The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 120 Supreme Military and Political Council

1859/12/17

General Feng Guohui of the Nanyang Army in Surabaya received an emergency military report;
Dozens of indigenous tribes gathered in Anzhu to rebel, affecting more than 100,000 people, completely blocking the hinterland passage from Solo to Yanwang City, and affecting a wide range of areas.

In view of this
Feng Guohui quickly ordered to strengthen the garrison in Yanwang City and Solo City. The garrison in the two places was increased to more than 2100 to 2300 people respectively.

Strictly guarding the Nanyang Army's existing garrison to prevent the spread of the riot, the third reorganization of the entire army began.

After entering the end of the year
As more than 3,000 Surabaya recruits and more than 5,000 Semarang recruits have completed military training, they will be organized in batches into the original eight regiments in an orderly manner, further expanding and strengthening the system with the Musket Corps as the combat unit.

After reorganization,
The original establishment of a regiment of more than 600 soldiers has more than doubled to a regiment establishment of more than 1300 soldiers. Each regiment consists of four infantry battalions, a regiment company, a field artillery company and a cavalry platoon.

The newly formed 9th Regiment, the Surabaya Coast Artillery Regiment, the Jepala Coast Artillery Regiment and the Marshal's Guards Regiment were added, with a total strength of 12 regiments, and about 16600 people in the entire army.

Surabaya City Marshal's Mansion
For nine consecutive days, Feng Guohui convened 3 mid-level and senior officers and military and political staff under his command to hold the highest military and political meeting to discuss specific matters such as the third army reorganization and the army's regular training, construction, assembly and distribution, and the senior officer rotation system. , implement the arrangements one by one.

Under the jurisdiction of the Nanyang Army, four new division-level establishments were established. The three field divisions were the Surabaya Division, the Yanwang Division, and the Semarang Division. Each division had three musketry regiments, with a total strength of more than 4200 troops.

The Surabaya Division is composed of the First Regiment, the Fourth Regiment and the new Ninth Regiment. Major General Wu Siwen serves as the Surabaya Division Commander, Feng Zhaocai serves as the Deputy Division Commander, and the former commander Hu Laohu is transferred to the Semarang Division.

For the first time, the newly established divisions implemented the rotation of senior officers, that is, all the chief officers of the original divisions were rotated, so as to get rid of the bad habit of "soldiers are the generals". This is also part of the new military system reform.

To avoid serious "mountainism" in the military, division officers must be rotated after their five-year term.

The Nanyang Navy temporarily consists of four sail gunboats, with a total of more than 970 officers and soldiers. The fleet commander is served by Major General Hu Huadong.

At the Nanyang Army’s Supreme Military and Political Conference
The founding purpose of the army was established to "be loyal to the Nanyang Army, loyal to the commander-in-chief, and expand a bright future for the Chinese nation", and used this as the core to build the army and civil affairs.

Yanwang Division, as the general reserve force of the Nanyang Army, consists of the 3rd, 5th and 6th regiments. Mai Laowen serves as the division commander of Major General. This unit is the old foundation of Major General Wu Siwen and has many subordinates.

E.g;

Solo City is like an isolated island in the hinterland of Central Java. To the east, west and south are all the indigenous spheres of influence. Only the area connecting Semarang to the north is under the military control of the Nanyang Army.

Solo City is a point opened up by the Nanyang Army in the hinterland of Central Java, not a whole area, because Solo City is adjacent to Salatiga and Keladeng to the west and all belong to the sphere of influence of indigenous tribes.

From the 17th to the 25th, the Supreme Military and Political Council lasted 9 days before it came to an end.

After the meeting

The Semarang Division is composed of the 2nd Regiment, the 7th Regiment and the 8th Regiment. Major General Hu Laohu serves as the Semarang Division Commander, and Feng Zhaoliang serves as the Deputy Division Commander.

