Although Kinmen is located between Anping and Xiamen, it is 12 nautical miles away from Anping. If you use a sailboat to maneuver, the sea voyage will take too long and will be affected by the hydrological conditions in the harbor. It is difficult to achieve the effect of a surprise attack. The average speed is 8
Motorized transport boats with knots obviously have great advantages in this regard.
"The transit time is too long. If the enemy responds in time, they can completely rescue them from land." Mingqiu expressed his concerns clearly when studying the combat plan. Although he has not carried out amphibious operations, he knows this.
Type battles are generally quick and decisive. But a fleet dominated by sailing ships obviously cannot do this. In addition, Kinmen and Xiamen are both very large islands, and it takes a considerable amount of time to launch troops to attack and search on the islands. According to the combat
The plan is to systematically destroy the local area and capture the population. It may take three or four days to complete the campaign.
If the center of the Zheng family had not been defeated and unresponsive at the first time, then Zheng Zhilong might have transferred reinforcements from Jinjiang and other places the next day. Zheng Zhilong's army is a private army, not as exhausted as the officers and soldiers, and can only move in one day
It's more than ten miles away, and probably takes about half a day to reach Anping Counterattack.
Based on historical records that Zheng Zhilong used troops on land many times, the Intelligence Bureau and the Great Library believe that his army mobile troops during this period were about 2,000 people. In addition to the left-behind troops who can be mobilized, more can be sent to Anping
Three thousand people.
"We don't need to worry about Zheng Zhilong's reaction speed." Dongmen Chuiyu was full of confidence, "The Zheng family's army, whether it was the Zheng Zhilong era or the Guo Xingye era, performed poorly against opponents with a little combat effectiveness.
Whether the combat ability or the will to fight is a question. According to the war game exercise, sending out an infantry company equipped with machine guns and light artillery can defeat the reinforcements." He gave an example. The Qing army's horse troops attacked Xiamen with dozens of cavalry scouts.
The landing caused the entire island's defenses in Xiamen to collapse. Ma Degong easily captured Xiamen, the core base of the Zheng family, with little naval support and no dominant overall force.
"So the combat effectiveness of Zheng Zhilong's men is so unbearable?"
"The Intelligence Bureau's view is that even according to the standards of the 17th century, Zheng Zhilong's army - whether it is the navy or the army - is not a strong force." Dongmen Chuiyu said with confidence, "With the scale of the troops we mobilized,
Enough to complete all campaign missions."
From this moment on, Zuoying's base will be raised to the highest alert level, and all vacations and outings will be cancelled.
At five o'clock in the morning on September 27, Mingqiu received a telegram from the Lingao Navy Department: "Start action." Mingqiu summoned all the captains of the First Fleet at the base and ordered: "The Senate has decided to go to war with Zheng Zhilong.
Our fleet will immediately head to Kinmen to attack Zheng Zhilong's fleet and cover the landfall of the army troops in the Jinxia area." After saying that, he issued orders and tasks to each squadron commander and captain.
The main force of the First Fleet is 1 cruiser Lichun and 4 hybrid first-class gunboats. There are also five squadrons of sailing spy boats. The total tonnage of the battleships exceeds 8,000 tons. They carry 200 artillery pieces of various calibers. The hybrid battleships
All are equipped with rifled guns. Although the proportion is not high, the range and power are beyond the reach of the smoothbore guns on the spy boats.
Due to the limited distance of this battle, the accompanying ships did not carry coal ships. The army, navy, logistics units and supplies were transported by 35 large miscellaneous transport ships of the Second Transport Group - h800 due to its relatively large draft
, not suitable for use in ports that have not undergone port construction.
There are also four squadrons of patrol boats cooperating with the operation and performing miscellaneous tasks.
During the voyage, every warship in the fleet was conducting targeted training, especially the squadron leaders and captains of each ship. They were taking the time to familiarize themselves with the hydrological data of Xiamen Bay and Weitou Bay and the Zhengzhou Bay that had just been issued before departure.
Home defense information.
That night, the fleet arrived in Penghu. The sea was calm during the voyage. All fishing boats encountered on the way were detained and escorted to Penghu.
The fleet anchored in Penghu, and Joint Logistics Department personnel established a temporary base on Magong Island, opening a material storage yard and a rescue center. Army personnel landed ashore for a short rest.
Although the Navy did not issue a rest order, the number of people on duty was reduced by half during each shift, and all personnel took turns to rest to accumulate strength for the attack two days later.
Li Huamei stood on the deck of the Lichun - the sun had already set. The First Fleet implemented a light blackout, and except for a few necessary signal lights, all lights were extinguished. The lights of the camps on the shore were also extinguished.
However, these days are during the full moon period. Even without lights, you can still see the ships anchored among the islands and the tents on Magong Island under the moonlight.
