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The Fox of France - Chapter 524
🕑 Added 2024-05-03 06:28:11 +0000 UTCChapter 524: The Good Governor
Besides the loss of personnel, the material losses were also immense. Since the Netherlands had sent fewer soldiers, their ship was loaded with the most goods. The sunken ship contained a large amount of coal, as well as gunpowder, medicines, and several large cannons.
Fortunately, the remaining two transport ships also carried these items. Originally, according to the "Europa Shipping Alliance," each ship was to carry only one type of cargo to facilitate loading and unloading. However, the French Navy stipulated that each transport ship must carry a balanced load of materials to ensure that if a ship is destroyed in a disaster, the entire army would not be paralyzed due to a lack of certain materials.
Moreover, the damaged transport ship also suffered significant losses of materials. However, since it was temporarily impossible to unload, an exact inventory could not be conducted. Nevertheless, considering that the cannons were relatively sturdy, they were likely not too severely damaged.
After this battle, the combined fleet redefined its safety strategy. First, lookout posts were established at the entrance of the bay to enhance early warning capabilities. It was also mandated that three colonial cruisers must have a fire lit and be on standby every night.
The loss of one transport ship had already tightened the coal supply. The extent of coal loss on another severely damaged transport ship was still unclear. Therefore, some suggested that this could eventually lead to a coal shortage for the fleet, preventing a return to Europe.
To this, Mr. Philippe Treveil responded, "Compared to the friendship between Cape Town, France, and the Netherlands, the value of these warships is negligible. As long as we win this battle, whether these ships can return to Europe is unimportant. Moreover, once Cape Town is liberated, France will still open a route to India for Europe. At that time, we might even build a port east of Cape Town to aid our Dutch allies there. Then these ships will not need to return. If necessary, we can always send another coal transport ship from home."
Thus, the matter was settled. However, British warships have not returned to this area since then.
Most of the French soldiers had also left the bay, and the docks were gradually being constructed. About twenty days later, the dock was finally completed, and various supplies, including the crucial cannons, began to be unloaded from the ships. The military situation in southern Africa was completely changed.
At this time, the French were not really focused on Cape Town anymore. A battalion of French troops arrived, but only two companies actually went with the Dutch militia near Cape Town—of course, they brought along all remaining four cannons. As for the remaining company, it went east with several geographers and port construction experts. According to them, France needed to find a suitable bay for building a port further to the east.
The Dutch militia did not lack infantry, so the French deploying a company for geographical surveying did not bother Baber. Not to mention, having a French colony on the eastern side of Cape Town could reduce some of the trouble brought by Zulu uncles.
At this era, the territory of the Cape Town colony was far from as large as later South Africa; its entire control range was just about a hundred kilometers around Cape Town, with the real core area being the river valley near Cape Town. At that time, the Dutch immigrants did not care much about the highlands further east and had not shown any intention of expanding there. In the original history, if not for various policies by the British forcing them to leave the river valleys near Cape Town, they actually had little desire to move to the eastern highlands.
Yet, as the captain, Léon Bertier unexpectedly decided to personally lead the exploration team, leaving the main force under Philippe's command, which was somewhat unexpected.
Léon also gave Philippe an explanation. He told Philippe that among the exploration team was a disciple of "a certain prominent figure" conducting a research project that could potentially win the "Prometheus Award." He wasn't very clear about the specifics, but he needed to ensure the scholar's safety.
Philippe naturally knew who "a certain prominent figure" was. Being his disciple certainly meant the figure was significant, and as for why his disciple was here, Philippe knew not to ask questions he shouldn't.
Thus, Philippe led two companies and the four cannons, along with Baber's militia, towards Cape Town, while Léon escorted the company and over twenty "experts" to the east.
When the cannons reached the base of Cape Town, the whole battle situation was completely changed.
These four cannons were breech-loading rifled steel cannons, far surpassing in effective range and accuracy those much larger iron cannons on the fortress of Cape Town.
Generally, the accuracy of fortress cannons was supposed to surpass that of siege cannons because they were calibrated for targets within their firing range. However, this general rule applies only when there isn't a significant difference in performance between the two sides. The iron cannons on Cape
Town's fortress were vastly inferior to the French Navy's breech-loading rifled steel cannons, making them effectively defenseless.
Despite their small size, these breech-loading cannons, using new propellants and higher chamber pressures, even surpassed the older, much larger traditional cannons in terms of firepower, including muzzle energy.
What was even more frightening was their terrifying accuracy, allowing them to hit British cannon positions with armor-piercing shells from beyond the effective range of the British iron cannonballs.
Of course, hitting every shot was impossible, but striking one out of five or six shots was quite feasible. The British had enough cannons to keep up their bombardment for a while, but it was clear to everyone that Cape Town was hard to hold.
Still, the British clung to a glimmer of hope, hoping that the British Navy could gain an advantage in the battle and send reinforcements—they were still unaware of the results of the North Atlantic naval battle.
The French outside the city used propaganda shells to inform them of the decisive French victory in the North Atlantic naval battle, but the British inside did not quite believe it.
The British also knew that the French cannons, using special propellants and shells, could not be resupplied in South Africa, so they hoped that the French would face a shortage of ammunition.
To entice the French to waste their shells, the British even requisitioned wooden pillars from residents' homes in the city. They painted these pillars black to mimic cannons to draw French fire.
At first, this trick had some effect, but somehow the ruse was leaked. The French quickly stopped falling for it, always sending Dutch militia with demolition charges in feigned attacks, only bombarding the fort's cannon positions after seeing them fire.
The British suspected that the Dutch still in the city had leaked the information to the outside. Thus, someone suggested that all the Dutch in the city, regardless of age or gender, be killed. However, the Governor, after considering the current situation, vetoed this proposal, choosing instead to keep them under strict surveillance. He also spoke privately with a somewhat influential Dutch person.
Many British were spreading rumors that the Governor actually wanted to negotiate with the people outside the city to secure better surrender terms for everyone. This, of course, was a rumor, but when spreading it, everyone would add, "The Governor is truly a far-sighted and good person."
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