Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 260 Iranian Special Military Operations
Iran's naval fleet in the Far East consists of a number of steam-powered and sailing warships of varying sizes, which travel between Saigon and Pontianak. Although it is not as powerful as the British and Dutch, it is still more powerful than other countries.

Due to geographical reasons, the three warships of the Satsuma Domain, namely the Hakuhōmaru, Tenyūmaru, and Seiyōmaru, went to Naha first. They bombarded the port of Naha and demanded that the King of Ryukyu hand over the culprit.

Upon hearing that the Japanese had arrived, King Shangtai naturally clung tightly to the Iranians. The Ryukyu Kingdom's army was weak, still using weapons like wooden clubs. If the Japanese came, his fate might be grim; therefore, he could only rely on the Iranians, the largest possible force.

Fortunately, the Iranians came specifically to confront the Japanese. They built fortifications in the streets of Naha and maintained a long-term standoff with the Japanese.

For the first time in 350 years since the Keicho War of 1609, the Japanese landed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. They looked much the same as the Japanese before them, and charged straight at the barricades.

"Fire!"

Adil ordered his soldiers to unleash a hail of bullets on the charging Japanese. No matter how tough the armor, it couldn't withstand the relentless barrage of bullets; Japanese soldiers fell one after another in their advance.

The Satsuma Domain originally had firearms, but felt that dealing with Ryukyu didn't require such a grand display; a show of force with warships would suffice, and that was that.

Subsequently, the Iranians launched a counterattack, annihilating the enemy force in the streets. Realizing the situation was dire, the Japanese warships abandoned their landing crew and headed north back to the Satsuma Domain.

Is it over?

That's it!

I thought the Japanese were incredibly capable, but this is all they've got?

In retrospect, the Japanese had sent 300 men, suggesting they believed a mere show of force would suffice for dealing with Ryukyu. Unfortunately for them, they encountered Iran.

Ten days later, eight warships, led by the steam battleship Abbas, arrived in Naha. After confirming its safety, they headed north to discuss the outcome with the Satsuma Domain.

Shimazu Tadayoshi thought the fleet would return victorious, but instead they fled in disarray, which angered him so much that he berated the commander.

"Damn it! You just left like that, and even lost the lives of 300 warriors."

Despite their repeated explanations, the enraged lord imprisoned them and mobilized all the troops of the Satsuma Domain in preparation for a possible attack.

At this time, the Iranian navy had already attacked Amami Oshima, which had been seized from Ryukyu by the Satsuma Domain 300 years earlier and was now also occupied by Iran.

News of the war between the Satsuma Domain and Iran spread throughout Kyushu, and local samurai who revered the emperor and sought to expel foreigners came to their aid. Kagoshima's cannons were all aimed overseas, waiting to wipe out the enemy upon their arrival.

Twenty-eight days after the Naha incident, the Iranian fleet entered Kagoshima Bay and then bombarded Kagoshima Castle without warning.

Within hours of the conflict, most of Kagoshima Castle was destroyed, including the famous industrial complex built by the former daimyo Shimazu Nariakira. The Satsuma Domain lost its steamships and all its gun-producing factories. However, the Satsuma bombardment severely damaged one Iranian fleet vessel, forcing it to withdraw from the Gulf for rest and regrouping.

"They ran away, we won!"

As the Iranian troops withdrew, the garrison in Kagoshima cheered, believing they had followed the right path, and their morale soared. However, among them, one man stood out with a furrowed brow, lost in thought.

"Yibang-kun, what are you thinking about?"

When Sheng Yibang saw that it was his friend, he expressed his thoughts.

(Note: Sheng Haizhou's real name was Yibang, and Haizhou was his pen name.)
“I think that the fact that the Kingdom of I has retreated so easily now is probably because they are planning to launch another attack. If it were just a matter of punishment, they could have negotiated with the lord first. But now that they have attacked directly, I'm afraid a greater danger is coming.”

Okubo Toshimichi felt the same way, wondering if Iran would attack, but for now, Kagoshima seemed safe.

That evening, the samurai gathered to celebrate this great victory. Having finally defeated the invaders after the arrival of the Black Ships, they all drank heavily.

Around midnight, several more ships quietly approached the shore. Some distance from the shore, many people disembarked in small boats and quickly advanced towards Kagoshima, which had been reduced to ruins by bombing.

For Allah!

Suddenly, sounds rang out all around, catching the Japanese off guard. Bullets were fired, and many died without warning.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Japanese samurai took up their weapons and charged at the Iranian army. They fought bravely, shouting in unison to kill the enemy. Due to limited firearms, they armed themselves with spears and bows and arrows, relying on sheer courage to fight the Iranian forces and disrupt their battle formation. However, they suffered heavy casualties due to the intense firepower of the enemy forces occupying the ruins and the bombardment of enemy artillery.

This battle was also a classic clash between a reformed army and a feudal army. The Iranian Expeditionary Force, having undergone a series of wars, was equipped not only with muzzle-loading flintlock muskets and smoothbore cannons with bayonets, but also with some of the latest rifled artillery and rifles. They employed the latest tactics, such as hollow square formations and three-rank infantry lines. The Japanese army, on the other hand, was a mixed infantry and cavalry force primarily using both cold and firearms. They were equipped with a small number of imported and copied old-style smoothbore muskets, domestically made muskets, matchlock guns, mortars, and spears.

"Quick, hold on!"

Katsuyoshi and Okubo Toshimichi, along with some samurai, fought and retreated. The enemy's firepower was too fierce, with all kinds of bullets and shells flying around. If they were lucky enough to be hit on their armor or hands and legs, they could survive. But if they were hit by a shell or in the face, they were basically done for.

The Iranian army was firing indiscriminately because it was dark and they couldn't see the enemy's faces, so they could only fire towards Kagoshima, which meant that at least nine out of ten soldiers would be hit.

"We can't hold on any longer, should we retreat?"

"Damn it, as warriors, we should die on the battlefield! Charge!"

Wave after wave of Japanese fell to the Iranian army, and this night was destined to be recorded in history. After the Iranian army's surprise attack, the retainers and daimyo of the Satsuma Domain first left Kagoshima with important belongings and sought help from other daimyo. On October 31, the Iranian army completely occupied Kagoshima and captured many Japanese.

From naval battle to occupation, only 28 hours had passed. Such rapid military action was unexpected by both sides. The Iranians believed that Japan was far superior to Siam, while the Japanese thought they could drive them out of their country. However, the war shattered their illusions.

(End of this chapter)