Zhang Yuliang received intelligence from the Military Intelligence Bureau, and the Ming Navy dispatched more than fifty warships to control the Xijiang River.
The Ming Navy was escorting a batch of supplies and 30,000 Ming troops, preparing to support Wuzhou City.
Among this batch of supplies, there were a large amount of grain and grass, as well as Hongyi cannon and ammunition for defending the city.
This fleet will pass through Deqing City around October 24th.
It is already September 28th, less than a month away.
They must go north from Maoming County to blockade the Xijiang River.
Xijiang is the lifeline of Wuzhou City. The Qin army captured Xijiang and cut off Wuzhou City's grain route.
There are more than 200,000 Ming troops in Wuzhou City. Without the continuous supply of grain and grass from Guangdong, they will definitely be defeated.
Their Eighth Army arrived at Xijiang earlier than the Ming fleet.
Once the Ming fleet is allowed to pass and Wuzhou City obtains a large amount of supplies, he will become a nail.
Firmly hold back the strength of the First Army.
The Eighth Army alone did not have enough strength to occupy Guangdong.
Zhang Yuliang decided to adopt a more risky combat plan.
Marching slowly, even by water, there was no way to reach Xijiang in a short time and cut off this lifeline of the Ming army.
The only option was to make a dangerous move and send an assault force to control Xijiang as quickly as possible.
Zhang Yuliang held a military meeting. He announced the intelligence obtained by the Military Intelligence Bureau and proposed a new combat plan.
"I am going to modify some merchant ships and let them load artillery and turn them into armed merchant ships that can fight.
The Ming Navy's warships control the Xijiang River. If we want to control the Xijiang River, we must have warships.
I decided to have craftsmen refit merchant ships and create some armed merchant ships.
With armed merchant ships as the vanguard, this force did not aim to capture the city.
His strategic goal was to quickly advance along the waterway and control the Xijiang River. Cut off the lifeline of the Ming army.
The main force of the Ming army in Wuzhou, without the material and military support from Guangdong, had no way to stop the First Army's attack. "
Chief of Staff Wang Kun agreed: "I think the Army Commander's proposal is a good idea.
We should not worry about the gains and losses of one city or one place. Our main goal is to eliminate the main force of the Ming army.
Xiong Wencan, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and more than 200,000 Ming troops were wiped out, and the rest of Guangdong must have surrendered.
The only difficulty now is the time to build armed merchant ships.
We do not have time to wait for the construction of armed merchant ships unless a batch of armed merchant ships can be built as soon as possible. "
Zhu Shi Guan Yuntao also agreed: "This is a good idea. Our army's infantry artillery and field artillery have very good performance.
The old Hongyi cannons on the Ming army's naval warships were simply incapable of firing against our cannons.
As long as our cannons can be mounted on armed merchant ships, we will definitely be able to defeat the Ming Navy, cut off the Xijiang River, and control the Ming Army's food routes. "
Zhang Yuliang said confidently: "Only some minor modifications will be made to the merchant ship. The time will not be too slow. It can be completed in three to five days."
The officers present heard what Zhang Yuliang said, and they all agreed on this combat plan.
Hu Hai said excitedly: "Commander, this task must be given to me.
Most of our troops are from Sichuan, and many of them have lived along rivers such as the Yangtze River since childhood.
They are very good in water and I used to drive boats when I was a kid.
They fight on ships and won't get seasick. He can also control the boat by himself. "
Zhang Yuliang also preferred the third division, as the first division was not good at water combat.
They went to Nanning and encountered a small storm in Yujiang River. Most of the people in the first division suffered from seasickness.
"Hu Hai took the initiative to ask for help, and this matter will be left to the third division.
Your speed must be fast. You must cut off the Xijiang River before the Ming fleet passes Deqing City. "
When Hu Hai heard Zhang Yuliang's order, he said excitedly: "Commander, don't worry, I am willing to issue a military order and we will definitely be able to cut off the Xijiang River before October 20th."
…………………………
At the port by the river, a row of medium-sized merchant ships lined up.
Wen Chenglin introduced to Zhang Yuliang: "Sir, I have found a total of 428 relatively intact merchant ships.
These merchant ships are fully manned.
Twenty shipwrights and one hundred and thirty-five apprentices were also found. "
Zhang Yuliang is very satisfied with Wen Chenglin's work efficiency.
That’s the benefit of having local officials assist you.
If it were him, he wouldn't be able to find these people in a short time, even if he was forced with a gun.
The size of the fleet is enough for their Eighth Army to transport troops and baggage.
Zhang Yuliang met with these shipbuilders and introduced to them the modification of the merchant ships they were consulting.
Time was of the essence and major changes to the ship were certainly not an option.
Zhang Yuliang only made two requirements for these shipbuilding craftsmen.
Let them select the best quality merchant ships.
On these merchant ships, windows were created through which cannons could be fired.
