I want to be emperor

On November 38, [-] AD, the Chu army successfully arrived at the gates of Paris. It not only included ground troops, but also a number of naval warships, including eight river gunboats and two offshore patrol ships.

Originally, the Navy did not intend to let the offshore patrol ship enter the Seine River to perform combat missions. It was only brought here to perform offshore combat missions, especially daily blockade missions.

However, after entering France, according to the hydrographic survey conducted by the river gunboat troops in the front, it was found that the navigation condition of the Seine River was very good, and the water depth of the channel to Paris could reach an average of three meters.

The offshore patrol ships sent by the expeditionary force to Europe to perform combat missions and to be permanently stationed there are Tong'an-class patrol ships specially built by the Navy for overseas regions, with a full load displacement of 350 tons. Because they were specially built for overseas regions, they were considered from the beginning. When it comes to entering rivers when necessary, and at the same time, many overseas areas do not have supporting deep-water ports and other factors, the draft design is inherently shallow, with a draft of only two and a half meters.

Judging from the draft and center of gravity layout, this patrol ship is actually a warship between a sea-going ship and an inland river vessel. While appropriately maintaining navigation performance, it also reduces the draft and increases a certain amount of firepower.

Under the condition of light load, the draft of the Tong'an-class patrol ship can even be controlled to about two meters, and the firepower distribution is also relatively powerful. The front gun mount is a 75 mm naval gun, and the rear gun mount is a 35 mm Naval guns, in addition to four [-]mm single-barreled rapid-fire naval guns as secondary guns.

The emphasis is on maintaining a certain level of navigation performance while reducing the draft as much as possible to ensure greater applicability in overseas areas. In addition, it maintains relatively strong naval gun firepower to support army operations when necessary.

At the same time, considering that overseas deployment may encounter a lack of coal, this class of ship is relatively rare among a series of newly built shallow-water gunboats/patrol ships to retain sail equipment, and can use pure sail power for propulsion when necessary.

The first ship of this class entered service in Chengshun 33. Because it uses an iron-ribbed wooden shell and a steel-clad hull, and the power system also uses a mature, or old, double-expansion steam engine, the cost is relatively low, and the Navy also needs this in large quantities. Low-cost patrol ships suitable for overseas deployment, so they are built in large quantities. Currently, more than 40 ships have been built in several batches... This kind of Tong'an-class patrol ship is actually the most common in overseas areas, and it is the one that the indigenous people have the most contact with. The Chu army's new warship.

As for those real ocean-going battleships, such as those frigates with more than 1000 tons, cruisers and even battleships that are all rushing to [-] tons, although these ocean-going battleships are also spread all over the world, in fact, such big guys generally undertake strategic missions and will not It is easy to get close to the indigenous ports and even enter the inland river, so the opportunities for the indigenous people to see it are much less.

On the contrary, offshore patrol ships of several hundred tons, such as the Tong'an-class patrol ships, appear very frequently in overseas indigenous-controlled areas.

Because the water depth conditions of the Seine River were very good, the Navy finally decided to dispatch two Tongan-class patrol ships to sail into the Seine River with a light load and go to Paris to provide fire support for the ground forces.

In this Paris combat mission, the navy's task will not be lighter than that of the army.

It seems that the ground battles are fought by the army, but the fire support provided by the navy is not much at all.

As the Chu army advanced all the way, the inland river gunboat troops provided fire support at any time, and more importantly, ensured the safety of logistics transportation.

Today, more than 2 ground troops are fighting in the direction of Paris. The food, ammunition and other supplies they need need to be transported by the navy through the Seine River.

This is also the time the navy went to France to fight. In addition to a large number of warships and conventional ocean transport ships, it also brought a lot of inland steam tugboats, as well as many wooden sailing ships directly recruited from Spain.

After entering France, a large number of local sailing vessels were captured or conscripted.

The Chu army's current logistics and supply transportation relies on steam tugs pulling a bunch of local European wooden sailing ships to and from the Seine River.

