Chapter 634 Fight (3)
Although the Haihan military has mastered a variety of military black technologies, in such a field combat environment, it is unrealistic to rely on a limited number of walkie-talkies to provide timely command to participating troops, and only through military officers can Only combat units are eligible to use it. The methods that can be used in actual combat are still very primitive. Basically, they can only rely on the signals sent by gongs, drums, brass trumpets and flags to command the underlying combat units. After Mu Xiabai's order was issued, soldiers soon rang the gong, and at the same time, a new flag was raised on the flagpole behind the fort to notify the garrison of the forts on the coast to retreat.
Regarding how to retreat to the second line of defense if the fort was lost, the Haihan defenders on the island had done relevant drills in advance, so although the battle situation was unfavorable and they needed to retreat, they were not particularly panicked. The artillerymen on each fort immediately filled the gun barrels with prepared powder packets, pulled out long fuses, and stuffed a few shells in front, preparing to destroy the shore defense guns on the gun emplacements during evacuation. However, these cannons are all old-fashioned cannons produced between 1627 and 1628, and their value is not very high. It is definitely better to destroy them than to fall into the hands of the Dutch.
As for the unused gunpowder on the fort, we couldn't just waste it. The soldiers carried most of it away on their hands and shoulders. If they couldn't take away the gunpowder, they tied it up with fuses and destroyed it together later. The reserve company they had just added was to provide cover for them and block the Dutch who were trying to pursue them.
Mu Xiabai actually felt it was a pity to destroy the fort that took dozens of days to build, but the war situation no longer allowed him to make another mistake, and no matter how reluctant he was, he could not leave these artillery pieces to the Dutch. With a loud bang, a plume of smoke rose from the first fort that exploded. However, what shocked everyone was that the first fort that exploded was not the place where the retreat was completed, but the place where the Dutch were attacked from the beginning. The place where people attack.
In fact, even Mu Xiabai has given up sending troops to rescue the besieged fort. The Dutch landing force has completely surrounded it, and it is no longer realistic to rescue the people inside. Mushaba could only hope to find opportunities to capture a few Dutchmen during the battle, and then bring back his own people by exchanging prisoners of war after the war.
But the Haihan defenders on that fort were obviously not willing to be captured. This was indeed an unacceptable choice for the invincible Haihan militia. Therefore, when the surviving gunners retreated to the fort, they were already He made up his mind to die with the enemy. These soldiers are almost all naturalized people of Annan descent. During their service career, they have been constantly instilled with the awareness that they are always ready to be loyal to Haihan. Under repeated long-term brainwashing, almost everyone died in the battlefield. Awakening, surrendering and being captured has never been an option on the battlefield. What's more, according to Haihan's relevant policies, if they die on the battlefield, not only will they be awarded first-level military merit by the Military Commission, but all their immediate family members will also be able to move to Sanya and settle down - this is what almost every naturalized Annan man has The life goals pursued by the people.
Several Haihan soldiers filled the gun barrel with gunpowder packets at the last moment, and then used the fire tube to directly trigger the iron pipe bomb. The power of the explosion not only lifted the fort pier into the sky, but also turned the area within ten meters around the fort into a mess. At least more than ten Dutch soldiers died in the explosion, and more than twenty soldiers with varying degrees of injuries lost the ability to continue fighting. This is undoubtedly a huge blow to the Dutch, who have just seen the hope of a turning point in the war.
Mu Xiabai was standing several hundred meters away from the explosion site, but he still felt a slight tremor from the ground at that moment, but it was nothing compared to the shock in his heart. He never thought that he would be able to witness such a legendary scene of sacrificing one's life for righteousness on the battlefield. Although strictly speaking, these soldiers were not Han people, but when they needed to make a choice, these people actually acted for Haihan, a Han man. The established regime sacrifices its own life.
