"Fortunately, we have Liu Xiang as a buffer, otherwise it would be really difficult for us to deal with this giant Zheng Zhilong."
However, this basically confirms that Zheng Zhilong will not provide assistance to Wang Zunde's campaign of suppression. The Guangdong side can only rely on its own troops for operations, and the military pressure faced by Lingao is greatly reduced.
"These are several military intelligence reference booklets compiled by the Foreign Intelligence Service based on existing information for your reference."
Wang Ding then distributed these pamphlets. They were "Guangdong Ming Army Numbers and Garrison Distribution", "Guangdong Ming Army Officers Directory and above", "Ming Army Weapons and Equipment Atlas and Main Performance? Army (Navy) Army"
Volumes", "Concise Organization of the Ming Army" and "Tactical Characteristics of the Ming Army".
These pamphlets are partly compiled based on historical records and research materials from past dynasties, and partly based on sporadic intelligence collected from various channels after D-Day. The latter comes from a wide range of sources, including military intelligence collected specifically from Guangzhou and Leizhou Stations;
Some of them were taken from the daily reports of the Qiwei Escort Bureau. The most valuable ones are the records of interviews with the Ming army’s surrender, the secretary office of the county government barracks, and the barracks files in the county government office.
There is no shortage of formal first-hand information.
Wang Ding and others took the trouble to visit Lin Shenhe. In the warehouse of the Ordnance Research Institute, there were piles of various samples of hot and cold weapons used by the Ming army and pirates. From the beginning, Lin Shenhe consciously
Many captured weapons from the Ming Dynasty were salvaged at the steel mill, cleaned and oiled and then stored. He also wrote to the Executive Committee and set up a testing ground to test the power of the captured weapons from the Ming Dynasty.
This power test not only tests firearms, but also cold weapons such as spears, bows and arrows, and swords. It also tests the damage to armored and unprotected personnel.
Lin Shenhe's only regret was that there was no ballistic gel. As for using livestock as targets, the cafeteria would definitely not agree. No one liked meat that was pulpy and smelled of rust. So he had to use glue or something like that instead.
Without these field-tested data, it would have been impossible to compile a pamphlet on the performance of the Ming army's weapons simply by relying on contradictory or even completely inconsistent with scientific evidence in historical records.
Everyone found it very convenient after getting it. Especially the officers who have served in Pla are no strangers to this kind of booklet. It can be regarded as a simple and effective way to understand the enemy.
"This pamphlet is very good! You have done a good thing." He Ming nodded in affirmation.
Seeing smiles on the faces of He Ming, Chen Haiyang and others, Wang Ding knew that the all-night work of the Foreign Intelligence Bureau in recent days was not in vain. At least the military had some recognition of their intelligence work.
"Okay, let's speculate on the specific military actions of the Ming army." He Ming said, "Let's make a few more plans."
Dongmen Chuiyu stood up with a smile on his face. After he was transferred to the General Staff, he quickly became the Secretary-General and was responsible for presiding over the daily work of the General Staff. The position of Chief of General Staff was too powerful and no one could be appointed to it, so now
Just leave it alone.
Dongmen Chuiyu originally wanted to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but this position seemed too prestigious, so he became the secretary-general instead, presiding over the joint meeting. In fact, he held the position of staff officer.
"Everyone, if the Ming army wants to launch a military attack on Lingao, it is most likely to adopt a simultaneous attack mode by sea and land." He opened the map curtain behind him, revealing a large-scale map of northern Hainan.
Judging from the level of training and equipment of the Ming army, to dispatch tens of thousands of troops would have to carry a large amount of weapons and baggage - not to mention in the 17th century, even in the 20th century, it was still very difficult to organize a large number of troops to land in front of the enemy with baggage.
, a matter of great risk. Considering the organizational level and fighting will of the Ming army, things like the whole army breaking into Bopu and storming the landing will definitely not happen.
People from all walks of life crossed the sea in batches to Qiongshan County to gather troops. After the troops were assembled and rested, they launched the main force to attack along the coast. The navy sailed along the coast, advancing on land and water side by side, and supporting each other. This was the safest and most likely method.
