Zhang Yuliang was on the shore of Chenghai County, Chaozhou Prefecture, looking at the transport ships lined up on the sea.
He asked Chief of Staff Wang Kun: "Where is the Third Division now?
The First Division has launched an attack on Tingzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province.
The First Division was responsible for attacking the mountainous areas of western Fujian from the land route.
They were responsible for attacking the four prefectures: Tingzhou Prefecture, Yanping Prefecture, Shaowu Prefecture, and Jianning Prefecture.
I took the second and third divisions to cooperate with the navy to attack the coastal areas of Fujian."
Zhang Yuliang recalled that the leapfrog tactic he proposed had the support of Li Qingmu, Minister of the Navy and Governor of the South China Sea Fleet.
Fujian is a mountainous area, and waterways in many areas are inaccessible, so you can only travel over mountains and ridges.
When attacking Fujian, there is no way like attacking Guangdong. We can quickly occupy all the prefectures and counties in Fujian by taking advantage of the rivers extending in all directions.
The Eighth Army was supported by the navy, and the main cities in Fujian were all located in the coastal areas.
As long as they capture the coastal prefectures, they can control the best parts of Fujian.
The Fujian Ming Army did not have a unified command. They fought independently and could only be gradually defeated by the First Division.
In the mountainous areas of western Fujian, the number of Ming troops was also smaller.
It is only necessary to send out the first division to eliminate the main force of the Ming army, and leave the rest of the Ming army to the garrison.
The strategy for attacking Fujian is to focus on the coast.
The first division can attack slowly, but the coastal areas must attack quickly, but this completely depends on whether the navy is strong or not.
Zhang Yuliang heard loud slogans outside.
He saw a large group of soldiers rushing to Chenghai County.
Hu Hai led the third division to Chenghai County.
"Chief of Staff Wang, go quickly and invite Chief of Staff Wei Jingtao of the Navy."
Zhang Yuliang personally went to welcome Hu Hai into the city.
Hu Hai's face was covered with dust. When he saw Zhang Yuliang, he said aggrievedly: "Commander, our troops are preparing to attack Zhangzhou Prefecture in Fujian Province.
Why did you summon us to Chenghai County with a military order?"
Hu Hai was very aggrieved. He was already at the border of Guangdong and Fujian, ready to send troops at any time.
The original plan was for their third division to attack Zhao'an County, Zhangzhou Prefecture by land.
Zhao Xin of the First Division had already led the troops to go on an expedition. Unexpectedly, Hu Hai was summoned to Chenghai County by military commander Zhang Yuliang with a military order.
Hu Hai was very confused. Did the army commander receive an order from his superiors to postpone the attack on Fujian?
Zhang Yuliang saw Hu Hai's aggrieved look and explained succinctly: "We have a way to occupy Fujian faster.
The Fujian area is very mountainous. If you attack Fujian over the mountains and ridges from Guangdong, your marching speed will be very slow.
Don't forget, we have a powerful navy.
Those battleships that cost four to five hundred thousand silver coins each are not just decorations.
You have to get rid of the traditional army thinking, stand on the larger picture, and see the overall battle situation clearly."
Zhang Yuliang saw Hu Hai's confused face. He also knew that Hu Hai was not in this position and only needed to consider whether he could win the battle, not the overall situation of the battle.
The messenger sent word that Wei Jingtao, chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet, had entered the city.
Zhang Yuliang said to Hu Hai: "There will be a military meeting shortly. Our Eighth Army's new tactics will be explained clearly at the meeting."
The Eighth Army held a military meeting, and the South China Sea Fleet acted as a facilitator and sent Chief of Staff Wei Jingtao to observe the meeting.
Zhang Yuliang opened the map of Fujian's coast.
He looked at the officers of the Second and Third Divisions and told them about the leapfrog tactics.
"I was in Guangzhou, and the moment I boarded the battleship Qin Shihuang, I was thinking.
We have such a powerful navy. Can we effectively use the strength of the navy to capture Fujian as soon as possible?
I went ashore in Chenghai County and saw a frog jumping from one small pond to another.
I had an idea at that time, whether the Army could rely on the high maneuverability of naval transport ships to transport them directly from Guangdong to Fujian for landing operations.
The road is blocked by high mountains and steep mountains, but the sea is a clear path.
The main cities in Fujian, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Quanzhou Prefecture, and Fuzhou, where the capital of Fujian is located, are all by the sea.
With the navy's assistance in completing the leapfrog tactic, we can capture Fujian as quickly as possible.
As long as we capture the coastal areas of Fujian, we will capture the essence of Fujian.
The First Division can slowly cross the mountains and attack western Fujian.
The main force of our Eighth Army can use the leapfrog tactic to capture Fujian and then jump from Fujian to Zhejiang to directly capture the coastal areas of Zhejiang.
Even if it cannot occupy the entire territory of Zhejiang, it can still bring enough pressure to the Ming Dynasty and contain the huge Ming army.
