1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 1765
Tom Wang looks relaxed and happy on the surface, but in fact he still has some pain in his heart.Live ammunition exercises like today's are not always held even by the rich and powerful navy. The shells of the two naval guns on the Black Shark are all made-to-order, and the unit price is high and the output is small. After this military exercise, it will be destroyed. The number of shells in the tank is almost the same as the ammunition consumption during the Battle of Manila, which is almost enough for the Black Shark's live ammunition training needs for more than half a year.

The new field artillery used by the Marine Corps is also a money-burner. After the artillery structure is improved, the rate of fire is faster, but the cost has also risen linearly. In the past, the military expenditure that was enough to arm an artillery battalion is now about It's enough for a field artillery company, and you have to save it.If the military expenses destroyed by the rapid fire after landing were announced, it would probably be enough to quench the thirst for this new type of artillery in the hearts of many spectators.

However, the purpose of today's military exercise is to tell all the audience in the simplest and most direct way, what degree of firepower they will suffer if they want to confront the Haihan army head-on in the coastal environment.In order to achieve the best deterrent effect, the Ministry of National Defense arranged for the navy to use full firepower in this exercise, launching artillery strikes on the shore at any cost.In fact, such a style of play has not really appeared in actual combat.The only Port of Manila with a similar coastal defense system was circumvented by the Haihan Army.

Of course, just watching the excitement on the boat is far from exciting enough. After the gunpowder smoke on the coast gradually dissipated, the navy arranged for the guests to land on the island to closely examine the results of the exercise just now.And the guests really wanted to take a closer look at what it would be like to suffer from this kind of fortification that Haihan called "saturation blow".

The result did not disappoint them. Almost none of the fortifications supported by wooden structures on the shore survived the artillery fire. Those sentry towers, battlements, horses, and gates built with logs as thick as human thighs were all blasted into pieces. The slag was destroyed, and it collapsed to the point where its original appearance could no longer be seen.If the defenders rely on such fortifications to resist the Haihan army's offensive, they can only be bombed into scum along with these fortifications.

The masonry fortifications are obviously much better at resisting blows, but it is still inevitable that many places will be bombarded by the intensive artillery fire.Special preparations are several coastal defense forts that have been hit by concentrated fire. Within a few meters, there are rubble blasted by shells inside and out. an indirect blow.

Fei Cexian leaned over and picked up a piece of gravel the size of an egg, and weighed it in his hands. The blowing force of such a piece of stone may not even be able to stop ordinary armor, let alone according to his It is known that artillerymen do not wear armor when fighting, so as not to hinder the operation.If he got such a blow at close range, he would probably be half disabled if he didn't die.

He couldn't imagine how strong the coastal fortifications built by the Spaniards in Manila would make the Haihan people worry about avoiding them and not fighting, but one thing is certain-there is no such thing as Mani on the coastline of Daming. This kind of coastal fortification exists that makes Haihan people jealous.But if you think about it from another angle, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If such a nail really existed, I am afraid it would have attracted the attacks of the Haihan people.

And Su Keyi's complexion was even uglier than Fei Cexian's. Daming at least had a long coastline as a buffer zone, but what did the East India Company have?The fortifications of Batavia were completely destroyed in the battle with Matalam a few years ago, and the fortifications at the port are not even comparable to the temporary buildings on Ximaozhou. Han was thinking about Batavia, and the coastal defense line might not be able to last for half a day.

"Saturation strike... is really powerful!" Su Keyi couldn't hide the bitterness on his face, and he realized once again that no matter how hard he tried diplomatically, no matter how hard he tried, in the face of absolute crushing by force After all, it will still appear passive and helpless.He even began to doubt whether what he did in Sanya had any practical significance. If diplomatic work could not change the balance of strength between the two sides in the military field, what did he gain after working here for a few years?
Su Keyi's current mentality is actually exactly the effect that the Haihan military wants to achieve in holding this military exercise, that is, to win without fighting.If the performance in the military exercise can be used to deter those countries and forces that have no intentions of Hai Han, then even if the cost of this military exercise is ten or eight times higher, it will still be a good deal after all.Although Haihan has frequent foreign wars, its national strength and army size are limited after all, and it cannot spread across the map. Therefore, in addition to sending troops to attack hostile forces, Haihan must also handle international relations as safely as possible to avoid unnecessary wars. conflict occurs.

But the viewers have different standpoints. Some people feel sorry for watching it, while others are very excited.Zheng Zuo, Annan's little prince, was so hooked that he immediately found Yan Chujie and asked whether the field artillery equipped by the Marine Corps could be sold to Annan.

