Iron Dynasty Chapter 1066

“Fall back! Everyone, fall back!”

A desperate cry escaped from Eric. At this juncture, even the most oblivious person could ascertain their utter hopelessness in achieving victory; continuing would only invite complete annihilation.

However, Eric was gravely mistaken, for Yue Yun had no intention of permitting a single Dutch warship to escape this engagement.

Upon receiving the command, the formidable ironclads, moving at a velocity thrice that of the conventional sailing warships, swiftly maneuvered to complete the encirclement. Twelve of these colossal vessels unleashed a barrage upon the Dutch fleet from three distinct directions.

Confronted by this dire predicament, Eric’s eyes slowly closed. Then, with resolute conviction, he declared, “Even if we are destined to lose this day, the Chinese Empire must bear witness to the indomitable spirit of us Dutchmen. Gunners, load your cannons and return fire!”

In accordance with Eric’s command, the remaining forty-two warships unleashed their fury upon the encroaching ironclads positioned on the periphery.

“Boom boom boom…”

A dense volley of cannonballs soared through the air, relentlessly striking the armored hulls of the ironclads. The impacted vessels were instantly consumed by infernos.

Observing the fiery spectacle engulfing the ironclads, the Dutch soldiers erupted in a thunderous cheer, a nascent flicker of hope igniting within their hearts.

Yet, this fragile hope was utterly extinguished when the ironclads, emerging unscathed from the smoke and flames, charged forward and materialized before them.

The Dutch explosive shells, round and potent, proved utterly incapable of breaching the formidable armor plating, hundreds of millimeters thick, of the ironclads. Despite the continuous barrage, the impacts were no more than a mere annoyance to the colossal ships.

The joyous cheers abruptly ceased, plunging all the Dutch warships into an unnerving, profound silence.

No greater despair could grip naval soldiers than the sight of an insurmountable warship looming before them, utterly impervious to their attacks.

The faint smile that had graced Eric’s lips froze. He lowered his binoculars, his heart heavy with sorrow.

The Netherlands, once the undisputed sovereign of the seas, had succumbed to the British, triggering the twilight of its maritime dominance. Now, a new power, one capable of eclipsing even the British might, had emerged. He foresaw the eventual demise of Britain’s naval supremacy at the hands of the Chinese Empire.

From this day forward, the future landscape of maritime trade would see all nations subject to the dominion of the Chinese Empire.

As Eric wallowed in despair, the ironclads precisely targeted the Dutch vessels. With the thunderous roar of their cannons, several Dutch warships instantly detonated, transforming into roaring pyres.

This fierce artillery assault was merely the prelude. The ironclads possessed an exceptionally rapid reloading mechanism, and before the Dutch could even begin to comprehend, another devastating volley rained down upon them.

In a remarkably short span of time, half of the fifty Dutch warships had been annihilated. As the minutes ticked by, they could only watch in helpless agony as vessel after vessel succumbed and sank beneath the waves.

From a nearby vantage point, Lei Ming finally exhaled a breath of relief, a broad smile gracing his features. He remarked, “I truly envy you navy personnel. With these ironclads at your disposal, you command absolute authority upon the seas.”

This time, Yue Yun offered no rebuttal. Acknowledging the undeniable disparity, he concurred that sailing warships and ironclads were not adversaries of equal standing, a fact starkly demonstrated by the naval engagement unfolding before them.

Henceforth, the oceans would no longer remain the exclusive domain of the Europeans.

While the ironclads secured a decisive naval victory, the army’s crucial landing operation had essentially reached its conclusion, as the preceding artillery bombardment had effectively neutralized the Dutch coastal defenses.

The absence of any harassment from the enemy’s fleet ensured that this amphibious landing proceeded with unprecedented smoothness.

Once the initial contingent of soldiers secured a foothold on the shore, Lei Ming promptly signaled the flagman to relay his orders. The troops, equipped with both light and heavy weaponry, advanced towards the enemy positions approximately two hundred meters distant, commencing the construction of defensive fortifications.

