Chapter 868 864 [Siam and the Eight Hundred Divisions]
Chapter 868 864 [Siam and Eight Hundred Si]
In ancient China, when marching and fighting, if the army relied solely on land transportation to transport food, the army could bring its own food for 5-10 days, and the projection distance of the troops would be about 500 kilometers. If the enemy established a strong wall and cleared the country, the projection distance would be greatly shortened because there would be no food available along the way.
At this time, a logistics supply system is needed. If there are vehicles, ships and other tools to transport food, a large station will be set up about 60 miles away. If it is purely human transportation, a small station will be set up about 10 miles away, and the people will rotate the transportation in batches, so as to ensure the transportation of food.
speed.
Transporting food is so troublesome, and enemy cities encountered along the way must be captured one by one.
Because the army can go around the city, but the food transport team in the rear cannot. Once the army moves far away, the enemy will come out of the city, cut off our army's food routes, and even burn down our army's rear food depot.
However, never take the situation in ancient China and apply it to other countries at the same time!
Take the European Middle Ages as an example. Only 10% of military rations were provided by logistics, and the remaining 90% were provided by soldiers, merchants, and local robbers.
It was not until the Thirty Years' War that the logistics system was gradually improved. For example, France's arsenal system was established during the Richelieu period. Even with the arsenal system, the logistics principle of the Louis XIV era was still: it is not possible to do anything except abroad.
The materials raised are then transported from within the country.
More than a hundred years ago, when the Toungoo Dynasty fought the Battle of Pyay, all military supplies relied on ships provided by the Meng people, which were transported directly to the front line in one go.
At that time, there was an army of the Ava Dynasty in the north, and the water channel in the south was completely blocked by Arakan warships. Therefore, the army of the Toungoo Dynasty had no food channel at all, but it was still able to besiege the city for more than five months until it finally won the war.
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This time, if the strength of the Datong Army on the South Road is reduced by half and then half again, there will be no need for supplies along the way, and it will be enough to rely only on the grain transport ships accompanying the army.
As for Mangtai's tens of thousands of pursuing troops, they only had one or two months of food when they were stationed in Pyaoi City. They traveled all the way north, collecting food and grass during the march, and ordered officials from various places to send it quickly. The tens of thousands of troops were actually tens of thousands.
The civilians brought their own rations with their ships and livestock, and there was no so-called logistics transport team at all.
When Mangtai returned to Shaobu City with more than 3,000 main troops to defend, good news came from the east.
The local aristocratic troops gathered in Moulmein, Bago, Daguang (Yangon) and other places went north from the narrow plain in the east, then turned west to block the retreat of the Datong Army. By this time, thousands of people had arrived in Kyaukbodong.
There are more troops on the way, and they can all come and join Mangtai. The troops in the Toungoo area, who had received orders to go to the capital early, are rushing from the north to reinforce Bagan City.
Once the ministries arrive successfully, an army equal to two-thirds of Myanmar will encircle Ding Jiasheng and Yang Zhan's troops.
Regardless of whether they are going deep alone or blooming in the center, Ding Jiasheng and Yang Zhan did it too hard this time. The radical and crazy marching method penetrated into the heart of Myanmar, just like poking a hornet's nest. The Myanmar army could not even care about the northern border.
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Huang Yao and Liu Xinyu's northern army only had to face one-third of the Burmese army, and the rest of the Burmese army came to attack Ding Jiasheng and Yang Zhan.
Ding Jiasheng and Yang Zhan are not yet able to engage in mobile warfare at will because they have too few civilians and all their logistics are on grain ships, so they can only move along the front line of the Irrawaddy River.
Just when they were about to be surrounded, fighting broke out in other groups.
Arakan, the little overlord of the sea in the Bay of Bengal, as a die-hard affiliated force of Myanmar, brought more than 40 large and small warships and more than 2,000 army personnel to come by sea to support.
They collided with the Datong navy stationed there near the mouth of the Irrawaddy River.
The Datong Navy greeted them warmly and gave them a "gun salute" as a greeting.
The Arakan naval commander took a look at the Datong Navy ships and immediately issued a very rude order. They didn't even say hello, and didn't even fire a few "salutes", but just went back the way they came. Where did they come from?
Where should I go and no longer get involved in the war between China and Myanmar?
On the other side of Siam, King Narai led 500 Datong troops and more than 30,000 Siamese soldiers, and marched directly to the seaside city of Langajun in southeastern Myanmar.
Siam and Myanmar are enemies.
Over a hundred years ago, the war has never stopped. Now I surround your capital, and now you surround my capital. Even if there is no Datong Army, there will be a war in another ten years. The Siamese army goes directly to Bagan City (where Ding Jiasheng is now
the city to be conquered).
It is impossible to tell whose homeland is Langgaru or earth tiles. Anyway, as long as it is occupied by the other party, it is said to be one's own lost land.
Due to the violent advance of the Datong Army, Langa Shu's Burmese army has quickly gathered north.
The Siamese army took advantage of the situation and caught the Burmese army off guard. In just five days, Langgarhu was captured by King Narai, and then continued to attack the coastal city of Dawei.
Dawei also fell quickly, and the Siamese army headed towards Moulmein.
Further north of Mawlamyine is Maduba, the old capital of the Mon people. All the Mon nobles in the city were forced to move to Bago, but the countryside is still dominated by the Mon people.
"Your Highness, please enforce military discipline and don't plunder the Meng people!"
