1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 287 Triumph
At the request of the North Vietnamese military, the Haihan militia was stationed and reorganized from the previous coalition position to the north bank of the Zhengjiang River in order to strengthen the defensive strength on the front line of the Zhengjiang River.Although the supply line has been extended by dozens of miles, it is not too troublesome to transport supplies from the rear Yong'an Port with the assistance of more than a dozen shipping ships.With a voyage of [-] to [-] nautical miles, the sailboat can run back and forth on the same day under normal weather conditions, and the transportation volume can fully meet the material consumption of the Haihan Vigilante.

Of course, this level of transportation can only meet the consumption of the Haihan militia itself, but in addition to the two thousand people from Haihan, there are tens of thousands of North Vietnamese troops and more than 1 South Vietnamese prisoners on the current line of defense. .Eating horse chews alone consumes a huge amount of supplies every day, which puts considerable pressure on the North Vietnamese Army's logistics supplies.The North Vietnamese military did not have such a strong sea transportation capability as Haihan, and most materials could only be transported by land in sections, and the efficiency could not be compared with sea transportation.

The North Vietnamese army is also very conflicted. On the one hand, they really want to send the Haihan people away as soon as possible. After all, if these uncles are stationed here for an extra day, they will have to calculate the combat expenses for an extra day, which is about ten thousand taels in silver.Moreover, all kinds of supplies must be given priority to the Haihan militia. The food they use is treated better than ordinary officers of the North Vietnamese Army. All military transfers also need to be approved by the coalition command. It is really troublesome to support these uncles.

But on the other hand, they were worried that South Vietnam would launch a counterattack immediately after the Haihan people withdrew. At that time, without the artillery cover of the Haihan people, it was hard to say whether they could survive the situation with only their own thousand-strong musketeers.It is not difficult to ask the Haihan people to leave now, but next time they encounter a passive situation, it may not be so easy to ask them to take action.

The North Vietnamese generals headed by Zheng Bai really wanted to continue to fight south, but the problem was that objective conditions did not allow the North Vietnamese Army to do so.In addition to the need for time for the army to rest after a long battle, there are supplies and prisoners to deal with these troublesome things, and most importantly, the Haihan people seem to have no desire to continue to attack south for the time being.If the Haihan people don't want to move, then the chances of winning this battle are not great.

The lesson of the South Vietnamese Army being intercepted and killed on the north bank of the Zhengjiang River is still vivid, and the North Vietnamese Army is now fully aware of the power of hot weapons in interception warfare.If the offensive does not go well after the fight, and if you want to withdraw to the north bank to defend, you must have the gunboat fleet of the Haihan people to cover from the river to ensure safety.

Zheng Bai and the others had expected well, Hai Han had indeed started preparing to call it a day and go home.At this point in the war, the strategic goals that can be achieved have basically been achieved, and the goals that cannot be achieved, such as annihilating the musketeers in South Vietnam, cannot be rushed for a while.Black Soil Port and Victory Port are now basically relying on the militia reserve to maintain law and order defense, and more than half of the people who can fight in the military and police department have come out this time. The defense strength of the two places can be called the weakest period in history. So many It was good luck that nothing happened.

After learning that the North-South War had come to an end, the Executive Committee also made a decision. In addition to leaving a small number of military advisers on the front line of the struggle for the river, the large militia troops and the civilian workers conscripted in the two places should withdraw to the station as soon as possible after the rest.

The personnel stationed on the front line of the Zhengjiang River, in addition to continuing to monitor the movements of South Vietnam and instructing the North Vietnamese Army to build various fortifications on the north bank of the Zhengjiang River, also had to negotiate with the North Vietnamese Army high-level officials on follow-up matters such as counting the results of the battle, calculating military expenditures, etc. These relatively trivial matters would certainly not be able to be dealt with within ten days and half a month.According to the estimates of the Military and Police Department, after the war, there were still a lot of disputes between the two sides, especially when it came to the calculation of military expenditures.

