Chapter 288 Celebration Summary
Luo Shengdong coughed dryly and said: "I appreciate Mr. Yan's kindness. This is the result of the war of the militia soldiers. How can I invade it at will?"
As Luo Shengdong spoke, he secretly suppressed his previous thoughts - the Haihan people were so ferocious in battle, it would be better for him to be more honest. Although the current business of trafficking in illegal salt is not very profitable, it is at least stable and safe without any hidden dangers. You should not get involved in the war. The Haihan people are really having too much fun.
Luo Shengdong originally thought that the Haihan people were only going out to fight pirates this time, but judging from what Yan Chujie said, it was obvious that this was not a small-scale conflict between armed groups, but a real war. The vast majority of the local people I'm afraid I couldn't have imagined beforehand that the vigilante group would quietly go out and do such a big deal.
After the Executive Committee announced to the local area on January 21 that a merchant ship had been hijacked and that militia groups were dispatched to attack the South Vietnamese rebels, the Victory Port area entered a state of military control and imposed a curfew. The local people and foreign merchants, including Luo Shengdong and others who came to support Haihan, only then realized that the Haihan militia had actually started a war against a certain force in Annan Kingdom. Of course, the truth that North Vietnam invited the Haihan militia from Qiongzhou Island to assist in the war will reach South Vietnam sooner or later, but that will be at least a month or two later.
This seemingly crude and direct method of retaliation, instead of arousing public criticism, has received strong support from the local people. Although the propaganda department plays a role in this, what cannot be ignored is that collectivism has gradually begun to appear among the naturalized people - the vast majority of people believe that the militia's expedition is to protect the Haihan Executive Committee. The collective interests of the leader also include their own interests. In the eyes of the people of Victory Port, this battle across the sea is just and should be supported.
Of course, the outcome of the battle also has a very important impact on public opinion. If the troops are defeated in the end, there will inevitably be voices among the people questioning the Executive Committee, especially the Military and Police Department. But now that the militia has won a complete victory, it has not only attacked its opponents but also captured a lot of money. No one with a damaged brain can jump out to find fault with the Executive Committee's decision to launch a war at this time.
To put it bluntly, the main reason is that the main battlefield of this war is not in Victory Port. Apart from the curfew during this period, the negative impact of this war on the people can be said to be minimal. Therefore, there has been no obvious anti-war sentiment among the people. Most of them were just a little uneasy about the outcome of the war. In addition, the war period was not long. It only took more than 20 days from the departure of the militia to the triumphant return, and it did not have any obvious impact on the normal social order in the local area. Now that the Executive Committee and the militiamen have proven their strength, ordinary people only need to relax and celebrate the victory.
It will take some time for the dividends that the local people have gained from this war to slowly become apparent. The Executive Committee and the Military and Police Department will then evaluate the combat merits of the combatants and issue rewards and pensions. This scope even includes the civilian husbands, crew members and other craftsmen who went to the front line to cooperate in the battle. The wealth distributed to the people in the form of circulation coupons is enough to benefit thousands of families, and thousands of naturalized people will directly benefit from this war. As for the positive social benefits that these measures will bring, it is not something that can be described in a few words.
All combatants will receive three days of leave in batches after returning to Hong Kong. However, the officers leading the team will not be so lucky. They will have to immediately hold summary meetings at all levels to prepare for this military operation. Final summary and merit review. Yan Chujie, Harugong, Wang Tom, Sun Changmi and others also had to compile an action briefing and report to the Executive Committee the details of the action process, as well as their estimates of the future trends of the civil war and political situation in Annan.
