Port of Saint-Malo

"What...... Found an unidentified armed team of more than 2,000 people heading towards the Saint-Malo area, only a dozen kilometers away? ”

Ma Wenyong, the port magistrate, was startled when he heard the news, and his expression became solemn, and with his rich combat experience, he could quickly judge that this unknown armed force had evil intentions and must make emergency preparations.

Today, in the area around Saint-Malo, there are so many horse-drawn carriages that it is impossible to block the news.

The large-scale smuggling business at the port has been going on for so long, including the town of Saint-Malo and these French horse owners who move like ants, are an inseparable part of the entire smuggling chain, forming a huge interest group.

If there is any news, we will report it as soon as possible.

As for talking about national interests or something, it's all a fart in front of real money francs!

Let alone...... Is there any recognized French government now?

Inquire in detail

Ma Wenyong learned that this armed team came from the direction of Port Mondo, dressed in miscellaneous uniforms, all armed with spears, and could see more than a dozen field artillery pieces in the marching procession, with about 70 wagons, and the specific materials loaded were unknown.

Except that it's not wearing a military uniform, it's an army!

Ma Wenyong, who received the news, did not hesitate, and immediately ordered the guards to inform the German garrison and the port committee, and quickly recruited armed escort personnel to prepare for battle.

Sheriff Ma Wenyong is a retired officer with rich combat experience, who was hired as a port sheriff with the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring, and can enjoy a good salary while also receiving a large additional income.

In the past six months, I have almost earned a fortune that I will never use up in my lifetime.

His subordinates were all veterans, and the smugglers supported these men with high salaries, and when they were working hard, they were not afraid at all, and quickly assembled.

In addition to the manpower that could not leave, 430 people were gathered at the first time, and Ma Wenyong immediately led them to the preset position, preparing to snipe the incoming enemy.

The pre-emptible position was located to the east of the town of Saint-Malo, a line of stone buildings on the outskirts of the town, a river and the stone walls of a private pasture, facing a large open field of green wheat seedlings only calf-high.

When the team arrived, they quickly organized the evacuation of the French.

Ma Wenyong divided his forces into three parts, the first part of which was about 100 people on the left side, which was a discontinuous defensive line composed of several scattered stone buildings, defending a small stone bridge in the middle.

This small stone bridge spans a river more than ten meters wide and is a necessary passage for enemy attacks.

Although the river is not wide, it is quite deep, the deepest point is about 1.5 meters, and the soldiers can cross it on foot. But the current will push the soldiers toss, and it will soak the paper shell ammunition, so that the guns in the hands of the incoming soldiers will be turned into burning sticks, which will not play their due role.

Ma Wenyong had eight Colt heavy machine guns in his hands, and at once allocated three heavy machine guns to the left position, which were erected in a solid stone wall building, which could inflict a surprise blow on the incoming enemy troops.

This is a key area for defense, and there is no room for error.

The second part, with about 60 people, was stationed on the right side, about 350 meters from the left position, and was mainly deployed along the stone wall of the private pasture to prevent the enemy from wading across the river.

Ma Wenyong deployed two heavy machine guns for them, and the machine gun fire could support the frontal position from the right side, and the side fire would cause the maximum damage to the enemy.

The remaining more than 260 people were hidden in the east of the town as a reserve, and a total of three heavy machine guns were kept to form a second line of defense, and the main position on the left could be reinforced at any time if necessary, pulling the battle into a stalemate phase and waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Ma Wenyong's expected reinforcements were from the city of Rennes, about 63 kilometers from the port of Saint-Malo, which is one of the important core cities of the Britalia region, and has a German field division of about 6,400 troops, including a light cavalry regiment of nearly 1,000 people.

An urgent telegram for help had been sent, and if the cavalry regiment came quickly, it would have arrived in about eight or nine hours.

The infantry was slow, and it took a considerable amount of time to prepare from assembly to departure, and it took almost two days to reach Saint-Malo.

Speaking of which

Ma Wenyong had to vomit about France's poor infrastructure construction, as an old colonial country, the main roads in the country are still mainly dirt roads. With the exception of some of the main roads into Paris, the other roads are full of potholes.

Puerto Saint-Malo is not connected to trains, and the nearby port of Mondo and even the core city of Rennes are not connected by trains, and the traditional dirt roads still connect other important cities.

From this point alone

Compared with the infrastructure construction of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Tang Empire, it is really worse than the old nose distance, and I am sorry for the identity of the old colonial empire of France.

"How's that...... What is the situation? Where is the enemy? ”

The chairman of the port committee was a middle-aged man with a fat figure, Lu Shoushan, with gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his eyes flashed with stability and confidence.

