afterglow

Chapter 450: Making Contributions and Counting Sands; The Power of Edelweiss

While the Ming army was in full swing attacking Papua and the southwest Pacific region, military operations in the northwest were also being carried out in an orderly manner.

The Anxi Army, formed in Lanzhou, has been stationed in Kazakhstan and Abakan. It has a total of four infantry divisions and approximately 80,000 troops including service personnel.

Due to poor road conditions, the two field heavy artillery brigades originally assigned to them basically stayed in Lanzhou. Each infantry division only brought a few 144mm howitzers. Everyone felt that this was enough.

The imperial court had been paying close attention to the situation in these places a few months ago. Agents from the Governor's Intelligence Office and specialists from the Foreign Affairs Department of the Ministry of Rites analyzed the various local separatist forces and military leaders, made tentative contacts, and finally selected the right ones. candidate.

These separatist forces all have their own agendas. Some want to establish an independent country, some want to be protected by the Ming Dynasty, and some just want to be king and dominate.

According to the order of the imperial commissioner, it was necessary to shock the mountain and frighten all parties. The 15th Infantry Division of the Anxi Army went straight to Tashkent as soon as it left the country. The hostile separatist forces there were defeated in one blow and collapsed in a subsequent attack.

In general, the Ming army's armed intervention in Kazakhstan and Abakan was very smooth. Even though many locals were hostile and dissatisfied, few dared to translate it into actual actions.

People are all afraid of settling the scores later in life.

In the direction of Siberia, the Lingbei Army also reached the line of the Trans-Siberian Railway after a long march, and then moved all the way west to station in important cities such as Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg.

Although it was possible to catch a train, these barren mountains and ridges were really not suitable for human activities. After more than a month, the entire army was stranded.

Now in the vast wasteland east of the Ural Mountains, all the garrison generals finally declared their allegiance to Lieutenant General Ilya's Siberian Defense Council.

Lieutenant General Ilya Yegorov, on the other hand, flirted with the Ming Dynasty and had a good conversation on all matters big and small. This was undoubtedly a good thing for the local military and civilians, at least it avoided the disaster of war.

Based on the summary of various sources, the Ming court believed that Lieutenant General Ilya was a conservative who was content in his own corner. He did not have much ambition and only wanted to enjoy a sense of superiority over tens of thousands of people in the local area.

This kind of person is easier to handle and is a good target for support.

After a short rest, the Lingbei Army quickly organized an expeditionary force, with an infantry division and a field heavy artillery brigade as the core, supplemented by six regiments of servant troops.

With trains coming and going, this force of more than 30,000 people marched westward in a mighty manner, crossing the dividing line between the Eurasian and European continents and heading straight for Izhevsk.

Last time, the troops sent by the Siberian Defense Force also intended to plunder Izhevsk. In the end, they were defeated due to underestimation of the enemy and insufficient preparations, and they could only retreat in despair.

Things are not what they used to be. If a mere few thousand people were asking for trouble last time, then this time they are serious about it.

The Siberian Defense Forces were on their side, and the defeated officers were gearing up and clamoring to defeat the Nationalist Republican Army there.

"I hope they can return victorious. It is a big military-industrial city. If they can successfully capture it, moving back thousands of machines and equipment will be nothing more than a trivial matter."

In the duty room of the staff office of the Governor's Mansion, Cheng Han poured himself a cup of tea, then raised his eyes to look at Zhou Changfeng, who was a few steps away.

The latter had his hands on his hips and stared at several maps hanging on several racks, looking thoughtful.

He asked: "Senior, do you have any considerations about the army's ideas?"

It's true that you have to pick on the weak, but Zhou Changfeng feels that Indu's human resources are too abundant, with a population of 3.8 million. Historically, about 250 million people were mobilized to participate in the war during the war, and it was not the limit.

The Ming army was able to achieve a good exchange ratio when fighting against the British and Indian troops, but considering that the British rule in Indu was relatively solid, it was much stronger than the Dutch East Induna.

The opponent has countless soldiers. Even if they win every battle, catching pigs is still laborious.

Cheng Han took a sip of tea and muttered: "Sending troops to Indu requires at least twenty divisions and half a million troops. This can basically be guaranteed after the completion of the Siam-Burma Railway, but this is also the upper limit."

"It would be great if we could invest such a large force at once, but if we increase the number of troops one after another, we won't be able to form an advantage in a short period of time, and we will definitely fall into a stalemate in the end." Zhou Changfeng said firmly.

"Yes, that's the problem." Cheng Han stood up from his chair, stretched out his index finger and circled the map, "If it cannot be solved in a short time, it will reach a stalemate. A large number of troops of the country and the DPRK will be restrained in the South Asian subcontinent, and the losses will be seen. , that kind of consumption is really too great.”

