The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 132 Belisi Castle
Solo City

As towns such as Anju, New Port, and Mojokoto throughout Central Java gradually entered the stage of massive reconstruction, Feng Guohui had already led the main force of the Nanyang Army to move to Solo City.

And they lined up along the defense line here for long-term rest and recuperation.

Until the end of February
The total strength of the Nanyang Army has steadily increased from 1.65 to 1.85, growing steadily at a rate of more than a thousand men per month to supplement the consumption of war casualties.

After the successful completion of the war to encircle and suppress the rebellious indigenous people in the central region, the designations of the temporary Eastern Corps and the Western Corps were immediately cancelled, and the strength of each division was placed under regular direct control.

After the disbandment of the Western Corps, which was established with Hu Laohu's command as the core, the troops of the Semarang Division gradually withdrew to their original base, that is, the area around Semarang City.

The subsequent addition of more than 3800 new soldiers, mainly from the Thoreau Mobile Force, has increased the strength of this unit to more than people. It is planned to formally establish the Thoreau Division next month and be given an official designation.

The total number of troops currently gathered in Solo City is about 6900, personally commanded by Marshal Feng Guohui, to implement a fortress defense plan against the invading enemy.

Overall
On the front line of the war from Semarang to Solo, the Nanyang Army gathered about 1.18 troops, and the remaining 6700 troops were stationed in important towns in the rear.

The steady increase of more than a thousand troops every month not only failed to strengthen the main force of the Nanyang Army, but was greatly diluted due to the newly occupied Central Java area.

from a defensive perspective

Since we are taking a detour to the south, the road conditions are not good either. I am afraid we will have to repair it all the way there, which will be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Therefore, the current space for increasing military strength is limited, and we can only plan for it slowly.

Because this is an ancient trunk road with a history of hundreds of years, the roadbed is solid and has gone through many vicissitudes of life. It is more suitable for the movement of large groups of vehicles and horses, and is conducive to logistics supply.

Therefore, the main defense direction of the Nanyang Army is in the northwest, mainly based on abandoned fortresses from the ancient Mataram Kingdom. After repairs, they were heavily garrisoned.

After returning, I had a complete understanding of the topography of the area.

Use Solo City as a defense point
It is about 79 kilometers northwest of Salatiga, which is the main defense direction. After the Dutch army captures Salatiga, there is a high probability that it will invade from this direction.

There are too many industrial enterprises in the areas occupied by the Nanyang Army that require labor, and vast areas of land that need to be cultivated. Even the indigenous hard labor camps with up to 7.7 people (note, excluding mines) require thousands of people to perform supervised labor.

Feng Guohui led the officers all the way down, traversing the surrounding terrain with both feet, and even went in to take a look at many mountain valleys. In five days, he almost walked through the surrounding 20 kilometers of mountainous areas.

Solo City is located on the Solo River, the largest river in Java Island. This river originates from the Solo area in the central part of the country, has a total length of more than 560 kilometers, and flows eastward into the Java Sea.

This also resulted in the Nanyang Army being cramped in strength, with more than enough defense but not enough offense.

This is very conducive to carrying out large-scale killings of the enemy. It is estimated that this hard work should be undertaken by the Dutch indigenous servants. The white army cannot afford such consumption.

Reason told him that this wouldn't work, and he didn't want to become fat in one bite.

The Solo River estuary has fertile land and rich products. It has become the "granary" of Java and is an area traditionally rich in food.

As for Kraden, which is located in the southwest, the possibility of the Dutch army attacking from this direction is extremely small.

The abandoned fortress is divided into two, one in front and one in back, completely blocking the ancient road.

from the heart
Feng Guohui also hoped to expand the Nanyang Army to 4 to 5 people at once, recruit all the Chinese labor force that can be recruited, and expand the territory through military force.

Most areas of the river are calm and wide, suitable for the development of inland shipping, bringing convenience to navigation and irrigation to the people of Central and East Java.

Feng Guohui is standing in front of Fort Belisi at this moment. It is located in the mountains, about 26 kilometers away from Solo City, with an average altitude of about 247 meters, and steep peaks on both sides.

The geographical location is very conducive to the use of firepower. The enemy needs to pass through an unobstructed uphill slope of more than 760 meters in order to attack and advance to the fortress.

The fortress in front is called Belisi Fort, and the one in the rear is called Dahe Fort. After repairs and the addition of part of a 2-meter-6-high strong wall, it already has considerable defensive capabilities.

have to say
The Gumatalan Kingdom built a defensive fortress here instead of other more dangerous places because the comprehensive conditions here are superior and it is more difficult to break through.

This mountainous area has high and low mountains, with the highest peak over 3000 meters high, and the short mountain tops hundreds of meters high. They are covered with lush forests and tropical shrubs, making them extremely difficult to overcome.

Don't think that tropical forests are simple, there are hidden dangers in them.

There are as many as 131 species of venomous snakes, poisonous dart frogs, poisonous insects and poisonous scorpions that are simply impossible to guard against. There are also a large number of swamp mosquitoes, leeches and other things. Coupled with the steep mountains, it is enough to scare people away.

