Chapter five hundred and thirteenth naval attack, a winning move
Compared with the training and vacation rest of ordinary soldiers, although Guo Dajing did not put in much physical effort, his mental work was many times more tiring.
There were only three months left before the planned major counterattack. The closer he got to victory, the less he could relax.
The family ties have been put aside for the time being, and they can only keep exchanging letters. Guo Dajing hopes that this is the last parting, and that next year the family can be reunited and enjoy peace.
The river is flowing quietly, and there are many sails and rafters of ships; the water plants are long and slender, pitching along the river, as if they are greeting people cheerfully.
Zhang Tao and others would accompany Guo Dajing, giving instructions and introducing the navy's preparations.
"Based on the hydrological conditions surveyed and the historical water transportation data collected, the navy has prepared thousands of seaworthy ships to carry more than 20,000 people at a time, as well as a considerable amount of baggage materials. There should be no problem."
Zhang Tao pointed to the large ships moored in the river and said: "Those more than ten large ships are equipped with thousands of kilograms of Hongyi cannons, and the remaining medium-sized ships can also be equipped with mortars to provide fire support to the troops on the shore."
Even if it is a large ship that can sail on the Sancha River, the Hun River, and the Liao River, it cannot be compared with the giant ships at sea. It only carries a few cannons.
Guo Dajing nodded repeatedly and praised: "Very good, this will be a strange army that will deal a fatal blow to Jianlu."
The current offensive against Jianlu is mainly in Liaonan and Liaodong, that is, the south and east, attracting most of Jianlu's troops.
If we attack Jianlu from Guangning in the west, it can be done by mobilizing the infantry. However, Guo Dajing believes that this is not sudden and concealed enough, and cannot achieve the purpose of the attack.
The navy of the Dongjiang Army has no rivals in the Yellow and Bohai Seas. If it is not fully utilized, it is a shame for Guo Dajing's investment and expectations for the navy.
Moreover, as Guo Dajing said, if the navy carries troops directly into the enemy's rear, it will be a fatal blow to the Jianlu.
From Liaonan to Liaodong, when the Dongjiang Army is launched in full force, it will contain the vast majority of the Jianlu forces. The navy will penetrate directly along the Hun River between Liaoyang and Shenyang. How can the Jianlu forces resist it? And what can they do to resist it?
The Battle of Liaoyang was the decisive battle. Jianlu had already gathered tens of thousands of troops. If they could cut off their retreat and annihilate them together, Guo Dajing's plan to destroy the prisoners would have been more than half successful.
"Grain and ammunition supplies are being transported and accumulated to Niuzhuangyi, and you have set up the headquarters there." Guo Dajing walked slowly along the river bank and said, "As for the attacking troops, there is no rush to assemble them yet."
The suddenness of the attack must be ensured, and the mobilization of troops should not be too early. Although in terms of intelligence and reconnaissance, Jianlu was already at a disadvantage.
Anyway, the troops are all gathered in Haizhou, which is very close to Niuzhuangyi, and can be mobilized very quickly.
"Jianlu has mobile troops, and the intervening troops may encounter battles with them." He Kegang reminded from the side: "If Shenyang Jianlu is dispatched again, the battle will be fierce."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "General He's concerns are very true. The timing of the navy's dispatch is crucial. The key lies in whether our main force attacking Liaoyang can contain most of the Jianlu troops."
After a pause, Guo Dajing shook his head with a wry smile and said: "If the waterway had not been used for a long time and the situation was not clear, the navy could have gone straight to Shenyang or even reached Fushun, cutting off all the retreat routes for the Liao and Shen Jianlu."
The Hun River flows from east to west, passing through Qingyuan, Xinbin, Fushun, Shenyang, Liaozhong, Dengta, Liaoyang, Taian, Haicheng, Dawa, Dashiqiao, Yingkou and other places, and flows into the sea at Liaodong Bay.
Unfortunately, as Guo Dajing said, the waterway has not been dredged for a long time and has been abandoned for a long time. The farther you sail, the more complicated and unpredictable the situation becomes.
Therefore, after repeated research and consideration, a battle plan was formulated for the navy to go north and land between Liaoyang and Shenyang to cut off the connection between the two places.
Although cautious and conservative, he is the most prudent, which is also in line with Guo Dajing's temperament.
He Kegang's worries are somewhat reasonable, but in Guo Dajing's view, they may not be so.
Because the general offensive is launched in an all-round way, Liaoyang, Lianshanguan, Crow Pass, and even Benxi will all be attacked by the Dongjiang Army.
Such a multi-point attack gave full play to the Dongjiang Army's strength advantage and also reduced Jianlu's
The men and horses were completely restrained. Even the mobile troops prepared by Jianlu had to be put into fighting on other battlefields.
At that time, the intersecting corps suddenly launched, which was an indestructible sharp blade, and the battle situation suddenly became clear.
