The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 105 Beliga Town
the next morning
The expedition team gathered at the port, and more than 70 mules and horses collected from the town of Jepara were fully loaded with the required military supplies.

The army marching by land totaled more than 12 people, and was reinforced with field guns from the first artillery battalion. It was the main force of this trip and was personally led by Feng Guohui.

The army marching by sea totaled about 800 people, consisting of four cargo ships escorted by the sailing gunboats "Zhenhai" and "Zhenjiang". The other eight sailing cargo ships had completed their missions and returned to Surabaya Port one after another.

The Nanyang Army captured more than 40 war horses at the Jepara Fortress, and immediately assigned mounts to the officers of each regiment. Basically, the battalion commanders at the first level were allotted riding horses.

The remaining equipment was given to Feng Guohui's personal battalion. Together with the cavalry battalion of more than 250 cavalry who disembarked at the port, they were a cavalry force that cannot be underestimated.

The Chinese forces in Jepara Town also gathered together a militia group of more than 400 people overnight, directly equipped with captured weapons and equipment of white Dutch soldiers, and will fight with the Nanyang Army.

This is the request of the Nanyang Army and a letter of submission.

After witnessing the Nanyang Army's ruthless methods of bloody suppression of white plantation owners, the local Chinese forces easily made such a decision, otherwise their families and lives would inevitably be in danger.

On this issue, the Nanyang Army has a very firm attitude.

Either you will have the blood of white colonists on your hands, or you will be liquidated as a dissident. You can only choose one of the two paths.

Feng Guohui led the army all the way south on horseback. By noon, he had arrived at the town of Beliga, more than ten kilometers away from Semarang, and quickly blocked the town's entrance and exit roads.

They just temporarily detained passers-by and caravans along the way and released them after the army passed.

Many extremely tired officers and soldiers lay directly under the eaves, ate some fruits and then fell asleep.

The pro-barracks directly requisitioned the largest house in the town and drove all the families into the backyard, leaving a spacious front yard lobby for Feng Guohui and the officers to rest.

Belika Town is a large town with a population of more than 8800. At that time, there was a gathering in the town, with people coming and going, and it was quite lively.

As long as these people cannot leak important military information before the army arrives in Semarang, so that the Dutch know to strengthen their precautions, there will basically not be much hindrance to military operations.

It's around seven o'clock in the morning
The Nanyang Army on land was approaching all the way south. At the forefront was the cavalry battalion under Chen Yong, tasked with covering the battlefield and clearing ambushes along the way.

It is very important that all caravans and pedestrians encountered by the army along the way south should be temporarily detained to prevent the news from leaking.

The cookstoves and restaurants in the town were requisitioned, and large bags of rice and noodles were poured in to start cooking. Various meats were simply chopped, chopped, and poured in for cooking.

After ruthlessly killing more than twenty local local gangsters who incited the crowd's emotions, the residents of the town became much tamed and no longer difficult to deal with.

In addition, check the mountains and forests on both sides of the road. Are there any enemy spies or ambushes?

If you want to be a wallflower, you will face bloody suppression.

The road leading south from Jepara to Semarang is an ancient post road with a history of hundreds of years. After passing through the coastal mountains, there are large areas of farming plains and plantations. There are smoke curling up from the kitchen ten miles away. Village.

As the army marched southward, many farmers who got up early to work naturally stopped to watch, and their expressions became alarmed and uncertain.

The entire army going south was divided into four columns, guarding the artillery. The large convoy of mules and horses and the legion headquarters went south. The team stretched for five or six miles.

For these ordinary farmers, the cavalry battalion riding past basically turned a blind eye.

The Nanyang Army suddenly arrived in large numbers, which inevitably caused a huge panic, which soon developed into riots and crowds gathering to besiege the army.

Since there is an order, what are you waiting for?

The morning's rush march consumed a lot of physical energy of the Nanyang officers and soldiers. Many soldiers' clothes were soaked, their faces were exhausted, and they were in urgent need of repair.

Feng Guohui did not hesitate, and directly waved his hand, announcing that he would take a three-hour rest in the town and requisition all available supplies, including fruits, vegetables, rice, noodles and meat, so that the soldiers could eat and rest before continuing on the road.

The soldiers went directly to the melon and fruit stalls to commandeer these tropical fruits. They cut them open with bayonets on their waists and ate them in big mouthfuls. The food they ate was extremely sweet and delicious.

Feng Guohui dismounted at the gate of the mansion. The horse was naturally led by his own soldiers, who were responsible for watering the horse, replenishing fodder and other matters.

Feng Guohui walked into the spacious front lobby with a riding crop in hand, took off his military cap, washed himself with the cold water brought by the Qing soldiers, and then felt that the heat was gone.

The Qing soldiers quickly brought a large basin of cut tropical fruits. Feng Guohui and the officers were also thirsty at this time, so they picked up the fruits and ate them.

After eating for four to five minutes, he stopped and sat on a chair, drinking tea and talking about the upcoming siege.

