Chapter 240 Battle of Ryukyu Island 1

If France and Russia say that the Triple Entente launched a full-scale invasion of China in 1900, how likely is it that China will win this war?

The answer is indeed an unknown number.

Use data to look at the current China.

As of 1900, in the world's total industrial output, the United States accounted for 27.3%, the United Kingdom accounted for 19.7%, Germany accounted for 15%, China accounted for 13.5%, France accounted for 7%, Russia accounted for 3.2%, Italy accounted for 2.7%, and Japan was less than 2%.

After 20 years of development, the total amount of China's textile industry exceeded that of France, Russia and Japan as early as 1894, ranking first in the world, with four major textile industry centers in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tianjin and Qingdao.

In 1900, the American Iron and Steel Company was the world's largest steel joint producer, with a steel output of 11.4 million tons, accounting for 87% of the total steel production in the United States, controlling more than 70% of the iron ore and coking coal production in the United States, with a total market value of 1.24 billion US dollars. In China, it has a 17-year history. Shan Iron and Steel Plant is the largest steel supplier in China, with an annual output of 2.3 million tons of steel and 6.3 million tons of pig iron. It directly employs more than 74,000 workers. The scale of the three major steel factories in Shanghai Baosong, Laiwu and Tangshan followed second, and the steel output of four steel mills in Fuzhou, Haiphong, Daye and Anshan also broke through in 1900. Millions of tons.

In 1900, in addition to the textile industry, China's total coal mining, power generation and electrical and motor industry, bauxite imports and aluminum industry ranked first in the world, and the total length of railway miles and shipbuilding tonnage ranked second in the world.

The total tonnage of warship manufacturing is the first in the world. In 1899 alone, 73 warship manufacturing contracts were completed, with a total tonnage of 354,000 tons. In addition to the demand of the country and the feudal colonial countries, exports accounted for 52%.

From battleships, cruisers, destroyers, defense ships, torpedoes, coastal patrol ships, gunboats, multi-purpose patrol boats, to torpedoes, mines, artillery, communication equipment, ammunition, coastal defense fort supporting facilities... China can realize a complete set of sales contracts, and can also provide long-term naval technical training and support. Aid policy.

The data can't explain everything. China's development is still very unbalanced, the average education level is still lagging behind, and 80% of the population is illiterate.

However, relying on the new intellectual class with a total population of less than 13 million, a vast domestic and foreign and colonial markets, a huge land mineral resources and nearly 200 million labor resources, as well as a 20-year practical movement and stable development, China has finally become one of the world's great powers.

Japanese people have always paid great attention to collecting information in China. Of course, their politicians understand what China means now, but France and Russia... including Japanese people are still looking at China from the perspective of 1890. They are full of contempt for China. The theory of inferior roots of the yellow race and the inferiority of China people are still theirs. Main remarks.

If China's strength must be proved by a war, Hu Chuyuan intends to end everything with China's own strength, because China can do it now, as long as it can effectively inspire every Chinese.

The data proves another thing... It is indeed the wisest strategic choice for Japan to directly spread the war to the southeast coastal area of China's economic center. The question is... whether Japan can do this.

The last Sino-Japanese naval battle forced Japan to make it a formal reality and adopt a defensive naval development strategy, that is, the strategy of small ships and cannons. This is an important reason why Japan concentrates on raiding the Yuntianwan Port of the big island of Ryukyu. As long as this natural deep-sea port is taken down, a large number of huge cannons are small. The ship is stationed inside, and it is very difficult for China to take it back.

There must have been more ideas, otherwise it would not have been such a crazy move.

Hu Chuyuan was convinced of this. He just didn't expect it for a moment, and Lu Guang Quan and Lu Han couldn't explain it clearly.

At 11:20 p.m. on November 24, 1900, 35 minutes after launching the raid on the Yuntianwan Port of Ryukyu Island, the Japanese political axe officially issued a declaration of war, and retained the right to carry out military strikes on the entire waters of the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Philippines, and any violation of international law to China. Foreign ships with war materials will also be attacked by the Japanese navy.

It seems that the navy is the third largest navy in the world. The arrogant tone makes people very incomprehensible.

Hu Chuyuan didn't sleep all night.

He stayed up all night, sorting out all kinds of information from the Fujian and Zhejiang Corps and the Ryukyu garrison, and urgently accelerated the expansion plan of the Fujian and Zhejiang Corps, so that Ye Boyong and Lin Yongsheng could make the fastest response and must maintain control of the Ryukyu Islands.