Create suitable fighters for other friendly forces.
I specifically asked Li Qingmu, the governor of the South China Sea Fleet.
He bluntly told me that the leapfrog tactic was feasible and that the Navy had no technical difficulties at all.
The navy needs to first eliminate the main force of the Ming Dynasty Navy, and then send warships to protect the transport ships to help us implement the leapfrog strategy.
But I refused. We wanted the army to follow the navy.
All the navy needs to do is send armed merchant ships for protection.
Wait until the navy destroys the main force of the Ming Navy.
We can land directly and capture the Fujian coast."
Zhang Yuliang told the officers of the Eighth Army about the Fujian strategy he jointly formulated with the Navy regarding the Eighth Army.
After many discussions with many staff officers, he found that the navy was waiting to destroy the Ming Dynasty Navy.
They are taking a naval transport ship to attack Fujian.
In the end, it took about the same amount of time as crossing the mountains from Guangdong, but the journey was much easier.
Zhang Yuliang chose the leapfrog tactic because he believed that this tactic could surprise the Ming army and reach the city before the Ming army could react.
With the assistance of the navy, there is no need to worry about supplies.
Navy transport ships resupply them, transporting a large amount of goods each time and transporting them very quickly.
To be on the safe side, Li Qingmu wanted Zhang Yuliang to wait for the navy to win before setting off.
When Zhang Yuliang saw the battleship Qin Shihuang, he believed that the Ming Navy's navy could not stop the navy's attack.
They were driving along the shore again, and they encountered a large-scale Ming naval force attacking them, and they directly rushed ashore.
Cooperating with the navy's escort fleet, there is no problem in self-protection.
This risk is worth taking, the benefits are huge and the risks are minimal.
Zhang Ziqing, commander of the Second Division of the Eighth Army, and Hu Hai, commander of the Third Division, both pointed out that Zhang Yuliang's method was very risky.
Zhang Yuliang analyzed the pros and cons to them and told them how to avoid various risks when encountering them.
He used his perfect plan to convince all his generals to take the risk and implement the plan with him.
After the Eighth Army unified their thinking, they rested for a day in Chenghai County and immediately boarded a navy transport ship.
Wei Jingtao introduced the navy officers to Zhang Yuliang.
"This is Li Pinglang, the admiral of the escort fleet."
Li Pinglang saluted Zhang Yuliang with a military salute and said, "Commander Zhang, please rest assured.
Our escort fleet will definitely ensure that the soldiers of the Eighth Army arrive safely at the designated location."
Zhang Yuliang looked at the escort fleet, three huge Xiyi warships, and eight armed merchant ships converted from large ships.
The strength of the naval escort fleet is no longer afraid of the ordinary Ming navy.
He has full confidence in successfully completing the leapfrog tactic.
Zhang Yuliang saw that the soldiers had boarded the transport ship.
He boarded the battleship Hawkeye, the flagship of the convoy.
Zhang Yuliang said with emotion: "The Navy really values us too much. I didn't expect to send these three big ships. I feel very safe now."
Wei Jingtao, chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet, said with a smile: "Both Governor Li and our South China Sea Fleet attach great importance to this cooperation with the Eighth Army.
If our cooperation is successful this time, the army and navy will explore a new way of joint operations."
Wei Jingtao just talked about the situation, which was part of the reason, but it was only a small reason.
The real reason is that it changes over time.
The new warships in each fleet of the Qin Army have the same design ideas, and they cooperate well with each other.
The new tube-retractable naval guns produced by the Qin Army are all designed according to the specifications of new warships.
The Xiyi warships that have been discontinued cannot be integrated into the navy's combat system.
These Western warships were used for reconnaissance, but they were not as fast and agile as small boats.
They have become useless in the navy.
Li Qingmu saw that Zhang Yuliang insisted on setting off early, and the navy needed to equip them with an escort fleet.
These Xiyi warships were reused and used to escort the Eighth Army.
…………………………
4333 (the ninth year of Chongzhen), February 4th.
The First Division of the Eighth Army set out from Dabu County to attack Tingzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province.
On the way, the First Division Commander Zhao Xin and the Chief of Staff Lin Yongguang discussed the strategy of sending troops.
"Commander Lin, what do you think of the combat effectiveness of the Ming army in western Fujian?"
Lin Yongguang thought about the information he had seen during this period.
He said cautiously: "Commander, I think the Ming army in western Fujian is relatively powerful among the Ming armies we encountered.
Wherever there are poor mountains and rivers, strong soldiers are sent out.
For example, Shaanxi, southwestern Sichuan, and Guangxi are poor places.
If you want to occupy resources, you must risk your life to fight for them.
For example, fighting for water in rural areas kills thousands of people every year.
Even though Guangxi has dispatched township officials to manage the area, several large-scale armed fights still occur every year.
The mountainous areas in western Fujian are poorer than the coastal areas of Fujian, and the soldiers there are more effective.