Machine guns and mortars were systematically deployed, poised to unleash a devastating assault on the enemy trench lines at a moment’s notice.

Concurrently, within the confines of the trenches, Simon and Averall observed the unfolding events with a complex mixture of emotions. They had borne witness to the entirety of the naval battle.

With all fifty warships now at the bottom of the sea, any hope for Eric’s survival had been irrevocably extinguished.

Deep within the trench network, Stephen’s countenance was ashen. Despite his numerous grievances against Eric, the undeniable fact remained that he was a fellow Dutchman.

Witnessing Eric’s demise at sea alongside the Dutch fleet evoked a profound sense of grief. However, this somber emotion was fleeting, lasting mere seconds, as he was on the precipice of facing an even more dire threat.

Eric's failure to impede the imperial soldiers' landing meant that the now-established enemy forces would inevitably commence their assault.

Should they forfeit this crucial position, the strategic city of Jakarta would inevitably fall.

“Dah dah dah…”

“Squeak… boom…”

Just as Stephen’s anxieties reached their peak, an unfamiliar sound pierced the air. He recognized the distinct chatter of machine guns, but this new sound was entirely alien to his ears.

Following swiftly on the heels of this peculiar noise, a hundred explosive detonations erupted across their position.

Simon and Averall were equally astonished by the sudden explosions. Without any prior warning, this volley of detonations inflicted hundreds of casualties upon their soldiers.

While they were still reeling from the shock, the familiar sound echoed once more, and a second wave of explosions tore through the air. Simon observed as the imperial soldiers deployed a peculiar new weapon.

This weapon was unlike any cannon they had encountered before. It was a remarkably short-barreled gun. The soldiers merely needed to load the distinctively shaped projectile, and it would soar in a high arc, descending precisely upon its target.

With this devastating capability, the trenches offered virtually no protection.

Under the relentless barrage of these mortars, the Dutch soldiers descended into panic. They loathed the sensation of being eliminated by such an unconventional instrument of war.

A number of soldiers, in their desperation, retreated into the underground tunnels to escape the bombardment.

Although both Averall and Simon harbored the same urge to seek shelter, the current circumstances were starkly different from the cannonade by the imperial warships.

The imperial soldiers were now a mere two hundred meters away. Should they retreat, these enemy soldiers could breach the trenches at any given moment.

Consequently, they were compelled to face the imperial soldiers amidst the artillery fire. But doing so meant their casualties began to escalate dramatically once more.

“Strike them with all you’ve got! Don’t hesitate to expend ammunition! We can replenish it once we seize Jakarta,” Chang Yuzhu commanded the mortar crews.

These soldiers had all undergone rigorous training in Qingzhou before rejoining the ranks, making them exceptionally proficient in the operation of mortars.

“Yes, Regimental Commander.”

With Chang Yuzhu’s explicit authorization, the mortar crews unleashed shell after shell, each detonation erupting upon the enemy position not far away.

While the mortars demonstrated their formidable power, the machine guns were also kept incessantly active. The machine gunners unleashed a torrent of fire towards the trenches, with bullets cascading down upon the Dutch forces like an unceasing downpour.

As per their tactical deployment, they were instructed to exploit their weaponry’s full advantage in this engagement, vowing to continue until the desired effect of overwhelming fire coverage was achieved.

Time crawled by. The count of mortar shells dwindled progressively, and the Dutch encampment was already thrown into utter disarray.

From the deck of the warship, Lei Ming had been meticulously observing the state of the Dutch trenches. Upon noting that no Dutch soldiers dared to show themselves above their defenses, he gave the order for the charge bugle to be sounded.

Receiving the signal to advance, the soldiers, gripping their Han-style rifles, surged forward toward the Dutch position. At this juncture, sporadic rifle fire began to erupt, and soldiers subsequently fell to the ground, struck by enemy bullets.

However, this scattered gunfire was no longer capable of halting the full-scale charge of the imperial soldiers.