Three days later, Zheng Zhilong began to lead everyone to make detailed tactical arrangements, especially to seize Daguang Island, where Relanja City is located, which Hongyi called "Pineapple Garden".
"This is the map of Taiyuan Bay given to me by the Crown Prince. It is roughly the same as the map our family has, but this map is more intuitive and accurate."
Zheng Zhilong hung the huge map instead of spreading it on the table, so that everyone could more easily understand his tactical intentions.
"There are two waterways entering Taiyuan Bay, namely the secondary waterway on the north side between the big sandbank and the northern end of the island, and the main waterway on the south between the northern end of the island and Taiyuan Island. Hongyi is in Relancha The city has deployed heavy fire cannons with a range of more than four miles, which can block the main waterway on the south side. If our warships enter Taiyuan Bay from now on, they will inevitably be attacked by the firepower of the castle. Therefore, in order to reduce casualties, our fleet must First pass through the northern waterway, enter the Damuan Bay from Luermen, then bypass the northern end of the island, go south to the waters in front of the town of Relanje, attack the town first, and after success, slowly launch a siege on the castle. Before that, The fleet passing through Luermen must detach a unit to occupy the last island on the northern line. Four thousand infantry will cooperate with fire cannons to capture the castle on the island. If there are any red barbarians who take the initiative to attack, they must be wiped out."
Although the Hongyi troops on the opposite side were sparse. According to his own estimates and the information given by the prince, the total supply was less than 2,000 troops. However, Zheng Zhilong did not take it lightly in view of the high strength of the Hongyi troops and planned to fight steadily.
The first step in seizing Da Yuan Island is to capture the northern end of the island, using it as a base, and then seize Da Yuan Town. The castle on the island is a hard nut, and if it cannot be chewed, it will affect the development of future wars.
Fortunately, the East India Company did not have many troops deployed in the main camp, and most of them were stationed in the castle of Geranje. There was only a small number of troops stationed in the castle at the end of the northern line, estimated to be less than 500 people.
Zheng Zhilong planned to dispatch 5,000 men to besiege the castle at the end of the northern line. If it could not be conquered quickly, it would be a long-term siege, especially to cut off the connection between this place and the Castle of Relanze.
"Hong Xu, you are responsible for this matter. There is no need to follow Zhilan in the rear to mobilize food and wages. If the red barbarians resist, I will mobilize warships to bombard this fort."
Due to the narrow terrain, it was inconvenient to deploy large groups of troops, and Hongyi's troops were also very small. It was impossible to engage in a battle with his own side. Zheng Zhilong planned to dispatch only 20,000 people, and the logistical pressure was not great.
With 20,000 infantry and a small number of horsemen, they only consume less than 10,000 shi of rice and a few vegetables and sea fish every month. For Zheng, who is the leader in shipping capacity, there is no pressure at all.
"The general will obey your orders. Please rest assured, uncle. The general will definitely make life difficult for Hong Yi on the island!"
Being able to be transferred to the front line to fight, Hong Xu was naturally elated. This meant that he had the opportunity to make meritorious deeds. As long as he could defeat Hong Yi, there would be no shortage of rewards.
With a force several times that of Hongyi, and with the help of battleships, if he still can't annihilate the enemies on the island, then he will really be a loser.
"Zhi'ao, you bring 10,000 troops ashore from the northwest of Dajuan Island, attack the top of the mountain, and be sure to capture the small castle on the top of the mountain. This castle is called 'Utrecht', and it is the life gate of the city of Relandja. , Hongyi built the castle here to prevent opponents from attacking the main castle from the rear. As long as our army can capture this castle, we can condescendingly stand on the top of the mountain and use firecrackers to bombard the defenders in the city."
In fact, the battle on the last island of the northern line did not have much impact on the Dajuan Island. It just made Zheng Zhilong feel a little awkward, and the actual role in determining the battle situation was minimal.
He has many soldiers and horses, and he can launch fierce attacks on Hongyi's strongholds at the same time as he wants. However, with the prince's instructions, Zheng Zhilong can avoid the real and attack the weak.
"Don't worry, brother. If we want to quickly seize the main fort, the matter is still a little tricky. If we let the younger brother lead the troops to seize the small fort, it will be easy. Then why don't we attack the big one?"
Zheng Zhi'ao didn't even care about the extremely small "Utrecht" Fort. In his eyes, this thing was just a piece of shit. He could conquer it by leading a charge. If it couldn't be defeated, he would mobilize heavy artillery to attack it. The defenders were all buried.
Da Yuan Town is so prosperous, it would be more appropriate to attack it directly, and also give Hongyi a show of strength, let them understand the power of their own soldiers and horses, if you are sensible, it is best to surrender voluntarily, otherwise you will suffer.
