Chapter 704 Combat Preparatory Meeting
At that moment, someone else asked: "I heard that this time I went to Fujian to fight against Shiba Zhi. Has Mr. Cao ever fought against Shiba Zhi before?"
"When I followed the chief to fight against Shibazhi at the mouth of the Pearl River, you guys didn't even know which way the Victory Fort gate opened!" Lao Cao couldn't help but show off his qualifications again: "After I joined the militia, The first battle we fought was against Shiba Zhi in Guangdong! I think Liu Xiang was considered a hegemon along the Guangdong coast at the time, and even the Ming Dynasty Navy did not dare to show off his strength. He relied on his strength and led his fleet to attack. Wanshan Port. Hehe... It was only then that I saw the power of my own artillery! Almost half of the fleet brought by Liu Xiang was left at Wanshan Port, and the remaining ships were We fought all the way to Chaozhou Prefecture. He was lucky to have escaped that time.”
"The Battle of Wanshan Port happened more than three years ago. I guess it must be easier to defeat Shibazhi now that we have the 'Dignity Class' cannon ships, right?" Someone asked in a very flattering tone.
"Of course!" Lao Cao said excitedly. He reached into his pocket and took out his cigarette and fired it. Someone next to him immediately took out a match and lit it for him. Lao Cao took two puffs, and then continued: "There are a lot of cannons on this Blue Shark, right? But it's not even half of the 'Dignity Class'. Think about how the 'Dignity Class' fired the cannons." How fierce was it? It was a pity that I was not able to participate in the battle against the Red Haired People in Fujian last year. I heard that our ship fired a broadside salvo and half-killed the Red Haired People's gunboat, and finally escaped. There are only two boats left.”
"It would be great if I could serve on a 'dignity-class' gunship in the future!" The sailors' eyes showed envy. The "Blue Shark" often serves as a frigate for the "Dignity-class" main battleship in the fleet during daily training. Therefore, these sailors have seen the majestic appearance of the "Dignity-class" at close range more than once, with its huge hull, tall The masts, the densely packed gunboats, and the mysterious power propulsion device on the ship are all the reasons why the sailors are yearning for it. And if you can serve on the flagships of various navy fleets, it will be a very honorable thing to tell.
"There is definitely a chance, but you have to work hard!" Lao Cao exhaled a puff of smoke and said: "As long as you have more than one year of military service, you can sign up for the selection. You guys are fast, and it will be enough in less than half a year. Qualified. But if you can achieve success in this mission, you may have a chance to get special approval from the leaders.”
After Lao Cao said these words, the eyes of the sailors around him lit up, and they secretly counted the length of their service in their hearts. The requirements for sailors on the flagship are much higher than those on ordinary warships. The restrictions are not only on the number of years of enlistment, but also on professional skills, background, etc. Only those who are loyal to the executive committee and have strong professional skills will have the opportunity to be selected to serve on the flagship.
"Boss Cao, there is a semaphore on the flagship, asking us to slow down and wait for the troop transport ship behind." Someone came over and reported.
"Don't just stand there stupidly, do your work!" Lao Cao stood up, rolled the half-finished cigarette on the mast and extinguished it, put it back in his pocket, and then began to instruct the sailors to adjust the sails.
Due to the relatively large scale of the fleet traveling this time, many of the ships were traditional Fuchuan and Guangzhou ships, which were slower than the Haihan warships. Therefore, the entire fleet could only slow down its progress. Four days later, the expeditionary force arrived at Zhennan Port in the south of Hong Kong Island.
At this time, Zhennan Port has completely entered a state of military control, civil institutions have been completely evacuated from here, and all civilian ships are prohibited from entering the bay between Ap Lei Chau and Hong Kong Island. After the fleet docks at Zhennan Port, it will have a short rest for one day. The army and navy troops that have been mobilized here will join the fleet and head east together.
On April 7, the fleet expanded to 62 ships and set sail from Zhennan Port, sailed south around Huangmajiao, and then headed northeast while maintaining a distance of about 20 nautical miles from the coast. The ships encountered along the way all looked sideways at this huge fleet flying the red and blue Haihan flags and gave way to the waterway one after another. Fortunately, these merchants also knew that Haihan had never robbed civilians, so even if they were shocked, no one would flee for their lives out of fear.
