Chapter 1240 Head-to-head confrontation
For the coalition forces, the preparation time for this war is still a little hasty. The commanders of both sides believe that their armies have not yet reached their best condition. However, the situation has suddenly changed and they cannot allow them to fiddle slowly. They can only hurry up. Time forcibly raised troops to attack Xingdao.
If Hogg's idea is followed, he would prefer to divide the troops into two groups, advance simultaneously in the South China Sea and the North China Sea, and carry out a pincer attack on the Xingdao base, in order to maximize the use of the advantage of the troops. But Johor's maritime power really disappointed him. The entire country could not even find a vehicle that could be called a "warship." There might have been some warships in the early years, but they had all been lost in the war with neighboring countries. .
In desperation, the coalition forces could only requisition civilian ships to undertake the task of transporting troops. Wanting to use this lineup to challenge the Haihan Navy, which is known as the number one in the South China Sea, is tantamount to committing suicide. Hogg will not make such a confused decision, so he can only settle for the next best thing and give up the idea of attacking the star port from the sea. , all the main forces were dropped on Sing Tao through the Strait of Johor, and launched an offensive from the land to the Haihan stronghold.
According to the intelligence obtained by the coalition forces, Haihan's immigrants were placed in the northern part of the stronghold. They attacked from the north to the south of the island, bearing the brunt of the populated areas. If we can drive the people to flee south and attack the Haihan garrison stronghold, it will be a very ideal situation, and maybe we can break through the Haihan defense line in one fell swoop.
Of course, there is a necessary prerequisite for achieving such a situation, that is, Haihan is unaware of Johor's plans and does not have any targeted deployment. But regarding this point, the two coalition commanders were not very sure. They once sent people to sneak into Star Island for reconnaissance but never returned. Ba Peng was worried that the missing persons had been captured by his opponents, so he did not dare to make similar attempts again. He only strengthened surveillance near the planned landing site.
Now that there was a possibility of the attempt being exposed, the coalition forces did not dare to delay. After completing the assembly of personnel and materials, they immediately launched operations to organize troops to cross the Johor Strait and enter Star Island.
What the two commanders were most worried about was encountering a Haihan ambush during the landing. The fleet, which was all small boats, would hardly have the ability to fight back whether it encountered an attack at sea or on land. This was why the coalition did not choose to attack the southern port of the island from the sea. The underlying reason for launching the offensive. However, this very worrying situation did not occur. The coalition forces successfully landed on Star Island from the predetermined location without encountering any resistance, and no trace of the Haihan Army was found. This finally put their worries back. Deep in my heart.
The Haihan people were completely defenseless! This news greatly excited the coalition forces. They were told before setting off that they might face a tough battle upon landing. If they could not overcome the first hurdle, they would not need to consider subsequent actions. But now it seems that the opponent has not set up defenses here at all, and the previous worries seem a little unnecessary.
However, before advancing southward, the coalition forces regrouped at the beach in accordance with standard operating procedures and established temporary positions to store supplies shipped from Johor. Only the south side of Star Island is inhabited by Haihan people. The rest of the island is a wilderness. It is impossible to raise supplies on the spot before capturing the Haihan stronghold. They can only rely on transportation from the country through the Strait of Johor. This is a serious shortcoming for the coalition forces that do not have strong transportation capacity. Therefore, this war must be resolved quickly. If it drags on for a long time, the supply line problem will inevitably affect the combat effectiveness of the coalition forces.
Ba Peng did not let his guard down because of the smooth situation in front of him. During the assembly of the troops, he sent out men to conduct reconnaissance. While exploring the road, he also guarded against Haihan setting an ambush ahead. The Johor Army is not unfamiliar with the environment of Star Island. After all, before Hai Han came here, this island had been owned by the Kingdom of Malacca and the Kingdom of Johor for a long time. Now it is just returning to its old place. The Johor Army had already formulated a clear route on how to march from the landing site to the Hai Han stronghold in the south in the shortest possible time - this was also an important reason why the Johor Army still dared to attack boldly despite poor early reconnaissance.
However, Bapong also understood that as the troops advanced, it was only a matter of time before their whereabouts were exposed. The Haihan people would not be stupid enough to realize that something was wrong when their own troops were pushed to the door. Therefore, by speeding up the advance, the opponent's reaction time could be reduced accordingly. After the vanguard troops completed the beachhead assembly, Ba Peng ordered to set off immediately.
