The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 149 Marching into Bandung
Bellick City
Several houses in the market were set on fire, lighting up half of the sky. Not far along the street, there were also shacks that were engulfed in flames, with "cracking" flames reaching into the sky.

The soldiers of the Nanyang Army were reflected in the firelight, and the light flashed with a murderous aura. The dense army surrounded the last few streets, making it impermeable to wind and rain.

Field artillery was also mobilized, and every three to four artillery pieces were divided into groups. The black muzzles were aimed at the masonry buildings where the Gui Lao army was entrenched, and they were bombarded regardless of the situation.

The walls kept being blasted down and the house collapsed. If there was a crazy counterattack by the ghost army, they would quickly replace it with shotgun shells and clear a large area with a few shots.

The buildings in the city couldn't be an obstacle at all. Countless white ghosts who fought back died on the way to the charge, and were beaten into a hornet's nest by sharp Mini rifles from a distance.

Despite the hard work of burning the midnight oil in the city, the cannons were rumbling non-stop. In the southwest corner of the city where the Dutch army finally gathered, a large number of houses and buildings were destroyed by artillery fire and set ablaze. When a cannon was fired, sparks were flying all over the sky. The scene was truly spectacular.

The gunshots came in waves. As long as those desperate ghost officers and soldiers dared to take the lead and charge desperately, they would almost without exception die under the intensive volley of gunfire.

The Nanyang Army opened the way with brutal artillery fire, divided into more than a dozen teams and attacked from all directions, destroying large areas of houses at all costs.

The Gui Lao officers and soldiers hiding inside did not want to be buried in the ruins, so they had no choice but to take risks and attack.

And the consequences of that are obvious. Under the bright firelight, it is impossible to hide people. As long as you show your face, you will become a target.

The soldiers set fire to the streets in the encirclement, using the blazing fire to force the ghost soldiers to appear, and then eliminated them like hunting rabbits.

After five days of long journey, the Nanyang Army arrived in Purwokerdo on June 6. After encountering slight resistance, they occupied the city on the morning of June 16, and their troops advanced towards Bandung, the capital of West Java.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands has accumulated more than 260 years of colonial achievements and suffered devastating losses in just two years. All this made the governor, Count Charles Ferdinand Bahou, furious and felt that the future was dark.

Sporadic gunshots still rang out in the city, which may have been the capture of Dutch officers and soldiers in hiding, or the execution of resisting indigenous men on the spot.

And after nightfall, they took the initiative to set fire to the entire block of buildings and carried out devastating strikes. They did not miss any mistakes in the blocks where Gui Lao officers and soldiers were entrenched.

No matter which sailing cargo ship arrived in Batavia, it was full of frightened white Dutch descendants when it returned. Men, women, and children seemed to be fleeing.

Bandung is the second largest city in the entire East Indies, with a total population of 25.3, of which Chinese account for 37%. It is the city with the highest Chinese population in the entire Java Island, higher than Batavia.

The recalcitrant Dutch soldiers were basically wiped out. More than 3,000 indigenous prisoners were captured at this station, making up for most of the casualties.

During the siege of Bellick, the Nanyang Army gave full play to its advantages in artillery and rifles, suppressed the Dutch army throughout the entire process, and achieved a decisive victory.

from beginning to end
The Nanyang Army took full advantage of their artillery fire. The rumbling sound of artillery continued until the early morning, and then gradually stopped.

In just over a week, the local white colonists lost as many as 2.71 people, which was a devastating situation.

By this time in the hard battle, the Dutch officers and soldiers had actually run out of ammunition and food, and there was no replenishment of food and water.

In just over a week, another 2.71 people were lost, and nearly people were lost on the battlefield. The remaining white descendants on Java Island were less than , and they were on the verge of danger.

The original 16.5 people of Dutch white descent have dropped by more than 3 intermittently in the past two years, leaving only a little over 13.

Occasionally, white militiamen entrenched somewhere raised their hands and surrendered. They were taken out one after another, and then quickly dispatched with sharp bayonets.

