"Don't chase it. [Reading Network]"

The Esko pirate fleet retreated, and Chen Zhan did not pursue.

The warships of the Fourth Fleet, after checking their own equipment, left the battlefield one after another. Their task was to rush to the side of Pakistan as soon as possible and join up with the Second and Third Fleets already stationed there. The encounter with the Esco pirate fleet on the way was just a small episode for them, and it passed quickly.

Intelligence from all quarters shows that the response of the Dutch Navy is still relatively large. The various detachments of the Far East Fleet of the Dutch Navy are quietly assembling. In the sea near Jakarta, a considerable number of warships of the Dutch Navy are concentrated. In the unlikely event that they gathered all the main forces of the navy and launched an attack on the Pakistani neighborhood, the Second and Third Fleets would still be more dangerous.

As for those pirates on the sea, there is no need for the white-coated navy to pay attention to them. If their lives were great, they would naturally be rescued by a passing Dutch merchant ship. If they were unlucky, they would have to die in the belly of the fish. Who made them pirates? If they were under the banner of the Dutch Navy, in the spirit of humanitarianism, the White Navy would indeed have to come to the rescue. However, since they are acting as pirates, it doesn't matter.

Zhang Lei counted the ammunition consumption of each ship, and the Fourth Fleet consumed a total of about 200 rounds of shells. On average, each gun fired only three times. Such a result is neither good nor bad, it should be said that it is within the normal combat level of the white-coat army and navy. Of course, the final result was not great. Only two pirate warships were destroyed.

Many officers and soldiers of the white-clothed army and navy were a little unwilling to Chen Zhan's order. They felt that if they chased after it immediately, they should be able to wipe out all this pirate fleet. No matter how powerful the pirate fleet is, it is not as powerful as the navy, right? This was the first battle since the establishment of the Fourth Fleet, and the results were of course as big as possible.

However, Chen Zhan resolutely did not allow the fleet to pursue. Of course, the fulfillment of the task of reinforcing the Pakistani side is a key factor. However, worrying about what accidents will happen to the fleet in the process of pursuing is also a very important factor. As the commander of the fleet, Chen Zhan must think about defeat before he wins. In the event that the front is victorious, but in the process of pursuit, an unexpected situation occurs, resulting in the loss of battleships, which will be a very heavy blow to the morale of the fleet.

In fact, Chen Zhan knew very well in his heart that a big reason why the white-clothed navy was able to achieve victory was in equipment. The new instruments of the White Clothes Army and Navy, such as artillery, rangefinders, and angle meters, played a major role in the battle. To say that in terms of the quality of personnel, his Fourth Fleet, in fact, was inferior to Evans's pirate fleet.

After all, Xu Xingxia is not omnipotent. He can't solve everything by cheating. He can mobilize a large amount of money, a large amount of raw materials, a large number of labor, a large number of technicians, in the shortest possible time, to create the largest number of warships, on the sea in the east, to form an absolute superiority in the number of warships.

However, the training and cultivation of naval personnel cannot be achieved overnight. Xu Xingxia also didn't have any way to find a large group of sailors who were familiar with naval warfare in a short period of time. All personnel of the White Army and Navy basically need to train themselves. Ten years of the Army, a hundred years of the Navy, this is definitely not a general talk.

Since the original Daming Navy Division had almost no talent reserves, the white-clothed navy needed to start from a blank sheet of paper in terms of personnel training. Many of the newly recruited Navy officers and sailors couldn't even swim. One can imagine how difficult it is to train them into qualified naval officers and men.

This is also the main reason why Xu Xingxia asked the white-clothed navy to just show his existence in the South Seas, instead of rushing to war against the Western powers. The equipment is advanced, the technology is advanced, but the quality of the personnel cannot keep up. If this shortcoming cannot be made up for as much as possible, there will always be problems in the future.

According to Xu Xingxia's requirements, the white-coated navy must use all possible means to build a combat-effective personnel echelon in three to five years. In Weihaiwei and other places, it is necessary to set up a large number of naval training courses and crash courses, so as to provide the navy with sailors with a certain basic knowledge as much as possible.

...... "What? ”

"Esko was defeated?"

"Damn the Navy, what the hell are you going to do?"

After receiving the bad news from his subordinates, Count Afelai, the Dutch governor of Jakarta, could no longer be calm. He ruthlessly crumpled the battle report sent by his subordinates and threw it into the corner. Probably feeling that this was not exalted, he walked over again and kicked the paper ball to the other side. In the end, the poor ball of paper was picked up by him and thrown straight out of the window.

Afele's family is also quite influential in the Netherlands. He has always been favored by certain high-level executives in the Netherlands. With their strong support, Afelai was unusually promoted to the rank of count. He has just been promoted to the rank of earl, and his future can be described as bright. If nothing else, in the next two or three years, he will take over as the general director of the Dutch East India Company, becoming the supreme presence of the Dutch in the East.

