In early March of the 39th year of Chongzhen (1666), the expedition fleet led by Jiexuan set sail from the Penglai base, circumnavigated the peninsula in a mighty way, and headed south.
The fleet includes 21 ironclads, one hundred wooden warships, and more than 1,200 transport ships and merchant ships. The ironclads may seem small in number, but they are of high quality.
Six Yoshino ships, six Laiyuan ships, and six Zhiyuan ships. Looking at the world, only Zheng Zhilong of Fujian can produce such a combination.
The combat effectiveness of one Yoshino is equivalent to two Zhiyuan, and the combat effectiveness of one Laiyuan can be converted into one and a half Zhiyuan.
Excluding the three armored supply ships and hospital ships, the strength of eighteen combat ships is equivalent to twenty-seven Zhiyuan ships.
The total number of ironclad ships that France and the Netherlands purchased, exchanged, and received from the Ming Dynasty was only twenty-nine. After the Ming Dynasty expedition fleet arrived in Europe, it was equivalent to doubling the strength of the Allied armored fleet.
Since the Dingyuan test ship had just been launched and all aspects of its performance were awaiting testing, it did not participate in this expedition.
Most military ships in the fleet, even those with wooden structures, have been modified to accommodate freezers, otherwise it will be difficult to complete expedition missions.
Of course, such a large-scale modification costs a lot, but the corresponding rewards are also huge. As long as the tactical goals are achieved, no ship will return empty.
This time Jiexuan brought six brigades of combat troops, totaling 30,000 people, 10,000 more than before.
The purpose is to form two batches of attack waves while giving half of the troops time to rest.
All officers and soldiers participating in the expedition have served for more than five years, and all non-commissioned officers and officers have served for more than ten years.
The lack of new recruits means fewer mistakes will be made during actual combat, especially mistakes that can cost you and your comrades life.
Each brigade is equipped with at least 120 steam tanks. In the absence of horses, this is the best weapon to cover the advancement of infantry.
The infantry are all heavily armed for defense, and each person is equipped with a long and short gun. The short guns are revolvers, and the long guns have revolvers and magazines.
There are four types of artillery, including individual mortars, portable small guns, heavy cannons, and rocket launchers that can implement area coverage.
It can be said that the firepower of these 30,000 people is equal to the original 60,000 people. If converted into a British army, there is no scale of more than 100,000 people, and it is impossible to drive the landing Ming Dynasty King Division into the sea.
Colbert had already paraphrased the original words of Louis XIV. As long as the Ming army could land in Britain, the supply of vegetables would not be a problem at all.
If the old enemy across the strait can be destroyed, it will be the most glorious victory Louis XIV has won since he came to power, comparable to France's victory in the European War during the Mazarin period.
The most important thing is that the damn country of Britain no longer exists. This is a feat that no French king has ever accomplished, and it also clears the way for France to dominate Europe and expand overseas.
D'Estre has already set off first, because he will become the senior guide of Zheng Chenggong's fleet and lead the French Mediterranean Fleet to launch a massive attack on the Barcelona area.
In order to avoid congestion when the huge fleet passes through the Sudan Canal, Zheng Chenggong's fleet has set sail from many bases in Fujian half a month in advance.
Since the goal of this expedition to Spain was very clear, the Zheng family mobilized almost all its elite troops. The army dispatched 50,000 troops and twenty ironclad ships.
Including two Yoshinos, two Laiyuan, and 22 Zhiyuan, there were more than 1,300 wooden ships. Many large plywood ships were Spanish armed merchant ships captured from the American battlefields.
A certain new emperor sold two thousand second-hand steam tanks to Zheng Zhilong at a friendly price. Although they were second-hand, they were actually of little use.
Because during the Northern Expedition, I fought hard several times. Due to the heavy losses, I no longer dared to fight head-on.
It was a bit wasteful to retire like this, so it turned into domestic sales of arms...
Zheng Zhilong will not lose money, because after the war, he can sell it to the next family at a discount.
Without a strong relationship with this thing, overseas customers would not be able to buy it.
A third-hand steam tank is also a tank, and you can’t build one!
This is equivalent to Zheng Chenggong equipping his combat troops with a large number of tanks without spending a single tael of silver.
You can still earn the price difference after using it, and you don't have to transport it all the way back. This good thing can only be enjoyed by the disciples of a certain new emperor.
Another reason why Zheng Chenggong was allowed to lead his own troops to take charge of the Spanish battlefield was that he could already speak Dutch and Spanish before, and later learned French and English. It would not be a problem to communicate with French generals such as D'Estre.