"Of course we have to fight, but that's not the point. As long as our army sinks all the Hongyi ships in the bay, then none of the Hongyi in Dayuan Town will be able to escape, and they will all be trapped and die on the island. If we can't speed up, If the battle is decided quickly, our army can besiege this island for a long time, waiting for the Hongyi to be short of water and hungry and thirsty, so they surrender. By then, we can take the town of Dajuan without any bloodshed."
Zheng Zhilong felt that the prince's battle plan was very thorough, which could not only achieve the final goal, but also reduce the casualties of his own troops. It was much better than attacking Dayuan Town head-on.
"Brother, why are you going to such trouble? Why don't you let me, my little brother, lead the troops to kill them and kill Hong Yi? Wouldn't it be nice?"
It's just that Zheng Zhi'ao felt that this sneaky way of fighting was too frustrating. He had to fight in such a useless way with ten thousand people, which really made him feel a little unhappy.
"The war is about the lives of soldiers, how can you go along with what you want? The weather is hot today. If you are injured by artillery fire and the sores are not treated properly, there is a possibility of infection and suppuration. I have asked Zhilan to recruit doctors so that he can accompany the army on the expedition. Don't let our soldiers suffer from illness. If you don't listen to orders, fight randomly and cause heavy casualties to the soldiers in your unit, don't blame me for sending you to the rear to transport food and grass!"
The navy likes to fight in the summer, because even if the warship is sunk, it will not freeze to death when soaked in the water.
The Lu division is just the opposite, except in summer. The hotter the weather, the higher the risk of death from injuries.
The prince only gave himself a small amount of elixir to treat the sores, which could only save the lives of a few people.
For most of our soldiers, it is best not to be injured. Once injured, we need to treat them immediately. If the delay continues, their lives will be in danger.
Although Zheng Zhilong was a pirate before, he was still considerate of his subordinates and would not give away the lives of his soldiers in vain unless it was absolutely necessary.
The prince's plan is in line with his own interests, so why not use it?
Moreover, Zheng Zhilong also understood to some extent that the offensive and defensive capabilities of the bastion were by no means comparable to those of the Ming Dynasty's cities.
If we launch a strong attack on the Castle of Geranze, I really don’t know how many soldiers’ lives it will take to capture the castle.
"Um...brother, I just said casually, brother, don't worry about it, I will seize the castle on the top of the mountain for you!"
Seeing that his brother wanted to defeat Hongyi and save fewer lives, Zheng Zhi'ao felt that it was very difficult to achieve these two goals at the same time, at least for himself, so he took the initiative to take a step back and honestly agreed to take over. task.
The elder brother said that the small fort at the top of the mountain is where the life gate of the big fort at the foot of the mountain lies, so Zheng Zhi'ao will wait and see. After the small fort is taken, he can sit on a chair, eat watermelon, enjoy the fanning of his subordinates, and then let his gunmen blast him. Die Hongyi in the big castle below.
This method seems to be good. At least it doesn’t take much trouble. As long as there is enough ammunition, the home-made firecrackers can bombard the red barbarians day and night. Let’s see how long the restless red barbarians inside can resist. night!
"It's good to know. If we can't take the small fort on the top of the mountain, I'll ask you, my brother!"
Zheng Zhilong glared at this idiot brother who was looking for trouble, and prayed in his heart that his troops would successfully conquer this important place, which would mean that he would take the initiative in the war.
The key to this battle is not the last island on the northern line, nor the town of Damuan, which is very close to the city of Relanja, but the capture of this small hilltop fortress called "Utrecht".
Zheng Zhilong believed that with the cover of mortars and battleship firepower, the fort was not large in size and would not be able to withstand the stormy attack, otherwise it would be captured in a short time.
Hongyi had very few troops in the army. Facing the siege of 20,000 Zheng troops, they were very sure of winning the land battle. Zheng Zhilong was most worried about the naval battle.
The Zheng family only sent 20,000 troops to fight. However, in order to deal with Hongyi and the Qing navy in the north, the huge fleet was almost deployed, leaving only a hundred warships for Zheng Zhilan to look after.
Zheng Zhibao's fleet needed to transport the Japanese troops to land and defend against possible sneak attacks by the Qing navy. Zheng Zhilong mobilized 300 warships for him, which could form an absolute advantage over the Qing navy.
Kong Youde also took away many ships from Dengzhou. Judging from the statistics provided by the court, Kong Bugong, who fled north, took away no less than a hundred ships and about 500 skilled sailors.
Including the ships built by the Qing army and those provided by the Kimchi Kingdom, its navy size was no less than two hundred ships, but most of them were small ships, and large ships with long-distance voyage capabilities were very rare.
Among the thousands of warships under the control of the Zheng family, which is good at ocean trade, almost half are large ships that can carry more than ten guns. Although their firepower and anti-sinkability are not as good as those of Hongyi's warships, their combat power is far greater. A ship of the Ultra Clear Navy Navy.
