1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 625 Raiders of Timor Island ([-])
April 4, Timor Island, Oecussi, Fort Hallward.

Seeing the trench outside the city continue to extend towards the city wall, Governor Cormran Benavidez's heart sank continuously.

Five days have passed, and the Hanzhou people have launched an assault when they landed and occupied the pier fort, and have never launched a siege operation since then.They drove more than 1000 natives and began to dig trenches from outside the range of the artillery at the head of the city, extending all the way to the Dutch castle.

If this operation is allowed, the Hanzhou people will dig the trench to the foot of the city wall sooner or later.At that time, whether it was an ant-attached siege or a wall blast, Fort West Howard would definitely be breached by them.

"Lieutenant Hux, is there any way we can stop them?" Governor Benavidez asked with a worried face.

"If we want to prevent the Hanzhou people from digging trenches and approaching our castle, the choice we can make is to go out of the city and fight with the Hanzhou people. Or, we send people to garrison the trenches outside the city to prevent them from advancing ’ said Sheriff Lieutenant Ismail Hux.

Governor Benavides was speechless when he heard the words.The Hanzhou army outside the city, not counting the native servants, has 800 people.With only 200 people in the city, you still want to go out of the city to fight the Hanzhou people?I'm afraid, as much as they go out, they will eat as much as they want.

"Then we can only wait for the Hanzhou people to break through the fortress, and then kill or capture us all?" Governor Benavides said pessimistically.

"No, Lord Governor." Lieutenant Hux had a look of hope on his face, "Gupang is not far from us, so he should come to support us. If we persist for a while, Batavia will definitely receive this place If there is any information, a large number of warships and armies will surely be sent to rescue us."

"Support?" Governor Benavides couldn't help shaking his head and smiling wryly after hearing this.Since the Hanzhou people dared to attack Oecus, they would naturally not be afraid that Kupang, which is not far away, would come to support them.Don't you see, two days ago, there was a sudden burst of gunfire outside the port. It must be the East India Company ship that the Hanzhou Fleet came to rescue.

I still remember that ten years ago, Hanzhou broke through Ambon twice, and then attacked Kupang. The battle was ended within two or three days, just to prevent the many ships of the Dutch East India Company from coming to rescue in time.

But now, the Hanzhou people are fighting at a leisurely pace, and they don't seem to care at all that Batavia will send a support fleet to rescue them, so they must have something to hold.

Or, our Fort Hallward and the not-too-distant Kupang were decoys deliberately left by the Hanzhou people?

At this thought, Governor Benavidez was startled. Could it be that Hanzhou has concentrated all the main warships from Ambon to Timor Island again! ?
"I think our East India Company may be in big trouble!"
-
April 4, Cirebon.

Six armed merchant ships under the Dutch East India Company and more than a dozen galleys slowly left the port of the Sultan Kingdom of Cirebon, and then opened all sails and headed eastward.

Four days earlier a fast liaison ship had returned to Batavia from Kupang, bringing news that the Han Chinese were attacking Dutch Timor strongholds.Governor Cornelis van der Lin then ordered the navy to dispatch some ships, transport some mercenaries and native servants, and go to Timor Island to support the local soldiers and civilians in fighting the invasion of Hanzhou people.

Rear Admiral Grigoris Kopet, the commander of the navy, believed that this was another continuation of the attack tactics of the Hanzhou people ten years ago. They first harassed the Spice Islands with some ships, and then attracted the East India Company's support fleet to rescue them.Immediately, they feigned a shot, turned around and headed south, directly attacking the two East India Company strongholds on Timor Island.

Although after ten years of development in Hanzhou, the size of the navy has also been expanded to a certain extent, but they still dare not confront the sea power under the East India Company head-on, and resort to harassing and assaulting some weakly defended strongholds of the East India Company.For this reason, the East India Company should deploy part of its main fleet as much as possible in the waters between the Spice Islands and Timor Island, looking for opportunities to kill Hanzhou ships.

In addition, Major General Kopet also proposed a very bold military plan.The East India Company assembled more than [-] armed merchant ships and directly raided several strongholds in the western area of ​​Hanzhou, and then used this to attract Hanzhou naval ships to come to the rescue, and used the method of encircling the points to help them eliminate their sea power one by one .

