At six o'clock in the morning on July 1, 1793, after a day of rest and recuperation, the two companies camped in the camp advanced towards Langas Betong under the cover of two armored vehicles. Halfway through, they ran into a cavalry regiment sent by VOC, with more than 1,200 people.
What surprised those who would set up camp was that although these cavalrymen were wearing VOC's blue and red military uniforms, their heads were covered with turbans that looked like large millstones, with a red cloth belt tied to them.
"What are these guys carrying on their heads? They look heavy."
"You ask me who I'm going to ask! Stop talking nonsense and let's fight!"
The cavalrymen on the opposite side were also startled. The roar of the armored vehicles made their horses extremely restless. They tried to figure out what those two "green-skinned monsters" that looked like big boxes were. Before these guys could start attacking, bullets from the Hui Encampment came crashing down on them. The machine guns in the two armored vehicles were like two electrified whips, waving wildly in the cavalry, harvesting every life, whether human or horse.
The cavalrymen had never seen this before. They were so frightened that they turned around and ran away, not even obeying the officer's orders. They did not stop until they retreated two kilometers away. Under the high reward offered by the Dutch officer, several cavalrymen came back to conduct reconnaissance with the courage. When it was confirmed that there were only more than 200 people in the Northern Navy, their restless hearts became restless again, and they immediately gathered their troops and launched another attack.
The cavalry did not hesitate this time. They raised their scimitars high, surrounded them from the road and fields, and charged with their horses shouting. However, only ten minutes later, these barefoot guys who were carrying the "millstone" were taught by the bloody reality. Once again, more than two hundred casualties were left behind, and they were driven away by the campers like rabbits and fled for their lives. .
After a brief interrogation of a Dutch officer who was injured after falling from his horse, the campers realized that they had encountered a group of Marbars from India, belonging to an ethnic group of Tamils in South India.
What is a Tamil? Although the Chinese soldiers who would set up camp were all born and raised in Annan and had seen many maritime merchants, they had never heard of it.
Compared with the French and British East India Companies, the Dutch East India Company did not recruit many native soldiers in India before. If the Northern Navy was not too powerful, the VOC would never spend money to recruit a group of native soldiers from India to serve as cannon fodder. In the war to conquer Ceylon, the Dutch believed that the Indian soldiers not only performed poorly in marching, but also lacked discipline and behaved cowardly in combat.
This group of arrogant Dutch people really have no idea. With a salary of only 4.5 guilders per month and no pension, which mercenary is willing to work for them!
Look at the British East India Company. The vast majority of its more than 70,000-strong army are Indians. And as the combat effectiveness of individual soldiers has improved, the British have become a little wary, constantly adding sand to it to strike a balance between different races.
As a commercial company, VOC is definitely a typical representative of "employing people to go forward, not using people to go behind" in the use of mercenaries. Whenever a war was about to begin, it would hastily raise a temporary field force, only to dismiss it as soon as the war was over. This system is never a good employer for mercenaries. Furthermore, due to temporary formation, poor officers, hasty training and extremely low treatment, the combat effectiveness of VOC troops is very low; even if someone realizes that changes are needed, it is too late.
Behind the Hoi An camp, the four battalions of the servant army also set off under the leadership of He Xiwen after having a warm breakfast. However, what is striking is that in addition to the more than 3,000 logistics teams composed of Chinese from Bacheng, there were also more than 1,000 ordinary people from Tangerang City who spontaneously drove horses and carried burdens to help transport supplies. Supplies. And the regent had already taken his son to the Bacheng Military Control Commission yesterday to express his loyalty to Zhao Xin.
The reason for this situation is that after He Xiwen entered the city the day before yesterday, he first asked the Chinese who knew Javanese to inform the people in the city to cancel all kinds of exorbitant taxes and to cancel the forced cultivation of coffee. The news spread, the whole city was shaken, and order in the city quickly stabilized.
You must know that the Dutch's use of troops against the city of Bach led to extremely huge financial expenditures. In order to fully tap the war potential and make the vassal sultanates obey, Overstraten also took a variety of measures to continue to weaken and deprive these lords of their rights. Feudal privileges made them lose the strength and will to resist.
