Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 220 Who Should I Leave? (Add a fourth bullet)

  On the rear deck of the bridge

   Falsely dealt with the Dutch captain, Colonel George walked back with a red wine glass, greeted Colonel Joe Howard’s polite jaws, and said with a smile;

   "Hehe... these poor Dutch people have been hit by the harsh reality of their bodies. I think they will be stuck in self-doubt for a long time. This is really a...happy result!"

"Hey, George, don't forget the gentlemanly demeanor. The Dutch pay for their arrogance. This is an unforgettable lesson. We should release enough compassion." Colonel Joe Howard said this, he couldn't help but reveal a trace. Said with a smile, sullenly;

"Unexpectedly, the Netherlands, which was able to compete with the British Royal Navy for maritime hegemony more than a hundred years ago, has now fallen to this point. It has been severely taught by the army of aristocratic lords of a colony, and the beating suspicious life. I doubt it is today. Is it April Fool's Day?"

"Allow me to cut in, my honorable lord, the officers in the army of the noble lords are carefully trained by the British Manchester Naval Academy. The warships are built by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Of course, they also own Germany. The artillery seems to be quite powerful." The arrogant color on Major Spencer's face could not be concealed.

   "Hehe... Spencer, this is wonderful, it is indeed a masterpiece of education and industry in the British Empire." Colonel Joe Howard replied with a smile.

He cast his deep gaze into the distance, where the Queensland Fleet was leaving; "We cannot deny the courage and fearless spirit of sacrifice shown by both sides in the battle. This is the noble quality that every powerful navy must have. I am in them. I've seen it all. As a veteran naval power, the glorious glory of the past still remains on the Dutch. It is not surprising to have such a performance. What is interesting is... I also saw this on the Queensland fleet. The spirit of sacrifice is impressive."

  Speaking of which

   Joe Howard paused, looked at the officers in front of him and asked; "What do you think about this?"

"My Excellency Lord, I still insist on my point of view. As colonial subjects, these Chinese people have been shining under the brilliance of Her Majesty the Queen, have received traditional British naval education, and have inherited the noble quality of the Imperial Royal Navy's sacrifices, and they have driven the United Kingdom. For the high-quality warships produced by the shipyard, I can only say congratulations to them. These Chinese have learned well.” Major Spencer’s answer was praised.

   "It is very good. I agree with the major."

  "I now sympathize with the poor Dutch very much. They were defeated by the Manchester Naval Academy. I have considered sending my nephew to this school for further studies. I hope he can be equally good."

   "Second, there is no doubt about it."

   "Maybe we should increase tuition or restrict some students from lower ethnic groups. After all, the precious experience of the Imperial Navy is not so cheap and we need to adopt appropriate methods to maintain it."

   "Damn it, this is not today's topic. I am very happy to see the colonial army kick the Dutch in the **** and maintain the glory of the empire. At this point, the Queenslanders are doing a good job. They are indeed good students."

The officers all agreed with Major Spencer’s point of view. The atmosphere of the buffet showed untimely joy, and it more and more reflected the loneliness of the Dutch captain. The **** wounds were uncovered, and they could only lick their bodies sadly. .

  In front of the absolute strong, the weak have no right to speak.

  After more than a century of maritime hegemony, the Royal Navy of the British Empire is in the heyday of Queen Victoria. This kind of arrogance integrated into the bones of the people of the empire also exists in the Royal Navy, and it is more serious.

"This war that shouldn't have occurred, the upper class in London has a lot of controversy over this. The Duke Victor reminded Downing Street several times that the rights and interests of the Shangri-La Island of the Queensland Earl, which has been recognized by the Colony Department, should be properly safeguarded. Queensland Mr. Earl also formally made a written request, strongly requesting the intervention of the Imperial Royal Navy's task force in the East Indies. Regrettably...all this has been ignored."

  These secrets circulated in the top circles of London, for Colonel Joe Howard, who was born in the family of the Duke of Norfolk, are just post-dinner talks.

  He doesn't mind sharing it with his fellow Royal Navy, highlighting the superiority of the top noble children.

   "Oh, poor Queensland Earl, he was abandoned by London."

  "This battle has proven the determination and ability of the Earl of Queensland to defend his rights and interests. I am optimistic about it."

   "Maybe he can solve the problem himself, the Royal Navy has no obligation to help the noble lords solve the trouble, not to mention that he is just a colony earl, and he is not an authentic Englishman."

   "The performance of the Earl of Queensland is impressive. It's time to sit down and talk."

  A group of military officers talked a lot, and their words reflected the mainstream opinion of London society. They believed that this was just a trivial dispute. Although it was a bit more tragic, it still belonged to the contradiction between the Dutch royal family and the British colonial aristocracy.

  The colonies of the British Empire spread all over the world. There are too many Tubang kings and colonial nobles entrusted by Queen Victoria. Where can the countless contradictions be resolved?

