Chapter 330 I am not sure of success, but I am determined to help you die for your country! (Please subscribe, please vote)

Temasek Island is an island very, very close to the Malay Peninsula. There is only a narrow and elongated Johor Strait between it and the Malay Peninsula. The name is called the Strait, but its main part is only one kilometer wide.

Up and down, it is quite long, more than fifty kilometers long. Moreover, the strait is not deep, and a causeway can even be used to connect the two sides. If not for the fact that both ends of the Johor Strait enter the ocean, this is just a small river.

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However, just such a small river-like strait is Viscount Beresford's last hope, and it is also related to the national destiny of the British Empire, the Indian Empire, and the Great Tomorrow.

In order to maintain his position and buy time for the British Empire and the Indian Empire to reorganize their navies and put together a grand anti-Ming alliance, Viscount Beresford had to devote all his energy to gathering the defeated soldiers on Temasek Island.

Used in the defense of the Johor Strait defense line.

This Temasek Island is a long and narrow island, a bit like a leaf. The east and west ends are very narrow, and can almost be counted among the south sides. The defense on the south side of the island has always been very strong, and the south side faces the exit of the Strait of Malacca.

The throat of shipping! Can the British Empire take good precautions?

Since the time when the British Empire began to operate Temasek Island, the construction of the military port, forts, and fortresses in the south of Temasek Island has never stopped. Even in the years when Napoleon swept across the European continent, the British used the excuse to prevent the French expeditionary force from seizing Temasek.

Two coastal defense fortresses were built on the beach in the south of Temasek Island to suppress the situation.

Therefore, Viscount Beresford does not have to worry about the Ming Dynasty landing on Temasek Island from the south. What he needs to worry about now is the 40 to 50 kilometers to the north of Temasek Island by the Strait of Johor. This is also a breakthrough. The one hundred thousand people on Temasek Island

All the troops must be taken prisoners!

Of course, this one-kilometer-wide waterway, coupled with barbed wire fences, trenches, machine gun bunkers, hundreds of light and heavy artillery, and mortars, and the brave British and Indian troops of 100,000, should theoretically be able to hold it.

But Viscount Beresford has been feeling frightened lately. So whenever he has time, he will go to the Johor Strait defense line to inspect.

"Viscount, please rest assured that all the soldiers of the 11th Rifles Regiment of the Indian Imperial Army are determined to defend our position! If the enemy dares to forcefully cross the Strait of Johor, we will fight to the last man!"

"Viscount, all the soldiers of the 1st Gurkha Rifles Battalion are ready to sacrifice their lives for the British Empire. This time, we will not retreat until we die!"

"Viscount, we Sikhs are the bravest warriors. Even if there are ten times as many Japanese samurai, we can fight to the last man!"

"Viscount, we can swear to Allah that we will fight to the death."

Standing in a row to pledge their chests to Viscount Beresford were four sergeants from the elite 11th Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and the 1st Gurkha Infantry Battalion. Some were Hindus and some were Gurkhas (they were also Indians).

Christians), there are Sikhs, and there are Tianfang Christians.

Every one of them is looking forward to death!

However, Viscount Beresford always felt that their guarantee was a little unreliable. They did not dare to say that they could definitely hold it. They only dared to talk about "the last man", "fight to the death", and "will not retreat until the death".

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When that time comes, won’t the Strait of Johor be breached?

Thinking of this, Viscount Beresford nodded towards the four non-verbal sergeants, and then strode to the four British-Indian infantry phalanx neatly arranged in an open field in front of him - this was

A Hindu phalanx, a Hindu phalanx, a Sikh phalanx and a Gurkha mercenary phalanx. The soldiers who make up these four phalanxes are theoretically soldiers of the Indian Empire. But look at their military uniforms

The equipment and equipment are not the same, and it is impossible to transfer any soldier in any phalanx to another phalanx.

In addition, if curry-flavored English is not used uniformly, the soldiers in these four phalanxes have at least fourteen languages ​​that are often spoken, and communication with each other will be a huge problem. And these soldiers speak curry-flavored English very well.