In addition to maintaining logistical supplies, the Navy also dispatched two offshore patrol ships to Paris to prepare to provide long-range fire support to the Navy.

Although the patrol ship's naval guns only have 75 mm and [-] mm, which seem to have small calibers, the navy's naval guns are all long-barreled cannons. Their effective range is much greater than that of the army's field guns, and they can easily cover the entire battlefield. With the assistance of sight-shooting hot air balloons, you can easily carry out targeted artillery strikes on important targets such as military camps, ammunition depots and other deep targets in the rear of the enemy.

No matter how much the French overestimated the Chu army, they still did not expect that the rear area, which they thought was very safe, even three to four thousand meters away from the front line, was actually under the firepower of the Chu army.

Early on the morning of the [-]th, the two Tong'an-class patrol ships that arrived at the scheduled position early raised a hot-air balloon. The observers on the hot-air balloon used telescopes to scan the entire Paris, and then conveyed the target parameters to the warships below through the microphone.

A few minutes later, the two patrol ships, which had calculated the design parameters based on many data, began loading and raised their gun barrels.

More than ten seconds later, a loud noise sounded... A [-]-millimeter cylindrical high-explosive bomb flew into the sky, spanning a full six kilometers with a high trajectory curve, and fell directly into the French army. In a building that looks like a military camp.

Seconds later, another shell fell.

The two offshore patrol ships took advantage of the excellent range brought by the [-]mm long-barreled naval guns to directly launch ultra-long-distance bombardment for this era.

And this shelling distance was something the French had never thought of before the war!
They didn't even carry out camouflage or artillery protection measures for these so-called military targets in the rear... After all, according to the thinking of the indigenous people of this era, these were five to six thousand meters away from the front line. Unless the front line army was defeated miserably, this distance would not be possible at all. It is impossible to be bombarded again.

But the Chu army told them through actual combat that times have changed... and the mode of war has also changed.

The rear area you thought was safe is actually no longer safe.

It has to be said that the combination of hot air balloons and long-barreled cannons is the best partner in modern times.

With the high-altitude observation of hot air balloons, well, and the observation of high-power telescopes, the ultra-long range of artillery can be easily brought into play. There is no need to send out reconnaissance troops to conduct reconnaissance and guidance, and it can be directly upgraded. Just raise the balloon and take a look from above.

Before the formal infantry attack or even the conventional artillery bombardment, the Chu army used naval artillery to strike at the enemy's deep targets. Moreover, the French army's preparations in the rear were seriously inadequate, which resulted in a huge loss. Loss.

The observers of the Chu army were not mistaken. What they found was really a military camp of the French reserve troops. There was also a field ordnance warehouse next to it, which contained a lot of ammunition.

And all of this was destroyed by the early artillery bombardment of the Chu army...

Just a long-range bombardment caused the French army to lose hundreds of people on the spot, and a small ammunition depot was blown up.

At this point, the battle on the front line has not actually broken out yet.

Not only that, the Chu army's long-range bombardment did not end. In fact, it was just the beginning.

The navy's naval guns began to use their longer range to conduct intensive shelling on the enemy's deep targets, especially targets 3000 meters away where the French thought they were safe.

It didn't take long for the army troops on the ground to launch intensive artillery attacks on the French front line of defense.

The 20mm light howitzer of the No. 150 Seventh Army roared for the first time after landing in Europe. The 150mm grenades continued to bombard the French frontline positions, making the French boast that they were strong enough before the war. of was destroyed.

The first of these was that many of the French's fixed artillery positions were destroyed to pieces... These artillery positions that deployed a large number of smoothbore cannons were an important part of the French army's defensive operations in Paris.

Although these are smoothbore cannons, the French still attach great importance to them. After all, these are the only weapons in the French hands that can attack the Chu army at long distances, especially the more than 30 115mm smoothbore field cannons imported from the Chu people. , because the effective range can reach 200 meters, it was regarded as a strategic weapon by them... Unfortunately, it was destroyed by Chu army artillery fire at the beginning of the battle.