No matter who directs the attack this time, it will generally follow this routine.
The Ming army's military concentration must be in Qiongshan County, which not only has a large port to facilitate military navigation, but is also the main garrison base and administrative center of the Ming government in Hainan, making coordination in all aspects more convenient.
"Will the enemy come from the direction of Danzhou? Ming Dynasty liked to play the game of attacking in separate directions."
"There is a possibility." Dongmen Chuiyu said, "Danzhou has an official warehouse of the Ming government in Hainan. If we send troops from here, we can reduce the amount of grain and reduce the logistical pressure."
When fighting, ancient armies often used tactics of dividing their forces to attack together and advancing with multiple fronts. This was not only for strategic and tactical considerations, but also to a large extent to reduce the difficulty of organizing and supplying the march.
"In addition, Lingao pays more than 2,000 dan to Danzhou every year, which shows that Danzhou still retains a considerable number of military guards and has a certain fighting capacity." Wang Ding reminded everyone, "We must consider the possibility of the Ming army.
We will mobilize the Danzhou health center to a certain extent to expand the number of troops along the Danzhou route."
"Well, so we still have to deal with the enemy in the direction of Danzhou. There is only one guard company and one fortress artillery company in the Gaoshanling area." He Ming flipped through his notebook, "How many people can the enemy in the direction of Danzhou probably dispatch?
?”
Dongmen Chuiyu said: "It depends on how many Guangdong troops the government plans to sail to Danzhou. If it is just to recruit military households locally, it will be at most 500 people."
"If the generals of the Ming Dynasty wanted to have food, then the number of troops sailing to Danzhou would not be too small." He Ming said, "According to the intelligence department, the Ming Dynasty would dispatch 20,000 to 30,000 troops to sail to Danzhou."
There must be at least three to four thousand people going to the state."
In addition to the locally mobilized garrison troops, the total number is 5,000. This group of people driving all the way is enough to make people jump all the way. The crossing group has to take a fighting stance in two directions, and the force is a bit stretched.
Dongmen Chuiyu said: "I propose that the navy establish a line of defense to directly intercept this group of troops. If the Guangdong army wants to sail to Danzhou, it must pass through the Qiongzhou Strait. We don't even need to go to Lingao territory, we can reach Lantern Point
Implement an interception at sea and directly capture all these troops."
"This matter will be implemented by the Navy." He Ming recorded something in his notebook and asked Chen Haiyang, "Does the Navy have any difficulties?"
"No, but the navy cannot guarantee that all enemies will be captured. If the enemy is disobedient, they will have to sink a few ships to demonstrate."
"Where is the *** line?"
"Located on the ocean from the west of Leizhou Peninsula to Danzhou, two squadrons of spy boats need to be deployed for day and night patrols. There is also a clipper patrol squadron on standby in the port for reinforcement at any time." Chen Haiyang said, "You can't just cruise near Lantern Point.
, the Ming army may also march to Leizhou by land and board the ship in Leizhou - so more ships will be used." He studied the map carefully, "It would be much easier if Leizhou could provide ferry information -
We will directly block the port.”
"I think there is no problem with this. Our local system in Leizhou should be able to do it," Li Yan said.
Bei Wei said: "Let's leave this matter to the special reconnaissance team - originally this is a military investigation mission, and our profession. The special reconnaissance team guarantees to complete the task."
"The enemies along the Danzhou route can only be said to be possible." He Ming said, "This threat will be left to the navy and special reconnaissance team."
The following is a discussion of an issue that has been hotly debated in the Senate, whether to go abroad and take the initiative or to defend and counterattack on preset positions.
On this issue, not only are there clear divisions within the Senate, but there are also different opinions within the military.
Most people advocate conducting defensive operations on preset positions. Their main reasons are:
The highest-ranking officer in the army is only the company commander of Pla. No one has ever faced a war of this scale. There are bound to be many problems in command and dispatch. It is easier to defend than to attack.
