Nanyang Storm 1864

In the eyes of the European powers

The states of Chu and Mei are birds of a feather, taking advantage of the wars and turmoil in Europe to develop rapidly. They are like maggots sucking blood from Europe, neither of them is any good.

Why were the views of the European powers so extreme?

This inevitably leads to the observation that Chu and the United States have rapidly grown and prospered, becoming the world's top two economies in terms of output, with Chu ranking first and the United States second, thus surpassing many of the major powers on the European continent.

This dark mentality of "Why are you better than me?" led the major European powers to generally favor the weak and secretly take practical actions to help the United States.

Especially Britain

Because the United States and Canada share the natural geographical connection of the Great Lakes region, industrial and agricultural products exported from the United States can travel north through the Great Lakes region into Canada and then be transported to the Port of Quebec via the St. Lawrence Sea Route.

At the Port of Quebec, these American goods were redistributed and shipped to Europe by sea, and vice versa.

This enabled the United States to maintain a considerable amount of exports despite the tight naval and air blockade.

According to statistics
On the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Hughes and Lake Ontario, the number of large cargo ships passing through after the outbreak of war surged from 21 in March to 104 in July, a more than fivefold increase in cargo volume.

The flourishing of regional trade led to a rare occurrence of ship congestion on the Welland Canal.

Meanwhile, European countries are supplying large quantities of ammunition and weapons to Canada to repay the principal and interest on their loans from the United States, and they can sell them at a high price.

The unprecedented scale of the war more than a decade ago left the warehouses of the victorious nations, including Britain and France, overflowing with all sorts of weapons and ammunition—a truly staggering number.

I'm so excited to be able to turn it into a treasure.

The Chu Royal Navy was unable to intercept or deal with these British and French merchant ships that were transporting weapons and ammunition to Canada, and could only watch helplessly as they flowed into North America.

Canada is, after all, an independent country, and neither side has declared war nor has relations deteriorated significantly. Even knowing that these weapons and ammunition would ultimately end up in American hands, the Chu warships had no legitimate reason to intercept them.

Supreme Edict from the Holy Emperor Taizu

The Royal Navy was strictly prohibited from intercepting British and French merchant ships without authorization, but this was not allowed for Germany, Italy, and other countries. This was a clear case of differential treatment.

Britain has Canada, and France has Quebec; these two countries are traditionally among the world's top powers and thus receive special treatment.

This instantly broke the morale of the Germans, who had a strong sense of national pride. Did the defeated nation not care about dignity?
The international reality of the 20th century was so cold: if you weren't strong enough, you couldn't even sit at the table to enjoy the feast; you'd be kicked off the table in one fell swoop.

November 30st

The main fleet of the Royal Navy of the Great Chu Empire, located in the Atlantic Ocean, landed on Thetisbury Island, east of New York Harbor and north of Boston, and captured the famous fishing town of Edgar Gould.

Heathbury Island has excellent harbor conditions, capable of accommodating large fleets. Although the town of Edgarton is small, its harbor plains have large hilly areas suitable for building military camps.

The key is
This is a crucial route on the air route from New York and Philadelphia to Europe. It is only 97 kilometers west of New York Island and 131 kilometers north of Boston.

The island can be developed into a field airfield, and the docks and piers of the fishing town can also provide berthing and resupply for cruisers and destroyers.

Excellent harbor conditions allow the entire fleet to dock.

At this stage

The Royal Navy's main force, consisting primarily of battle fleets and aircraft carrier fleets, has returned to the port of Colon on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal for rest and refitting, while the Second Battle Fleet is stationed in the port of Havana, Cuba.

The main force of the fleet heading north this time was a task force centered around three aircraft carriers and three battleships, with a large number of light cruisers and destroyers, the latter being the main force stationed in Edgarton.

Previously, the Royal Navy had considered occupying the eastern end of New York Island, which is about 120 to 130 kilometers from Queens, New York, on the western side of the island and has relatively good port conditions.

Later, considering the pressure of confronting the US military head-on, which would inevitably invite a continuous barrage of attacks, they gave up after repeated deliberations.

By possessing absolute control of the sea, the Royal Navy could place its naval bases on islands, which would greatly enhance its security should the US Navy be completely destroyed.

This saves a lot of unnecessary trouble and casualties, which is the best policy.

Based on the above considerations
Admiral Tang Shaoyi, Chief of the Royal Navy Staff, selected three islands off the coast of the United States for military occupation, further expansion and improvement, to serve as forward military bases for the Royal Navy's long-term blockade.