No one is willing to take on this troublesome matter, especially the guys in the military and police department who control the killing and don't care about burying them, they don't want to come forward to deal with those trivial matters at all.Feng Annan and Mu Xiabo had spent more time in contact with the North Vietnamese military, and they were originally the most suitable candidates for this task, but they immediately said that they did not work hard in school and never passed mathematics, so they are not suitable for statistical accounting. work.

As soon as these two guys withdrew, Qian Tiandun was the only person in charge of the senior military and police personnel stationed in North Vietnam.With nothing to push back, Qian Tiandun had no choice but to admit it, but he did not forget to drag people into the water, and kept Xie Chun from the Shipping Department as an assistant.Xie Chun was a bit reluctant at first, but when he heard from Qian Tiandun that the special warfare company would stay in Zhengjiang for a period of surface training, he immediately changed his mind and agreed to stay. Of course, the condition is that he can also participate in the training. During the training plan—even if he couldn't get into the establishment of the military and police department, Xie Chun still wanted to seize every opportunity to get a soldier's addiction.What's more, the existence of the Special Warfare Company is clearly the embryonic form of the elite troops of the military and police department in the future. It is also a rare qualification to be able to hang out with this group of people.

On February 20, after completing the handover of positions with the North Vietnamese army, the first returning fleet carried hundreds of combatants and civilians belonging to the base camp and left the east coast of Vietnam and set out on their way home.The next day, another fleet carrying the combatants belonging to Heitu Port also set off, heading north along the coastline and returning to Heitu Port.So far, the time-traveling group's sea-crossing expedition, which lasted more than [-] days, has finally come to an end.

The retreat of the Haihan people also let the North Vietnamese army secretly breathe a sigh of relief. These uncles came to fight for less than a month, and the supplies they consumed were at least six or seven times the number of the North Vietnamese army.It’s okay to be paid better as a soldier. After all, they are people who have to fight hard, but the civilian husbands of the Haihan people eat better and dress better than the soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army. This makes many people feel unbalanced.There are even many civilian husbands conscripted by North Vietnam who have long been inquiring in private how to vote under the banner of the Haihan people and live a "good life without worrying about food and clothing."

As for the issue of differences in treatment, the one who has the deepest experience is Zheng Ting's army of allied troops trained by Haihan's military advisers.During the training camp in Do Son, the North Vietnamese trainee officers headed by Trinh Dinh had many opportunities to eat and live with Hai Han’s military advisers and observe the daily training of Hai Han’s militia.Since then, Zheng Ting and others have realized the huge gap in military strength between the two sides.

This gap is not only reflected in the performance of weapons, but also in training methods, management methods, treatment of soldiers, and views on combat and war. There is a big gap between the two sides.Take the treatment as an example, the military pay of the Haihan militiamen is about three times that of ordinary North Vietnamese soldiers, which is the same as that of officers at the level of Baizong, and the militiamen stationed in the Tushan training camp also have additional garrison allowances, training allowances, etc. The various incomes, when added together, are almost equivalent to a military officer at the general level.

In addition to high salaries, these Haihan militiamen can also get farmland distributed by the Haihan Executive Committee after returning to the local area after three to five years of military service.In contrast, the life of the North Vietnamese soldiers is not so good. Most of the North Vietnamese soldiers have been set on the trajectory of their lives since they joined the army. Their fate can only be one way to the dark. There are very few soldiers who are discharged after being disabled and can really be old and weak before retiring.Moreover, these people who were cleared out of the army would not have any other resettlement measures other than receiving a meager retirement pay, which was completely incomparable with Haihan.

In terms of military merit calculation, the method of the Haihan militia is also much more practical than that of the North Vietnamese Army. As long as the combatants complete the scheduled combat tasks, collective military merit can be recorded according to the degree of merit, rather than the number of heads used by the North Vietnamese. A primitive and clumsy way of recording credit.In addition to remembering meritorious service, the Haihan people are said to have a "Medal of Honor", which is specially awarded to soldiers who have fought bravely and made great contributions. After retiring, they can even become local officials with the medal. This is unimaginable in the North Vietnamese army. — No matter how high the military merit is, it is only limited to the military system.

