This collective action of the Ryukyu Navy naturally cannot escape the eyes of interested people, but the Prime Minister's Office announced that the Ryukyu Navy will set off collectively to inspect the South Pacific, saying that they are going to Tahiti.
To be honest, Ryukyu people don’t know where Tahiti is and what the purpose of going there is. But as soon as they hear the name, they will become extremely happy.
Because it was a piece of meat that the Prime Minister dug out from the French colonial system after defeating the French Expeditionary Force. Whether it was valuable or not, it was put aside. After all, the symbolic meaning was too obvious. This matter was a big blow to the whole of Asia. of incentives.
Since the Prime Minister is going to inspect Tahiti, then go and do it. After all, it is a matter of prestige. We, as ordinary people, work hard to make money and pay more taxes, which can be regarded as supporting the Prime Minister.
The navy's preparation for war is not that simple. After receiving the order, thirteen warships opened their warehouses and began to transport various supplies. Needless to say, weapons and ammunition, cables, spare canvas, and medical drugs also had to be considered.
Not to mention food and fresh water, you even have to carry a large amount of tea, soybeans, fruits and other vitamin supplements, which are a guarantee of strong combat effectiveness.
In Xiao Letian's university, there is a course called Logistics and Support. In the eyes of the Prime Minister, morale cannot be just talked about. Shouting slogans and even leading by example are very useful, but to win the battle, you still need to be well prepared. .
Take the encounter with Li Hongzhang on the outskirts of Wuqing two years ago. There was heavy rain and mud everywhere. The New Army relied not only on Mauser, heavy machine guns and white phosphorus bombs to defeat the enemy.
The role played by military boots cannot be underestimated. Some college students even calculated through statistics and determined that military boots accounted for 13% of the victory factors.
Look, it can increase the winning rate of the war by 13%, which is worth the money. The Huai army wore cloth shoes and straw sandals, and they often got stuck in the mud and couldn't get out. In the end, they fought barefoot, with only a little foreign matter under their feet. If you can't use your strength, you will suffer a loss in hand-to-hand combat.
The New Army has completely popularized military boots. Their feet are protected by thick cowhide. They can use their strength confidently and boldly no matter how they walk. They will naturally have an advantage when fighting with bayonets.
Science is everywhere on the battlefield. Victory is never given by God. It depends on people using their brains.
The navy is an absolutely technical branch. Maybe an expedition will fail on an orange or a handful of tea leaves. After all, it is very common to get septicemia in the vast sea.
A steady stream of supplies began to arrive on the ship, and the marines led by Luo Huo and Sima Yun also gathered at Kunigami Port. In the past few days, the soldiers had written suicide notes before the expedition.
This is the tradition of the new army. Before every war, a suicide note must be written. If someone unfortunately dies in battle, the suicide note will be sent to his home along with the pension. Those soldiers who are lucky enough to come back will burn the suicide note as soon as possible. This has become a necessary preparation for the New Army's war.
The news coming from Japan during this period was also very bad. Under Tokugawa Yingxi's plan to lure the enemy, the overthrown army had gradually lost its mind. Osaka Castle had already won three battles and three victories, and now there were more than 10,000 Tokugawa troops. Huddled in Osaka Castle, struggling to survive on supplies from the sea.
Li Mi angrily tore up the information and threw it into the sea breeze. "Idiot, Osaka Castle was called Ishiyama Honganji during the Warring States Period. It was the base camp of those monk soldiers. Oda Nobunaga was defeated in this fortified city again and again. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi transformed this place into his residence and expanded it massively. It is definitely a famous city that is easy to defend but difficult to attack..."
"How stupid it is to be carried away by a little victory. How stupid it is. Failure is inevitable..."
Although Xiao Letian hopes that the four feudal lords will suffer some hardships, he does not want his vitality to be seriously damaged. After all, Japan will eventually form a situation in which all forces restrain each other, and one family must not dominate.
"Cai Hao, how are the preparations going? Can we leave tomorrow?"
"Report to the Prime Minister, there is no problem, you can leave at any time tomorrow..." Cai Mao ran over and saluted.
There was no words all night, and when the morning sun covered Ryukyu the next day, two thousand marines and thirteen warships were ready and waiting for Xiao Letian's review.
Looking at the dark group of soldiers, Xiao Letian said nothing. His army has developed so far that he no longer needs verbal encouragement. As long as he gives an order, they will march forward bravely and face death.
Kunigami Village was originally a fishing village in the northernmost part of Ryukyu Island. During the battle to defend against the French Expeditionary Force, a tragic war broke out here. Too many fishermen in Kunigami Village sacrificed their lives for victory.
After the war, Guotou Village was in ruins. Xiao Letian took advantage of the situation and turned it into a military port, and the original residents were properly resettled in the city.
There is a very famous bronze statue in Kunigami Military Port, which is generally not open to the public. A strong Kunigami Water Ghost emerged from the waves made of bronze in the middle of the dock. It was these warriors who went deep into the seabed and installed explosives on the bottom of French warships.