Well, that's right, the most advanced smoothbore cannons used by the French army are iron smoothbore cannons imported from Chu... In fact, it's not just the artillery. The most advanced smoothbore cannons they use are also imported from Chu. More than 5 flintlock guns were imported into China.

It's not just France. In fact, Portugal and Spain, which the Chu people fought before, were also equipped with a large number of Chu country's ordnance!

No reason, just because the ordnance exported by the Chu people is of good quality and has good performance.

Before the Great Chu Empire implemented the European Trade Free Plan, weapons and equipment were a very important type of goods exported by the Chu State to Europe, mainly various flintlock guns and smoothbore cannons, and then there were sabers and many other miscellaneous items. Weapons or logistics.

These weapons and equipment exported by the Chu State are actually very common in Europe... European countries with basically some strength are equipped with weapons and equipment from the Chu State, the only difference is the quantity.

However, they generally don’t have all the equipment. It’s not that they don’t want to, but the Chu people’s ordnance is quite expensive. They usually purchase some of the Chu country’s weapons and equipment for the main elite troops or direct line troops, and other ordinary troops are equipped with home-made equipment. Junk stuff.

The French are no exception…

Among the 3 French troops defending Paris, 13 are equipped with Type 80.00 flintlocks exported by the Chu people... The Type [-] series of flintlocks are currently among the rifles exported by the Chu country. The high-end model is more expensive, but has better performance and can reach a firing rate of [-]%.

Even if it is an exported flintlock gun, not everyone can afford a 13-year-old flintlock gun. Many indigenous countries also purchase flintlock guns from the Chu people, but in fact they are all two-year-old flintlock guns. Mid- to low-end models!
That's right, it has a history of more than 30 years, and its firing rate is only about 70.00%. It has long been withdrawn from active service in the Chu Army, and is no longer even used by the militia. The two-year-old flintlock gun that was directly thrown into the trash in China is still there. Export...and it is currently the main export of firearms.

The Guangdong and Guangxi Arms Company, which has always exported various flintlock guns, still retains a relatively large-scale modification/production line of 13-year-old flintlock guns, and continuously produces or modifies old guns and sells them to those without any flintlock production capabilities. Aboriginal countries and many European countries are still purchasing this two-year-old flintlock to equip ordinary troops, and then form a highland match with the so-called high-end flintlock, that is, the [-]-year-old flintlock.

Sales are huge!
Not to mention flintlock guns, even matchlock guns are still produced by the Chu Empire...and although the export quantity is less than that of flintlock guns, it is still quite a lot. Matchlock guns are sold very well in India and Africa. , the price is also expensive, and the profit is super high.

On the contrary, some high-end 13-year-old flintlock guns are more expensive and have less export volume.As for the flash cap firing gun, the Great Chu Empire still has not relaxed its export restrictions, and there is no export for the time being... Although this thing is about to be completely retired in the Chu army, it has not been completely retired after all, so it is impossible for this thing to be exported for the time being. of.

The French took the flintlocks and smoothbore cannons imported from Chu and used these weapons as core weapons to resist the attack of the Chu Empire. It sounds very happy, but this is the status quo, and it exists widely around the world. Current status of each region.

This has nothing to do with Chu people exporting ordnance. Regardless of whether you are an enemy or a potential enemy, as long as you give me money, I will buy it...

Even the Russians, a country that technically has been at war with the Chu Empire for more than twenty years and neither side has signed a peace agreement until now, actually imports and uses Chu's weapons and equipment on a large scale.

In fact, the two countries have not been in a large-scale war for a long time. After the Chu State fought all the way to the Ural Mountains, it voluntarily stopped advancing westward... Mainly because it was too far from the rear area, and the railway had not yet been built to the front line, and logistics transportation It was too difficult... so we simply stopped moving westward and waited for the later Central Asian Railway to be built to the Ural Mountains.

