These thirty-five warships were led by Zheng Zhi'ao, a powerful general of the Zheng family. Although there were no particularly large warships in the team, the victory lay in surprising the enemy.
To take a step back, even if the enemy is not surprised, Zheng Zhifeng's fleet is bound to be in a hard battle now that it encounters an old enemy. As the only reinforcement at the moment, it has to bite the bullet and rush forward.
Zheng Zhi'ao's fleet did not have powerful plywood ships, nor did it have mountain-sized Fengzhou ships. There were not even a few black-tailed ships, and most of them were Guangzhou ships and bird ships, that's all.
If you want to compete with the red barbarian warships galloping across the ocean, the only way is to use a combination of fire attack and close combat.
The time of ignition must be grasped, and the ignition cannot be started in advance. Otherwise, Hongyi will see it and know that it is an arson boat approaching, and he will turn around and run away from a distance.
Zheng Zhi'ao had given an order before setting off. He was determined not to light any flammable objects on board when he was more than a hundred steps away from the enemy ship.
This method is the fleet's hope for victory, and it must not be given up easily, otherwise Hongyi will be able to bombard his own ships at will by relying on his superior firepower.
Due to the early departure time, Zheng Zhi'ao's fleet arrived at the burning waters after a large-scale melee broke out between the two sides.
"Your Excellency, Commander! We have found a large number of enemy ships behind us! They are approaching quickly!"
"Order the fleet to withdraw from the battlefield immediately, keep a distance from the enemy ships, and prevent them from using arson ships!"
What Colonel Sholes Baker fears most now is Zheng Yiguan's arson ship. Even if he exchanges three arson ships for one of his own warships, Zheng Yiguan will be able to take advantage of it.
As a party with very few warships participating in the war, it was impossible for the East India Company's fleet to withstand this almost mutual destruction style.
Even if more than ten enemy ships are about to be sunk and destroyed again, we must immediately give up these prey that are about to be swallowed, otherwise we will change from hunters to prey.
From attacking the enemy ships from the front and back to being flanked by the enemy ships from the front and back, the whole process only took more than half an hour.
It seems like a lot of time, but the firing rate of heavy artillery is generally more than ten minutes. If you want to increase the firing rate, the life of the artillery will be greatly shortened, and you have to worry about the danger of sudden explosion.
The only weapon capable of rapid fire was the Franco machine. The Dutch army was equipped with a lot of them, but the Zheng army was equipped with more. In close combat, it was about competing with who had the strongest firepower, high rate of fire, and thick shipboards.
The artillery caliber of the Zheng army's fleet is generally lower than that of the Dutch army, but in close combat it can use a large number of artillery to make up for this deficiency, thereby increasing the total firepower output.
The ship's planks were severely damaged and could not be patched temporarily. If hit by heavy artillery, it would really be possible to sink a ship with just a few cannons.
However, Zheng has many warships and can withstand this kind of loss. Nearly two hundred warships have lost their combat capabilities, and they can still continue to fight with the remaining warships.
The Dutch army did not destroy so many battleships. At least half of them were arson ships destined to be lost in the battle.
Many of these arson boats missed their targets and could only drift southward aimlessly under the influence of the wind until they were reduced to ashes.
The large fleet led by Colonel Baker had just seized the upper hand on the battlefield, but it didn't take long before it was taken away by the Zheng Army fleet coming to the rescue.
If you want to regain this advantage, you must fight north against the wind and engage in close combat with the opponent.
Considering that there would be a sneak attack by the arson ship, Colonel Baker planned to have the fleet circle around and go behind the enemy fleet.
However, the artillery fire on both sides of the ship was not idle either, bombarding the enemy ships that had been surrounded and blocking the enemy ships that were about to attack.
However, it was still more than one kilometer away from the newly joined enemy fleet, so the artillery fire was very fierce, but the hit rate was pitifully low.
It is not unusually difficult to hit a moving target while you are moving. Even the best gunner may not be able to hit a few shots.
The main reason is that the artillery fire rate is too slow. After firing once, the distance to the target needs to be recalculated after the reloading is completed.
