African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 747 - 51: The State of Combat Readiness of New Hamburg Port City
April 3, 1888.
New Hamburg Port City.
Since the entire East Africa entered a state of war, New Hamburg Port City has become a stronghold wedged between Portugal and the United Kingdom. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
All businesses in the city prioritize military supplies, while the city and provincial governments actively organize district and surrounding area support for the war front.
Under the night sky, one could even faintly hear the rumble of artillery fire from both the northern and southern lines from New Hamburg Port City. In fact, the front line of the East African and British war lies just a little over seventy kilometers to the south of New Hamburg Port City, in this tense, oppressive atmosphere.
"The district needs to be sealed off, and surrounding food supplies are already being transported into the city as much as possible. We must store enough drinking water and food to fight for the survival of New Hamburg Port City." Hans, the administrator of Lunwell Street, was issuing the city government's orders to the residents in his jurisdiction.
"Director Hans, how is the situation on the front line? Many people from our district have gone to support the front line."
Hans sighed and said: "The situation is not optimistic. As everyone knows, the UK is the world's strongest nation. Our East Africa has never faced such an opponent before, and I've heard from higher-ups that the British Natal colony, adjacent to our New Hamburg Port City, is quite formidable. Currently, a large part of the British forces are concentrated in Natal, with troop numbers several times that of our Defense Army. Moreover, now the Portuguese from the north have also intervened, putting our New Hamburg Port City in a two-sided attack."
"With such a disparity, can we even defeat both the British and the Portuguese? Both countries are quite renowned globally!"
Hans: "Currently, the front line has not yet collapsed. However, fighting on two fronts, we must prepare for potential failure at the front line, even a three-front battle, and being completely surrounded. The enemy's naval forces have not been deployed yet, or else we might have seen their artillery shells hitting the New Hamburg Port City today."
Whether Hans's words jinxed the situation or not, immediately after he spoke, booming artillery sounds came from the direction of the Indian Ocean to the east.
The naval and ground forces of New Hamburg Port City were already engaging with the British Cape Town Navy.
This caused some panic among the citizens of Lunwell Street, and the situation showed signs of becoming chaotic and uncontrolled.
"The British are attacking?"
"What do we do, run for our lives!"
People instinctively prepared to go home or flee. Many East African immigrants came from regions frequently affected by wars (German and the Far East), so the fear of war was awakened in them by the sounds of artillery, reminiscent of the chaotic times of war.
"Quiet, everyone be quiet!" Hans tried to calm the crowd, but many couldn't hear what he was saying.
Just then, a gunshot rang out, instantly silencing all noise.
It was Lunwell Street's security officer, Anderson, who fired his pistol into the sky twice more.
Seeing the citizens calm down, he stood on a street cairn and said in a commanding voice, "Quiet down, the situation isn't as bad as it seems. That sound is our coastal troops driving away the British warships. The enemy attacking our Lunwell Street is still a long way off, at least until both the north and south lines have been breached. The enemy can't directly attack the city from the sea."
New Hamburg Port City consists of two urban areas, built relying on the port, with both commercial and military ports crowded within New Hamburg Bay.
New Hamburg Bay (Richard's Bay) has a very peculiar terrain, narrow at the entrance and wide inside, so the British could not even bypass East Africa's coastal fortifications with just their navy. Once they enter the channel, they become sitting ducks.
Therefore, Anderson was confident that the British navy was certainly engaged in a naval artillery duel on the Indian Ocean with East Africa's coastal defenses, although it's uncertain whether the navy had been deployed yet.
Anderson was a retired member of the East African Defense Army. Now part of the police department, he didn't need to be at the front line, likely because New Hamburg Port City required someone knowledgeable in military affairs to deploy urban defenses. The city already has measures in place for potential urban warfare, requiring the guidance of professionals.
Of course, war creates social unrest, so police officers with a military background, like Anderson, also serve as a deterrent against negative elements, maintaining public order.
Just like now, the citizens of Lunwell Street were convinced by Anderson. After all, Anderson was a seasoned war veteran, and his words were enough to command respect. Naturally, the pistol in his hand was also quite persuasive.
"Continue with your work. If war truly comes, there's no safer place than the city. Food from outside has already been requisitioned into the city. Here, we have all the supplies we need, and rural villagers have already been evacuated into the city."
In general, during wartime, city residents flee to rural areas to escape the threat of war.
However, New Hamburg Port City did the opposite because the entire Southern Border Province, including New Hamburg Port City, is not a major grain-producing area in East Africa. Instead, the population is concentrated in urban areas, or in western mines.
From the beginning, East Africa didn't plan to develop large-scale agriculture and industry in the south. New Hamburg Port City is a special case due to the port.
The industry here is relatively developed, but food is mainly imported from East Africa's eastern or central regions. Compared to Heixinggen Province, the Southern Border Province's agricultural and industrial foundation is not weak.
Thus, the rural population in the Southern Border Province is relatively small and can be absorbed by New Hamburg Port City, allowing nearby villages and farmland to be destroyed, implementing a scorched earth policy.
For the food security of New Hamburg Port City, the East African Railway is already prioritizing the transportation of grain and other supplies to this port city. Along with internal reserves, it can ensure the city's needs for at least three years.
Currently, the population of New Hamburg Port City mainly consists of women and children. All eligible males from the entire eastern province have been assigned to various required places, undergoing military training, or working on the construction of New Hamburg Port City's outer defenses.
The East African government aims to establish New Hamburg Port City as a large military fortress, maintaining a position behind the British and Portuguese forces in southeastern Africa, compelling them to be cautious.
Of course, this is conditional on New Hamburg Port City's self-sufficiency. Apart from grain, the elite resources of the Southern Border Province are concentrated here, so East Africa would not easily abandon New Hamburg Port City.
New Hamburg Port City is not entirely isolated either. Even if surrounding areas fall, the Drakensberg Mountains controlled by the East African army can launch counterattacks at any time. However, now the western troops are held up by the Boer Republic; otherwise, New Hamburg Port City's defense pressure wouldn't be this high.
This is the situation throughout the entire southern region of East Africa, marked by the Limpopo River, primarily serving mining industry and military purposes.
From the start, New Hamburg Port City was designed with war in mind. Although its grain production is low, its grain reserves are high, and the Southern Border Province is rich in coal. New Hamburg Port City is the only seaport, ensuring no short-term energy shortages.
The most crucial aspect is New Hamburg Port City's unique harbor conditions. If it was like Dar es Salaam, facing directly into the Indian Ocean, defending New Hamburg Port City would be unnecessary and too costly. It would be better to retreat directly to the west of the Drakensberg Mountains and use the natural barriers of the Drakensberg to resist the Allies' assault.
