Security Tightened (3)

"The first major Britain sweep brought us enormous losses, mainly because we underestimated the brutality of the struggle and were blinded by our previous victories. The leadership, including myself, bears inescapable responsibility for this defeat."

In fact, we have seen this tactic of the Britain before. During the map-based combat training at the Toulon Training Camp, Comrade Joseph, playing the role of the British Army, used similar methods to cause us great losses.

Even after such an experience, many people, including myself, still took this approach lightly, resulting in enormous losses for the people and the revolutionary forces during the enemy's first major mopping-up operation. This was nothing short of a crime..." -- Russell, Memoirs of the Revolutionary War

The Irish Union was indeed somewhat unprepared when the Duke of Norfolk's army launched its massive offensive. Central Ireland is predominantly plains with few hills. Due to long-term development, these areas also lack extensive forests. This made the evacuation of the population exceptionally difficult.

Back in Toulon, Joseph had offered some solutions, such as digging tunnels. However, the tunneling plan was not well implemented. This was partly because Ireland is rainy, the soil is not very stable, and the water table is high. In many places, let alone digging tunnels, even digging a trench would cause groundwater to seep out. Only on the slightly higher hills could they barely dig a simple hiding place.

However, the people weren't truly without shelter. Also due to the heavy rainfall, the Ireland plains were dotted with swamps of varying sizes. These swamps were extremely dangerous, filled with bottomless mud pits; for those unfamiliar with these areas, a single misstep could mean their end.

However, with thorough prior preparation, it is not impossible to take refuge in the swamp. Of course, this requires the preparer to take a great risk and to make very serious preparations in terms of personnel and supplies.

So, after the map-based combat training in Toulon concluded, during the review of the issues, Joseph proposed using the swamps to house the refugees. After discussion, everyone agreed that this approach was quite feasible. However, before this large-scale mopping-up operation, almost no one had seriously prepared for it.

So when the Noose of the sweep began to tighten, the Ireland began to suffer heavy losses.

Company Commander Tahuidun saw once again the Ireland village that had caused him to flee in disarray and left him with nightmarish memories. But this time, he was not with a cavalry unit; he was surrounded by an army of thousands, including cavalry, infantry, and artillery.

"Artillery, aim at the target, prepare to fire incendiary shells!" The order rang in Tahuidun's ears. Yes, fire incendiary shells. Having learned from past mistakes, the Britain had no intention of entering the village. They would first use incendiary shells to burn the entire village down, rendering most of the village's facilities ineffective in the fire.

At this time, there were no white phosphorus incendiary bombs, napalm bombs, or thermite incendiary bombs—except for one particular research institute, of course. The so-called incendiary bomb was actually just an iron ball that was first heated until it was red-hot, and then fired at the target by a cannon to cause a fire.

The effectiveness of these incendiary shells was far inferior to the more insane weapons of later generations. If the enemy's buildings were primarily brick or stone, or even rammed earth, rather than wooden structures, these incendiary shells would have almost no effect. Therefore, they were always used by the navy (since the opposing ships were certainly wooden), and the army almost never used such things in combat. However, Ireland peasant houses were indeed mostly wooden structures, so these incendiary shells were quite suitable for use here.

As the shelling began, smoke started rising from the village. Soon, orange flames appeared. In these types of villages, the houses are very close together, so the flames easily spread from one house to another, and the entire village was soon ablaze.

No people or animals came out of the burning village, indicating that the villagers had already evacuated.

Near the village, there was a small grove of trees. This was the source of firewood for the villagers every day. If the villagers had fled to hide elsewhere, this grove would be the most likely place to hide. The last time Company Tahuidun came here, he only had a squad of cavalry with him, and he couldn't really do anything about this grove. If he had dared to enter the grove that time, even more people would have died.

But this time the situation was different. Compared to an army of thousands, such a small forest was far too small. Moreover, the forests of Ireland are different from those in some southern regions; they are relatively more open and offer less opportunity for hiding.