This is equivalent to re-fighting every time. When the shooting is almost done, the two sides will face each other...
While Colonel Baker was worried about the effect of his own bombardment, he secretly cursed the Spanish for their stupidity.
If twenty warships are sent to go north together with Putmans' fleet, the strength of the entire fleet will be greatly improved.
Given Zheng Yiguan's ambition, if the Dutch rulers fell, could the former pirate leader let go of the Spanish territories in northern Formosa?
The short-sighted Spaniards seemed unwilling to think about this issue. They lived in a dream and massacred a large number of Ming people.
Doesn't this give Zheng Yiguan an excuse to attack the Spanish territories?
Even the East India Company could hardly withstand Zheng Yiguan's attack. Can the Spanish hold on and succeed?
Since Governor Coquilla is stubborn and stubborn, let the Spaniards on the island fend for themselves!
It will be too difficult to take it back from Zheng Yiguan after he has occupied the entire island, and the price will have to be paid much higher than now.
Baker's large fleet was turning against the wind, but the opponent was coming with the wind. There was a significant difference in speed between the two sides, and the Dutch side was much less maneuverable.
Fortunately, it was discovered in time, leaving enough time for adjustment. Otherwise, if the enemy fleet rushed forward, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Quick! Speed up! Charge forward! If you sink or destroy a Hongyi battleship, I will reward you with five thousand taels of silver!"
Anyway, it was the eldest brother who reimbursed the money, so Zheng Zhi'ao could be particularly generous at this time.
Five thousand taels is a huge amount of money for ordinary sailors. If the whole ship is divided together, everyone can pocket a lot.
For Zheng Zhi'ao, five thousand taels of silver can be exchanged for a victory, which is a great deal.
The Dutch Red Barbarians only brought less than a hundred warships this time, and they could cover them all with half a million taels of silver!
Zheng Zhifeng had already used special-colored flares to inform him of the scale of the incoming enemy, allowing Zheng Zhilong to master certain intelligence.
From Dayuan to Xiamen, there are two warships responsible for duty and liaison every forty miles.
Using signal flares, the information will be delivered to Xiamen in less than an hour.
When Zheng Zhipeng saw the signal flare, he would immediately order the fleet to set sail and go straight to the officers.
Anyone else would not be qualified to use this communication method.
Once you understand the relevant meaning of the signal flare, you will respond quickly.
Even if it takes a day to get to the battlefield, it must be like this.
Zheng Zhilong now doesn't know if Hongyi just sent this fleet or if there are others.
But no matter what, we must ensure the safety of the waters surrounding the officers while repelling the invading enemies.
Otherwise, the time to besiege the Castle of Geranze and force the surrender of the Burgos would have to be further delayed.
If there hadn't been one storm after another, the defenders in the castle would have been so smoked that they lost their fighting power and surrendered.
However, Mr. Bolger was incredibly lucky, and the weather was on Hong Yi's side.
Zheng Jun's efforts were always in vain at the last moment. Even if the storm came twenty days late, Bolger would have to surrender.
"Hold on to the enemy ship and don't hesitate!"
Zheng Zhi'ao's mission was not to rendezvous with Zheng Zhifeng's fleet. It was actually very easy to rescue the siege.
As long as he puts on the posture of a mad dog and is about to die with the opponent, Hongyi will naturally be frightened and run away immediately.
Converging with Zheng Zhifeng meant that we had to give up our upper hand and let Hongyi go around behind us.
This is a result that Zheng Zhi'ao absolutely does not want to see. This time he will firmly suppress Hongyi's outflanking momentum.
After discovering that the Hongyi fleet was turning around and planning to detour around his own side, Zheng Zhi'ao also ordered the fleet to follow it.
With the help of the castle, the red barbarians on the land can huddle up and defend. Let’s see where the red barbarians on the sea can go!
If Hongyi wants to gain the upper hand, he must fight with himself, otherwise he will never stand up in this life!
If you want to severely damage your fleet from a long distance, even the Hongyi gunners with experience in naval battles cannot do it with powerful heavy artillery.
