"Is there anyone who wants to mess with the joint service ship?" Xi Yazhou was a little surprised. The reputation of the Fubo Army was well known in Guangdong after the Battle of the Pearl River Estuary. This time the troops marched all the way, and many towns and villages were left waiting. I don't dare to say anything about supporting food and transportation.
"That's right." Hong Huangnan nodded, "Not many people rob and die in the open, but it often happens that they steal when we are not prepared." He said that most of the thieves are ordinary people, and their whereabouts are unpredictable since ancient times. A group that the government cannot control. "As you probably know, Hu belongs to the untouchables and has been discriminated against for a long time. There is a huge gap between him and the government, the gentry and even ordinary people. Therefore, he has 'extremely weak legal awareness'."
After a while, soldiers came to report that a small boat had sneaked into the anchorage. After being discovered by the sentry, they opened fire, killing one person and seizing the small boat.
"Look, this is the trick." Hong Huangnan said helplessly, "It doesn't seem to have much technical content, but it's hard to guard against."
The thieves are usually a few people driving a melon-skin dinghy, using the cover of night to quietly sail to the docked ship. When the guarding soldiers are not prepared, they pull a few bags of goods from the cargo hold and leave. Insufficient lighting at night makes it difficult for sentries to observe, which often leads to theft.
There are no torches or lanterns on board - they are prone to fire, but the number of lanterns is insufficient to ensure sufficient brightness, which gives an opportunity for theft in the dark.
"...Our sentries shoot whenever they see anyone, but they are very clever and they often succeed. Although the losses are not big, I feel unhappy."
"This kind of thing is unavoidable. Even in the military trains of the old time, there were still people who picked up and stole the trains. There were also people who gathered to rob the military trains." Xi Yazhou said, "To be honest, they stole some food and took away a few sets of quilts. It doesn’t matter, the key is that our weapons and ammunition cannot be lost.”
"Such a thing has not happened yet. However, in the future, we will have frequent military transportation, so it is difficult to guarantee that similar things will not happen." Hong Huangnan said, "Now we carry out separate transportation of ammunition and ammunition. Although we cannot completely prevent losses, we can at least prevent the lost ones." The consequences are minimized.”
"So we still have to suppress the bandits." Xi Yazhou said. Along the way, there was actually not much military pressure. The focus of all aspects was on "public security." "What about the banditry in Xijiang and Beijiang? Do you know anything about it?"
"Water bandits are like hair," Hong Huangnan said, "and the situation is complicated."
The water bandits on the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers are mainly water bandits with the four surnames of Xu, Zheng, Shi and Ma. Their influence spreads throughout the Xijiang and Beijiang basins, and they have many men and ships. And it can control many boat people who affect the Xijiang and Beijiang basins. It can be called a powerful force.
"Basically, those who work in this business on a certain scale, regardless of whether they are of civilian origin, must be attached to one of the four surnames and pay tribute on time." Hong Huangnan said, "Those who work as boat owners must also pay tribute to them, otherwise they will be the boat owners." A ruinous outcome.”
The period when the Fubo Army regained Guangzhou and pursued the victory in the Pearl River Delta can be called the "golden years" of the water bandits. A large number of officials and gentry who fled from various states and counties in the Pearl River Delta took their families and went to Zhaoqing and other places with a full load of valuables. Escape everywhere. Not only did the water bandits enjoy an unprecedented "gluttonous feast": every time they attacked, their children returned home laden with treasures. Even the boat owners who carried the fugitives made a small fortune by overtly and secretly.
"...When we first arrived in Sanshui, there were corpses everywhere on the river and on the tidal flats, all of which were people who had eaten Ban Dao noodles and wonton noodles. The water bandits made a fortune, and the boat owners became jealous and grabbed them first. The guests are here. Those who don't obey will be thrown into the river - the people's hearts in troubled times..." Hong Huangnan shook his head as he talked about this past incident.
However, after the Fubo Army arrived in Sanshui, the water bandit activities in this section have dropped sharply. This is not only because the joint logistics ships are powerful and well-guarded, but more importantly because of the war, merchants stay at home and the circulation of people and goods has also come to a standstill. The boat owners have no business to do, and the water bandits can no longer If you go "hunting" on the river, you can only rob a few fishing boats or ferries at best, not much profit.
"...Although their activities have decreased, their strength is particularly strong. Once they are incited to become 'political bandits' and launch a purposeful water attack on us, our escort force will be stretched thin."
At present, the joint logistics' material transportation security is mainly dispatched from its own guard forces and the Navy's Pearl River dispatch fleet. Generally speaking, a fleet of one or two armed medium-sized or small-sized boats can ensure safety along the way. If you encounter sporadic water bandits, fire a few shots to drive them away. But the guard force is not strong.
"It seems that we still need to launch the suppression of bandits as soon as possible -" Xi Yazhou said. He remembered that Hong Huangnan had already mentioned that a garrison headquarters under joint logistics command should be set up along the military station line to be responsible for the unified suppression of bandits and the suppression of bandits along the military station line. Escort mission. This will avoid the unfavorable situation of poor communication and cooperation that will inevitably occur when counties along the river are divided and contracted.
Hong Huangnan said: "To suppress bandits along the river, it is best to recruit some indigenous people who are familiar with the situation on the river. The headquarters must come up with a specific policy. As far as I know: the situation on the river is very complicated. There are not only professional bandits, Fishermen, day laborers, and boat owners themselves are also in the 'grey area'. Murder, robbery, and theft are part of their daily lives. We must carefully consider the appropriateness."
Then Hong Huangnan introduced the situation of the supply fleet he currently organized. In addition to Lianqin transferring some standardized ships from Hong Kong, the transport ships currently sailing on Xijiang and Beijiang are mainly shipowners' ships that were requisitioned on the spot in Sanshui. Minimize vessel movements.
To supply supplies to the Dongjiang Basin, Lianqin used ships requisitioned in Guangzhou - Guangdong shipowners were mainly concentrated in Sanshui and Guangzhou. There are a large number of transport ships in both places.
"So we have no shortage of ships and sailors. But as I said just now, these people have been in the 'grey area' for a long time and have not been transformed. They have very old habits and it is difficult to discipline them."
"How much freight will you pay for using their ship? Is the funding given to you enough?" Xi Yazhou was a little worried.
"Commander Xi, I am a levy officer, not a mercenary," Hong Huangnan said.
The cost of requisitioning a ship is nothing more than the daily rations consumed by the sailors and helmsmen and the cost of materials for regular ship repairs. In addition, joint logistics is free of charge.
"If you do this, the boat owners won't jump in?"
"Jumping feet? My conscription can be regarded as the most preferential treatment." Hong Huangnan disagreed, "The Ming Dynasty also had ships conscripted. It was called 'nail sealing'-send someone to take an official document and nail it to the plank of your ship, and you will leave the emperor. Let's go. Not to mention the freight, even the rations are prepared by ourselves. If the ship sinks, it will be the owner who considers himself unlucky. If he is captured and sent to fight, it is not uncommon for the ship to be destroyed and people to die."
"You are worse than worse..."
"This is a worse world. I won't say anything else. Nowadays, shipping on the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers has almost stopped. Boat owners' boats will be ruined if they are soaked in the water. Even if the boatmen and helmsmen are not paid, they will at least have to pay. A bowl of porridge to drink - these are all expenses. Real money can be paid out. Now that he is transporting goods for us, at least the boatman does not need him to support him. If the boat is broken, we will repair it for him. If the boat is damaged, We will still pay compensation. These are the benevolent policies that have not been seen in hundreds of years."
"How is Funato? Do you cooperate?"
