The Sulu State is a Tianfang Sultanate centered on the Sulu Islands in the Philippine Islands. Its territory includes the Sulu Islands and Palawan Island. Its capital is located on Hele Island in the Sulu Islands. Its geographical location is very important for the Ming Dynasty, which has entered the age of navigation!
Because the sailing ship returning to Daming from North America had two options when traveling west along the North Equatorial Warm Current to near the Philippines. One was to turn back north and find the Japan Warm Current and go directly to Japan or Shanghai; the other was to go west into the Sulawesi Sea. and the Sulu Sea, entering the territory of the Sulu Kingdom, docking at Hele Island, and then heading to Guangzhou Port.
In addition, the Makassar Strait adjacent to the northeastern part of Borneo controlled by the Sulu Kingdom is also an important waterway from the Ming Dynasty to the Spice Islands!
If the Ming Dynasty's fleet attacks from Sulu, it will appear directly near the Dutch East India Company's most valuable asset, the Spice Islands, after passing through the Makassar Strait!
The Ming army did not need to occupy it. They only needed to destroy the spice crops on the Spice Islands to severely damage the East India Company!
Although the Ming Dynasty has always maintained friendship with the East India Company, it does not mean that it does not need to possess the "ultimate weapon" to attack the East India Company.
Incorporating Sulu into the Chinese system would give Ming a powerful weapon to attack the East India Company.
Precisely because of the sensitivity of the Sulu State issue, the Ming Dynasty had always had reservations about signing the "Dongan-vassal Treaty" with the Sulu State and did not sign it immediately.
However, reservations do not mean inaction. An advisory group including more than a dozen army officers and naval officers arrived at Hele Island, the capital of Sulu, in the winter of the eighth year of Hongxing, and set up an advisory office on Hele Island, which was actually an intelligence collection station. , the main task is to stare at Manila Bay.
The royal family of the Sulu Kingdom are foreign Arab traders, but most of the people in the country are Filipino natives. Although they were called Moros by the Spaniards, the natives on Luzon Island are no different, except that they believe in Tianfang religion.
Therefore, it is easy for Sulu spies to be sent near Manila to find out information, especially now that there are few Chinese in Manila, and the Spaniards can only hire natives to work, so they cannot be too picky about food.
Navy Chief Zheng Jiangong took over the topic and said: "Your Majesty, according to the report of the Lehe Island Consultant Yamen, in May, June, and July of the sixth year of Hongxing, there were Spanish warships and armed merchant ships for three consecutive months. Entering Manila Bay, as of July 10, the number of Spanish warships and armed merchant ships gathered in Manila Bay has exceeded 20!"
"There are 20 ships? That's quite a lot!" Zhu Cixiang frowned, "What kind of ships are they? What's their armament situation?"
"I don't know." Zheng Jiangong said, "Chinese are prohibited from entering Manila, and the Moro spies don't know much. They can only count the numbers, but they don't know anything else."
Zhu Cixiang took a breath: "What does the Navy Department mean? What is the opinion of the Dongning Army?"
"The only way is to fight!" Zheng Jiangong said, "If we don't fight...the navy will not be able to safely transport troops to Siam."
Zhu Cixiang asked: "Will it be intercepted by the Spaniards?"
"That's not possible," Zheng Jiangong shook his head. "The Nanyang waterway is wide and the climate is changeable. It is very difficult to intercept on the waterway... You can't find it at all!"
This is not the time when planes and radars can be used to search! It would be very difficult for two sailing fleets to encounter each other in the South China Sea. Generally speaking, naval battles in narrow encounters take place in strategic sea lanes, such as the English Channel and the Strait of Malacca.
It is for this reason that Japan's position in the Pacific Naval Battle of Mingxi is very important!
Once the Ming Dynasty received support from Japan, it could continuously send immigrant fleets to the New World.
It is impossible for the Spanish Navy to find the Ming Dynasty fleet that is smaller than a leaf in the vast Pacific Ocean. It is simply like finding a needle in a haystack!
"Can't intercept?" Zhu Cixiang asked, "How will the Spaniards fight?"