As long as he makes a little achievement, it is not completely impossible to be promoted from earl to duke again, and to be among the highest decision-making levels in the whole of the Netherlands. The Dutch East India Company was supposed to be a huge springboard. Prior to this, many people had already moved from the position of general director of the Dutch East India Company to the highest decision-making level in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands itself did not have a king. The king of the Netherlands itself, the king of England. However, since the relationship between the Dutch and the British was very bad, they basically did not recognize the British king's dominion over the Netherlands. Thus, in the Netherlands, the duke was already the highest level of existence. The council, composed of dukes, is the highest decision-making level in the Netherlands.

At present, there are only fifteen dukes in the Netherlands. They are the fifteen giants of the Netherlands. All high-level matters in the Netherlands are decided by their final vote. If he Afelai can be among them, the course of his life will reach its peak. Ascend to the pinnacle, a great minister. The family behind him will also usher in the most glorious period.

However, all this has become precarious because of the arrival of the White Army Navy. Solum was killed, Esco was defeated, and Ba's neighbor was captured, all of which would ultimately affect his future. No one would vote for an incapable person to ascend to the pinnacle of power. The appearance of the white-clothed navy killed the future of Afelai in an instant.

"No, you can't! Absolutely not! Afelai waved his hands in exasperation and roared wildly through the room. He seemed to be a lion who had lost his mind, and felt that everything around him was not pleasing to the eye. He waved his hands violently, pushing everything that was not pleasing to the eye to the ground. Fortunately, the floor of his room was covered with a thick wool carpet, and even if the precious blue and white porcelain fell on the wool carpet, it would not break.

However, without hearing the sound of the blue and white porcelain shattering, the anger in Afelai's heart had no way to vent. His anger grew stronger, and he felt as if his chest was burning. So he walked over, raised his foot, and trampled on the blue and white porcelain vase or something, and even danced on it. There was no doubt that the crisp sound of breaking came, and all the blue and white porcelain was trampled to pieces.

"Go to war!"

"There must be a war!"

Afellai finally roared in frustration.

He was hot-headed, and he couldn't wait to immediately give the order and declare war on the white-clothed navy.

The Solum pirate fleet was wiped out, and even Sorum was dead. The Esco pirate fleet was defeated again, losing two warships. All this caused great material losses to the Dutch Navy. However, these are not the most important things. Most importantly, the morale of the Dutch Navy was hit, and the dignity of the Dutch was seriously challenged.

In the Nanyang region, the Dutch were originally the most powerful existence, and even the original kings, the Spaniards, had to act according to the eyes of the Dutch. In the South Seas, the Dutch have become accustomed to being the boss and to condescending to look at others. Now, suddenly provoked by the white-clothed navy, they feel that their face has been shaved off all at once.

The struggle for supremacy on the oceans is like a domino, as soon as the first domino falls, more will fall. Once this kind of thing happens, external forces simply cannot stop it. Therefore, to avoid the most tragic situation, that is, no matter what, the first domino must be saved, and it must not be allowed to fall easily.

Spain, the original king of the sea, began with the crushing defeat of the Armada at the hands of the British, and fell the first dominoes. As a result, it was out of control. Through this naval battle, outsiders saw that the Spaniards were strong and competent, and they were not worthy of the name, and their fear of the Spaniards was gone, and they regained their determination to compete with Spain for hegemony.

Over the past few decades, the British and Dutch have been catching up and attacking Spain. Their navy, constantly challenging the Spanish Navy. Their pirates plundered the Spanish merchant ships. The walls were pushed down, and the Portuguese, French, and even Italians all fell in stone against the Spaniards.

As a result, under siege by other powers, the Spaniards were exhausted and defeated everywhere. Their sphere of influence is getting smaller and smaller, and there is no longer the glory of the past. If it weren't for the defeat of the Armada, how could the Spaniards have fallen to where they are today? Actually overtaken by the Dutch?

Today's Netherlands is what was once known as Spain. If the Dutch are defeated by the White Navy, then the first domino of the Dutch will also fall mercilessly. The next thing is going to be very bad. There is no doubt that the Spaniards will take advantage of the fire. The British will be even more aggressive. Other countries will pounce on it and get a piece of the pie.

This is an outcome that Afelai absolutely does not want to see, and it is also an outcome that all the Dutch top brass do not want to see. No one wants to fall from the pinnacle of glory. Therefore, a decisive battle with the white-coat army and navy is inevitable. The only thing that needs to be considered now is when, where, and how many naval fleets to use for a decisive battle. In Afellai's view, the decisive battle is, of course, the sooner the better. The first strike is strong, and the second strike suffers!

Afelai felt that he had to cut off the claws of the white-coated navy as soon as possible. Otherwise, with the passage of time, the foundation of the white-coated navy in the South China Sea will become more and more stable. At that time, the price paid by the Dutch will be infinitely larger. If the Dutch continue to tolerate and retreat from the White Navy, the White Navy will definitely gain an inch. God knows, after they occupy the port of Pakistan, which port will they continue to occupy?

