Chapter 486 The first battle of the Nanyang Navy, destroying the dead and reducing the dimensionality!
For so many years, the Jingxiang nobles have been keeping an eye on the actions of Nanyang Hanting, and would not let go of even a tiny detail. Naturally, it is impossible not to know about shipbuilding.
After all, a ship is, in a sense, a combat tool and a means of transportation, and is of strategic significance.
The Jingxiang gentry not only knew that Nanyang was building ships, but they even knew how many ships were built and where they were used. They were all very clear about civilian, military, combat, and transportation purposes.
But......
The scene at this moment was completely beyond the control of the Jingxiang noble clan.
Especially Kuai Yue, whose face was in disbelief.
The number of warships in the Nanyang Navy was completely different from what I knew. It was completely different, as if a mistake had completely occurred and the opponent had been replaced.
It seems that apart from the explanation of changing from commercial to military use, there is no very reasonable reason, especially now that Kuai Yue is staring at the battleships carefully. Those battleships of medium size and below do look familiar.
However, there were some changes to their appearance from the impression. A kind of bed crossbow was set up on the parapet of the battleship, which was operated by soldiers.
In the cabin that was originally a commercial ship, many soldiers emerged from the crowd. They had a clear division of labor and performed their duties, just like a pair of efficiently operating machines.
Damn it!
All three views are ruined!
Kuai Yue and Cai Mao suddenly felt like thousands of horses galloping in their hearts.
This horse is no ordinary horse, but a famous grass-mud horse!
Kuai Yue was so angry that the corners of his lips twitched. He finally understood why Nanyang Hanting was reluctant to attack. They definitely wanted to wipe out the Jingxiang gentry in one fell swoop, and they also had the ability to fight to the death with the Jingxiang navy.
"Degui, how are you? Are you confident?"
Kuai Yue's heart kept beating, but he still asked Cai Mao.
"this......"
Cai Mao himself was a little unsure.
After all, the number of the opponent's warships is indeed a bit bluffing.
The most important thing is that their warships are also equipped with weapons, which are far more powerful than their own warships: "Quantity is by no means the key factor in water warfare. We can try it."
At this moment, Cai Mao's momentum has obviously weakened, but he is still somewhat confident in his water fighting ability, so he dares to say that he can try it.
call-
Looking at the vast group of battleships in the distance, Kuai took a long breath and tried to keep himself calm: "No matter what, we will still have to fight with them after all."
"Degui."
Kuai Yue turned his head and glanced at Cai Mao, and said tentatively: "The weather is good today and we can go to war. How about we take advantage of the fact that the Nanyang Navy's foothold is not stable and test its combat power first?"
Cai Mao nodded quickly: "Good idea, you should really test the depth of your opponent!"
Immediately, Cai Mao raised his eyes and scanned the soldiers on the river bank, and said loudly: "Where is Su Fei?"
A burly man took a step forward, bowed and cupped his hands and said, "The end will be here."
Cai Mao did not hesitate and gave a sonorous order: "I order you to lead a fleet and take advantage of the Nanyang navy's unstable footing to take the initiative to fight and test its water warfare capabilities. There must be no mistakes."
Su Fei's eyes widened and he was shocked. From deep in his heart, he was unwilling to fight. After all, the scale of the Nanyang navy was so large that one careless move would most likely result in the whole game being lost.
.
But......
The Grand Governor Cai Mao gave the order, and he could not refuse. He could only bite the bullet and try to ask: "Grand Governor, is there only one person who will be the last general? Isn't that a little too few?"
Cai Mao stared at the densely packed warships on the river, and then called out: "Chen Ying, where is Pan Rui?"
The two of them took a step forward, bowed and held their hands together: "The end will be here."
"I order you two to each lead a part of the fleet to protect Su Fei's left and right wings."
"Here."
"General Su, what do you think?"
After the order was given, Cai Mao turned to glance at Su Fei and said coldly.
There seemed to be anger hidden in those eyes, and just one look made Su Fei tremble with fear.
He hurriedly nodded in agreement: "That's very good, that's very good."