In addition, the Military and Police Department must also revise the "1628 Military Development Outline" previously submitted to the Executive Committee, and some contents need to be re-planned based on the circumstances of this battle. Although this military operation achieved a great victory, many of its own problems were still exposed during the operation, and there were many areas for improvement in training and combat plan formulation. In addition, the Military and Police Department also wants to take advantage of the momentum gained this time to further enrich the group's military strength through a series of military expansion and war preparation plans. In the past, every time the Military and Police Department applied for military expansion, there were always people who would keep an eye on the military budget. This time, the Military and Police Department relied on its own performance to get a large sum of money, enough to build several more "Exploration-class" warships and form a There are already several militia companies, so it certainly doesn’t make sense for some civil servants to use economic reasons to oppose military expansion.
After the brief welcoming ceremony, there was a large-scale celebration banquet arranged by the Executive Committee for the expeditionary force. A tent was set up inside and outside Base No. 1, and tables were set up for a hundred tables. The executive committee members held wine glasses and toasted to the militia soldiers separately. Alcoholic beverages, which are usually strictly controlled on the market, were also authorized to be supplied to the combatants today. Of course, the alcoholic beverages provided were only low-alcohol drinks. The Executive Committee did not want to see Victory Harbor being made a mess by hundreds of drunks. .
The officers announced that all logistics personnel recruited from the local area, as well as some companies that had received leave, would be disbanded on the spot after the banquet. The company responsible for the rotation will return to the barracks on the east bank of the port and continue to perform daily combat readiness duties starting tomorrow.
After the executive committee members completed the formalities, they immediately met with the families of the soldiers killed in the operation. Although the specific military merit rating has not been released so soon, the compensation measures must be put in place as soon as possible to stabilize the people's sentiments.
Regarding pensions for militiamen, the Ministry of Military and Police has set relatively high standards. The families of fallen soldiers will receive a pension of 100 yuan in circulation coupons. After the military merits are rated, there will be corresponding military medals and rewards. In addition, there are many support measures for family members, such as free tuition and miscellaneous fees for the children of soldiers. Immediate relatives who are willing to sign up to join the army or work in factories can be given priority. If they want to farm, they will also receive three yuan per household. For land ranging from ten to fifty acres, land rent and grain tax will be exempted for three years. Compared with the 20 to 30 taels of silver death pension for ordinary soldiers in the Ming Dynasty, the pay of the Haihan Militia was already quite high.
As for the injured, depending on the severity of their injuries, they can receive an injury subsidy of more than 50 yuan at most. For those who are unwilling or unable to continue to serve in the military, the military police and civil affairs departments will also prioritize other work and provide them with future support. Provide basic protection for life.
Considering that people in this era attach great importance to the handling of the aftermath of the deceased, the civil affairs department has also prepared corresponding arrangements in advance. Near the military camp on the east bank of the port, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has set aside a sloping land covering an area of 20 acres as the "Martyrs Cemetery." The cemetery built will be dedicated to burying military and police personnel who sacrificed their lives for the Crossing Group. The bodies and bones of the combatants who died in this operation have also been transported back by ship. A public funeral will be held two days later. Representatives from the executive committee, military police, civil affairs and other relevant departments will be sent to participate. This cemetery will also be brought under the control of the civil affairs department in the future, and will be managed and maintained by dedicated personnel. From now on, there will be corresponding sacrifices and commemorative activities for major festivals every year.
Of course, for some people who are unwilling to bury their loved ones’ ashes in the cemetery but insist on burying them in their own ancestral graves, the civil affairs department will also cooperate with the family’s choice for burial. However, his spiritual place will still be retained in the cemetery, and he will enjoy the same treatment.
The families of those who died in war are relatively receptive to such pension benefits. After all, if you are a soldier and have to eat food, you will inevitably die on the battlefield one day, and you can't blame anyone for this. The executive committee handled the funeral affairs so thoughtfully and provided a large amount of pension, which was considered a very kind approach, and the family members could not find anything to blame.
After the official celebration ended, a group of key members of the Military and Police Department organized a small-scale celebration that night. As a part-time boss of the military and police department, Tao Donglai also attended the drinking party as a matter of course.