"Their fleet will be hidden in the waters near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River in Siam," Zheng Jiangong frowned, "If we want to send a large number of troops to Siam, we will inevitably dispatch one to two hundred troop transport ships and dozens of escort warships.
It is impossible to load and unload so many ships at once, and there is no well-defended anchorage at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. Therefore, a large number of ships will be forced to anchor on the sea surface that is difficult to defend, and the anchored fleet cannot maneuver, so it cannot launch a bombardment formation and seize the shooting position, which is very dangerous!
I have studied the cases of Western naval wars and found many cases of surprise attacks on anchorages and great victories. The Battle of Downs, which caused the decline of the Spanish Navy, was also an anchorage sneak attack. One hundred and seventeen Dutch warships attacked 77 Spanish warships at anchor, sinking 43 and severely damaging 27. Only seven Spanish warships evacuated in time. The Dutch losses were only ten arson ships! "
The Battle of the Downs that took place in 1639 was a heroic deed that all the Dutch who participated in the war could brag about for the rest of their lives!
Most of the foreign teachers in the Shanghai Naval Academy are from the Netherlands, and almost all of them participated in the Battle of Downs... So now these students in the Ming Navy know how the Spaniards inflicted vomiting blood on the Dutch. Got it!
"How is the navy prepared to deal with it?" Emperor Zhu asked.
"Strike first to gain the upper hand!" Zheng Jiangong gritted his teeth and said, "Strike Manila Bay!"
"Attack Santiago Fortress?" Emperor Zhu asked.
"That's not necessary!" Zheng Jiangong said, "We only need to destroy the Spanish fleet anchored in Manila Bay, and there is no need to besiege Fort Santiago."
Fort Santiago is also a bastion. Although it is not completely completed, it is still quite difficult to defeat. Even with the parallel engineering method and large-caliber explosive ammunition, it would probably take several months to obtain it.
It is not easy to send an army of 10,000 to 20,000 people to Manila Bay and keep them there for a few months. The navy will have to dispatch at least dozens of large-scale bird ships to transport troops, equipment and supplies... At the same time, the navy also has to transport troops and equipment to Siam, which may be a bit busy.
Therefore, in Zheng Jiangong's vision, the ones who raided Manila Bay were warships, and at most they would only lead a small number of elite marines to grab the forts.
"Can we shoot them all?" Emperor Zhu was still a little doubtful, "The Spanish anchorage must be protected by a fort. Can our gunboats get close?"
"Yes!" Zheng Jiangong said with great certainty, "It's just that the losses will be greater... But as long as we can wipe out the Spanish fleet in the East, even if we wipe out the entire Eastern Fleet, it will be worthwhile!
And the navy has a trump card, so it can definitely defeat the Spaniards! "
...
"Your Excellency, Admiral! De Velasco is reporting to you!" De Velasco, the fleet commander of the Spanish Pacific Trading Company, quickly walked into the command room of the New Spain and gave a military salute to the Spanish Admiral Garcia. .
Admiral Garcia and de Velasco are also old acquaintances, because de Velasco also participated in the Battle of the Downs - the Battle of the Downs Anchorage caused the Spanish Navy to lose 6,000 people, and almost no elites of the generation remained. , so those who survived were all acquaintances.
"Finally, I've been waiting for you!" Garcia smiled and waved to him, gesturing for him to sit down and talk, "Tell me about the situation of the Flying Number."
The only thing that really scares Garcia is the Flying Number!
"Admiral," de Velasco said, "when I left Pusanpo with my fleet, it was still operating near Japan and showed no sign of leaving."
"Didn't the Chinese intercept you when you left?" Garcia asked.
"No," de Velasco said, "We are flying the Spanish flag this time. Spain and the Ming Dynasty have not officially started war, so they will not intercept, and we will not attack the Ming Dynasty while flying the Spanish flag. fleet."
The war between Ming Dynasty and Spain did not break out. The two sides just attacked each other under the banner of others.
Garcia paused and whispered: "His Majesty the King has issued a decree to start war...so we can start first!"
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