Secondly, soldiers have more training but less actual combat experience. They need to be tested by fire. Facing an enemy with a numerical advantage, the defending side has an easier time organizing the battle, and the psychological pressure of the soldiers is much less. More importantly,
Use defensive victories to boost soldiers' confidence.
After the defense is successful, the pursuit begins, and the order in the rear is easy to maintain - the victory of the defense will greatly encourage the people who are biased towards the Traversing Army, deter the hostile elements, and make the people who are waiting to side with the Traversing Army.
In the end, the strategy of defending first and then counterattacking is in line with China's consistent thinking mode of "not firing the first shot", "I can't take the lead in provocation", and "who can't bear it". It gained a moral advantage by crossing the public. In terms of publicity
It can be vigorously promoted that what Chuan Zhong Lingao does is not like those pirates who cause harm to one side. Instead, they attack pirates and evil gentry, develop production, and accommodate refugees to stabilize society. They can be said to be role models for gentry. It is unreasonable to be surrounded and suppressed in this way.
. This will lay a good foundation for expanding one's power in the future.
"Given the size and organization of the Ming army and the road conditions in Hainan, the enemy's attack route can only be along the post roads in one county and one county. In this way, they can more easily obtain supplies along the way. Marching is also difficult.
It is more convenient - after all, the Ming army has to carry a large amount of equipment and firearms, and has certain requirements for roads." Dongmen Chuiyu pointed to the big map, "We have the advantage of being able to choose the battlefield at will. As long as we are in Qiongshan -
At any point along the Lingao post road, we can choose to deploy our troops on terrain that is advantageous for our weapons. We can even carry out battlefield construction in advance, dig trenches, build bastions, and even transport heavier artillery to the position. The advantages are very obvious.
.”
Unexpectedly, Dongmen Chuiyu's high-minded argument was immediately refuted by Bai Yu, the director of the armored forces. Not only did he refute it, he also gave Dongmen a capitulationist hat.
"We know the route that the Ming army will attack, and we have the advantage of radio and map. We should use our mobility advantage to concentrate our forces to defeat the enemy one by one. Some can even defeat them at the mouth of the Pearl River, which fully demonstrates the technical superiority of our army;
It is true that our army has no battle experience, but our soldiers are well-trained, well-fed, and commanded by modern military talents. Defensive warfare may not be easy. The enemy is more than five times our number. Blind defense will only lower our morale.
Finally, "Crack down on pirates and evil gentry, develop production, and accommodate refugees to stabilize society." This is evidence of rebellion - this is called "bribing people's hearts," and it is more hateful to the Ming government than burning and killing people.
His argument is: The side with the absolute advantage in the crossing group must take the initiative to attack to seize the initiative on the battlefield. In a situation where the enemy's strength is seriously different from ours, it is more important to seize the initiative; in defensive operations, the weaker side is actually fighting passively.
, the requirements for soldiers are higher and the pressure is greater than attacking.
Not taking the initiative to attack and waiting for the enemy to attack is not a moral advantage but weakness. Lingao can take care of the interests of the vast majority of people under its rule. This is the greatest moral advantage. The crossing group must show its toughness and protect the people under its rule.
Only the people's ability and determination can lay a good foundation for future development.
Finally, he strongly requested that the Ming army be completely annihilated and then the city of Guangzhou be bombarded. If there were enough explosives, it would be best to blow up a city wall and give the officials and gentry enough shock.
The two sides held a series of debates on this issue, ranging from military tactics to political heights and all aspects of economic construction.
People who favor going abroad to defend against the enemy have another concern: Defensive counterattacks are certainly safe, but what about the infrastructure facilities that have been built in Lingao? Farmland, water conservancy, roads, and telephone poles cannot be defended. If the government troops attack first on the way,
Large-scale destruction of infrastructure everywhere, not to mention the loss of facilities and materials - people's hearts may be unstable, which is extremely detrimental to post-war reconstruction.
