Chapter 1292 Covered by artillery fire
So far, the islands that the Haihan Army has attacked have not been unable to be captured, and there seems to be no precedent for the islands guarded by the Haihan Army to be captured by the enemy. However, using the other's spear and attacking the other's shield, it seems that there should still be a distinction between who is stronger and who is weak. Liu Shang asked after careful consideration: "What is Director Yu's opinion? Do you think the army is stronger than the navy?"
Yu Xiaobao shook his head and said: "There is a problem with your statement. To be precise, on the battlefield of attacking and defending the island, the army is more advantageous. If the Haihan Army is allowed to defend the island, it should be able to repel them. The enemy."
Lu Ting continued what Yu Xiaobao said: "Director Yu is right. If there were no restrictions on weapons, the Army would obviously have a huge advantage in coastal fire defense. It would be difficult for ships attacking the island to land near the coast. Opportunity.”
Liu Shang didn't have any specific knowledge about this. After he came to Hainan Island, he had seen some coastal defense forts built near the port channel in various places. However, because he couldn't get close, he couldn't clearly see the weapons and equipment on the forts. situation, not to mention speculating on the intensity of its firepower. However, considering that Haihan has been entrenched in Hainan Island for so long, and its main ports have not been attacked by foreign enemies, it must be that the fire defense on this coast is indeed quite powerful, so that no one dares to take the initiative to provoke it.
The early development strategy of the Haihan Travelers was to base themselves in Sanya, use limited resources to build a defensive circle, and develop in this remote place. Therefore, Haihan executives have always attached great importance to the coastal defense artillery that guards the port channel. Even in the early stages of crossing, they did not hesitate to spend a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to build forts and create powerful coastal defense artillery to ensure the safety of the port.
The only time the Haihan Army used coastal defense artillery to attack enemies from the sea was not on Hainan Island, but in 1628 when it defeated Liu Xiang's pirate fleet on Wanshan Island at the Pearl River Estuary. The young officer Chen Yixin who commanded the battle at that time , and now he has the responsibility of leading the troops in Shandong.
However, in the following years, Haihan's artillery has undergone several evolutions. Today's coastal defense guns are much more powerful than the old models built in the first two years of time. Even Haihan's own battleships , and it is difficult to withstand the continuous bombardment of coastal defense artillery. Yu Xiaobao and Lu Ting are both relatively familiar with the situation in the army, so they will naturally support the army on this issue.
The officer in charge of the commentary on the ship was obviously from the Navy. Standing nearby, he just looked away in embarrassment, but did not refute their statement. The navy's current firepower shortcomings do exist objectively, and this issue is not worthy of debate. Of course, this shortcoming only applies to Haihan's own army. As for the coastal defenses of other countries, they are probably unable to withstand the close attack of naval guns.
After listening to their answers, Liu Shang became more interested in the combat method of this "island attack exercise". However, he was far away from the front combat fleet at this time. When the battle starts later, will he be able to clearly see the Haihan army on the ship? The battle process is not easy to determine. If you can only watch from a distance like yesterday, then the value of this observation activity will be too low.
When Liu Shang was worried, the ship's officers had already ordered people to take out the tools prepared in advance - a pair of monocular binoculars for each person. This foldable telescope with a barrel body of four sections is one of the products of Haihan Military Industry. It is currently installed on officers above the company level and in some special positions, and is also exported to allied countries in small quantities. Yu Xiaobao is a bit special. He himself has a pair of telescopes that were originally given by Tao Donglai. They are also binoculars brought from the era before time travel. Although they are not military products, their viewing effect is still far better than that of the sea. The telescope that Han can currently build can achieve the level.
Liu Shang was exposed to this thing for the first time. Before he came to Haihan, he had heard that the Haihan people would make a tool called a "telescope" or "telescope" that could magnify distant scenes for observation. Haihan does not sell this thing to the public. Only certain people with special status can get it. Liu Shang naturally has no chance to see it. At this time, I finally saw the real thing. I quickly and carefully took it out of the brocade box. Then, following the officer's instructions, I pulled out the lens tube and started to adjust the focus.