The speaker was Meng Rui, a missionary of the 500-strong Datong Army who was borrowed by Siam. He said: "According to the information provided by Xiaozuo, the Mon people are disobedient to the rule of the Burmese. The Mon people in the countryside of Mawlamyine and Maduba
There are many, and if we launch troops and plunder, it will arouse the resistance of the Mon people. It is better to use Bayeux to spread the message, saying that we are here to help the Mon people, help them overthrow the Burmese rule, and help them restore the country in Maduba."
More than a hundred years ago, Myanmar and Siam both wrote on Bayeux, and Bayeux writing was invented by the Mon people.
Now use Bayeux to send a message to the Mon people, and the content is to help them restore the country, which will definitely gain the favor of the Mon people. The Mon people's nobles will bring their own dry food and recruit soldiers to accompany them.
King Narai hesitated: "But decades ago, when Siam captured Moulmein, they robbed the local Mon people. Do they really believe it?"
Meng Rui said: "In order to restore the country, they are willing to believe it."
Counselor Yang Dongkui said: "Your Highness can promise that Siam only needs the two cities of Langgarshu and Dawei, as well as Mawlamyine and Maduba in the north, all to be ruled by the Mon people. Our army will maintain military discipline and will not rob the Mon people.
, captured Moulmein with all their strength. Then, they handed over Moulmein to the Mon people. How could the Mon people not be grateful for getting the city? And to the north of Moulmein was Maduba, the old capital of the Mon people. In order to regain the old capital, they also
How could there not be a collective response?”
King Narai was a little unhappy about this. His original plan was to take the opportunity to annex all of Moulmein and Maduba.
Yang Dongkui persuaded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, just give up when you see fit. Don't make the Celestial Empire unhappy. If you take down Langgarsu and Dawei, you have regained your homeland. Who else in Siam will disobey you?"
King Narai thought about it, gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, give Moulmein to the Meng people!"
The defenders of Moulmein had only a thousand people left at this time.
It took 30,000 Siamese troops two days to conquer. Then they looted and robbed everything in the city. After the looting was completed, they were handed over to the Mon nobles.
The Mon people were given an empty city that was riddled with holes, and they had no right to despise it, so they happily accepted it. This situation quickly spread throughout the surrounding villages and towns, and a large number of Mon landowners and farmers came to help the Siamese army in the war.
Because further north is the old capital of the Meng Dynasty!
Missionary officer Meng Rui summoned the Mon landowners alone and promised: "The Toungoo Kingdom established by the Burmese is disrespectful to the emperor of the Celestial Dynasty. As long as the Mon people cooperate in fighting, they will be allowed to restore the country in the future. Maduba can be established as the capital.
You can also make Bago the capital, and you will have your own country from now on."
Maduba and Bago are both the old capitals of the Meng people!
The Mon landowners were overjoyed. They did not know where to find a nobleman, who was said to be a royal descendant of the Baigu (Bago) dynasty, and directly declared the founding of the country in Mawlamyine, which had been robbed.
Next, the Siamese and Mongolian forces jointly captured Maduba, and the Siamese army looted the city again.
The coalition forces quickly marched towards Bago, where a large number of Mongolian nobles lived in Bago City.
When the two armies arrived at the city, the Mongolian nobles in the city took the opportunity to riot, and they cooperated internally and externally to capture Bago City in one fell swoop.
Close cooperation comes to an end.
First, the Siamese army looted Bago, causing strong dissatisfaction among the Mon people. Then the internal conflicts among the Mon people intensified. The Mon landowners from the southern countryside could not urinate in the same pot as the Mon nobles in Bago.
In particular, the Mon landowners have elected a king, and the nobles have also introduced royal descendants.
Five hundred Datong troops acted as intermediaries, forcing the internal conflicts to suppress, urging the three parties to expedite the northern expedition, and plundering Burmese cities along the way.
At the same time, the Mon people announced the official restoration of the country as their capital in Bago, and issued a Baye proclamation in the name of the king, calling on the Mon people throughout Myanmar to rise up in rebellion.
These guys went all the way north. Since the Burmese army was deployed to surround Ding Jiasheng and Yang Zhan, they encountered no decent resistance at all along the way. Half a month later, they were close to Toungoo City, the old capital of the Toungoo Dynasty!
The Burmese army who went to surround the Datong Army were frightened when they received the news, and all those who had not gone too far returned to defend.
The Siamese and Mongolian coalition forces were blocked outside Taungoo City. The city was too strong and heavily guarded, and could not be defeated for a while.
Eastern Front.
King Narai sent an envoy, accompanied by several Datong troops, to order the Eight Hundred Division to send troops quickly.
The seat of the Eight Hundred Division is Jingmai (Chiangmai), and the leader is named Zhao Lengzhai.
He is the Eight Hundred Dadian Propaganda Envoy conferred by the Ming Dynasty, the leader of Jingmai consecrated by Siam, or the local nobleman conferred by Burma. So, when China, Burma, and Siam are at war, which side should he help?
"China is strong and we cannot disobey the emperor's orders."
"China is too far away and the Burmese are too close. We cannot offend the Burmese."
"But Siam is closer. If we don't help Siam fight the war, we will be punished."
"What if the Burmese win?"
"The Burmese cannot win. This time China and Siam join forces to attack the Burmese."
"Why don't we wait and see which side wins."
"..."
The poor and slippery Eight Hundred Division immediately recruited troops and collected food and fodder.
They first told envoys from China and Siam that they would send troops to help, but it would take time to mobilize troops to collect food. They then secretly sent envoys to Ava, the capital of Myanmar, saying that they were recruiting troops and would soon be able to send troops to help Myanmar.
When the Eight Hundred Division completes its gathering of troops, the situation should become clear. Whichever side has the upper hand will fall to that side.