For example, in the three vassal states of Banten, Yogyakarta, and Solo, the feudal nobles who served as administrative officials at all levels could only be loyal to the governor and appointed officials. The power of the state was firmly controlled by the Dutch, and all public affairs were and policies do not require the consent of the Sultan.
Secondly, at the expense of reducing the planting area of rice, the forced cultivation of coffee continues to be expanded in order to obtain high profits. In order to monopolize industry and commerce, Overstraten prohibited feudal aristocratic officials in the colonial area from operating industry and commerce, and they were not allowed to hire village laborers under any pretext.
In addition, the tax items on the vassal states and directly-controlled territories have been increased from more than 20 to more than 30 types, which has made people everywhere complain and the burden is increasing day by day. Not only did ordinary people have to pay taxes on the small amounts of goods they carried with them when passing through the customs, but the tributes shipped to the palace by local officials also had to pay taxes. Tax collectors hired by the Dutch could search officials, their retainers, and their families at will. The weirdest thing is that you have to pay the so-called "butt tax" even if you carry a child through the checkpoint.
Seeing that the encirclement and interception failed, Overstraten resorted to a second move and quickly sent an envoy to request negotiations, saying that VOC was an old resident and old friend of the people of Java Island and was "peace-loving" and could join forces with Beihai Town. Implement partition of the island of Java. Unexpectedly, He Xiwen didn't accept this trick at all. After hearing what the translator said, he didn't even read the letter and just tore it into pieces. The Dutchman was livid with anger, but he could only go back dejectedly to take orders.
At noon one day later, He Xiwen led his army to arrive two kilometers away from the east bank of the Wurong River. Later, under the cover of the combat troops, the Chinese workers in the baggage team began to set up the camp in a leisurely manner. The whole process was like a performance, which stunned the enemy troops who came to reconnaissance.
The Chinese workers first used tools such as ropes, plumbs, polygonal rulers, and levels to measure the selected locations, and then used white lime powder to draw the camp walls, tent areas, material areas, sentry towers, and gates on the ground. , trenches and other various locations.
By the time all this work was over, forty minutes had passed. More than two hundred construction workers, who had rested for a long time, began to remove the flat-shaped explosion-proof wall units from the carriages and opened them neatly. Arrange them on the camp wall, and then connect them two by two with the iron buckles that come with them. These blast-proof wall units are all 1.5 meters high, 1 meter long, and 60 centimeters thick. The outer walls of the camp are composed of two sets of units, upper and lower.
At the same time, hundreds of other workers were holding shovels and picks, excavating soil from the two-and-a-half-meter-wide trench marked by lime, and then loading it into prepared sacks. Another wave of people carried sacks on their shoulders and put them in the sacks. Put them into the iron frame of the explosion-proof wall, pile them up and compact them.
These Chinese workers had all participated in the construction of the outer positions of Bacheng, so they were very skilled in using explosion-proof walls to build field fortifications. They worked in groups of 500 people and rotated every half an hour, plus those from Tangerang who followed. With the help of the people in the city, each person can load 20 explosion-proof units per hour. In addition, the sentry towers are all built with steel pipes. After the foundation is laid, the ground parts are directly connected with fasteners, and then wooden sandbags are laid on them.
While the civilians were busy, the servant army sent two platoons to take charge of drinking water in the camp. There's nothing to worry about. There's a clear river a mile behind the camp. The fetched water is put into several 200-liter water tanks made of cowhide-sewn steel frames and can be easily folded. A water purification tablet is then put in. It can be drunk after 30 minutes of disinfection.
Two hours later, a square camp 400 meters square with a total area of 16,000 square meters had begun to take shape, and the locations where the soil was taken had become trenches more than one meter deep.
Overstraten, who was inspecting the front line of the Urong River, was shocked when he received the report from the scouts. He and his senior officers knew that once the enemy gained a foothold on the other side, it would not be that easy to drive them away. According to the scout's report, the number of enemy troops on the other side is around 4,000. So now heavy troops must be dispatched immediately to attack the unsteady enemy troops and catch them by surprise.