Russia has always wanted to sign a peace agreement with the Chu Empire, but the Chu Empire ignored them...

The current relationship between the two sides is actually very strange. On the one hand, the Chu Empire maintains various trades with the other party, even arms trade, but on the other hand, it does not sign a formal armistice agreement with them, and occasionally fights small-scale armed groups. conflict.

As for why?

The main reason is that the senior leaders of the Dachu Empire have never believed that the empire and Russia are in a state of large-scale war. There is no need to sign a special peace agreement, and it is a troublesome waste of vassal funds...

If you say that this kind of petty armed conflict is considered a formal war... then the empire does similar things countless times every year. If every indigenous country or tribe is beaten, they will come to the empire to sue for peace and sign a peace agreement. , the officials of the Imperial Affairs Department of the Ministry of Ethics and Education don’t have to live anymore... they have to be exhausted to death!

The officials of the Domain Affairs Department are also very hard-working. Their political status in the empire is not good to begin with. Their daily office funds and staff are also small, and they have to travel around the world... So in order to save office funds, In order to prevent the limited number of officials from the feudal affairs department from being exhausted, many officials from the feudal affairs department do not actually assume the formal political power of the indigenous countries, let alone sign any agreement with the other party openly.

Otherwise, if you just come to a small indigenous country with cats and dogs, you will have to have formal diplomatic contact with the empire. If you have a few more diplomatic negotiations, the boat fare will be quite a lot...

The Domain Affairs Bureau said that such diplomatic relations are not necessary...

Anyway, when there is a fight, just go there, and when there is no fight, go home. The business that needs to be done will be done regardless of whether there is an armistice agreement or whether it is in the middle of a war.

The main thing is to save vassal funds!
This makes many indigenous countries very helpless... Sometimes you can't find anyone to cut off your flesh and seek peace...

Of course, this is only for some small countries, such as the messy indigenous people in Africa and Indian indigenous people, or large countries such as Russia that are unwilling to sign the armistice agreement.

If it were countries like Spain and France, the Chu State would still formally sign various agreements with them... provided that the other party agreed to sign these agreements that were worse than traitorous.

The French were unwilling to sign, and then they were beaten!
In the artillery battle on November [-], the French managed it according to tradition, and they were inexplicably hit by a very severe shelling without even seeing the Chu army.

When the artillery and naval artillery units of the Chu army retreated in the evening, the French sadly discovered that they had already suffered heavy losses without even seeing the infantry of the Chu army.

The smoothbore artillery unit, which had high hopes, had a total of hundreds of various field guns that were almost destroyed without firing a single shot. The losses of these artillery were actually small. After all, the Chu army fired semi-armor-piercing or explosive shells. , In fact, the damage to the iron thing like the gun barrel is not big. At most, the gun mount is smashed, but many artillery can actually be used by replacing the gun mount.

But the losses to the artillery positions and the artillery itself were very heavy.

The artillery suffered a lot of losses, and even if the artillery was still intact, it would be difficult to play a big role.

Not to mention that the French may not necessarily have the ability to dig out the relatively well-preserved gun barrels from the ruins of the destroyed artillery positions, and then install them with new gun mounts to continue their use.

The artillery positions on the front line suffered huge losses, and the losses on the rear were also huge. Various soldiers and warehouses thousands of meters away from the front line were severely destroyed.

Even ordinary urban areas in Paris were attacked by a certain amount of artillery fire from the Chu army, resulting in a large number of building damage.

It is worth mentioning that the city of Paris was not very big these days, and the French army was large in number. Therefore, the French army's defense did not actually mean that they were huddled directly in the city, but were carried out around the city.

The main body of the defense system is not the city itself, but a series of peripheral defense forts, forts and other fortifications surrounding the city.

As for the [-] troops huddled in a small city... The Chu army said that this kind of target is easier to hit. It can just cover and bombard the entire city without even entering the city.