According to Zheng Chenggong's letter, the morale of his troops is high and they are extremely eager to make contributions to Emperor Haojing overseas, expand territory for the Ming Empire, and...
After all, since this time it is purely scraping the land without any impurities, it is equivalent to directly activating the long-lost pirate gene. The job of robbing under orders is really exciting!
More importantly, if you don't grab all the targets, it would be disrespectful and disrespectful.
Therefore, a certain new emperor could even think of Zheng Jun with his heels, and everyone was as excited as if they had taken stimulants!
A certain new emperor's order to Zheng Chenggong was very simple. No matter whether it was humans or animals, they could rob as many as they could. The houses that could not be robbed were to be burned down, and the Spaniards would never be given any chance to make a comeback.
This was destructive looting. In order to help his disciples conquer strategic towns across Spain, a certain new emperor even sold Zheng one hundred thousand rounds of tungsten-headed armor-piercing bullets at cost price!
Jiexuan said at the beginning that this thing was very effective against the fortress in Rio de Janeiro, and he took a lot of videos and photos to prove it, so a certain new emperor could be targeted this time.
After Zheng Jun was equipped with this unique weapon, the Spaniards could not even cower.
Field battles will be destroyed by the group, and the same goes for defending the city!
As for white phosphorus bombs, dum bombs, venom bombs and other good things, a certain new emperor had already prepared them for his subordinates.
After being fully equipped, the Ming Dynasty King's Master was invincible.
It has been discussed with the garrison generals on the islands along the way that the fleet will arrive at the designated supply point to replenish fresh water, fruits and vegetables.
Even in the Luzon Islands, it is impossible for the entire fleet to go to Manila, a supply point, otherwise the pressure on the other party will be too great.
Therefore, Zu Dashou on Minduluo Island and many vassal kings on Borneo could take this opportunity to earn pocket money.
Since the Dutch still occupied Sri Lanka, the fleet could still supply supplies there.
Before entering the Mediterranean, the fleet could resupply at the Ottoman coastal cities at the southern end of the canal.
These are the territories of allies or quasi-allies. The Ming expeditionary fleet can use them for free, but if you want to eat fruits and vegetables, you have to spend money.
A certain fat prince had a leisurely trip on the supply ship, because he passed through tropical waters, enjoying the sea breeze and eating ice cream, which was really pleasant.
The princess did not bring anyone with her, but only brought six concubines to take care of daily life. The purpose was to gather enough strength to prepare to kill everyone and die for the country after reaching the goal...
The female natives of Nanyang turned off a certain prince's appetite. This short, ugly, and dark thing had nothing to do with fair skin and beauty, and could only be used by slave miners.
As the Prince of the Ming Dynasty, of course, like the officers and soldiers on the supply ship, he must share joys and sorrows and set an example, eat when he should, drink when he should, sleep when he should, sleep well before playing...
However, the tropical scenery is really good. It is indeed as beautiful as a certain emperor said. If I had known this, I should have come here earlier.
After hearing that the climate in Qiongzhou was no different from that of the tropics, with beaches, blue seas, and coconut trees, a certain prince came up with an idea.
That is to build a palace there and take the princess there for a vacation before winter.
This is indeed a very good idea if you are not short of money.
Why do wives make so much money?
Isn’t it just for the whole family to enjoy life?
I heard that there are pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt, especially from photos.
A certain prince took advantage of the fleet just leaving the canal and waiting for the follow-up ships to lead a group of people there. Seeing is believing.
When they arrived at their destination, they saw huge piles of stones, which shocked a certain prince deeply.
It is said that this is the tomb of the Pharaoh, but the construction is indeed very shocking.
After a certain prince posed for photos, he thought about going back and suggesting that a certain royal brother build a similar building...
With the help of mechanical vehicles, the construction cost will be much lower than the original version.
Even if you don’t use it for burial, you can still charge for posing for photos!
Killing two birds with one stone, what a great thing!
After being influenced by his wives, a certain prince believed that he also had a certain economic acumen.
"Brothers! Charge with me!"
"Capture Baipi! The more, the merrier!"
"Kill! Steal money! Steal people! Steal items!"
As Jiexuan's fleet passed through the Sudan Canal one after another, Zheng Chenggong's fleet had already landed in Valencia.
None of the Spanish ships anchored at the landing site, including those leaving the port, escaped.
Facing the offensive of the armored fleet, they were completely unable to fight back, and they were soon reduced to a bonfire on the sea.
The previous huge investment was not in vain at all. Ordinary wooden warships simply could not deal with the ironclads.
The resistance on the other side seemed ridiculous and weak, and defeat was only a matter of time.
Even if one or two hundred more ships come, the result will be the same!
