Zhejiang.
Zhoushan Military Port.
This is the home port of the East China Sea Squadron of the Ming Dynasty's Pacific Fleet - the Pacific Fleet's current focus is on the line from Japan to Hawaii, so in the future most warships will be stationed in Edo and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
At this time, it was calm outside Zhoushan Island.
After several rounds of typhoons in July and August, the days suitable for sailing finally arrived.
Intense orders of troops sounded in the harbor.
The garrison soldiers responsible for guarding the port blocked all parts of the port.
The strong dock porters were shouting and pushing the chicken carts, transporting coal to six ironclad ships.
This is the latest steel armored ship named Dingyuan class.
It has an all-steel armor structure and uses the latest fully improved steam turbine as power.
The fully loaded endurance reaches 10,000 miles.
The firepower of the equipment is a nine-seat triple rotating turret, with a total of twenty-seven four-inch long guns. At the beginning of the design, the shipyard design bureau designed a 7-inch main gun with a 4-inch secondary gun, but this There are not many artillery pieces that can be equipped.
This opportunity was personally rejected by Emperor Zhu.
Because now the Ming Navy's opponents have no ironclad ships that can withstand the bombardment of 4-inch howitzer shells.
Equipped with a 7-inch gun, it has too much firepower.
So a four-inch gun is enough.
Therefore, after canceling the main gun design.
The six turrets arranged at different heights on the front deck have no sense of beauty.
However, the advantage of such an arrangement is also obvious, that is, the shooting angles of the six turrets are very large, and there will not be much interference with each other.
at this time.
Two officers wearing white navy uniforms were walking on a Dingyuan-class ironclad ship.
From time to time there was a burst of debate.
One of these two people was Cai Qian, who had accompanied the British Gongsun Shiyi to the coast of India to make zero-dollar purchases with the Ming Dynasty's coalition of Indian princes.
Because of his outstanding performance in naval operations, he was recommended by Zhu Xi, the commander-in-chief of the Ming Dynasty's Indian Ocean Fleet, to enroll in the Zhongdu Naval Academy. After successfully graduating, he held the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Ming Navy on his shoulders - a rank comparable to that of the vassal army. Military ranks are different, and the gold content is much greater.
The other person is a descendant of the original Dan family pirate, named Zheng Xiaoyi.
"The naval gun must be powerful enough. The maneuverability of the warship is strong enough, and firepower is the most important thing." Zheng Xiaoyi said.
"I don't think caliber is that important. The key is range and rate of fire!" Cai Qian shook his head.
After this big pirate became an officer of the Ming Dynasty, he seemed a bit prickly.
He has put forward opinions on many regulations of the Ming Navy.
"Forget it, no matter what kind of guns it is, the armored ships are invincible in this era. As long as the Spaniards are still in Ryukyu, they can't escape!"
Zheng Xiaoyi said.
He looked up at the sky.
"Military orders have been issued. I think the weather should be good these days. Why don't we set out tomorrow!"
As he spoke.
A group of people came roaring into the port.
"Japanese?"
Cai Qian was a little strange.
"What are these Japanese doing here?"
Just when the two of them looked at each other.
An official wearing a red civilian uniform hurried over.
"Two commanders, these are trainee sailors from the Japanese Armed Forces Regiment, and they are also Japanese local guides responsible for leading the way and handling the aftermath of the Ryukyu Operation. They have been arranged to be on board your fleet." The official looked around and said in a low voice: "You two must be polite to them. They are all subordinates of the Sixth Prince."
Ryukyu.
Naha Port.
A dozen huge sailing battleships covered the sky and the sun, and they were so majestic that they occupied the entire port space.
Flying on the tall and exciting mast of the sail train is the red, yellow and red flag of the Kingdom of Spain.
"It is crazy to start a war with the Chinese. If our fleet is lost here, the coastline of New Spain will be open to the Chinese!"
The commander of the fleet, Vice Admiral Fernando Marosca of the Kingdom of Spain, complained.
His complaint is certainly valid.
Travel thousands of miles.
Don't dare to fight.
Go and not go.
I still occupy Ryukyu, but I don’t know what the point is.
"There is nothing we can do about it. The situation in Manila is too bad. We can only hope that the Ryukyu Incident will affect the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Japan. As far as I know, Ryukyu was originally a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but it was occupied by the Satsuma Domain of Japan."
The speaker was Valeriano, the Spanish Governor of the Philippines.
"If the Satsuma Domain can be brought into conflict with Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate and civil strife breaks out in Japan, then Ming Dynasty's eyes on the American continent will have to stay on Japan first."
"What's the point of this? Japan can't stop the Ming Dynasty's army at all. If the Chinese emperor wants to conquer Japan," Maroska shook his head repeatedly.
Ever since he became the commander of the New Spain Fleet and arrived in the East, he had been on tenterhooks and led the fleet in hiding.
Because the news coming from the Indian Ocean is really shocking.
Britain's powerful Eastern Intervention Fleet was cleanly defeated by the Ming Dynasty's Indian Ocean Fleet.
In this naval battle.
The Chinese used a subversive warship: a steam-powered ironclad!
Therefore, Mr. Marosca, the commander of the New Spanish Fleet, who had confidently led the fleet to the Philippines and planned to join forces with the British to destroy the Ming Dynasty Navy, was constantly rejoicing when he received the news.
Fortunately, I wasted some time on the road and was lucky enough to escape this battle in the Indian Ocean.
But after this.
He was always on tenterhooks.
Everyone has lost weight.
Some time ago, Spanish diplomats got in touch with some local forces in Japan.
They launched their first action in the East.
Occupy Ryukyu!
At the same time, bastions and forts were built in Ryukyu.
"Maybe we can take the initiative and sneak attack on the Chinese coastal cities. Their coastline is so long, maybe we have a chance?"
Fleet Chief of Staff Alva suggested.
Maloska rolled her eyes.
It's better not to suggest this.
The Chinese have a large number of light fast ships and form a large coast guard fleet.
These light fast ships are equipped with a large number of bombardment guns.
Go fight these coastal frigates.
That is simply courting death.
"It's too risky. I plan to take the fleet out to sea in a few days. We can't stay in Ryukyu. If the Chinese fleet is blocked at the port of Ryukyu, it will be over."
Maloska whispered.
I really don’t feel safe in Ryukyu.
It is better to go east to the Pacific. There are enough islands in the South Pacific for the Spanish fleet to hide.
"Sir, the fleet is gone, Ryukyu cannot be defended!" Valeriano said with a frown.
"I never wanted to come to this unfortunate place. For the sake of God, we Spaniards should leave the eastern coast immediately." Malosca retorted.
Right now.
There was a sound of dense footsteps.
"Sir, gentlemen, Japan has changed! Japan has changed!"
(End of chapter)
