The coalition forces used such simple, so crude, and such tactics that did not give the opponent any chance to let the local indigenous people know how powerful the opponent they faced was!
As the largest city in the Kingdom of Naples, the situation in Naples is not optimistic either.
The First Army, tasked with defending the city, dug numerous bunkers and used the basements of buildings.
However, it still failed to prevent the combined fleet from destroying the city. The effect of the hundreds of coastal defense guns deployed before was close to zero.
After firing for nearly three hours, unfortunately not a single enemy ship was sunk, and instead was destroyed by the combined fleet.
All the Ming warships that arrived in the coastal waters of Naples in the early stage were all over 10,000 tons. The purpose of this was to prevent the other party from attacking them with coastal defense guns.
The defensive capabilities of cruisers and battleships are obviously better than those of destroyers and frigates. Even if they can't escape, it doesn't matter if they take a few shots.
It cannot be said that the defenders were incompetent. They did damage as many as ten Ming warships. However, due to the small caliber of the coastal defense artillery, the lethality was naturally very limited.
Not to mention making a dent in the hull armor, even if they knock off a piece of paint, it means that their training was not in vain. As the saying goes, hairy is not bald...
The Ming Navy has always been well-trained, especially the main fleet. They dare not relax in every battle, otherwise the captain will be demoted or even fired.
The defenders' provocative counterattack did not cause serious damage to the battleship, but instead aroused the interest of the battleships. Wherever the opponent fired, the battleships struck.
It's lonely to be invincible, and it's even more lonely to have no opponent. If the other party dares to challenge you, that's the best thing.
The more successful you are, the more excited I will be...
The navy is different from the army. The latter at least won't miss the mark in land battles. Even if it goes into the mountains to encircle and suppress, it can still gain something.
On the sea, there were very few enemies who dared to compete with the Ming Navy, because the navy itself was a money-burning branch.
And it will take at least ten years of continuous burning of money to achieve initial results.
Not to mention the Ming Navy, even if it wanted to reach the strength of the Ottoman Navy, it would have to last for more than fifty years.
If you don't have money, you can only choose to run away and enter the era of armored ships. If you want to defeat the strong with the weak, the possibility is almost zero.
Things like the Armada's expedition to England, which was tricked by headwinds, no longer exist.
Except for the second-rate commander who may fight against the storm, as long as he is strong, the naval battle will be a one-sided crushing!
With the strength of the Naples natives, the most they can do is use artillery as coastal defense artillery to express their determination to hold on.
They don't even have destroyers, so it's impossible to stop the coalition's attack at sea.
In view of the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves, General Bonazzoli, who was in charge of commanding the First Army, decided to disperse the artillery deployment.
Some are arranged in buildings, some are moved to caves facing the sea, and some are deployed in specially excavated running positions.
When the opponent lands, they will launch a volley and hit these arrogant invaders in one fell swoop!
But before he could wait for the coalition troops to land on a large scale, hundreds of artillery shells came over first.
General Bonazzoli's purpose was to first block the enemy at the landing site, and then use the city of Naples as bait to engage in fierce street fighting with the opponent, inflicting heavy damage to the opponent and forcing him to retreat.
However, Jiexuan's fighting style did not go according to the ideas of the indigenous leaders. The Ming army's tactics were to destroy the city first so that the indigenous people had no foothold and so-called street fighting ceased to exist.
Naples itself is a port city, and the entire urban area is within the range of naval guns, not to mention that the Air Force can dispatch thousands of bombers for carpet bombing.
How to replenish ammunition with such large-scale fire coverage?
Shipped all the way from the mainland?
Of course it can’t be that strenuous!
When Emperor Haojing transferred the bomber production line and seventh-level battleship construction base to Ibrahim, he also sold the supporting ammunition production base to the other party.
Ibrahim ordered the construction of a relevant ammunition factory in Kocaeli, the easternmost port on the Sea of Marmara, to produce relevant ammunition.
Kocaeli is located on the inland sea, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is also close to Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. It is easy to inspect at any time and can be transported to the battlefield by sea.
Originally, Ibrahim wanted to build the ammunition factory in Istanbul, but Zhu Cihong persuaded him to stop it. If management was not good and the ammunition factory exploded, half of the capital would be destroyed...
This is not without precedent. The Wanggong Factory explosion during the Apocalypse is the best example. The Ottoman envoy stationed in the Ming Dynasty also witnessed this tragedy with his own eyes and left relevant records.