After some thought, Zheng Chenggong decided to land on the east coast of Spain and then direct his troops towards Madrid. This would avoid allowing the French army to invade the city first.
According to the previous agreement, the land in Spain belongs to France, and everything that can be moved south of Madrid belongs to Ming Dynasty.
As the capital of Spain, Madrid must have gathered a lot of treasures. As long as they attack the city, they can probably get their money back.
When I come to Europe, I talk about the king's words, but I talk about the cost in my heart!
You must earn enough money, this is the imperial edict!
The respected master said that Zheng had contributed to the Ming Dynasty for many years, and this time was the best compensation.
Whether you can make up for it, make it up well, and make up for it well depends on your ability...
It was Zheng Chenggong's first time to fight for such a purpose, but the people below had already understood it.
I used to be the charioteer of Emperor Haojing, and I endured hardships and suffered a lot of sins, but I took every advantage.
It's not easy to get a chance to make enough money, so you have to fight to the death to grab it!
Of course, Zheng Chenggong was strict with all the soldiers in the army. This expedition to Spain must still be brave and tenacious.
The ministries cannot become stragglers, let alone be reduced to a mob and be attacked by the Spaniards.
Among the generals, if anyone loses too much and embarrasses himself, then he can expect to be demoted to clean toilets!
The written order did not include any words of plunder, but everyone knew that this was essentially what Emperor Haojing meant by demanding a war of annihilation against Spain.
Because the imperial edict requires that all officers and soldiers participating in this battle do not need to feel any guilt, and the court will not investigate anyone's means and results.
As long as they do not violate the war regulations, Zheng Jun soldiers can use any means to attack the enemy, including "sacrifice for the country"!
In other words, ordinary soldiers can rob Ping Min, officers can rob wealthy gentry, and generals can rob nobles.
All the property of the Spanish royal family will naturally belong to the prince!
No random looting is allowed at all levels and rules must be abided by!
It doesn't matter if you think you grabbed too little. Why don't we just grab a few more places?
After discovering the Ming army's landing, the Spanish defenders immediately sent about five hundred cavalry.
As a result, they were all annihilated at the beachhead in less than ten minutes. Zheng Jun had another horse meat feast...
"Success, Xiyi seems to be seeking death!"
Zheng Zhouying couldn't help but feel a little strange when he looked at the enemy corpses scattered all over the beach.
"This couldn't be better. If all the Western Yi people come to die, we will save a lot of trouble!"
The wiser the enemy is, the more advantageous it is to oneself. If the enemy is stupid, it is an opportunity for oneself.
"What about besieging the city of Valencia?"
"Three brigades are enough. The remaining seven brigades will follow me and go straight to Madrid!"
"Huh? This is too much..."
"Soldiers are expensive and quick. As long as the main force of the King's Division appears under the city of Madrid, a siege and reinforcements can be formed!"
Zheng Chenggong has already read the contents of the Heavenly Book about his time under Nandu City. Zheng Chenggong regrets his failure every time he thinks about it.
In this expedition to Spain, we must not make the same mistake again. Although the number of cavalry is as small as that of the Northern Expedition in the Book of Heaven, we must not fight at the landing site.
What's more, now that I have a large number of steam tanks in my hands, I am not afraid of the Spanish cavalry at all. Even if the opponent sends 100,000 troops, I can still win with strong firepower.
"Oh~! This is a good idea!"
"Zhou Ying, you are leading three brigades here, first to besiege the city, and second to ensure the supply of our troops!"
"As you command!"
On the third day of landing, after his troops had assembled and debugged more than 500 steam tanks, Zheng Chenggong decided to march west to Madrid.
In particular, D'Estre kept his promise and delivered a thousand high-quality war horses to the landing site on time, which made Zheng's army even more powerful.
Zheng Chenggong had previously planned to go via Portugal, but it would take several days to detour, not only time-consuming and laborious, but also the formation of land. Moreover, Valencia is closer to southern France.
Since we have already discussed it with D'Estrela, it would be better to land nearby so as to catch the Spaniards off guard.
D'Estre's idea was simple. As long as Zheng Chenggong's troops landed in Valencia, Philip IV would inevitably reduce the strength of the northern defense line.
Otherwise, reinforcements from other places will have to be dispatched.
But no matter what, it is always a good thing to open up another landing point for the enemy.
The French army could defeat the Spanish, but they would suffer heavy casualties.
With the Ming army coming to help, it would be twice the result with half the effort.
In particular, French soldiers were still equipped with flintlock muskets, and only the dragoons were equipped with revolvers.
The Ming army on the expedition to Spain had already used revolvers, which made D'Estre envious.
