The torrential rain was like weaving, and the dark clouds in the sky were tumbling thunder and lightning, and in the distance, which was almost out of sight, there were several dragons hanging, hanging down from the sky like waterfalls.

Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw.

ｂｉｑUｇE。

infoIt's April 1876 and the rainy season in South Asia has finally arrived!

The Chinese troops of the brigade and brigade rolled forward in the muddy road, and the officers and men all wore robes, bamboo hats, and straw sandals, and still maintained a strict formation.

As the commander of the three armies, Zhu Guowei was still advancing on foot, walking in the middle of the team, just like the soldiers, wearing clothes, bamboo hats, and straw sandals.

On both sides of the road, all the things were discarded, carts, weapons, rice and flour, military uniforms...... And the wounded who were crying and wailing in the muddy water, of course, the wounded of the British Indian Army!

The Battle of Sylhet had ended four days earlier. Under Gordon's supervision, the repeatedly defeated Imphal Army Group held out for four days and three nights, and then fled from the front line at night, but this run immediately became a rout.

With the exception of a few loyal Sikh mercenaries, most of the Indian soldiers had long since lost their fighting spirit, and when they were pursued by the Chinese, they scattered and fled in the darkness of the night, and the white officers were simply unable to hold back - in fact, it was a big mistake to choose to retreat at night.

If the Indian army is a well-trained army with high morale, a night retreat may be a good option, but for the Imphal Army Group, which is already on the verge of collapse, actual combat is a worse deployment.

Charlie of this era. Although Gordon's official luck is prosperous, he lacks practical experience. Heming personally came to lead the troops, and it was definitely not like this.

But then the heavy rain ensued.

It also caused great difficulties for the movement of the Chinese army, and the topography of the Bengal Plain was a bit like a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with rivers crisscrossing it everywhere.

And leaning on the Himalayas, in the spring, there is snowmelt and torrential rain, and flooding is simply commonplace.

As for the roads, they were even more muddy - it was Robert . It was Churchill's fault that the Indian governor had done nothing else in office, that is, to make money, for himself and for the British Empire.

What to build bridges.

Build roads and run schools.

In his opinion, it's all a waste of money.

Such a policy was certainly not conducive to the long-term development of India, and even to the long-term defense of the Anglo-Indian army at the Imphal fortress. An important reason Hemming chose the decisive battle in Bengal was if the war was fought in Imphal.

Although the Chinese army has a long logistics line, the Indian army also has a logistics line of more than 600 kilometers, and there are no railways or even better dirt roads, so they have to transport their baggage in muddy water during the rainy season.

Just like the Chinese army that is now breaking through into India!

Another flash of lightning flashed, and the rain seemed to be heavier.

Zhu Guowei walked on the road, his coat and straw sandals under his feet were soaked, and the young staff officers in his Dali army were all by his side.

Zhu Guowei, who won a big victory again, has become an idol in their hearts.

But looking at the tragic situation of the Indian army in front of him, Zhu Guowei's brows kept tightening, and he silently wiped the rain from his face.

Tiredly asked, "How long is it until we get to the Mekna River?" ”

The Mekna River is the last dangerous point outside Dhaka. It is impossible for Heming not to try to do it with heavy troops.

Otherwise, it will be abandoned east of the Jamuna River, once the big cities of Dhaka and Chittagong are occupied by the Chinese army.

The princely princes of British India are bound to rebel. Hemming had three heads and six arms, and it was impossible for him to suppress the princely states while resisting the invasion of the Chinese army.

Therefore, Zhu Guowei analyzed that the decisive battle with the Indian army would be launched in the area of the Mekna River.

Wu Changqing was also by his side, but he was on a horse, and he was already almost 50 years old.

can't compare to 21-year-old Zhu Guowei, he really can't walk.

Heard Zhu Guowei ask.

He replied loudly: "There are less than 80 kilometers to go to Parob Bazar, where there was originally a wooden bridge over the Mekna River, which was the main road to Dhaka. Now that it is estimated that it has been demolished, we can rest for a few days in Saraire, Shahbazpur and Brahmin Barya, east of Parob Bazar, and collect ships and grain and grass by the way. This area is a grain-producing area, and water transportation is very developed, so it should be possible to get boats and grain. ”

Now that the Chinese army has entered the Bengal plain, there are endless paddy fields on both sides of the road, and villages and towns can be seen everywhere, as if they have arrived in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River!