"Everyone, our Nanyang Army moved rapidly southward. After resting for three hours, we will continue to set off. There are still more than ten kilometers left. We expect to arrive in Semarang at five o'clock.

There are still nearly three hours until dark, which should be enough.

At that time, the troops were divided into three groups and entered the city in large numbers.

Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy. I demand that the situation in the city be controlled before dark and that a city-wide curfew be implemented after dark.

You must control your soldiers and not allow me to set fire to the house. Anyone who dares to do this will have his head.

After semarang is captured, this will be the foundation of our Nanyang Army from now on. We are wreaking havoc here. If the wind takes advantage of the fire and burns down half of the city, we will be the ones who suffer.

The accounts must be settled clearly, and don't do stupid things when your brain gets hot, do you understand? "

"Don't worry, Commander. We will restrain our brothers and don't act recklessly. After all, this place will be the property of our Nanyang Army from now on."

"Brothers of the Fifth Regiment will obey the commander's orders and carry them out resolutely without compromise."

"The newly formed 7th Regiment will obey the commander's orders."

"The newly formed 8th Regiment will obey the commander's orders."

"The second group understands..."

The officers responded one after another. It was just before the war, and they all looked excited.

The Nanyang Army is a place that relies on its military merits. He Qiang's command of the 4th Regiment attacked the Jepara Fortress with force as the main force. Although the attack was very painful, it was able to break down this hard bone.

The commander immediately gave him a great merit. In the future, when the army is expanded, He Qiang, the commander of the fourth regiment, will be able to reach a higher level with this great merit. No one can say anything.

Among the eight group leaders today, apart from He Laohu, Wu Siwen and Mai Laowang, He Qiang is the most certain to be promoted, and will be a head above the group leaders by then.

Therefore, all regiment officers are gearing up and preparing to show off their skills in the attack on Semarang and compete for this military glory.

The corresponding combat plans were drawn up in great detail. From which route each regiment would attack the city, where to meet, and which area to control were all delineated.

According to prior agreement
The Zhenhai and Zhenjiang, which attacked from the sea route, led four cargo ships and will enter the Semarang port at about 4 p.m., with the intention of repeating the same plan.

By then, if the upper echelons of the Semarang municipal government go to the port to greet them, they will be able to catch them all in one fell swoop. This reduced many twists and turns and saved a lot of trouble for the complete capture of Semarang.

Yesterday, the Nanyang Army made a quick move at the Jepara Port, and basically captured all the local prominent figures. The news would never leak out, and they were very confident about this.

If it is as expected

The Chinese forces and the local white Dutch colonists who are accustomed to kneeling at the news of the arrival of the Royal Dutch Navy fleet at the port of Semarang will find it difficult to withstand the temptation and will most likely gather at the port to receive it.

Who would have thought that it was already a sailing warship of the Nanyang Army?

Not long after resting
The large bowl of cooked food had been served, and there was quite a lot of fish and meat. There were three seats in the hall, and Feng Guohui called on the officers to start the banquet directly.

Everyone was already hungry and no longer polite at this time. They all swarmed up and started eating.

The Nanyang Army is a typical warlord-style army. The meals used by senior officers are much higher than those of junior officers. The daily meals of junior officers also contain meat and eggs, which is much better than that of soldiers.

There is a strict hierarchy between upper and lower officers and it is impossible to mix them together.

The officers left one after another after having a good meal. They needed to control their troops, take a rest after the meal, and continue to march south to fight. There were a lot of things to do.

Although Belika Town is a big town, it only has one street in the center of the town.

For the noon meal, each regiment, battalion, and company had to find its own way to eat. Decent restaurants, shops and even the stoves of wealthy families along the street were requisitioned to cook large pots of food.

Earlier, several donkeys and mules were killed in the street, and the meat was divided up in large pots. Now they are cooked in pots, and the aroma fills the street.

The soldiers brought the food and squatted under the eaves along the street, devouring it with big mouthfuls. There was meat and soup in the rice bowl, as well as vegetables such as cassava and radish stewed in a pot. The staple food was rice and noodles.

The food was so satisfying that many local indigenous people swallowed secretly.

Many of their poor households cannot eat meat even once a year, and it is even more of a luxury to make rice and noodles at will. This kind of scene of eating meat and drinking soup can only be imagined in dreams.

The Nanyang Army can only allow soldiers to forcibly requisition people's supplies during wartime, and will never allow it on weekdays.

After eating, drinking and resting for a while, the army continued on the road.

What was left in the town of Belika were more than twenty corpses, as well as the blood stains and fur remains of some animals slaughtered in the street, as well as a deep impression of ferocity and domineering.

Most of the natives in the town had some guesses, but no one dared to inform the white colonists.

Even if you want to go, you don't have the conditions. The road has been completely occupied by the Nanyang Army heading south. If you want to take a shortcut through the jungle.

There are rivers without bridges running across them, dense forests and rugged valley roads that are difficult to walk. It is impossible to go faster than the main road in any case.

I'm afraid that by the time I get there, the day lilies will be completely cold.

(End of this chapter)