Regarding Guo Dajing's regret, Zhang Tao shrugged his shoulders and said with a little helplessness: "The survey and exploration of the waterway cannot be carried out in a big way, in case the captives are wary. The limit is to reach Shenyang."
Zhang Tao hoped to go straight to Shenyang and achieve this extraordinary feat. However, Guo Dajing thought it was too deep and it would be risky to carry limited food and ammunition.
In a situation where victory is already within grasp, it is the principle of Guo Dajing and Mao Wenlong to adopt a prudent approach and avoid unnecessary accidents.
What's more, there is also an outflank from Liaodong. The Jianlu are exhausted and will suffer heavy losses or an annihilating blow. It is basically a foregone conclusion.
By this time, Guo Dajing was no longer too worried about the great migration of Jianlu. If the crops he planted were no longer harvested, would he starve to death in the cold and cold places in the north?
Guo Dajing smiled and said comfortingly: "The defeat of Jianlu is almost a foregone conclusion. There is no need to take risks. The navy will be Dongjiang Town's reliance on the world, and the opportunity to make contributions will be later!"
Is it Stars and Sea again? Zhang Tao glanced at Guo Dajing with a smile, but still didn't quite understand where he wanted to lead the Dongjiang Army or lead the navy to?
"Xiyi has obtained three more plywood boats. I have already bought them and the cannons." Guo Dajing changed the subject and tried to comfort Zhang Tao. "You can go to Lushun in a month or two to check it out. Accept it."
Regardless of whether Xiyi built it or robbed it, Guo Dajing couldn't care about it, and he didn't want to care about it. Expanding the navy's strength was his consistent development strategy.
There are the most enemies on the sea, and they are all powerful. The Zheng family, Spain, the Netherlands, and even Britain and France, which have just entered Asia, will all be the opponents he wants to defeat and expel.
And pacifying Liaodong is just a small goal that he is about to complete. With the vast land in the north and the endless sea in the south, his ambition has already far exceeded anyone's imagination.
The plywood ship that could be favored and bought by Guo Dajing must have at least a dozen cannons. Zhang Tao believed in Guo Dajing's vision and had no regard for small ships at all.
"In this case, the navy already has twenty-four ocean-going ships, and the number of artillery pieces will also exceed four hundred." Zhang Tao grinned and counted the numbers carefully.
He Kegang's eyes narrowed and he looked at Guo Dajing and Zhang Tao in disbelief. He didn't know much about the Dongjiang Navy. He only knew that the Dongjiang Navy was already invincible in the Bohai Sea.
But when he heard the four hundred Hongyi cannons, he couldn't help but be shocked. He really didn't expect that the strength of the Dongjiang Navy was so terrifying.
Guo Dajing laughed and said: "We are still far from our goal. Let's try to complete it in five years!"
To compete with the Zheng family, Guo Dajing believed that he must have at least seven ten-plywood ships, more than a hundred medium-sized ships, and a total of more than 1,500 artillery pieces to have any chance of winning.
You know, the Zheng family claims to have a thousand battleships and an army of thirty to forty thousand men.
Although Guo Dajing believed that the Zheng family navy was far inferior to the Xiyi in terms of the size of the ships, combat tactics, and the number of guns, and could only rely on numbers to win, he still did not dare to underestimate the enemy.
Not fighting uncertain battles is also one of Guo Dajing's principles. But others don't understand what is the purpose of his continuous investment in the Navy?
There were so many things he didn't understand. Guo Dajing had long been used to it. He didn't need to explain, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't understand.
The difference in vision is destined to have such a result. When others look at Liaodong, Guo Dajing has seen through the entire Ming Dynasty; when others see the Ming Dynasty, Guo Dajing has begun to turn to the pattern of East Asia.
Taking the lead step by step, everyone has to follow, and no one can catch up. Jianlu is nothing. In Guo Dajing's eyes, he is just a clown who is just hanging on and waiting to perish.
"Five years?!" Zhang Tao grinned, not because he was embarrassed, but because he felt that the investment was too great and he felt heartache for Guo Dajing.
You must know that the cost of expanding the navy cannot be borne by Dongjiang Town, at least not entirely.
This is not like the army, which can gain income by laying down territory. Land is wealth! The navy
No matter where you look for profits, your investment is completely in vain.
Guo Dajing looked at Zhang Tao's expression and smiled, looking confident.
Input will lead to output, but in the long run. Defeat the Zheng family and monopolize sea trade, that is gold and silver. If we drive out the Western Yi, Nanyang's fertile land and various minerals, gold and silver are no longer enough to describe it.
Moreover, after Ping Liao, once the shipping on the Liao River, Hun River, and Taizi River is opened, it will also be a considerable income.
Of course Guo Dajing would not be satisfied with these. For management and business, in addition to Japanese merchants, there were also Mongolian tribes. After patchwork, he added some more, and it was enough.
As for competing for the sea trade business with the Zheng family, Guo Dajing did not want to alert the enemy prematurely, so he could only reluctantly give up.
