Iron Dynasty Chapter 1067

Stephen watched in despair as the imperial soldiers, like a relentless tide, surged toward the trenches.

Under the relentless bombardment of shells, the soldiers huddled within the trenches endured heavy casualties. To escape the deadly shrapnel, many Dutch soldiers had retreated into the tunnels.

However, with the imperial forces launching their charge, the soldiers were compelled to emerge from the tunnels and face the onslaught. Yet, the moment their heads appeared, the machine guns roared back to life, making their existence a living hell.

What intensified the terror was the swift advance of the imperial soldiers under the cover of the machine gun fire. As they reached the trenches, they unleashed grenades upon the Dutch defenders, instantly dismantling the entrenched defenses.

Simon and Averall found themselves in this dire situation. Lacking the sweeping firepower of machine guns, their front-loading rifles were utterly inadequate to halt the imperial soldiers' charge.

The battle was, in essence, lost from its inception. Facing the sky-borne onslaught of shells, they were once again at a profound disadvantage.

Nevertheless, the strategic presence of the trenches and tunnels managed to preserve a significant portion of the Dutch fighting force.

Once the imperial soldiers breached the trenches, a brutal close-quarters combat ensued, characterized by the clash of bayonets.

"Stephen, we must retreat. We cannot hold out much longer under these conditions," Simon and Averall, battered and weary, reached Stephen.

"What are our current casualties?" Stephen inquired.

"The enemy's bombardment alone has claimed three-tenths of our soldiers. The native troops we've trained have already lost their morale and are on the verge of chaos. At that point, with only the remaining Dutch soldiers, we will be completely incapable of repelling the Empire's assault," Simon stated urgently.

Despite the profound pain, Averall recognized that abandoning this final Asian colony of the Dutch was likely unavoidable.

"Having governed here for many years, I am intimately familiar with the local terrain. If we lead the remaining soldiers into the rainforest to the east, we can evade their pursuit. Upon traversing the rainforest, we can reach the city of Bula, a hundred

kilometers away, where we can secure passage on a merchant vessel and depart," Averall proposed.

Stephen continued to survey the unfolding battlefield. The sharp cracks of gunfire and the concussive bursts of grenades intermittently echoed from within the trenches. These were the sounds of the imperial soldiers systematically eliminating the Dutch defenders.

On the periphery of the trenches, a number of native soldiers attempted to flee, scrambling out of the defensive line, only to be mowed down one after another by the relentless sweep of machine gun fire.

As the imperial soldiers relentlessly poured into the trenches, the defensive perimeter inexorably tightened. Stephen declared, "Retreat! Destroy everything of value in Jakarta; leave nothing for the Empire."

"Understood, Councilor Stephen," Simon and Averall responded in unison.

Following their command, the retreat bugle sounded. Heeding the order, the Dutch soldiers within the trenches emerged and began a strategic withdrawal towards Jakarta.

Aboard the King-Class vessel, Lei Ming meticulously observed the entire battlefield scenario. The instant the Dutch forces displayed signs of a faltering rout, he promptly issued a pursuit order to the frontline commander, Chang Yuzhu.

Upon receiving the directive, Chang Yuzhu immediately spurred the imperial soldiers to escalate their assault. Advancing through the trenches, they ceased engaging the Dutch soldiers with bayonets. Instead, they utilized their rifles for direct fire. Concurrently, any tunnel encountered was met with a grenade lobbed inside.

Their earlier oversight of the tunnels had resulted in significant damage from surprise assaults. Some Dutch soldiers had emerged from these concealed tunnels after their passage, launching attacks from their rear.

"Faster! Quicken your pace! Don't waste time with these Dutchmen. No bayonet duels!" Chang Yuzhu berated.

When confronted with the bayonet challenges from the Dutch soldiers, the imperial troops often found it difficult to resist engaging in close-quarters bayonet combat.

However, despite their proficiency in bayonet fighting, the imperial soldiers' height and physical build presented a slight disadvantage against the Dutchmen, diminishing their edge in such duels.

This, unfortunately, decelerated the pace of their advance. Witnessing the Dutch officers orchestrating their soldiers' retreat, Chang Yuzhu grew increasingly agitated. Based on their accumulated combat experience, he knew these colonists would abscond with a substantial portion of the city's wealth and obliterate whatever they could before withdrawing.

Such actions would considerably diminish their war spoils and negatively impact their post-war reparations. The imperial soldiers, too, began to comprehend the situation. These remaining Dutch soldiers, still offering resistance, were clearly attempting to impede their pursuit.

Snapping back to reality, every soldier readied their ammunition. Grenades were hurled in rapid succession at the enemy. With this sudden surge in firepower, the Dutch forces could no longer withstand the assault and began a staggered retreat.

Chang Yuzhu, spearheading the charge, successfully secured the trenches. He then urged the vanguard forward, pursuing the retreating enemy directly into Jakarta City.

As they advanced to within two hundred meters of the city gates, a contingent of Dutch soldiers abruptly appeared atop the Jakarta city walls.

A barrage of gunfire erupted. The imperial soldiers, caught off guard, saw their front ranks struck by bullets and fall.

“Everyone take cover!” Chang Yuzhu yelled from his prone position. “Battalion Commander, bring up the mortars immediately and bombard the city walls.”

Soon, the first thirty mortars were maneuvered into position. With a swift adjustment of their angles, the soldiers loaded the shells. A whistling filled the air as the projectiles streaked towards the city, instantly transforming the Jakarta wall into a fiery inferno.

Amidst the concussive blasts, fragments of the Jakarta city wall were hurled outwards. In a brief span, the entire city gate was obliterated by the mortar barrages.

Having breached the gate, Chang Yuzhu let out a resounding war cry, and the imperial soldiers surged back into the city.

Inside the Governor’s Office, Stephen and his two companions, arriving just moments before, were orchestrating the transfer of gold and silver. However, the thunderous collapse of the city gate caused their expressions to darken considerably.

It seemed the imperial soldiers had anticipated their actions, denying them any opportunity to abscond with the riches.

As the sounds of gunfire grew nearer and Dutch soldiers were seen in a panicked flight towards the Governor’s Office, the three exchanged glances filled with dismay.

Stephen declared, “Set the Governor’s Office ablaze.”

With that, he seized a torch from a nearby soldier and flung it towards the curtains of a Governor’s Office window. Flames immediately leaped skyward.

Concurrently, the Dutch soldiers began hurling their torches at valuable structures throughout the city: shops, granaries, and residences. Anything flammable was set alight.

Amidst the spreading conflagration, Stephen threw open chests overflowing with gold and silver, allowing the Dutch soldiers to seize them.

“Soldiers, this is all Dutch property! Take it all. We are now evacuating to the city of Bula. Follow us and don’t let those scoundrels claim anything,” Stephen commanded.

To him, this was the most effective means of safeguarding Jakarta’s wealth. He would rather it be taken by the Dutch soldiers than fall into the hands of the Chinese Empire’s populace.

A cheer erupted from the soldiers. They stuffed the gold and silver into their belongings, forming a protective screen around the three as they made their way towards the eastern city gate.

After exiting Jakarta City, Stephen cast a look back at the city consumed by flames, a scornful smile gracing his lips. In this manner, even without retaining Jakarta, he would possess a justifiable account upon his return.