The General's Office was established as the highest authority to fully command military and political affairs, fully copied the British legal system, and established the functions and powers of taxation, trade, culture, education, and diplomacy, forming a preliminary national governance structure.

"Commander, the situation in Solo City has been repeated with failed suppression due to indigenous riots. The local security situation is chaotic, and it is often attacked by small groups of indigenous armed forces. It is quite a headache!"

before the end of December

The Fifth Coast Guard Division is under the direct jurisdiction of the Commander-in-Chief's Office, and the convenient wired telegraph office connects all places, allowing military intelligence information to be transmitted as soon as possible, which greatly facilitates the overall military deployment of the Commander-in-Chief's Office.

Hu Laohu and other major generals accompanied the marshal back to the front hall. After sitting down one after another, they talked about the current situation again, their brows looking very solemn.

There is also a Coast Guard Division 5, which has the Surabaya Coast Artillery Regiment, the Jepara Coast Artillery Regiment and seven Coast Guard Companies 5, with a total strength of about 2,300 people.

It is an indisputable fact that after the indigenous rebellion in the Anju area, the approximately 240 kilometers of inland transportation lines from Solo City eastward to Yanwang City were completely cut off.

from this moment on
The Nanyang Army began to transform from a warlord to a national system. It is still mainly military, but its functions and scope have involved many fields such as government affairs, cultural and economic development, and diplomacy, and have become more complex.

New recruits have been gradually replenished, the artillery company has been increased, the vacancies of special forces such as cavalry platoons have been filled, and weapons, equipment, uniforms and uniforms have been issued.

This situation made Semarang Division Commander Hu Laohu feel deeply worried and felt the heavy burden on his shoulders, so he was inclined to launch a large-scale military encirclement and suppression operation.

Feng Guohui walked to the seat in the center of the hall, turned around and sat down. Several generals behind him took their seats again and sat down on the left and right.

The soldiers quickly brought tea and exquisite refreshments, placed them at the table for the commander-in-chief and several major generals, and then quickly and quietly retreated, shielding the left and right.

Feng Guohui picked up the tea cup and took a sip. He was exhausted from the Supreme Military and Political Meetings in the past few days. These high-level meetings took a lot of energy to prepare and hold. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and they were finally arranged one by one.

Now, I can take a breather.

Putting the tea cup back on the table, Feng Guohui turned to look at the generals below, thought about it and said;

"The situation faced by Tigers in Central Java is indeed severe. After the new reorganization, the entire army will need one and a half months to run in, adjust, and conduct actual combat training.

Next Step

Landoshan Military Base will serve as a permanent institution, responsible for the training of new recruits, the military and cultural education of grassroots officer training classes, and the formation of routines.

In the new year 1860
We will recruit thousands of new soldiers every month to continue to provide troops for our Nanyang Army, constantly replenish the damage and shortcomings of the troops, and form a stable hematopoietic mechanism. Throughout the year, it is expected that a total of 12 reserve troops will be provided to strengthen and expand the strength of the field infantry regiment and prepare for war.

From now to mid-to-late February

It's the tropical rainy season, and the area where the Anzhu indigenous people are rioting has high mountains and dense forests. The roads that are hundreds of years old are in disrepair and are muddy, which is extremely unfavorable for military operations.

It rained every three days when the officers and soldiers went out for the expedition. The materials they carried were easily moldy and deteriorated. The military uniforms they wore were soaked and had not yet been dried. If it rained again, it would easily cause a large number of non-combat attrition.

In this situation

It is better to be quiet than to move, and to defend rather than attack. The main purpose is to defend the current territory, guard the strong terrain and strengthen the fortress checkpoints to prevent the spread of indigenous uprisings.

The defense of Solo City must not be slackened. Severe suppression must be carried out against the unstable indigenous nobles and their tribal populations. The wrongdoers must not be spared, so as to act as a military deterrent.

from this month

Immigration will be organized to Solo City in a planned manner, with the Chinese male population as the main population. The initial number will be about 1200 to 1400 people per month, and will increase to people per month by the end of the year.

