Chapter 1992: Seizing the Port

At this time, on the battlefield of Australia.

The Long'ao Force established by Old General Li expanded its scale after absorbing a large number of immigrants.

With their military strength also increased, Old General Li immediately ordered an attack on the French Army at Sydney Port.

It could not be delayed any longer.

The French had already seized many of their factories; if left unchecked, everything remaining here in Australia would be destroyed by the French.

But just as Old General Li's troops moved out, he discovered something that puzzled him.

The French military strength controlling the area around Xini Cheng was rapidly weakening.

Countless French troops were pouring toward the port, merely to defend it.

This was not a port controlled by Li He, and the French Army there did not believe Li He's troops could advance this far.

Old General Li's troops were near Sydney Port, so they did not dare to be careless.

Old General Li looked at the distant French Army, his brow furrowed; his operational plan had only been finalized today, so even if someone had leaked the information, it was too late.

But now he truly saw countless French Soldiers stockpiled at Sydney Port, standing in battle array.

Facing such a sudden situation, Old General Li could only hold his position and use a Telescope to observe the changes occurring in the distance.

He saw French warships docked at the distant harbor speeding out of the port one by one, as if being chased by hounds.

Yet he did not know where they were sailing to.

There were also French warships returning to the port, but the returning ships were like defeated soldiers, dragging their battered hulls to the rear.

Old General Li realized in an instant that the French Navy was currently fighting a powerful enemy in the distance.

Otherwise, there would not be so many warships being mobilized.

Old General Li did not know what kind of enemy had caused the French Army to respond in such a panic.

But for him, this event was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Although the French port was controlled by countless troops, the enemy's military strength was tied down by the war at sea, so they would have the advantage if they attacked at this time!

Old General Li lowered the Telescope in his hand and ordered in a deep voice: "Tell the soldiers, in fifteen minutes, launch the attack!"

This newly trained unit of Old General Li's made adjustments at this moment.

They prepared for battle.

According to Old General Li's pre-battle plan, they were to attack Sydney Port from three directions.

The view above the port was very open, and they did not have the advantage in troop numbers, so Old General Li designed his troops to be divided into three prongs for this terrain.

One prong to draw fire, one prong to build momentum, and one prong to flank from the rear.

Under such a combined offensive, they would crush the French Soldiers at Sydney Port and retake the port.

Fifteen minutes passed very quickly.

The vanguard of the Long'ao Force launched their attack from the west, using thirty-six Cannons to compensate for their lack of manpower.

The French Army, which had long been standing in battle array and ready for the arrival of war, was left dizzy and disoriented by the barrage of artillery fire.

The preparations they had made earlier did not play any role at all.

But they quickly recovered their formation, using a scattered triangular formation to strike at the attacking Long'ao Force.

Although the Long'ao Force was composed of Australian indigenous people and immigrants, they did not fear death in the slightest.

In terms of fighting spirit, they were no weaker than the Dragon Flame Army left behind by Qin Zhangfeng.

It was just that that once-powerful iron army had already deteriorated under Xie Fang's policies.

For this operation, to be on the safe side and avoid these Dragon Flame Army troops dragging them down on the battlefield, Old General Li did not choose to let them take the field.

The task given to them was merely to guard Xini Cheng without any difficulty, preparing for any surprise attacks the enemy might launch.

But everyone knew that the French Army could not launch a sneak attack on Xini Cheng while fighting Old General Li's Long'ao Force; they did not have the manpower for it.

After the French Army was tied down, the second and third units commanded by Old General Li quickly launched an attack on the French forces.

They launched their attack from the southwest side; former Australian Merchant Ships were docked in the southwest direction of Sydney Port.

This place was originally a port for Merchant Ships to dock.

But after the French Army arrived, they temporarily turned this port into a military port for the French Army.

These Merchant Ships were all driven to the southwest wharf, crowded together.

Some Merchant Ships even still had full loads of cargo, and as time passed, these goods eventually rotted.

For Australia, this was a major economic blow.

Originally, this was a means of French control over Australia, but now these crowded Merchant Ships could become cover for Old General Li's troops, who moved rapidly through the gaps between the ships.

They inched closer to the French military port.

The third unit waited for the attack under the massive cover of the Merchant Ships.

The second unit, meanwhile, created a window for the third unit's attack.

After the first unit tied down the French Army, they immediately launched a surprise attack from the southwest side of the port.

Their troops formed a three-row line formation, firing in turns at the French Army.

The French Army, already stretched thin by the Long'ao Force on the west side, suffered heavy casualties after being ambushed and pulled into a diagonal line!

To deal with the other Long'ao Force unit, the French Army could only return fire on the spot.

They exchanged fire with the Long'ao Force.

The preparations they had made came in handy at this moment, as their pre-arranged Artillery array struck out at the Long'ao Force.

The Long'ao Force, lined up in a single row, was practically like a target when facing the French Army's Artillery.

They were hit precisely by the enemy troops.

Seeing the second unit being attacked, the third unit had no choice but to launch their attack early to turn the tide of battle and tie down the French Army's Artillery array.

The third unit hid atop the tall Merchant Ships and launched their attack on the French Army.

The French troops were quite stunned by the Long'ao troops located on the Merchant Ship.

They had no idea how these Long'ao troops had gotten up there; their surveillance personnel had actually failed to detect them entirely.

Upon seeing the dark brown clothing they wore and the camouflage paint smeared on their faces, they cursed under their breath, having been careless.

The Long'ao troops used such attire to conceal their true appearances, which allowed them to board these Merchant Ships without a sound.

Furthermore, this was done under the cover provided by the Long'ao troops in the front.

Facing an attack from a superior position, they did not react in time.

The assault by the third unit indeed caused them great damage, and the Artillery formation was completely suppressed under these circumstances.

There was not the slightest Method to counterattack.

They had to resolve this battle as quickly as possible.

Defend the port; intense fighting had now also broken out at sea, and if the port were to be captured, their fleet would have nowhere to go.

Once that situation occurred, their troops would no longer have the ability to attack the Longyan Fleet.

Yet at this very moment, Delu, who was the commander-in-chief of the French troops, had vanished as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.