The Nanyang Army's large force did not stay in Bellik for long. After leaving a garrison of more than 2,000 people, it set off on the fourth day and continued westward, aiming directly at Purwokerdo.

The cleanup work was quite arduous, but with tens of thousands of indigenous male residents working together, hundreds of mules, horses and carts were used, and it took only a week to completely clean up.

However, the reputation of the Oriental troops for their cruelty and cruelty, through deliberate propaganda by the Dutch Governor-General, formed a stereotype among the white troops, who would rather die in battle than surrender.

This part was organized into two indigenous infantry regiments, namely the First Regiment of Bellick's Volunteers and the Second Regiment of Bellick's Volunteers, which followed the main infantry in combat.

In this battle, 3072 Dutch native servants and soldiers were annihilated, more than 3100 were captured, and thousands of swords and guns were seized.

"Where are our damn reinforcements? How long will it take for them to arrive? I want to know the exact time."

The resulting wave of exodus intensified, and the price of tickets from Batavia Port to Sumatra, Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong, Cochin, Guangzhou and Manila soared, making it difficult to get a ticket.

Some of the tired officers and soldiers were sleeping soundly in their rooms, and some just found a corner to lean against and then fell asleep. They were really too tired.

In just over a week, the Nanyang Army captured two cities in a row, especially the brilliant record of annihilating Bellick's 2.43 Dutch troops in one fell swoop. This greatly shocked the Batavia Governor's Mansion and plunged the local white community into chaos. In boundless fear and confusion.

Starting from the third day of occupying Bellik City, large groups of indigenous residents were organized to clean up the battlefield ruins in the city, especially the southwest corner of the city, which had all been reduced to rubble.

According to post-war statistics

After more than ten hours of continuous bloody fighting, the Nanyang Army units participating in the battle suffered some casualties, and they were also exposed to real fire and anger, and all of this was finally vented on the enemy.

As the Nanyang army pressed on the border and its troops approached Bandung, the capital of West Java, the panic among the white colonists around the two major cities became increasingly high, and the rate of exodus did not slow down at all.

The other part was that the Nanyang Army suffered 1321 casualties, including 329 killed and 992 injured. This was the second major battle with more than casualties since the battle for Jepara Fortress.

The next morning

The Nanyang Army's own losses were divided into two parts:
Some of them were cannon fodder for the expelled indigenous prisoners. There were 3811 casualties in the battle, and only less than 1800 people were left intact.

The casualties of the Nanyang Army were mainly due to the close combat after entering the city. The white troops were entrenched in the city buildings and madly exported firepower, causing a lot of casualties.

The entire next day, the Nanyang Army was undergoing repairs.

This battle annihilated 7184 white Dutch officers and soldiers, captured 2226 people, captured hundreds of horses, more than 3400 mules, donkeys, cattle and other large livestock, and piled up mountains of various trophies.

Including the more than 3100 newly captured indigenous soldiers, the remaining indigenous captives are approximately 4900.

Seeing this scene, Marshal Feng Guohui was furious and ordered the field artillery to be assigned to the infantry company to participate in the battle. The fierce firepower of the artillery opened the way, supplemented by the precise strikes of the infantry. The combination of the two achieved miraculous results.

Some energetic soldiers broke into the homes of the local indigenous residents, gathered all the men and took them away, while the women stayed in the house to vent their anger and relieve the tension and anxiety after the war.

After the rise of the Nanyang Army, all kinds of panic rumors flew all over the sky. Driven by fear, many white colonists stayed away from this place of right and wrong.

Therefore, the battle was unprecedentedly intense. The entire Bellik siege lasted for as long as twenty-one hours. It was not until the artillery of the Nanyang Army completely destroyed half of the southwest city that the battle gradually ended.

You must know that before the war, the total number of white Dutch descendants in the entire Java Island was only 16.5, and there were more than 3 people distributed in other parts of the East Indies.

