The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 145 Bridge Battle
Round rock edge

Han Jinke led his reconnaissance platoon of more than 30 people, divided into three teams of more than ten people. They were hiding in the jungle and fired deadly volleys at the hurried patrols to prevent the enemy from advancing.

In the age of flintlock muskets, due to the cumbersome need to load bullets, soldiers needed to remain standing during combat. After loading, soldiers could take a kneeling or standing position to shoot.

As for prone shooting, it will not be used in combat.

Because after firing a round of bullets, you have to get up and reload. You can't complete so many tedious reloading actions while lying on the ground.

Hearing the gunshots, a patrol of more than 200 people came for reinforcements. According to regulations,
The Dutch troops stationed along the highway must patrol within the designated jurisdiction every day, especially when the mule and horse transport teams transporting military supplies pass by, they must assume the task of armed escort.

In the form of a baton, escort forward section by section.

Therefore, the armed patrol of more than two hundred people was far behind the mule and horse transport team.

Only after being escorted out of their own highway jurisdiction can they return on their own. The next section will naturally be escorted by other relay troops stationed along the route. This is intended to add a layer of insurance to the mule and horse transport team.

"Clap clap clap..."

It took more than three minutes for the enemy to approach from 500 yards to 400 yards. The soldiers of the reconnaissance platoon had fired seven or eight rounds of salvos, causing more than 30 casualties to the enemy.

Under the strong urging of the white officers, the attacking indigenous soldiers armed with weapons fired "crackling" from a distance, but they were unable to pose any threat to the sniping reconnaissance platoon soldiers.

The scorching bullets flew like locusts, and several people in the enemy team who were visible to the naked eye were shot over. Screams and angry yells were heard from a distance.

However, no one was injured, which greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers in the reconnaissance platoon.

Taking full advantage of the range advantage of the Mini rifle, Second Lieutenant Han Jinke ordered his officers and soldiers to fire a volley of rifles when the enemy was more than 500 meters away.

Many of the indigenous soldiers held blunderbuss and bird blunderbuss in their hands. Those crappy things were easy to explode and had a range of only a few dozen meters. To rush towards them would be to seek death.

"Clap clap clap..."

The white colonial government had been equipping the slave army with inferior weapons, and the backlash came. These natives were not stupid, and they were unwilling to die in vain. It was almost a mutiny before the battle.

The few white officers in command angrily drew their sabers and chopped down several native soldiers who had retreated, forcing the others to regroup and attack.

Due to the poor air tightness of the old-fashioned musket, the fatal range is within two hundred and fifty yards. Beyond this distance, the threat of the projectile decreases rapidly.

"Hold the gun straight, aim at the target, and release!"

On the other hand, the attacking Dutch army had stopped hesitantly and refused to move forward.

The new Mini rifle has almost overwhelming superiority, which greatly encouraged the soldiers. Under the command of Second Lieutenant Han Jinke, they became more and more confident.

After another intensive volley of gunfire, seven or eight more soldiers fell down more than 350 yards away. Blood bloomed on their bodies, and they screamed and were shot to the ground.

Even if there are more than two hundred people in the patrol, they have an absolute advantage in strength.

"Clap clap clap..."

The frightened patrol team was forced by the white officers to fight back. This time, they did not suffer any blow and successfully crossed the round boulder and rushed into the battlefield.

But in the face of the deadly long-range attack by the reconnaissance platoon, the patrol team reorganized by the white officers launched another attack. As a result, they kicked the iron plate hard and retreated again, leaving behind thirty or forty corpses.

What they saw was more than a hundred burned mules, horses and carts on the road, as well as the corpses of friendly troops scattered everywhere, a desolate scene.

more than an hour later

For a time, the indigenous soldiers were in chaos. The huge panic caused these soldiers to turn around and run away. The white officers could not stop drinking.

The flames of the burned cart were still lingering, and there was still the strong smell of barbecue.

They were from the mules, horses and large livestock that had been shot. When the carts were burned, they were also burned, leaving only the charred remains.

Some of the surviving escort officers and soldiers now have faces full of fear.

This time, the number of casualties in this raid reached 2,670 officers and soldiers, with the casualty rate close to half. Many of the wounded and sick were wailing in pain on the ground.

this era

Medical treatment is extremely backward, especially in tropical areas where fighting infection is a difficult problem. There are no good drugs that can deal with abscess inflammation, and the mortality rate of the sick and wounded is as high as 70%.