The Zheng family who started their business by relying on the army is a good example. Although the Qing capital king Zheng Bing actually controls the North Vietnamese regime, it is because of Zheng's military background that he cannot be recognized by the civil service system and the privileged classes in Annan. He has been unable to restore justice, and can only manipulate the government in the name of "regent", but cannot sit on the throne with confidence.

North Vietnamese military officers did not dare to jump to conclusions as to whether the actions of the Haihan people were right or wrong, but the combat effectiveness of the Haihan militia was indeed fully demonstrated in this battle.Originally, after the initial few battles, the North Vietnamese officers were somewhat complacent, thinking that they had done a good job. Even if they were replaced by the Haihan militiamen, they might not be able to do better, but the last two days of fighting really opened them up. vision.

Compared with the achievements of the Allied Forces in the early battles of building the coalition positions, the killing efficiency of the Haihan militia at the end stage can only be described by words such as ferocious and invincible in the eyes of the North Vietnamese officers. In some areas, the corpses of the South Vietnamese soldiers who were killed by the Haihan militia from the boat were even spread several layers. Some corpses torn by shells were even more horrible. The North Vietnamese Congregation Army, who had killed only a few hundred enemies in the previous battles, saw hot weapons. The true power of combat.

And these officers also understand very well that such a record cannot be achieved by themselves anyway-the performance of the guns used by the Haihan people is much better than that sold to North Vietnam, whether it is loading efficiency, accuracy or There is a large gap between the weapons of the two sides in terms of range.As for the gap at the tactical level, it was even bigger. The North Vietnamese military officers had all seen the drills of the Haihan militia, and the tactics they used were completely different from what the North Vietnamese trained troops had learned. The firepower density and shooting frequency were also unmatched by matchlock guns.In addition, in this actual combat, the ability of the Haihan militia to build fortifications is enough to scare these students. If they want to deal with fortifications like the coalition positions, even the North Vietnamese trained troops equipped with muskets and artillery dare not say that they can do it. Half the odds.

If we must say what advantage the North Vietnamese side has, it is probably the number of combat troops.Even a blind person can see how much Haihan officers cherish these militiamen. Every time a soldier is wounded or killed in battle, the Haihan officers look very ugly, and this is absolutely not seen in the North Vietnamese army.The North Vietnamese military officers understood this very clearly, and knew that it must be because the Haihan militia was too small, and the Haihan people would not be able to afford to lose if there were too many casualties.Of course, what they didn't expect was that the Haihan people almost emptied their homes for this battle, and more than [-]% of the combatants were sent to the front line. The value of the combatants was far beyond their imagination.

On February [-], the expedition fleet returning to Victory Harbor sailed slowly into the harbor under the guidance of two warships from the Yazhou Water Village.But this time the return was not as silent as it was when they set off. After confirming the return time of the fleet, the executive committee notified all units to take a half-day holiday, and organized the people to welcome the returning expeditionary force at the port. A series of follow-up labor content.

Nearly [-] people flocked to the port to welcome the return of the Haihan militia.Relevant departments have also prepared their manpower early, creating a scene of victory in the port where gongs and drums are loud, colorful flags are fluttering, and all the people are celebrating the triumphant return of the soldiers.

Amidst the applause, the commander-in-chief of this operation, Yan Chujie, walked down the gangway first, and after paying a military salute to the executive committee members waiting on the pier, he shook hands with everyone one by one.

"Thank you!" Tao Donglai held Yan Chujie's hand tightly and said, "This operation was completed very beautifully! The executive committee will award awards to all combatants later!"

"You've worked hard too. If it weren't for you watching over the house, we wouldn't be able to fight with peace of mind outside." Yan Chujie also exchanged a few greetings cooperatively.

What was then unloaded to the shore was part of the spoils of this combat operation. This kind of means that can greatly boost the morale of the people will definitely not be missed by the Executive Committee and the Military and Police Department.If you just tell the public that you won the battle, then the public may have doubts in their hearts, but after presenting the evidence, such doubts will be wiped away, and they will be convinced that the Haihan militia has really won a big battle overseas. win.

