Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 487 Lisbon's Choice

   consecutive days

More than a dozen battles of various sizes broke out in the Zambezi River Estuary. The advance team of the African Expeditionary Force showed its hideous fangs, and successively pulled out hundreds of Portuguese farms and pastures, and occupied several towns in the area. , Causing more than 9,000 whites to embark on the road of exile in a hurry.

  The original tense confrontation in Mozambique was completely broken, causing great anxiety among Portuguese descendants in other regions.

The entire Mozambique region is centered on the mouth of the Zambezi River. In the administrative sequence of Queensland, the region is named Zambezi Province. On the east side of Zambezi Province is the Strait of Mozambique, which is more than 1,600 kilometers long, separated from the Kingdom of Madagascar. Facing the sea, crossing the vast Indian Ocean more than 6000 kilometers east from here, you can reach Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

The area south of Zambezi Province is named Southern Province, the southwestern area of ​​Zambezi Province is named Southwest Province, the northwestern area is named Northwest Province, and the northern area is named Northern Province, plus the province on the west side of Northern Province. The vast coastal area of ​​Lake Malawi is named Malawi Province.

There are a total of 6 provincial administrative divisions, with a total area of ​​more than one million square kilometers (a much larger area than Mozambique in later generations). Provinces with larger areas, such as Northern Province and Zambezi Province, have more than 200,000 square kilometers, the largest of which are The Northern Province has reached 276,000 square kilometers.

  The military operations of the advance team of the African Expeditionary Force are concentrated at the mouth of the lower reaches of Zambezi Province, where the river network is staggered, the rainfall is abundant, the rolling hills and plains, there are many white pastures and plantations.

  On the island of Mozambique in the Northern Province, the Portuguese Viceroy’s Palace is located here.

  The island of Mozambique is located on the coast of the Northern Province, between the Mozambique Strait and the Gulf of Mosuri, about 4 kilometers from the mainland.

  Historically, the city of Mozambique on the island is an important transit point for the Portuguese to India. It has built strong castles, piers, streets and churches with Portuguese, Indian and Arabic styles. It is known as an invincible fortified city.

  Since the 15th century, the island has been the core of the Portuguese rule of Mozambique.

  The island has a population of about 27,000, and the Portuguese garrison is about 1,400. There is also a small fleet of small scales. Such strength and armed civilians are enough to defend the city.

  The island of Mozambique has abundant natural resources, a pleasant climate, abundant fish and seafood, and beautiful beaches. The city has always been a commercial and fishery center, but there is no trace of industrial activity.

  From the 10th century to the late 15th century, the island of Mozambique and its natural port were used as a maritime trade center by Arab merchants. In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Dagama landed on the island and declared it a Portuguese territory.

  Four years later, he and Portuguese immigrants returned here to build the first fortress, San Gabriel).

  From 1507 to 1886, the island of Mozambique has always been the center of Portuguese colonization and the seat of the Governor’s Palace, enjoying an irreplaceable important position.

  A day in early May

In the Doge’s Palace castle with Italian Renaissance style architecture, Portuguese Doge Bernardo Fernandez looked worriedly at a secret letter from Lisbon, standing in front of him was General Silva, who was the Governor. The adult's friend and right-hand man.

  "Your Excellency, when will Lisbon be able to send reinforcements?"

"Dear General Silva, the reinforcements you are eager for may never come. We can only use our own strength to contend against the greedy British guys. By the way, and their thug Queenslanders, all this is terrible. ."

   "Oh, God! Why is this?"

"This is because... the British are firmly in control of the world's oceans. We cannot send reinforcements to Eastern Africa under their noses. The only possibility is to arm the people on the spot, resist steadily, and make them pay. After a tragic loss, it will automatically stop."

"No...this is the despicable capitulations of Lisbon." General Sylva waved angrily, pointing to the direction of the western African continent and said; The plains, the middle reaches of the Mississippi River are rich in gold, and more than 110,000 ounces are shipped to Lisbon each year. There are rich water plants for grazing, fertile land for farming, and a suitable climate for survival. Natural conditions are not inferior to Brazil. All of this Do you have to give up?"

"It is a pity, Mr. General, that the Kingdom of Portugal is financially difficult and cannot support a large-scale overseas war. The Spaniards have never given up their attempt to annex Lisbon. In addition, the maritime throat is in the hands of the British. In view of this, the local It is impossible to deploy a large number of military reinforcements."

"I can't believe it... This is the argument of the capitulationist. Those high-ranking Lisbon officials who wish to kneel down and lick the toes of the British are ruining Portugal's future. They should all go to hell. We are not facing the British, and They are some **** Queenslanders or Australians from the East. Whoever they are, they are not British anyway. Why should you be afraid of these Orientals?"

   "Hey... read this letter for yourself, the Orientals are not as weak as you think."

  Governor Bernardo Fernandez reached out and handed the letter over. The angry General Silva took the letter and quickly scanned it. After that, his face became extremely heavy and he was silent for a while.

