Late Ming Dynasty: Conquering the world starting from riding and cutting

Off the coast of Pingtung.

Qin Hao's battleship Wansheng, Chu Yibing's Hulei, and Zhang Hu's Sanhu were anchored here. Behind the three of them were dozens of densely packed warships, large and small.

Through the latest Galileo telescope produced by the Keelung Arsenal, the soldiers can clearly see the situation on Pingtung Island.

The city of Relanjia is located on Pingtung Island.

There are eleven islands stretching from south to north, known as the Eleven Kunshen.

Pingtung is located at the northern end, covering an area of ​​about three square kilometers. After the Dutch occupied Pingtung Island, they began to build the city of Relanja in Pingtung as an important peripheral stronghold to block traffic routes in and out of Pingtung.

This military fortress was completed in 1627, the first year of Chongzhen.

The terrain here is so dangerous that it is a battleground for military strategists at sea. Many poems have summarized this place.

"Kun's body stirs up the waves, the sea and the sky are dark. It is difficult to teach a giant ship to offend lightly. The natural dangers create the Luermen."

"The iron plate and sand have a heavy surname, and when they reach water, they are as solid as rocks. When a boat is parked on the sand, the wind and waves throw it, and the bottom of the boat is broken. Thousands of oxen and carts travel through the water, but there is no track at all. You can tell how strong it is."

"The snowy waves emptied the boats, and the red-haired city stood alone and majestic. We boarded the oxcart at the ferry's head, and we passed Chichan City at dusk."

Pingtung, which the Dutch have been operating since the 20th year of Wanli, has a masonry fort with fifteen large-caliber artillery pieces, which can block the waterway entering the port.

The castle of Relanja City is five square in shape, all made of burned bricks and mud. The outer wall is 8 feet thick, and the inner wall is 5 feet thick. The space between the two walls is filled with sand and stone. The parapet is more than 4 feet high. There is another wall to the east of the castle. There is a bunker, and the two can support each other with artillery fire, becoming each other's horns.

The Dutch operate this place and fortresses such as Chikan City as their homes. The fortresses are equipped with wells, granaries, and various warehouses. They just treat them as their own territory. After so many years, they seem to be indestructible.

"Everyone, tell me! How should we fight this battle in Keelung?!"

Different from the previous naval battle against Zheng Zhilong, the capture of the Dutch city of Relanja this time was not only a naval battle, but also a landing battle and a fortified battle. Perhaps there will be a naval battle after the landing.

Qin Hao invited the navy and the officers above the battalion officer level and captain level who came with the fleet to the Wansheng's dining room to hold this war-prepared military meeting.

Such meetings are nothing new in the Keelung Army. Similar meetings have been held in every battle. However, the difference between today and the past is that two little guys appeared in everyone's sight.

One is the eldest lady Xiao Bai Ling, and the other is Zheng Sen, the future head of the Zheng family.

After being grounded by Qin Hao for seven or eight days as punishment, Qin Ling finally got the opportunity to go out to sea with the ship to fight.

For this hard-won opportunity, she stared unblinkingly at the battle map on the cabin wall, looking with interest at the numbers of Dutch fortresses, castles, and forts all over Pingtung. To configure the firepower, he would take out his own notebook from time to time and write and draw on it with charcoal pencil.

This time, in order to deal with the Dutch on Pingtung Island, the Keelung Army was like a lion attacking a rabbit and tried its best.

The navy dispatched more than 50 warships of various sizes, including the navy's Chinese army, which was directly commanded by Qin Hao, Zhang Hu's left wing fleet, and Chu Yibing's naval practice fleet.

In addition, there are more than 100 transport ships for support and transportation. The entire fleet has nearly 1,300 artillery pieces of various types. The total force of the navy and army that can be put into combat is nearly 30,000.

"This time, our military strength and firepower are several times or even dozens of times that of the Dutch Red Haired Barbarians on the island. This battle will naturally be victorious. However, we set up such a large formation and spent this time Naturally, a lot of money and food are not just for Pingtung Island!"

"We have more important tasks to complete! The first is to let the children in the training fleet practice their skills and have a chance to practice real guns. The second is to announce to this panic world island that our time has come!"

Qin Hao's words undoubtedly ignited the atmosphere in the entire conference room.

Everyone at the venue understood that as long as the Dutch were defeated today, there would be only one overlord left in the Ming Dynasty's poisonous sea, and that was Qin Hao's Keelung force.

Titles such as the Invincible Fleet, Coachman, and the Sun Never Set will all be projected onto this emerging force that has risen to prominence in less than ten years.

