Chapter 526: Weapons for People
Of course, complaints are complaints, and Dong Yanyun also understands the weight of this new suggestion proposed by Haihan.
Since reaching a cooperative relationship with the Haihan people, Xu Xinsu has attached great importance to the various advanced weapons introduced from Haihan, and has been trying every means to expand the quantity and type of purchases. However, this kind of effort has always been suppressed consciously by Haihan, making it difficult for Xu Xinsu to achieve his wish despite having no money.
When the two parties first started cooperating two years ago, Xu Xinsu sent people to carry cash to Victory Port several times to buy arms, but Haihan refused each time because of insufficient production capacity. After visiting a few times, with Xu Xinsu's shrewdness, he could naturally see the reason - the Haihan people did not have insufficient production capacity, but were consciously controlling it. Especially in terms of ammunition supplies and various weapon accessories, Haihan's control is extremely strict. The ammunition reserves of the artillery unit under Xu Xinsu have even been maintained at a level that he considers very dangerous for a long time. If "Eighteen Zhi" Launching an attack on its garrison without hesitation of casualties would mean that this force could maintain its defense for at most two or three days before it would run out of ammunition and food.
Of course, "Eighteen Zhi" does not have so many troops that can be used to make sacrifices regardless of cost. As long as the casualty rate of the attacking troops exceeds a certain ratio, they will inevitably collapse. If Xu Xinsu's troops are to run out of ammunition, then It would really take thousands of lives to make up for it. Zheng Zhilong could not afford such a casualty rate, so the possibility of being hit by the "Eighteen Zhi" and running out of ammunition and food was basically only a theoretical possibility.
But in Xu Xinsu's view, it is difficult to say that there is much sense of security without sufficient ammunition, no, without mastering the technology of manufacturing Haihan weapons and ammunition. Although Xu Xinsu also hired many craftsmen and spent a lot of time secretly studying the original products purchased, they were not able to complete the reverse development. The experimental products that the craftsmen fumbled out were still far from the original ones.
The rifles produced by Haihan can have the same caliber of the same model, and the bullets and parts are completely interchangeable. However, the imitations made by Xu Xinsu's craftsmen are difficult to achieve such a level of sophistication. Although the shooting accuracy at the effective range is not much inferior to that of the Haihan rifle, Xu Xinsu also understands that this kind of rifle, which requires craftsmen to spend many days to build, cannot be mass-produced on a large scale, and the cost has already been high. The price exceeded the purchase price from the Haihan people. To put it bluntly, even if mass production can be achieved, bullets and parts cannot be universal, and the power it can exert on the battlefield will be far less than that of the Haihan rifle.
Not to mention artillery. The casting technology of traditional artillery is destined to have a far lower yield than Haihan artillery, and its cost has no advantage compared to the purchase price. Moreover, in terms of artillery accuracy and performance, it is also inferior to Haihan artillery. There is a certain gap. This difference is not very obvious on the shooting range, but on the battlefield, the impact point of the cannonball is just one or two feet different, and the result is completely different. Most of the artillerymen under Zheng Zhilong died on the coasts of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in the past two years. The fundamental reason was that they were at a disadvantage in the artillery bombardment, and were finally called out by Haihan artillery.
There is another technical problem that the craftsmen cannot overcome, which is Haihan's unique gunpowder. Regardless of gunpowder or gunpowder, Haihan's original gunpowder is more powerful than the ones copied by craftsmen, and this is reflected in the increase in the effective range of the weapon in combat. With the same amount of charge, the difference in range between the original and the counterfeit is very obvious. The difference between the musket and the gun is about one-fifth, while the range of the artillery is an astonishing one-fourth. This is enough to affect a battle on the battlefield. of victory or defeat.
There is another technical obstacle on the artillery that craftsmen cannot overcome, and that is the pull-type ignition tube. This ignition device made of simple chemical principles greatly facilitates the operation of artillery and greatly increases the success rate of firing. In some humid climate conditions, artillerymen no longer need to worry about the moisture problem of the fuse rope.
