Chapter 797 Secret Investigation
How many people in the world would dislike glory, wealth, fame and wealth? Although Gao Qiaonan came from a humble background and had a heart to repay Qian Tiandun, it did not mean that he would be repelled by these things. It's just that he has been with Qian Tiandun since he joined the team, and he has almost never thought of becoming independent. Even if he has such an opportunity, he only thinks about how to obtain more benefits for his master. If Qian Tiandun hadn't taken the initiative to mention this aspect, he probably wouldn't have even thought about it in this direction.
After Gao Qiaonan left the office with a complicated mood, Chen Yixin said: "Brother Qian, do you really plan to let Gao Qiaonan command the attack on Taipei?"
"He can try the Spanish stronghold in Tamsui. The Spanish only have a few troops there, which is similar to the situation on Ampurna Island. With Takahashi Nan's ability, it will definitely be no problem to take over the place. It just depends on the cost. Just how much." Qian Tiandun responded calmly: "With our maritime strength, it is not a big problem to block the mouth of Tamsui River. Once the war starts, the Spaniards will not be able to withstand our offensive, and there will be only one way to retreat locally. Just retreat to Jilong Port through the Taipei Basin, and then I will take over the command personally.”
"I'm not worried about Gao Qiaonan's ability, I'm worried that someone in Sanya will use Gao Qiaonan's identity to make trouble." Chen Yixin explained.
"Takahashi Minami is an old naturalized citizen who was naturalized in 1628. He has been loyal since joining the army and has won many military exploits. Besides, there are also many foreign naturalized civilian officers in the militia. Wu Sen has long been in the navy. He became a captain, but no one said anything about it. Qian Tiandun was very disdainful: "If anyone really makes trouble with his identity, I will go back to Sanya and slap him in the face personally."
Regarding the use and restriction of naturalized citizens, there have always been different voices within Haihan. With the rapid expansion of Haihan's control area and population, the situation of naturalized civilian cadres occupying high positions will gradually begin to appear. This is an inevitable historical trend that no one can deviate from. However, the position of senior officer in the army is relatively sensitive. Many people still have the idea that "people who are not of my race must have different hearts" and are not particularly reassured about foreign naturalized civilian officers. In particular, Minami Takahashi's Japanese background brings with him a hatred value. No matter how excellent his performance is, it will be difficult for everyone to eliminate their identity prejudice against him.
However, Qian Tiandun's attitude on this matter is very clear, that is, he will firmly protect his shortcomings, and he will cause trouble for anyone who causes trouble for Gao Qiaonan. Moreover, he will not be like those travelers who stayed on Hainan Island. He will not take into account the daily relationship with colleagues who look up but not look down. There are many things that are difficult to say without shame. For him, except for a limited number of people who deserve the necessary respect, Others are nothing special. Anyway, his current position in the Haihan military is irreplaceable, and he does not need to give too much face to people outside the military.
"Then when are you going to take action against the Spaniards?" Chen Yixin didn't want to talk too much about Gao Qiaonan's personal affairs, so he took the initiative to change the topic.
"We have to wait." Qian Tiandun explained: "As for the local situation, we can't completely believe the little blacksmith's words. We still have to find ways to collect more information. If possible, I would also like to send A reconnaissance team went to the local area to investigate the surrounding environment and refine the details of the combat plan. ”
Chen Yixin responded understandingly: "Brother Qian wants me to go?"
Qian Tiandun nodded without hesitation and said: "I have this idea, but this matter must be kept completely confidential, so I just asked you to come back in the telegram without mentioning the specific matter. If this matter had been sent in advance Once opened, people will inevitably make irresponsible remarks.”
Previously, the Penghu garrison carried out reconnaissance on Taiwan Island, and even sent troops directly to Damuan Port to threaten the Dutch with force. In fact, it was Qian Tiandun's idea, and it was not an action after approval by the Executive Committee. After the news was sent back to Sanya, there was still some criticism within Haihan about this unauthorized action, just because the effect of the action in Penghu was indeed impeccable and brought practical benefits to Haihan, so that the executive committee was informed of the situation. Instead, many temporary measures were taken to remedy the imperfections in military operations.