"On March 15th, we bombarded the Dutch ships going to Ceylon for help. Today is April 15th, a month has passed. No matter how slow they are, reinforcements will be arriving soon in the next few days."

"Where is Chu Yibing!"

Chu Yibing, the general of the training fleet, stood up with his sword in hand, clenched his fist with his right hand and put it on his chest, "My subordinates are here!"

"Your fleet, immediately blockade the sea area between Pingtung and Ceylon, and be sure to wipe out the Dutch reinforcement fleet in one fell swoop. Take the sailors on the local fleet as prisoners if you can! To control such a large sea area in the future, our Keelung sailors are still After destroying this enemy reinforcement, you can go to Ceylon and cooperate with our troops stationed in Managa to capture this Dutch garrison city in the Far East and completely cut off their return. Opportunity!"

"Follow the order!"

"Where is Zhang Hu, the left-wing naval officer?"

"My subordinate is here!"

"Your department is responsible for capturing Pingtung. Remember, you must attack but not capture! Give the Dutch on the island some ideas! Let them think they can hold on until reinforcements arrive. We will pretend to intercept ships heading towards Ceylon asking for reinforcements. , scare them, let them pass! In addition, destroy the Dutch fleet dispatched in Pingtung Port at the appropriate time!"

Hearing the plan of a one-hit-or-no-strike battle, Zhang Hu, who always likes to hit hard and take pleasure in destroying the enemy, couldn't help but burst into tears, "My lord, this is too difficult for me, isn't it?!" It can’t be done!”

"What words!"

Qin Hao slammed the table with a bang, and the frightened people in the cabin couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

"You kid, please listen to me. I am a general, and I am not joking with you on weekdays. If you want to do it, you can do it. If you can't do it, get out and let someone else do it."

^.^，

"Lord, I'm going to do it...I'm going to do it...come on!" Zhang Hu suddenly felt sweaty when Qin Hao said this, and answered inarticulately.

Afterwards, Qin Hao stood up and came to the board wall, taking a picture of the combat deployment diagram with his hand.

"First use Pingtung to fish for Chichan City on Pingtung Island, let them come out to fight with us, destroy their troops and warships in the wild, and reduce the pressure on our army to capture Pingtung City. Then use Pingtung Island as bait to lure The Dutch from Ceylon come to help, so that all the Dutch in this area can be wiped out in one battle!"

Seeing the ferocious smile on Qin Hao's face, everyone burst into laughter!

"Do you all understand?"

There was something cold in Qin Hao's words.

"Subordinates must obey orders!"

For a time, starting from the outer sea, from south to north, the gunboats on the left wing of Zhang Hu's navy, together with the gunboats of the navy's central force, began a slow shelling campaign against the Dutch defenders on each island.

"Boy, my lord said that you are a naval admiral, so he assigned you to serve in front of my fleet. Work hard and win this battle. I will ensure that you go to the naval academy to further your studies. When the time comes, you can go home and lead the army. It’s so majestic at sea, what do you think?”

Facing Zheng Sen, Zhang Hu no longer had the submissive look towards Qin Hao, and towards this junior, he naturally looked like a senior plus an elder.

It was Zheng Sen who proposed to serve in the army in front of Qin Hao. He knew that the sea in the future would be dominated by Keelung Navy, and those who were smart would naturally have to learn. Even if he settled in Keelung in the future, it would be better than returning home.

Zheng Sen didn't think too much about it. He just had some objections to Zhang Hu's style of play.

"Uncle Zhang Shi, my nephew feels that this method of fighting is a bit inappropriate."

On the sea, more than ten gunboats of the Keelung Army took turns bombarding Relanjia City on Pingtung Island with heavy artillery. The forts in Relanjia City were very silent, except when the gunboats of the Keelung Army got closer. Only occasionally a shot was fired, and the huge shell splashed huge water columns on the left and right sides of the gunboat.

"Hey! Didn't you hear what my lord said? The purpose of attacking Pingtung is to lure out the Dutch on Pingtung Island and eliminate them at sea and in the field!"

"Uncle Shi, what the general said is right. He is pretending that he cannot capture the city of Relanja on Pingtung for a while. However, we are not acting realistically at the moment. We are not fighting, but harassing! The enemy is not a fool, so naturally he can You can tell, look at what’s going on over there!”

Zhang Hu followed the direction of Zheng Sen's finger and looked towards the island with his telescope. Wisps of smoke were rising from the city of Relanja.

"The people on the island have no intention of asking for help at all! They must be beaten hard and hurt before they can come out to ask for help from the Dutch in Pingtung! Ask for help from their superiors in Ceylon!"