The Johor Army crossed the sea in the early morning. Although they were all small boats, they had more boats. With the good weather, it only took more than two hours to complete the ferry mission of the main force. If the march speed for the next section of the journey was increased, the troops would be able to cross the sea in the afternoon. You can reach the Haihan stronghold in the south of the island and launch an offensive against Haihan before sunset. If everything goes well, maybe they can really be taken away with one wave of raids. Even if they can't succeed in one fell swoop, they can at least capture part of Haihan Village first, and then use this as a basis to slowly deal with the opponent.
The distance from the landing point to the Haihan stronghold is about forty miles. At normal field marching speed, it can be completed in about four to five hours. Ba Peng hoped to shorten this time as much as possible, so he asked the vanguard troops to give up their baggage supplies. , rush to the destination lightly. As for the heavy artillery, it can only be placed in the subsequent teams and transported slowly.
At this moment, at the Starport Base forty miles away, Tan Ju, Ren, and Luo Jie were implementing the division of command and emergency response measures. Tan Juren does not need to command on the front line, but he is responsible for organizing civilian workers to transport supplies and ammunition to the front line, and he also needs to take into account the defense of the port. No one knows whether the British will have a nervous attack and send their own armed fleet to attack Starport. Although this possibility is extremely slim, we still have to guard against it out of caution. Roger had already transferred the main force of the garrison to the northern front. Only one platoon of the army was left to garrison at the port, while several navy warships were dispatched by Roger after receiving news of the enemy's attack early in the morning. .
"I sent those ships to take a detour from the sea to take a back route." Roger explained his battle plan to Tan Juren: "Detour from the west to the Johor Strait, the voyage is probably less than 40 nautical miles, about afternoon We can rush to the place where the enemy crosses the sea and cut off their sea supply line!”
Tan Juren was still a little worried about this: "We only have a few warships. Are they enough to carry out this kind of mission? Moreover, the enemy should have established a beachhead on Xingdao after landing. Cutting off the supply line in a short time will not have much effect. Does it work? ”
"You're right." Roger didn't refute, and admitted Tan Juren's concerns. However, he changed the subject and revealed his own response strategy: "So I have already sent a telegram to the fleet that came for reinforcements. Let them rush directly to the Johor Strait without having to go around the Star Port. With this support force, I believe they can solve the Johor retreat well!"
Roger's answer did not dispel Tan Juren's worries. He still asked worriedly: "Will they have time to catch up with this battle? Moreover, your battle plan is so complicated, and the reinforcements coming from Star Island may not receive the order." Can you understand your purpose?" "It's in time. They passed the Anambas Islands yesterday and sailed normally. They can reach Star Island before dark today." Roger paused, with a smile on his face. Said: "As for why I am so confident about reinforcements...what do you think?"
Tan Juren saw that he looked confident, and suddenly an idea flashed through his mind, and he blurted out: "Mu Xiabai personally led the team?"
"Old Mu will never let go of such an opportunity to fight." Roger responded: "When I contacted him a few days ago, he was more active than me and suggested taking advantage of this opportunity to organize a fleet to go Make a sneak attack on the coastal cities in the rear of Johor and raid their hometown directly.”
"Old Mu... I really don't want the world to be in chaos!" Although Tan Juren was mentally prepared, he was still surprised when he heard Roger admit the military's plan.
There is an army battalion and a small navy fleet stationed on Amborna Island where Mu Xiabai is located. It is not difficult to allocate part of the troops to support the war on Star Island. However, Mu Xiabai is the number one military and political leader on Ampurna Island. The character actually went out to lead the troops himself, and it seemed that he was indeed very concerned about this war.
Mu Xiabai and Roger had cooperated in battles as early as the Annan Civil War. In the past two or three years, they had been stationed in the South China Sea. They often met each other, and their personal relationship was not bad. When Roger asked for help from Ambuna Island, he explained the causes and consequences of the operation and the international environment to Mu Xia Bai, and also asked Mu Xia Bai for his opinion. When Mu Xiabai heard about such "good things", he immediately showed strong interest. After all, after two years of this stable life, he still missed the days of leading troops to fight.
