1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 416 Everything will be fine

The news that the Dutch and Indian troops on Borneo Island had been completely wiped out quickly reached the Batavia Governor's Mansion. Tevis, the Batavia Governor who learned the news for the first time, was like a thunderbolt from the blue.

Tevez froze in place, with a look of astonishment on his face. He once thought there was something wrong with his hearing.

A total of more than 4,000 people, a brigade of troops, were wiped out in such a short period of time?

After he calmed down, Tevez's expression gradually became serious.

The Dutch-Indian army suffered such an ugly defeat in West Borneo, and taking the blame and resigning was already the best outcome for him.

For a moment, Tevez lost his sense of proportion.

Liang Yao was able to eat more than 4,000 Dutch and Indian troops on the island of Borneo in one go, indicating that Tevez had to throw at least 10,000 more Dutch and Indian soldiers into West Borneo in order to turn the war situation around.

The total strength of the Dutch-Indian army in the entire East Indies region by the Dutch-Indian authorities was only more than 29,000.

Excluding the more than 4,000 people who were lost in the West Borneo area, the total strength of the Dutch and Indian troops was only more than 25,000. Of the more than 25,000 Dutch and Indian troops, more than two-thirds were in combat.

Poorly educated indigenous soldiers.

Of course, it does not mean that Tevez can mobilize 25,000 people to fight in the West Borneo region if the Dutch and Indian troops have 25,000.

The Dutch and Indian authorities needed Dutch and Indian troops to maintain order in their colonies in the East Indies, and it was impossible to mobilize all the troops.

Even if Tevez breaks the sky, he can only squeeze out five to six thousand mobile troops.

In the past, the five to six thousand Dutch and Indian troops were a quite terrifying armed force in the East Indies and even in Southeast Asia as a whole.

But according to the intelligence coming from the front line, it seems that the five or six thousand Dutch and Indian troops cannot gain any advantage against Liang Yao's Western Brigade.

"Crusen, when will our fleet be able to complete its assembly?"

Tevez asked Cruson, the commander of the East Indies Fleet, in a very stern tone. He now seemed very impatient.

The navy, the maritime power of the Dutch and Indian authorities in the East Indies, now became Tevez's only hope.

Since Liang Yao intervened in the Dutch-Chinese War on the island of Borneo.

The East Indies Fleet led by Cruson was one of the few armed forces that could inflict serious damage to Liang Yao.

Although Liang Yao blindly promoted their victory in the Battle of Java, Batavia has always scorned this matter. They do not think that the East Indies Fleet, which was the first to withdraw from the battlefield, was the defeated party. The East Indies Fleet was just a

We are just making tactical adjustments.

Even Tevez himself was convinced of this statement, believing that it was not that the East Indies Fleet did not have the ability to completely annihilate Liang Yao's patchwork sea force, but that the East Indies Fleet had not completed its mobilization.

However, Cruson, who witnessed this naval battle, did not think so. Mobilization ability was originally part of the fleet's strength.

Cruson still has a vivid memory of the big steam ships wrapped in iron sheets and with strange gun layouts that he saw in the Battle of the Java Sea.

These steamships with thick protection and sharp artillery, not to mention the East Indies Fleet, may not be able to be easily captured even if the Royal Netherlands Navy comes.

Of course, this is just a thought.

Crusen knew very well that the Royal Netherlands Navy would not directly intervene in the war, if the Royal Netherlands Navy did.

Naturally, the U.S. Navy also has reasons to intervene. This is a situation that the Dutch and Indian authorities do not want to see.

Although the United States is not a first-rate power, its size is still scary enough compared to the Netherlands.

It stands to reason that the battlefields are on Borneo Island and the Java Sea area, and the Dutch and Indian authorities have the advantage of fighting at home.

It's just that during the two hundred years since the Dutch authorities colonized the East Indies, they have been keen to plunder the raw materials of the East Indies and squeeze the commercial value of the East Indies, so their construction of the East Indies has been very limited.

Even in Batavia, the most developed city in the East Indies, even the handicraft industry was not very developed, let alone industry that even the Netherlands lacked.

The weak industrial base means that the war potential of the East Indies is very limited. Not only can the East Indies not produce warships, but they also rely on local supplies for guns and guns.

The flight from San Francisco to the island of Borneo is obviously closer than the flight from Amsterdam to Batavia.

"If we don't care about the cost, our fleet can be assembled within three weeks. But as a naval commander, I don't recommend you to do this. The East India Fleet is our last barrier. If anything happens to the East India Fleet,

It will take us four to five months at the earliest to receive local support."

Cruson pondered for a moment and then said.

"Four to five months?" Tevez shook his head, "If Batavia continues to be blocked like this, let alone four to five months, I'm worried that Batavia's business may not be able to sustain it for even one month.

Routes must be restored as soon as possible."

Tevez cannot wait four to five months.

If Batavia continues to be blocked like this for four to five months, even if Liang Yao doesn't come over, there will be internal trouble.

Tevez suffered from the shortage of supplies. The young men who came to Batavia from the mainland to gild could not bear this suffering. The shopkeepers and citizens of Batavia could not endure the lack of goods flowing into Batavia for a long time.

.

"But your Excellency." Cruson wanted to dissuade Tevez, hoping that Tevez would not rashly use the last card in their hand.

After the setbacks on land and sea, it was difficult for them to endure another major defeat.

If Tevez does this, what is the difference between Andersen, who underestimates the enemy and rushes in, and becomes a prisoner?

"As long as our navy is assembled, everything will be fine. General Cruson, I will give you four weeks. After four weeks, you must regain control of the sea.

A warship sailing on the ocean is far more intimidating than a warship lying in a dock. Now even pirates dare to run wild in the waters near Batavia. As the highest naval commander in the East Indies, how can you remain indifferent?

?”

Tevez interrupted Cruson, waved his hand towards Cruson and said.

"Execute the order, General Cruson."

"Yes, Your Majesty the Governor!" Cruson could only agree helplessly.

The only thing he can do now is to seize the time to repair the damaged warships and let more armed merchant ships gather in Batavia, so that he can have a considerable maritime force in his hands in four weeks.

"Your Excellency the Governor, Bonham, the British Governor of Hong Kong, would like to see you."

While the two were discussing, Tevez's assistant gently knocked on the door and asked cautiously.

"Hong Kong Governor? See you."

Tevis didn't know what purpose Bonham had in coming to Batavia at this time, but it would be best to meet the British governor.

Relations with Britain were the diplomatic relations that the Governor of Batavia needed to prioritize, but Tevez had more interactions with the British Governor of the Channel, that is, the Governor of Malacca. His interactions with the Governor of Hong Kong were not deep.

Tevez's attitude towards the British is complicated.

Britain and the Netherlands were both European partners in colonizing Southeast Asia and competitors.

Tevez had previously been wary of and dissatisfied with the British adding the Sarawak region of Borneo into the British Empire's sphere of influence.

(End of chapter)