"If you don't eat lobsters in the sea, why do you eat this stuff?" Wu Nanhai expressed contempt. [Read the latest chapter] "If you really like it, Australia also has freshwater crayfish. You can go to Australia to eat them in the future. But I still want to eat real lobsters in the sea."
Then the issue of mariculture was discussed. There are many tidal flats in Lingao, especially in the three bays of Bopu, Ma Niao and Hongpai. There are large tracts of tidal flats, which are the main areas for tidal flat farming in Lingao in modern times. These three areas are currently under the direct or indirect control of the Crossing Group. There is a basis for carrying out mariculture.
"We don't understand mariculture, no one has learned it, and no one has done it." Wu Nanhai said, "I'm afraid I have to find a book and study it by myself first. Besides, I think based on the level of fishery products in this time and space, Expanding the fishing fleet makes more sense than engaging in mariculture."
"Let the fishermen do it. The early mariculture was discovered by the fishermen themselves. The cultivation of oysters and kelp is mainly about nursery and artificial environment. The feed is very limited, but the output is quite considerable."
No specific results were discussed on mariculture, because mariculture is also a type of fishery and involves the Ministry of Maritime Power and requires coordination. Wu Nanhai thought for a long time that it would be better to ask the Ministry of Maritime Power to collect more "fishing tax". If possible, organize a fishery association to conduct collective offshore fishing.
But at this time, the situation in the Qiongzhou Strait became turbulent. Chen Haiyang, People's Commissar of Maritime Power, was staring at the chart on the table in the captain's cabin of the Fengcheng ship. This giant ship has been anchored here for almost a year. From the beginning, it became a symbol of the power of the Cross Group. Even when they were huddled in the earthen enclosure of Bopu, the Fengcheng Wheel was intimidating to everyone around them.
For more than half a year, except for the two attacks by Zhu Cailao and Liu Xiang, no one has dared to challenge their presence in the Qiongzhou Strait. They had long since wiped out the small group of blind pirates that used to operate on the ocean near Lingao.
But now, the navy on the Fengcheng ship began to feel the pressure.
In the Qiongzhou Strait, small groups of pirates began to appear continuously, robbing ships whenever they saw them, and often boarding villages to harass and rob.
It’s not that this kind of thing hasn’t happened before, but it’s just that it has never happened so frequently in the past. Nowadays, there are 1 to 2 invasion alarms in Yanchang Village every week, and the number of people logging in each time ranges from 20 to 50 people. As a result, the entire Yanchang Village was often exhausted, and the militia team of the Yanchang Village had to be on alert around the clock, seriously affecting production. In order to protect the production of salt people, the Sixth Army has sent a platoon to garrison in Yanchang Village. The ships transporting salt from Yanchang Village to Bopu were also threatened. The Ministry of Maritime Power lost a salt-carrying ship in early June. Not only did it lose several thousand kilograms of sea salt, it also resulted in the death or injury of five or six people. By June, the attacks were becoming more frequent. The Ministry of Maritime Power began to equip each salt-carrying ship with marine soldiers and adopt a convoy system. The transport ships of Majiao-Bopu were transported in a team of 10 ships, and each team was equipped with escort armed sailing ships. The pirates who intended to rob the salt ship were finally suppressed.
Although the escort battle is not fierce, many times the opponent will escape as soon as the escort soldiers shoot. But if the opponent has four or five ships, they may turn to a determined attack, especially the fleet transporting sea salt. In order to ensure safety, the armament on the escort sailboat was upgraded to artillery. Without the use of shotguns, it was difficult to repel these red-eyed pirates who had not eaten for a long time.
Chen Haiyang soon realized that the Maritime Power Department did not have much power to use to maintain maritime hegemony on the high ocean. The Ministry of Maritime Power has a large number of ships, but these ships are basically a hodgepodge of various ships on the Guangdong ocean, and they are generally characterized by being relatively small. The displacement ranges from 15 to 100 tons, and the ship condition is also different, good or bad. Because most ships are responsible for transportation tasks, they basically have no gun equipment. What can be called warships: There are only four 8154 fishing boats as the core force of the navy, the self-modified towed fishing boat "Deng Yingzhou", the first self-built clipper "Zhenhai", the two captured pirates and rebuilt The sailing ship "Fu Bo". The latter three are equipped with diesel engines.