It mainly consists of light cruiser and destroyer squadrons, working in conjunction with some air squadrons, to form the main force blocking the U.S. East Coast.

Large battleships and aircraft carriers are deployed in the south, serving as a strategic maritime deterrent force, and are not used for general military operations.

Through the chain of islands, the Imperial Royal Navy's expeditionary fleet wove a noose that essentially blocked shipping along the American East Coast, forcing regional shipping trade to a halt.

This move had a significant effect, causing a precipitous drop in US maritime trade. Cotton in the South could not be sold, and industrial goods in the North could not be transported out, severely impacting the economy and people's livelihoods.

This has led to soaring prices in metropolitan areas like New York, severe shortages of food and daily necessities, rampant black markets, and serious disruption to the economic order.

Meanwhile, in the southern grain and cotton producing areas, large quantities of agricultural products could not be transported out.

The hardship of people's livelihoods exacerbated public discontent and intensified the division between the North and the South, with anger growing like weeds.

November 6st

suburbs of Juarez, Mexico
Outside the farm of Mr. Pedoso Gonzalez, a very powerful local rancher, a large number of American cavalrymen marched in four-man columns, stretching as far as the eye could see.

These American cavalrymen all looked travel-worn, wearing black cowboy caps and equipped with carbines and revolvers, having trekked a long way to get here.

Mr. Pedoso Gonzalez had already come up to greet him with a large entourage. Major General Bart Starr, commander of the U.S. 3rd Cavalry Division, laughed and dismounted from his horse. The two exchanged warm greetings.

"Welcome, General. I have prepared enough food, water, and wine at the manor so that the brothers can have a good rest."

“Thank you very much, Mr. Gonzalez. On behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Division, I would like to express my deepest respect to you! The soldiers are exhausted and in dire need of rest, which is exactly the help we need most.”

“I am at your service, Your Excellency General. Please follow me.” Mr. Pedozo González’s brother’s family were Americans, and he spoke fluent English. He was a powerful figure in the Mexican local community.

Mr. Pedozo-González led the general and a group of officers into the manor, where the soldiers set up camp and watered their warhorses at the small river next to the manor houses.

In addition, the farm workers had prepared a large amount of black bean fodder to feed the horses, as well as meat soup and other food to entertain the soldiers. The preparations were very thorough.

The U.S. 3rd Cavalry Division was reinforced with a field artillery battalion and a heavy machine gun battalion, with a total of more than 6400 men and 15,000 warhorses. Each soldier had two horses, and the extra packhorses were used to carry tents, ammunition and other military supplies.

As more troops arrived, the plantation ran out of manpower, so food, vegetables, and meat were distributed and cooked by the individual regiments of the cavalry division. The 3rd Cavalry Division had come from Austin, north of Houston, Texas, which is close to the Gulf Coast and about 1700 kilometers away from Juarez.

Texas’s major cities are located along the coast, while the vast inland areas are barren, largely undeveloped, and sparsely populated.

The 3rd Cavalry Division was headquartered in Austin, while the other regiments were stationed in cities such as Houston, Weslaco, and Beaumont, which were far apart from each other.

If it weren't for the needs of war, the entire force wouldn't have been mobilized for a long-range raid.

The Pedoso-González Estate was a rest stop that the U.S. military had arranged long ago. It was a large estate covering tens of thousands of acres, where cotton and grain were grown, a large herd of cattle was grazed, and it had strong logistical support capabilities.

Of course, it wasn't done for free; the US military paid for it.

After a four-day rest, the warhorses had recovered some strength, and the 4rd Cavalry Division set off north again, heading straight for Las Cruces, north of the Juarez border.

Las Cruces, home to two to three thousand troops of the Great Chu Empire, was the target of the 3rd American Cavalry Division's mission.

The mission of the 3rd Cavalry Division was to "advance thousands of miles, harass the enemy's rear, and fire the first shot of the war."

The urgency stems from the immense pressure the US government is under; reporters from the Associated Press and The New York Times press it on almost every press conference, and domestic public opinion is surging.

Everyone is asking, why haven't we launched a full-scale counterattack against the invading Chu army?

The average American citizen is unaware of the intricacies involved, the logistical bottlenecks that plague the U.S. military, and the specific details.

All we know is that the San Francisco Bay Area has been under siege for so long, why haven't we retaliated? Go and teach those Easterners a lesson they won't forget.

What are we waiting for?
The main U.S. military forces need too much time to prepare, at least until the end of September or the beginning of October. The 3rd Cavalry Division is tasked with firing the first shot.

This American citizen is simply sending a signal that the U.S. military is launching a full-scale counterattack, nothing more.