How to defend a small ancient city from the Chu army's heavy shelling? In fact, during the Chu Unification War, the Ming army had already come up with a solution: build a large number of defense nodes outside the city and connect them together, and dig a large number of trenches at the same time. , build anti-howitzer fortifications; try to extend the defense as deep as possible, otherwise hiding in the city will sooner or later be killed alive.

After all, cities these days... well, except for the Chu Kingdom itself, the cities in various indigenous countries are actually very small. A city with tens of thousands of people is already a big city.

In fact, many small and medium-sized cities are still traditional ancient fortress cities, the kind protected by city walls. Such urban areas are generally very small. If the Chu army can cover it with cannon fodder, they can attack from the east to the west of the city...

Moreover, the buildings in the urban area do not provide much protection for soldiers.

These days, most of the cities in the indigenous countries have wooden buildings, with only a few stone buildings, all of which are churches and administrative buildings. In fact, the civil buildings are all wooden buildings, and their ability to withstand artillery fire is almost zero.

This is especially obvious in Europe... On the contrary, in West Asia and North Africa, their indigenous cities have more stone buildings... The main reason is that there is a lack of wood in that area, so the buildings can only be made of stone.

But there is no shortage of wood in Europe!

Therefore, European cities before modern times were actually similar to ancient East Asian cities, with wooden buildings being the mainstay.

In European cities, it was not until the modern industrial revolution that productivity increased significantly and cement appeared, that various stone and concrete buildings appeared in large numbers. It was not until World War II that large-scale urban street fighting was seen on the European battlefields.

In ancient times, there was no such thing as street fighting... The attacker set off a fire and burned the whole city, so there was no need for street fighting!
It’s just that there are many ancient stone buildings preserved in Europe, especially churches, castles, etc., which gives some people in later generations the illusion that Europeans have had many stone buildings since ancient times. In fact, this is not the case... You have not seen Europe People’s ancient wooden buildings, that’s because these wooden buildings have not been preserved...

Contemporary France in the seventeenth century was no exception. Among the many buildings in Paris, except for a few religious and administrative buildings that were made of stone, a large number of other ordinary buildings were actually made of wood. Facing the fierce bombardment of the Chu people There is little resistance.

Similar situations also exist in most other indigenous cities, such as Le Havre, which was captured by the Chu army not long ago. This port city burned for three days after the Chu army's bombardment... Why did it burn for three days? It’s because there are so many wooden buildings!

This is a matter of material supply and productivity, and has nothing to do with architectural style, aesthetics, etc.

You said that China had many wooden buildings in ancient times and even modern times, but if you look at Chinese cities in modern times, they are all steel and concrete jungles...anywhere is a natural battlefield for street fighting.

Well, the same thing happens in cities in other modern countries...

In the face of the fierce bombardment of the Chu army, although the early shelling of the Chu army did not target ordinary buildings in the city...after all, ammunition is quite expensive, and it is not enough to attack military targets. It will not be wasted on some harmless items. on ordinary buildings.

However, the artillerymen of the Chu army are not all excellent in artillery skills, and the accuracy of the artillery cannot be controlled very accurately. Therefore, when attacking some military targets in urban areas, it is inevitable that the artillery shells will miss and hit many ordinary buildings.

These wooden buildings have little ability to withstand shelling, and they can easily catch fire...

So, when Paris was bombarded the next day, raging fires broke out in many places in Paris...

Continuous shelling, heavy casualties, and fires all continued to oppress the nerves of the French.

What makes them most disgusting is that until now, the infantry of the Chu people still have not launched an attack. They basically stay hundreds of meters or even thousands of meters away, and not even a human figure can be seen...

From the beginning of this so-called Battle of Paris to the present, the French have endured unilateral bombardment from beginning to end.

Naturally, the French cannot accept this scenario of being beaten without being able to fight back.

So the French launched a counterattack the next evening. They sent out cavalry to try to quickly attack the artillery positions on the Chu army's front line.

This means that at the Paris Station, which has lasted for two days, soldiers from both sides will finally come into close contact!