"Fortunately, we were sailing on the river, and the troops passing through didn't have to worry about seasickness." He Kegang couldn't find out what the five-year plan was, so he had to change the subject.
Zhang Tao nodded and said: "I have always wanted to expand the Marine Corps, but the money and food are limited, so we can only wait until after Ping Liao."
After Ping Liao, we need to disarm and turn to reconstruction and production. We can first select officers and soldiers who are familiar with water skills from various ministries to enrich the Marine Corps.
This is also something that can't be helped. If the Jianlu are eliminated, even if the Marine Corps is built, it will not be of much use and will be a waste of money and food.
"Everything has its own priorities. I would also like to thank General Zhang for his understanding."
Guo Dajing looked around at the generals and said slowly: "Although the army has done the most in all the battles, behind the scenes, the navy has greatly assisted. It transports troops, food and ammunition, but it never takes credit."
Zhang Tao waved his hands repeatedly and said: "It's just some logistical support work, not as good as the army soldiers fighting in battle, bleeding and dying."
It’s not like Guo Dajing didn’t ask for credit for the navy. The navy had a share in the siege of Lushun Fort, the great victory in Zunhua, the capture of Zhenjiang Fort, etc. However, compared to the army, the credit was much smaller.
Even so, the Navy's status in the Dongjiang Army has steadily increased, becoming more and more an independent force. You must know that in the previous Dongjiang Army, the division was not so clear.
The navy has always been in a subordinate position. From the army's perspective, it is just a transportation team composed of sailors.
Why did Jianlu not have a navy? It was impossible to fight a naval battle. If there was a landing battle, infantry and cavalry would be used.
"The battle is all about logistics." Guo Dajing said sternly: "General Zhang, there is no need to belittle oneself. After the navy reaches Pingliao, its role will become greater and greater, and there will be more opportunities to make contributions."
Boosting the morale of the Navy was the purpose of Guo Dajing's statement. Others were not very clear about it, but it was also his inner motivation.
At the same time, intelligence work against the Zheng family has also begun. With the help of the Lin family, the spies in Dongjiang Town are gradually establishing a foothold in Jiangnan and starting reporting work.
Although these spies don't know what effect the information they are looking for will have on Dongjiang Town, and which enemy they are targeting.
But Guo Dajing has obtained a lot of useful information from more and more complicated intelligence.
For example, Zheng Zhilong has left Taiwan, the maritime base he has operated for many years, and built a luxurious mansion in Anhai Town, Jinjiang.
At this time, Zheng Zhilong's power had not yet reached its peak, and no major conflict had broken out with the Dutch.
This gave Guo Dajing a sense of crisis. If the delay was too long, the Navy might not be able to surpass the Zheng family even after five years of construction.
The advantage is that the enemy is overt and we are hidden. The Zheng family would not have thought that the Dongjiang Navy in Liaodong would become their most powerful and terrifying opponent.
A surprise attack to destroy the main force of the Zheng family fleet has already taken shape in Guo Dajing's mind. However, the specific operation still requires more intelligence support.
There is no rush. After the Zheng family has solved the pirates on the southern coast and defeated the Dutch East India Company, the Dongjiang Navy will be able to enjoy the results.
This is not despicable, but the trend of the times. With the vision and knowledge of the Zheng family, they will not take expanding the maritime territory as their own responsibility. And their most important thing, making money, Guo Dajing thinks is only secondary.
The Dutch who relied on Taiwan, the Spaniards who massacred the Chinese in Luzon,
The Zheng family will not take the initiative to clean up, and will only wait for Guo Dajing to defend the territory, demonstrate the national prestige, and uphold justice.
"The governor of Shandong has not approved the expansion of Qingdao Port." Zhang Tao suddenly thought of something and reported to Guo Dajing: "Master Sun, the governor of Denglai, has made it convenient for sailing in Denglai."
Guo Dajing narrowed his eyes, sneered, and said: "Shandong Governor Yu Dacheng, right? When I report to the court, let him go home."
The generals looked at him sideways, not expecting that Guo Dajing was so arrogant that he wanted to quit as governor of a province. But those who understood Guo Dajing's temperament knew that this was not just a boast, there must be a solution.
That's right, Guo Dajing has long been dissatisfied with this Yu Dacheng, and has already made plans to have this guy dismissed from office.
This Zhu Dacheng was an admirer of Yuan Chonghuan. When Jianlu besieged the capital, he was the director of the Ministry of War. He went to the imperial edict to contact Yuan Chonghuan and persuaded him to write a letter to recall the Guan Ning army that had collapsed in the east.
But this guy is also an incompetent person. When he was patrolling Shandong, he was unable to deal with the rebellion and desertion incidents of the White Lotus Sect.
Perhaps because of Yuan Chonghuan's relationship, Zhu Dacheng was very unfriendly to Dongjiang Town. But Dongjiang Town was very popular, and he was not the immediate boss of the Dongjiang Army, so he could only make things difficult for him in small matters.