Wild North America 1846

Tang and Britain have maintained a close and friendly relationship for decades, but they are not allies.

In order to maintain its detached "mediator" status in the world, Britain adopted a policy of non-alignment from the middle of the 19th century to the end of the 19th century.

It deals with the great powers of various countries, and never forms an alliance with any country, so as not to affect its independent status.

The Tang Empire was different. It formed gangs everywhere in the Americas. Except for British Canada, it concluded various alliance treaties with countries in North and South America, which confirmed its status as the leader of the Americas.

but outside the americas
The Tang Empire cautiously did not sign an alliance treaty with any country, including Fusang, Lanfang, Ryukyu Kingdom and other Asian countries. The two sides only had suzerain-vassal relations and no military alliances.

It's a new year

February 189-8
New Xi'an in Paradise Province

The joy of the Lunar New Year has not completely dissipated. The headquarters of the Royal Navy Pacific Task Force is already tense and solemn before the war. The young naval officers in the headquarters are busy.

in the hall upstairs
His Royal Highness Tang-Li Xin, Prince of Pingxi, was standing on the stage in a straight white uniform of Marshal of the Royal Guards. Badge, the aura is extremely powerful.

As the commander-in-chief of the Western Pacific Expeditionary Force, he commanded a total of 16 land and sea troops to expedition to the East Indies, and he had three deputies.

One is Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Commander of the Pacific Task Force, Lieutenant Admiral Zheng Shiyu of the Royal Navy, flagship "Duke of Hawaii".

It has a total of 5 Duke-class main ironclad ships, including cruisers and destroyers, a total of 32 powerful task forces of warships, a total of 17 coal and cargo auxiliary ships, and a total of 1.54 naval officers and soldiers (note; including 6 navies station and numerous naval depot logistics support personnel).

One is Lieutenant General Liu Zhongguo, deputy commander-in-chief and commander-in-chief of the Second Corps of the Royal Guards. He led a total of more than 8.9 people in the Second Corps of the Royal Guards, including the 101st Dahe Division and the 103rd Red River Valley Division of the Royal Guards. It is the main force on land in this battle.

One is Lieutenant General Fan Pengfei, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Army and Commander of the Expeditionary Corps. He led the Royal Army Expeditionary Corps with a total of more than 5.5 people. All 4 divisions and 7 artillery regiments were recruited from Paradise Island for training. .

stand on stage
His Highness Tang-Li Xin, the Prince of Pingxi, looked around confidently. The middle and high-level generals below were gathered, and the stars were shining. It had been a long time since the empire gathered such a powerful expeditionary force.

He said loudly to the generals;

"Officers and gentlemen;

Together with the king's scepter, you will once again witness the great colonial conquest war and leave a strong mark in history.

This time our opponent is the Dutch, a declining European country with a glorious colonial history.

Just like the Spaniards we once defeated, these old European colonists have been in decline for a long time, like old people sitting under the eaves remembering the past glory, they can only live in memory.

All we have to do is teach them with the sword in our hands...conquer them...

Let them know what is reverence and what is strength?What is the cruelty of reality?
Gentlemen, times have changed.

Those old Europeans who are still living in fantasy, still enjoying the kindness of their ancestors, it is time to change their masters.

at the turn of the century
The Tang Empire will make the loudest voice in the Western Pacific region. The self-righteous arrogance of the European white world is not worth mentioning. Wherever the imperial army goes, everything is a chicken. "

"The empire is victorious, victorious, victorious!" the senior officers replied in unison, morale at an all-time high.

His Royal Highness Tang-Li Xin, Prince of Pingxi nodded, quite satisfied with the aggressiveness shown by the generals, and ordered with a wave of his hand;

"Tomorrow morning, the whole army pays homage to heaven. The king will personally lead the fleet to go out. The army is ready to send troops to the East Indies in a week."

"As ordered, the soldiers mobilize the Indian Islands, kill... kill... kill!" The senior generals replied in unison.

For the Tang Empire
The Royal Navy task force occupies an absolute advantage. The Royal Netherlands Navy East Indies Fleet they are facing has long lost its former glory. The main force is still an old naval force dominated by 7 sail cruisers, and it also has 4 ships of more than 2300 tons. Ironclads and plenty of sloops.

In front of the powerful task force of the Royal Navy of the Datang Empire, it was like crushing a grasshopper to death.

But no matter how weak the Royal Netherlands Navy fleet is, the threat of its sea power must first be eliminated before large-scale landing operations can be advanced.

next morning
On the wharf of the new Xi'an port, a grand expedition memorial ceremony was held. Tens of thousands of soldiers gathered here, and hundreds of thousands of imperial people came to see off the expedition.

After the solemn and solemn ceremony of offering sacrifices to the sky, amidst the tsunami-like cheers of hundreds of thousands of people, firecrackers blared, gongs and drums blared, and the majestic Royal Navy task force blew a long air whistle, and successively used Out of the blue bay.

