"Admiral Putu... I followed the general order of Governor Sun and brought 10,000 elite troops to Lushun by sea, and then from Lushun by land to Qinghekou to reinforce Long Live Lord! You don't want me to be in Lushun now What's the point of disembarking from the ship? I've delayed the battle at Qinghekou, and I can't atone for it even if I chop off your head!"
The person who was questioning Hans Postmann on the Beiyang was Liaoxi Vice Admiral Zu Kuan. Following Sun Chuanting's order, he led 10,000 elite troops to board the warships of the Beiyang Fleet at Bijia Mountain, preparing to rush to the Liaodong front to reinforce Zhu Youjian. of.
According to Sun Chuanting's order, 10,000 elite troops led by Zu Kuan must land at Lushunkou as soon as possible, and then set off immediately to go north to the mouth of Qinghe River to join the army led by Zhu Youjian.
But just when Zu Kuan's 66 warships of the Beiyang Navy arrived in the waters outside Lushunkou, Hans Postman received a shocking news - the main fleet of the Japanese Shogunate Navy actually went crazy. Transported tens of thousands of people to Qingniwa Bay north of Lushunkou and fought a landing battle! Moreover, they lost the battle, and after the defeat, the Japanese soldiers boarded several Western sailing ships. They just left Qingniwa Bay and headed east. They should not have gone far yet...
This news immediately made Hans Postman discover the fighter plane—a fighter plane that could annihilate the main force of the Japanese shogunate fleet!
Although the Tokugawa shogunate used the "one country, one ship" order to build a shogunate fleet with 66 warships, compared with the Ming Dynasty Imperial Navy, which had more than 190 Western-style warships, the disadvantages of the Japanese shogunate navy were still very obvious. of.
However, the Japanese shogunate navy, which had an obvious disadvantage, was also very cunning. It never went near the coast of the Ming Dynasty (the sneak attack on Qingniwa Bay was an exception), nor did it go to the South China Sea to wander around the Dutch territory. It mainly operated in the Whale Sea and the coasts of Korea and Japan.
And every time, 66 Western-style warships were dispatched together... Such a huge fleet was dispatched together. If the Ming army wanted to destroy them, it would have to dispatch the main force of a large fleet to be sure.
However, Zhu Youjian asked the Sanyo Fleet to give top priority to protecting the Sanyo seaport and the smooth flow of north-south shipping... Moreover, Zhu Youjian also assigned a lot of tasks to the Sanyo Fleet to transport troops, food and arms, and sent them to the Sanyo Fleet. Considered the Royal Merchant Marine.
Therefore, the Sanyo Fleet has no spare capacity to send a large fleet to the coasts of North Korea and Japan to search for fighters.
The two admirals of the fleet, Zheng Zhilong and Shen Tingzhi, were essentially maritime merchants, and they were more concerned with maritime trade and protection fee business than with annihilating the Japanese navy.
Therefore, as long as the shogunate navy does not actively disrupt overseas trade (including sea trade between China and Japan), it will seriously implement Zhu Youjian's will.
Therefore, among the three major naval admirals of the Ming Dynasty, only Hans Postman, who was born in the professional navy, wanted to annihilate the shogunate navy in one fell swoop to seize control of the sea areas around Korea and Japan.
However, the Beiyang Fleet also had a lot of work on hand and could not spare much power to find a decisive battle with the Japanese Shogunate Navy. Moreover, the Japanese Shogunate Navy was also difficult to find, so Hans Postman never found a chance.
But this time, the Japanese shogunate fleet actually came to your door!
What's so polite about this? Of course you have to seize the opportunity to play a game!
If the shogunate fleet can be annihilated, then the victory of the Second Battle of Korea will be sealed... Japan is an island country, and how can it go to sea without a navy? Just stay in your hometown!
Once Japan cannot leave the sea, the Qing Dynasty will be isolated and helpless... It will be a matter of time before the Qing Dynasty's small population is defeated by the Ming Dynasty with a population of 200 million.
Therefore, in Hans Postman's view, the elimination of the main fleet of the Japanese shogunate navy is the key to ending the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty.
Moreover, island countries have some natural advantages in developing a navy - island countries do not need a continental army, they just need to run a good navy, so they can concentrate their efforts on running a navy!
Once the island country of Japan develops a navy that can compete with the Ming Dynasty, it will be a big trouble.