As Cai Mao said, the opponent has only put the warships into the river and has not yet lined up, so it is difficult to form an effective combat force. If they go to war now, the probability of victory is relatively high.
Moreover, now that he has a fleet on his left and right wings, his safety has been greatly improved. If he still dares not to fight, he will definitely be accused of cowardice.
Of course!
Not only Su Fei was timid, even Cai Mao himself was also timid.
But after all, Guan'er was a level above others, so Su Fei had no choice but to bite the bullet and take on this arduous task.
All the soldiers immediately rushed to the water stronghold. In a short time, hundreds of warships left the water stronghold and rushed towards the Nanyang navy on the other side.
Cai Mao climbed high and looked far away, staring at the battlefield, refusing to let go of any detail.
If Nanyang's naval force is extremely powerful in combat, then I'm afraid that if it were to confront them on such a scale, a dead end would be waiting for them.
But what if...
Su Fei and others not only did not fall at a disadvantage, but actually had a slight upper hand. This proved that the Nanyang navy disciples had their appearance, but they were just huge in number. In this way, their opponents had nothing to fear.
What happens next depends entirely on the outcome of this battle.
At this moment, Sun Jian and others were commanding the warships to enter the river. They suddenly discovered that the navy on the opposite side had already arrived, and it was obviously divided into three waves and rushing over.
"snort."
Sun Jian snorted lightly, with a hint of ridicule in his voice.
He could see at a glance the opponent's tactics, which were just to protect the main battleship by protecting the left and right guards: "It's just a small skill of a wither insect, but he still dares to do what he does in front of Sun."
"Public redress."
Sun Jian greeted.
"The end will be here."
Huang Gai took a step forward, bowed his body and raised his hands. He was also very energetic and eager to try.
Sun Jian raised his hand and pointed at the warships on the river, and said solemnly: "Did you see it? The Jingxiang navy has come out. He wants to take advantage of our unsteady footing and catch us off guard."
"How about it......"
Sun Jian said with great interest: "Are you interested in shooting him to try our battleship capabilities?"
Huang Gai was very excited. He had been looking forward to this moment for a long time: "General, just leave it to the last general."
"Wait a minute."
At this moment, a young voice suddenly sounded from among the generals on the side.
Huang Gai, Sun Jian and others all turned to look.
But when I saw this man, he had delicate features, red lips and white teeth, a sword under his ribs, and combat boots on his feet. He looked like a handsome young man, but also had a dashing and heroic figure. He was really a strange man.
This person is none other than Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of the Yuanyang Army.
The Yuanyang Army and Sun Jian's troops are two separate troops, independent of each other.
Although Zhou Yu is currently fighting with Sun Jian, in fact, Zhou Yu is not under Sun Jian's command. In a sense, the two have an equal relationship.
However, Sun Jian was the commander-in-chief, with cavalry, infantry, and sailors under his command, and the army was mainly sailors, while Zhou Yu used the Yuanyang Army, a professional unit with this special combat method.
In a sense, the Yuanyang Army and the trapped camp are troops of the same nature, a professional force directly under the command of His Majesty the Emperor.
"I wonder what's wrong, General Xiao Zhou?"
Sun Jian was well aware of the relationship between his son and Zhou Yu, so he was relatively kind to Zhou Yu.
"General."
Zhou Yu took a step forward, focused his eyes on the approaching enemy troops, and said loudly: "You are right, the enemy really wants to take advantage of our unsteady footing and catch us off guard."
"But......"
The conversation changed and Zhou Yu solemnly advised: "The other party only sent these troops and did not bring out the main force. It is clear that they are using this to test the combat power of our navy."
Sun Jian frowned when he heard this, nodded slowly and said: "Yes, it is indeed the case. Just continue."
Zhou Yu nodded: "General, you and I both know the strength of the Nanyang navy. There is no problem in defeating them. But if we defeat our opponents so easily, we will definitely drive back Cai Mao and others. In this way, we
Isn’t it true that all these days of waiting have been in vain?”
hiss-!
Sun Jian took a breath: "What do you mean..."