Chen Haiyang mobilized the main force to carry out several patrols and suppressions, and also carried out fishing law enforcement for many times. He sank and captured more than 20 ships of various types, and killed hundreds of prisoners. From the interrogation of the prisoners, he learned: Most of the maritime gangs from Fujian Yangmian, because they could not withstand the joint suppression by the government army and Zheng Zhilong, retreated and fled to Guangdong Yangmian. Since the Pearl River Estuary was also the focus of the Ming army's suppression campaign, the Portuguese were worried that the waterway would be blocked, so they also dispatched large ships to patrol the Pearl River Estuary. Many small groups of pirates could not stand still and had no choice but to continue to the western ocean where the pressure was less.
From the prisoners' mouths, the Executive Committee learned the latest maritime trends: after it was confirmed that Zheng Zhilong was in custody, Xu Xinsu and Yang Liu had been killed at the end of 1628. As for Chen Shengyu, Wednesday and other small and medium-sized pirates, most of them were eliminated or annexed by him. The battle between Li Kuiqi and Zheng Zhilong is still going on. Zhu Cai Lao, who was most concerned about by the Crossing Group, went to Fujian and waded through the troubled waters, attacking Tong'an repeatedly, as if he was preparing to get a piece of the chaos on the ocean in Fujian. According to the pirates, Zhu Cai Lao took in the scattered people of various families along the way. , the momentum has expanded a lot. It was a great deal to wait for an opportunity to rob foreign ships on the ocean in Fujian.
Chen Haiyang thought this could be regarded as a chain reaction. Zheng Zhilong fought against various maritime groups in the ocean of Fujian. In the process of annihilating and annexing these groups one by one, more and more scattered ships would inevitably escape to the Qiongzhou Strait.
This is a good opportunity to annex these people and ships. Chen Haiyang had already made a calculation at this time. He didn't like the ships very much, but these experienced sailors were very useful naval soldiers. It is better to train farmers recruited from the mainland to become sailors than these native seafarers.
As for whether these pirates can become qualified naval warriors, Chen Haiyang is not worried. This is a matter for Wei Aiwen of the Political Department - this brand-new organization was proposed by Ma Qianzhu and is under the General Staff and is responsible for military politics. Work - Wei Aiwen was nominated for this new position because of his outstanding political propaganda work in the training camp. He is also the battalion commander of the recruit training camp directly under the General Staff. After recruits join the army, they first receive 9o days of basic training and political education here.
However, to achieve this goal, he must strengthen the patrol force on the Lingao ocean. Zhenhai and Fubo were originally responsible for long-distance armed transportation tasks to Changhua and Yulin. Now they are put into public security patrols. Problems will arise in a short time. Not big, but over time it will affect the transportation of routes around the island - especially the supply of coconuts and wood.
"What we need now is not a fleet, but a sufficient number of patrol vessels to maintain maritime security tasks along the Lingao coast."
"Select some ships in better condition from the miscellaneous ships in hand, and add artillery to serve as patrol ships." This is actually the current form of armed sailboats. "Add diesel engines to increase mobility."
"No, these ships are too small. It's a waste to install diesel engines - I don't even want to part with artillery." Chen Haiyang quickly abandoned this suggestion. The equipment of the shipyard was updated, the technical workers became increasingly skilled, and the machinery factory was able to provide more and more advanced equipment. More equipment greatly expanded his ambitions.
"I want a small but professional standing patrol fleet." He clearly stated his request at the executive committee meeting. "The current mixed navy only has deterrent power in the Qiongzhou Strait, but no execution power."
Because this kind of miscellaneous ship has no advantage in performance, there are not as many experienced sailors as its opponents. Just rely on the advantage of firearms to offset your opponent. However, the need to install artillery was not considered at all when these miscellaneous ships were built, and it was difficult to install multiple artillery. It is also extremely inconvenient to use.