When this thing first started, it was sold with cannon shells at a ratio of one to five, which meant that you had to buy five original cannon shells to get one detonator. However, the solid iron bullets had no technical content at all. Xu Xinsu’s own blacksmith It can also be made. For him, this business is to stretch his neck and let the Haihan people slaughter him. Naturally, he feels uncomfortable. After a long time, Haihan opened up the purchase of ignition tubes individually, but the price was high and the supply was limited. There is no doubt that this was another deliberate method by the Haihan people.
If he could find another arms dealer with a similar technical level to the Haihan people, Xu Xinsu would probably not be so angry anymore. However, whether it is the Dutch or the Portuguese, the comprehensive performance of the weapons they can provide is still far behind that of the Haihan people, and their supply volume is not as good as that of the Haihan people. So in the end, Xu Xinsu could only purchase arms from Haihan, and his troops became more and more dependent on Haihan's arms.
In addition to guns and guns, Haihan's warship is also one of the purchase targets that Xu Xinsu is extremely interested in. Almost all the officers sent to Victory Port for further training under him have seen the new warships built by Haihan. This kind of artillery arrangement is similar to that of Western warships, but the ship shape is closer to traditional Chinese ships. It is not only powerful in firepower, but also capable of being used at sea. The maneuverability is excellent, far better than the traditional Fuzhou Guangzhou ship. Most of the officers who studied abroad would have one or two opportunities to go out to sea to perform patrol missions on this new ship. After having personal experience, when they returned to Fujian, they all suggested that Xu Xinsu try to purchase this powerful new warship.
However, the Haihan people once again indifferently rejected Xu Xinsu's envoy. Even though the money placed in front of the Haihan people had piled up into a mountain, Xu Xinsu was still unable to obtain permission to purchase such a warship. The lack of a powerful fleet is also one of the important reasons why Xu Xinsu has been unable to break through the Fujian Strait and attack the "Eighteen Zhi" home base on Taiwan Island.
In order to make sure that Malik was not joking to bluff him, Dong Yanyun asked tentatively: "Can I buy a Type 28 rifle?"
"Okay." Maliko nodded immediately and responded.
"What about the Type 28B artillery?"
"No problem."
Dong Yanyun quickly asked: "Is there a limit to the purchase quantity?"
"There is no limit to the quantity! But..." Malik changed the subject and said: "These weapons that were not originally included in the transaction list can only be obtained through population exchange."
Dong Yanyun hesitated and said: "What does Director Ma mean...these weapons cannot be bought directly with money?"
"You are right to understand that." Maliko nodded and said: "The purpose of selling these weapons is to get what we want. It doesn't have to be money, it may also be a living person. I believe that whether it is money Or population, it’s not a big problem for Mr. Xu.”
Dong Yanyun took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to ask: "What about your warship..."
"Want to buy?" Maliko glanced at Dong Yanyun meaningfully. Dong Yanyun seemed to be relieved when he heard Malik's tone, and immediately nodded and said: "As long as you are willing to raise a price, everything can be discussed!"
"The warship is not for sale..." Maliko deliberately wanted to tease Dong Yanyun. Seeing his face darken, he continued: "...but it can be exchanged for other items, Boss Dong, you know!"
"Understand, understand!" Dong Yanyun would be really stupid if he still couldn't understand what Maliko was talking about at this time.
As a qualified staff member, Dong Yanyun was somewhat aware of the importance of population to the ruler. However, he knew better that his boss Xu Xinsu would definitely think that Haihan's warships were more important than the population at this stage. As long as he could exchange for the powerful Haihan warships, what did a few people mean?
Of course, Dong Yanyun did not feel blindly happy immediately. In order to implement this matter, in addition to the cooperation of the Haihan people, there must be an insider. The most suitable candidate is Xu Xinsu. Regarding the population trends in Fujian, Dong Yanyun did not dare to make a direct decision and had to find a way to seek instructions from Xu Xinsu.
"Do you have any detailed rules here, Director Ma? I will rush back to Fujian with the news and ask Mr. Xu to make a decision!" Dong Yanyun made a decision and immediately said goodbye to Malik.
"Of course there are details." Malik took out a document he had prepared: "Tell Boss Xu that we will organize the delivery as soon as the people arrive."
