After hearing Emperor William's words, Duke Wellington and Sir Hardy also breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts. Because they both knew that Emperor William's decision was actually a wise one... although the likelihood of success of this wise decision was very limited.
But for the current Australian battlefield, it is the last chance to make a comeback, and it is also the last big gamble of the British Empire... and it is still a necessary gamble!
Because Australia is actually an isolated island, the indigenous people have been basically extinct, and the white population is only a few hundred thousand, and it simply cannot support an industrial system that can be independently maintained. Therefore, Hugh Gough's Australian Army could only rely on externally imported arms to maintain the war. Once shipping was cut off, Australia's 30 divisions could only rely on consuming stocks. Although there is a lot of inventory, there is no way to upgrade equipment without industry.
So even if Hugh Gough and other Australian Army leaders realize the power of "armored chariots", they are helpless... With Australia's almost zero industry, let alone the production of "armored chariots", even the production of "armored chariots" Light rapid-fire cannons and armor-piercing projectiles that can destroy armored vehicles are impossible. The best we can do now is to use light anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns used for field air defense to attack tanks. But the problem is...the Ming army still has hundreds of planes that will drop bombs!
Just a few cannons, planes and tanks are definitely not enough, and they will become increasingly insufficient.
On the other hand, in the Ming Dynasty, the world's number one industrial country, airplanes and automobiles were invented by others! According to reliable information, in Ming Dynasty, the production of aircraft and automobiles has long been realized in mass production on the assembly line. Most of those armored chariots are new weapons developed by the Ming Dynasty's automobile industry. They should still be tried out... and they will definitely be improved and expanded in the future!
If the decisive battle in Australia is delayed for another year and a half, Hugh Gough's cavalry will also face upgraded armored chariots, and there will be more of them. By then, the British army will have even less chance of winning.
As for being trapped in the Sydney Fortress...it's nothing more than sitting in the city and waiting for failure.
Although the terrain around Sydney is relatively difficult, facing the sea and backed by mountains, it is generally a large valley located by the sea. But as long as the Ming army captured Brisbane and brought heavy artillery and aircraft ashore, they would not be able to hold on for long by relying on the dangers around Sydney and the hastily built fortifications of the British army.
Moreover, the main force of the British Royal Navy has now withdrawn from the Pacific, leaving only a small number of armored cruisers and second- and third-class cruisers to break up the relationship. For the Ming Navy, which has strong escort capabilities, it poses no threat at all.
Therefore, the Ming army will definitely continue to send more troops to Australia and launch landings all along the Australian coastline. Even if the British army can hold on to Sydney for more than 12 months, how long can an isolated city of Sydney last when the rest of Australia's coastal areas are planted with flags by the Ming army?
However, even if they knew that it would be difficult for Australia to hold on any longer, Duke Wellington and Sir Hardy did not dare to take the British Empire off the gambling table without losing all their chips... because admitting defeat would lose Australia, and The bet for Australia looks too big!
This is an entire continent, dozens of times larger than the UK itself!
Who in British politics dares to take responsibility for ceding Australia?
Whoever takes on this responsibility will be infamy for eternity! Who is the traitor and traitor!
So the Duke of Wellington and Sir Hardy could only watch helplessly as Emperor William, a fool, exported Australia... This is not because the Duke of Wellington did not work hard, nor was it that the British Parliament was too stupid. Everything was the fault of the fool. wrong!
With this "foolish Indian king" who broke the British monarchy's practice of "ruling without governing" responsible for losing Australia, other people's affairs will be easier to handle...
Of course, if Hugh Gough can win, everyone will be happy.
Although this possibility is unlikely, who can be willing to do it without taking a gamble?
...
"Admiral, His Majesty the Emperor's telegram has arrived!"
In the Australian British Army Headquarters in Sydney, a phone call from London broke the dark and miserable atmosphere. A group of senior officers sitting there in a daze all turned their heads and looked at the staff officer holding a copy of the telegram in his hand. Among them was General Hugh Gough, the supreme commander of the Australian British Army.
"What? What did you say?" Admiral Hugh Gough seemed a little deaf and did not hear what the staff officer said clearly.
"Admiral, we have received a telegram from Emperor William!"
"Only...the emperor's telegram?" Hugh Gough asked again.
"Yes, only the emperor's telegram."
General Hugh Gough's brows were already knitted - Britain has a Department of War (formerly the Department of War, whose minister was concurrently served by the Duke of Wellington) and an Imperial General Staff (formerly the Army General Staff). Orders for the legions naturally come from the War Office and the Imperial General Staff.
But since the beginning of the Australian Campaign, the War Department and the Imperial General Staff seemed to have disappeared from the world! All orders are issued directly from St. James's Palace...
Although Emperor William liked "micro-management" when he was in India, his combat orders were still issued through the Indian Imperial General Staff, and he never bypassed the General Staff to directly command the frontline troops.
But now that the UK has a well-established system, why has it begun to directly command Australia's operations?
What about the British Parliament? What about the cabinet led by the Duke of Wellington? Didn’t anyone tell the emperor not to do this? But they all deliberately pulled back... I didn't expect that the Duke of Wellington was also a traitor who refused to take responsibility!
Thinking of this, Admiral Hugh Gough, who felt that he might be the last loyal minister and good general of the British Empire, stretched out his hand, took the telegram from the staff officer, read it carefully, and then addressed the headquarters with a solemn expression. The generals and staff inside said: "Gentlemen, the Royal Navy is currently unable to provide support to Australia.
Now, the fate of the British Empire has fallen on the shoulders of our army generals!
His Majesty the Emperor believes that we cannot be trapped in the isolated city of Sydney... He ordered us to immediately lead the main force of the Australian Army to attack, and we must fight a decisive battle before the Ming army conquers the Brisbane Fortress and completely controls the Brisbane Port!
Now, the fate of the Empire depends on us...the Emperor needs the best from each of us. "
Admiral Goff paused, looked around the headquarters with stern eyes, and then said: "I know this is difficult, but there is no retreat for all of us! In view of the current situation, time is not on our side. So we We must attack immediately and go all out! I order..."
...
On the coastline stretching for more than ten kilometers on Brisbane's four "criminal beaches", a huge military assembly site and material storage site have appeared. The navy and army officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty also rarely showed the fighting spirit of working overtime. The navy officers and soldiers and the landed army officers and soldiers have been busy for more than 24 hours. Everyone is conquered, no, liberated. Supported by the excitement only found in mainland China, they carried out extremely heavy physical labor.
Officers and soldiers on the sea were busy transferring personnel, materials, and vehicles. The officers and soldiers who had already landed had no time to spare. Some of them were busy assembling simple docks on the Robbers' Beach. Unlike what Hugh Gough and others thought, the Ming army had never pinned their success or failure on whether they could capture Bliss. On the dock. In fact, they traveled tens of thousands of miles to haul many pier components that could be quickly assembled... In just a few days, they could build a dock on the beach in Brisbane that could handle dozens of A dock for tens of thousands of tons of supplies.
At the same time, a construction road leading to the Brisbane Fortress has also begun to be constructed in full swing - as long as this road is completed, the heavy artillery transported through the dock can be towed by trucks to the Brisbane Fortress!
After capturing Brisbane, these heavy artillery will also be transported to Sydney....
