Wild North America 1846

Chapter 389 Tornado Ironclad Cruiser

After the meal, "Volume 1 of the Prospective Research Report on International Policies in 1863: The End of the Turmoil in China" presented by the Secretariat has been delivered, and Richard started reading it while drinking tea to relieve his tiredness...

The report starts with the current situation;

early this year

On the tenth day of the first month of the first year of Tongzhi (1862), Empress Dowager Cixi issued an edict in the name of Emperor Tongzhi, officially announcing the court's decision to "borrow teachers to assist in the suppression".

The so-called "borrowing teachers to assist in suppression" means to use the powerful ships and cannons of foreigners to wipe out the long-haired bandit rebellion that has been going on for many years.

As early as the second year of Xianfeng (1852), when the Taiping Army attacked southern Chu, someone proposed asking foreigners to send "fireships into the river to assist in the suppression", but it was suspended due to the military parade along the river by the governors of the two rivers.

The next year, the Taiping Army came to Nanjing. On the orders of the governor Yang Wending, Wu Jianzhang of Shanghai Province asked for help from the Tang, British and French consuls in Shanghai, and asked the British and Tang warships to sail into the Yangtze River to help the Qing army garrison Nanjing.

At that time

The Tang Empire had just won the Tang-Mo War, and it had all kinds of troubles, so it didn't agree.

After the Second Opium War, in September of the 10th year of Xianfeng, as soon as the "Beijing Treaty" was signed, the French envoy Grotto expressed to Prince Gong Yixin that all French ships and soldiers were willing to listen to the dispatch and help the Qing government "attack and suppress rebellion". ”.

The Russian envoy Ignachev also expressed his willingness to "teach how to forge guns and cannons" for the Qing army and sent troops to suppress the Taiping Army.

At that time, the Tang Kingdom was caught in the North American War, but it had no time to take care of the affairs here, and finally let it go.

In the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861), Britain also expressed its willingness to help the Qing government "suppress civil strife." In June of the same year, after winning the North American War, the Tang Empire finally relaxed its attitude and expressed its willingness to "provide appropriate assistance and restore peace." ”.

Many powerful ministers in the Qing court expressed great appreciation for this. Yi Xin, Zeng Guofan, Xue Huan, etc. successively suggested to the court to "borrow teachers to help suppress the campaign."

In November of the same year, the Taiping Army captured Ningbo and Hangzhou, and attacked Shanghai again in December. Finally, the Qing government made the final decision to "borrow troops to assist in the suppression".

The Qing government, which had received support from the great powers, quickly won a series of battlefield victories. It fought "rebelliously, retreated again and again, lost cities and territory, and was completely defeated!"

Li Hongzhang hired instructors from the Tang Dynasty and trained thousands of pikemen who were trained according to new military methods. They were known as the "Huai Army". He led them to Anqing and merged with the former Hunan Army Cheng Xueqi and Guo Songlin's troops, with a total of about 7,000 people.

Soon after, Li Hongzhang led the Huai army from Anqing to Shanghai on a British ship. He set up a large camp in Xinqiao, a suburb of Xinqiao, and together with the British, French and Tang intervention forces, and the Huaer Yangqi Corps encircled and suppressed the Taiping Army in Fengxian, Songjiang, and Qingpu.

They adopted the strategy of "suppression and appeasement at the same time" to attack the Taiping Rebellion's southern Jiangsu area, and they made preparations step by step.

Li Hongzhang recruited the Taiping Army garrison generals in Changshu, Zhaowen, and Taicang, and together with the "Eternal Victory Army" captured Taicang, Kunshan and other places.

Then they captured Suzhou and Wuxi, Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province in February, Changzhou and Danyang in Jiangsu Province in April, and achieved a series of great victories.

After the fall of Tianjing in June, Li Hongzhang led the Huai army to cooperate with the Hunan army to capture Huzhou, Zhejiang, and then led his army to Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian and other places to suppress the remaining Taiping troops.

