Chapter 3461
Qian Tiandun's plan to expand westward to the Indian Ocean is a huge one, and it is still in its initial stage. Whether it is Phuket or Ceylon, they are just two chess pieces that have fallen into the chessboard one after another in this plan.
However, although he had lofty ambitions, the stage goals he set were extremely practical. He did not plan to become fat in one bite and annex the island of Ceylon, which was already established by Western competitors.
Even though Qian Tiandun was ready to fight the colonial armed forces of Portugal and the Netherlands locally, he still chose Hambantota Bay at the southern end of Ceylon Island as his first choice of foothold instead of going directly to Fight for the heart of the island.
Choosing a suitable location on the Island of Ceylon to start over and build a seaport as Haihan's new colony is a relatively low-risk and cost-effective approach, and it can also avoid conflicts with various forces on the island in the first place. armed conflict.
Even if the control of Ceylon Island needs to be competed for through military means in the future, the special operations division can use the stronghold of Hambantota to adjust its tactics, advance, attack, retreat or defend, without worrying that the troops will be cut off by their opponents for supplies and supplies after landing on the island. retreat.
The political and diplomatic risks that Qian Shaobao is worried about certainly exist objectively, but for Qian Tiandun, these are not problems.
As he said, the plan to expand westward was not a personal wish, but represented the will of the Executive Committee. Even if the capital is now moved from Sanya, Hainan to Hangzhou, it will not affect this strategic development plan with a global focus.
Nowadays, the country is big, and there are too many places where money and troops are stationed. Qian Tiandun's special operations division may not be able to get the full support of the Executive Committee in terms of materials and funds, but if it involves international relations, the Executive Committee will definitely Stand firmly behind him.
If Portugal and the Netherlands lodged diplomatic protests with Heyhan over the dispute over the island of Ceylon, diplomats under Schneider would naturally come forward to negotiate and show the Europeans what it means to be magnanimous.
These decisions made by Haihan senior management are levels that young Qian Shaobao has not yet touched. His worries are not unreasonable, but in the face of the strong national will, these are just trivial issues.
The topic discussed by the three people immediately turned to the revision of certain details in the original action plan.
Qian Tiandun's original plan was for the special operations division to deploy two battalions of troops to Ceylon Island to establish a long-term stronghold, and then deploy additional troops based on the actual situation.
Now that Hambantota has been initially selected as the foothold, there are more accurate calculation standards for troop projection and material transportation.
Now there are clearer numbers on how many troop transport ships will be dispatched and how long the round-trip voyage will take.
Based on the establishment of a special operations division, a battalion of infantry has about 600 people. If there is an additional reinforced battalion, the actual strength will be around 800 people.
The two battalions Qian Tiandun planned to dispatch were each equipped with an artillery company and a cavalry company, and another engineering company was also required to accompany them.
In addition, a small fleet consisting of six warships and two troop carriers needs to be stationed locally, and about 400 sailors need to be dispatched.
Coupled with the staff headquarters, field hospitals, logistics departments, etc., the number of troops to be delivered to the local area is approximately 2,500.
The voyage from Phuket to Hambantota is about four thousand miles. At the speed of a fleet of warships, troop carriers, and supply ships, the one-way journey takes about seven or eight days.
Taking into account the local environment, the materials that the troops can obtain for on-site supply should be quite limited. In the future, multiple batches of transport fleets will be arranged to continuously deliver all kinds of materials needed to the local area. After the troops were deployed, communication with the Phuket headquarters basically relied on the radio. As for the pioneer officer who led his troops to station in the area, Takahashi Minami grabbed it without hesitation.
"I am familiar with this life. I have to be the pioneer!"
After speaking, Takahashi Minami grinned, showing his teeth that were burnt yellow by tobacco smoke.
He was not bragging. Since following Qian Tiandun, he had served as a vanguard officer in countless battles. Probably more than half of the battle achievements accumulated in the past thirty years were obtained by taking the lead.
Even though he is now a powerful second-in-command in the special operations division, he still cannot change the habit he has developed over the years, and he still has to charge forward at all times.
As soon as Gao Qiaonan finished speaking, Qian Shaobao also responded: "Father, I also want to follow Uncle Gao to see the world!"
Before Qian Tiandun could speak, Gao Qiaonan shook his head and said: "Don't think that there will be a fight there! The place in Hambantota is almost like a wasteland. After the vanguard goes there, they will have to do hard work. Besides, you A combat staff officer can’t help much even if he goes there!”
Qian Shaobao said: "Uncle Gao, don't underestimate me. I have been idle in Hainan for the past few years. I went to the Army Academy to study military engineering. The vanguard troops are going to build infrastructure locally. I will definitely be able to make a contribution." ”
While Gao Qiaonan was still trying to shirk, Qian Tiandun spoke up: "I think it would be good to let him see the world and let him know first-hand what the vanguard has to do. After all, we are all old, and this burden is finally over." One day it will be given to young people!”
After Qian Tiandun made the final decision, Gao Qiaonan naturally would not object again and could only agree at the moment.
After the discussion, Takahashi Minami resigned and left.
Qian Tiandun said: "You have to remember that the frontline commander of this operation is Gao Qiaonan. All arrangements after you arrive there must obey his orders and you must not act arbitrarily. If you can't do that, then I will I ordered you to be transferred back as soon as possible, do you understand?”
Qian Shaobao responded solemnly: "Military orders are like mountains, of course children will remember them."
When Qian Shaobao served in the special operations division, he never had the opportunity to serve as a vanguard. Although he has applied for relevant tasks many times, Qian Tiandun has never nodded.
Qian Tiandun believed that Qian Shaobao did not have much actual combat experience at that time, and almost all the vanguards were veterans of many battles. Not only would sending him to the front line not be of much use, but he would need someone to protect him all the time. It will affect the normal operation of the army.
There is another reason that is not common to outsiders, and that is the pressure from Mrs. Qian at home.
Luo Wudan loves his son very much and explicitly asks Qian Tiandun not to send his son to risky areas. Qian Tiandun couldn't defeat her, so he had no choice but to agree.
But now and then, Qian Shaobao is now in his early twenties, and it is the time when he needs to put into practice what he has learned over the years.
When Qian Shaobao goes to the front line, whether he can get military honors is secondary to Qian Tiandun. The key is to show his attitude to the old subordinates of the special warfare division that his son is not just a commander in the rear. The civil servants who were dawdling in the ministry could go to the battlefield and live and die together with ordinary soldiers, and they were worthy of their following and allegiance to their young master.