The Dagukou Fort was built in the autumn of the third year of Chongzhen reign in the Ming Dynasty. It was initially constructed by Hejian Prefecture in compliance with Zhu Youjian's imperial edict. In the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, the project was taken over by the Ministry of Industry and construction continued until the spring of the sixth year of Chongzhen's reign.
The fort, which took nearly three years to complete, is located on the south bank of the estuary of Tianjin Wei River (Hai River). It is adjacent to Tianjin Wei River to the north. There is a narrow and flat sandbar on the sea to the east. Between the sandbar and Dagukou Fort, It is the only channel into and out of the Weihe River in Tianjin. This channel is very narrow, only one mile at its widest point, so it is easily blocked by coastal defense artillery.
The Dagukou Fort stands on the west side of the waterway. The fort occupies a small area. Its east and north sides are less than one mile in length. Because both sides face the water of the waterway, they are not built into bastions. It only looks like two exterior walls of rammed earth-covered bricks with certain bevel angles, about two or three feet high. The bottom of the two rammed earth brick exterior walls are also reinforced with stones, which looks very solid from a distance.
The other two sides of the Dagukou Fort were built like a bastion. A total of three rammed earth-brick walls with certain bevels were built, and many huge stones were also built at the base of the walls. In addition to these three exterior walls facing the southwest, the Dagukou Fort also has four prismatic musket emplacements facing the southwest. Outside the gun platform and the city wall, wide and winding trenches were dug.
Although he couldn't see what the cannons mounted on the fort looked like, Hans Putsmann, who led the fleet passing under the Dagukou fort, still smelled the smell of danger - this fort was larger than what he had seen before in Malacca. Any fort seen in the eastern region must be huge and strong!
Considering that the Ming Empire has long mastered the casting technology of 12-pound long cannons, most of the artillery installed on this Dagukou fort is also a powerful 12-pound long cannon!
Looking at the size of this bastion-style coastal defense fortress, you can imagine the number of artillery equipped... It should be absolutely impossible to attack from the water to capture or destroy the Dagukou Fort.
The only way to capture it is probably to land on the beach near Dagukou Fortress, and then attack its flanks and rear, that is, launch a strong attack from the front of the four prismatic gun platforms... If you refer to Ned's According to the situation of the offensive and defensive battle of the fortress on the Lan battlefield, it may take thousands or even tens of thousands of well-equipped soldiers to besiege it for several months and pay heavy casualties before it can be broken.
Of course, the premise is that the defenders in this Dagukou Fortress are a truly combat-effective force!
As far as Hans Putsmann knows, most of the Ming Dynasty's official army was very weak. According to European standards, even the militia was inferior... If the garrison of Dagukou Fortress was also so weak, maybe it could It's easy to capture.
"Li, Han," Hans Putsmann inquired again as the Bradmond slowly sailed into the mouth of the Weihe River in Tianjin and headed towards the Dagu Commercial Port on the north bank of the Dagu Port on the north bank of the river. "Who is defending the Dagonkou Fortress? Is it the Ming Emperor's Guards?"
"As far as I know, the Dianqian Army will send a regiment to garrison the Dagukou Fortress." Li Guozhu, Li Dan's son, was a fat black man who answered him. He always had a sly smile on his face, and he looked like a Profiteer.
He has also been recruited by the Ming Dynasty and has been given the official position of Royal Navy Commander, but he has not yet officially taken up the post. This time he came to Beijing with Zheng Zhilong, Hans Putsmann and others just to meet the saint, to be awarded an official, and to express his gratitude.
Although he has not officially taken office, he is an officer of the Royal Navy after all, and he still has some understanding of the situation of the first fortress of the Royal Navy (the official designation of Dagukou Fortress).
At present, the Imperial Navy has not established a fortress garrison, so the defense of Dagukou Fortress is left to the Dianqian Army.
Zheng Zhilong's disciple Han Bu'an smiled and said: "Commander, this palace army is one of the nine new armies established by the emperor himself. It is not comparable to those in the south."
"Really?" Hans Putsmann vaguely heard the horn sound that was a bit harsh but very rhythmic. He quickly raised his binoculars and looked towards the place where the trumpet sounded, and saw an empty flat land where a large group of soldiers were actually practicing.
