Chapter 653

1778 in a heavy snow.

In this year, the war of independence was particularly hot.

Because the stone bear quietly threw a small stone into the river of history (under the order of the stone bear, the ninth division of the stormy bear army stationed in Buffalo launched a artillery attack on Barry St. Redge), there was a small ripple in the river of history, and then a series of reactions led to some subtle changes in the war of independence in 1778.

Without the victory of Saratoga, the British army, which had fallen into decline in the original historical time and space, was still strong in this time and space.

Although the battle of Saratoga cost the army and the British a lot of people, it aggravated the hatred between the two sides.

That's a total of more than 10000 casualties. It's the biggest casualty battle in the war of independence at this time.

Although France declared war on Britain in early March 1778, Julian Luc, commander of the Guadeloupe fleet of the Royal French navy, once again asked the stone bear to throw a larger stone into the river of history.

Because of the loss of all the main ships of the Guadeloupe fleet, the Royal French navy, which was at a disadvantage in the Atlantic Ocean, was even worse when facing the Royal British navy.

In the original historical time and space, the Guadeloupe fleet did not lose much. On the contrary, the fleet based on Guadeloupe, under the command of Julian Luc, dealt a heavy blow to British merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

It was because of the containment of the Guadeloupe fleet that it became more difficult for the British troops in North America to obtain supplies from their native land, which led to the whole situation of the war of independence leaning towards the army.

But now, the Guadeloupe fleet is gone, and the strength of the Royal French navy, which is already at a disadvantage, has become weaker. Therefore, the British merchant ships sailing in the Atlantic Ocean can continue to replenish the British forces in North America.

In the original historical time and space, on June 18 of this year, because of the shortage of supplies and troops, the former British commander in North America, General William Howe, led the army to defeat Philadelphia, which was handed over to the army in vain.

The British had to retreat to New York.

The decision to give up Philadelphia was made by Henry Clinton, who just took office. Moreover, in the process of British forces retreating to New York, British lords, the second generation Earl of Cornwallis and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, deputy commander of British forces in North America, had another fierce fight with the army near Monmouth.

The battle of Monmouth was a draw, but it became the last large-scale battle in the northern battlefield. Two years after the battle of Monmouth, the British army retreated in New York, while watsonton built a crescent line on the Hudson River highland overlooking the city to monitor the movement of the British army. Strategically, the U.S. military has lost an excellent opportunity to inflict heavy losses on the British forces.

But in this time and space, because of the lack of the support of the Royal French Navy's Guadeloupe fleet, the British still had an advantage in the northern battlefield.

Henry Clinton still succeeded William Haocheng as commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America, and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis became deputy commander-in-chief. However, the arrogant Lieutenant General Henry Clinton was not a good commander in chief. His character led him to be out of step with his subordinates.

Although Cornwallis was only deputy commander in chief, Cornwallis was a real aristocrat with the title of the second generation Earl of Cornwallis on his head. Before the war of independence, Cornwallis was once an adjutant to the king of England and was deeply trusted by the king of England.

As for Henry Clinton, he was only awarded the rank of Lord of the British Empire by the king of England in 1777, and he was brought up by the Duke of Newcastle. Therefore, the two senior generals of the British army were very difficult to deal with and had deep contradictions.

Henry Clinton was the penultimate commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America in the war of independence. It was in his hands that the British forces, which had been dominant, finally failed.

Mainly because of his arrogant and arrogant character, Henry Clinton was not well received by his subordinates. Even George Germain, the British colonial minister, believed that collinton's subordinates were unwilling to comply with collinton's orders, and collinton had always regarded himself as the sole commander.

As for Cornwallis, he has always been more sympathetic to the people of the thirteen colonies in North America, so there is a deep contradiction between him and his immediate superior, Colin Clinton.

However, despite the deep contradictions between the two senior generals, the British still occupied Philadelphia, and did not give Philadelphia to the army in vain, as in the original historical time and space.

At this time, Henry Clinton was in Philadelphia, commanding his men and the army. In this time and space, the battle of Monmouth did not break out, but there were several more battles larger than the battle of Monmouth.

And now Spain has not declared war on Britain, and the Royal French Navy's hunting of British merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean is far from enough, so lieutenant general Clinton is planning to attack the south.

In the original historical time and space, it took 1780 for British troops to enter the southern battlefield. Henry Clinton, who was stationed in New York at that time, led 14000 regular British troops, with the assistance of general Mariotte abasnott of the Royal Navy, to attack Charleston, a military town in South Carolina, directly from both land and sea.

In the end, Henry Clinton successfully defeated Charleston, and after three years of mediation, the relationship between Clinton and Cornwallis has eased, so when Clinton defeated Charleston, Cornwallis was stationed in Charleston.

Although this move made the British army have an important military town in the southern battlefield, it foreshadowed the complete failure of the British army in the final war of independence.

Of course, the stone bear will not let this end happen again in the original historical time and space, so he let Dahe kill the Guadeloupe fleet of the Royal French navy, which relieved the great pressure on the British army.

It is precisely for this reason that Clinton is now planning to attack Charleston again in order to repay his hatred of being defeated in his first attack on Charleston in June 1776.

Collinton is not as weak as he was when he first attacked Charleston in June 1776. Now the commander-in-chief of Clinton has no restriction from anyone above. He has a strong army below and the supply line at sea is relatively safe. Therefore, he decided to launch the second battle of Charleston in the near future.

His idea is very good. At present, the war of independence only burns in the northern battlefield. As the rear base of the army, the southern battlefield is still calm.

Once Charleston is captured by British forces, they will have an important port fortress in the south, and Royal Navy warships can also directly reach the southern battlefield.

Once the British forces could gain a firm foothold in the south, the whole situation of the war of independence would be directly determined by the North-South attack.