On April 11, the vanguard of the fleet sailed past Nan'ao Island and entered Fujian waters. The Fujian Navy also dispatched five warships to greet and guide the arrival of the Haihan fleet.
Since the Executive Committee decided to adjust its strategy for Shibazhi, hoping to exert pressure through various methods to force it to voluntarily abandon Penghu, the large force did not choose the night time when entering the waters near Kinmen like the previous fleets. , but drove into Weitou Bay in a mighty manner during the day, advocating force without any hesitation.
Xu Xinsu, the commander-in-chief of Fujian Province, and the civil and military officials from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, who rushed to Kinmen Island to greet the Haihan fleet, could not help but be stunned when they saw this huge fleet. The prefect of Zhangzhou said in a low voice: "I finally understand why the Haihan people insist on expanding the dock on Kinmen Island. It turns out that they will send so many warships!"
Next to him, the prefect of Quanzhou also responded: "It seems that the Haihan people have come out with all their elite this time, and the overall situation can be decided!"
The three "Weight-class" main warships sent by Haihan to Fujian to participate in the war were all in this huge fleet. Although some local Ming officials had seen the "Weight Signal" that visited Penghu with the mission last year, But this time three such large warships appeared at the same time, and the visual impact was much greater than the previous time. Some generals who had watched the battle with Xu Xinsu last year still remembered how the "power signal" single-handedly defeated the fleet deployed by Shiba Zhi on Nanri Island. Now, three of the invincible gunboats they thought of came at once. Just seeing these few ships was enough to make them full of confidence in victory in this war.
In addition to the three flagships, there are also a total of thirty combat ships of two smaller classes. The "Exploration-class" warship, regarded as a treasure by the Fujian Navy, only serves as peripheral reconnaissance in Haihan's fleet. , escort and other tasks, which made a group of officers of the Fujian Navy very greedy.
"Sir, General Yan from the Haihan Militia has arrived."
After Xu Xinsu heard the report from his subordinates, he stood up and greeted: "Everyone, General Yan from Haihan has landed. Please go with me to greet him."
Xu Xinsu can personally feel the importance Haihan attaches to this expedition. This time not only a huge combat fleet and a sizable army force were sent from Sanya, but even the leaders of the Haihan Militia personally went to Fujian. Xu Xinsu did not dare to show off his official airs and specially brought two states with him. Civil and military officials and their entourage came to Kinmen Island to welcome the arrival of Yan Chujie and Haihan troops.
"Long time no see, General Yan is still so majestic! Thank you for your hard work along the way!" Xu Xinsu greeted loudly from a distance. "Master Xu, you're welcome! Everyone is working for the Ming Dynasty, and the hard work and other things are ignored!" Yan Chujie responded with a smile. In this kind of public situation, he knew very well what kind of attitude he should adopt to make these Ming officials look good.
Sure enough, after Xu Xinsu heard this, the expression on her face became much brighter: "Thanks to everyone in Haihan for their understanding of righteousness and willingness to serve the country. I and the people of Fujian are very grateful!"
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"Master Xu loves the people like his own children and takes great care of our Haihan clan. When we can help, we will certainly not be vague. Besides, these Eighteen Zhi are indeed abominable. Killing them is also doing justice to heaven. Master Xu is promoted, and we We at Haihan have always been happy to make a fortune and get the best of both worlds." Yan Chujie is also a proven talker. In addition, he has been in a high position for the past few years, so it is not easy for him to communicate with an official like Xu Xinsu. You won't be left behind.
The welcoming ceremony on the pier and the reception banquet that followed were just routine parts. The real discussion of business had to wait until the next day's combat preparation meeting.
In fact, the two sides had communicated many times before about the big battle strategy. Wang Tom came to Fujian in advance in order to coordinate the battle arrangements between the two armies. However, due to the recent clues revealed by Shibazhi, Haihan's strategy has been adjusted. This also requires further communication with the Fujian side. Otherwise, if one wants to fight and the other wants to let go, problems will easily arise.
"What is the latest trend of Shibazhi? Can we confirm that they are really ready to give up Penghu and flee?" Tao Donglai quickly got to the point after the meeting began: "Only after this is confirmed, we can discuss the next step. Ways to deal with it.”