All domestic propaganda machines are running at the same time. The news of Japan's war of aggression against China and the declaration of war on China will be announced to the whole country as soon as possible, and the current military strength of Japan's current military strength will be moderately exaggerated, and Japan's long-term disiated remarks will also be reported in depth.

We should not only tell the people that the national war is coming, but also tell the people why there is this war. The reason is very simple... In my heart, the Chinese are not even as good as dogs, and in the hearts of the Russians and the French.

Of course, you should also tell the people that China will definitely win this war. China has this strength.

As long as it is promoted like this, it is right.

Hu Chuyuan doesn't care about the process. As long as he has the result, the result he wants is to flatten Japan and beat France and Russia so that he doesn't even know his parents.

... The sky is slightly bright, and the gunfire of the Japanese fleet is still pouring down on Wuwo Island like a roaring rainforest. A large number of small ships are constantly trying to rush into the bay and torpedo attack the fleet stationed in the bay.

Zhang Xiluan, who was nearly 60 years old, fought a battle all his life, but he had never been so nervous. He was not a member of the Fuxing Society, but he was able to command a brigade of the Fujian and Zhejiang Corps in Ryukyu, as well as the fleet in the harbor. He relied on the qualifications of the Hunan army and the identity of Hangzhou people.

Because he is from the same hometown and the old part of the Hunan Army, he had a good friendship with Hu Chuyuan and Hu Pinyuan in the early years.

At the beginning of the year, he also talked with Hu Pinyuan in Beijing and planned to retire from the army. He wanted to ask Hu Pinyuan to do him a favor and ask him for a job to govern the whole place from Prime Minister Hu Chuyuan. When he became an official until he was 65 years old, he could retire completely.

Is it good now...?

He doesn't seem to be able to control this. After all, he is an old general of Hu. Because of his trust, Hu Chuyuan placed him in this position. If there is a mistake, he doesn't have the face to go back to see the Prime Minister.

The gunfire is so dense that the most terrible thing is the poisonous smoke, which spreads all over Wuwo Island, like the legendary miasma, which quickly corrodes everyone's body.

If it hadn't been for the reminder of his subordinate Wang Linqing, he really didn't know that he was using chemical weapons.

Zhang Xiluan's helmet was lost, and the military officer's hat did not know where he was. He was full of silver hair and held a steel knife in his hand. He was full of anger but did not know where to release it.

His face is full of swollen purple scars, hot, like burns.

He couldn't imagine that there were such cannons in the world, and they were all poisonous.

.

A long roar.

Someone rushed over on horseback.

The man quickly jumped off the horse. He had already held a set of black clothes, a helmet and mask on his face, and covered it tightly. In front of Zhang Xiluan, he opened the mask and showed a Chinese face, about 30 years old.

This person is Wang Linqing, a native of Jin Qu, Zhejiang Province. He graduated from Nanchang Wubei School in Jiangxi Province and participated in the Gengzi War.

At that time, he was Zhang Xiluan's subordinate. Now he is the director of the construction and munitions department at the Ryukyu Oshima military base, at the level of deputy regimental commander, in charge of fortification construction and munition supply.

Wang Linqing shook his hand and gave Zhang Xilan a set of black rubber robes and shouted, "Your Excellency, put it on quickly. This is specially used for anti-virus... Finally, it has been distributed to all battalions."

Zhang Xiluan looked up at Wang Linqing in disbelief. He held the black robe in his hand, and his heart hurt like a knife.

Wang Linqing couldn't wait to grab the anti-virus clothes again and put them on for Zhang Xiluan. Zhang Xiluan couldn't help struggling. How could a general wear such cowardly clothes?

Wang Linqing had a more hunch that Zhang Xiluan could not understand these things, and his psychology seemed to be a little broken, although he still looked normal and angry.

In other words, Zhang Xiluan didn't expect that he would attack at all.

Who would have thought of it?

The preparation was too inadequate. It was said that I bombed three rounds of gas bombs before they pulled out the stock of anti-virus suits, and the quantity was far from enough.

If you continue to fight like this... then you can only evacuate.

Wang Linqing knew in his heart that in addition to using chlorine, he also had more terrible mustard gas. The whole Wuwo Island was already miserable, and even many soldiers hiding in bunkers and forts were poisoned.

"Your excellency...!"

Wang Linqing couldn't help shouting, grabbed Zhang Xiluan's shoulders, shook violently, and shouted, "Your Excellency, at this moment...!"

After saying that, there was a sharp sound of breaking the air from the sky.

The two people subconsciously dispersed and jumped away.

Pang.

A gas bomb was falling on the street, and the violent white fog spread out.

Wang Linqing held his head and huddled in a low-lying place. Before the white fog dispersed, there were immediately bursts of horrible screams from all over the place. He even heard Zhang Xiluan's shouting.