The towering chimneys of dozens of warships spewed thick black smoke, forming two squadrons, one in front and one in the back, rushing straight to the southwest.

Their goal is Batavia (Jakarta), which is more than 2300 kilometers away, and Surabaya Port, an important port on the Java Sea.

On the tall bridge of the flagship USS Duke of Hawaii
His Highness Tang-Li Xin, Prince of Pingxi, dressed in a white marshal uniform, looked at the mighty and majestic fleet, filled with pride in his heart, and said with a reserved look on his face;

"Everyone, the sea war against the Dutch can be said to be a crushing battle without any suspense.

This battle must not only be won, but also be played beautifully, with prestige, and a complete victory that can leave a psychological shadow on the Dutch and destroy them from the will.

After all, this is a colony run by the Dutch for more than [-] years, and the opponent is not completely helpless. Land wars are much more difficult than sea wars.

We fight well here, and the pressure on the army is less. "

"Please rest assured, Commander, all the officers and men of the Royal Navy Task Force are now full of energy, ready to take the Dutchman's sacrificial knife, and have full confidence in sending this old-fashioned fleet of the Dutchman into the bottom of the sea. !” Vice Admiral Zheng Shiyu replied confidently with a bright face.

With such a big advantage, he still can't win completely. He could really find a piece of tofu and kill him head-on.

The Royal Navy officers on the bridge laughed easily when they heard the words. Most of them came from noble families, and they have practiced for decades with a high standard exceeding the British Royal Navy, and they have a profound background in strength.

The Royal Navy has very high standards for ship operations, requiring "the first shot to hit".

In today's era where artillery sighting and sighting equipment is extremely backward, and more depends on eyesight and experience, it is simply difficult for others.

整个1.22万吨“夏威夷公爵”号铁甲舰上，全舰官兵合计526人，搭载前2后2共计4座双联装305毫米主炮塔，一次齐射能够打出8发305毫米炮弹。

Within the standard 4.2-kilometer training range, at least one of the eight shells fired in the first salvo must hit at least one round to be considered qualified. Such a requirement is extremely difficult.

This is because warships are in dynamic combat at sea, and the pitching and swaying of the ship’s hull will affect the hit rate. The naval artillery battles of today’s era require coverage shooting.

The coverage design is to concentrate as many main guns as possible, some are 8, some are 10, some are 12, and shoot as many shelling rounds as possible in a unit time to cover a certain sea area.

The more artillery, the higher the rate of fire, the greater the amount of ammunition projected per unit time, and the higher the hit probability.

The so-called "first shot hit" is equivalent to precise shelling, which is equivalent to standing on a swaying seesaw and playing a pot-throwing game. If you want to hit the first shot, rigorous and efficient training, well-equipped personnel and strict organization are indispensable.

Leaving aside the aggressive Royal Task Force for the time being, on the island of Java, the clouds of battle are already densely covered, and the Dutch colonists are on full alert.

The Tang Empire's massive military preparations cannot be concealed from anyone, and the notice of declaration of war has already been officially delivered.

The grievances and disputes between the two countries began with the Lanfangguo issue, which has intensified over the years and eventually led to war.

Lanfang Kingdom is a Chinese regime established in the northwest of Kalimantan Island, and it is also a vassal state of the Tang Empire. During its heyday, it occupied almost the entire northwest corner of the island.

The Dutch colonists regarded it as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh, and they always wanted to destroy it quickly.

Its suppression, infiltration and invasion of Lanfang Kingdom lasted for several decades, eroding nearly half of the territory of Lanfang Republic, and finally aroused the thunder and wrath of the Tang Empire, and broke out this punishment war.

Batavia.

The haze of war hangs over the core city ruled by the Dutch. Heavily armed elite soldiers can be seen everywhere in the port and the city, as well as a large number of mobilized indigenous armed forces.

Due to the small size and weak strength of the country, the Royal Army is composed of white soldiers from the Netherlands, mercenaries and local indigenous servants among the armed forces under the Governor's Mansion of the Netherlands East Indies.

Knowing that the outbreak of the war was inevitable, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies also mobilized white plantation owners to form armed militias to supplement the severely understrength army.

in various ways
The army under the administration of the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies once swelled to more than 30 people, of which the indigenous servants accounted for as much as 6%. They were poorly equipped and poorly trained, and they were mostly used as cannon fodder.

European mercenaries are also an important part of the Dutch Legion. During the tense situation, mercenaries accounted for almost half of the troops reinforced from Europe, especially Germans.

The small population has always been the fatal weakness of the Dutch colonists.

Facing the menacing army of the Tang Empire, the Dutch colonists had no choice but to fight to protect their own interests.

If the Indian subcontinent is the jewel in the crown of the Queen of England, then the East Indies is the jewel in the crown of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and it is also the few remaining overseas colonies of this old colonial empire.

The colonial income squeezed from the East Indies accounts for more than 4% of the income of the Kingdom of the Netherlands all year round, and is an indispensable and important financial pillar.

Losing this overseas colony would have an unimaginable blow to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.