After some discussions on the map with his men, Overstraten decided to divide five regiments into the north and south wings, and enter the other side from the two pontoon bridges on the Ujong River. The two regiments on the northern left wing carried out a feint attack, and the three regiments on the southern right wing went around to the rear of the North Navy to launch the main attack. To this end, he appointed two senior officers to lead the northern and southern groups respectively. They were Major General De Corral and Major General Van der Goose.
The Dutch troops had just begun to secretly gather on the west bank of the Wurong River, and the Northern Navy knew about it. This was not a drone, but the Rapini team lurking on the other side that informed him. There are no mountains here in Langas Betong, it is all plains and hills, so the walkie-talkie signal can be easily received.
Although a large number of enemy troops were dispatched, He Xiwen did not intend to stand firm. He had to buy time for the construction of the camp now, otherwise it would be more troublesome after dark. So he ordered two battalions of the servant army to dispatch, and also sent an armored vehicle to provide artillery support.
He always remembered Zhao Xin's instructions to him before leaving the headquarters. This battle was to use the VOC army as a grindstone for the servant army. If he couldn't even defeat a group of miscellaneous mercenaries, why would he go to India to fight the British? What about the alliance with the Marathas?
After giving the order, five minutes later, a total of 2,000 people from the two battalions lined up in four columns in the open space outside the north gate of the camp. Rifles stood like black sticks, looking murderous. After the team started marching, the platoon leaders, including Quan Baocai, rode their horses forward and back from time to time to check the formation.
The officer in charge of commanding these two battalions was named Hu De, who was from Henan. He was also the battalion commander of Quan Baocai.
Half an hour later, the team trotted to an open area one kilometer north of the camp. There was a forest three hundred meters to the left and a field to the north, which was a good battlefield.
After selecting a good location, the infantry quickly dug the soil with the engineer shovel they carried with them, then took sacks from the carriage following behind, and began to build the parapet fortifications.
Four 12-pound cannons were in position on a gentle slope fifty meters behind the infantry line. The gunners led the horses to stop the artillery cart. They first used tools to level the land at each gun position, and then pushed the artillery cart to the gun position. Finally, the ammunition truck was pulled in an orderly manner to 20 meters behind the gun position. One hundred meters behind them, the grass-green armored vehicle parked motionless, but the roar of the engine gave all the soldiers present the confidence of victory.
Not all armies these days are as quick as the North Korean Navy, especially the VOC troops. The breastworks on the Northern Navy side were half built, and the cavalry under Van der Goose began to walk onto the pontoon bridge.
When Hood received the notification from the walkie-talkie, he took out the pocket watch he bought in Bacheng and looked at the time. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. He immediately ordered a platoon of skirmishers to move out and attract the enemy troops.
Well, Hood thought that since the commander wanted an upright frontal battle to temper these soldiers, then this battle must be fought. Even if there were casualties, it would not be a big problem.
After a while, when the soldiers of the servant army began to take up their positions behind the parapet, a burst of gunfire like exploding beans suddenly came from the woods a mile away to the left. The skirmishers were already engaged in a firefight with the enemy.
Ten minutes later, the skirmishers ran out of the woods with their guns in hand, waving their hats in their hands. Behind them, the figures of VOC soldiers on horses gradually appeared. Farther north, a large group of people wearing red and blue military uniforms poured out of the woods.
"Fire into those woods!"
Following Hood's order, a twelve-pound cannon roared, and black explosive shells flew out of the raised muzzle, passed over the infantry column, and then landed on the edge of the woods 700 meters away. , the flying shrapnel made the leaves swishing sound. Soon, the enemy stopped eight hundred meters away, and they began to line up. Not far behind them, there were several eight-pounder and four-pounder artillery carriages parked.
"Quan Baocai!" Hood rode up to where Quan Baocai was, pointing to the woods on the left and saying, "Take your platoon there. If the enemy outflanks you from the left, report to me immediately."
Quan Bao was secretly unhappy when he heard this. This was not a good job, but he still saluted and led his 80 men to guard the woods.
At this time, the four-pounder cannon of the VOC troops on the opposite side also fired. It couldn't even hit a hair from such a long distance, and it was more like emboldening one's own people. Hood did not let the armored vehicle's 30mm cannon fire. If he fired so early, the Dutch would definitely disperse in a rush.