  The Earl of Queensland, as an Australian nobleman, is a Chinese. He was ostracized by the upper-class London society and could not truly integrate into it. He has never been recognized as his own.

  If a real English nobleman is bullied by the Dutch royal family, I am afraid that the public has long been excited, and they are ready to go together.

  In contrast, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom share the same language, the same religion, and are also English-speaking countries, and they are inextricably linked.

  The two countries once shared a monarch, and royal marriages and frequent non-governmental exchanges. Many of the British policies in Europe require the younger brothers of the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, and Switzerland to wave their banners behind them and build their momentum.

   Therefore, a group of Royal Navy officers can look at this territorial dispute with a bystander mentality.

  This has nothing to do with discrimination. In the Qing court, a white official with a high nose and a deep purpose cannot truly accept him as his own.

  If you can’t do it yourself, why do you want others to accept it?

  "Gentlemen, your words reflect the controversy of the upper class in London. Lord Victor’s opinion was refuted by several dukes, and the Imperial Admiralty was also unwilling to intervene in this matter."

  Speaking of which

Joe Howard spread his helpless hands. He enjoyed this eye-catching look and continued to say, "London is optimistic about the efforts of the Earl of Queensland to safeguard his own interests. It will come forward to mediate the contradictions between the two parties in due course, but not now. I think the best time is for one of the parties to take the initiative to make a request, such as the Dutch. Don’t you feel surprised when you say this, where did the cruiser Seven Province go?"

  Where did the cruiser Seven Province go?

  This problem is the lice on the bald head, it's not clear yet!

  I must have gone to Shangri-La Island. As for looking for an opportunity to wipe out the enemy, or escorting and landing, it’s not in the Strait of Malacca anyway.

  No matter what the British officer's speculation, the Dutch captain would not say it to satisfy their curiosity anyway. This is a very high-level military secret, and it has leaked that it is going to a military court.

Strait of Malacca

  The fast freighter Taishan rendezvous with the fleet, is transporting wounded officers and soldiers at sea, and sends doctors to diagnose and treat the wounds of lightly wounded officers and soldiers, and dispatches workers to urgently repair the damaged pipelines and equipment of the warship, and try to restore part of the combat effectiveness.

  Due to limited conditions, only simple repair work can be done.

  He Fang's head was wrapped in a snow-white bandage, and the blood stains of red hair and black seeped out, with a trace of post-war tragedy.

  His face was a little pale, but his eyes were still firm, and he stood still on the deck of the Taishan round with a group of officers, bidding his final farewell to the sacrificed officers and soldiers.

  Follow traditional naval etiquette

The sacrificed officers and soldiers returned their souls to the sea. There were 51 corpses neatly placed on the deck. The young officers and soldiers closed their eyes and said goodbye to their beloved warships and brothers forever, farewell to their hometown and relatives and friends, and shed blood on them. The sea.

  Every officer and soldier who participated in the farewell ceremony is more or less wounded. They will accompany their comrades here for a long night, and when the dawn comes, they will personally send their partners the last ride.

  The sound of footsteps behind you

  He Fang turned his head to look, and six crew members came over with three severely wounded officers and soldiers, their feet heavy and tired.

  In a solemn atmosphere, He Fang commanded loudly; "Salute, see off the martyrs."

  The tragic and desolate horn sounded, lingering in the air.

  Dozens of officers and soldiers saluted in unison, watching the comrades who had been with them all day and night leaving and becoming one of the neatly arranged on the deck. The number of officers and soldiers killed rose to 54.

  Many officers and soldiers couldn't help their eyes flushed, warm tears crawled across their cheeks, and the deep parting melancholy held their hearts tightly, and they were reluctant to let their brothers leave.

   "The ceremony is over."

  He Fang put down his hand, turned his head and looked at the officers and soldiers who were shrouded in grief, said;

"Brothers, no one has died in life since ancient times, but their sacrifices are worth it. These sacrificed brothers have used their lives to forge the glorious victory of the fleet, break the blockade of the rampant Dutch, and win for the Chinese in this vast sea. A place, won due respect, won dignity and honor, and won the eternal memory of the people.

It was the battle of the fleet officers and soldiers, including you and me, who gave up their lives and forgotten their lives. They used guns to write a chapter of victory in the Strait of Malacca. They lived up to the hard work of the Lord Earl and the deep expectations of the compatriots, which proved that Yi Protect thousands of miles of sea and territories, let me be the one! "

  "Wings to protect thousands of miles of sea and territories, and whoever is mine!" The officers and soldiers shouted in unison, and their loud and powerful oaths echoed over the Strait of Malacca for a long time.

  At this moment, every officer and soldier has a sacred sense of mission in their hearts, and their unrelenting spirit of sacrifice is deeply integrated into the genes of this rising fleet star and is engraved in their blood.

   "Now, everyone can say goodbye to the dead soldiers." He Fang announced in a low tone, and then couldn't help but burst into tears.

  (End of this chapter)