"A two-front war must be avoided." Zhou Changfeng said firmly, "The resources of the mainland and Nanyang are already sufficient. Now we must concentrate our efforts to bring the Americans to the negotiating table."

Cheng Han, who looked calm, said leisurely: "But the ocean is ultimately the stage for the Navy and the Air Force. The Army can only obey them... It's difficult to handle."

The upper echelons of the Ming Army are not fuel-efficient. It is really embarrassing to ask them to follow the strategies and actions of the Navy and Air Force.

And they feel that everything is under control and full of confidence.

Now that more and more troops have been expanded, how can we only recruit troops without sending them? Being idle is also idle.

The attack on Indu is mainly based on land warfare, so it does not require much naval power. The Ming Navy can send a fleet to help, and the rest will be left to the army and air force!

"Uh..." Zhou Changfeng rolled his eyes, covered his forehead and said, "This... I can't say."

Both the internal atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty Army and the civil society are actually changing in a more aggressive direction.

Most of the officers and soldiers have the expectation of making great achievements. So many people are waiting to win promotions and make a fortune by fighting in the war. If they don't find a place to fight, is it possible to go to the Pacific islands to catch crabs and count the sand?

And the same is true among the people. Regardless of the literati who recited poems and composed poems, in reality, it has gradually become popular in the vast rural areas of the Ming Dynasty to send people to serve as soldiers.

As we all know, rural people are often practical and utilitarian. If they can bring some good things to their families during the New Year and festivals, the whole family will be happy, and every household in the village will look high on them.

In the series of battles to pacify Nanyang, a lot of money was captured, and even ordinary soldiers could get some profit and water.

A typical Ming Army infantryman usually came from the countryside and had several brothers and sisters who were not short of labor, so one of the men (often the youngest adult son) was asked to join the army.

For example, if John Si fought in Southeast Asia as a member of an infantry division, he would probably be able to send home trophies such as watches, pocket watches, pens, and even cameras.

Just imagine what the scene would be like - the postman greeted him loudly from a distance as soon as he entered the village. Suddenly the whole village knew that the youngest son of the Li family in the west of the village had a promising future. The news became more and more exaggerated, and the Li family was in disarray. They all stood up straighter than before and walked with a breeze. The matchmaker also caught wind of this and started to make arrangements...

As a result, other people in the village would inevitably be envious while complimenting him, and naturally they would also be thinking about whether they should let their men join the army.

To put it nicely, this is the gradual restoration of martial arts in Qin and Han Dynasties.

To put it harshly, this is an intensification of aggression and looting.

Zhou Changfeng also felt that the folk customs were difficult to suppress, and it was a waste to have millions of troops doing nothing on the Pacific islands.

As a colleague of the staff office, Cheng Han's attitude was ambiguous and he seemed not to express his intention to interfere with the army's ideas. After going home and resting for a night, Zhou Changfeng went to the palace to see him.

Zhu Lingjing's warm-toned outfit today looks very gentle, with a yellow coat skirt and a white shawl. She leaned back on the chair casually, thinking.

"See Your Majesty."

"Here you come? Are you still recovering from malaria?"

"It's almost there. It's not serious. You should be fine in the next two days."

"Pay attention to your health." Zhu Lingjing supported her cheek with her right hand and asked with a smile, "Would you like to go to the hospital? Or I can take your pulse and check it."

Zhou Changfeng had no intention of chatting or joking at all. He waved his hand quickly and took half a step back, "No, no, no, no blessing to enjoy, no blessing to enjoy."

"Okay, it's up to you. What do you want to say today?"

"Well... it's mainly about the strategy towards Australia and India and India. I think we should finalize the general strategic direction and not change it at will."

The Ming Dynasty cannot be called a hammer in the east and a stick in the west. The original strategic plan was actually very clear——

In the early days, it was mainly defensive in the Central Pacific region and offensive in the Southwest Pacific region, encircling Macao for reinforcements and trying to annihilate the main force of the US Pacific Fleet; later it turned to offensive in the Central Pacific region, trying to attack Hawaii and seize Oahu. .

But now because the situation has exceeded expectations, many people are demanding to change the original strategy, give up attacking Australia, or switch to attacking Indus.

Zhu Lingjing also stopped smiling and said in a neutral tone: "The attack on Macao is a key piece in the big chess game and cannot be stopped."

There are military alternatives to attacking Australia to lure the US fleet, such as attacking Wake Island or Midway, but politically it is the only option.

She continued: "As for fighting against Britain and India, it is feasible, but we have to wait until the situation in Australia is settled."

