Empire Conquest

Chapter 466 - 462: Triumphant Return

February 9th, Lion Spring City.

Before entering the port, the leading cruiser sounded its steam whistle and followed by firing several signal flares.

The grandiose gesture left Bai Zhizhan speechless.

However, no one thought it excessive.

Not just Bai Zhizhan, but including him, the entire Eleventh Special Mixed Fleet and both the First and Second Shipborne Air Force Wings were heroes of the Empire.

Just yesterday, through a radio broadcast, the Emperor issued an edict conferring the title "Sea Guardian Duke" upon Bai Zhizhan, elevating him to first-class noble status. The entire Eleventh Special Mixed Fleet and Air Force Wing received the first-class Military Merit Title. Subsequently, orders from the Privy Council followed, and the Imperial Chief Minister rewarded all officers and soldiers accordingly.

This "Sea Guardian Duke" was not an honorary title, but a genuine hereditary title.

Moreover, this had nothing to do with Bai Zhizhan’s status as a prince consort.

If anything, the prince consort is a symbolic title and cannot be hereditary.

After receiving the hereditary title of "Sea Guardian Duke," Bai Zhizhan became a true nobleman, and his direct descendants were all nobility.

Indeed, Bai Zhizhan was the first to be granted a hereditary ducal title among the Eight Pillars of the kingdom.

What’s more, he was only a major general in the Navy.

Perhaps no naval major general would ever receive a hereditary title again in the future.

Of course, upon his return, he would certainly be promoted to vice admiral in the Navy.

The reason for such an honor was not only his decisive defeat of the Bulan and Newland Fleets on the East Ocean but also the wider impact it generated.

On the last day of the previous month, an uprising erupted in Sri Lanka, with the local armed forces taking control of major cities like Colombo and declaring independence from the rule of the Bulan Kingdom.

Subsequently, the Imperial Army deployed airborne troops, who took control of airports in places like Colombo with the help of the local armed forces. They captured and controlled several ports guarded by the Bulan colonial military. After the Air Force was stationed, the Marine Corps and main Army forces also arrived promptly.

By the afternoon of February 5th, the last Bulan military force trapped in Jaffna surrendered in the face of inevitable defeat.

Taking over Sri Lanka took only five days in total.

Although the local armed forces played a significant role, the fundamental success was still linked to the Navy, especially the victory achieved by the Eleventh Special Mixed Fleet in the Southwest Fan Flame Ocean.

As early as late January, when the Imperial forces began their strong attack on Lion Spring City, the eldest son of the chieftain of Sri Lanka secretly arrived in the Imperial Capital from the Damman Kingdom.

Initially, the locals hoped to gain complete independence with the support of the Empire, at least on par with the status of the Damman Kingdom, and were unwilling to offer anything in return to the Empire.

According to the proud prince, the independence of Sri Lanka would be the greatest reward for the Liangxia Empire, hence the Empire should provide unconditional support.

It seems that the local armed forces of Sri Lanka were now powerful enough to consider themselves equal to the Liangxia Empire.

By January 29th, the situation took a complete 180-degree turn.

The reason was straightforward: the Eleventh Special Mixed Fleet annihilated the Bulan and Newland Fleets in the Southwest Fan Flame Ocean, and dominance of the Fan Flame Ocean by the Imperial Navy seemed imminent.

That very night, the local prince agreed that after gaining independence, he would lease military bases, including military ports and airports, to the Empire, join the Consortium Group as an ally of the Empire, follow commands unconditionally, and seek military protection from the Empire.

There was only one stipulation: Sri Lanka must be an independent nation.

The Empire never refused the request for the establishment of an independent nation by the locals; it was only their disdainful attitude that the Imperial authorities found extremely repellent.

The Empire had always encouraged and supported colony independence.

The Damman Kingdom achieved independence with the Empire’s support by defeating the invading enemy forces and became the only kingdom on the Toe Peninsula to defeat the Western Powers.

It was precisely because of this that the uprising occurred on January 31.

Clearly, the key to capturing Sri Lanka almost without bloodshed, without resorting to the fleet, was the great victory achieved by the 11th Special Mixed Fleet.

Otherwise, a strong assault on Sri Lanka would definitely necessitate the deployment of the Special Mixed Fleet.

Without the support of local armed forces, it would also require substantial troops and consume a lot of time.

The crux, actually, was on the strategic level.

According to the original plan, following the loss of a carrier in the 11th Special Mixed Fleet, the assault on Sri Lanka had to be postponed to the second quarter, waiting for the "Imperial Capital" to return before it could commence. Subsequent strategic offensive actions in the East Ocean also had to be delayed.

As a result, at least in the first half of New Calendar 101, the Imperial Navy had to focus on the Fan Flame Ocean.

If the assault on Sri Lanka encountered trouble, then the operations advancing into Boss Bay would definitely be affected, which would further impact the overall strategy.

Successfully capturing Sri Lanka meant advancing the overall strategic progress by at least three months.

Departing from Colombo, the Imperial Navy could smoothly advance into the Mua Sea.

Another key aspect was the ability to deploy strategic air force in Sri Lanka, bombing Bulan military forces in the Fanluo region, reducing the difficulty of frontal combat.

According to the report by Li Yunxiang, 1500 long-range bombers would be deployed to Sri Lanka before the end of June.

By the end of the year, with the mass production of new bombers capable of a combat radius of 2500 kilometers, even strategic bombings of Jibu Fortress would be feasible.

Additionally, it also greatly aided in the assault on Socotra Island in the southwest of the Mua Sea.

Even from a distance, it would be possible to launch attacks from Sri Lanka onto the Maldives, using an island there as a stepping stone to invade Socotra Island.

Of course, the next step would be capturing the northern port cities.

According to the Imperial Navy’s plans, capturing another port city would establish a route to Boss Bay, eliminating the need to forcefully assault Jibu Fortress.

The focus remained on advancing into Boss Bay.

Indeed, if there were no plans to advance into the Land Heart Sea, it might even be feasible to disregard Jibu Fortress.

As Liu Changxun mentioned in the telegram, as long as they could secure the oil from Boss Bay, advancing into the Land Heart Sea would no longer be necessary.

Even if there were such a need, they could opt to attack Jibu Fortress from the north, from the Kuangsha Peninsula.

If they could capture Socotra Island, then launching attacks from both directions would almost certainly guarantee the capture of Jibu Fortress.

In summary, successfully capturing Sri Lanka was a significant victory for the Imperial Navy in the Fan Flame Ocean, following their capture of Lion Spring City.

At the same time, another major event occurred.

On February 6, the 11.3 Squadron, sent to meet the 11th Special Mixed Fleet, successfully regrouped with the Tiaoman Fleet in the southwest Fan Flame Ocean.

The Tiaoman Fleet was now en route to Lion Spring City, expected to arrive on February 14.

According to the plans, three "Tiaoman" class armored cruisers would arrive in Lion Spring City on February 14 and join the "Prime Minister" in forming a fleet.

To show support for the Tiaoman Empire, the Liangxia Navy would transfer a batch of light cruisers and destroyers.

These warships would form the "Tiaoman Far East Fleet."

Additionally, the Imperial Navy left several ships, including the "North River" and "Nanjiang," to form a joint fleet with a few Tiaoman warships, operating in the Fan Flame Ocean to counter and restrain the Bulan Fleet deployed at Jibu Fortress and the Newland Fleet stationed at Perth.

Of course, these matters had little to do with the Bai Zhizhan.

Moreover, the great victory achieved by the 11th Special Mixed Fleet in the southwest Fan Flame Ocean didn’t bring only benefits.