Therefore, Hans Postman made a prompt decision not to enter Port Arthur, but to pursue several Japanese sailing ships that had just left Qingniwa Bay, hoping to follow them to find the main force of the Japanese shogunate navy - Hans Postman. The reason why Mann believed that the main force of the Japanese fleet could be found was based on the characteristics of the Japanese fleet's activities in the past few years and the combat situation of the Japanese landing at Qingniwa Bay this time.
Because they were afraid of being violently beaten by the Ming fleet, the Japanese fleet rarely divided its forces. They usually attacked as a whole and returned together.
Moreover, the Japanese shogunate used 10,000 people to raid Qingniwa Bay this time, mostly to cut off the sea channels for the Liaodong Ming Army to communicate with the outside world... To complete this task, it would definitely rely on 10,000 people and the materials carried when landing. not enough.
Therefore, the Japanese army must still have backup forces and will continue to transport troops and materials to Qingniwa Bay. Therefore, the Japanese navy cannot sail to the mainland in a hurry.
Hans Postman also knew that the Shogunate Navy had an anchorage near the mouth of the Yalu River, on Pi Island. There was still a small number of Qing troops guarding the island, and there was also a small fort. He estimated that the Japanese fleet would most likely hide at the Phi Island anchorage.
This is an opportunity to annihilate the Japanese navy in one fell swoop!
However, Hans Postman's plan to first find the main force of the Japanese navy for a decisive battle and then send Zukuan's troops to land at Lushunkou did not get the support of Zukuan, an army bumpkin.
Moreover, Zu Kuan also brought out Sun Chuanting, the cabinet supervisor!
If it were Zheng Zhilong and Shen Tingzhi, they would definitely not be willing to risk offending Sun Chuanting in this battle.
But Hans Postmann didn’t believe in this evil…
"Vice Admiral Zu," Hans Postmann grinned and said to Zu Kuan seriously, "According to the "Navy Regulations" formulated by His Majesty the Emperor, the admiral of the naval fleet has the power of imperial envoy when commanding the fleet to go to sea. The highest officer of the entire fleet can act cheaply and has the authority to command the sea and land officers and soldiers accompanying the ship... And now, I have good reasons not to enter Lushunkou for the time being!"
Although Chongzhen regarded the navy as the Royal Merchant Marine, he still ran the navy very seriously, and various regulations and systems were formulated very rigorously. ,
"You..." Zu Kuan was also a little speechless, "How does this Xiyi man's brain grow? He takes all the lies written in the regulations seriously! He doesn't even think about who Sun Gebu is!"
"Lieutenant General Zu," Hans Postmann said again, "I estimate that Japan and the Qing Dynasty will use Phi Island as an anchorage and storage place for supplies... So I hope, no, I ordered you to send at least two battalions. Land on Phi Island and destroy the supplies that Japan and Qing have hoarded there!"
"You... still want to order me?" Zu Kuan glanced at the foreign devil count, "You are the navy and I am the army!"
"According to the Naval Regulations, you must obey my command!" Hans Postman said seriously, "You must listen to me!"
Zu Kuan didn't know what to say, because he knew that Hans Postman was right.
Postman indeed has the "power of imperial envoy" and has the royal flag, so he can act cheaply... The Ming Dynasty's "Army Regulations" also stipulates that the army must obey the command of the corresponding naval officer after boarding the ship and before disembarking.
The current military laws of the Ming Dynasty Army are as high as mountains, and Zu Kuan dare not not implement them!
…
"The Navy adheres to it, we defeated... My brother, Shigeharu, has committed seppuku because of guilt... This is his head!"
"What? Matsukura Shigeharu actually committed seppuku..."
In the waters near Phi Island, on the Musashi Maru warship, Japanese Navy officer Itakura Shigemasa listened to the report of Matsukura Shigeharu who had just boarded the ship, and then looked at Matsukura Shigeharu's head, which was contained in a wooden box, and his heart surged. It gave rise to an ominous sign.
Itakura Shigemasa thought for a while and then asked: "Are you now performing your duties on behalf of the expeditionary force?"
Matsukura nodded wordlessly.
Itakura asked again: "Then are you planning to go to Phi Island to stay, or go to Nagoya Castle? There is now a lot of food and supplies stored on Phi Island, and sufficient troops are needed to guard it."
"Then I'd better go to Pi Island first," Matsukura said. "If I can make meritorious deeds on Pi Island, I can atone for my brother's sin of defeat!"