Chen Haiyang is also not enthusiastic about decisive battles abroad. He said:
"I am skeptical about our military's ability to conduct decisive battles overseas: the navy lacks enough large ships to carry out long-range attacks and has insufficient delivery capabilities. If the Ming army's assembly point on the mainland is in the Pearl River Delta area, rather than Leizhou Peninsula or Hainan Island,
Although the troops we send can kill a large number of enemies, unless we send troops to rob the surrounding areas, our prisoners and supplies will be relatively limited. This is the first problem.
"Secondly, fighting on the mainland has higher requirements on our intelligence, logistics and military organization. This is our first large-scale operation. It is not a bad idea to be a little more conservative and let them land in Hainan, and then completely eliminate the invading enemy."
He pointed to the board:
"I think the Ming army will set up the assembly point in the Qiongzhou Fucheng area after considering all aspects - this is also what the General Staff speculated in the battle plan just now. In this case, we don't have to let the enemy enter Lingao, but take advantage of them
When Qiongshan was fully assembled, the navy and army attacked at the same time and annihilated it in one go. As for taking the initiative to attack the city, or setting up positions outside Qiongshan County to lure the enemy into attack, it was easy to do.
"When the Ming army gathers in Qiongshan County, they will definitely harass the local area. However, they are still official soldiers after all, and they will not burn or kill people. The damage to the local area will not be too great. We will follow
Taking over does not require large-scale aftermath work, and it can also score a point in the military. In addition," he said, "I personally prefer to take the initiative to attack, rather than setting up defenses to wait for the enemy - wait for the Ming army to approach the city.
If the overwhelming army has no way to retreat, the pressure on the soldiers will be even greater. If you let them take the initiative to attack, the pressure will be much less. As long as you fight a battle and see that the opponent is a chicken and a dog, the pressure will be natural.
It’s gone.”
Chen Haiyang's proposal was approved by most people. The final combat plan was: the navy set up a security line in the Qiongzhou Strait to prevent the enemy from entering the Lingao sea and prevent them from directly landing troops in Lingao to conduct harassment operations.
The army dispatched a small group of troops and a special reconnaissance team to conduct interdiction operations in the direction of Qiongshan, preventing the enemy's reconnaissance cavalry and small groups of troops from entering the area near Lingao.
After the enemy's main force is assembled and leaves Qiongzhou, the navy first destroys the Ming Navy and cuts off the connection between the Qiongzhou Strait and the mainland, making it impossible to retreat from the sea. The army looks for opportunities in the wild to fight the enemy's main force, and the navy can be used when necessary
The warships maneuvered, and after destroying the enemy, they took advantage of the victory and captured the capital city of Qiongzhou.
Wei Aiwen stood up and spoke at this time: "I have no objection to the battle plan itself. But I hope that the planned battle will be an upright battle: a beautiful battle at the time and place of our choice - and the whole process will be filmed.
Come down and play it again and again in the future - this is a bloody battle, we want everyone to understand our power. Especially for our soldiers - many of them still don't realize the meaning of the weapons in their hands.
Thousands of years of habits will make them think that the people cannot fight against the officials. Even if the weapons are powerful, if they really practice it, they will have an earth-shaking change in their consciousness."
After the combat plan was formulated, the General Staff Headquarters and the Foreign Intelligence Service held consultations, and the two sides decided to send two joint military reconnaissance teams to conduct a staff trip. The focus was on the topography, passes, and arteries along the Qiongshan-Lingao line.
The town government office and the garrison conducted a comprehensive inventory. This information has been collected in the past, and this time it is a review.
In addition, the reconnaissance team will conduct a comprehensive survey and assessment of the possible gathering places of the Ming army and possible battle locations, and make relevant plans. At the same time, in order to find out how many ships can dock along the Qiongshan-Lingao line
At the port on the shore, the hydrological conditions will be measured, and with the permission of the naval intelligence personnel, another reconnaissance team will be led to conduct the survey.
"In addition, we need to replenish the existing troops." He Ming said, "Currently, the Army has a lot of vacancies. Many auxiliary units are not full. The artillery has even more vacancies, so we need to temporarily recruit personnel to supplement them. However, this involves
When it comes to mobilization issues, we must coordinate with the Government Affairs Council."