Pontianak is the capital of Italian Borneo, and its port is also one of the few large ports in Southeast Asia. It is extremely busy.
Every day, ships carry goods in and out of the port, adding to the prosperity of Pontianak.
But today, Pontianak Port looks a little different. Because there are very few ships entering and exiting Pontianak Port today, because today is the day when the Italian task force arrives.
And not only the arrival of the fleet, but also the transport fleet carrying all the members of the 1st Guards Division under its protection was also docked. The crowd greeted at the pier was a sea of people, everyone was eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the Italian army. And
There are also enthusiastic people who are greeting the crowd and educating the uninformed about the situation of the Guards.
"These Guards are the personal soldiers of the Italian Emperor. Do you know that the Imperial Guards are dedicated to standing guard for the Emperor? They are all so big and round that they can fight ten soldiers each."
This is obviously a boast made by someone who doesn't know how to pretend to understand. Of course, there are also people who really understand.
"This Guards is the loyal army of the King of Italy. It is not wrong to regard it as the Praetorian Guards. However, this Guards may be able to fight tough battles, but it is not an embroidered pillow. They have been present in Italy's several wars before. In my opinion
Maybe this time I’m just here to beat up the Dutch.”
Well, as soon as the Dutch were mentioned, the crowd immediately became excited.
"It's good to beat up the Dutch. Are the Dutch a thing?"
"Yes, the Dutch are simply bandits."
"Dutch……"
Well, not many Chinese in Pontianak say good things about the Dutch. Over the years of colonization, the Dutch have gained a good reputation in Southeast Asia. Of course, there is also guidance from the local colonial government. As long as the Dutch oppress the Chinese, Italy
The colonial government helped publicize it, which caused many Chinese in the Dutch colonies to go to the Italian colonies.
Of course, most of these people came with their wealth. You must know that apart from the colonists, the Chinese are the richest in Nanyang.
This trick is the favorite of former Prime Minister Cairoli. He is afraid of comparison in everything. After comparison, the Chinese will know who is the best.
The current situation is the best explanation. Italy's good reputation over the years has led to its current results.
Of course, as the newly arrived 1st Guards Division, it is natural to present a good side to the crowd that greets it. Therefore, each ship of the 1st Guards Division selects the best-fit officers and soldiers (sea sickness is inevitable during sea transportation).
, let alone long distances), formed a capable force, appeared in front of everyone full of energy and fully armed.
Looking at the mighty Guards officers and soldiers, the crowd's cheers immediately reached their peak.
Regarding the treatment of the Guards, the accompanying navy officers and soldiers showed envy. Although they drove giant steel ships across the sea, the crowd focused more on the warships, but paid less attention to the navy officers and soldiers. Naturally, there were very few
To have this feeling that everyone belongs to you.
Lieutenant General Alvaro, as the commander of the task force, also has a deep understanding of the envious looks of his subordinates, but he is not doing it for the cheers of the crowd.
Well, Lieutenant General Alvaro has a deep understanding of watching others become the new Lord of the Navy. Yes, Lieutenant General Alvaro was also one of the candidates for Lord of the Navy before, and he also has considerable prestige in the Navy.
, but in the end, he was not as good as Admiral Yagir in terms of performance, so he could only lose the election in the end.
Of course, it's not like he couldn't afford to eat without competing for the Lord of the Admiralty. After losing, he quickly adjusted his mentality to move closer to the new Lord of the Admiralty. So as some kind of reward, or as a gesture, he became the commander of this task force.
Currently, this Italian naval task force has more than 20 battleships, but the core ones are three Turin-class battleships and two Venice-class cruise ships. Even other auxiliary battleships have a speed that is not lower than the maximum speed.
The Seventeenth Section can be regarded as the essence of the Italian Navy.
Lieutenant General Alvaro has full confidence in the fleet at his feet. With the strength of the fleet, let alone the pile of rags of the Dutch, he is not afraid even if he competes with the Indian Ocean Fleet of the British Empire.
Okay, this is a bit high. If there is a conflict with Britain, his fleet will not be in good shape. Not to mention anything else, the British Empire has naval bases all over the world and hordes of warships, which can defeat him.
This fleet was surrounded.
As for the Dutch fleet, if it would have been credible to say that it was all in tatters eight years ago, the Dutch have built several new ships in recent years, the most outstanding of which are two 7,500-ton armored ships;
Province, Holland. The design of this class of battleships began in 1886, construction began in 1887, and was commissioned in 1890.
In line with the past practice of the Dutch, this class of warships is equipped with two 305mm main guns, four 150mm secondary guns, and 12 47mm small guns. It is equipped with a 9,000-horsepower three-expansion steam engine and has a maximum speed of 16.3 knots.
.
It can be seen from the firepower that the ship is a small boat carrying big guns. Although the speed was okay when it was designed, it is no longer good now. In addition, its ability to adapt to the environment is extremely poor.
This is indeed the case. During the sea trials, the two warships swayed severely and became unstable in level 6 wind and waves.
After some improvements, although it is better, there are still problems.
Therefore, these two warships can only be used as coastal defense warships and cannot go to sea at all. Of course, this may be what the Dutch think. Otherwise, why would the cost of supervising the construction of these two warships be so cheap? It only cost 20 million lire.
, only two armored ships were built. The price is too cheap. Of course, it is still qualified to be used as an offshore combat ship to guard a port.
Therefore, it is impossible for it to become an opponent of the Italian fleet. Don't forget that the Netherlands holds an archipelago and has a huge demand for shipping.
The welcome ceremony lasted until noon, after the crowd gradually dispersed, and only then did Lieutenant General Alvaro walk out of the naval base.
Of course, before this, Vice Admiral Alvaro reiterated an order to the fleet that officers and soldiers must pay attention to military discipline. He did not want these children to ruin Italy's good reputation, even if they stayed at sea for so long. As for the army, I believe that General
Major General Lev will also issue the same order. These Guards attach great importance to honor and will never leave anything embarrassing.
In fact, logically speaking, Lieutenant General Alvaro should have appeared at the welcome ceremony. The colonial government had invited him before, but Lieutenant General Alvaro refused because he did not want to be too ostentatious.
So he waited until the welcome ceremony was over before he got on the carriage and headed in one direction.
He was going to visit Governor Antonio and ask how the navy and land forces would need to cooperate with him next.
After all, the main purpose of coming here this time is to support Governor Antonio and make the Dutch sober.
Of course, if the Dutch are really ignorant, then they should educate them, and they will be happy to see the results.