Finally, the Executive Committee approved an emergency shipbuilding project, ordering Bobu Shipyard to concentrate all manpower and material resources to immediately build five triangular sail patrol ships. This type of ship imitates the concept of pirate pursuit ships built by the British Royal Navy in the 17th to 19th centuries. . It adopts a single-masted jib and a shallow-draft ship shape, which is convenient for fighting in rugged coastal terrain and shallow waters. In order to facilitate quick maneuvering in windless or unfavorable wind conditions, multiple pairs of paddles are also provided.
The British pirate pursuit ship has a displacement of up to 113 tons, but the standard displacement of the ship designed by Wen Desi is only half that - it is just a reference to its concept, not an imitation. The purpose of these ships is only to pass through the Qiongzhou Strait, and in the future, they will most likely be along the coast of Hainan Island. You don’t need to think too much about long-distance voyage performance.
The displacement of the new patrol boat is reduced to 6o tons to speed up construction. The sloop design has been retained because it is very suitable for the changing wind directions in coastal areas. The sail and cable operating systems are all copied from the yachts brought by the North American tiller - except that the electric motor is replaced by a hand hoist. There are also three pairs of long oars on the ship to provide additional propulsion and steering.
The entire ship adopts an island layout. There is a 12-pound naval gun modified from the 1857 smoothbore cannon on the front and rear decks, which adopts the same deck 1u gun profile installation method as the Zhenhai. According to Wen Deji's calculations, even if the gunner's training is not sufficient, each gun can fire once per minute. Based on the experience of several naval battles, the shell configuration includes more incendiary bombs, grenades and shotgun shells, as well as chain bombs specially used for shooting masts.
Because the pirates faced by the patrol boats like to use gang-hopping battles as the main method of fighting, small ships will suffer from a small number of people. The ship is also equipped with a large-scale killer weapon specially designed to deal with dense combatants: a multi-barreled gun.
The multi-barreled gun is not a machine gun. Although it can fire continuously for a short period of time, it does not have an automatic device on the gun. Essentially, it is a weapon that integrates many rifles to shoot consecutively to achieve a continuous effect. This strange weapon was once very popular in Europe.
The weapon designed by Li Yunxing basically copied the previous structure and consisted of 16 barrels in order to reduce manufacturing costs. The barrel is made of seamless steel tubes drawn in batches from a steel rolling mill and then rifled. It is loaded with mini paper bag custom ammunition and flash cap fire. Caliber 14mm - This size is inherited from the seamless boiler tube brought by modern time and space to serve as the barrel of the Mini rifle. The maximum range is 4oo meters, and the effective range is 1oo meters.
A significant disadvantage of multi-barreled guns is the difficulty of secondary reloading, which makes it almost impossible to reload the weapon in combat. So later we developed a self-contained ammunition system. The gun body is divided into two parts: the barrel and the bullet plate. The bullet plate part can be disassembled and assembled as a whole. This allows you to quickly reload ammunition. The idea is similar to changing the revolver directly when reloading a revolver.
As a result, the finished product became so heavy that people who wanted to use this gun as a "machine gun" felt that it was impossible to use it to equip the Sixth Army when they saw its huge size. Historically, this kind of multi-barreled gun had to use a two-wheeled gun mount when maneuvering on the 6. It weighed nearly a light artillery, but its power and range were not as good as the artillery. So they were quickly eliminated in the field troops.
Naval ships are relatively insensitive to weight. The multi-barreled gun uses a gimbal-mounted gun mount on the ship's deck, allowing it to be fired in all directions. There is a sliding track on the gun frame, which uses the stroke to offset the recoil after partial firing. An improved ignition device was also installed: a hammer-operating device similar to a typewriter keyboard that could control the frequency of fire under the control of the shooter. Li Yunxing was able to perform burst shooting after operating it several times by himself. This weapon was nicknamed "typewriter". Each multi-barreled gun group carries 12 bullet discs as standard. To protect the shooter, the multi-barreled gun was equipped with an iron machine gun shield.
Except for this terrifying melee weapon. The patrol ship also installed an ancient but effective method to prevent the enemy from jumping gangs, with protective nets on both sides of the ship. As for the hand-held shotgun, which is very effective in suppressing bandits, it is also equipped with ships as standard equipment and is used as a melee weapon for deck combat.