"According to the information sent back two days ago, Shibazhi has not reinforced its stronghold in Penghu. In addition, a small fleet has recently returned to Penghu from other places. It is said that this fleet went to Ryukyu." Xu Jiaqi responded: "We suspect that Shibazhi intends to move to Ryukyu, but there is currently no conclusive evidence. In addition, the news spread in Zhejiang has also worked. The governor of Zhejiang has recently sent a message asking about Shibazhi's plan to attack the coast of Zhejiang in the near future. Is the news true? ”
"I believe Mr. Xu has given Zhejiang a satisfactory answer?" Yan Chujie looked at Xu Xinsu and asked.
Xu Xinsu nodded slightly and said: "This matter is absolutely true. Even the pirates' statements about where they attacked first and where they attacked later were sent to Zhejiang. I believe that in a few days, there will inevitably be a lot of chaos on the islands along the coast of Zhejiang. Jump.”
Yan Chujie smiled slightly. Even if Xu Xinsu didn't elaborate, he could roughly imagine what actions the Zhejiang government would take after receiving such a reply. It is estimated that this kind of news will soon reach the ears of the local spies installed by Shibazhi, and then be fed back to Zheng Zhilong. Even if Zheng Zhilong originally had the idea of going to Zhejiang to occupy an island, he would probably reconsider it after learning what was going on there.
Xu Xinsu continued: "The day before yesterday, you proposed a hasty war. The chance of success in encircling and suppressing Shiba Zhi was low. You wanted to drive it out of Penghu. I think it is feasible. However, Zheng Zhilong has always been cunning, and there is no conclusive evidence to prove Shiba Zhi. Zhi Hui took the initiative to abandon Penghu. Maybe he was trying to lure us into sending troops early. I wonder what General Yan thinks?"
Yan Chujie responded: "Of course we have also thought of this possibility, so we still mobilized troops according to the original battle plan. Regardless of whether Shibazhi escapes or not, we are ready for a big battle. Escape, we The main strategy is to drive them away. If they don’t want to escape, destroy their ships as much as possible and cut off their escape routes.”
Xu Xinsu said: "Then what are you worried about now?"
"It's mainly about the adaptation of the troops and logistical supplies." Yan Chujie explained: "Among the militia troops who came to Fujian to participate in the war this time, there were not many soldiers from Fujian. When they first arrived, the troops may be acclimatized. I believe that Master Xu can also understand.”
Xu Xinsu nodded and said: "If such a situation occurs, it will indeed affect the combat effectiveness. I have ordered famous doctors from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou to be on standby. All kinds of medicinal materials can be used at will. In addition, rice grains will be supplied to you. Vegetables, including the water provided by the newly built reservoir on Kinmen Island, are all inspected by dedicated personnel to ensure that there are no mistakes in the diet. ”
"Master Xu is very interested!" Yan Chujie thanked him first, and then continued: "As for logistical supplies, we originally hoped to use three months to transport the combat materials to the Kinmen base in advance. However, due to the unexpected situation in Penghu, The combat supplies we have shipped so far are only about half of what we planned. This means that if the war lasts longer or the intensity of the battle exceeds the original plan, we may end up with a truce midway due to insufficient ammunition or other supplies."
"General Wang has mentioned this to me before. I have a solution. I wonder if General Yan can listen to it?" Xu Xinsu responded.
"Sir, please speak."
"Within two days, I can mobilize a fleet of 100 sea-going ships in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and immediately go south to Sanya to transport the supplies needed for your army's operations. If everything goes well, it will be ready in about 20 days. It can go back and forth, so it should be enough to meet the needs of the battle." Xu Xinsu proposed his plan: "If one trip cannot be completed, then within ten days after this fleet sets off, I can organize another one of the same size. The fleet goes south. The transportation of supplies between the two fleets within ten days may be able to solve the problem that your army is worried about, right?”
This solution can only be described as "simple and crude", but Yan Chujie had to admit that Xu Xinsu's suggestion could completely solve the supply problem that Haihan was worried about - at least it met the standard in terms of transportation capacity. And the scale of a hundred sea-going ships is not needed at all, probably half of it is enough. If the Haihan militia has not been able to take Penghu by the time the supplies are exhausted, then stop fighting as soon as possible. No one in the militia can afford to lose this person.
(End of chapter)