"Without further ado, let's set off now." Dong Yanyun seemed quite eager. After getting the documents provided by Maliko, he left the room almost at a trot.
Dong Yanyun stepped forward, and He Xi came out of the inner room on the back: "It was smoother than I expected. I thought it wouldn't be so easy this time."
"After all, Xu Xinsu is in urgent need of our weapons. If we don't supply him, where can he buy them?" Maliko said proudly: "Whether we want people or money, Dong Yanyun will agree to this deal. He is very happy." It’s clear how much his boss cares about our weapons and equipment.”
"Let's wait for the news next!" He Xi nodded and said, "I think this can probably be done."
Dong Yanyun was not joking. After leaving the Guangdong Office, he didn't even return to his house in the city. He went straight to the dock on the Pearl River and boarded a express boat specially designed for him to return to Quanzhou. However, even though it is a fast ship, it will still take five or six days at the fastest to complete the voyage from Guangzhou to Quanzhou. Therefore, Malik would have to wait at least ten days and a half before receiving the reply from Fujian. As for the actual implementation, I'm afraid we have to wait until 1631.
What also needs to be solved is not just the problem of population demand. After completing the actual occupation of northern Hainan Island, how to gradually realize local rule and block interference from the Ming Dynasty is also a very troublesome matter.
The most correct move Haihan made was to directly uproot the local government agencies after occupying various cities. Officials of rank seven or above who are unwilling to cooperate honestly will be shipped to Black Earth Port for labor reform. Relying on this simple and crude method, the militia groups occupying the northern region successively sent more than 700 people on sea ships to the small coal mines in Annan.
After dismantling local government agencies, Haihan Provisional Management Committees emerged in various places. Each county has a county committee, each state has a state committee, and every prefecture has a Qiongbei Management Committee that governs the northern part of Hainan Island. The pyramid-shaped power structure was quickly re-established.
Of course, Haihan is still under the banner of escrow, and the notices posted on various city gates are still stamped with the seal of the Ming Dynasty government, but the name of the Haihan Provisional Management Committee of a certain area is added at the end. Sign off. If anyone questions this and thinks that the Haihan people have no right to share the power of the Ming government, they will soon be able to enjoy free immigration overseas.
During this period, it was not that no one tried to use force to resist the forced rule of the Haihan people. However, the main force of the Haihan militia is currently concentrated in the newly occupied area of Qiongbei. With the mobile strength of a regiment, even if it is the former The garrison troops gathered together were no match for them. As for those landlords who tried to use cold weapons such as spears and hunting knives to fight against the regular army, they undoubtedly became the training targets of the militia army.
"Fire!" Following the order, four small cannons fired one after another in the field, and immediately stirred up a cloud of sand on a section of wall dozens of feet away.
Those who were attacking a landlord's estate in Chengmai County were the 1st Battalion and 4th Company of the 1st Battalion of the Militia Army, as well as the Artillery Company directly under the 1st Battalion and the Cavalry Company directly under the Regiment Headquarters. Although it was a bit fussy to use three arms to attack this small manor, the commander did not rush to order the infantry to attack immediately. Instead, the artillery was used as the main firepower output, the infantry covered the artillery, and the cavalry served as a mobile force on the periphery. Small siege battles are being practiced as siege battles.
"Look, we assume that the wall on the opposite side is the city wall. Then within the shooting range, we must use firepower to suppress the top of the wall and not give the defenders a chance to show up and fight back..." Yu Tiezhu faced those who were following him. A group of new recruits chatted. After the Prairie Fire Plan, he was promoted to company commander based on his accumulated military exploits, and received an order from his superiors to lead a group of new soldiers.
In the past, young men who recently joined the militia were basically arranged to undergo military training at fixed training sites. It would take two or three months at the earliest before they could officially serve, and they would not be immediately assigned to the front-line battlefield. However, the situation of this batch of new recruits is a bit special. Not only were they sent to the front line as soon as they entered the militia service, but officers like Yu Tiezhu were also arranged to familiarize them with the battlefield environment and explain the combat conditions on the spot.
To be able to receive such special treatment, the identities of this group of people are naturally somewhat unusual.
(End of chapter)