Lu Shoushan is a big smuggler who runs his own business, but in fact he is the European regional director of the Royal Chang'an Petroleum Company, who was previously in charge of the oil export business in North Germany, and was temporarily transferred to take charge of the stall in Port Saint-Malo.

undoubtedly

The Royal Chang'an Petroleum Company is also a major protagonist in smuggling, and the old Royal Chevron Petroleum Company, the Tang Empire Texaco Petroleum Company, the Royal Bright Petroleum Company and other old multinational companies all have a share, and they can vigorously export petroleum products to France.

In addition, there are giants in the shipping industry, such as Atlantic Shipping, Seven Seas Shipping, Schindler Shipping, American and European Shipping, as well as some multinational banks, such as Royal Red Oak Bank, Royal Chang'an Bank, Bank of America, Royal West Coast Bank, National Bank of Communications, etc., all participate in this feast.

The huge amount of money you make from operating here can be carried out by clipper to the UK branches of the major banks.

The support of multinational banks has also made the smuggling business bigger and bigger, showing a trend of burning the prairie fire.

Otherwise, the Tang Empire would not openly refute the face of the French, after all, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and France is still one of the top powers in the world.

"Report to Your Excellency, I have sent 12 light cavalry to reconnoitre, in groups of three, and the latest news will be transmitted every 10 minutes.

The current situation does not look optimistic, and the hostility of this team is manifested, and it must be ready to fight a big and a vicious battle.

I suspect that this is a disguised regular French army unit that has officially carried 12 field artillery pieces with the army, which ordinary rogue horse bandits do not have.

The enemy's artillery fire will pose a great threat to our defenses, and if the speculation is true, then we must concentrate more forces on defense.

The fighting power of the French soldiers is extremely strong, and they must not be careless! ”

After hearing the report, Lu Shoushan's face was solemn, he thought about it for a while, and turned to Major Augst von Bryan of the German Army who was standing next to him and said;

"Mr. Major, the situation is quite critical right now.

If this enemy force is allowed to storm the port of Saint-Malo, the tens of millions of goods piled up in the docks and warehouses will become their spoils of war, and they will suffer heavy losses.

Now all the ships have stopped unloading and are leaving the port to berth offshore.

The Port Commission was mobilizing the inhabitants of the town of Saint-Malo to take up arms against the invasion, promising a reward of 400 francs for every enemy killed and 2,000 francs for the killing of an enemy leader.

Now that the number of applicants is very enthusiastic, and it is estimated that in three hours we will be able to organize no less than 800 reinforcements, and now we must withstand the first wave of the enemy's onslaught.

What are your good ideas, Mr. Major? ”

Major Augst von Bryan, a German soldier with two upturned Prussian beards, touched it with his hand and said proudly; "No problem at all, I will take a company of German soldiers to take the initiative to meet them and put up a position to block the direction of this group of French Yankees. Gain time for you to gather more people. ”

"Mr. Major, is it too reckless to do this?"

"No, no, no...... I am not representing this single company of German soldiers, but the mighty German army that has crushed the whole of France. The French, no matter how bold they were, did not dare to attack rashly, they were declaring war on the entire mighty German Empire. ”

Able to see it

From top to bottom, there was an atmosphere of blind confidence in the German Empire, which had won successive wars, and Major Augst von Bryan was clearly one of them.

He was holding a saber in his hand, his chin high and confident.

Seeing his appearance, Lu Shoushan couldn't persuade him anymore, so he could only turn around and give Ma Wenyong a "careful" look, and then continued;

"An urgent telegram for help has been sent to the 42nd German Division in Rennes, which has called back; No less than two cavalry companies will be sent in an hour to quickly support Saint-Malo, and subsequent reinforcements will be sent one after another, but tomorrow.

The specific reason is that other units are on a mission and cannot be mobilized for a while.

Presumably, this is the right time for the enemy to see it, so we must hold out until 5 p.m. tomorrow before we can welcome a large reinforcement force.

However, I have mobilized the crew, and I estimate that I will be able to gather three to four hundred men to rely on this town to build a third line of defense in your rear, hoping to save the day!

The materials in the port of Saint-Malo are of great importance and are worth a lot of money, and even the last person standing must not be allowed to retreat, and enough time must be bought for reinforcements. ”

"I understand, I will fight to the end according to your instructions, and I will not take a step back." Ma Wenyong gave a military salute with a solemn expression and replied sonorously.

On the contrary, the German Major Augst von Bryan, who was standing on the side, explained with a relaxed expression; "Don't be nervous, folks, there's a company of troops from the German Empire here, huh...... I'll pull out another platoon. Those French were just bluffing, and they would never dare to attack my troops head-on. ”

"Oh...... That's great! ”

Lu Shoushan and Ma Wenyong invariably set their eyes on this overconfident German major, and reluctantly squeezed out a smile and said a kind word.

As a matter of fact

They have made up their minds that they must not rely on these unreliable Germans.

One stop there can scare off the French, I'm afraid that the chief of staff of the German army, General Moltke, would not dare to brag about such a big bull, why should you?

(End of chapter)