After the Hanzhou people's navy is resolved, the East India Company can block their Jianye Port, cut off all their foreign trade channels and overseas territories, and finally force them to surrender.

Governor Delin hesitated for a long time, and approved Major General Copet's military plan.

Therefore, Major General Kopet sent a fast liaison ship to Ambon, and ordered Colonel Carsten Kuritz, who was deployed near the Spice Islands, to lead all the ships to go south quickly and gather in Kupang.

On the other hand, he ordered the six large armed merchant ships and some galleys stationed in the port of Batavia to carry [-] mercenaries and a large amount of military supplies, first to go to Timor Island to relieve the siege, and then in Kupang and Kuritz The fleet led by the colonel converged to form an expeditionary fleet to go to the western area of ​​Hanzhou to attack the opponent's stronghold.

In order to obtain more landing troops, the East India Company specially sent a high-level representative to accompany the ship to the Sultan Kingdom of Cirebon, negotiate with it, and recruit [-] native troops from it in the form of employment, and lead them together. To Timor Island.

In order to gain the support of the Sultan Kingdom of Cirebon, the Dutch provided it with a large number of swords, spears and some firearms, and paid it [-] dong. It will also be able to share [-]%.

Considering that the Kingdom of Mataland has been attacked by the Dutch East India Company for several rounds recently, all the troops deployed on the border have been withdrawn to the inland, and the Dutch have also guaranteed the future security of the kingdom. King Sultan immediately agreed to the Dutch request to borrow troops.

"Lieutenant Colonel, are you worried that the Hanzhou people have captured Kupang and Fort Hallward?" An officer saw the fleet commander, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Copeland, frowning and looking at the sea ahead. , with a preoccupied look, "Even so, as long as we gather Colonel Kuritz's fleet, we can completely control the sea of ​​the entire Timor Island, and as long as we launch a wave of counterattacks, we will definitely be able to regain those two strongholds. "

"Captain Clayton, I'm not worried about rescuing Timor Island." Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Copeland shook his head, "Although Kubang was breached by the Hanzhou people ten years ago, they did not experience After a real battle, Kupang was only able to be captured by a group of rioting Chinese at that time. I believe that after ten years of continuous construction, even if Fort Hallward will be a little fragile, Kupang will definitely be stronger and its defenses will be stronger. Tight, the Hanzhou people cannot break through in a short time."

"So, what are you worried about, sir?"

"I'm worried about the future expedition to the western part of the mainland of Hanzhou." Lieutenant Colonel Copeland smiled wryly, "As we all know, the people of Hanzhou invented cement, and they will definitely build their local stronghold extremely strong. Moreover, Hanzhou Ordinary people in Hanzhou have to go through military training for a period of time every year. Therefore, when they are attacked by us, they will organize many militias to fight against us. I am worried that when they reach the west of Hanzhou, there may be even a Hanzhou Towns can't be conquered."

"If the people of Hanzhou know that we have assembled a fleet of this size, they may not dare to send ships to rescue the western region. Then wouldn't we have consumed countless supplies and personnel in vain, but got nothing. This is for all of us, but It is very demoralizing. In addition, the Hanzhou people can even continue to send warships to harass our strongholds and intercept our merchant ships when our East India Company main fleet is trapped in the west of Hanzhou. Oh, so the situation seems to be It’s back to what it was ten years ago.”

"The western area of ​​Hanzhou has been attacked by us, and they will definitely come to rescue." The captain named Clayt said firmly: "You know, when a country's territory is attacked, the lives and properties of its citizens will be destroyed." They are also facing threats, and as their king, for their own honor and to unite the hearts of the people, reinforcements will definitely come to rescue them."

"Captain Clayter, your thoughts are just your own wishful thinking." Lieutenant Colonel Copeland smiled, "In a war that concerns the future of the country, there are many things that can be discarded. You know, this war Although it was caused by our East India Company shelling Hanzhou merchant ships. But each of us understands that this war is that Hanzhou wants to challenge the dominance of our East India Company here, trying to break our control over the East India The monopoly of the archipelago."

"Hanzhou, after more than ten years of development, is eager to break free from our shackles, to show everyone their great strength, and to fight for the benefits they want. In order to defeat us, Hanzhou will definitely do its best! Therefore, after this war, either we will still suppress Hanzhou on the mainland. Or, we will lose our monopoly over the entire East Indies.”

(End of this chapter)