Zhou Changfeng pondered for a few seconds and then hesitated: "Your Majesty, is this the emperor's opinion?"

Zhu Lingjing glanced at him sideways, noncommittal, which was tantamount to acquiescence.

After a while, she spoke: "Father still wants stability too much. If I go by what I think, I should encourage those in the Radical Society now, pardon a few people and release them from prison, and pick a few things to publicize."

The Ji Mao Disaster not only caused the Ming court to arrest and destroy two radical far-right factions, the Endeavor Society and the Youth Brave Society, but also suppressed the relatively sane Pioneer Society.

In Zhu Lingjing's view, now we should do everything possible to stimulate the people's fighting spirit and spirit, encourage the far-right factions, and release some arrested guys.

However, Zhu Shiyan was still wary of these people, so he refused to adopt this method - there was no way, the Supreme Emperor did not agree, and the Emperor had nothing to do.

The stroke left Zhu Shiyan with considerable sequelae. His physical condition has been good and bad, and it has been getting worse since a few months ago. But it is obvious that he cannot hand over the core decision-making power to him while he is still alive. other people.

At this time, Zhu Lingjing changed the topic and talked about the situation in Europe.

"The Battle of Moscow has come to an end, and it seems that it will not be settled for a while. Well, a good thing."

▇▇▇The troops (red) have launched a large-scale offensive against the National Republican Army in the past month and a half, smashing many of the latter's defense lines one after another.

In the early stages of the battle, eleven division-level units of the Nationalist Republic Army were completely wiped out or severely damaged, resulting in heavy losses. Later, the battle line retreated from Smolensk to the Moscow line.

After that, the ▇▇▇ troops (red) once invaded Moscow city, and fierce street fighting broke out between the two sides. The bloody battle lasted for half a month, but the follow-up was weak and the battle finally failed, and the army was defeated under the city of Moscow.

In this battle, the ▇▇▇ troops (red) lost a large amount of weapons and equipment, and had to send three groups of commissioners to Berlin for support.

The National Republican Army received support from the United States - the first merchant fleet sailing from Seattle passed through the Bering Strait before the end of the navigation period, traveled westward through the harsh Arctic Ocean route, and arrived at Arkhang. Ersk.

大手笔的美国人一口气给予了120辆M2A2轻型坦克、27辆M2中型坦克、66架P-36战斗机、350门M2型105㎜榴弹炮、400辆卡车。

This is because time is tight, and we must rush through the Bering Strait before the freezing period begins. There is no time to mobilize more weapons and equipment, otherwise it will be at least doubled.

At the same time, in the direction of the Caucasus, the Red Eagle Legion also fought a battle with the British Expeditionary Force from afar.

In order to prevent the German Society from using the Baku oil fields, the men of the Zhengmi Banner in London did whatever they could.

The 44th, 84th and 158th Squadrons of the Royal Air Force took off from the mainland and transferred to colonial Jordan, and finally arrived at the French colony of Beirut.

Dozens of Whitley MkII medium bombers carried out multiple strategic bombings on Baku, destroying a considerable number of oil wells and refineries.

The British 50th Infantry Division originally stationed in Cairo and the South African 1st Infantry Division, which arrived later, formed an expeditionary force and marched through Turkish territory towards Baku.

The Red Eagle Corps remained highly vigilant about this, and its 4th Mountain Division and 33rd Infantry Division deployed their positions in time, and fighting broke out in Sylvan and its surrounding areas.

In the middle of the battle, the commander of the 4th Mountain Division was injured by British artillery fire. Chief of Staff Ferdinand Scherner took over the command and used exquisite tactics to knock the head of the British 50th Infantry Division off its head.

In a battle that broke out on December 12, the Edelweiss literally disassembled two GebG9 mountain guns into parts, carried them on their backs and hoisted them to the cliff, and bombarded the British supply depot and field canteen from the top of the mountain, setting a record A miraculous battle example in which more than 36 British soldiers were killed and wounded at the cost of one man falling off a cliff.

Today, the weakened British army has to retreat, and London's plan to occupy Baku with ground troops has gone bankrupt.

Zhu Lingjing picked up a piece of pastry and said calmly: "According to the estimates of the Governor's Intelligence Office, despite repeated air raids, the entire city of Baku depends on oil for its livelihood, and the crude oil production should still reach 20 million tons."

Twenty million tons! If someone from the original plane heard this, he would probably be happy to death.

After talking for a few more words, Zhou Changfeng felt that the situation in Europe was unremarkable, so he brought the topic back.

"Your Majesty, although the Navy has not finalized the draft for fleet expansion, we can dig up the dock first."

　New Year’s Eve! See you in 2023!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)