The statue depicts the moment when the water ghost breaks out of the water. The enemy's bullet has penetrated his chest. Their faces show pain, but their eyes are still firm, as if they have victory in front of them.
"Before the expedition, I hope you can take another look at the statue of our nation's water ghosts. The first French warship to be killed was done by these brave water ghosts..."
"They are just a group of ordinary fishermen, but they can also throw their own blood for victory. Without their efforts, how could we have won."
"My brothers, my soldiers, we are not militants, we are peace-loving warriors, but we will never be afraid of war. Now let us get on board and use our sacrifices and fights to create a life for our families. Peaceful sky.”
"Now I order the whole army to board the ship... let us set off."
There was a loud bang, and all the soldiers present stood at attention and saluted. The sound of boots hitting the ground was like a muffled thunder on the ground. No one would shout any empty slogans. These veterans had long been used to life and death.
Xiao Letian boarded the bridge of the Roma, and the thirteen warships began to weigh anchor. The soldiers on the deck saluted the Kunigami Water Ghost Statue, which is the spiritual symbol of the Ryukyu Navy's desperate fight.
The warships sailed out of the harbor one after another. At this time, many people in the demilitarized zone outside the military port came to see them off. They bowed to the sea one by one. There were even monks and Protestant priests clasping their hands to pray for the safety of the fleet.
The battleship pierced the waves and drew an arc on the sea, heading towards the Pacific Ocean in the east. There was joy on the shore, but no one knew that just after Xiao Letian's fleet disappeared from everyone's sight, the fleet turned around and headed straight to the east of the Japanese archipelago. Sailing to the Pacific Ocean on the other side.
This was Xiao Letian's top-secret operation. He didn't even notify the Shimazu family, and the fleet headed straight for Osaka Bay in the Seto Inland Sea.
…
Osaka Castle, this famous city that almost drained the blood of the Oda family during the Warring States Period, was because it blocked the elite of the Sixth Heavenly Demon King and brought down Oda Nobunaga's strategic plan to unify Japan.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi had long seen the importance of this city. Not only could it guard Kyoto and Nara to monitor the emperor and his ministers, but it could also rely on the sea to receive a steady stream of supplies. Those monk soldiers relied on the support of the Mori family to survive. It lasted so long.
Of course, Tokugawa Ieyasu could see through the importance of this city. During the two hundred years of shogunate rule, it had always been the most important stronghold of the Tokugawa family.
The prosperity of Osaka Castle is not only reflected in its military use. The scale of the castle town is also unparalleled in Japan. Tens of thousands of people and thousands of merchants gather together. The sea is filled with goods from all over Japan every day.
But today, the war has caused the city to lose all commercial functions. People and businesses have almost fled. Many areas of the castle town have been damaged. This is the result of several exploratory attacks by the Tokugawa army.
The allied forces of Satsuma Domain, Choshu Domain, and Tosa Domain have already assembled in the north of the city. The successive victories have made them so excited that they are carried away. The cries of the Cage City Station come one after another.
However, the commander-in-chief Saigo Takamori knew that Osaka Castle was easy to defend but difficult to attack, and he had been working hard to restrain the fighting spirit of the soldiers. In the end, he even invited Prince Ninogo Yoshiaki to come forward as an envoy in an attempt to negotiate with the enemy.
In the wilderness of the castle town, a curtain circled a square green space. This was a hillside. From here, you could overlook the entire Osaka Castle and the sea. A temporary outdoor tea party was ready.
Saigo Takamori and his generals were kneeling on the straw mat. Opposite them were Osaka Castle's garrison commander-in-chief, Okouchi Masashiro, and his generals.
The two parties sat calmly, admiring the scenery of Osaka Castle in midsummer, and no one said anything.
At this moment, the attendant's roar suddenly came from outside the curtain, "His Royal Highness the Prince of Renhe Palace has arrived." The people in the curtain quickly knelt on the ground and remained motionless.
White silk shoes stepped on the soft tatami, and Prince Ninwanomiya, dressed in a kimono, finally arrived. After he sat down on the main seat, the attendant announced that he was free.
In the era when the shogun was in power, the emperor, princes and ministers actually had no rights. They were just a group of pigs raised by the shogun. But these pigs had such status that even the shogun had to respect them.
Even though these generals had a group of tigers in their hands, facing the thin Prince Ren, they had to know the superiority and inferiority of the subordinates.
"Okay, everyone, get up. Since it's a tea party, just be casual. You can't argue with each other even if you're at war with each other. Monk Mimura, I heard that your tea ceremony is quite wild, so I'll let you make the tea."
"Hai..." an old monk said expressionlessly.
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In addition, there is a heated discussion in the Shuyou group 116253076 about the model of the protagonist's first armored battleship. Why don't you join the group to express your opinions? Xiao Letian's subsequent strategies need your advice.