As the personnel of other forts evacuated, explosions rang out one after another on the coastline, and the forts were reduced to rubble one after another in the explosion. The Dutch were also deterred by the previous explosion. Seeing that there was no opportunity to take advantage, they did not rush to attack other forts. Instead, they quickly established a small stronghold in the port area where they had just landed to accommodate subsequent personnel landing.
Mu Xiabai clenched his fists and silently looked at the place where the smoke and dust rose. The fighting spirit in his heart continued to rise. By now, he had realized that guarding the island was far more difficult than the military expected. The Dutch were by no means as cautious as the military expected. There would inevitably be a fierce fight between the two sides. Seeing the Dutch fleet approaching the shore one after another in the harbor, Mu Xiabai secretly made up his mind to teach them a lesson on the second line of defense.
At this time, Van Longen, who had just landed on the shore, was tremblingly reporting the damage on his side to the two commanders: "... the 'Red Hair' was hit by at least ten shells. Now the hull has capsized, and the cargo on board is Most of them were not saved. I had ordered the ship to be abandoned. Fortunately, most of the crew members escaped safely. Only six people were killed and three others were missing. The damage to the other ships was not serious."
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When the fort exploded just now, Van Longen was climbing down from the rope net on the side of the ship, which almost frightened him into falling into the sea. This explosion left Van Longen still a little shaken. Although he didn't know the specific situation of the battle ahead, looking at the corpses and wounded being carried down, he could also predict the intensity of the battle.
"Mr. Van Longen, ask your ship in the best condition to empty its cargo as soon as possible, then sail back to Batavia immediately and report the situation here to the company!" Spikes said hurriedly. His head was tied with blood-stained gauze. During the gunfire battle just now, his head was also caught by shipboard debris. Fortunately, it was only a superficial injury.
Spikes' anxiety at this time is understandable. The first batch of people who rushed ashore to attack the shore fort were his subordinates. However, the opponent's fort, which was only defended by more than ten people, caused at least 100000 damage to his troops. Four to five times the casualties. Just to lay down such a fort, he had lost nearly a quarter of his troops. This kind of battle loss was really unacceptable to him.
"Mr. Spikes, don't panic!" Brower was the calmest at this time. After stopping Spikes, he turned to Van Longen and ordered: "In the battle just now, both of our troop transport ships were damaged to varying degrees. Damaged and now unable to sail, we need your ship and its men to join the action! ”
"Okay...then what can I do?" Van Longen also knew that the current situation was not a time for him to bargain. In wartime, he had to rely on the instructions of military personnel. Even if the other party wanted to requisition his ships and manpower, he could only Can do it.
"I want you to immediately send a ship in good condition to the sea to provide us with early warning from the outside." Brouwer ordered to Van Longen: "In addition, let all the people in your fleet who have combat experience disembark and land. We We will issue weapons to them! These damn pirates must be wiped out!”
Van Longen asked hesitantly: "These guys fighting us...are they really pirates?"
From what Van Longen had seen and heard in the Far East over the years, it was really hard for him to believe that any pirate group had such powerful firepower and could effectively organize concentrated firepower. Including the Shibazhi, which was once known as invincible on the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty, it was just a force of numbers, and its weapons, equipment and combat efficiency were far inferior to this opponent. Fan Longen had a vague feeling that the people fighting against him were not the typical mob, but a force with certain military qualities - these people had at least received formal combat training. "They should really be pirates." Brower responded with a gloomy face: "I just checked a few corpses. Judging from their faces, body shapes and clothes, they should all be Annan people. Coupled with the Nguyen flag they displayed, I I think they are probably the most powerful people in the southern part of Annan. Unfortunately, our people have not been able to capture them alive yet, so we cannot confirm their identities for the time being.”
The militia troops stationed on Ambuna Island had all changed their uniforms before setting off, and all the soldiers knew the identities they played here. In addition, their composition was originally composed of Annan soldiers who made up the majority, so they wanted to play the role. It is very easy for the remnants of the Ruan family to live in exile overseas. The Dutch wanted to find clues related to their identity from the bodies of the fallen soldiers, but they could only point to the one possibility that was designed in advance.