Feng Guohui once suspected that there would be a small trail that could bypass Belisi Castle, but then the explanations from the locals made him dispel such concerns.

West Java is indeed rich in Garut sheep, especially some indigenous tribes around Garut, who are accustomed to raising this kind of bighorn sheep. Their wool is mostly used for weaving wool blankets, wool felts, wool threads and the like.

The local tropical vegetation in Java is dense, and there are many shrubs and plants that can be eaten by Garut sheep. There is no need to drive the sheep to inaccessible areas, which is purely unnecessary.

Therefore, in areas where there are no indigenous tribes living, there will be no trails.

Since the ancient Mataram Kingdom, to the later Kingdom of Srivijaya and the Kingdom of Majapahit in the 13th century, as well as after the invasion of the Dutch colonists, this densely populated area has been uninhabited and has always been in a state of virgin forest, let alone developed.

Feng Guohui thought about it. Although Central Java has a long history of development, it is far behind the ancient Chinese civilization. Central Java and East Java are relatively backward and sparsely populated. There are large tracts of undeveloped forest and mountainous areas. Who would come here to open a trail?
This gave him a lot of peace of mind, and then he set up defenses.

There are almost no straight roads in the mountainous area, so in front of Brisiburg Castle, this downhill road that is more than 780 meters long turns into the back of the mountain after reaching the end.

According to survey
According to a river beach about 1.62 kilometers away from the fortress, it is the place where the attacking army is most likely to gather troops, and it is also possible to set up camp here.

Therefore, Feng Guohui decided to bury eight cannons and some ammunition in a nearby mountain col, and prepare a large amount of kerosene and other items to give the Dutch a big surprise.

When the time comes to launch a raid at night, how big will the camp with tens of thousands of people be?
Large barrels of kerosene can roll down the hillside, and artillery bombardment can only increase the chaos. It's wonderful to think about it.

It would be an unexpected surprise if it could ignite the Dutch's storage of logistical supplies.

Although the Nanyang Army mainly focused on defensive strategies, it was not without offensive moves.

If you blindly defend, any strong fortress will be breached. This law is applicable everywhere.

Just as the Nanyang Army was making intensive preparations, the Dutch colonial army on the opposite side also began to take action.

From late February

The Dutch colonial troops successively mobilized into cities such as Pekalongan, Belik, and Kabumen, intensifying military pressure on the Nanyang Army.

All of a sudden, the situation in the entire region became tense.

From north to south, the three cities of Kalongan, Belik, and Kabumen are arranged in sequence and can be connected in a straight line.

Pekalongan is located on the northern coast. From here, you can reach Semarang along the northern coastline. It is one of the main directions of the Dutch army's attack.

Bellik is located in the hinterland of the central region. From here, you can reach Salatiga along the century-old ancient road. After capturing this area, the troops went straight to the city of Solo, which was tightly defended by the Nanyang Army.

Of course, we must first conquer the Fort of Belisi, and then the Fort of the Great River. The unobstructed Solo Plain behind us will be in front of us, and we can take whatever we want.

This offensive route is also one of the main directions of the Dutch army's attack.

Gabumen is a city on the southern coast of Java Island. It is located in the southern region with dense mountains and ridges. The transportation is quite inconvenient. The only nearest city is Kraden.

From Kraden to Solo City, it is basically a mountain road, and the road is in disrepair and is quite difficult to walk.

This road was almost ignored by the Dutch army.

Going around two to three hundred kilometers of mountain roads, and the journey is rugged and difficult, and it is impossible to ambush at any mountain pass. It is the most difficult and least profitable option.

The Dutch army would not be so naive as to think that the Nanyang Army would not receive any news and could follow this road smoothly to the Solo Plain.

Placing a company of soldiers at any mountain pass would be enough for the lightly-armed Dutch army to suffer.

Moreover, heavy carriages cannot pass on rugged mountain roads. How to solve the logistical problem?

Lieutenant General Koch, commander of the Royal Netherlands Army in the East Indies, accompanied Governor Charles to Pekalongan on February 2 to inspect war preparations.

A few days later, he accompanied the Governor and his delegation to Bellick for an inspection, and returned after staying for a week.

After all this delay, it was already March 3th.

The Governor of the Shire was the supreme commander of all armies in the East Indies, including the Royal Army and Royal Navy.

Of course, this is only a nominal supreme commander.

The governor-general, Count Charles Ferdinand Bahou, had no involvement in the specific war command and could only rely on professional officers like Lieutenant General Koch.

Judging from the inspection, the Governor-General, Count Charles Ferdinand Bahou, expressed considerable satisfaction.

A large number of troops gathered at the forward departure base, densely packed and neat tents were lined up to the end of the line of sight, and supplies were piled up. It felt like there was nothing to worry about.

As for whether the indigenous servant soldiers can have enough to eat?

Is the morale high and the entire army has a strong desire to fight?
Are the weapons and equipment complete?

Why do white mercenaries hired with high salaries appear to be in low spirits?

As well as other more professional questions, Governor Charles chose to trust him and did not interrogate these details in depth, which greatly relieved Lieutenant General Koch.

In the preparation of war supplies, senior military officials had their hands in everything, and they made a lot of money.

(End of this chapter)