Austro-Hungarian troops among them, and the German divisions in the central region numbered only 11, which allowed them to barely maintain a defensive posture.

If they leave their positions to attack, they will soon run out of steam.

The Bulgarian army is a force to be reckoned with, possessing roughly 70% of the combat strength of the German army. Its only shortcomings are inferior weaponry and equipment, as well as a less effective military command.

We must be extra careful when dealing with the Bulgarian army.

When you first arrive, you need to establish yourself first.

Given the current strength of the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force, if the German army were to launch a counterattack, it would likely be the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force that suffers a tragic fate, not the enemy.

Just as Father said, "Let's play it safe for now. We don't need to do anything risky or attention-grabbing. We can discuss any battle plans later when reinforcements arrive." (End of Chapter)