There is currently no installation motive on the ship. Considering the need for future upgrades and modifications, the space and structure for modifications were left during the shipbuilding process. The planned engine will use a single-cylinder or dual-cylinder diesel engine, which can start quickly and suit the needs of patrol boats.
Some people question the effectiveness of this kind of ship. After all, the ship is too small, with a capacity of only 30 people. However, Chen Haiyang believes that such ships are sufficient for security and security tasks such as escort and patrol in the Qiongzhou Strait - no one can expect to use them for fleet decisive battles.
In early June 1629, the Bobu Naval Shipyard placed five iron keels on the slipway and started construction at the same time. The patrol boat adopts an iron-framed wooden hull structure. The keels and ribs are all made of rolled iron. The steel plant rolls the keels and ribs of the ship in batches according to the design drawings. The entire construction period is reduced by more than two-thirds compared to the original wooden keel ribs.
Many modern design concepts were introduced when the patrol boat was built. The hull shape was completed on the computer by Wen Desi and several ship model enthusiasts with the help of virtual shipbuilding software and a huge fluid test database. The Works Energy Commission attempts to promote standardized construction. The various wooden planks used in shipbuilding are uniform in size and shape and are mass-produced in workshops using woodworking machinery. Wen Desi even made preliminary attempts at modular construction. Some large components on the ship were built on the ground and then hoisted onto the ship for installation. The jib was ordered in Macau through the Jesuit relationship. The Jesuits wrote to inform them that the sailmakers they needed were on their way to Macau from Europe. If all went well, these people would arrive in a year and a half if they did not encounter storms, diseases or pirates on the way.
The Ministry of Maritime Power built ships and prepared the army for war. Chen Haiyang seized the time to carry out combat training, and sent the navy's trainee officers, non-commissioned officers and recruits to armed sailboats. Anyway, there is no need to consider the issue of food and water for short-term voyages. It doesn't hurt to cram in some people. Zhenhai and Fubo also maintained combat readiness and patrolled the strait between Lingao and Xuwen every day. For a time, there were many sails and rafters along the coast of Lingao, which looked a lot like Wu Weiyang.
Soon the first batch of five patrol boats was launched. The entire construction period is less than 2o days. Wen Desi ordered to concentrate on outfitting one boat as a verification boat and put it into actual combat as soon as possible so that further improvements can be made to identify problems.
Le Lin is now sitting on the bridge of this brand-new patrol boat. Under the awning is a rattan high-backed captain's chair fixed on the deck, and it can also be rotated - this is carefully designed by Wu Kuangming The gift to the Ministry of Maritime Power is part of shipbuilding standardization measures. This chair, which was very comfortable for sitting in high altitude climates, soon became a symbol of naval power. So much so that "sitting on a wicker chair" later became a slang term in the navy of the time-traveling country - meaning becoming a captain.
His command flag was flying on the mast. The newly built patrol boat numbered 1o1 is the flagship of this patrol formation. The beautiful spinnaker was fully spread out, and on duty on the deck were Marine soldiers who had recently switched to the Navy Minie rifle. The Navy model is characterized by a relatively short barrel, which is suitable for use on the deck. The two 1u guns at the front and rear, which are the same as the "Zhenhai", have black holes protruding from the muzzles of the guns.
An experimental weapon is also installed at the rear of the bridge, namely the "machine gun"-"typewriter" developed by Li Yunxing. Several units have been manufactured and are being shipped for testing. The 1o1 patrol boat is honored to be one of the first ships to install this weapon. .
"It finally looks like a warship." Le Lin said with satisfaction. He shifted his gaze from the cannon to the boats lined up on both sides of him, although they were all slightly shabby fishing boats. The hard sails are also covered with patches, but the posture of the three-ship formation lined up on the sea still looks a bit like a naval formation. In his hallucination, he saw himself wearing a white gold-rimmed Navy Grand Marshal's uniform, with Korean-style medals hanging on his chest, standing on the bridge of a battleship. On the sea next to him, there were battleships lined up with wild geese wings, in the rising sun. Ride the wind and waves under the light...(!)! ~!