This required minimal modifications to the ship, and the apprentices were able to complete the modifications as the shipbuilders figured out the solution.
Zhang Yuliang also summoned carpenters in the city to specialize in making ship's gun carriages.
Navy ships have already verified which gun carriages are effective.
Zhang Yuliang just asked craftsmen to make gun carriages with similar shapes and functions.
The quality of these gun carriages is definitely not as good as those specially customized by the Yangtze River Navy.
But if you use it for a short period of time, there should be no major problems.
A gray-haired old craftsman, he has a high reputation among these craftsmen.
After hearing Zhang Yuliang's request, I personally answered it for him.
"I already know the purpose that your Excellency wants to achieve.
When I was young, I built armed merchant ships in Guangzhou specifically for maritime merchants.
The adults pressed too hard and couldn't strengthen the keel and other parts.
It's very simple to transform an ordinary merchant ship into an armed merchant ship that can use cannons.
For those of us, it can be done in five days. "
Following Zhang Yuliang's instructions, the craftsmen immediately began to transform these merchant ships into armed merchant ships.
The craftsmen only rested for two hours in batches every day, and it took three days to renovate fifty-two armed merchant ships.
Of these merchant ships, only fifty-two could be selected, with good keels and good quality, capable of withstanding the vibrations caused by cannon fire.
During these three days, Zhang Yuliang was not idle. He summoned all soldiers who could drive ships in the Eighth Army.
Armed merchant ships must be sailed by the Qin army's own soldiers.
Armed merchant ships are full of elites, and leaving them to others to sail would be too risky.
Not to mention trust issues, ordinary crew members will inevitably panic once they encounter a war.
There is no way to operate the ship effectively, and in severe cases, it may cause accidents such as capsizing of the ship.
Many soldiers of the Third Division of the Eighth Army grew up on the banks of the Yangtze River and are familiar with the water and how to operate a boat.
These fifty-two warships can only carry one brigade of soldiers, so it is not difficult to find the crew.
When everything was ready, Hu Hai said goodbye to the main force and set sail with fifty-two armed merchant ships.
These armed merchant ships did not carry a large amount of baggage.
Each armed merchant ship was equipped with six field guns and twenty infantry guns.
The bow and stern are each equipped with a field gun, three infantry guns and a rocket launcher.
In Guangdong in September, southerly wind prevails.
The armed merchant ship moved forward with full sail and very fast speed.
Zhang Yuliang led the main force to attack Luo Dingzhou at normal speed.
They just opened the waterway, but did not divide their troops to attack the cities far away from the river.
…………………………
Hu Hai stood on the bow of the boat. He had already seen the capital city of Luoding Prefecture ahead.
The Hongyi cannon on the city wall has been aimed at their fleet.
"Inform all ships to prepare for artillery fire."
There is no shortage of Hongyi cannons in Guangzhou, there are weapons workshops in Foshan, and they can also purchase them from the Portuguese in Macau.
Every larger city has Hongyi cannons on its walls.
The Hongyi cannons on the Ming army's city walls opened fire on the armed merchant ships.
Most of the projectiles missed, and one projectile hit the ship, sending sawdust flying everywhere.
This armed merchant ship was shaking violently in the river.
The soldiers urgently used wooden planks to repair the large hole that was breached to prevent the ship from flooding.
The artillery on the armed merchant ship also began to fight back.
It is extremely difficult to aim a cannon at a moving armed merchant ship.
Fortunately, the most elite artillerymen of their Eighth Army were selected to arm merchant ships.
They all have basic mathematical knowledge and can skillfully use trigonometric functions.
The cannon still has a certain degree of accuracy, so it's not just a blind shot.
The number of cannons controlled by Hu Hai was several times that of the Hongyi cannons on the Ming army's city walls.
The powerful cannonballs quickly exploded on the city wall.
Hu Hai suppressed the Hongyi cannon on the city of Luoding Prefecture.
He did not take the opportunity to expand his victory, and the fleet passed through this section of the river at high speed.
“Here in Luoding Prefecture, the river is not blocked.
I am already prepared. If the river here is blocked, I will try my best to capture the capital city of Luoding Prefecture. "
The extremely simple strategy of blocking the river with iron ropes was not used by the Ming army.
Hu Hai looked at the river and saw their panicked merchant ships, and he wanted to understand.
Wuzhou needs a large amount of materials, and the materials collected by various counties are basically transported by waterway.
This is the cheapest and fastest method of shipping.
In addition, Ming army officials did not want to take responsibility.
The waterway was blocked and the Qin army did not attack. Whose responsibility was the loss?
Ming army officials all learned to be wise and protect themselves. They did as little as possible and did not do as much as possible.
They will not use effective strategies.
The fleet passed the capital of Luoding Prefecture and did not encounter any large-scale enemies along the way.
Hu Hai stood on the deck of the flagship and used a telescope to observe the situation ahead.
He saw two forts, standing on either side of the river bank.