Although there were many people and ships, there was no noise everywhere. The ships were moored one after another, and no one was walking around on the island or on the deck. It was a solemn and orderly atmosphere. On the ship, the signal lights in the camp turned on and off in order, conveying something she could not understand yet.
Information and commands could be vaguely heard carried by the sea breeze. All this made Li Huamei, who participated in a large-scale Australian operation for the first time, secretly awe-she and her daughter, the Ming Dynasty court, and Chinese and foreign maritime merchants, under such power
Everything in front of me seemed too small, too insignificant.
She was on duty. The Hangzhou did not participate in this operation because it was being refitted, but as a member of the trainee officers, she boarded the cruiser Lichun - successfully completing the primary task assigned to her by the lady.
This is the first time in many years that she has served on a ship as a crew member instead of a captain. Based on her expertise, Li Huamei was assigned to be an intern in the rigging and rigging department.
Boarding this black "giant ship", Li Huamei was extremely excited - the same feeling as when she boarded the holy ship, even more excited. You must know that the holy ship will not move, and it is far away from her.
The cognitive level is too far away. Unlike Li Chun, although there are many incredible things, they are within the scope of her understanding. When she was sailing, she had seen large European ships of similar size - some were even bigger than Li Chun.
Some. Three huge masts, cloud-like sails and intricate sail cables were once her capital to ridicule the "Senate Navy".
This time she was assigned to the sailing and cable department, and she wanted to show off her skills in front of a group of people. Not to mention the elders, it was the naval officers and soldiers they recruited. Although most of them were from maritime families, they were good at climbing masts, retracting and retracting masts.
She is also an amateur at sailing. However, she soon became disappointed. The sails of the Lichun were all folded and folded using a method that she could not quite understand: the sailor in charge of steering pulled an operating lever under the mast and the sail cable next to it.
The winch will whine and rotate on its own, raising or lowering the sail, and it can be operated in an instant. Compared with the Hangzhou, where the sailors had to line up and shout the signal every time the sail was raised or lowered, it was like heaven.
Underground: If there is a competition, the sailors on the Hangzhou have not yet assembled, and the work of raising and lowering the sails has already been completed.
Mysterious "automatics" like this can be seen in many places on the Lichun: retracting and releasing anchors, rotating cannons... As long as it is a labor-intensive thing on the ship, you can move a pole or turn a wheel, and then the object will
It will mysteriously start moving on its own. Li Huamei roughly knows that this is the same as the steam trains and big iron cranes that the Australians drive on the shore. They are some kind of mysterious power of water and fire - the huge one in the middle of the three masts, spitting out thick
Black chimneys of smoke and white steam are the embodiment of this power.
She became very interested in this "power of water and fire", but it was the engine department that controlled the power of water and fire, which had nothing to do with her. The sailing and cable department had been working on the deck, and the engine department was only there when she returned to the cabin to rest.
Except for encountering these people who are covered in jet black, they are never seen in ordinary times.
"It will be great when I can sneak into the engine department and have a look." Li Huamei thought to herself. She realized how ridiculous it was for her to want to get an Australian "clipper". Just by herself and her Chinese and foreign sailors, she could
There is no way it can serve such a big black ship.
If you want to get this kind of boat, you need the help of the Australians to train all the sailors - just relying on the strength of yourself and the lady is simply wishful thinking.
She sighed. Now she was very satisfied even if she got an Australian speedboat with pure sails, such as the Haitian. I wonder what her Hangzhou would look like after being modified?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but think of the young lady, her sister and herself - and Elder Qi. She felt that she had been involuntarily, pushed by some kind of force, and walked here step by step.
At this moment, she stood on the deck of the Australian "black ship" and put on their uniform, but she still had second thoughts. What would her fate be like? She felt that it was unlucky to think like this, but she couldn't help but want to
Go and have random thoughts.
Li Huamei stood alone in the dark for a long time until the replacement arrived. She handed over her shift and returned to the cabin below the deck.
As a trainee reserve officer, she was not entitled to the officer's cabin and slept in the noncommissioned officer's steerage cabin: all were berths.
Li Huamei was not used to sleeping in the same steerage cabin with a group of big men. Although everyone knew that she was a famous pirate and no one dared to pay her attention, just watching these men take off their clothes and sleep every day made Li Huamei feel uncomfortable.
She felt uncomfortable all over. The men also said that it was too exciting and embarrassing. In the end, the ship management department used wooden boards to temporarily separate a room in the corner of the steerage.
Li Huamei returned to her "single room", took off her coat and climbed onto the hammock. There was already loud snoring in the steerage cabin outside. She was still a little uncomfortable with such an environment, so she had to close her eyes to rest her mind. In another day, the fleet would