"Dear Governor, the Dutch fleet's reinforcements should be somewhere in the Western Indian Ocean now. To be precise, it should be somewhere from the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf. It is already very close to our voyage."

"I don't want to hear this kind of ambiguity. How long does it take to arrive, exactly?"

"This...according to the latest news sent back by the Dutch fleet, they were supplying supplies in the Somali region of East Africa. This should have happened in mid-May. Long-distance sea transportation requires long-term repairs, otherwise the transport ship The soldiers can't bear it, uh..."

"Stop talking nonsense and answer my questions."

"Dear Governor, I can only boldly predict that the Dutch fleet should arrive at the Port of Cochin on the Indian Peninsula at the end of this month. If it takes less than ten days to rest and set sail again, then it should be sometime in mid-July. , arriving at the end of July at the latest. Of course... this is just my own guess."

"Okay, I know."

The governor, Count Charles Ferdinand Bahou, waved his hand irritably to show that he understood. He looked older than half a year ago, his hair was completely white, and the deep wrinkles on his face were particularly obvious.

It is completely conceivable how much pressure the Governor was under during this period?

Facing the complete collapse of the situation in Java, Governor Charles personally ordered the removal of more than 4000 people from the Sumatra garrison, and recruited 7200 white militiamen through forced enlistment to form a new regiment and stationed in Bandung to defend the Netherlands to the death. The fruits of the kingdom’s 260 years of colonization.

Such a move immediately had a chain reaction. The hostile Sultan of Aceh was ecstatic, and news of frequent mobilizations of indigenous troops came from the front of Sumatra.

There were only more than 1500 Dutch defenders left, and they had to abandon several important cities and gather the remaining forces in important eastern cities headed by Palembang.

Spring River Plumbing Duck Prophet.

The large-scale withdrawal of the Dutch colonial army made the Kingdom of West Ark and the eastern kingdoms under its military protection panic.

Like frightened birds, many local indigenous princes and nobles sold their properties and moved to Singapore and other places to escape the coming war.

The descendants of the white Dutch colonists who had just arrived in Palembang and other places were complaining endlessly. They had just left a dangerous place where the war was spreading, and they broke into a new war-torn place.

The Governor's Mansion forced white males between the ages of 16 and 40 to enlist in the army, which aroused strong opposition and dissatisfaction among the local white society, and also represented a more serious situation.

Many of the dire prospects predicted in rumors have been verified one by one in reality.

This, in turn, caused greater panic in the local white society, driving the outflow of immigrants to continue with a high fever.

Many white colonists gave up their plantations, land estates and other fixed assets that had been run for generations, collecting gold and silver in order to escape this terrible war-torn area. As long as you save your life, where can't you survive?

With their white faces, the descendants of white Dutch people can easily find good jobs and settle down in the British and French colonies, and they can still live a life of superiority.

These European colonies also welcomed the influx of white people with both hands, and provided them with all kinds of enviable and preferential treatment. For example, once they entered the police force, they could start as a middle-level police officer.

After entering the colonial government agencies, one could become a civil servant in the British Empire. With one person's high salary and extra income, one could afford a decent life for the whole family.

Whether doing business or obtaining a stable and high-paying income, the descendants of white Dutch people have conveniences that ordinary people cannot achieve in the entire Southeast Asia region and even in China.

Since there is such a good way out, why bother being trapped in one side?

It is precisely various factors that have contributed to the massive exodus of descendants of Dutch colonists, which is like a hemorrhage that cannot be stopped.

Governor Charles's eyes were filled with bloodshot eyes. He looked at Major General Alode with a hungry wolf's eyes. This was an army commander transferred from the Sumatra War Zone and the only remaining army soldier in the Governor's Mansion. General.

"General Aloyd
The heroic Commander of Bellick Garrison, Major General Kane van Kerwijk, has used his life to prove his loyalty and military honor to His Majesty the King.