If it weren't for the advent of industrialization, it would probably be one of the richest regions in the world.

Therefore, there is no need to worry about the food of the 120,000 army, what worries people is the supply of weapons and ammunition.

The Battle of Sylhet lasted four days, and each unit consumed an average of 2 bases of ammunition, while the capture was very limited.

The Indian Army's Imphal Army Group also fought hard for many days, and the ammunition it carried with it was almost exhausted.

Now among the miscellaneous supplies they discarded on both sides of the road, there are very few bullets and shells.

If there is not enough ammunition, with Will. Hemming's decisive battle should be more cautious.

Otherwise, the army would not have the capital to maneuver with the Indian army in the Bengal plain.

Chu knew that the presence of his army on the plains of Bengal would be an encouragement to the princes of the princely states of India who wanted to overthrow British rule.

If they were driven out of Bengal, most of those Indian princes would have to hold their tails and be obedient to the people.

“…… Let's go, let's go to Brahmin Barya first, the intelligence says that it is a large county with a population of hundreds of thousands, and it will definitely allow our people to have a good rest. The matter of the decisive battle will be discussed until the enemy situation is ascertained! ”

...... "Your Excellency, Commander, an urgent telegram from Calcutta. ”

Bala in Dhaka?

The Katla Palace was also flooded in the midst of heavy rain. In Hemming's war room, the atmosphere was already low and solemn to the extreme.

The critical moment of the battle for Bengal has arrived!

At least 120,000 Chinese troops are going deep alone, and they are stepping into Will step by step. Hemming's carefully prepared trap.

But as the Chinese army deepened, the already unstable situation in British India became even more turbulent.

The first to start jumping up and down was a part of the princes of the princely states who lost their territories, Zhu Jishi had already spoken, after the British ran away, more than half of the territory of India directly under the British queen was to be used to reward India's "meritorious men"

Target!

Those princes who still have land and live a very comfortable life are naturally not in a hurry to get up and make trouble.

But the princes, who have lost their land, are already eager to try!

In many places, riots instigated by the princes of the princely states broke out for several days. Bahrain was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and ordered Hemming to immediately transfer troops to suppress the rebellion, and the telegram was sent like snowflakes to the Indian army headquarters in Dhaka.

But Will. Heming ignored it at all, in his opinion the Indian rebellion was not a problem at all, and several important large cities had enough troops to defend anyway.

As long as the Indian soldiers in the Indian army were not involved, the local insurgency was not a big problem.

And the situation of the Indian army, in Will. Hemming seems to be fairly safe - it's all Robert . Credit to Churchill.

Because Qiu Fatzi never regarded India Asan as his own person, so during his tenure, the Indian army carried out a comprehensive reform, first of all, the general increase in wages, India under Qiu Fatzi had neither construction nor education, so the financial situation was relatively generous, and the salaries paid to Indian soldiers were also higher than in history.

The second was the mass recruitment of Sikhs and Gurkhas.

There is now a Sikh infantry battalion in every infantry regiment of the Indian Army, and the Indians can be suppressed with the Sikhs if necessary.

In addition, 120 Gurkha battalions are directly under the command of the Indian Army, which can be used as firefighters to extinguish the Indian army's rebellion at any time.

Finally, Churchill also ordered the Indian soldiers to withdraw from the artillery units, and all the artillery was in the hands of the whites.

Since the loyalty of the Indian army was safe for the time being, Hemming was not too worried about the urgent telegram from Calcutta, but he received the telegram in his hand with a faint expression, and only then did he take a look at it, and a mocking smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Admiral, what's wrong?"

Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, Evelyn. Wood had just marked the latest location of Zhu Guowei's headquarters on the map dedicated to himself and Hemming, and when he looked up, he saw Hemming's strange expression.

"Afghanistan! Xiqing has sent troops and is marching towards Afghanistan! ”

(To be continued)