As an archive, it is still kept in the Ottoman Imperial Library. Ibrahim was still frightened after reading the records. This choice made him uneasy and sent him away directly...
The Kocaeli ammunition factory is divided into three, one each for the army, navy and air force. Just in case, there are three more factories in Izmir, a port on the west side of the Asian peninsula.
The ammunition currently used by the coalition forces all comes from the assembly line of the Ottoman Empire, and it is not for nothing. It is all bartered, and neither side suffers.
There is no need to worry about quality issues. The ammunition factory has Daming engineers responsible for supervision and guidance to ensure that Ming-style weapons that meet the specifications can be used smoothly.
The Ming Dynasty's recovery of the Kingdom of Naples had a benefit for the Ottoman Empire, that is, it could help it clean up its inventory, and all the ammunition that was about to expire could be packed away.
Because it is a large-scale use of troops, no matter how many you build, Jiexuan will take them all. It is best for the opponent to work in three shifts and operate at full capacity 24 hours a day.
The unlucky party was the local natives of Naples. Jie Xuan ordered all the purchased quasi-expired ammunition to be thrown on their heads.
If the entire fleet fired a salvo, the firepower would be as violent as a volcano erupting!
What made the natives feel embarrassed and puzzled was that there was no movement at all from Mount Vesuvius next to the city of Naples.
We agreed to use volcanic eruptions to destroy the yellow-skinned monkeys, but now the yellow-skinned monkeys have brought their battleships here. You...
When the city of Naples was bombarded, the sky was clear, indicating that Thor was indifferent to it.
The volcano did not erupt because of this, indicating that the Vulcan was not interested either.
Did God fail to manifest his spirit?
Judging from the extent of the target's shelling, if the apparition is postponed until tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow, the entire city may be razed to the ground by yellow-skinned monkeys.
How did that happen?
Someone who fled to Naples from Sicily said that when the Yellow-skinned Monkey Fleet bombarded Catania, Mount Etna to the north of the city did not erupt.
What does this mean?
Is it possible that there are wizards on the yellow-skinned monkey's battleship?
Otherwise, why would God allow the volcano to remain dormant?
Some people recalled the previous records of the eruptions of Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius. They really didn’t erupt when they should erupt, and they erupted blindly when they shouldn’t!
On the first day of the combined fleet's bombardment, more than 20,000 artillery shells were fired into the city of Naples, including more than 3,000 artillery shells over 100 mm.
Basically, one shell fired by the battleship's main gun can destroy a building, so that after the first day, there were not many intact buildings left in Naples.
Landing after the bombardment?
No!
This is only the first day, Naples is a big city, and it will take at least three consecutive days to blast!
The specific time depends on the effect of the bombardment, and the lack of security will last for more than ten days...
On the contrary, the war zone is very close to the Ottoman Empire. Even if the gun barrel reaches its end of life, you can go to Kocaeli or Izmir to replace the gun barrel and replenish fuel by the way, killing two birds with one stone.
If the fleet sailed at full speed, it would take up to two days to reach Izmir. Including the replacement time, the round trip would only take a week. In wartime, this was considered an extremely fast replacement of parts.
If permission from the Ottomans is obtained, the fleet can also reach the island of Crete, the former Mediterranean fleet base. Previously, the Ming Navy also established an ammunition depot and supporting heavy machinery on the island.
If you use the island as your destination, you can complete the trip in up to four days, which can shorten the time by almost half.
Don’t the natives of Naples want to play?
This time Jiexuan will play with them until they die!
In order to block the attack at all levels, General Bonazzoli had previously organized three lines of defense.
The first line of defense is the coastal defense line, with Naples, Del Greco, Annunziata, Castello di Stabia and other cities as the core of defense.
The second line of defense is the mountain defense line, with Mount Maggiore, Mount Santa Croce, Mount Camino, and Mount Sambucaro close to the coastal city as the core of defense.
Interestingly, the second line of defense is not completely behind the first line of defense, but rather diagonally and semi-sideways, exposing its flank to the opponent.
The third line of defense is a completely inland mountainous area, including the Matese Mountains, the Maurice Mountains, etc. Rather than being so much a line of defense, it is better regarded as giant tactical islands.
The position further north, especially on the Adriatic Sea, is not the responsibility of the First Army. It is the defense area of the Second Army, commanded by General Sarah.
After learning from the experience and lessons of the disastrous defeat in Sicily, the nobles of the Kingdom of Naples also learned from the painful experience and decided to formalize the construction of the armed forces.
