Changzhou, Baogang. Visit:.. Night.

On the river, the combined fleet of Yangzhou Zhenshui Division, the flagship of the Chinese army, Zhenyuan.

The Ming Dynasty Hongguang was on April 25 of the first year.

It is only a hundred miles of waterway away from Guazhou, Yangzhou Prefecture, and if you go fast, you can reach it in one day.

The commander of the Combined Fleet, Guerrilla General Fang Wei, was standing on the bow of the ship at the moment, watching the sailors busy on the deck like worker bees, the lights were sparkling like a dream.

More than 100 ships, large and small, were moved, and the procession stretched for more than 20 miles.

Zhenyuan, with a total length of 100 feet, a width of 30 feet, and a standard displacement of 360 tons...... Uh, it's 360,000 catties, and I don't know where Hou Ye heard about it as a unit of measurement, so I have to convert it first when I use it, and I am purely making trouble for myself.

Similar to the clippers built by Hou Ye before, the Zhenyuan tended to be long and narrow, with a low ramming angle above the waterline to ram enemy ships. Such a warship had three masts with sails on them. On the ocean, the sails are fully furled, like several huge white clouds rising overhead. There is a ship building at the bow and stern of the Zhenyuan, and with such a large carrying capacity, the size is naturally amazing. Not to mention ordinary ships, even the arrow ship is like a child compared to it.

Such a huge ship naturally had many soldiers on board, and in the case of the Zhenyuan, there were fifteen officers, twenty-six sailors, nineteen midshipmen, ten miscellaneous servants, and twenty-one gunners. The deck of the ship was also staffed with a detachment of about a hundred soldiers, so that the total number of personnel was about two hundred.

This is still the usual situation, in the event of war, this frighteningly large ship has to be used as a troop carrier.

Take the Zhenyuan at this moment, for example, there are about 300 on it, so to speak, whenever there is open space on the ship, it is full of personnel and materials.

Such a large ship is naturally the best way to trade at sea, and a trip between Japan and the South Seas is worth ten round-trips by ordinary merchant ships

。

Of course, with so many supplies and personnel on board, there must be a huge amount of weaponry.

In addition to the sailors on the ship, each of whom had a short leather armor and a waist knife, each also had two firearms, one long and one short.

In addition, the Zhenyuan was armed with a variety of artillery pieces. Cannons, long cannons, 'shooting' stone cannons, mortar cannons, rotary cannons.

Among them, there are 20 'guns' of heavy artillery. Two cannons, four cannons, ten half-long cannons and four falcons.

The largest guns were used as stern counter guns, the rest of the guns were placed on either side of the ship, each 'door' had a separate gun emplacement, the long guns were placed in the amidships, the falcon guns were placed in front of the mainmast, and the semi-long guns were facing the stern, all of which were mounted on two-wheeled carts.

In addition, the ship is equipped with fourteen 'door' guns, which are usually placed on deck or below the ship's building, and can be reinstalled on top of both ships if necessary

In this way, all the large and small guns on the Zhenyuan have thirty-four 'gates', which is already the size of a field army.

The artillery of a field regiment is compressed on such a ship a hundred feet long and thirty feet wide, and its firepower intensity can be imagined. In particular, these guns have also been modified by the Ordnance Institute and are extremely powerful.

After the big ship was built, Fang Wei once came to 'fire' with artillery, and that scene can only be compared to the overwhelming mountains and seas, but it cannot be described in words.

In the words of one of the generals of the Marines, "This thing is a moving fortress, an arsenal that can walk!" ”

That's right, this is what Hou Ye said about the arsenal ship, and this kind of ship was also named the arsenal class by him.

This name is also apt, as soon as the fire is fired, that is, the ammunition and "medicine" weapons in the warehouse are smashed on the enemy's head as if they do not need money, and it only takes half an hour to work, and the steel output of Xiting Iron Works will go out for half a year. (Marshmallow)

Behind the Zhenyuan was two same arsenal-class warships, namely Weiyuan and Chaoyuan.

In fact, half a year ago, Hou Ye had stopped building ships because he wanted to concentrate all the resources of the military town to meet the challenge of the Jiannu army going south.

Speaking of Zhenyuan, Weiyuan and Chaoyuan, the words are long

。 These three boats were still set up five years ago. In those years, the Yangzhou Navy Division and the Zheng family fought vigorously in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, and the ships of the two families chased each other on the ocean, and the war even burned to Luzon and Annam. That place is the territory of Westerners, and the sudden intrusion of Yangzhou sailors into people's spheres of influence will inevitably cause disputes.

Fang Wei and they also fought a few battles with the Dutch, Spaniards, and Portuguese. Later, after negotiations, everyone finally stopped the army and ceased fighting.

On the battlefield, Dafang found that the Westerners had a terrifyingly big three-masted battleship, which was amazingly powerful, and when ordinary ships encountered them, it was simply a 'chicken' egg hitting a stone. Your cannon has just fired less than two shots, and dozens of people's 'guns' fire at the same time, covering you in an instant. Of course, this kind of ship is not without disadvantages, because it is too big, and the speed is hard, just send two flying clippers, and consume it to death.