This letter details the heavy losses suffered by the Dutch in the East Indies War that occurred more than two years ago. During the war, more than 46,000 people were killed and injured. The communist parties including Shangri-La, Borneo, and Sulawesi were lost. 1.42 million square kilometers of colony, the Royal Navy fleet lost 37 ships, including the "Netherlands Giant" cruiser and several sailing battleships.

at the same time

  The letter also pointed out that Queenslanders occupy the Greater Hanish Island in the Mande Strait, and have important logistics bases in Djibouti and Mogadishu, which can be used for naval berthing and providing logistics supplies.

  On the west coast of Africa

  Queenslanders took ownership of Guinea from Lisbon, and on this basis developed a trade route to the east coast of the United States, which can also provide logistics for the naval fleet.

  Not to mention South Africa is in the hands of the British. Now the Queenslanders have established a firm foothold at the mouth of the Zambezi River. Reinforcements from Europe must pass here and cannot avoid being attacked.

  These terrible areas seem harmless to humans and animals in peacetime, but they become insurmountable key areas in wartime. Queenslanders have the ability to cut off the Portuguese sea transportation lines. What does this mean for the Portuguese colony that hangs alone in East Africa?

The bombardment of Nagasaki in Fuso in March left a very deep impression on the diplomatic envoys of various countries. Lisbon also received relevant information. The powerful combat capabilities of the Qinglong-class heavy cruisers are fully demonstrated. The Kingdom of Portugal has not yet been able to A navy ship that competes with it.

In summary

  The British cannot be beaten anyway. As an ally, Portugal must also hug Britain’s thighs tightly to counter the strong pressure from Spain.

  It is the Queenslanders who are leading the front line. The United Kingdom keeps itself very clean. In fact, the two wear a pair of trousers secretly. Portugal only has teeth and blood. The weak have no right to speak in Europe, and they can only let the strong do what they want. The Kingdom of Portugal was extremely depressed, with internal and external difficulties, and financial constraints. Now even Queenslanders can't beat it. Any Qinglong-class heavy cruiser with a displacement of up to 8,800 tons arriving on the eastern coast of Africa is a disaster.

  The wise choice is peace talks. Lisbon does not oppose any spontaneous resistance, but is unable to provide any support. This is the current cruel reality.

  In a moment

Governor Bernardo Fernandez sighed, breaking the silence and said; "I have written to the Governor of the Dutch East Indies, Count Hoffman, who has dealt with these **** Queenslanders for many years and knows them well. I must be able to make pertinent suggestions."

  "This is great, we need the help of our friends now." General Silva raised his brows and a hopeful look appeared in his eyes.

Governor Bernardo Fernandez said with a bitter smile; "My friend, don't place too much hope on these Dutch people. They just evacuated from Borneo in early April and gave a large area of ​​land to Queenslanders. I think they The deep psychological shadow left by these Orientals' brutal beatings, I am afraid that they will not be able to provide much help."

   "Oh, God!"

  The flame of hope in General Silva's eyes flickered and went out within a few seconds, and then he felt a headache;

  Without reinforcements from Lisbon, what should we do about the situation in Mozambique where the building is about to fall?

  I know my family’s affairs, and General Sylva knows the level of equipment of his soldiers. It is difficult to compete with the violent Queenslanders.

Portugal is an agricultural country that has not started the process of industrialization. The level of economic development is far behind that of European Tongji, and the level of military combat readiness is even inferior to that of the Netherlands. Its weaponry is lagging behind the world's generation. The mainstream of colonial military equipment is the British 1867 Enfield Snyder. rifle.

  At first glance, this gun looks like an old-fashioned front-loading gun, especially the hammer uses a traditional external beak style.

Because this batch of Enfield Schneider rifles was modified based on the Enfield P53 rifle, but the rifle was obviously obsolete in the late 1860s, and the British were reluctant to lose a large number of old P53 rifles, so they simply stayed behind. A hinged valve was opened in the chamber, and the P53 front chamber was changed to a breech.

  The Portuguese bought a large number of them cheaply and equipped them with colonial troops.

  This batch of guns fired 14.7mm black powder rounds, with a warhead mass of 31 grams, a muzzle velocity of 370m/s, and a kinetic energy of 2120 joules. Because of the large caliber, the ballistic trajectory is relatively unsightly.

  It’s okay to deal with the African indigenous black uncles. It’s really hard to deal with Queensland soldiers equipped with cutting-edge rifles.

  Especially, this gun uses a paper shell + metal bottom of the .577 Schneider bullet. The air-holding effect is good, but it is still afraid of tides. It is especially inconvenient to use in the rainy Mozambique area, and misfires often occur.

  According to reliable information received by the military;

  The Queensland army that landed in the Zambezi River basin is just the vanguard. There is a large army of no less than 7,000 people staying in the town of Xi'an in Somalia. All equipped with cutting-edge weapons, the combat effectiveness is quite strong, and it is possible to cross the sea at any time.

  This is an unsolvable problem for the Portuguese defenders with a total strength of only more than 4,000 men.

  (End of this chapter)