"Old Tao, you don't know that the place where we are fighting is such a barren land! There are no living people except the army within a hundred miles. If the supplies are cut off, we won't be able to survive for a week!" Yan Chujie held the wine glass, still full of thoughts. Recalling the battle experience of the past few days: "In the future, if we want to intervene in the civil war in Annan, we don't need to use such hard work internally. We can just send the fleet to the coastline and find key places to cut off the food route."
"Don't think about things too simply. After this battle, it is estimated that both the north and the south have discovered the importance of sea control, and they will definitely start building ships next. Aren't there foreign devils backing the south? Maybe the foreign devils will give them They have some extra help." Tao Donglai is not blindly optimistic, but looks to the future.
South Vietnam's shipbuilding technology and capabilities are naturally not taken seriously by the Chuanchuan people, but as a local government that controls thousands of miles of territory, South Vietnam's war potential is far greater than the current Chuanchuan group. If it gets help from Western forces, it will be much easier for the South Vietnamese regime to build several large shipyards than in Victory Port. There are plenty of human resources available. In terms of shipbuilding speed alone, the Victory Port Shipyard may not have much advantage.
Of course, even if South Vietnam starts building a shipyard now, the progress is already far behind the Cross-Travel Group. At least the Victory Port Shipyard now has two classes of ships, 300 tons and 500 tons, which have begun mass production. It is relatively easy to expand the production scale on this basis. The crossing group has every opportunity to organize troops to cross the sea and destroy their semi-finished products before the South Vietnamese fleet is formed. "It's the biggest regret that we couldn't capture a few foreign devils this time!" Harugong sighed: "After returning from the fight, I still didn't figure out which country was supporting South Vietnam."
"That's not necessarily the case!" Wang Tom took over and said, "We have captured so many people, including many South Vietnamese officers. There will always be some insiders. Now that all the officer prisoners have been taken over by Qian Tiandun and the others, it is probably impossible to It will take a long time for the news to come back. The key is that even if we have specific information now, it will be difficult to settle the matter in a short time.”
The South Vietnamese army has now retreated to the south of the Zhengjiang River, and in the area controlled by South Vietnam, there are not many cities that are truly close to the sea. It is definitely not possible to fight with the fleet alone. It must be supplemented by the Marine Corps to attack the opponent. However, there are not many islands in the coastal area south of the Zhengjiang River, and there are not many places where the fleet can be stationed and rested. If the battle cannot be resolved quickly, it will be in a dilemma.
"Without the fleet, South Vietnam will not be able to achieve success in any case. This is something we can draw conclusions at the moment. To suppress South Vietnam's shipbuilding industry, Victory Port alone may not be enough." Tao Donglai pondered: "Last time at Black Earth Port The management committee mentioned the expansion of the local shipyard, but it seems to have been rejected?”
"The Shengli Port Shipyard doesn't have enough manpower, how can we support their expansion?" Yan Chujie nodded and confirmed Tao Donglai's memory: "Now there are only one or two hundred shipwrights in the Shengli Port Shipyard. Adding some pure labor, it takes Three ships are being built at the same time, so how can we squeeze out people for Heitu Port? ”
"It seems that we can only find a solution from the mainland." Tao Donglai shook his head helplessly and said: "Go back and call Guangzhou to increase the salary and offer a high-paying job. I will pay as much as I can in the near future. Send a group of useful people to Black Earth Port.”
"Heitu Port is also thinking of a way. I heard from Sun Changmi that they have established a trade line with Lianzhou Prefecture, and they may also be able to dig some craftsmen." Harugong added.
Tao Donglai nodded, then suddenly changed the topic and asked: "By the way, Lao Ha, how did the cavalry company perform this time? I haven't had time to ask you today."
Harugong smiled bitterly and said, "There's nothing to say. I'll just be fooling myself all the way. That place is full of rivers, dense forests, and mountains. The cavalry didn't dare to go out if they weren't familiar with the terrain. If I have to say there's anything to gain, it's just a bit of practice. How to take horses on a cross-sea expedition and ensure their health in unfamiliar environments.”