Of course, this kind of big ship covered in thorns and full of artillery still made the sailors extremely envious.

So, they invited a lot of Western mechanics and shipbuilders to return to Yangzhou and ask Hou Ye to build ships.

When Sun Yuan heard this, he immediately slapped his big 'leg' excitedly: "Isn't this a Spanish galleon, if you want to dominate the ocean, this thing is indispensable." Made, must be made! ”

As a result, three dry docks were built there in Nantong and ships were built.

This kind of ship looks imposing, but it is very troublesome to build, and it needs good oak, which is not produced in China. I had no choice but to buy it from overseas. The best oak is produced in Europe and the Americas, and it can only be transported from there by Westerners, and most of the world is rounded, and tofu is shipped to the price of 'meat', so it has been delayed for many years.

Because it has been on the horse for so many years, there is no way to stop work, and Huang You, who is also generous, is also the same as above, topped the cow, slapped the table, and shed tears in front of Sun Hou, which can be built at the end of last month.

When the artillery equipment is completed and the personnel training is completed, it is just in time for the Yangzhou battle.

"The big ships were finally built, and it was so dangerous that these three boats almost died in the womb. Although Mr. Huang is a rare wise man, his gaze is always limited to the land, and the pattern in the 'chest' is still not large. ”

With a huge tonnage, the Ningxiang Army finally has the ability to cross an ocean, and finally completes the transformation from a yellow water navy to a blue water navy.

Zhenyuan, Weiyuan, and Chaoyuan are the pride of the entire Yangzhou Water Division

。

Fang Wei tightened the black 'colored' hooded coat on his body, pinched the cross hanging on his chest, and looked out.

It was dark, and there were no 'waves' in the river.

There is still an hour before dawn, and this is the darkest time. However, the river was filled with the lights of the fleet, like a long dragon stretching out. But the night made him a little uneasy. It has been more than ten years since Hou Ye raised the three-foot sword and started the army, and he has been in the Ningxiang army for nearly eight years.

He remembered that when he first joined the Ningxiang Army, he was just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, who was an ordinary soldier beside Hou Ye, but now he stood on the flagship of the largest fleet in the whole of East Asia, leading hundreds of warships and more than 10,000 sailors. There are a staggering 30,000 men under his command.

Now, it is ferociously pounced on Guazhou.

A clipper ship costs 100,000 taels of silver, and the Zhenyuan under his seat 'spent' 300,000 yuan.

In the treasury of Yangzhou Town, almost all the belongings accumulated by the Hou Ye since he started his army were thrown on these ships, and he could be said to be sitting on a golden mountain to fight.

All the naval forces gathered here, and this was the largest sea-to-land unrestricted war in the entire East.

"For the sake of sacrifice and ambition, dare to change the sun and the moon into a new sky!" The guerrilla general couldn't help but howl in the cool river breeze: "The general is bold in the southern expedition, and his waist is crossed." The wind blows the drums, the mountains and rivers move, the lightning flashes, the flag is high, the sun and the moon are high. ”

"Guazhou, I'll come!"

An officer walked over: "Your Excellency, Commander of the Combined Fleet, everyone is waiting for you. ”

"Okay, I'll go." Fang Wei thought of the officers under him, of the brothers with dark faces and rusty skin, and their strange words and deeds and their immodest daily life.

As soon as the navy went to sea, it could not return for two or three months. In addition to water, there is still water on the ocean, and life is boring, and it is obviously impossible to restrain the troops with strict dogmas like the army. Therefore, the atmosphere of the water army is very relaxed.

Moreover, because the sailors need to calculate, they invite many Western teachers to teach them to read and learn arithmetic and physics on weekdays. In addition, because he was a devout Catholic, he also took a tacit attitude towards the Jesuit priests' preaching among the sailors

。 In this way, the navy has the flavor of the Xiyi people.

Everyone dressed up as Dutch, and many even used knives and forks when eating. In addition, the sailor also recruited a lot of Western boatmen, and his eyes were full of red, black, and white devils.

The discipline of the sailors is not as strict as that of the army, but the combat effectiveness is not weak, even stronger.

Kuah Chau is not a problem.

When I entered the cabin, I was greeted by a hot air, which made Dafang sweat.

……

Fang Wei: "Everyone needs to understand that this time our sailors went to Guazhou not to grab the beach and land the battle, Gao Jie's side, we only need to cooperate with artillery fire." Therefore, those who want to kill the shore and fight Jiannu are only afraid that they will be disappointed this time. Our eyes cannot be limited to Guazhou, after the end of this battle, we have to rush to Nanjing, and cooperate with Zheng Sen, the town navy, to fight against Jiannu Azig. Time is of the essence, and every soldier is precious, and there can be no loss in the slightest. Our navy is a technical branch of the army, which comes from a difficult background, and a qualified sailor cannot be trained without two or three years of training. ”

The cabin was filled with more than forty officers, all of whom were captains of various warships. They were dressed in tight Western military uniforms and a boat-shaped hat on their heads, which looked very strange.