Although Liu Shang did not understand the imaging principle of the glass lens, after adjusting according to the method instructed by the officer, the distant scene seen through the mirror was much clearer, and he could even see clearly the sailors running on the deck of the Haihan battleship a hundred feet away.
"This is really an artifact!" Although Liu Shang is not good at military affairs, he soon realized how useful this thing would be in the military field. If an excellent commander is equipped with this tool, he will definitely be able to use it in the military field. It has an even more powerful effect on the battlefield.
In fact, it was not too late when telescopes were introduced to the Ming Dynasty, but only very few people knew about this thing. Liu Shang also didn’t know that the Ming Dynasty’s former Minister of Rites, Taibao of the Crown Prince, Bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, and Second Assistant to the Cabinet, Mr. Xu Guangqi, had already used the astronomical telescope brought by Italian missionaries a few years ago - that thing was better than this. This kind of handheld telescope is much more advanced. However, it is a pity that Xu Guangqi died of illness in 1633 before he had time to promote its more uses in the Ming Dynasty and before he came into contact with the telescope made by Haihan.
At present, those who can use this thing in the Ming Dynasty are either senior relatives like the Li family in Guangzhou or die-hard allies like the Xu family in Fujian. Ordinary people have only heard of the magical properties of this thing through rumors. place. Moreover, even a small amount of telescopes exported abroad are not as good as the models equipped by Haihan. At this time, the monocular telescopes held by Liu Shang and others were actually export models sold to those with connections abroad. In terms of performance, it is not as good as the telescopes used by the military, but it is enough for watching the excitement.
The use of this monocular telescope is not complicated. Yu Xiaobao and Lu Ting also helped guide everyone. Soon everyone, including Liu Shang, learned how to adjust the focus. While everyone was hurriedly learning how to use the telescope, the fleet had already approached Xieyang Island. Two red flares were launched into the sky from the flagship, marking the official start of today's military exercise.
Of course, Liu Shang also noticed the signal flare in the air, and quickly pointed the lens barrel in the direction of Xieyang Island, fearing that he would miss the exciting live action behind it.
The Haihan fleet has begun to adjust its attack formation, making an arc on the sea. All armed ships are facing the planned landing point on the southern coast of Xieyang Island, so as to tilt the firepower to the target area to the greatest extent. Liu Shang saw from the telescope that there were indeed some fortress-like buildings on the shore. They must have been facilities specially prepared by Haihan for this military exercise to indicate the presence of the defenders. As the leading flagship arrived near the coast, the rumble of cannons was heard from the ship. The sound of the cannons was like the firecrackers set off during the New Year, with continuous banging, but because the port side of the cannon was facing north, it was blocked. Scene of shelling. The ships watching the battle were still behind the fleet for the time being, and could not see the specific situation of the bombardment of the coast from the front, which made Liu Shang almost stamp his feet in anxiety.
After the flagship sailed through the attack area, the next warship had already followed closely and entered the firing position, and continued to bombard targets on the shore almost without interruption. Although Liu Shang could not see the situation on the shore, he had already understood Haihan's tactics, which relied on the numerical advantage of ship-based artillery fire to defeat the defenders on the shore.
This tactic must rely on a sufficient number of ship-borne artillery, because the hit rate of using naval guns to attack targets nearly a hundred feet away during navigation will not be ideal, and can only be supplemented by the density of shelling. However, the Haihan fleet, plus the Accident Army following at the rear, has more than 20 and nearly 30 warships. The number of artillery strikes in one round of shooting like this is at least more than 200. Even if the hit rate is low, there will always be Several shots hit the target. In theory, the shore defense firepower has to be distributed to the bows of so many ships, and it is difficult to sink or severely damage one of the ships in the short time it passes the shooting position.
Of course, if it is Haihan's own coastal defense artillery that can hit a range of several miles, coupled with powerful explosive shells, ships at sea will have to withstand such artillery fire and enter the range of their own naval guns. The pressure will definitely increase exponentially.
When the eighth ship entered the firing position, Liu Shang's ship finally moved around to the side of the battle zone, and the fleet's artillery attack on the land could be clearly seen in the field of view. The naval guns on the side of the battleship fired shells at the fortifications on the shore at a stable frequency. Although these shells were the most primitive solid shells, the huge kinetic energy was enough to destroy all the buildings on its path. From time to time, you could see The cannonballs knocked down the fortress walls on the shore, and the power was indeed very powerful.