"This is also very important!" Tao Donglai said without feeling dissatisfied: "With only a dozen or so horses that can be ridden, do we still expect your cavalry to launch a charge? All of our arms are newly established, no matter what Whether it is marching or fighting, we are very lacking in experience. This time, all arms are included in the expeditionary force, just to train the team in actual combat and sum up experience. The results are secondary. The key is our troops and officers. What did I learn from this battle? ”
Haru Gong said solemnly: "Mr. Tao, what you said makes sense, but I am underestimating myself. However, I still want to submit it to the Executive Committee again to review the proposal I proposed before, and start the construction of a large-scale cavalry force as early as possible."< br>
With the current size of the cavalry, it can only serve as messengers and scouts when the troops go on patrol, and they cannot be expected to display their combat capabilities at all. And the Executive Committee, which is ambitious for the world, wants to conquer the mainland in the future. It will definitely not be able to play on the big map without a few cavalry units with good mobility and strong combat effectiveness. However, the training cycle of the cavalry is long, the investment is large, and the speed of eating money is no worse than that of the navy. Moreover, there are no large plain areas in Sanya that are particularly suitable for grazing horses. Therefore, the Executive Committee has always been unfavorable to the military and police department’s cavalry expansion plan. cold.
This battle was originally an opportunity to earn performance, but all the arms performed well. Only the cavalry never had a chance to perform. It can be said that it came back as it went, with full strength but no success, so Harugong When I mentioned this matter again, I was not particularly confident.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Tao Donglai's attitude was not as enthusiastic as before: "Well... we may have to wait a while. Lao Ha, I'm not talking to you in an official tone. You are also a senior official of the Military and Police Department. You should also be very clear about the development plan. The road must be taken step by step, and things must be done one by one. We can make leaps and bounds in the development of weapons, but the army establishment must be carried out step by step. At present, it is better than expansion. There are at least two more urgent things for the cavalry.”
"First, the establishment of a navy is already on the line and has to be launched. Previously, this plan was delayed again and again. First, it was said that we had to wait for the ship. After we got the ship, we faced the problem of not enough sailors, and then there was a shortage of transportation capacity. We finally got some more ships back, but then we didn't have enough sailors. We went back and forth so many times that we got tired of quarreling. Now that the Discovery has participated in a war, we haven't established a regular navy yet. It’s really unreasonable. We can’t wait until the warships on the slipway are launched and row them under the Maritime Department’s establishment, right?”
The establishment of the navy will inevitably occupy a considerable part of the resources of the Military and Police Department. Harugong also knew that the cavalry would definitely not be able to compete with the navy, so he could only nod silently in agreement.
"The second thing is that it has been more than two months to one year since the establishment of our military and police department. Up to now, the military and police are still integrated. The combat agencies and public security agencies work together, and the division of responsibilities between the militia and security agencies is different. Qing, this is definitely not a long-term solution. At the end of the year summary meeting, I also informed everyone that as soon as the Vietnam incident is over, the Military and Police Department will start to split the organization. The functions of the police agency must be separated from the current Military and Police Department, and then merged into the Ministry of Justice that will be established later, together with the courts and the Procuratorate.”
Speaking of this, Tao Donglai sighed and said: "You also know that the most troublesome and complicated part of the public security system is the procuratorate and the court system. There are indeed many people in our group who have served as soldiers and policemen, but in the procuratorate No one has ever gotten along with the court! There is no other way but to cross the river by feeling the stones.”
Tom Wang smiled and said: "Fortunately, we still have an unscrupulous lawyer. Mr. Tao, will your cousin be in charge of the court or the procuratorate?"
Tao Donglai was silent for a while and then said: "I don't have anything to say on this matter. There is only one legal expert in the entire group, so we still have to listen to the opinions of experts."
(End of chapter)