Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 256 A clever woman can't cook without rice

  Kou can go, I can go too.

The unexpected occupation of Samarinda by the landing forces was a coup to turn passivity into initiative, using practical actions to practice the "you beat you, I beat me" combat strategy, the effect was surprisingly good, and it really beat the Dutch colonists. Coldly.

  For the Red River Valley, it is cost-effective to pay the actual benefits of a Samarinda to gain a foothold in Borneo.

Most of the plantations in Samarinda belonged to Dutch colonists. The Red River Valley was using the Dutch plantations as a favor, and the introduction of consortia with the background of the British aristocracy complicated the original simple problem.

  Among them, there are established British consortiums such as Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC. Behind them are a large number of British aristocratic investors who have held shares in the above-mentioned banks for decades and have great influence in the country.

  The wealth is touching. These British-funded consortiums still dare to start even knowing that they are being used. It is true that they have a good mouth.

The Dutch never dreamed that the Lord Queensland didn’t care about a Samarinda at all, let alone these plantations. His real goal was Balikpapan, which is more than 70 kilometers away, which is rich in oil resources. This is a strategically important place. In the region, you must get it quickly.

  In the original history

  It will take a few years for Balikpapan’s rich oil resources to be discovered by Dutch colonists. The Earl of Queensland will now take this precious land and turn it into his own pocket.

  Just when everyone’s eyes were on Samarinda, He Fang, commander of the joint fleet, led all the warships out and headed towards the port of Surabaya.

  A few days later

   Surabaya Strait

  On the broad sea, more than a dozen warships moved slowly in a straight line. On the tall steel triangular masts of the warships, hunting and flying the Red Mountain Dragon Flag, they challenged the Royal Dutch Task Force, which was huddled in the port of Surabaya.

  On the shore artillery position of Surabaya Port

  The commander of the Royal Dutch Navy's task force, Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov, put down his binoculars with a gloomy face, facing the rampant behavior of Queenslanders coming to face slaps, he was almost mad.

  However, the reason tells Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov that now is not the best time for a decisive battle.

"These **** Queensland mad dogs, when the "Ihostein" fleet returns, I vowed to use naval guns to blast you all to the bottom of the sea." Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov couldn't help cursing. Turning his face to ask, "Go and check, where is the reinforcement fleet from Europe?"

"Your Excellency Commander of the Report, the "Ihostein" fleet arrived at the Suez Canal on May 5, and left the Suez Canal on May 7 to continue south. According to the plan, it should arrive at Banda Aceh Port, Sumatra on May 14 for coal. Water supply, today is May 10th, and the reinforcement fleet should be in a certain position off the Indian Ocean Cochin Port." Ding Gengguan replied.

  "The speed is too slow, immediately send a telegram to Banda Aceh Port, ordering the Ihostein" fleet to go south immediately after completing the coal supply, without delay, and must arrive at Surabaya Port no less than May 19 at the latest. "Out of the honor of the Royal Navy, Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov could not bear the enemy's open face slap.

  He can’t wait to lead the fleet to a decisive battle with the Queenslanders, and use naval guns to fight back the enemy’s provocations. Every minute of waiting is suffering.

   "Yes, your commander." The official ran to send a telegram.

  The Queensland Fleet besieged outside Surabaya Port is a great humiliation to the officers and soldiers of the entire Royal Navy Task Force.

Fleet officers and soldiers have a strong desire for battle. Many captains even rushed to your commander’s office to express the idea of ​​a fight. They were all repelled by Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov, and even scolded "idiots, idiots..." Such intense words.

  The fact that iron was used in the naval battle of Malacca proved that sailing warships can no longer adapt to the new situation of marine hegemony in the steam age.

  Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov now has a strong sense of distrust in the sailing fleet under his opponent. This is not because he does not trust the Royal Navy officers and soldiers, but because he has lost faith in this **** old sailing warship.

  The sailing warships that were generally retired from service in the British, French and German naval powers turned out to be the main force of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It clearly reflects the loneliness and helplessness of the former maritime power, and the glory of yesterday is no longer.

  The Dutch East Indies have six steam ironclad battleships. In addition to the "Seven Provinces" and the "Lupperf", they are also equipped with 4 shallow-water heavy gunboats, commonly known as "mosquito gunboats".

These four Randal shallow-water heavy gunboats imported from the United Kingdom have a displacement of 440 tons and are equipped with an 11-inch (280 mm) cannon and two 12-pound secondary guns. From a paper perspective, they can only be used in ports. Mobile fort use.

  The biggest feature of the Randal gunboat is that it abandoned the traditional way of arranging guns on both sides of the hull, and installed a 280mm front-muzzle gun on the bow.

  Usually, the cannon is hidden in the deck.

When using it, first lower the anchor (in case the recoil force of the giant cannon is too large and the ship is tilted and sinks into the sea), and then the giant cannon is raised within 6 minutes through the hydraulic system, and after launching a cannon ball, it is pushed down by the huge recoil. It will slowly descend, and the soldiers will load shells under the deck in preparation for the next attack.