Company Commander Tahuidun received orders for his cavalry to stand guard near the woods, ready to attack any Ireland who fled from the woods, while other infantrymen deployed in skirmish formation and entered the woods.

Soon, shouts, gunshots, and the sound of Little Melon exploding came from the woods, clearly indicating a firefight. Tahuidun quickly spotted a group of people running out of the woods, scattering aimlessly in all directions.

"It's Ireland rebels! Chase after them and kill them all, leave no one alive!" Company Commander Tahuidun ordered, urging his horse forward, drawing his revolver, and giving chase.

Many of those who fled from the forest were women and children, but the Britain cavalry paid no heed to them. They pursued them directly, shooting with revolvers, ramming them with their horses, and hacking them with their sabers, quickly wiping out hundreds of these "rebels."

By this time, the fighting in the woods had ended. The Britain army had engaged in fierce combat with the "well-trained Ireland rebels" in the woods, suffering considerable casualties but also killing many rebels. Among them were nearly twenty "elite rebels" equipped with revolvers and rifles. As for the "well-trained male rebels" armed with dangerous weapons such as pitchforks, there were more than a hundred of them.

After the battle, almost everything in the village that could be burned had been burned, and the fire gradually died down. At the commander's order, the soldiers cut off the heads of all the rebels—male and female, young and old—and stuck them on the ruins of the village with sharpened branches to deter any rebellious elements who dared to defy the rule of the British Empire.

The village had actually managed to retreat and hide. Because the British Army moved very quickly, by the time Tahuidun and his men arrived at the second village, the villagers hadn't even had time to escape.

Tahuidun's cavalry intercepted the villagers who hadn't yet managed to escape, preventing their flight. The Britain troops who arrived later detained the Ireland women and children, while binding the men and imprisoning them in the village's only larger building—a Catholicism church.

These women and children would be used to scout ahead into the next village. If they didn't die in such a way, they would be dealt with last when the troops withdrew after achieving their objectives. As for the men imprisoned in the church, when the British Army left, they poured oil on all four sides of the church and set it on fire.

This scene was playing out in many other Ireland villages. According to the Ireland Federation's subsequent statistics, 171 villages were burned down and more than 10,000 people were killed in the Britain Operation Noose. More than 1,000 Irish Independence Army also died fighting back against the Britain to protect their villagers. The Federation's founder and chairman, Tone, was also betrayed and died a heroic death. It can be said that the Ireland suffered a very heavy blow in this battle. In fact, if it weren't for the timely support of France, the beacon of freedom and democracy in Europe, another tragic chapter in Ireland history would have been written.

Taking advantage of the severely weakened Ireland Federation, the Duke of Norfolk swiftly implemented his new system with an iron fist. In the city, a new document system was introduced, and anyone who left home without a "good citizen's certificate" would be severely punished. The first time, whipping; the second, hard labor; and if there was a third, the gallows would be calling.

The new Baojia system was thus implemented. Because of the revolution's setbacks, some less steadfast opportunists began to defect to the enemy. Many who were inclined towards the Federation, or were even Federation spies, were hanged, and the rest were largely cut off from contact. As the succeeding chairman, Mr. Russell, put it. "We have lost almost all of our work in the city."

"How much longer can the flag of Ireland independence fly?" This question weighed heavily on the minds of every member of the Federation.

At this most critical juncture, the remaining high-ranking members of the Federation held an emergency meeting on a brand-new France high-speed communications ship named "Independence." Reportedly, a France friend in anonymity also attended. During the meeting, this France friend offered advice to the Ireland warriors who persisted in their fight, assuring them that they had not failed and that the France people would provide them with even greater support than they currently had, including not only weapons but also military advisors.

It was also on this ship that the Society of United Irishmen re-elected a new leadership and formulated plans for the next phase.

"In this great sweep, we suffered enormous losses. Rivers of blood flowed among Federation comrades, and mountains of corpses lay in the hands of the Ireland people. Yet, revolutionaries cannot be killed off! For every head chopped off, two more will grow back." -- Russell, Memoirs of the Revolutionary War