The Rise Of Australasia-Chapter 1165 - 876: The Brutal Landing Battle

There is not much to describe, the air combat at the airport on the Ryukyu Islands between the Island Nation Air Force and the Australasian Air Force resembled a lopsided slaughter.

Australasia only lost one airplane, and that was due to an engine failure; it involved a bit of luck.

Beyond that, the Island Nation's airplanes never posed any threat to the Australasian Air Force again—not even a severe injury.

Of course, if you count the scratches and paint damage caused by bullets scraping past the metal frame, then indeed, many Australasian airplanes were damaged, especially those of the pilots.

It's like scratching a new car the first time you drive it officially on the road—it's bound to hurt a little.

The army of the Ryukyu Islands was not surprised by the failure of this air battle. The air force of the Island Nation was not large and was split into two factions by the army and the navy, which had a considerable impact.

Although the Ryukyu Islands are the closest large archipelago to Australasia, their importance still pales in comparison to the Native Land of the Island Nation.

In the Island Nation government's plan, the defense of the Ryukyu Islands was naturally considered. However, the main force defending the Ryukyu Islands was the nearly 100,000 soldiers deployed in the four divisions there, not the less than 100 airplanes, many of which weren't the most advanced.

After all, in an island beach landing battle, the attacking side has to endure losses several times greater than the defenders.

Even the most elite troops can't avoid massive casualties during a beach landing battle.

Because to carry out a beach landing, you must land on a well-defended beach amidst the enemy's fire and bullets.

The enemy isn't foolish; for beaches that are easier to attack, besides deploying defensive positions, they will likely remove any large rocks and trees that might provide cover.

The Ryukyu Islands, as of now, have been altered by the Islanders to ensure any attacking Australasian troops have no cover, and must fill the gap with their lives.

When it comes to filling gaps with lives, the armies of the Philippines and Kalimantan certainly have something to say.

Although both the Philippines and Kalimantan have undergone significant changes compared to their history, their populations haven't been greatly impacted.

By the beginning of 1936, the total population of the Philippines had already surpassed 16 million, ranking it within the top 30 among all nations and regions worldwide.

Kalimantan combined with the Sultanate is even more distinctive. By integrating the population of the entire Dutch East Indies, the population of the Kalimantan Union and the Sultanate exceeded 30 million from the start.

Of course, due to the undeveloped nature of Kalimantan as compared to Java Island, in the first few years, Kalimantan was nearly unable to sustain such a vast population.

Moreover, with the Great Sultanate just established, and the order between the smaller Sultanates being unstable, there was a period of turmoil.

Famine coupled with unrest led to Kalimantan's population not only failing to grow in the first few years but actually declining sharply.

Even around 1930, Kalimantan's population dropped to an all-time low, almost falling below 30 million.

However, afterwards, the Great Sultanate of Kalimantan gradually restored order, and Australasia also sold a large amount of grain to the Sultanate, sustaining its population.

As of now, the official population of the Great Sultanate of Kalimantan is 37 million.

Why is it an exact number to the nearest million?

Because even Australasia cannot determine the actual population figures of the Great Sultanate of Kalimantan.

This population size is only an estimate based on a summary of the reported population data from various smaller Sultanates, with some additional calculation.

Due to the unrest, a significant portion of the indigenous people fled to the forests of Kalimantan and lived a life not much different from that of wild men.

There are also many such people, and along with Kalimantan's original indigenous population, they are not included in the population figures.

Based on a reasonable estimate, the total population of the Great Sultanate of Kalimantan should be over 40 million but most likely not exceeding 42 million.

As long as he knows an approximate range, Arthur is already satisfied with his expectations. He has no interest in conducting a large-scale census in Kalimantan, after all, these indigenous populations are not valuable.

With sufficient provision of grain, these indigenous people have a high birth rate. This also means that Australasia, which owns two large vassal countries like Kalimantan and the Philippines, does not lack cannon fodder for large-scale wars involving millions.

The combined population of Kalimantan and the Philippines is approaching 60 million, which also signifies that they can provide at least 6 million cannon fodder.

Even in an extreme state, the disposable troops provided by these two countries could reach as many as 10 million, much more than those Powers without colonies can mobilize.