He hurriedly followed his voice to find Zhang Xiluan, but what he saw was a vomiting tragedy. Zhang Xiluan just barely put on a poison suit, his whole body was sprayed by the poison fog, and his muscles were quickly rotting.

Zhang Xiluan screamed in horror, howling, **, twitching... can no longer live.

Wang Linqing's heart seemed to be torn apart, which was extremely painful. His relationship with Zhang Xiluan was not very good, but it was by no means bad. He looked up in pain and looked at the sky.

Pain can't solve any problems.

Wang Linqing gritted his teeth fiercely and grabbed a flag next to him. His horse was also poisoned. He could only run forward against the flag by himself and try his best to find a subordinate detachment with combat effectiveness.

In war, everything can happen, and only the most powerful people can stand out from death.

Under the fierce artillery attack of Japan, Wang Linqing and other troops broke away, and finally found the 104th Battalion of the 23rd Division stationed in the Cat's Cave. At this time, Wang Linqing knew that not only the brigade commander Zhang Xiluan was dead, but also the two commanders of the 23rd Division stationed here were caught off guard and died in a poison gas attack. Wei Pingjun, the commander of the sixth squadron of the Pacific Fleet stationed here, was a brigade, but his whereabouts were unknown with the flagship.

Because it could not stop the gas bombs, and the number of ships and artillery was far from enough, the garrison fleet was forced to withdraw to Wuwonai Bay, which was a closed harbor and could not get out once it entered.

The gunfire was still being bombarded intensively. Wang Linqing hid in the cat hole. Zhang Zongfu, the commander of the 104th Battalion, was with him, and the two kept discussing.

It's impossible to keep fighting like this.

Zhang Zongfu drew a general terrain on the ground, and said to Wang Linqing, "Commander Wang, I can't find the right person to command now. You have to stand up. Our garrison originally had a brigade, and the navy also had a regiment's naval division, but they were all scattered by the army, and the damage was too great. Now all lines must be retreated to Yushanling. As long as we guard Yushanling and form mutual protection with the garrison fleet, the navy can only attack along the narrow Yuntianhai Road.

Wang Linqing couldn't help asking, "What should we do if the army makes a full landing?"

Zhang Zongfu said, "What else can I do? Just stay in Yushan Mountain to fight to the death and transfer the wounded to the big island. The Prime Minister's Office must have received a telegram. The battle of Ryukyu Island was unexpected in advance, but it will definitely not give up. The main fleet will be sent to help. As long as we defend Yushanling and Yuntianhai Road, even if it is only until tomorrow morning, the main force of the Pacific Fleet stationed in Ningbo and Luoyuan Bay can arrive.

Wang Linqing gritted his teeth and said, "Oy, let's do it like this."

The two discussed it and immediately contacted the other battalion companies through the telegraph machine and telephone in Maozidong, and withdrew to Yushanling together.

In this place of Yuntian Bay, there happens to be a Wuwo Island blocking the tide on the front. There is a narrow and deep strait between Wuwo Island and the Ryukyu Island, which is called the Yuntian Seaway. Crossing the seaway is Wuwo Nei Bay.

In addition to the Yuntianhai Road, there was originally a wider exit on the east side of Wuwo Inner Bay. In order to ensure the military name of the port, the military blocked the exit with a cement dam as wide as 60 meters.

So, this is a dead end. Once you withdraw into Wuwone Bay, you will never get out again.

There are also benefits. No matter how many Japanese fleets there are, it will be very difficult to squeeze into Wuwonai Bay.

The battle has reached seven o'clock in the morning. The Japanese army has landed in the northeast and northwest beaches of Wuwo Island. Under the killing and injury of gas bombs, the large-scale reduction of combatants is not enough to resist the offensive of the four infantry regiments of the Japanese army.

As a last resort, the companies that were completely dispersed retreated one after another, gathered in Zhang Zongfu's Maozi Cave, and retreated to Yushanling together.

Because the Japanese army mainly used gas bombs to attack, it has not sent large-scale landing troops for the time being, barely leaving a respite for the 23rd Division of the Fujian and Zhejiang Corps and the Marine Division of the 6th Division of the Pacific Fleet.

Wang Linqing, who has been engaged in fortification construction and logistics for a long time, is a very careful person. When he was temporarily pushed to the position of commander, he immediately took a count of the remaining personnel and materials.

Not counting the seriously injured, there are now less than 6,000 troops left, of which more than 1,000 are slightly injured, while the Japanese army alone sends more than 10,000 landing troops.

(to be continued)