Chapter 2950
The Subic Battalion's performance on Panay Island was a mess, but the operation would not stop just because of the chaos in Roxas Town. In fact, except for this one, all the first batch of targets have been successfully captured by Haihan Army, and the entire battle situation is still under Haihan's control.
The troops responsible for attacking Samar Island east of Masbate Island are the most elite Guards Battalion and Batangas Amphibious Battalion of the Fourth Army Division, as well as part of the independent cavalry battalion.
The performance of these elite troops did not disappoint. The Guards Battalion broke through the Port of St. Jones and Cataman Town in northern Samar Island in one day, capturing more than 2,000 prisoners, at least one-third of them. One is the Spanish.
The Batangas Battalion, which went south along the west coast of Samar Island, was also merciless and captured four colonial points within forty-eight hours. The combat efficiency was impressive.
After completing operations on Samar, these forces will move south to attack the port of Tacloban, the capital of Leyte. According to the intelligence obtained by the Military Intelligence Agency, the area has become the second large port built by the Spanish in the central Philippine Islands after Cebu Port. Of course, the Haihan Army will not ignore its existence. If nothing unexpected happens, the area will become Haihan's territory in a few days.
"The Eastern Route Army will attack Tacloban Port, and the West Route Army will attack Iloilo Port. What about us? Or should we directly attack Cebu as planned?"
Feng Xingbang did not respond directly to the question raised by the commander of the Bangui Battalion. Instead, he asked: "What do you think the current status of your troops is?"
The battalion commander responded: "The boys are very motivated after winning the battle, but it may still be difficult to attack Cebu alone..."
"Don't guess, how can we let you go to Cebu alone?" Feng Xingbang shook his head and said: "The combat plan remains unchanged. After they complete the combat missions on Panay Island, Samar Island and Leyte Island, we will stay together in three groups. But at present, your Bangui camp has completed its mission ahead of schedule. You can go to the northwest of Leyte Island. It is said that there are several new coastal settlements there, which need to be cleared before we attack Cebu."
The battalion commander asked: "Is this an order from the headquarters or your suggestion?"
"It's my personal suggestion." Feng Xingbang responded calmly: "So I'm asking you about the status of your troops. If you feel that the Bangui Battalion cannot adapt to such a combat frequency, then I will suggest that the headquarters assign the task to other troops to complete. ”
Juan next to him added: "Considering the training status and combat experience of Bangui Camp, the command has only arranged this independent combat mission for you, but given your good performance in Masbate Town, you can take the initiative to apply for other missions." Combat missions, which are of great benefit to post-war evaluations.”
"So are you willing to accept such a challenge?" Feng Xingbang asked, staring at the battalion commander.
The battalion commander remained silent, but stretched out a hand. Seeing this, Feng Xingbang reached out and shook hands with him.
On the second day of rest in Masbate Town, dinner was not as sumptuous as the first day. Because there are hundreds of people under the 7th Battalion of the Militia who just arrived here, and there are so many more people to eat at once, the originally sufficient food will inevitably need to be re-planned and distributed.
Zheng Agui and his men sat in a row on the street outside the church, each holding a big bowl in their hands. Today's meal was back to the daily chowder porridge. But fortunately, there is no limit to the amount of food you can eat, which may be far more important to the boys than the quality of the food. "Squad leader, I saw that the two young staff officers I met at the Cavite base before are also here. It seems that they are here to give us a new mission. You said that the battalion commander will receive them in the evening, and there should be a lot of good wine. Food? ”
When Zheng Agui heard Qiu Yong's question, he could only smile and said: "If you envy others, learn your skills. When you become an officer, won't you be able to live like this?"
Qiu Yong was a little discouraged and said: "But I heard that to become an officer, you have to take the literacy test first. Soldiers like me who can't read or write probably have little chance."
Zheng Agui said: "If you want to learn, you are not afraid of being late. The battalion headquarters has been organizing literacy classes. When you return after the war, you can sign up by yourself. After fighting this battle, you will receive military honors. When you can read and write, you will naturally be promoted. , and then find a way to apply for a military academy in Cavite, and you can become a company commander when you graduate!”
Of course, the road to promotion in the military is not as simple as Zheng Agui said. Relying on military merit can indeed get rewards including promotion of military rank, but without a cultural foundation, you will soon hit the ceiling. It is even more difficult to win a place for further study in the military academy. At least you have to go through the selection process. An indigenous soldier like Qiu Yong, who has no background at all, is likely to be squeezed out by other competitors of Han origin.
The most likely opportunity is to be like Zheng Agui when the army is expanding. There is a serious shortage of grassroots officers, and veterans with some qualifications may be promoted. However, Qiu Yong still has some time to endure. After all, he has only been in the army for a few months and is still far from being called a "veteran".
Of course, if you choose to retire at the right time and then become an instructor in a militia unit with lower requirements, then even a semi-illiterate like Qiu Yong should not be able to find a job like a platoon leader.
Zheng Agui put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped the residue from the corner of his mouth, pointed across the street and said: "These militiamen are much more diligent than us. They are working without even bothering to eat when they arrive."
Qin Bo next to him responded: "Squad leader, we are responsible for fighting. We can't do all the work. It's good to leave some things for them to do."
Opposite them, a group of militiamen were cleaning the church's exterior. There were many small buckets and brushes piled up next to them, and several people were building scaffolding. It was not difficult to tell that they were going to scribble some promotional slogans on the church's outer wall.
Masbate Town will be included in the territory of Haihan in the future. However, considering the living needs of local residents, the Spanish buildings here obviously cannot be demolished immediately. However, completely retaining the original appearance of the town will definitely not be conducive to Haihan's future. To implement rule here, there must be some obvious traces of Haihan.
Writing propaganda slogans on the exterior walls of buildings is not a rare thing in Haihan, and it is common in military camps. For example, at the Cavite base where various troops have been assembled earlier, you can see eye-catching slogans such as "First, not afraid of hardship, second, not afraid of death," "All actions follow command," and "Military discipline is like iron, and will is like steel." .
Of course, the content of the slogans scrawled in Masbate Town will definitely be more targeted, and considering the proportion of local Hispanic residents, these slogans will inevitably have Spanish versions. If you don't have some cultural foundation, you really can't do such a job.
(End of chapter)