Of course, this was mainly because Qian Tiandun managed things beautifully. If he failed, he would inevitably have to face a storm. Moreover, he knew very well that this kind of behavior could easily give outsiders a handle to attack the military, so before taking the next step, he did not want the news to leak out in advance. He did not tell Chen Yixin the truth in the telegram because he was afraid that Chen Yixin would spill the beans to An Xi in a hurry. Although Anxi is not an anti-war faction, there is no guarantee that he will not spread the news further after learning about it.
Chen Yixin responded: "It takes about two days to get to Tamsui Road and back, and four or five days before and after are enough. But you have to help me come up with a reason to say hello to Coach Anxi, otherwise he will definitely disappear if I disappear for so many days for no reason. Will be suspicious.”
Qian Tiandun was already prepared for this: "I have already thought about this reason. I will send a telegram tomorrow to say that you fell ill with wind and cold after arriving in Penghu and need to rest for a week. This way you will not be injured during your mission. You don’t have to show up in Penghu to show off your presence, so you won’t leak anything.”
Chen Yixin nodded and said: "It is indeed a good idea to ask for sick leave. Are the manpower ready?"
"I transferred the reconnaissance platoon directly under the battalion headquarters to you. They are all veterans for more than three years and have participated in the first two island landing operations. What do you think?" Qian Tiandun asked.
"You have sent me the best of the best, so what can I say?" Chen Yixin said with a smile: "Those veterans are much better than me in the wild. I am not leading them, they are leading me." That’s right.”
Chen Yixin has been transferred to Qian Tiandun for some time and has a relatively clear understanding of the personnel composition of the special operations battalion. Most of the veterans like Takahashi Nan who joined Qian Tiandun's command in the early days have been promoted to company and platoon-level officers based on their accumulated military exploits. However, there are also some veterans who were originally formed as special operations companies and still serve in the most elite reconnaissance team to this day.
This is not because Qian Tiandun treats one differently than others, but because some people are not born to be commanders and are more suitable for performing tasks on the front line. It may not be a good thing to rashly place them in other positions. On the contrary, if you stay in the reconnaissance platoon, you can not only make use of your specialties, but also train successors through the old and the new. Although these veterans have not been promoted in military positions, their military ranks and treatment do not lag behind their comrades in the same period. Moreover, with the increase in their experience in the southern and northern wars, their combat experience has become richer. Even in the special operations battalion, they are a special force. It is not an exaggeration to call the team "the elite among the elite" by Chen Yixin. The establishment of the special operations battalion has always exceeded the standard configuration, and the reconnaissance platoon is no exception. It currently maintains an establishment of 58 people, which is almost double the number of people compared with the regular military system. The luxurious equipment of four snipers in the platoon-level establishment is unique among the entire Haihan Militia.
As for personal equipment, it is enough to make colleagues in the special operations battalion covetous. The camouflage uniforms that were used as uniforms for militia groups in the early days have now been replaced by gray military uniforms. Currently, only the reconnaissance platoon of the special operations battalion still uses camouflage uniforms as military uniforms during field operations. Although this kind of fancy military uniforms are not It conforms to the aesthetics of this era, but when wearing this kind of clothes becomes a symbol of a special status, many people will also work hard towards it as their own goal.
Currently, other militia units are gradually equipping company-level commanders with binoculars, but in the reconnaissance platoon, every squad has one, which is enough to make colleagues envious and jealous. Similar to this, there are grenades that are still in the hand-made trial production stage. This thing is not a primary fire starter such as an oil-filled clay pot thrown in military operations at the same time, but an explosive type that actually imitates the Mark II. Grenades. Just because it is difficult to manufacture and the raw materials are not easy to prepare, it is currently impossible to adopt the assembly line production method. Each one is hand-made by technicians in the Sanya military train workshop. The cost is almost the same as a Type 31 Army rifle, and even the special operations battalion does not have one. Large area equipment, only the reconnaissance platoon can receive one per person each time they go on a mission.