But their strength is limited. The Ming army in wealthy areas such as Nanzhili has already replaced it with flintlock guns.
The Ming army in western Fujian had very few matchlocks, and most of them still used broadswords and spears.
If we attack this traditional army, we have a great chance of winning."
When Zhao Xin heard what Lin Yongguang said, he laughed.
"Commander Lin, my idea is that we divide our forces.
The first division was directly divided into two parts, and I took half of the troops.
Attack Shanghang County, attack Tingzhou Prefecture along the waterway, and then attack Shaowu Prefecture from Tingzhou Prefecture.
You take the other half of the army to attack Yongding County, and after taking Longyan County to the north, attack Yanping Prefecture.
We will meet up at Jianning Mansion."
Lin Yongguang listened to Zhao Xin's explanation. Zhao Xin meant to divide western Fujian into two halves.
Each of them takes half the battle, which saves half the time as long as the battle goes smoothly.
Lin Yongguang carefully considered the pros and cons of doing so.
He believed that the Ming army in western Fujian could not stop them.
Following their actions, there were a full 20,000 garrison troops responsible for occupying the city and clearing out the resistance forces in the countryside.
This is also of great benefit to him, as it allows him to give full play to his ability to lead troops.
Lin Yongguang nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, that's what we'll do."
Zhao Xin smiled when he saw Lin Yongguang agreed.
To lead the troops alone, apart from himself, the first division chief of staff Lin Yongguang was suitable.
The two of them began to discuss arrangements for dividing their forces for combat.
After determining the relevant tactics, Zhao Xin specifically warned: "This is our attack on western Fujian, so we must save ammunition as much as possible.
The western part of Fujian is very mountainous, and the ammunition transported from Guangdong to the front line needs to cross mountains and ridges, making it extremely difficult to supply the army.
Good steel should be used on the blade, and weapons and ammunition should be used as sparingly as possible while ensuring that the death rate does not soar."
When Lin Yongguang heard Zhao Xin's statement, he agreed very much.
It will definitely be very difficult for them to supply weapons and ammunition.
Zhao Xin and Lin Yongguang separated at the fork of the river and attacked Shanghang County and Yongding County respectively.
He led his army to capture the western part of Fujian.
…………………………
Li Qingmu took the battleship Qin Shihuang and led a huge fleet, heading north from Nan'ao Island.
On the mast of the battleship Qin Shihuang, the observation post used high-power telescopes to constantly observe the surrounding sea surface.
Li Qingmu heard the roar of cannon coming from the northeast.
"The Hanzhong cruiser has destroyed the Portuguese reconnaissance ship.
These Xiyi people have sinister intentions and want to detect traces of our army. It is simply wishful thinking.
On the vast sea, a ship is very conspicuous, and a telescope can easily capture its silhouette."
Li Qingmu ordered the messenger to summon Feng Sanqiu, the admiral of the Second Fleet, and Zhang Wanfeng, the admiral of the Third Fleet, to the battleship Qin Shihuang.
The battleship Qin Shihuang put down two small boats, and they quickly brought Feng Sanqiu and Zhang Wanfeng to the battleship Qin Shihuang.
Li Qingmu held a military meeting of the South China Sea Fleet in the captain's command room.
"Our mission this time is very important. We must eliminate all hostile forces that threaten us along the coast of Fujian.
The first person to bear the brunt is Zheng Zhilong from Fujian.
This great pirate who was recruited by the Ming Dynasty controlled the most powerful navy in the entire Ming Dynasty.
Zheng Zhilong is already old. He just wants to enjoy his old age and does not have the ambitions of his youth.
He was a pirate and had no loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.
When our army suppressed pirates, Zheng Cai, who was captured by us, was returned to Anping City.
Zheng Zhilong knows the situation, and he will naturally make a choice that is beneficial to him.
If he wants to fight stubbornly, let him see the strength of the battleships in the three major fleets of our navy.
In order to guard against our army, Zheng Zhilong deployed most of his warships in the ports of Kinmen and Xiamen, the two islands.
It is not difficult for our army to directly attack and capture these two islands.
The information I learned from Spanish businessmen.
Five Portuguese battleships have arrived near Guangzhou, and they are ready to avenge the Portuguese in the trenches.
The Portuguese, Dutch, and these Westerners may very well unite to attack us.
The Dutch built a castle they called Geranje on Taiwan Island, where they stationed 2,000 Dutch soldiers and six large sailing warships.
If they really unite with the Portuguese, they will be a powerful enemy of our army.
I hope Zheng Zhilong will understand the current situation and not get mixed up with those Western Yi people."
Li Qingmu finished introducing the enemy forces they might encounter.
He kept all warships on alert at all times and prepared for all battles.
They will have several large sea battles in the near future.
These naval battles will test whether the Qin Shihuang battleship and other warships are qualified.
Whether the navy is a qualified navy and whether it can gallop in the sea.