Hans Putsmann, a German whose hometown was fighting the Thirty Years' War, could see at a glance that what those Chinese soldiers were putting up was a Chinese-style Spanish phalanx - the Spanish phalanx was actually a kind of infantry The general term for tactics is not a single formation. As long as the spear formation is used as the city wall, muskets and artillery are used to project firepower, halberdiers, swordsmen or other hand-to-hand combat units are used to protect the surroundings, and cavalry is used as a supplement, it can be regarded as a Spanish phalanx.
The Ming army formation that appeared in front of Hans Putsmann had all the characteristics of the Spanish phalanx... it was equipped with lances, muskets, artillery, cavalry and melee combatants. And it can also advance, retreat, or change formations under the dispatch of a very harsh bugle.
Looking at their proficiency, Hans Putsmann knew that this was a rigorously trained army. Even if they were sent to the German battlefield, they would not be considered weak soldiers... It seems that about the Chinese military The statement of weak strength is therefore an overstatement.
At this moment, the Bradmond had slowly docked at the dock of Dagu Commercial Port.
Dagu Commercial Port is not a brand new port, but an old port that has existed for a long time. But now it has gained new vitality due to the opening of the port for trade and grain shipping. The original Dagu Port was the residence of the Tianjin Navy. It is also an important port responsible for the transshipment of grain, wages and military supplies in Liao Town.
However, after the Liao Town payment was contracted by Huaiyang Salt Industry, Dagu Commercial Port experienced some decline and depression. It was not until the fifth year of Chongzhen that the water transportation from Huai'an to Dongchang was abandoned, and it ushered in an opportunity for great development. On both sides of the old port, along the north bank of the Wei River in Tianjin, you can see construction sites under construction everywhere. Wharfs, markets, official roads, government offices, warehouses, and various infrastructures are all under intensive construction.
Hans Putsmann also saw the same busy construction scene on both sides of the Wusong River in Shanghai!
Two major commercial ports, one in the south and one in the north, are already taking shape.
Obviously, the Ming Emperor was still very determined to open up ports for trade... This ancient Eastern empire was really determined to go to the ocean!
This matter is both a danger and a great opportunity for the United East India Company - once such a large empire comparable to Western Europe squeezes into the ocean, it will definitely change the balance of power on the ocean! If the Ming Dynasty cannot be allowed to become a reliable ally of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, then they must be given a resolute blow when they do not become bigger!
However, he, a German mercenary, and even the governor of Batavia had no say in this matter. It had to be decided by the 17-member committee of the Netherlands and even Prince William II of Orange himself.
...
Datong Mansion, Imperial City, Chengyun Hall.
"Long live my Lord, Governor Shuntian and Dianqian Military Headquarters reported that Zheng Zhilong, Li Guozhu and the naval admiral Hans Putsmann of the Dutch United East India Company have arrived at Dagukou Commercial Port. They came with them , and there are 20 ships, 3 of which are ships from the Netherlands, and the rest are ships from Zheng Zhilong and Li Guozhu."
Li Chengyun, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, Bingbi, put the two memorials together and handed them to Zhu Youjian, who was reviewing the memorials.
"Twenty ships came at once?" Zhu Youjian snorted, "They must have brought a lot of goods, right?"
"I don't know," Li Chengyun smiled, "How about I draft a decree for you and ask the Shipping Department."
The municipal shipping department he is talking about is the Tianjin Shipping Division. Like the other three municipal shipping divisions, the Tianjin Shipping Division has direct access to the internal shipping warehouse.
The commercial tax income does not go to Taicang, but after deducting the royal navy's expenses, it goes to the inner shipping warehouse.
However, the current income of Shanghai, Fuzhou, and Xiangshan Divisions is limited. After deducting the three naval divisions of the Royal Navy (Tongyang Navy, Fujian Navy, and Guangdong Navy), there is almost no wealth. Only the income of Tianjin Shipping Division is left. Unblock the library.
Therefore, the Tianjin Shipping Company is under the direct management of Widow Xu and the Bai Family Royal Merchant.
