PoN/Japan: early Sept. 1852
Hello all,
I checked over my units and discovered that in fact all my units carry smoothbore muskets except the samauri footmen/linemen. this still gives me the same situation, however; as all my soldiers still have a range of '1' carrying either weapon.
This time out a lot has happened. Firstly, the open door policy event happened and I naturally chose to agree to join the global community. Fortunately; it seems my intense micromanaging of my trade, and the resulting 64% approval rating of my population, allowed me to aviod any uprising at all. Every one of my national provinces are either indifferent or happy.
Secondly, I couldn't resist a little military dabbling to keep me from utter boredom while i industrialize. So, after receiving a message that japanese pirates had been spotted up to the north in the Straits of Tsugara, I sent out my little wooden corvette flotilla, with my sole admiral on the hunt. Actually, they intercepted him! They ran headlong into a large group of war junks which sank an element of our proud fleet right away, taking over 800 casualties. My nation's only admiral was killed.
I looked for the survivors that supposedly retreated but they disappered. I believe they were sank as they fled.
I decided to stick to the cheaper war junks as soon as the tradgedy was found out. they only cost me state monies and conscripts to build, whereas; the wooden corvettes require manufactured goods, steel, and officers. if i'm going to dabble it's going to be on the cheap, lol. I laid the keels on 2 new squadrons of war junks, one in Yokohama, the other in Sendai.
Next, since the territory of Okinawa seemed resentful at being under my control, and there was a city with fishing resources to be had, I decided to plant a couple regiments of peasant levies there to try and 'police' the area. After they landed, suddenly it seemed my envoys sent a dispatch to the Okinawans notifying them that our defensive treaty with them was null and void. I deduced my landing 2000 troops on the island must, for some crazed reason, be construed as an act of war?
I made the descision to declare war just to see what would happen, and sure enough the island nation capitulated without a shot the next turn. The regiments marched into the city and set up HQ. They were drawing supply off my war junk flotilla standing offshore for a couple turns, but after marching into the capital they looted 20 supply and 4 ammo from the area.
Next turn I had a rebel uprising on Okinawa to contend with and they beseiged the city. The citizens weren't giving up without a fight. Fortunately this caused a 3200 man, musket-armed garrison force, drawn from the inhabitants of the city, to step up alongside my valiant musketbearers. <chuckle> The stats on the garrison units were nearly better than my occupying force! Still, the power rating of the rebels force outnumbered me. This was going to require additional reinforcements, so I dispatched the junks to Nagasaki to pick up a full provincial brigade to bolster my position.
As soon as the relief force hit the beach the rebels rained a murderous fire down on them from their entrenchments . It took a full 3 rounds of rugged fighting and steady advancing on their position, taking almost 400 casualties, when they finally reached the rebel entrenchments. They saw firsthand the horrors of the fanatical Samauri warriors lopping off limbs and heads with their swords. Many of them turned and routed, but they were chased down to the man. The Brigade completely annihilating the rebel force, taking 2000 of them prisoner.
Strangely enough, after the smoke of the battlefield cleared, I see none other than the instigators of the revolt. The USA had sent 'advisors' to stir up the populace it seems against the emperor! After we so graciously agreed to open our doors of goodwill to the westerners, this is our reward. So be it.