Zhou Yu took advantage of the situation and answered: "It's very simple. We should show a panic. As long as we barely defeat them, or a small defeat can also calm the hearts of the Jingxiang nobles."
"You kid..."
Sun Jian's lips raised slightly and he smiled calmly.
Immediately.
He didn't bother to say anything else, and directly ordered: "Republic, after all, this is the navy's first battle. We can't lose. We can just barely defeat it."
Huang Gai bowed and held his hands in his hands: "You will eventually understand."
After he left, Sun Jian turned to look at Zhou Yu: "General Zhou, you want to defeat Cai Mao and others in Xiangyang so that you can reduce some pressure when fighting in Jingnan, right?"
Zhou Yu leaned over and cupped his hands and said: "There are considerations in this regard, but it is by no means the main role. Now the Xiangyang water battle affects your majesty. If the general fails to fight a beautiful battle, I am afraid that your majesty will not have a good impression."
"Just imagine, if the general is so powerful that he scares Cai Mao away, there will be no battle to fight, and there will be no opportunity for the general to show off. Your Majesty will think that the general is brave and foolhardy."
"Most of the areas north of the Yangtze River are plain terrain with crisscrossed rivers. Once the Han River cannot be defended, they will definitely retreat to the south bank of the Yangtze River. At that time, we will strengthen the Yangtze River and rush to Jingnan."
"The mountains are high and the forests are dense, and there are many enemy troops. Although our Yuanyang army is strong in combat, it is also under great pressure. Therefore, we must weaken the opponent's strength as much as possible when we are in Jingbei, so that we can defeat the enemy as quickly as possible.
Take Jingxiang."
Sun Jian was deeply convinced and nodded slowly: "Yes, what you said makes sense, and it should indeed be true. My son said that you have talents in the world, and when I saw you today, you are indeed worthy of your reputation."
"where."
Zhou Yu bowed his head and said: "Sun Lang praised me so much, I cannot afford it."
Sun Jian smiled lightly and did not explain much: "Your Majesty once said that gold will always shine. Don't worry. Sooner or later, you will be promoted, and it will not be long ago."
If you hear rainbow fart too much, you will become distracted.
Zhou Yu was not being modest, he just kept silent and turned his gaze like a battlefield.
At this moment, Huang Gai was mobilizing his troops. His soldiers deliberately behaved in a messy manner. They boarded the ship as fast as the lake collapsed. After boarding the ship, they immediately charged forward against the Jingxiang navy without any rules at all.
"It's so embarrassing."
Sun Jian shook his head in embarrassment.
Sun Jian would be angry if this kind of fighting rhythm was used in normal training.
But now, he just smiled, shook his head, picked up the telescope, and observed the situation on the river: "Is it too exaggerated to do this? If someone finds out, wouldn't it be worth the loss?"
"General, don't worry."
Zhou Yu said with absolute certainty: "Cai Mao would never think this way."
Sun Jian frowned: "Oh? How can you see that?"
"It's very simple."
Zhou Yu raised his head and stared at the river: "The reason why Cai Mao dared to invite the general to hunt in the Han River was because he believed in his ability to fight on the water. At the same time, deep down in his heart, he was quite disdainful of the Nanyang Navy that had been established for one year."
"We are only doing this to meet his psychological expectations and to implement the phenomenon that the Nanyang navy is not good at water warfare. Cai Mao will not only not doubt it, but will even underestimate the general."
"As for Kuai Yue..."
Zhou Yu naturally knew that Cai Mao had a think tank under his command, named Kuai Yue: "This person is still good at large-scale strategy, but in specific water battles, it is difficult to detect such details, and there is nothing to be afraid of."
Although there is some truth in what he said, Sun Jian was still worried: "I hope so."
At this moment, Cai Mao, who was on the opposite side, stared at the Nanyang Navy who had gone into battle in a hurry, and his heart was completely relieved: "Haha, as expected, the Nanyang Navy has only been established for a year, how can it have any combat effectiveness?
."
"If I had known this, I should have led the team to fight in person, and gave Sun Jian a show of strength first, so that he would understand that when he reaches the river, his Jiangdong Tiger is no longer a tiger, but a sick cat."