"The Annan people's combat capabilities are actually so strong!" Fan Longgen sighed, but after thinking about it, he felt that this evaluation was really inappropriate, so he quickly added: "Of course they are not as powerful as our soldiers!"
Brower stared at him and responded coldly: "I heard that the Portuguese trained a firearms army for them. This is probably the result of the Portuguese!"
The information that Brower knew was indeed correct. The army controlled by the Ruan family in the south relied on the firearms troops trained by the Portuguese and even had an advantage in the civil war between the north and the south. When Haihan intervened militarily in the Annan Civil War, the northern army had already been defeated to the north of the Hengshan Jiangjiang defense line and fell into great passivity. However, what Broward did not know was that compared with the Haihan militia, the combat effectiveness of the army trained by the Portuguese was still more than one level lower, and it had long been exhausted in several subsequent battles.
Van Longen did not dare to answer any more words and quickly turned back to arrange his own fleet. There are at least one or two hundred people on his seven ships who have been on the battlefield. It is not a big problem to temporarily organize one or two companies of militia.
Spikes finally calmed down at this time, looking at the ruins of the fort on the shore and said: "They don't have enough troops, so if we break through one area, they can only choose to abandon the entire line of defense and retreat inland."
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"I just hope they don't have time to build a second line of defense. If they build so many forts inland, it will not be optimistic to continue the fight." Brower is not optimistic about the prospects of combat.
"With the fighting power of this group of people, it's not surprising that they can conquer this island. But what's the use of them conquering this place? This place has no products at all!" Spikes was very puzzled by this: "Think about it. , if they just want to plunder this place, there is no need to stay and build forts and fortifications on the island. If not, what is the point of occupying this place? "
"Perhaps their purpose is to rob our merchant ships here." Brower raised his finger and pointed at the three merchant ships belonging to the East India Company on the shore and said: "If I guess correctly, these ships are about They were all captured by them after I sailed into the port, otherwise they would not be so intact. I have sent people over to check the status of these ships. If everything is normal, I will send someone to drive one of them back to Bada. Via went to report the news, so that there would be no need for Van Longen's ship to unload here."
"You're still thoughtful." Although he had some opinions about Brouwer, Spikes still generously acknowledged the other person's strengths. At least being able to keep a cool head in the current war situation is an essential quality for a good commander.
However, despite Broward's careful consideration, reality quickly disappointed them. The people sent to check on the three merchant ships came back and reported that the stern rudders of the three ships were damaged and could not be repaired at least in the past few days.
"There is no other way. We still have to requisition Van Longen's ship." Brower had no better way to deal with this result. He could only ask someone to notify Van Longen and let his ship unload the cargo here first, and then rush back with an empty ship to report the news. .
Naturally, the communication efficiency of the Dutch could not be compared with that of Haihan. While Mu Xiabai withdrew to the second line of defense, he used the radio to send telegrams to the base camp and the Annan Military Region, informing him of the current battle situation and requesting support. .
After the previous battle, Mu Xiabai already knew that he might not be able to compete with the Dutch for a long time just relying on the strength of the island's defenders. Even if the Dutch attack can be repelled this time, it is very likely that they will come back before long. The arms reserves on the island are limited. After a few more battles, ammunition will gradually become stretched. This place is very far away from the base camp and Annan. Considering the time required for reinforcements and supplies on the way, Mu Xiabai must ask his superiors for help in advance.
However, even if the reinforcements arrive from Cam Ranh Port, which is the closest to the Amborna Islands, it still has a voyage of 500 nautical miles and will not arrive in three or two days. Before that, Mu Xiabai still has to rely on the island's defense force. to resist the Dutch offensive. What he is most worried about now is not whether he can withstand this wave, but whether the Dutch have a follow-up fleet to set up ambushes at sea to encircle the points and provide reinforcements.
(End of chapter)