Zheng Zhilong had full confidence in his fifth brother's victory in the naval battle against the Qing army. The Qing army was just a bunch of landlubbers who couldn't understand naval warfare at all. Even if Kong Youde brought hundreds of sailors, it was only a drop in the bucket.
Once at sea, the world belongs to the Zheng family. Zheng Zhilong also wants to take this opportunity to prove to the court that his title of Zhenhaibo is legitimate and earned with brilliant results.
As long as the fifth brother is not careless and the Qing navy really dares to block the car with a mantis arm, then his own fleet can sink dozens of Qing ships in one battle and annihilate thousands of Tatars, which is a matter of course.
Although those who died were all slaves, not pure-bred Tatars, they could still be regarded as members of the Qing army and were under the command of Huang Taiji, so there was nothing wrong with reporting them to the court.
If he could really achieve such a record, the criticism of him by the government and the public would stop abruptly. How many heads did Governor Yuan get at Ningyuan City back then?
Now that our own fleet has captured a thousand men, isn't it a great achievement?
"Fifth brother, if the Qing navy does not dare to fight, you can wait for the opportunity to attack proactively, lead the fleet to approach the port, and sink all its warships along the coast!"
Zheng Zhilong felt that he could not let his brothers go in vain. The Japanese army landed and attacked the Tatar garrison in the peninsula by land, and his own fleet could also attack the Qing navy by sea.
"Brother, don't worry. The imperial navy is weak and the Tatar navy is not as good as the imperial navy. As for Kong Youde's ability, he will probably turn to Sun Yuan. If it is a land battle, our family may have to prepare for it. But when it comes to naval battles, the three Kong Youde combined is no match for me. Wasn't he Kong Youde rewarded by the Emperor Taiji with the title of "King of Obedience"? He also led the rebels who surrendered to the Tatars and became the "God Blessed Soldiers". Then our family will give this Let’s get a big gift from both of them!”
What he said was extremely arrogant, and he completely ignored the Qing navy, but it was also reasonable. Zheng Zhibao and his officers and men all had extremely rich experience in naval warfare. They had fought against the imperial navy, pirates, and even the Red Army. Yi.
For the Qing navy, which had no record of success in the early days of its creation, the Zheng fleet was as invincible as gods descending from the earth. The strength gap between the two sides was extremely disparate, even more so than the Eight Banners elites fighting against the imperial troops.
Zheng Zhibao even looked down upon Kong Youde, who took the initiative to join Huang Taiji. The successful rebellion in the Shandong area only showed that the officers and soldiers were incompetent. If they were really capable, they would have separated themselves into one party like his elder brother.
Regardless of whether the Qing naval commander was the thief Kong Youde or not, Zheng Zhibao regarded it as something in his pocket. As long as the time was right, he could take it by himself, regardless of Huang Taiji's consent.
The interactions between the Zheng family and Huangtaiji were very few, and they only transported some of the Qing's scarce grain, tea, silk and satin to Liaodong every year. The trade volume was far less than that of Shanxi merchants.
However, all Shanxi merchants have been wiped out by the prince, and it is unlikely that Huangtaiji will continue to buy their goods. The chance of cooperating with his own company is relatively high, but it looks like the eldest brother will not cooperate with him.
As long as the prince can provide enough money, the Zheng fleet can go out for the imperial court, and it is easy to severely damage or even annihilate the Tatar navy.
"It's better to be careful. If it can be decided in a battle, my brother will ask the court for credit!"
When Zheng Zhilong heard such sarcastic words, he naturally smiled, but he still warned him that if the Qing army and navy could not win a complete victory and spread the word, then the Zheng family's majesty would be greatly reduced.
"Zhi Feng, you will go out with me first. After sealing the bay and sinking the Hongyi warship, the fleet can be divided into two. Using Penghu as your base, you will lead 300 warships to go south for a hundred miles and patrol the sea. It is expected that Hongyi’s support fleet will depart from Batavia and take advantage of the monsoon to quickly move northward, arriving at Dazhang as soon as more than a month later.”
It would be best to capture the entire army directly. If the enemy cannot be captured within a month, after hearing the news, the East India Company headquarters will immediately send a fleet to the north to aid the defenders on Relanja's side.
Our troops must be prepared for two things. While continuing to siege the castle, they must also block the northward Hongyi fleet at sea. This is bound to be a fierce and fierce battle, but it must be fought.
Zheng Zhilong did not believe that Hongyi had the ability to go against the monsoon, but the prince told him that Hongyi could do it, so Zheng Zhilong could only believe in it and take precautions.
If the Hongyi battleship really takes the opportunity to slip away and quickly head south, it means that it does have this kind of navigation ability that astonishes even the Zheng family. It should be more careful in the future.
Since the Hongyi battleship's ability to sail against the wind is far greater than that of the Zheng's battleship, it will definitely not be able to catch up with the opponent when it goes against the wind. All we can do is watch Hongyi slip away from our eyes...