In addition, there are the latest field compasses, water purifiers, self-heating marching rations, multi-functional engineer shovels, portable tents, etc., and many black technology equipment that are still in the trial production stage and have not been installed on a large scale. Individual soldiers in the reconnaissance platoon It can be seen in the equipment. In Yan Chujie’s words, apart from the fact that the performance of the main weapons has not kept up, the equipment level of this group of people has at least reached the level of “late World War I and early World War II”. Although it is still not comparable to the personal equipment of the time traveler officers, But it is far beyond the level of this era.
Such a small elite unit with rich combat experience, sophisticated weapons and equipment, and a high level of training performs tasks such as infiltration, reconnaissance, assassination, and sabotage in enemy-controlled areas. As long as it is not surrounded by large forces, it is basically useless. It is very likely that there will be large casualties. Otherwise, Qian Tiandun would not be able to arrange for Chen Yixin to lead the expedition alone for safety reasons. After all, he is considered a key training target within the military and cannot easily get into trouble.
"There are a few key points that you should pay attention to during the reconnaissance of Tamsui stronghold." Qian Tiandun warned: "First, there is a gap of more than 300 years between the map we have and the current actual situation of Tamsui, especially the estuary and coastline. The topography of such places will vary greatly, and we need to revise the data we have based on the results of field surveys.”
Having the global satellite map at hand is one of Haihan's more important advantages. It is like a plug-in that directly opens the map in real-time battle games. This can save a lot of time spent exploring unknown areas during the expansion process. time. But this skill is not flawless. After hundreds of years of vicissitudes, the actual terrain of many places is significantly different from the map information Haihan has. Therefore, when performing combat missions, the military will generally still be very cautious. Conduct on-the-spot reconnaissance first and revise any inaccuracies on the map to ensure that the commander will not assign troops to seize non-existent beachheads or highlands during combat.
Chen Yixin was no longer a newcomer, so he naturally understood this and nodded silently to show that he had remembered it.
Qian Tiandun continued: "Second, if it is not necessary, try to hide your whereabouts as much as possible during the operation, do not contact anyone, and avoid direct confrontation with the Spaniards. If there is a chance to catch someone alive, you must make sure that nothing is missed and do not alert the snake. ”
Qian Tiandun paused and then said: "Third, try to verify what the blacksmith said, especially the stronghold's urban defense firepower configuration and the location of the preset landing area. If the distance is not suitable for using naval gun cover For landing tactics, we must make an action plan early.”
Chen Yixin smiled and said: "Don't worry, I will remember these things. If there is nothing else, I will go back and pack my things first."
"Don't be anxious, there is one last thing." Qian Tiandun said solemnly: "In any case, ensure your personal safety first, everything else is secondary, including the mission you want to perform. You are done If you leave whole, you will come back whole.”
Chen Yixin also put away his smile and nodded in response: "Brother Qian, don't worry, I still care about my little life."
"Then you go and prepare first. When it gets dark, we will arrange to board the ship and set off." After Qian Tiandun finalized the matter, he got up to see off the guests: "I have two more meetings later, so I won't go to the pier to see you off. When you come back from Tamsui, I’ll prepare a banquet for you to enjoy!”
In order to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, Qian Tiandun did not directly mobilize the navy's ship to carry out this secret investigation mission. Instead, he used the contacts at hand to rent a Guangzhou ship from the Fujian Chamber of Commerce a week in advance. Of course, in order to ensure that the news would not leak out, all the crew and sailors on the ship were replaced by personnel from the Haihan Militia.
After dusk fell, the soldiers of the reconnaissance platoon, who had long been ready to go, boarded the ship in a quiet atmosphere, carrying large and small bags on their backs. Their actions have always been military secrets, and there will not be many people rushing to the dock to cheer and greet them like when large armies go on expeditions and triumphs. Most ordinary people under Haihan's rule don't even know that there are still people in the militia army. Such an elite existence.
Chen Yixin rushed to the pier in a covered carriage. He didn't stop after getting off the car, and went straight onto the boat carrying a large bag of his equipment. After a while, the sailors on the ship unmoored the moorings and raised the sails, used poles to slowly push the ship away from the dock, and silently sailed out of Magong Port, quickly blending into the night. In the next few days, this force will complete a series of reconnaissance operations in northern Taiwan.
(End of chapter)