There are also Colonel Claudia and other heroic Dutch officers who defended the honor of the kingdom with their blood and lives. They are true warriors and deserve to be remembered by the Dutch people.

Today, the East Indies colonies are in an unprecedentedly dangerous situation and are in urgent need of a capable soldier to turn the tide and block the hateful Orientals on the front east of Bandung.

I have mobilized 1.1 troops for your new legion, and within half a month, I can add another seven to eight thousand troops.

All white men who can carry a gun must accept military conscription from the age of 16 to 40 to replenish your new regiment.

In addition, the Governor's Mansion has forcibly recruited 4 indigenous cannon fodder. Now all the blacksmith shops are rushing to build swords and spears. I can only give you these weapons for the time being.

The guns, ammunition and artillery purchased from Saigon and Singapore will arrive in Bandung within ten days at most. This is my promise.

I ask you to lead the corps and stick to the Bandung defense line. No matter how great the sacrifices or casualties are, you must hold the defense line for me even if it takes human lives to fill it.

No matter what, you must hold on until mid-August, that is, after the arrival of the home fleet, your corps strength will be further expanded.

Regarding the new Mini rifle, the Governor-General has conveyed the urgent demand back to the Netherlands through diplomatic emails and will issue a large order to French manufacturers.

As soon as the end of the year, or as early as early next year, no later than February, a large number of new Mini rifles will arrive on Java Island, and I guarantee you that there will be a large number of new reinforcements.

The general's only mission now
Just by holding the Bandung Eastern Defense Line and blocking out the hateful Easterners, you have made outstanding contributions to the great cause of the kingdom's overseas colonization. I will personally ask His Majesty the King for the general's merit and award him a noble title that can be passed down to future generations. .

Now tell me, do you have the confidence to complete the task? "

"Honorable Governor, as long as there is no shortage of weapons and ammunition, I can guarantee you with my life that those hateful Easterners will never cross the Bandung defense line and take a step forward."

"Okay, this is the answer I want. Mr. General, please go to Bandung now to take charge. Then I will send the recruited white militia and the necessary supplies to Bandung one after another, looking forward to news of your victory."

"Dear Governor, I will use my high military honor to assure you that the mission will be completed to the letter."

"May God bless you, Amen!"

After suffering a series of major setbacks, Governor Charles showed a rare smile of relief on his face. He had completely given up on pursuing his personal future and only hoped to maintain the bottom line of the colony.

Lieutenant General Koch, Major General Kane Van Kerwijk, Colonel Claudia, these self-respecting soldiers all fell under the guns of the Easterners, and the situation of the entire Java Island became increasingly dangerous.

Not to mention the panic of the white Dutch descendants, even the authentic Dutch nobles like Governor Charles were panicking and eager to jump out of this sinking ship.

Unfortunately, his fears had no one to talk to.

Say something from your heart

Governor Charles couldn't understand why those Eastern troops marched forward as if they had taken rat poison, defeating the well-equipped white Dutch colonial army.

The Royal Navy was defeated and so was the Royal Army.

The powerful military advantage of the colony, which was originally thought to be impregnable, was broken like a piece of paper with a slight poke, revealing the ugly side of corruption, chaos and depravity.

Those feelings of superiority towards the Chinese nation that have been accumulated over many years have been severely trampled underfoot.

The world has become incomprehensible to him. What happened?
The Nanyang Army did not have so many scruples. After occupying Purwokerto, the troops divided into two routes. The northern route swept westward along Pekalongan and successively captured and occupied coastal ports such as Pamalan, Mulibei and Cirebon. towns, deeply integrating its influence into West Java.

The main force of the Nanyang Corps marched westward, capturing more than a dozen towns and villages along the way, and reached Daheng with a population of more than 30,000 people. The army stopped here and began to rest.

Daheng is located about 76 kilometers east of Bandung. It is a typical agricultural city on the plains and an important town in West Java with a long history. It is only a two-day walk from Bandung.

When we arrived here, we were only a dozen kilometers away from the heavily trooped defense line in eastern Bandung.