It is estimated that about 17000 to 2 people will immigrate throughout the year. The land will mainly be cleared of indigenous tribes, and tenant farming will be distributed in an orderly manner. The women will be settled on the spot. This will form nearly Chinese families.

This will be the basis for the stability of Solo City. If the immigration policy is continued for five to six years, 100,000 Chinese immigrant families will be formed in the local area, completely stabilizing the local situation.

Therefore, at present, non-military means are mainly used to consolidate and further control the occupied areas, and it is not appropriate to rashly launch more wars of conquest.

Don’t have a big appetite, and don’t be greedy for everything.

Digest it step by step, consolidate it step by step, and limit the losses caused by the indigenous riots within a certain range so as not to disrupt our steps. "

"Commander, we all respect you for your opinion." Major General Mai Laowen offered a timely flattery.

Major General Hu Huhu glared at him and said still worriedly;
"What the commander-in-chief said is absolutely true, and I admire you deeply.

However, our army is facing the front line of the Gui Lao army, and the war is expected to begin from March to April next year. This seems inevitable.

However, our total military strength in Central Java is less than 10,000, with the Semarang Division and the Jepara Fortress Artillery Regiment as the main ones. We need to control more than a dozen important towns such as Semarang, Jepara and Solo City, so our military strength is relatively thin.

I am afraid that the enemy army will attack in large numbers, and we are beyond our capabilities.

If something goes wrong, even if you die because of your humble position, you will not be able to escape the blame. Nowadays, I often feel anxious and uneasy, fearing that I will betray the great commander's trust. "

Feng Guohui nodded and said;
"It is right to be under pressure and to be in awe. The white colonial army has caused quite a stir recently. As a front-line force, the Semarang Division should always be prepared for danger in times of peace.

But there is no need to exaggerate the enemy's strength. The weapon equipment rate of the enemy's indigenous servants does not exceed 40%, and most of them are cold weapons. The actual threat is not great.

When necessary, you can be prepared with both hands.

First-hand, standing armed militia groups composed mainly of Chinese immigrants were established, with the number of people in each town ranging from seven to eight hundred to two to three hundred, depending on the situation.

The second hand is that we can temporarily recruit indigenous tribes to support each other during war, which can strengthen our army's momentum and serve as high-quality cannon fodder when necessary.

The Saladiga and Kraden regions can do the same, provide some financial support, and send officers to control the troops and coordinate operations.

Each indigenous militia group should have no more than a thousand people and coordinate with the main force of our army to fight.

Until March to April next year

The Landa Mountain Military Base can train 3 to 4 thousand new recruits, giving priority to replenishing Solo City's front-line troops, and there will be no deductions from the Commander-in-Chief's Office.

When necessary, the commander-in-chief will also draw out garrison reinforcements from other directions to provide support.

In this way, even if it faces a large-scale attack by the Dutch colonial army, it can handle it with ease and be as secure as a rock. "

Feng Guohui's actions gave Hu Laohu some reassurance, and the worry in his expression eased slightly, but only slightly.

Whether it is the Chinese people's regiment or the indigenous servant army, their combat effectiveness is uneven. They are always not as useful as the army's command and control in battle.

What reassured him the most was the commander’s promise
All the new recruits trained in the first quarter were assigned to the command line of the Semarang Division. This effective force of three to four thousand people was what he valued most.

Such a large number of troops is almost equivalent to an entire division.

As long as it goes through a few bloody battles, it can transform into a powerful steel fist, support the defense of the front line battlefield, and drag the war into a stalemate.

Defeating the Dutch colonists has never been a matter of a day or two, and now it requires a long-term plan. The key is to buy more time for the areas occupied by the Nanyang Army.

This consensus has been adopted at the Supreme Military and Political Council and will be implemented.

(End of this chapter)