When the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Division arrived on the outskirts of Juarez, Mexico, the Great Chu Empire army stationed in Las Cruces received accurate information and immediately began full-scale combat preparations.

The unit stationed in Las Cruces is the Wang Benming Task Force, a mixed force led by Colonel Wang Benming, the deputy division commander, and tasked with guarding the southern border.

Las Cruces is only 56 kilometers south of Juárez in Mexico, on the border, and the U.S. 3rd Cavalry Division can reach it in just a few hours given its mobility.

Within a range of two to three hundred kilometers to the left of Wang Benming's task force, the east and west sides were both barren wastelands, with only the southern side being the Mexican border city of Juarez, and the two places had extremely close ties.

Mexicans make up more than 80% of the thousands of local residents in Las Cruces.

After the task force moved in, thousands of young Mexican women arrived in droves, all hoping to make a fortune off the Chinese-American soldiers. The reason is self-evident.

Las Cruces' flour, cotton fabrics, and even beef and mutton are mainly supplied by Juarez, which shows the close economic ties between the two cities.

The secret report that Colonel Wang Benming received came from Mr. Petso Gonzalez, a large plantation owner, who sent a special messenger to inform him, and even listed details of the weapons and equipment of the 3rd US Cavalry Division.

This is the survival strategy of Mexican ranchers in chaotic times: to please both sides, especially the royal army of the Great Chu Empire, which is known for its fierce fighting prowess in North America.

no way

Although Pedozo González is a very powerful figure in Mexico, he is just an ant that can be crushed at will, caught between two major military powers.

Compared to the Americans more than a thousand kilometers away, the Chu royal army entrenched in Las Cruces instilled more awe in him.

This has nothing to do with ethnicity, sentiment, or religion; it is purely a matter of power.

The Royal Expeditionary Force of the Great Chu Empire could pass through Mexico without any scruples, delivering a powerful right hook to the American border forces and causing the Americans to crumble.

If they suffer a loss at the hands of the US military, just imagine, wouldn't the royal army of the Great Chu Empire stationed in Las Cruces cross the border and uproot the Pedozo-González family, completely wiping them out?
Pedozo González dared not gamble with his family's wealth and the lives of his parents and children, nor could he afford to, so he had no choice but to cooperate obediently.

Around 2:00 AM on July 11
The American cavalry division set out early, taking a detour along the gravel road north of Juarez, and advancing slowly into the night.

The long torches stretched as far as the eye could see, like fiery serpents winding their way through the night. The clash of weapons mingled with the sound of horses' hooves, filling the air with a tense atmosphere before the battle.

In the night
The warhorses moved forward at the most energy-efficient pace, roughly equivalent to a normal person jogging, at a speed of about 8 to 9 kilometers per hour, heading north.

Horses generally have poor eyesight and can only follow the caravan in the dark.

In the advancing cavalry, Major General Bart Starr sat steadily on his warhorse, pondering the upcoming battle.

World War I has proven

Cavalry is no longer suitable for the modern battlefield, especially when facing the interwoven fire of heavy machine guns. Their chances of survival are extremely low, making them a type of soldier facing elimination.

To achieve victory, it is essential to leverage the high mobility of cavalry and launch timely surprise attacks on the enemy.

Previous investigations showed

The Chu army stationed in the Las Cruces region did not build any decent trenches or bunkers; they simply set up some wooden fences and barbed wire along the roads of the small town as defensive lines.

This inadvertently created a great opportunity for a cavalry raid.

Major General Bat-Starr, the division commander, planned to launch the attack at around 6:00 a.m., when it was just getting light and most of the enemy officers and soldiers had not yet gotten up.

After a rapid three-minute burst of fire, the cavalry quickly stormed into the town to mow down the enemy, having to retreat within 20 minutes at most.

Attack quickly, then retreat quickly, catching the enemy off guard.

If all goes well, the victory can be further expanded, and the Chu army that has penetrated deep into the border can be completely annihilated, winning a good start to the battle.

Thinking of this, Major General Bart Starr couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and clenched his fists tightly.

A successful surprise attack would greatly boost the morale of the nation and set a good precedent for the Rio Rancho campaign, demonstrating that this fierce Eastern army is not invincible.

With this victory, Major General Bart Starr will become a war hero, his career path in the military will be fully opened, and he will rise rapidly through the ranks.

For a moment, Major General Bart-Star was filled with excitement at his own delusion, and boundless confidence and courage welled up within him, preparing him to teach the Easterners a harsh lesson. (End of Chapter)