The performance of the foreign allies who followed up was also quite satisfactory, but because its hull was smaller, the number and caliber of artillery equipped were not as good as those of the Haihan, so the bombardment effect was naturally slightly worse. But even so, after all participating warships completed a round of attacks on targets on the shore, the several fortresses on the coast had actually been smashed to pieces by artillery shells.
Liu Shang Xindao said that with such a fighting method, even if there were ten or eight cannons mounted on the shore, they would not be able to withstand the bombardment of hundreds of naval guns. It is no wonder that Yu Xiaobao boasted about Haikou before. If it were the army he knew, it would be difficult to hold on until the Haihan Fleet finished this round of artillery fire. Haihan used long-range firepower to sweep away the coastal fortifications. This tactic was indeed quite sharp. It would be difficult for ordinary troops to defend landing points such as ports and docks near the coast.
But the Haihan fleet's attack did not end there. The fleet, which was lined up in a long snake formation on the sea, had already made a big circle and once again cut along the arc towards the landing point on Xieyang Island. The audience finally had time to stop and stretch their hands and feet, adjust their sore eyes, and then listen to the accompanying officer's explanation of the big news just now.
The attack plan for this exercise was jointly formulated by the Haihan Army and commanders from other countries participating in the exercise, and the attack pace was basically the same. Of course, this is the result of the Haihan Navy deliberately slowing down its attack rhythm. Otherwise, if the Haihan warship turns on steam propulsion and increases its horsepower, the frequency of artillery fire pouring onto the shore will increase a lot, but the accompanying military ships behind it may If you can't keep up, it will be difficult to maintain a complete strike formation.
The accompanying officer explained to the crowd: "Our army uses ship-based artillery fire to carry out covering attacks on the enemy's near-shore defense fortifications, which is currently the main assault method used by the navy to implement amphibious landing operations. After the near-shore fortifications are destroyed, the troop carrier will then use artillery fire to Approach the coast under cover and drop the army troops ashore."
Lu Ting also continued what he said: "Usually such tactics are used in narrow landing areas, where the enemy has built coastal defenses, or in dangerous and defensive coastal areas. As for the impact of the attack, I believe everyone has seen it."
Liu Shangxin thought that the Haihan Army dared to show off its own tactics. This kind of confidence was indeed justified. These South China Sea countries that were invited to observe the exercise saw the methods used by the Haihan Army, and I am afraid they will not have much resistance. I wonder which country's port dares to say that it can withstand such artillery bombardment. As for fighting at sea and trying to defend the enemy outside the country, the odds of winning will be even lower. The Haihan fleet only needs to rely on the high speed and maneuverability brought by steam power to be able to outsmart its opponents at sea.
While they were talking, the Haihan fleet had already returned from the sea, and the second round of shore bombardment had landed on the coast. This time the audience has reached the best viewing position and can watch the shelling process from beginning to end. The "Dignity-class" flagship has more than twenty side cannons. The visual effect of firing a barrage of cannons is indeed quite shocking. Although Liu Shang's position was a mile away from the coast covered by artillery fire, it was not difficult to imagine the earth-shaking despair on the defender's position. If we really want to fight such an asymmetrical war with the Haihan Army, our own position will have to be plowed up by artillery shells before the enemy has even seen them. This feeling can be said to be quite uncomfortable.
The other spectators on the boat were in a much more relaxed mood than Liu Shang. Whenever a cannonball accurately hit the fortress on the shore, someone would definitely cheer in celebration. It may be difficult for these people to have the opportunity to set foot on a real battlefield in their lifetime. It is naturally difficult to suppress the excitement in their hearts when they can watch the troops' military exercises with live ammunition from this distance. Although Liu Shang felt sad, he also understood that if the Haihan Navy were replaced by the Ming Navy, he would probably shout louder than these people.
After this long line of battleships used cannonballs to hit the fortifications near the shore again, looking through the telescope, no fort could still maintain its intact appearance, and most of them had collapsed to pieces. Looks like it.
(End of chapter)