"The performance of the Nanyang navy is indeed a bit ugly."
"but......"
When the conversation changed, Kuai Yue said coldly: "Our warships are too small in size, and the opponent's warships have certain advantages. I'm afraid that when the two armies actually fight, we will suffer a loss."
"Don't worry, Xiandu."
Cai Mao was full of confidence and waved his hand to indicate that Kuai Yue did not have to worry: "The battleships of the Nanyang Navy are indeed larger, but they are not much bigger than ours. Even if they collide with each other, both sides will fight with weapons."
"On the other hand, although our warships are smaller, each of the boatmen is a veteran with more than ten years of experience, and their ability to control the ship is extremely strong. Our warships will have an absolute advantage in terms of speed."
"You don't understand water fighting, so I won't tell you any more. In short, I, Cai Mao, am at least 80% sure that I can defeat my opponent in this battle, so you can rest assured."
Peng!
At this moment, a loud noise came from the river.
Cai Mao turned his head and looked around, suddenly stunned.
But he saw that one of his warships had overturned, and more than ten soldiers fell into the water. The warships beside them were dodging to the left and right, and they didn't know what they were dodging.
"What's going on?"
Cai Mao asked hurriedly.
"It's a crossbow arrow."
Deng Long raised his hand and pointed to the river, and said sonorously: "Nanyang Hanting has installed additional crossbows on the battleships."
Cai Mao was stunned: "Crossbow arrows?"
He has never seen such a powerful crossbow, which can actually knock over his own warship?
This is incredible!
Deng Long stared at the battlefield and pointed at the medium-sized battleship: "Grand Commander, look, the people on that battleship are controlling the crossbows. They are already aiming at our warship."
Peng!
There was another loud noise.
Cai Maoguo saw a row of crossbow arrows coming through the air like several streaks of time. Some of the crossbow arrows fell into the river, but two of them also hit his own warship.
Just see...
Our warship tilted visibly to the naked eye. As the soldiers panicked and moved around on the warship, the warship became unbalanced and flipped over into the Han River on the spot.
"This...how is this possible?"
Cai Mao was shocked and his eyes were as wide as bells.
The soldiers around him were stunned in place like thunder and lightning.
Even Kuai Yue himself couldn't help being stunned, but he quickly understood what these things were: "Degui, this must be the crossbow invented by the Nanyang court before. Now that there is a thunderbolt, it can
All used on battleships."
"Ballista?"
Cai Mao has naturally heard of this thing.
I think back then, the coalition forces of Yuan Shu and Zhang Miao were defeated by something called a ballista.
I just never thought that after so many years, it would actually appear on the battlefield in Jingxiang again in such a way.
"That's right."
Kuai Yue said with absolute certainty: "It must be a ballista."
Cai Mao's eyes shifted from his own fleet that had fled to the Nanyang Navy at the rear. Sure enough, he saw a medium-sized warship lying across the river, and dozens of people were loading crossbows.
This crossbow arrow is not simple. Each one is like a spear. The front is extremely sharp, at least two feet long. They are all forged from fine iron. There are barbs on both sides of the sharp crossbow arrows, which can increase the wound surface.
.
"quick!"
Cai Mao was worried and immediately ordered: "Ming Jin withdraws the troops and lets them come back."
Deng Long nodded: "Here!"
The next second.
Jingle bell—!
The golden sound sounded, and Su Fei and others, who were fighting fiercely, quickly changed direction, left the battlefield, and headed back towards the river bank.
The Nanyang naval forces also did not pursue them. They just protected their own warships and maintained a defensive posture. They did not return to their respective positions until Su Fei and others returned to the water village on the other side.
When Huang Gai returned to the river bank, Sun Jian tried to ask: "How does it feel to be overthrown?"
Huang Gai shrugged and simply responded: "There is no pressure. Their strength is slightly stronger than I thought, but it is just stronger. It should not affect the overall situation. After all, our trump card has not been used yet."