A long table covered with a white tablecloth was full of canned goods, but not many people were interested in touching it. Only one officer, as black as coal, was working hard with a knife and fork, this man's name was Malu, who knows where this Kunlun slave was from, and who was said to have been a sailor, gunner, '' helmsman, and lookout on the Dutch devil ship for more than twenty years, and he had done all the posts on the ship anyway. After being a prisoner of the Ningxiang Army, because this black boy's ability is so outstanding, he has now accumulated merit to become the captain of a battleship, and the official worships the 'discipline' of the general.

"How many enemies are there on Gua Chau/" An officer as white as lime put his cigar on a plate, exhaled a long smoke and asked in stiff Chinese, telling him that he was from Norway. What a strange name, to the effect of the northern road. Today, he holds the position of an artillery officer aboard the Zhenyuan ship.

"A lot, more than ten thousand."

"So many ......" the smoke broke and the white-skinned artillery officer coughed.

"Don't worry, the terrain of Guazhou is narrow, which is suitable for our army's artillery coverage. It only takes a short and powerful artillery fire to annihilate the living force of Jiannu, and I am personally very optimistic about this battle. "As a naval commander, Fang Wei has been accustomed to having strange sentences to convey his thoughts by interacting with all kinds of 'color' people

。

Another naval officer asked, "Commander Fang, how short are you talking about?" ”

"Half a day." Fang Wei raised a finger: "According to our speed, we will be able to reach Guazhou at noon tomorrow, and it is said that a big battle of this scale will have to blow him up for two or three days." But don't forget, everyone, we are still needed on the side of the town navy. Without the artillery support of the Combined Fleet, Nanjing could not be defended. Therefore, tomorrow our artillery support will only be until dusk, and as soon as the ammunition 'medicine' of one base number is finished, we will be dark. ”

"One cardinal ...... Isn't it a little less? Someone asked.

"It's a lot, there is a bigger battle over there at Dashengguan, and our ammunition 'medicine' depends on waterway transportation from Nantong, if it is consumed too quickly, logistics will not be able to keep up." Everyone hurried to return to the army and make preparations before the war. After speaking, Fang Wei stood up: "Since you don't want to eat canned food, then I won't keep guests, and the meeting will be dismissed!" God bless the Ningxiang Army. ”

"Yes, Commander!" The crowd stood up neatly with a bang.

"God bless the Ningxiang Army!"

"Amitabha!"

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"

"Mazu bless the Ningxiang Army!"

……

The people below prayed to the God of their hearts at the same time.

There are all kinds of "color" and "color" people in the sailors, and their beliefs are also different. Sun Yuan has always been very vigilant about the beliefs in the army and has been very strict in management. But the sailor is an exception, and the people here come from all corners of the earth, and he can't control it. Dafang is a Christian, and he is also more indulgent to the water master.

The Kunlun slave named Malu hurriedly grabbed a bottle of lunch' 'meat' in his hand, and by the way, took a bottle of wine from Malacca.

Tonight's night is gone, to be honest, this freshwater fish of the Ming Dynasty is too unpalatable, there are too many spines, and it has been stuck in the throat several times, or lunch 'meat'!

Seeing that everyone was chattering, he scratched his head, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He was originally from the east coast of Africa, and at the age of six he was captured as a slave on a white man's ship, and although all white people were religious, he was an atheist

。 Because he had begged God before, but God had not been able to help him in any way, he did not believe it.

Now that everyone is praying, it's not too embarrassing not to express it.

He muttered and shouted in stiff Chinese mixed with Jiangsu and Zhejiang accents: "The land lord blesses the Ningxiang army!" ”

This strange tone is really ugly, and he laughed generously with a straight face: "Get out!" "Yes, Commander!" The crowd stood up neatly with a bang.

"God bless the Ningxiang Army!"

"Amitabha!"

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"

"Mazu bless the Ningxiang Army!"

……

The people below prayed to the God of their hearts at the same time.

There are all kinds of "color" and "color" people in the sailors, and their beliefs are also different. Sun Yuan has always been very vigilant about the beliefs in the army and has been very strict in management. But the sailor is an exception, and the people here come from all corners of the earth, and he can't control it. Dafang is a Christian, and he is also more indulgent to the water master.

The Kunlun slave named Malu hurriedly grabbed a bottle of lunch' 'meat' in his hand, and by the way, took a bottle of wine from Malacca.

Tonight's night is gone, to be honest, this freshwater fish of the Ming Dynasty is too unpalatable, there are too many spines, and it has been stuck in the throat several times, or lunch 'meat'!

Seeing that everyone was chattering, he scratched his head, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He was originally from the east coast of Africa, and at the age of six he was captured as a slave on a white man's ship, and although all white people were religious, he was an atheist. Because he had begged God before, but God had not been able to help him in any way, he did not believe it.

Now that everyone is praying, it's not too embarrassing not to express it.

He muttered and shouted in stiff Chinese mixed with Jiangsu and Zhejiang accents: "The land lord blesses the Ningxiang army!" ”

This strange tone is really ugly, and he laughed generously with a straight face: "Get out!" ”

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