In the process of suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Li Hongzhang purchased a large number of foreign guns and cannons, hired foreign officers and equipment, and trained the Huai army, which quickly expanded to 60,000 to 70,000 people.

In the past two years, Li Hongzhang led the Huai army to suppress the Eastern and Western Nien armies in Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu and Zhili areas, and his performance was extremely eye-catching.

In October, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Chen Decai's troops were defeated by the Qing army Seng Gelinqin's tribe at Heishidu in Huoshan, Anhui. His subordinate Ma Rong and more than 70,000 people surrendered to the enemy. Hu Wang Lan Chengchun was betrayed by a traitor and died. Chen Decai committed suicide by taking poison. The remaining troops were led by Zun Wang Lai Wenguang and others.

Merged with the Nian Army, but the situation was over.

After Li Hongzhang became the Governor of Zhili in 1862, he successively sent officers of the Huai Army to study in the Tang Dynasty, and set up the Naval Academy and the Beiyang Arms Academy in Tianjin to train Huai generals, making the Huai Army the first armed force with new equipment in China.

Formed an important military force in the late Qing Dynasty.

Overall

Under the encirclement and suppression of Qing officials such as Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guoquan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang, after the fall of Tianjing, the vigorous peasant uprising symbolized by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom came to an end, and the Qing government's decision to "borrow teachers to assist in suppression" further intensified

this process.

In Richard's opinion, the people of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are not the masters of the world at all. Instead of the war continuing and the people suffering more suffering, it is better to end it as soon as possible and live in peace.

In the outlook report, policy experts also held similar views.

The next 1863 and even the next 5 to 10 years will be a period for the social order of China to be reorganized and to restore most of the country that was riddled with holes.

After this heavy blow, the foundation of the Qing government's rule in China has been shaken.

Various new trends of thought, new concepts and national self-confidence, self-improvement and self-reliance will penetrate into this ancient continent as the ports are opened, and will inevitably ferment and grow subtly, forming a new force for reforming society.

After reading

Richard felt heavy-hearted for no reason, which was why he was generally reluctant to read reports from Shenzhou.

Things over there are too complicated, and there are many taboo minefields. If you accidentally touch it, your body will be destroyed, so why bother?

Forget it, just focus on your own affairs.

Early the next morning

At dawn, a group of more than thirty heavy carriages with royal emblems on them galloped out of the Daming Palace, escorted by cuirassiers in bright armor, and headed north. The streets along the way were heavily guarded.

more than three hours later

oak town

Compared with the port town with less than 10,000 people more than 10 years ago, today's Oak Town has expanded more than ten times, with more than 83,500 permanent residents. One after another, Chinese buildings with white walls and black tiles are set among the green hills.

Between the trees, there is a gurgling stream and the scenery is pleasant.

The buildings in the town are mainly 2 to 3 floors. There are many British-style spire houses in the old neighborhoods. The streets paved with stone have a sense of age. Salted fish are hung at the door of every house. The air is filled with the taste of wealth and tranquility.

.

Although the town is not very big, almost half of the residents in the town are family members of the Royal Navy, and the rest also work in shipyards or docks, and generally live a relatively prosperous life.

Therefore, there are many two- to three-story independent villas here. Women and children are also dressed quite decently, and their faces are rosy and healthy. It is obvious that they are living a good life.

During the war, the Oak Bay Terminal was expanded and now has 4 berths of 10,000 tons and 8 berths of 5,000 tons, as well as several supporting large warehouse areas with strong capacity to unload personnel and cargo.

The long concrete plank road extends into the bay, now it is empty and slightly lonely.

during the war

This place is often filled with 10,000-ton immigrant ships as huge as hills. Countless mainland recruits disembarked here for the first time on the North American continent, at the Oak Bay Pier.

Then walk from here to the train station more than ten kilometers away, take a train, and then go to the Salt Lake City training base.

nowadays

The transportation of new recruits from the mainland has long since stopped. Several immigration ships arrive every month, but they only bring half-year-old children.