The opponent did not have very high accuracy, so Zheng Zhi'ao and a group of his subordinates became confident.
It seems that the level of this group of Hongyi is still the same as in previous years, and they still hope to win the battle.
But that is impossible. The captain Zheng Zhi'ao has turned every ship into an arson ship!
That's not to say that you have to click and rush over. That would be too obvious and it would be easy for Hong Yi to spot the clues.
Zheng Zhi'ao asked his men to carry a large amount of fire oil, with ten barrels loaded on each ship.
There are also a large number of earthen pots that can be thrown. Once you get close, light them and throw them in through the cannon window.
The oil drums can be hung on Hongyi's cannon by ropes and then detonated with rockets.
At that time, a small boat can be exchanged for a large ship of Hongyi, which is called a huge profit!
Playing the trick of dying together, Hongyi has never been Zheng Jun's opponent!
Zheng Zhi'ao's men all understood that compared to Hongyi's cannon, the hairpins in their hands were just decorations.
The real trump card is to ignite in close combat. Every time an enemy ship is ignited, it means that five thousand taels of silver are obtained.
Zheng Jun didn't know whether Hongyi would use their trick, but they would definitely use it.
Under the fierce bombardment of the Dutch warships, water columns burst out on the sea, and the Zheng Jun fleet quickly approached the target despite the gunfire.
Although six warships had been severely damaged and two were sinking rapidly, the remaining warships, led by Zheng Zhi'ao, rushed forward without hesitation.
Zheng Zhi'ao didn't care about his own losses at all, as long as he could severely damage the enemy in front of him, even if the entire fleet was wiped out at once.
As the distance got closer and closer, more and more warships were hit, but the Zheng Army officers and men on each warship showed no fear.
After the two sides collide, there is no doubt that the winning side will be our side.
Because I have oil in my hand, I don’t feel panic!
Colonel Baker still has twelve battleships in his hands. Although each battleship has varying degrees of damage, it can still fight according to his orders.
However, facing the attack of the enemy support fleet, the four warships at the end of the team became a little panicked. They had no time to evacuate to a safe distance.
The "Bronhorst" was the first to be hit by a bird ship of Zheng Jun. The bird ship had been bombarded before, but fortunately it survived until the moment of impact.
"Grandson of the Red Yi Turtle! Try our man's magic weapon!"
Zheng Jun's sailors, who had been suppressed by enemy artillery fire for a long time, finally had the time to feel proud. They lit the oil jars and threw them into the opponent's cabin one after another.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
When the Dutch sailors saw that the pirates had such strange weapons, they immediately fired back with matchlock guns. If the pirates were allowed to be so reckless, the entire battleship would be set on fire.
"I want you to beat me up! Use a wooden barrel filled with oil and pour it directly onto the hull of the ship!"
When the thief saw his brother being shot and lying on the deck in pain, he immediately became furious. He still had a back-up plan, and he wanted to light up the Hongyi warship anyway.
This will cause the warships of both sides to perish together, but this is what Zheng Jun has to do. This tactic is extremely beneficial to the side with more ships.
"Let you eat to your heart's content!"
You have a cannon and we have kerosene, and they are much more powerful than your cannon in close combat.
After the whole battleship is set on fire, let's see what use those cannons of yours have!
"Put it on!"
"One, two, three! Pull hard!"
The sailor put the lasso on the Hongyi cannon, and the other end of the lasso was an oil drum that must be tied.
Several sailors pulled hard together, and the oil barrel quickly rose into the air, and finally came close to the cannon.
This went back and forth twice more, and three oil barrels were tied to the outer shell of the enemy ship.
"Everyone, stand back! Shoot the oil barrels!"
"boom……"
At the command of the thief, the archer shot the oil barrel with a rocket, causing a violent explosion immediately.
Then the port side of the Hongyi battleship also began to burn, which plunged the Dutch sailors and gunners on it into despair.
They thought they would win by shooting a dozen pirates and holding on for a while.
I never expected that the other party would carry out such an insidious trick and trade lives for time.
