Father of France

Chapter 207 The weak wields a knife against the weaker

“Send a telegram to the Governor of Antananarivo and the Commander of the Expeditionary Force,” Fleet Commander Fadaniel’s calm yet undeniably authoritative voice echoed in the quiet bridge. “Inform them that Richelieu is in position. The will of France is anchored outside the port of rebellion.”

The order was executed swiftly. The telegraph operator's fingers flew across the keys, producing beeping sounds, and invisible radio waves traversed the void, transmitting the message to the island's interior.

After issuing the order, General Fadaniel uttered a cold and ruthless voice, "Order: Conduct fire coverage on the port of Tuamasina."

On the European battlefield, an ironclad rule has been in place since the Crimean War: the navy cannot directly engage fortresses in a direct confrontation. But this time, however, a scene that will surely be unforgettable for the fleet's officers and men will unfold.

The 380mm guns on the forward deck of the Richelieu suddenly spewed out huge, orange-red flames tens of meters long, and thick smoke, like a death flower blooming in an instant, completely enveloped the bow. The enormous recoil caused the tens of thousands of tons of steel hull to tremble slightly.

Large-caliber shells, with a terrifying whooshing sound like a train speeding over rails, swept across the sea and crashed heavily toward the port of Tuamasina.

The first salvo of shells fell like meteorites. A warehouse area on the edge of the port, suspected to be a gathering point for rioters, was the first to be hit.

A massive fireball carrying wood, rubble, and human remains shot into the sky. The shockwave from the explosion, like an invisible giant hand, ripped off the roofs of nearby buildings, instantly turning windowpanes to dust.

Then, the shelling began to extend relentlessly. The harbor piers twisted and broke in the explosions, and wooden barges were torn to shreds like toys, bursting into flames.

The ship broke apart, tilted rapidly, and sank into the murky seawater, where oil slicks ignited into eerie, colorful flames on the surface.

Shells rained down on the port like a storm. A few port facilities collapsed under the repeated hits, reduced to ruins. The air was thick with the acrid smoke of gunpowder; these structures, built by the French, too had fallen victim to French fire.

The once bustling port has now become a living hell. Survivors scream and run among the ruins, searching for a safe haven that doesn't even exist. A salvo from the 380mm main guns could turn an entire city block into rubble, but that was far too much for the rebels in Tuamasina.

Thick black smoke almost completely obscured the sky, creating a terrifying contrast with the clear blue sky of early morning. Flames leaped and spread across the ruins, turning the seawater orange-red.

Before the roar of cannon shells had even faded from the mountains, leaving only the crackling of burning buildings and sporadic collapses, Tuamasina Port, once the largest port in Taiwan, was completely unrecognizable.

A low, persistent buzzing sound came from the west over the central highlands, gradually drowning out the chirping of insects in the jungle.

"That direction? Towards the capital, Antananarivo." Koman looked up, searching for the source of the voice. He couldn't believe that the rioting forces would have such equipment.

"It's our plane!" a young French soldier shouted excitedly, waving his deformed flat cap.

Sure enough, the outline of the bomber formation was exceptionally clear against the thin highland clouds, and the blurry figures of the pilots could even be seen behind the glass cockpits. Koman determined the direction of the bombers, which was flying northeast from the capital Antananarivo.

"It looks like we'll soon receive orders, and it's not just us, but an offensive to sweep across the East Coast is about to begin."

Koeman told Martin, "Command had previously said that when the fleet arrived at Tuamasina Port to bombard it, bombers would be deployed to bombard the port simultaneously. Our comrades from the navy and air force have already arrived; it's our turn."

“That’s it. I believe the other units will receive the attack order soon as well.” Martin believed Koeman’s words; there was only one possibility.

The trials for those living in Tuamasina have only just begun. Under the clear sky, the blue, white and red circular emblems on the wings and fuselage are still faintly visible.

For the remaining garrison and the unfortunate civilians stranded in the port, the scene was more suffocating than the battleships' massive cannons.

If they are fortunate enough to survive this disaster, they will never forget what they have experienced today, and what consequences the old-line imperialists will bring when they get angry.

Aerial bombs began to finish off the fleet's artillery barrage, falling with an almost elegant vertical trajectory toward the few remaining intact areas of the port.

The air was filled with the piercing screams of falling bombs, a sound that came from all directions, leaving no place to hide. Then came a series of earth-shaking explosions. Bombs landed in the urban area near the port, blowing wooden houses up like matchboxes and setting them ablaze, while brick and stone buildings collapsed in swathes under the shockwaves, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky.