The appearance of the Northern Navy here puzzled VOC Major General Van De Gus, who commanded the northern troops. He didn't understand when the enemy came? And even the parapet fortifications have been repaired!
For him, this bone in front of him must be gnawed. If he can firmly attract this enemy force, the actions on Decolar's side will be easier. But when he saw the green square box in the field of view of the telescope, he couldn't help but frown.
This thing is really difficult to deal with, and the Marbar people suffered a big loss yesterday. Although those guys were just a group of bandits in Vandegus's eyes, he had a premonition that many people would die today. But there is nothing you can do about it, you have to grit your teeth!
He carefully observed the North Navy's position layout and once again confirmed that the opponent's strength did not exceed 2,000, so he decided to use an echelon attack.
The so-called "echelon attack" is a tactic commonly used in the line infantry era. In fact, it means attacking in the east and attacking in the west. However, this is a great test of the commander's judgment of the battlefield situation and ability to use troops, and it also involves a lot of luck. Because although the enemy will be stuck in the situation of how to distribute and mobilize its troops, if our own side feints to attack one end and then rushes to the other end alone, it will also expose its flaws.
Amidst the smoke, the VOC line infantry in blue and red military uniforms began to advance. The red, white and black company flags and the yellow Württemberg military flag appeared and disappeared in the smoke. Hood could see without a telescope that the enemy's two battalions on the left and center moved first, while the right battalions lagged behind.
The platoon commanders of each platoon ran back and forth behind the soldiers, admonishing them not to rush to shoot but to listen to the signal. For some soldiers, being a platoon leader requires multiple eyes to keep an eye on them. You must know that when fighting on the outer defense line of Bacheng before, some of the servant soldiers who went into battle for the first time would nervously reload their ammunition repeatedly, forgetting to shoot, and some would load seven or eight rounds of bullets but not fire.
When the Württemberg soldiers in the front line entered a hundred meters away from the parapet under the fire of the 12-pounder gun, a long whistle sounded behind the soldiers, and the servant army's position immediately erupted like thunder. With the roar of the sky and the earth shattering, a thick white mist rose in front of Hood.
Although the firing distance of the Northern Navy's rifled guns is much farther than that of the flintlock guns, in actual battles, except for skirmishers who will shoot and kill officers in the enemy's ranks at a distance of 150 meters, the firing distance of the battle line infantry It's not far, just a hundred meters.
This is because if the maximum projection speed of firepower is pursued, then the vast majority of soldiers only need to level the muzzle when firing, fire at the enemy on the opposite side, then immediately reload and shoot again, without having time to aim carefully. . In addition, basically after two rounds of salvo fire, the thick smoke emitted from the muzzle of the gun will make the soldiers unable to see the other side at all, and they still have to aim P!
Immediately afterwards, the second row of soldiers stepped forward and fired another volley. The soldiers in the first row were busy loading ammunition, pressing the ammunition with purge bars, and then poured towards the enemy again under the order of the platoon leader.
After three rounds of shooting, almost all the blue figures in the two rows opposite the parapet fell down. Only a guy holding a yellow military flag remained motionless and was still moving forward. However, a bullet soon hit him. He was not tall. His body suddenly bent in pain, and then he knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach, and dropped the flag in his hand.
At this time, Hood, who was riding on the horse, suddenly heard a very strange sound, high, sharp, and very penetrating; for a moment, he thought someone beside him had been shot. But he soon understood that it was the enemy's roar coming from the right front of the position.
Hood understood in an instant, but a platoon leader on the right side of the position reacted faster. He shouted: "Everyone, throw grenades!"
At the starting position of the VOC troops in the distance, Major General Van Degus, holding a telescope, nodded with satisfaction, turned back to the adjutant and said: "Send two more battalions up and attack their left flank. Order the artillery to move forward." "
"General, their artillery has a farther range than mine. If the artillery moves forward, I'm afraid..."
"Execute the order." Vandegus interrupted the adjutant, and his tone was calm: "Facing such an enemy, we have no choice."
Damn it, this chapter took a whole day to write!
(End of chapter)