The Nanyang Army soldiers who attacked had already fled and disappeared into the mountains and forests.

in just three weeks

On the more than 300-kilometer inner transportation line from Purwokardo to Belik, the mule and horse transport teams were attacked six times, and the checkpoint patrols along the way were attacked 11 times. A large amount of military supplies were burned. At the same time, more than 1650 soldiers were injured or killed.

Even if the Dutch army dispatched a convoy of up to a thousand people, they still could not avoid the fate of being attacked.

This resulted in the dwindling military resources gathered on Bellik's front line. The food that was originally enough to support more than a month was only enough for a week, and it was approaching the dangerous cordon.

This made the commander of Bellick Garrison, Major General Kane Van Kerwijk, very angry, and issued a stern warning to the Governor-General's palace regarding its war preparations.

He stated;
Since the Battle of the Gulf Highway, in the past month and a half, only 631 white soldiers have been added to the entire Java War Zone, which is a drop in the bucket for the current severe war situation.

Officials at all levels in the Governor's Mansion were poorly mobilized during the war, and there was a shortage of financial funds. There was also a huge gap in advanced weapons, ammunition and equipment. The indigenous soldiers had to fight enemies with advanced weapons with broadswords, spears, and backward muskets.

Even the equipment of the white colonial army lagged behind the Eastern army, which was rare in the two hundred years of modern European war history.

If this passive situation cannot be changed as soon as possible, "holding on to Bellick" will become an impossible task.

Major General Kerwick's remarks deeply irritated the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. The Governor, Earl Charles Ferdinand Bahou, was even more furious. As the highest officer, he ordered Major General Kerwick to shut up. However, No further punishment was imposed.

After all, Major General Colwick was the commander of the forward army. He had more than 70% of the military power of the colonial governor's palace in his hands, which was a major consideration for victory.

Due to both emotion and reason, the general cannot be overly stimulated at this time.

The difficulty with the Governor's Mansion is not that it is unwilling to provide the most advanced weapons to the frontline soldiers, but that it is difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without straw.

In the East Indies Colonies
The industrial capabilities of the white Dutch colonists were almost nonexistent. This was because their European homeland was a typical agricultural country, and it was even less likely to develop modern industry in the colonies.

The weapons equipped by the Dutch army are mainly the French Republic Nine, as well as some Dutch M1815 muskets. This is an infantry weapon independently developed by the Netherlands after it separated from France in 1814.

Objectively speaking, the infantry weapons and equipment used by the white Dutch colonists are basically on the same level as those of world powers such as Britain and France and their rivals, the Nanyang Army.

However, after the Nanyang Army's cutting-edge Mini rifles were equipped, the troops on the front line gradually changed their equipment, achieving a qualitative crushing of the infantry weapons of the white Dutch colonial army.

This embarrassing situation cannot be solved by the Governor's Office.

Due to the huge amount of weapons in stock, the armies of world powers such as Britain and France are also equipped with the same weapons. Mini rifles have not been widely used and are only equipped with some elite troops on a small scale.

If the Dutch Governor-General wants to purchase it, he must first place an order with a European manufacturer. After production, it will be transported thousands of miles to the Java battlefield.

This comes and goes for at least eight months.

Battle of the Bay Road

The Netherlands suffered an unprecedented blow. The high pensions for officers and soldiers and the loss of a large amount of weapons and equipment directly emptied the government-general's family fortune and saddled them with heavy debts.

In this case, the support for the front line will naturally be greatly reduced.

Each has its own difficulties. Major General Kane Van Kerwijk, commander of the Bellick garrison, now only has more than 4700 white elites and 1.5 indigenous servants scattered across a 17-kilometer front to block the Nanyang Army's massive attack. Go west.

The only thing he can rely on is these more than 4700 white troops.

My family knows my own affairs
More than half of the 1.5 indigenous servants still use cold weapons. How can they resist the fierce Nanyang Army?

Major General Kane van Kerwijk hoped to withdraw part, even one-third, of the 5500 white troops in Sumatra.

But the reality is not optimistic. Sumatra's 5500 white troops occupy six important towns and resist more than 4.6 Acehnese troops. The pressure is no less than him.

If we withdraw our troops, even partially.

The eager Sultan of Aceh will see an opportunity and launch a war of conquest against the kingdoms in eastern Sumatra.

As a result, the lofty status of the Dutch Governor-General over the kingdoms in eastern Sumatra will collapse, and the 50-year strategy of colonizing Sumatra has completely failed.

Its impact is no less than the loss of East Java and Central Java.

At this time, the huge disadvantage of the small country in the Netherlands was revealed. With ten fingers pressed against the snail, no one could have time to spare.