  This gunboat came out in 1867, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands purchased 4 in 1871 to equip the Dutch East Indies fleet.

This kind of bargain for small boats carrying huge artillery will capsize when the sea is slightly strong, and cannot participate in the battle for hegemony at all. Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov can only attack with old sailing warships, saying It's false if you don't hold back in your heart.

Make bricks without straw

  As a high-level military officer, Lieutenant General Jan Kirk Burkhov knows that the Kingdom of the Netherlands is currently in economic difficulties. His majesty’s vault is empty. The poor can run mice and can’t afford to spend money to buy new warships.

Nowadays

  The world’s naval powers, including the United Kingdom, are groping for new ways of fighting on the sea by steam armored warships. As a result, various experimental warships have appeared, and the British Randal-style shallow-water heavy gunship is one of them.

  In addition to customers such as the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Manchu and Qing government is also one of its major customers.

  In 1874, the Fusang Kingdom sent troops to invade Taiwan, which was called the "Taiwan Incident" in history.

  The Manchu and Qing dynasties were shocked and immediately adopted countermeasures. One of them was to purchase ships from Britain.

  Assuming that the enemy is the Fusang Kingdom, what kind of ships should be purchased to consolidate coastal defense and resist foreign aggression became the most important issue for the ruling and opposition parties at that time.

  Li Hongzhang, as a well-known Minister of Westernization, knew that what the court needed most was a powerful first-class ironclad ship, but he also knew that the imperial treasury had been left tossed by the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion, and he was unable to purchase the first-class ironclad ship.

When Li Hongzhang was very worried, the British Hurd (General Taxation Department of the British Customs and Excise Department) brought good news. A new type of warship was launched. It was a cheap, and the nemesis of large iron-clad ships. Its name was Ran Dao. Gunboat...

  Manqing ordered four improved Randal gunships from the British Armstrong Company, named Zhendong, Zhenxi, Zhennan, and Zhenbei four ships.

This class of ship was built in 1879 and arrived at Dagu on November 30 of that year. It was left by Li Hongzhang and placed under the Beiyang Navy. The four ships Longxiang, Huwei, Feiting, and Cedian, which had been used by Beiyang for several years, were sent. Go to Shanghai for overhaul, and then transfer to Nanyang for use.

   Seeing that these 4 shallow-water gunboats were cheap and easy to use, Shandong Province commissioned Li Hongzhang to purchase two on their behalf, and named them the two ships in the town and the town.

  The two ships were built in 1881 and arrived in China on August 22 of the same year. They were cut off by Li Hongzhang under the name of "joint exercises" and were placed in the Beiyang sequence.

  This can be seen

The   Rendall gunboat belongs to the existing fleet on paper, and cannot play a role in the maritime battle with the Queensland joint fleet. If the sea is stronger, it will sink by itself and can only be used as a mobile fort to defend Surabaya Port.

  Four consecutive days

  The combined Queensland fleet issued a challenge outside the port of Surabaya. The Royal Dutch Navy's task force shrank in the port and ignored it, making up its mind not to go to war.

  May 14

  Noon

  The Captain's Room of the Joint Fleet Flagship "Albatross"

  "Humhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

Coming in from the door was the confidential officer of the fleet. He raised his hand with a solemn expression and presented a document with both hands; "Your commander-in-chief, this is an emergency military information sent by a black-clothed guard with a speedboat. It is a super encrypted document, please read it."

   "Okay, I'll watch it right away." He Fang replied, watching the confidential officer turn and leave, and then put the hatch in his hand.

  He Fang solemnly disassembled the super-encrypted files, which were filled with numbers and symbols. He took out a hardcover copy of Arabic stories, "The Thousand and One Nights", and recorded them on paper against the digital symbols.

  A moment later, an important piece of information appeared in front of you;

At 9:20 on the morning of May 14, led by the 2650-ton steamship "Ihostein" from Europe, accompanied by two 1470-ton light cruisers "Fury" and "Courage". A mixed fleet of coal ships and two munitions flying the German flag arrived at Banda Aceh Port.

  The port personnel who had been prepared immediately replenish the small fleet with coal and fresh vegetables. According to the port replenishment schedule, the entire replenishment is expected to be completed within 12 hours.

  Good, great! Finally grabbed your tail.

  He Fang thumped the table with excitement. This important information came too timely, allowing his various strategies to be defeated to be implemented.

  If the combined fleet can win the final naval battle, this important piece of information will make a great contribution.

  This telegram was sent by an agent in black in Banda Aceh. It was sent directly to the port of Surabaya through the Dutch cable telegraph office, and then sent to the fleet by the agent in Surabaya by speedboat, with almost no time wasted.

   looked at the wall clock. It was 12:45 noon on May 14th. The important military information from Banda Aceh was delivered to the joint fleet in just three hours and 25 minutes. The efficiency is extremely amazing.

  The black guards bought time for the combined fleet. He Fang stood up suddenly, and rushed to the bridge bridge with a trot to command loudly; "All the fleet turned, target the Strait of Malacca, and attack at full speed."

  (End of this chapter)