In addition to the captured South Vietnamese weapons, armor, military flags, etc., there were more than 20 South Vietnamese captives tied up in long strings. The transportation capacity was limited, and only a few captives could be transported back symbolically for use as exhibits.In addition, more than [-] wooden boxes were specially opened to show the public the real gold and silver inside. Some of them were property seized by the Haihan militia from the enemy during the battle, but most of them Some of it was actually a down payment for military expenses paid by the North Vietnamese regime to Hai Han.

According to the previous agreement between the two parties, after Haihan's army arrived at Yong'an Port, the North Vietnam paid Haihan 5 taels of silver in advance as military expenses.After the battle for the river was over, and before the Haihan militia left, the North Vietnamese side paid another 5 taels of military expenses according to the agreement.As for how much the final payment can be recovered later, and what method of payment or counter-price method will be used, it can only be left to Qian Tiandun and others to slowly argue with the other party.

But even if the final payment is not counted, just getting back the money has already offset the consumption this time and there is still a huge surplus.According to the current rough calculations of the Military and Police Department, the expedition took a total of 27 days including the time spent on the road, and the cost of materials and personnel was between 6000 and 5000 yuan.If the pensions and rewards for casualties and role models after the war are included, it would be about [-] yuan at most, a solid profit of half and half, and it was really a high-paying mercenary.No matter how much can be recovered afterwards, it will be net profit for Time Travel Group.

And after this battle, the North Vietnamese military realized the power of the hot-weapon troops, so they would tighten their belts and continue to purchase weapons from the crossing group, and hired military consultants to train new troops.The economic and political benefits that the follow-up of this action can bring are still difficult to estimate for the time being, but it will definitely be enough to make the executive committee members laugh from ear to ear.

As soon as the real gold and silver appeared, no one doubted the authenticity of the Haihan militia's victory.The crowd clamored and applauded loudly, and the level of excitement was no less than that of the previous Victory Hong Kong University military parade.Their own militia has such fighting power, and the people no longer have to worry about the pirates that would appear along the coast of Hainan in previous years.

Luo Shengdong was also envious, and finally waited until Yan Chujie finished shaking hands with the executive committee members, he immediately moved over: "Mr. Yan, if there is such a good thing to get rich, why don't you bring my younger brother with you? Even if you want to guard this Victory Harbor , my little brother can also send out a few ships to go to Annan to help with Mr. Yan!"

Next to him, Ning Qi smiled and said, "Luo Shengdong, you are quite courageous. As an official of the imperial court, you dare to go to war with other countries privately!"

Luo Shengdong said disapprovingly: "Mr. Ning, I'm just going out to sea to suppress bandits, and fulfilling the mission of the navy officers and soldiers! If there is a war with other countries, those officials who don't know the matter will know!"

Yan Chujie stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Mr. Luo Qian, don't worry, when did your efforts go to waste? You have kept an eye on Shengli Port for us, and naturally you will be rewarded."

Yan Chujie raised his finger to the back and said, "See? More than 200 captives are still alive. You can use them to pay for your merits or fill up unsolved cases in the local area. You can do whatever you want. In the end, these people will be handed over to you. gone."

Luo Shengdong didn't expect Yan Chujie to have such an arrangement, he hesitated for a while and said, "I'm afraid...it's not right?"

"Don't you think it's too little?" Yan Chujie misunderstood his meaning: "You can report how much you want. This time we captured more than 1 people in the local area, and there will definitely be many more prisoners of war brought in one after another, at least enough for escorting. You've been promoted to guard."

Yan Chujie's words frightened Luo Shengdong so much that his legs gave way and he almost couldn't stop - captured more than 1 people?How big a battle did this militia fight when it went out?Besides, even if Yan Chujie was willing to give it to others, Luo Shengdong would not dare to accept it casually. He has been promoted to two levels in less than a year since last year, and he is already a popular figure among the entire Qiongzhou garrison. Going to exchange military merits, wouldn't this offend all colleagues on Qiongzhou Island?Inappropriate, inappropriate, greatly inappropriate.

(End of this chapter)