On June 26 at 3 p.m., after the Air Force secured absolute air superiority, the navy began approaching the Ryukyu Islands, protecting numerous transport ships and landing crafts.

The Air Force also patrolled the skies, creating as many opportunities as possible for the landing troops.

"Damn it! Fire, repel those landing boats; don't let them get close to the shoreline!" the Island Nation Army stationed on the coastline naturally noticed the Australasian Army attempting to land.

Under the Island Nation Commander's orders, a large number of Island Nation Soldiers began to emerge, using machine guns and rifles, trying to suppress the approach of Australasian landing crafts.

Meanwhile, on the Australasian landing boats, a large number of Filipino and Kalimantan troops also started to take action.

Although uniformly dressed in Australasian military uniforms, the Filipino and Kalimantan troops had noticeable differences in their weapons and equipment and their morale and demeanor.

The Philippines, having been colonized by Spain for several hundred years, coupled with a smaller population, were significantly westernized.

Many Filipinos practiced Catholicism, some spoke English, others Spanish, and there was even a considerable number of mixed-race individuals.

But the situation was different for the indigenous people of Kalimantan. Although there was also a small number of mixed-race individuals, the massive native population meant that colonization had hardly affected these indigenous people.

From their language and religious beliefs, it was apparent that the Kalimantan Army had not suffered much influence; they had not been assimilated.

The reason is quite straightforward. When Spain ruled the Philippines, it was generally a stronger power.

Given the smaller population of the Philippines at the time, being influenced by the mighty Spain was inevitable.

But the Dutch East Indies were different. When the Dutch controlled these lands, their power had significantly waned.

Moreover, with the native population of the East Indies far exceeding that of the Dutch, assimilating such a region was clearly impossible.

Even to say without exaggeration, it was highly likely that instead of the Dutch assimilating the East Indies, it would have been the other way around.

It's like a drop of muddy water mixed into a jar of clear water; after stirring, the water still appears clear to the naked eye.

To assimilate these indigenous populations, one would need a comparable scale of population. Even today's Australasia can't do it, as it also did not have enough time and resources to assimilate such a large indigenous population.

However, it was very clear from the national policies of Australasia that, at least during Arthur's rule, there was no plan to assimilate Kalimantan.

In Arthur's eyes, these Kalimantan indigenous were good cannon fodder, their only purpose being to fight in wars as substitutes for Australasians.

On the other hand, the Filipinos, who had been clearly influenced, could have a select group assimilated.

Australasia obviously couldn't become a purely Caucasian country, but other ethnic groups wishing to join would also have to make significant contributions to the nation.

The welfare policies Arthur had enacted were not there for free enjoyment; at least he was not willing to let those "dark-skinned rascals" benefit from policies meant for Australasians.

Through two lifetimes, one thing Arthur could never shake was his distaste for chocolate. It was fortunate that Australasia did not have significant colonies in Africa, or else Arthur might have even earned the title of the butcher king.

General Christy, commander of the 9th Army, was aboard the largest battleship, closely monitoring the situation on the battlefield.

If looking solely at this beach-landing battle, it was evident that Australasia was at a disadvantage.

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The Ryukyu Islands had many islands; the numerous surrounding islands naturally made for good defensive positions for the Island Nation Army.

This also meant that to successfully land on the main island of the Ryukyu Archipelago, one had to conquer these surrounding smaller islands one by one.

For each Island Nation defense position taken, it also signified a significant number of casualties for the Australasia Army.

General Christy used his telescope to follow the landing battle closely. Although Filipino and Kalimantan Soldiers continually died, General Christy's face didn't show any signs of panic; instead, he even had a smile.

It turns out these indigenous troops were quite useful after all.

Amidst the indigenous army's fearless charges, the Island Nation Army's defensive positions on the Ryukyu Islands were exposed one after another.

At that moment, the Australasian Airplanes circling in the sky would continuously visit these exposed Island Nation positions and bomb them.

In other words, the current beach-landing battle was essentially exchanging the lives of the indigenous for one hidden Island Nation position after another.

After more than four hours, as it was approaching eight o'clock in the evening, General Christy finally called a halt to the battle.

"Let these lads have a hot meal," Christy expressed concern for the indigenous troops for the first time: "There's an even bigger fight tomorrow."