A decisive battle of unprecedented scale is about to begin on the densely populated plains of the Bandung Valley. Both sides in this battle cannot afford to lose.

The Dutch army is now using all its strength to injure people. It can be said that even if the battle is won, its originally tepid colonial process of more than 260 years has been interrupted, and the seriously injured only have half a life left.

So far, the number of white people lost has exceeded 1, accounting for 10/1 of the total population, 5/1 of the male population, and 3/ of the young and middle-aged male population.

In the peripheral defense line of Bandung, the Dutch Governor-General accumulated up to 1.8 white troops and more than 4 indigenous cannon fodder at all costs.

Based on this calculation, if the newly formed white regiments were completely lost in the battle, then the basis of the rule of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the East Indies would be completely wiped out, which would be a case of vomiting blood to injure others.

On the other hand, the Nanyang Army cannot bear the serious backlash of failure, which will wipe out all the efforts of more than two years. This is the consequence of a weak foundation.

Therefore, after occupying Daheng, the Nanyang Army did not launch an attack in a hurry. Instead, it mobilized more than 17000 indigenous convicts to start construction projects. They built 17 kilometers of defense facilities along easy-to-defend rivers and mountain passes. The work was in full swing.

This move
Major General Aloyd, who rolled up his sleeves and prepared for a big fight, was confused, so he led his senior officers to conduct a dangerous close investigation. He wanted to see with his own eyes what the Nanyang Army was doing.
This sight made Major General Aloyd's face darken, and he slowly figured out the intentions of the Nanyang Army.

Such large-scale construction of a fortress-type defense system is basically a long-term plan to prepare for a long-term confrontation with the Dutch army.

In other words, the Nanyang Army is not pursuing a quick victory, but is dragging the war into a long-term war of attrition.

This discovery made Major General Aloyd very troublesome.

why?

Because the Dutch army was obviously at a disadvantage in terms of infantry weapons and was not good at attacking but good at defending, it could rely on solid defensive measures and a large number of indigenous cannon fodder to consume the Nanyang Army's effective strength.

When advanced weapons arrive from Europe after the end of the year, it will be time for a major counterattack.

But the wishful thinking was ringing, but the Nanyang Army did not accept the move.

The Nanyang Army also had its own difficulties. While it expanded significantly into West Java, its military strength was also greatly diluted.

The main force of the Nanyang Army gathered in the Daheng area was only a little over 1, and with the addition of 1 indigenous servants, the total was a little over 2.

Today's Semarang Division's troops are located in the northern coastal town of Cirebon, Wulibi. Its strength is more than enough for defense but not enough for offense.

The more than a thousand new soldiers added in June were used to supplement the army casualties lost in the early stage. The total strength of the Nanyang Army remained at about 1.85.

Occupying such a large area will greatly dilute the military strength. There is nothing that can be done, and the attack will be more than adequate but insufficient.

Now we can only exchange time for space and build up new infantry divisions through several months of rest and recovery. For example, the Thoreau Task Force of more than 2600 people was upgraded to a division, and the Marshal's Guards Corps was upgraded to a division to further expand the number of troops.

However, based on the scale of growth of more than a thousand new recruits every month, it is estimated that this will not be achieved until the end of the year, increasing the total number of troops to about 2.3.

The only thing that can be significantly expanded is the indigenous servant army. Now the area under the jurisdiction of the Nanyang Army has added more than 170 million people, of which the indigenous population accounts for more than %. These are all available sources of troops.

Feng Guohui chose steady development and did not significantly expand the number of indigenous servant officers and soldiers, only keeping it at around 1.6.

Among them, the main army in the central Daheng area has about 10,000 indigenous servants, and the northern Semarang Division has more than 5,000 indigenous servants, who are used as front-line cannon fodder.

After careful consideration, the garrisons in other areas basically did not develop indigenous servant armies.

After all, those who are not of my race must have different minds.

(End of this chapter)