Just as the Dutch generals were quarreling with the Governor-General's Mansion, on the third day of June 1860, Nanyang Army Commander Feng Guohui gathered 1.63 troops and divided his troops into two groups to directly attack Bellick, and took the initiative to launch a new round of Bellick Battle.

This news caused great panic in the Dutch Governor-General's Office, so he issued a war mobilization order and quickly summoned up to 5300 white militiamen to assist the front line.

These Dutch white militiamen, old and young, prepared their own weapons and carriages, and sent reinforcements to the front one after another.

At this time, some peripheral operations have already begun.

Chaya Town is more than ten kilometers northeast of Belik. Chaya Town is the last peripheral defense line of Belik. The town is located on the Solo River, and there is an ancient stone bridge spanning more than 100 meters of the Solo River.

The fierce battle revolved around the fight for the stone bridge.

The original Dutch military command prepared to destroy this ancient stone bridge, hoping to block the advance of the Orientals.

However, there was strong opposition from the local indigenous residents. Thousands of them picked up dung forks, knives and sticks to prevent the demolition of the bridges. Large-scale fights broke out, which caused uneasiness among the indigenous officers and soldiers and forced the military to abandon this action. .

Ancient stone bridges spanning hundreds of meters of river are rare in the entire Java Island.

This ancient bridge in Chaya Town was built more than 630 years ago during the Mataram Dynasty. According to legend, the god descended to earth to eradicate the evil beasts in the river, and the white elephant on his crotch turned into this ancient bridge.

Therefore, this ancient bridge is called the White Elephant Bridge and occupies an important position in the totem worship of the local indigenous residents.

Moreover, this ancient bridge connects tens of thousands of acres of land to the east of the bridge. Once it is demolished, Chaya Town will lose its only bridge across the river, which will of course lead to strong resistance from the indigenous residents.

this day

A large number of troops gathered on both sides of the Solo River. On the west side of the river in Chaya Town, there was an army of more than 1.5 people led by the commander-in-chief of the Dutch Army, Major General Kane van Kerwijk. Among them, there were about 1860 elite white soldiers and white militiamen. Remain.

On the east bank of the river is the main force of the mobile corps led by Marshal Feng Guohui, with more than 10,000 people, including the Semarang Division, Solo Mobile Corps and the Marshal's Guards Regiment, as well as part of the Surabaya Division.

The commander's flag was fluttering in the wilderness, and the troops were neatly arranged like a forest of spears, and their murderous intent was far-reaching.

A brief comparison between the two sides can tell the difference.

The Nanyang Army's military appearance was neat and tidy, the queues were lined up neatly, and the flying military flags were scattered in an orderly manner, giving people a strong impact of tight queues and murderous intent.

On the other hand, the Dutch army

The white troops in the center of the military formation were arranged in an orderly manner, while the other indigenous servant troops and white militiamen were not at all the same. They were gathered together in piles, and their uniforms were messy and looked like a peasant rebel army.

The second-hand weapons are even more diverse and difficult to describe.

Major General Kane Van Kerwijk looked at the army lineups of both sides with cold eyes, and felt a strong sour taste in his heart.

For a moment, I didn’t even know who were the rebels and who were the government troops?
The Dutch Governor-General's investment in the army has always been stingy, especially for the indigenous servants. As long as there is a stutter, just put a knife in it.

He was given a uniform, but he had no military trousers, military boots, belt, or water bottle. His military pay had been withheld and had not been paid for more than four months.

Who can help but sweat when taking such an army to the battlefield?
On the other hand, the uniforms of the army on the opposite side were uniform. The soldiers were neatly dressed in military uniforms, leggings, and rubber-soled shoes (note, a kind of natural rubber-soled sandals). They were holding uniformly issued new rifles, and their military appearance was neat and orderly.

At the very front were 68 field guns lined up, with their dark muzzles pointed directly at the other side of the river.

Although the number of the army was one-third less than that of the white colonial army, it was more powerful and took the initiative to attack.

Feng Guohui, who was under Shuai's banner, was all in military uniform. He took out his gold pocket watch and checked the time. It was now about nine o'clock in the morning. The sky was cloudless and it was a clear and good weather.

"Okay, let the artillery unit take the lead in launching a five-minute artillery bombardment, and then deploy troops to seize the ancient bridge, open the door to Bellik, and execute the order."

"As you command, Commander."

The rear headquarters waved the battle flag and issued the order for artillery fire.

Then an artillery group of 24 artillery pieces immediately began bombarding the enemy with artillery fire. "Boom, boom, boom..." The sound of artillery continued, kicking off the bridgehead battle.

(End of this chapter)