Sun Jian'en nodded: "Wait until the decisive battle, and then use it. If you use it now, it will definitely scare Cai Mao. It's good now. It's not strong or weak, and it will definitely make Cai Mao use his full strength."
"
Huang Gai was extremely confident about this: "Well, it must be so."
Sun Jian waved his hand and ordered: "Hurry up and prepare. This battle will destroy at least half of Jingxiang's troops."
All the soldiers raised their hands together: "Here."
now.
In Jingxiang Water Village.
Cai Maoduan sat at the top, with civil servants and generals below him lined up on both sides.
Cai Mao frowned and looked at Su Fei: "Tell me, how do you feel?"
Su Fei leaned over and cupped his hands and said: "We had the advantage at first, but when the enemy's large warships came out and a row of ballistae fired at them, our warships were too small and could not withstand such a huge force."
Chen Ying on the side nodded: "Yes, the power of the opponent's crossbow is too great, and at that time, the distance between the two sides was too close, and our battleship could not withstand such power."
"Then what distance do you think is acceptable?"
Next, Kuai Yue hit the nail on the head and asked.
Although he doesn't understand water fighting, he still understands that the power of an arrow will decrease as the distance increases.
"I am afraid......"
Su Fei pondered for a moment, and finally gave his answer: "It should be at least fifty steps away, to be more safe, and above eighty steps, it should be bearable."
Although the effective range of the mobile ballista can reach a terrifying three hundred steps, if you want to pierce the planks of a ship with one arrow, the distance will inevitably be reduced.
Although Su Fei's guess was not accurate enough, it was pretty much right. According to Sun Jian's experiments, the light warship shuttle of the Jingxiang Navy could penetrate the wooden planks of a ship within a hundred steps.
The Jingxiang navy was responsible for the ramming battleship. Because the hull was relatively thick, it took fifty steps to penetrate the wooden planks of the hull to achieve the destructive effect.
As for the most powerful building warship of the Jingxiang Navy, which is also Cai Mao's command warship, it needs to be able to penetrate the wooden planks of the ship's hull within thirty steps.
but......
Not all battleships in the Nanyang Navy were equipped with ballistae.
After all, crossbows have extremely strong recoil, and on a large river, a battleship floats on the water and a row of crossbows fires. There is a basic pursuit of the weight of the hull. A group of ten battleships can hardly sustain it.
I can't stand this kind of recoil.
The Nanyang Navy's crossbows are only equipped on medium-sized battleships and above. General frigates, cruisers, etc. are not equipped with crossbows.
"One hundred steps?"
Cai Mao frowned and fell into deep thought.
Whether it is fifty steps or eighty steps, it is already far beyond the range of a bow and arrow.
In water battles, the best weapons are not swords, guns, swords, halberds, axes, hooks and forks, but long-distance bows and arrows.
In other words, during a water battle between the two sides, the enemy can hit you, but you cannot hit your opponent. Unless you can close the distance between the two sides in a short period of time, you can give full play to your advantages.
"That's right."
Su Fei nodded affirmatively: "It should be between eighty and one hundred steps."
Cai Mao fell silent and turned to look at Kuai Yue: "Xiandu, what do you think?"
Kuai Yue didn't know much about water warfare, so he shook his head and said softly: "On how to fight, we naturally have to listen to the governor. However, if Xiangyang is gone, we will have no choice but to retreat to the Yangtze River."
"And if we are defeated at the Han River, even if we retreat to the Yangtze River, we may not be able to hold on. Therefore, in this battle, the Governor must exert 120% of his efforts to fully face Nanyang."
Cai Mao's pressure doubled, but he also understood the meaning of Kuai Yue's words. He bit the bullet and nodded slowly: "Of course, this governor knows this. Don't worry, I will do my best."
"good."
Kuai Yue nodded and reminded: "Grand Governor, although I don't understand water warfare, judging from the combat power shown by the opponent, I am afraid that only its large warships are equipped with such crossbows."
"And it seems that there are only twenty or thirty large warships. As long as the governor takes targeted precautions, we still have the ability to fight Nanyang."
Cai Mao said sonorously: "Yes, I understand, and I will make plans easily."