In the waters near Jakarta, there are many empty ports where large warships of more than 3,000 tons can be berthed. These ports, in fact, belong to the Dutch sphere of influence. However, the Dutch did not have the need or strength to build all the ports, let alone have defenders in each port and garrison the fleet for defense. Therefore, as long as the white-clothed army is willing, they can still find a suitable port.

Originally, after the occupation of the Pakistani border, the White Navy had already seriously threatened the lifeline of the Dutch maritime trade. If the white-coated navy were allowed to occupy other ports, the Dutch would be even more sad. It's like a person near the jaw, suddenly being pushed against a few sharp knife tips, and it's strange that it can be comfortable.

However, if this is used as an excuse to declare war on the White Coats Navy, Afelai seems to have some scruples. What he is worried about is still the real details of the white-clothed navy. War has a bearing on the life and death of a country, and we absolutely cannot take it lightly and act hastily. He didn't even know the details of his opponent, so he rashly asked for war, but he was afraid that those dukes would definitely not agree. No matter how bold Afelai was, he couldn't have done such a stupid thing.

At present, the three fleets of the White Army Navy have been concentrated in the Nanyang region, with a total of 48 large warships. In terms of the number of warships, the Far East Fleet of the Dutch Navy still has a relatively large advantage. The Far East Fleet of the Dutch Navy is subordinate to the fleet of nearly a hundred large warships. However, the artillery fire of the white-clothed navy was very powerful, and the destructive power of the shells was extremely strong, and this advantage was ruthlessly leveled again.

What's more, the Dutch don't know if there are other naval fleets in the White Coats Navy heading south behind these three naval fleets. Afelai has never figured out how many fleets there are in the White Navy. This wave from the north is covered with too many mysteries, and outsiders have no way to see it clearly for a while.

If the Dutch here decisively choose to go to war, the warships of the white-coated navy over there will be like a tide, swarming southward in a steady stream, and several or even a dozen fleets will come in a row, and the Dutch navy will be absolutely tragic. Even if the Dutch Navy has great ability, it can't withstand the siege of more than a dozen white-clothed naval fleets!

But this possible surname is still very large. After all, this is fighting on the doorstep of the White Coats Navy and Navy! The time, place and people are all on the side of the white-clothed army and navy. If needed in the South Seas, the other fleets of the White Army Navy will soon be able to reinforce them.

It only takes half a month at most for a warship heading south from the north to reach the surface of the South Seas. And the warships dispatched from the Atlantic will take at least half a year to reach the surface of the South China Sea. The gap in this can be imagined.

What's worse is that the white-coated navy can dispatch all warships to the South China Sea to participate in the war. The White Navy has as many warships as it can use. However, the Dutch Navy could not. After thinking for a while, Afelai could only sigh helplessly, and slowly extinguished the idea of declaring war.

In the final analysis, the roots of the Dutch are still in the Atlantic. While plundering wealth in the Far East, they could only maintain a certain superiority in troops, and it was absolutely impossible to mobilize most of their forces to the East. Therefore, the naval power that Afelai can use is absolutely limited. It is absolutely impossible to exceed a third of the total strength of the Dutch Navy.

In fact, all the Western powers, their roots, are in the Atlantic. They came to the East to take in riches. Between wealth and hegemony, they prefer to choose wealth. If it has caused huge losses to itself because of the competition with the white-clothed army and navy, no matter how you calculate it, this account will not be worth it.

Knowing that nothing could be done, the Dutch could also withdraw most of their warships back to the waters near their own country, so as not to waste them in the South China Sea. However, in the event of a full-scale war with the White Coats Navy, no one can make an accurate estimate of how many warships the Dutch Far East Fleet will be able to preserve in the end.

Afelai is really nerve-wracking this time.

…… The news of the blow to the Esko pirate fleet was soon sent to Manila, to the desk of the Spanish governor in Manila, Alonsoden. After reading the information, Alonsoden smiled knowingly and slowly curled up in the back chair. However, after a knowing smile, Alonsoden slowly began to worry again.

Damn the white-coated navy, the main spearhead at the moment is indeed the Dutch navy. Sorum and Esko, crashing into the hands of the white-clad navy, can only be described in two words. The combat effectiveness of the white-clothed navy was really strong, and it easily defeated the two geniuses of the Dutch navy. It seems that the white-clothed navy does have some strength.

The Dutch were deflated at the hands of the white-coated navy, and the Spaniards, of course, were delighted. However, while being happy, there are also some hidden worries. God knows, after defeating the Dutch, will the White Navy make a move against Spain? If the strength of the White Coats Navy is too strong, it is also not a good thing for the Spaniards.

However, if the Spaniards and the Dutch were to join hands against the White Army, the Spaniards would not be willing to do anything. The Dutch were aggressive, constantly devouring the Spanish share of maritime trade, much to the annoyance of the Spaniards. The Spaniards were most happy to see the Dutch drowned in the sea.

Suddenly, Alonsoden's adjutant came in quietly and said in a low voice: "Your Excellency the Honored Governor, the envoy of the Ming Empire has arrived. ”

(To be continued)