Once the battleship is set on fire, they have no way out.
Either fight to the last moment, sink with the battleship, and return to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish.
Either jump into the sea to escape as soon as possible and hope that a nearby warship will pick you up.
After the "Bronhorst" was set alight, it quickly turned into a huge bonfire. The fire immediately got out of control, and all crew members had to abandon the ship and escape.
Zheng Jun's bird ship was not spared, but fortunately there were other Zheng Jun warships nearby, and the sailors could be rescued by swimming a hundred or so steps.
Not far from the "Bronkhorst", the "Lukelassen" and the "Ferhofer" were also dealt with by Zheng Jun using the same tactics.
The "Flickenstein" was about to escape and ascend to heaven. The stern of the ship was set on fire. Now its butt is on fire, dragging billowing smoke and trying to escape. If you move slower, you will really feed the fish.
"Order all personnel to evacuate the battlefield and retreat to the safe waters of the south!"
Colonel Baker used a telescope to see that this group of pirates used an oil-like substance. As long as it was poured on one's own warships and then fired with rockets, a warship could be scrapped.
If the fight continued like this, the entire fleet would be tortured to death, so after losing four battleships, the retreat order was issued without hesitation.
How terrible!
May God bless us!
The last time we fought guerrillas at sea, we didn't lose so many warships. Unexpectedly, we lost seven warships at once this time.
If we don't stop, the remaining eight ships will also be lost.
If Putmans is willing to play, let him play by himself!
"Coward! Coward! Go back and wait to be punished by the council!"
Major Luc Mullen, the deputy commander who was leading the squadron to fight against the enemy, immediately started to curse when he saw Baker fleeing first, which meant that his fleet had been betrayed by him.
The sudden retreat of Dazhan's fleet caught his fleet off guard and had no time to fill the holes that suddenly appeared on the battlefield, which directly caused three warships to be burned by the enemy.
Baker's decision undoubtedly had the opposite effect, which was equivalent to causing the entire fleet's previous efforts to fail. We could no longer withstand such an intense war of attrition.
Mullen believed that as long as his own fleet persisted for about an hour, it should be able to defeat Zheng Yiguan's pirate fleet, which was all hindered by the coward Baker.
The main fleet under Putmans' personal command has lost twenty-four warships, including five battleships, seventeen speedboats, and two returning ships.
Including the losses of the two fleets of Baker and Mullen, compared with the previous total size, the losses were actually more than half.
If the battle continues, more warships will be lost. In desperation, Putmans can only order the entire army to retreat.
Whether Berg lives or dies is no longer within the scope of his consideration.
Putmans has not yet decided whether to temporarily retreat for repairs or go directly south to Manila.
Zheng Zhifeng's losses were not small, with initial estimates of around 270 ships.
Calculated based on the battle loss ratio, it is equivalent to losing nearly seven ships to destroy one Dutch warship.
This does not include the losses of Zheng Zhi'ao's fleet. If all are included, the average cost would be more than seven ships.
But compared with the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, it can be regarded as making considerable progress.
At that time, Zheng Zhilong used thirty or forty ships but failed to stop the rampaging "Hector", allowing it to escape.
It has to be said that it is a small regret that this Hongyi battleship was not caught this time.
If the quality is not as good as the opponent's, if you want to win, you can only use quantity to make up for it.
Fortunately, with the help of the "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles and Meng Huoyou, and Zheng Zhi'ao coming out from the middle, Hongyi's plan to outflank them was not allowed to succeed.
Otherwise, even if Zheng Jun loses more than 300 warships, he may not be able to defeat the well-prepared Hongyi fleet.
This was only the first confrontation at sea between the two sides after the siege of Geranze Castle.
No one could guarantee that Hongyi would not make a comeback. Before Zheng Zhipeng's fleet arrived, Zheng Zhifeng, who had suffered heavy losses, had to salvage the drowned men, collect the remaining warships, and retreat to the shore.
When Zheng Zhipeng's fleet arrived, the brothers discussed how to arrange the follow-up matters.