Next to the fort, there were several Ming army warships.
"Xijiang is almost here."
He has seen the relatively vast Xijiang River through the telescope.
The fleet entered combat mode.
Five armed merchant ships lined up in unison, and the cannons on the bow began to load.
Armed merchant ships active in inland rivers have very little room for movement.
There is no need to consider the flexibility of the ship, only the power of the cannon on the ship.
"fire."
The five armed merchant ships in the lead fired at the forts on both sides of the bank.
At the same time, at the bow of the ship, soldiers were temporarily arranging gunpowder for rockets.
This kind of gunpowder is unstable. It usually has the best effect within an hour after it is configured.
When the Ming army's fort saw someone attacking them, these soldiers also reacted.
They immediately operated the cannon on the fort to counterattack.
Hu Hai used his binoculars to stare closely at the Ming army's fort.
The cannons on the ship are naturally at a disadvantage when they hit the cannons on the shore.
The ship was constantly shaking on the water, and a slight shake would cause the cannon to deviate from its intended landing point.
Hu Hai saw the cannons on the Ming army's fort, and all the shells failed.
Two of the cannonballs they fired landed around the fort.
When he saw the situation on the battlefield, he immediately smiled.
The Ming army now has an advantage, but the quality of their artillery is worrying and they cannot take advantage of it.
After all, war is a human war. If the quality of the soldiers is not good, there is no way to use their advantages.
As the cannons sounded, the Ming Navy warships around the river mouth also began to prepare for action.
"The gunpowder is configured and the fire bombs are equipped."
Soldiers who have control of rockets report immediately.
The artillery company commander in charge of the rockets adjusted the firing angle of the rockets and pulled down the gun rope of the rockets.
Rockets are weapons of area destruction. A rocket launcher is equipped with twelve rockets.
As long as a rocket falls on a Ming army ship, the fire bomb will burn the ship.
Hu Hai heard a familiar whistling sound, and sixty rockets from five ships flew towards the Ming Navy warships.
Most of the rockets fell into the river, and a small number of rockets landed on the Ming Navy warships.
The fire spread instantly on the Ming Navy warship.
In a short period of time, the Ming Navy warship turned into a big torch.
Other warships of the Ming Navy were quickly burned when they saw the warship in front.
They immediately hoisted the sails and fled in the south wind.
Hu Hai did not pursue the warships of the Ming Navy.
He commanded armed merchant ships to launch fierce attacks on the forts on the river bank.
The fort is just an ordinary masonry structure, and there is no way to withstand the indiscriminate bombardment of yellow explosives.
The armed merchant ships were quickly destroyed, as were the forts lining the river banks.
The armed merchant fleet advanced one mile beyond the fort.
Ahead is a wide river.
"We finally entered Xijiang. Today is October 19th. We have completed our mission."
Hu Hai began to lead armed merchant ships to cut off the Xijiang River near Deqing City, prohibiting any Ming Dynasty ship from passing the Xijiang River.
The Ming navy in Deqing City seemed to be crazy. They launched multiple attacks on Hu Hai.
Hu Hai used the high range of field artillery and rockets to deal with the Ming Navy warships.
The navy of the Ming Dynasty showed bravery that is not usually seen.
Ming Navy warships, once they were hit by rockets, the ships caught fire.
The vessel immediately hoisted its sails and charged toward the convoy of armed merchantmen.
But they did so in vain.
The armed merchant ships not only have rockets, but also field artillery and infantry artillery.
If these Ming navy warships get closer to armed merchant ships, they will be torn apart by cannons.
Hu Hai led troops and destroyed a large number of warships of the Ming Dynasty near Deqing Prefecture.
When he was preparing to attack, he did not expect that more than 30 warships came from the direction of Zhaoqing Mansion.
Arming the merchant fleet and destroying the Ming navy warships had already consumed a lot of ammunition.
Suddenly encountering reinforcements from the Ming Navy, Hu Hai could only choose to fight fiercely with the Ming Navy.
Rockets and artillery shells were all consumed.
Finally, the merchant ships were armed and charged towards the Ming Navy.
In the gang-hopping battle, he used the powerful power of his rifle to defeat the Ming Navy warships.
Hu Hai's armed merchant fleet continued to reduce its numbers.
Of the fifty armed merchant ships before departure, only twenty-three were left.
The Ming navy that came from Deqing City and Zhaoqing City in the Ming Dynasty were all wiped out by Hu Hai.
The armed merchant ship team has completely controlled the Xijiang River. No ship can pass through the current Xijiang River.
The Qin army cut off the Xijiang River and cut off the grain route of the Ming army in Wuzhou.
Hu Hai's only relief was that the ships and artillery losses were somewhat heavy.
However, the losses of soldiers were relatively small. Most of the soldiers saw that something was wrong and immediately jumped into the river.
Armed merchant ships with exhausted ammunition acted as rescue teams and rescued many soldiers who fell into the water.
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