The bomber formation maintained its formation, calmly and efficiently carrying out its destructive mission. Wherever they flew, the ground below was turned into a sea of ​​fire.

A massive column of smoke shot straight into the sky, making the French naval fleet, which had just completed its shelling mission and was still anchored on the sea, clearly visible.

The port of Tuamasina has fallen completely silent; apart from the crackling of flames and the occasional rumble of collapsing buildings, there is no other sound.

Koman's unit, stationed at the forward outpost on the Central Heights, had received an attack order from the Expeditionary Force Headquarters, issued by Major General Padova, the Expeditionary Force Commander.

"I believe that our brother units have also received the order to attack. We have applied to the Military Police Headquarters for two military disciplinary guidelines to be implemented."

In his command of the offensive group, Koeman did not elaborate on the pros and cons, but he certainly gave a serious suggestion: "The first of these two military disciplinary regulations, approved by the Governor-General of French Madagascar, is to allocate unclaimed land resulting from the riot to reward the South Islanders for their calmness and restraint during the riot. This regulation must be strictly enforced during the clearing operation to ensure that unclaimed land is allocated to groups and individuals who are loyal to France."

Officers, including Colonel Topher, the commander of the attacking air group, agreed. This was indeed a military disciplinary rule that had been previously communicated by headquarters, and it was of little consequence to the expeditionary officers and soldiers who were not from the local area.

"The second military rule is that children are always innocent, regardless of whether they are related to the rioters or not. The safety of children must be guaranteed. This rule should be widely publicized to all attacking aircraft."

Koeman explained to all the officers in command, "The expeditionary force is responsible for the assault and maintaining order in the riot areas, since the South Islanders have shown loyalty and can be entrusted with this task. This will reduce the burden on our comrades."

These two military disciplinary rules seem perfectly reasonable, and could even be said to perfectly align with progressive ideals. Unless someone is an inherently antisocial person, who would disagree with them?
Martin couldn't find fault with it either. After a moment of contemplation, he finally understood. As the two walked out of the command post together, he said, "This can be considered as clearing our name for what's to come."

Upon hearing this, Koeman knew that Martin had discovered room for maneuver in the two military discipline rules, so he didn't pretend to be profound and replied with a bright smile, "South Islanders can turn owned land into unclaimed land. We should not underestimate the wisdom of any ethnic group."

A group may not be highly developed, but they are naturally adept at avoiding and shunning things. Otherwise, how could Nigerians be so easily fooled by the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes of the United Kingdom and the United States?
The reason Suharto was so successful in inciting Indonesians to purge the Indonesian Communist Party was precisely because it was driven by self-interest.
The Austronesians of Madagascar are related to the Indonesians. Once the underlying interests are discovered, what does it matter if they've lived together for hundreds of years? Many ethnic groups have lived together for far more than a few hundred years.

If all else fails, Koeman can remind them that Vietnamese soldiers, who are also of Asian descent, are meant to be used in such situations.

The battle horn has sounded, reverberating towards the eastern coastal region with unprecedented intensity and frequency. The expeditionary force is divided into six attack groups, each group consisting of battalions and companies. These groups are equipped with machine guns, light mortars, and even enhanced with radio, like sharp scalpels simultaneously piercing the vast area between the highlands and the coastline.

All areas affected by the riots on the East Coast are within the scope of this offensive. Once a suspected village or field shows signs of a large group of people, the group will pounce on it like a pack of wolves.

First came the mortars and light machine guns. Shells and bullets rained down on the outskirts of the village, suppressing any possible firing positions. Then, Algerian infantry and Senegalese snipers, deployed in skirmish lines and providing alternating cover, stormed into the village.

Resistance was usually weak and short-lived. After capturing a settlement, the French expeditionary force would not stay but would leave immediately to join other attack groups and objectives.

The occupied residential areas were left to be managed by the South Islanders, who were ordered to count the number of unclaimed wastelands and promised to receive land after the uprising ended.

After the French expeditionary force left, the French soldiers looked at a group of elderly, weak, sick and disabled Austronesians and their gaze changed. "What land is owned? Isn't this all unclaimed wasteland?"

"We need to film everything to prevent other countries from finding out and criticizing France. France doesn't do things like that."

When the atrocities of the weak bullying the weaker had already occurred, Koman and Martin quickly came up with an idea: they could not pretend not to know, and they had to document this atrocity of ethnic hatred.

We must consider the long term; what if it comes in handy later? France has more than just Madagascar as a colony with similar problems.

Kill the resisters, starve the sympathizers, destroy everything this land has to support resistance. Koman couldn't help but exclaim, "Would it take a year? A three-month campaign would be a piece of cake!"

(End of this chapter)