Today, at the dock of Oak Bay Port, there is a huge steam-armored battleship with flags hanging all moored, its black muzzle pointing straight into the sky.

Compared with other armored warships at the Navy Pier, the "Tempest" class steam ironclad has a full load displacement of 4,980 tons, which is almost three times the size of an armored frigate. Its huge steel rivets exude a cold luster and are filled with an indescribable sense of power.

At this time, steam ironclads represented the highest level of warships in the world today.

On the pier, the Royal Guards were guarding the surroundings, the carpet, the Royal Navy Guard of Honor and a large group of senior military officials were all waiting here, looking forward to it.

After 9:30, every few minutes

A group of Royal Guards cavalry on white horses will arrive and quickly start a vigilance, which makes the atmosphere at the scene solemn.

Everyone knows in their hearts that His Majesty's motorcade is about to arrive.

"Come on, come on, come on... play music!"

When a large group of cavalry appeared at the end of the line of sight, majestic and exciting music immediately played, and military and political officials immediately stood on both sides of the red carpet, waiting quietly for the arrival of His Majesty's motorcade.

A group of more than 30 heavy-duty carriages began to slow down early. When they arrived at the dock, the strong horses were already wet with sweat and stopped with a heavy snort.

"Salute, welcome Your Majesty." All the military generals and guards officers and soldiers who greeted him saluted in unison.

His Majesty the Emperor and his entourage came down from the carriage and saw the Navy Marshal Duke Pan Hengchen standing in the first place. He walked over with a smile and raised his hands to return the greeting: "Pan Aiqing does not need to be polite. All the ministers are exempt from courtesy."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Among the senior military and political officials who accompanied him to greet him, there were also several noble ladies such as the duchess. Hearing this, they quickly stood up and thanked him.

Richard stood at the pier and carefully looked at the "Guangfeng" armored cruiser that was very close at hand. This was a typical Tang Dynasty-style armored battleship. The ship's surface was neatly arranged and had an invisible industrial beauty.

There are two 203mm main guns forward at the bow, two 203mm main guns at the stern facing backwards, and two thick chimneys standing side by side behind the command tower amidships.

Along one side of the hull, five Colt 7-inch 178mm rifled breech-loading guns are arranged, with a total of 10 guns on both sides. The overall layout is strict and standardized, full of a sense of power in the steel age.

Just such a battleship cost a total of 287,000 Tang Yuan.

If the Navy's plan to develop a 7,800-ton "Zhenwei" ironclad ship is approved, the cost of each ship will be doubled, and tens of thousands of dollars will be lost for each sea training. The development of the Navy is indeed a gold-eating beast.

"Your Majesty, please step aboard the ship for inspection. I will answer your Majesty's questions at any time." Marshal Pan Hengchen came over with a smile on his face and asked for instructions in a low voice.

Richard had this intention, so he nodded in agreement and said, "Lead the way."

"The humble minister obeys the decree."

After boarding the battleship, the feeling was indeed very different.

Different from the previous armored battleships of the Tang Empire, the "Guangfeng" steam armored cruiser has a wide and large deck, which allows the ship to be arranged much more calmly.

Reflected in the main battery and auxiliary battery, each battery has a semi-independent iron armor enclosure, which can shield the flying shrapnel during naval battles, protect the gun crew members, and also block the invasion of waves rushing onto the deck. This is all battle.

Gain experience!

Standing on the deck, you can't see the various messy high-pressure steam pipes, which are all hidden under the deck. This can effectively prevent the flying shrapnel from damaging the steam pipes during the battle, causing the overall power loss of the ship. This also comes from the valuable information in actual combat.

Accumulation of experience.

Every detail contains the Tang Imperial Navy's summary and accumulation of naval battles, and is fed back into the construction of the most advanced ironclad warships.

(End of chapter)