With Mu Xiabai personally leading the troops to take the retreat, the certainty of success seemed to have doubled several times in an instant, and Tan Juren's heart that was hanging in the air finally returned to his stomach. During his stay on Amborna Island, he had also seen the training of Mu Xiabai's troops. The military appearance was quite good, and Mu Xiabai's performance in commanding battles in the past was also quite good. Tan Juren could not find any reason not to trust him. ability. If Mu Xiabai can cut off the enemy's sea retreat through the Strait of Johor, then this battle will be much easier to fight.
Unfortunately, the coalition forces on their way south did not know Haihan's plan, and still believed that this sneak attack was inevitable. The British officer Hogg, who led the leading troops on the way, even sent a reward notice to his subordinates through his adjutant on the way. Each soldier will receive a reward of ten silver coins after the war. If you can capture a senior official of Haihan, in addition to generous financial rewards, you will also receive an additional reward of selecting 20 people from the captives as personal slaves. If you can get such a reward, you no longer have to work hard as a soldier. You can retire and return to your hometown to be a small slave owner and enjoy happiness. This was a real encouragement to the soldiers, and the marching pace seemed to be much lighter because of it.
Unlike Ba Pong who was cautious, Hogg was determined to win the next battle. Although he knows that Haihan is not a weakling, all the current intelligence shows that the opponent is likely to be unprepared. If this does not allow him to take advantage of the situation and launch a beautiful sneak attack, then his military career over the past few years has been in vain. .
By defeating this opponent, Britain would have the opportunity to establish a colony at the eastern end of the Strait of Malacca, and the camp could simply requisition the strongholds and colonial villages built by the Haihan people. As for Hogg himself, it is very likely that he will be promoted to management in accordance with the East India Company's charter and serve as the administrator of Star Island, with a colony governed and operated by himself. At that time, we can rely on the behemoth East India Company and live the happy life of a local emperor. It is wonderful to think about it.
Not only that, Hogg heard that Haihan had never failed in the South China Sea before. If the coalition forces he led could win, then this would be a good opportunity to become famous in one battle. In the future, whether the troops he leads face the Portuguese or the Dutch, their fighting confidence should be greatly enhanced, and the company's board of directors will definitely put more armed forces under his command. The dream of a general that had not been realized on the European battlefield before may become a reality in the Far East.
After defeating Haihan, proving his ability, and then getting promoted and making a fortune to reach the pinnacle of life, Hogg imagined the future on horseback and smiled unknowingly when he thought about the happiness. Fortunately, the soldiers around him were busy walking with their heads down, and no one looked up to stare at him.
The Johor soldiers leading the way came to report that they were halfway through the journey, so Hogg stopped the team and took a short break to drink water and eat to replenish their physical fitness. Even though there is still no trace of the Haihan Army's activities at this point, Hogg's heart is mostly at peace. He thinks that the Haihan Army has such a great reputation, but its defense is so careless. How could our country suffer a big loss? After conquering the stronghold and capturing the Haihan officials, we should take a good look at the opponent's face to see if he is as arrogant as the legend says.
Hogg didn't know that in the bushes just a hundred feet away from him, the Haihan scouts covered in camouflage colors were slowly retreating. A moment later, two homing pigeons took off and flew south one after the other. go. The Haihan Army has been raising homing pigeons for several years. Although this method of transmitting information cannot yet be used as the main method, and it is unlikely that homing pigeons can fly across the sea for long distances, they need to be trained to fly over dozens of miles to return home. But it is not difficult in the nest, and it is just used to make up for the lack of electronic communication. The military did not have enough radios for the scouts to carry to the field for use, but the carrier pigeons were enough. This time, the scouts were arranged to monitor the movements of the coalition forces in the field. Each team brought a few carrier pigeons, and the scouts carried out their operations in stages. Monitor and then transmit enemy movements back to base via carrier pigeons.
"They really came straight at me! Let's have a head-on confrontation with these guys!" After Roger saw the note sent back by the carrier pigeon, he put out the cigarette butt in his mouth in the ashtray. Inside, he said to Tan Juren who was sitting opposite: "You should go back to the southern camp first, they are almost here."
(End of chapter)