Chapter 2925
In 1656, the city of Manila had doubled in area compared to the period under Spanish rule. The original old city became the seat of various government offices, including important departments such as the regional management committee, which were also located in this area.
The new urban area radiating out from the periphery of the old city is the area that has developed most rapidly in recent years. The official provided unified and complete planning and infrastructure for the new city. Most of the new immigrants who moved to Manila after the war chose to purchase land and build residences in this area.
Looking from the heights of the old city, you can see that the buildings of the new city have been connected with the harbor several miles away. The avenue connecting the old city and the port runs through the new city, just like the main artery of the city, continuously delivering supplies to the entire city of Manila. Today, more than 120,000 people have settled in Manila City, which is already ranked among the largest cities in the South China Sea region.
In addition to the urban area centered on Manila City, there is now another area that is also very lively, and that is the Cavite Peninsula across the sea from the urban area.
During the Spanish rule, the Cavite Peninsula was an important armed fortress, guarding the Port of Manila twenty miles away like a barrier. Its geographical location is very important. After the Haihan Army invaded the bay, they also attacked Cavite first and then attacked Manila Port.
After Haihan occupied Manila, he set up a naval station on the Cavite Peninsula, and later simply designated the entire Cavite Peninsula as a military zone. Now it is not only the base of the Fourth Detachment of the South China Sea Fleet, but also the Fourth Division of the Army as a training base for the troops. In the end, in order to maintain the timeliness of the command system, Xiao Liang simply moved the garrison headquarters from Manila.
Except for the city defense troops stationed in Manila City, which change defenses every half month, the local garrison is almost all concentrated on the Cavite Peninsula. The navy and army, coupled with the large number of military family members, and the various commercial institutions that followed, have turned the Cavite Peninsula into a new urban area with a population of tens of thousands.
In recent years, apart from routine land and sea patrols, the garrison troops have not had many combat missions to perform, so strict military control is rarely implemented on the Cavite Peninsula. However, the situation seems to have changed recently. The army has canceled vacation arrangements for everyone, and the alert level of the camp has also been raised.
It is said that some military families have received news that the Manila garrison may have received certain tasks and will soon go overseas.
This rumor has not yet been officially confirmed, but people with a keen sense of smell have noticed that some products on the market have begun to increase in price or even be out of stock. This means that someone is quietly carrying out large-scale purchases, and this phenomenon is one of the precursors of war.
Under such circumstances, many people began to pay attention to the movements of local administrator Qiu Yuan. In particular, some prominent local figures were eager to confirm the authenticity of the war rumors as soon as possible.
And these people all received the same news today. Qiu Yuan left the city of Manila and took a naval ship to the Cavite base in Manila Port. At such a sensitive moment, Qiu Yuan went to inspect the garrison, which seemed to have an unusual flavor.
In fact, not only Qiu Yuan, but also Army General Harugong, who had announced his retirement, was among the senior officials who went to inspect the Cavite base on this day.
Harugong himself is of Mongolian origin. In his early years, he actually had the idea of going north to find his roots. However, after participating in the battle to attack Manila, the executive committee asked him and Xiao Liang to stay there and make arrangements after the situation stabilized. Unexpectedly, he did not move again after staying here, and stayed in Manila until his retirement.
Harugong's specialty is to tame war horses and train cavalry, but the environment in the Philippine Islands does not allow him to fully display his skills. However, the Executive Committee provided him with excellent conditions, allowing him to settle down to run the horse farm and breed war horses. In the end, Harugong chose to stay in Manila and settle down. Although Harugong stayed, his two sons successfully left. The eldest son Ha Jianyi was appointed as a special envoy by the executive committee and sent to travel in the north. The younger son Ha Jianzhong took up the post at a young age. The head of the Eighth Army Division is currently stationed at Cam Ranh Port in Annan. And this kind of treatment is probably the result of Harugong's efforts over the years.
It has been many years since Harugong left the battlefield, and he announced his retirement before he turned sixty. However, when he heard that the Executive Committee was preparing to launch a new round of military operations in the South China Sea, and that the garrison troops in various places had corresponding combat tasks, This really made him unable to sit still.
Xiao Liang, who had worked with him for many years, could not guess what he was thinking. After returning from the meeting at Cam Ranh Port, he invited Harugong out again and asked him to participate in the formulation of subsequent combat plans. Today, several people came to the Cavite base together to check the preparation status of the garrison troops.
After Harugong, Qiu Yuan and Xiao Liang watched multiple training subjects of the troops, he expressed concerns about the current preparations for war: "I think we should not rush into action, and we should set aside a little more time for the troops to train. Especially This part of the army has just changed its weapons and equipment. If they are not familiar with the performance of the new weapons, they may not be able to perform as effectively as they should after entering the battlefield, and they may not be as effective as their original combat effectiveness.”
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Xiao Liang responded: "Old Ha, you are right, but we must rush ahead and take action first to let the Executive Committee notice our abilities. With the results, we can propose more changes to the Executive Committee Many requests.”
Harugong said: "But our troops have been sparse for a long time. If we act too hastily, we may have problems."
"It is precisely because the battle formation has been sparse for a long time that it is necessary for the stupid bird to fly first. Otherwise, when other places start to move, all the limelight will be robbed." Qiu Yuan took over the conversation and said: "We have waited for so many years for such an opportunity. If we still can’t grasp it, do we still have time to wait for the next opportunity?”
Harugong remained silent. He did not completely agree with Qiu Yuan's statement, but he also knew that what Qiu Yuan said was indeed an objective fact.
Among the various troops participating in this operation, although Qian Tiandun's special operations division is only a remnant, it is definitely the first in land warfare strength, and it is difficult for other troops to compete with it.
The second detachment stationed in Cam Ranh Port is recognized as the most powerful among the four fleets under the South China Sea Fleet, and its strength is certainly higher than the fourth detachment in Manila.
Xingdao's troops are known for their actual combat experience. It is not a secret that Roger privately arranged for troops to serve as mercenaries to participate in foreign wars. Although the strength is not as good as Qian Tiandun's special operations division, it is certainly far superior to the inexperienced Luzon Region garrison.
In such a comparison, the military strength of the Luzon Region is undoubtedly the weakest. If it cannot grab the top prize, it may really have no sense of existence when several other troops start taking action. By then, whether it is an expansion of troops or equipment upgrades, it may be difficult to win the favor of the Executive Committee.
(End of chapter)