Not only did they imitate the French army in implementing the company-battalion-brigade-military organization model, but they also awarded titles based on the amount of soldiers recruited and donations made by each company.
If the person in charge of any company can recruit 100 people, he will be the company commander; if he can recruit 300 people, he will be the battalion commander; if he can recruit more than 1,000 people, he can be the brigade commander; if there are more people, he can directly become the corps commander.
If you can't attract enough people, you can still buy military ranks by throwing money at them.
Bonazzoli's general rank was bought for half a million silver coins.
Not only did he have 50,000 people under his command, but he also gained a lot of rights and interests in Naples and surrounding areas after the war.
No matter how much money you invested before, you can earn it back with interest later, provided that the results are not like those in Sicily.
He divides the cake and throws money at the Lord.
Calculating this way, one can raise millions of silver coins in military expenses at one time to purchase weapons and equipment.
But this still couldn't compete with the powerful yellow-skinned monkey. Bonazzoli not only ordered a minefield to be set up near the second line of defense.
The soldiers were also ordered to dig a large number of caves in the core of the mountainous area for long-term defense.
Bonazzoli believed that no matter how powerful the Yellow-skinned Monkey's bombers and tanks were, they could not reach the mountainous areas, let alone get into holes to capture people.
As long as there are enough caves in the mountainous areas, these mountains with garrisons will become a lingering nightmare for the yellow-skinned monkeys, and will eventually bury them completely!
After more than four months of excavation, the burrows on Mount Maggiore, Monte Santa Croce, Mount Camino, and Mount Sambucaro have become very large.
Not only are there artillery positions and observation posts, but there are also vents, storage rooms, rest areas, and ammunition depots. There are multiple exits on a mountain, and there are bayonet holes inside that can allow yellow-skinned monkeys who enter the cave to die miserably inside.
Admiral Bonazzoli had previously inspected the progress of the project on site and was very satisfied with the well-structured underground tunnel and believed it could last for at least three years.
Not only is the general very confident, but even the indigenous soldiers are convinced of this.
No matter how powerful the yellow-skinned monkey is, it can't defeat the local warriors who are familiar with the terrain and protected by underground caves.
"Hello, Mr. Commander, this is the defense map I found. Please take a look!"
This native named Giampaolo came to surrender with something he thought was priceless.
Not only did he hope to gain protection from the Ming army, he also wanted to exchange this defense map for a new identity.
It would be even better if you could get a reward of hundreds or even thousands of silver coins.
"Yes, Not Bad!"
Jie Xuan glanced at it briefly and had a good idea. It seemed that the other party was indeed on guard.
Not only did they want to stop themselves on the shore, they also dug holes in the mountains, but these were all leftover from the Ming Dynasty nearly a hundred years ago.
Want to use this to trick yourself?
They are really whimsical!
It has always been your own fault to protect others, but it seems that some people are still dissatisfied!
Then don't blame yourself for being serious. If you dare to dig a hole, I will let you be buried alive in it!
Thinking of this, Jie Xuan was in a good mood. Not only did he comply with Zhan Paulo's request, he also gave him a thousand silver coins as a reward.
With such a small amount of money, he bought the opponent's defense map. Regardless of whether the map was true or false, at least the news about digging a hole in the ground should be true.
"Commander, if this picture is true..."
"Then just follow the plan!"
"ah?"
"Don't the natives like to dig holes in the ground? Then stay in the holes for the rest of your life and never need to come out again!"
"The commander is wise!"
Jiexuan asked his men to purchase a large amount of explosives from the Ottomans, for no other reason than to send people there to celebrate the indigenous people!
The infantry, cavalry, and special operations brigades now have work to do.
After everyone learned about the indigenous people's countermeasures, they all expressed their determination to go and congratulate him!
Not to mention anything else, with everyone’s professional skills, we must blow up the opponent’s hole at once!
On the contrary, if the explosive tube is enough, if you find a few exits, blow them up and let them completely turn into fertilizer inside!
Thinking about the defense in mountainous areas, there is no other good way besides digging holes. The natives in Sicily wanted to fight guerrillas and tried to deal with the Ming Dynasty king's army, but in the end the whole army was wiped out...
The trick of digging a hole in the ground was used by the Min soldiers of the Ming Dynasty to fight against the Dog Tartars. Unexpectedly, it was learned by the group of natives on the opposite side, and they also wanted to use it to deal with their ancestors in this area.
It seems that they are really impatient to live. Now, they don’t even have to dig a hole. Just throw the explosives into it and bury all of you and others who are seeking death alive!