Not bad, and they are almost all illiterate and cannot understand any written orders.

These people probably don’t understand what it means to defend the Indian Empire?

Therefore, Viscount Beresford decided to explain something simple and easy to understand.

"You all listen to me!" Viscount Beresford said with a calm and dignified face, "I have issued an order to select 2,000 white officers and soldiers from the Malayan Army.

Organize 20 squadrons of war supervisors and place them behind the Johor defense line. If any of you dare to retreat from the Johor defense line, the war supervisors will kill you all with machine guns. There will be no exceptions! Although I did not hold the absolute position of Temasek Island

I am sure, but I am determined to make each of you sacrifice your life for His Majesty the Emperor and the Indian Empire!"

Ah? Want to devote yourself?

To die for the country?

Just for those few rupees?

Now the soldiers of the 11th Rifles Regiment and the 1st Gurkha Rifles Battalion of the Imperial Indian Army were dumbfounded. They were soldiers just to earn a living, and they didn't earn much. It made sense, so why would they let white people do it?

Why are you using a machine gun to supervise the battle? Isn't this forcing people to die? You white gentlemen are too bully!

Thinking of this, the Indian soldiers in the four square formations all raised their arms and shouted.

"Long live the Indian Empire!"

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

"Path of loyalty to the death."

Hearing the cheers of these Indians, Viscount Beresford breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that these Indian untouchables are quite loyal to His Majesty the Emperor. There are still fights to be fought!

Viscount Beresford's telegram expressing his intention to urge the Indian soldiers on Temasek Island to die loyally for the empire was quickly sent to the Royal Palace in Bombay, where he was studying the blueprints and technology of new battleships with the Marquis of Nelson and Baron George Elliot.

Indicator in front of Kaiser Wilhelm.

However, Emperor William did not immediately receive the telegram from Charles Elliot, but continued to study new battleships with Nelson and George Elliot.

There are currently two plans for new battleships. One is the "slow battleship" plan with a standard displacement of 25,000 tons proposed by Barrow Shipyard. The idea of ​​​​this plan is that no matter how hard Britain tries, it will not be able to surpass the Ming Dynasty in terms of power system.

Then we might as well stop bothering and just build a 30,000-horsepower triple-expansion steam engine and install it, and then make the armor and firepower of the battleship stronger. This ship can also fight a dozen.

The other plan is Armstrong Shipyard's 18,000-ton fast battleship plan, which is to compete with the Ming Dynasty's new battleship. This plan advocates a 45,000-horsepower steam turbine plan. Use such powerful power to push a standard platoon.

For an 18,000-ton ship, this speed is at least 26 knots and 27 knots, so that the British Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy can adopt diplomatic breaking tactics to defend India and Australia when the situation is unfavorable.

"Your Majesty," said the Marquis of Nelson, "if we adopt the Barrow Company's plan, the keel laying of the first 25,000-ton battleship can begin this month, and the first new type battleship can be delivered within 16 months at the earliest.

Battleship.

If we adopt Armstrong's plan, if the 45,000-horsepower steam turbine is delayed, our next situation will become very critical."

George Elliot also agreed with Marquis Nelson's suggestion, "Your Majesty the Emperor, the new battleship plan must be forward-looking. If we are destined to be unable to defeat the enemy in terms of power, then having a few fast battleships after 24 months will not mean much."

It is meaningful, because by then, the enemy already has 60,000-horsepower or even 80,000-horsepower steam turbines. By then, they can let 25,000-ton or even 30,000-ton ships run at a high speed of 28 knots. Our

Even an 18,000-ton fast battleship would be doomed if it encountered them!

So I suggest adopting the Barrow Company's plan, but at the same time speeding up the development of a 45,000-horsepower steam turbine, and starting to design a slow-speed battleship using a 45,000-horsepower steam turbine! Maybe this should be a ship with a maximum speed of only 21

A super battleship with a standard displacement of over 30,000 tons and eight 16-inch main guns!"
Chapter completed!