Chapter 2709
When the combined fleet passed through the Hirado Strait, Shi Chengwu invited everyone in the mission to come to the deck to recall the battle that happened here seventeen years ago.
The Battle of Hirado is a famous event written into the history textbooks of Haihan. Anyone who is a young generation who grew up under the dual banner of Haihan must have learned this lesson. During the training in military academies, officers of the Haihan Army must study this classic amphibious landing battle and master the various tactics used by their predecessors in attacking such large islands.
Therefore, except for Zhu Zian, everyone present knew more or less about that war. Being lucky enough to come to the legendary battlefield means a lot to them. Shi Chengwu even moved a map to the deck to recreate the war for everyone.
Zhu Zian indeed knew very little about this. He bought a few books while waiting for the mission to set off in Zhoushan, and learned some information about the Battle of Hirado from the books, but he only knew that the Haihan Army was involved in this battle. They defeated the Hirado Navy Fleet, known as Japan's No. 1 Navy, and burned Hirado Port, Japan's most important foreign trade port at the time. As for the cause and effect of this matter, and the combat process, he didn't know anything about it.
However, it was a rare opportunity for experts to explain this war. Zhu Zian would not miss it and stood close to Shi Chengwu to listen to his explanation. Although Shi Chengwu did not personally experience this war, because he served in the East China Sea Fleet and had been here more than once, he knew the Battle of Hirado better than others and was qualified to serve as an explanation.
"Everyone, the front is the Hirado Strait, and the west coast is Hirado Island. Later we will slow down and sail through Hirado Port, but Hirado Port at this time is very different from seventeen years ago. It's just It’s an ordinary fishing port, so you don’t have to have high expectations.” After Shi Chengwu briefly explained the current location and next arrangements, he began to talk about the war that year.
After Zhu Zian listened for a while, he realized that Haihan sent troops to attack Hirado because the Hirado clan colluded with the pirate armed forces of the Ming Dynasty, and the so-called "Eighteen Shiba" pirate gang happened to be Haihan's old enemy. This is the only battle.
But for Haihan, the significance of this battle goes far beyond the elimination of hostile armed forces. After the war, the Haihan Army undoubtedly became the strongest force in the East China Sea and the Korean Strait, which played a great role in promoting the expansion of Haihan's influence in the Japanese archipelago. Later, the Haihan armed fleet patrolled the Japanese islands to declare force, and signed a trade treaty with the Japanese shogunate, which went very smoothly. It also had a certain relationship with the original Battle of Hirado. Shi Chengwu even unabashedly called it The battle that established Haihan's authority in Japan.
Zhu Zian raised his hand to signal, Shi Chengwu nodded and said, "What's the problem with Zian?"
Zhu Zian said: "The waterway here is narrow and it is an important waterway from south to north. It also has the basis of the Hirado clan's operation for many years and a ready-made port. So when the Haihan army attacked this place, why didn't they just occupy it directly and burn it completely? , and looking for another harbor nearby to establish a base? ”
Ishige Takeda: "Your idea is correct, but objective conditions have limited the development prospects here. The Hirado Strait has a dangerous terrain, but it lacks a natural port that meets the needs of our Haihan Army, making it difficult to station a large fleet. Although Hirado Port It was Japan’s main port for foreign trade at that time, but its conditions were not ideal, not much different from Asu Bay on Tsushima Island that we had just visited.”
Zhu Zian said in surprise: "Is it similar to Asu Bay? Why are all Japanese ports so petty?"
Takeda Ishige: "This may also be a means of control by the shogunate. Although these vassal states have obtained the authority for foreign trade, because the ports are too small, there will be an upper limit no matter how they operate. When the shogunate is free, they can start a new business to take back the management rights. It is also difficult for these small ports to be competitive enough. For example, Nagasaki Port in the south operates in this way. Before the Hirado War, many commercial establishments from Western countries left Hirado Port and moved to Nagasaki Port. ”
Zhu Zian suddenly said: "Then the natural conditions of Nagasaki Port must be much better than here." Shi Chengwu nodded and said: "The harbor is more than ten times larger than Hirado."
Zhu Zian continued to ask: "How does it compare to Sasebo Bay?"
Shi Chengwu smiled and said: "The bay area of Sasebo Bay is more than ten times larger than Nagasaki Port. Compared with it, Hirado Port is worthless. And if you look at this map, the south side of Sasebo Bay is connected to an inland bay. It is called Omura Bay, and it is more than fifty miles long from north to south and more than twenty miles wide from east to west. Its area is more than ten times that of Sasebo Bay, and it can accommodate even ten East China Sea fleets. "
Zhu Zian was surprised, looked at the map carefully, and discovered another detail: "The southern end of Omura Bay seems to be near Nagasaki Port?"
Shi Chengwu responded: "Yes, you can land at the southern end of Omura Bay and travel more than ten miles south to reach Nagasaki Port City. If a war breaks out, the Sasebo base can divide its troops into two groups and block Nagasaki Port from the sea. Channel, land all the way through Omura Bay, attack from the north and south, and capture Nagasaki in one day.”
Wang Anguo added next to him: "Of course we will not use such an expression against Japan. According to standard diplomatic rhetoric, it should be said that our country's Sasebo base can provide necessary security protection for Nagasaki Port."
"Yes, yes, it's protection, it's protection!" Shi Chengwu also immediately changed his tune.
Of course, Zhu Zian would not naively believe this rhetoric. The Haihan garrison in Sasebo Bay had actually placed Nagasaki Port within its control. From another perspective, this is actually equivalent to controlling the most important trade channel at the western end of the Japanese archipelago.
Later, when the fleet sailed through Hirado Port, everyone gathered on the side of the ship to watch. Shi Chengwu also specially issued a telescope to everyone.
Zhu Zian held the adjusted telescope and raised it up to his eyes like others, and immediately had a clear view of the scene in the harbor.
In fact, given the size of Hirado Port, you can have a panoramic view of the harbor without using a telescope, but with this tool, everyone can also see the scene on the coast clearly.
Most of the piers and piers built in the early years still remain, but there are no warehouses and merchant ships on the shore, only some fishing boats docked. All the shore defenses built by the Hirado clan on the coast were completely demolished. According to Shi Chengwu, most of the bricks and stones originally used to build fortifications were dismantled by nearby fishermen to build houses. After all, this is just a fishing port now, and with the Haihan Military Port nearby, there are no Japanese pirates robbing homes in the surrounding waters. There is no need to worry about safety issues at all, and there is no need for any defensive measures.
(End of chapter)