The answer to this question is of course no. Only the elite troops of the Haihan Army are equipped with a small amount of this kind of artillery, and the Haihan Army itself is far from enough.Moreover, the construction principle of the new artillery is a military secret, and Haihan Ordnance Industry does not plan to export it at this stage.Having said that, when the old-style artillery is still in short supply in the market, how can Haihan grab his own business and take the initiative to launch new-style munitions with upgraded technology.

Xu Yuzhuo, on the other hand, was relatively low-key. Seeing that Zheng Zuo had hit a soft nail, he didn't openly ask Yan Chujie whether this artillery was for sale. Let the painter draw it according to his own description.Of course, it is impossible to copy this kind of weapon with the shape alone, but with the shape as a reference, Xu Yuzhuo believes that the craftsmen in Fujian may be inspired by it, so as to improve the existing artillery.

The Haihan military is not afraid of the imitation intentions of outsiders. The manufacturing process of the new artillery is very different from the old artillery. Both the materials and the processing process are very different. It's no less than inventing a new kind of artillery by yourself, and the final result will probably only be a four-dimensional image.

After the vast majority of people watched this military exercise, their biggest emotion was actually similar to that of Su Keyi. On the one hand, they were shocked by this unreasonable way of suppressing fire and attacking, and on the other hand, they also realized the difference between their side and Haihan. The gap between them could not be narrowed, but a deep sense of powerlessness gushed from the bottom of my heart.

But those who are a little calmer will soon think of another level. If countries are classified according to the difference in combat power, then Haihan is undoubtedly the first class, and other countries including Daming, I am afraid that they must be classified as to the same level.The reason is very simple. Haihan has now relaxed the restrictions on the sale of weapons to various countries to a certain extent, so which country is equipped with more Haihan weapons, and the corresponding combat effectiveness will be higher.

This principle is not necessarily correct. After all, national wars are about national power. If a small country in the South China Sea faces an opponent of Ming's size, even with some advanced weapons, it will be difficult to win the final victory.But if it is a small-scale conflict on a local battlefield, then Haihan weapons may play a decisive role in the outcome.For example, if Daming were to make another move against Annan's army, which was equipped with a large number of Haihan weapons, the result would probably be much worse than the last time he conquered Annan.And Champa, a small country that has been suppressed by neighboring countries for a long time, can now participate in international affairs in the South China Sea in a decent manner after receiving Haihan's help in the military field.

If you want your own army to increase its strength rapidly in a short period of time, in the past, most of them could only rely on a large number of conscriptions, but now there is another way for all countries, that is to buy a large number of Haihan weapons and use them. New tactics to train troops.It takes less than a month for a recruit to become proficient in using firearms, but it takes at least one or two years to train an archer who is also good at long-distance killing.Although Haihan weapons are expensive, the effect on improving the combat effectiveness of the army is obvious. Therefore, many countries are still insisting on buying weapons from Haihan even if they tighten their belts.

If Haihan can't compete for the first place, then at least he has to keep the second place. Many people have a similar mentality, and after watching this military exercise today, they have strengthened their thoughts.The Haihan military stated that the weapons used in this military exercise would not be sold to the outside world, which actually put a big stone in the hearts of many people who were already anxious.Otherwise, let the rich and powerful buyers be the first to equip the army, wouldn't it be a situation where you can beat whoever you want?If everyone can't buy it, it means that the current strategic balance can continue to be maintained.

Although this kind of mentality is a bit cowardly, this is the current international environment. Haihan's leading edge in the military field has made it impossible for other countries to catch up. Therefore, the best strategy is not to continue to catch up with Haihan, but to maintain military cooperation with other countries. The actual strength is equal, don't be opened too big a gap.

Li Xi, the North Korean envoy, had only one thought in his mind at this time: "If our country has such a strong army..." Of course he also heard Yan Chujie's reply to Zheng Zuo, and knew that Haihan did not intend to sell these weapons, but he had no other envoys. With so many ideas, his consideration was more practical—since Haihan didn’t sell it, then he could completely settle for the next best thing and ask for Haihan’s military asylum.

Li Xi didn't think there was anything wrong with this. After all, North Korea had always been attached to the Central Plains Dynasty in history. Although there were some back and forth in the middle, as long as the Central Plains Dynasty was strong, North Korea would take the initiative to play the role of a vassal state.Think back when Japan aggressively invaded North Korea, they also sent reinforcements to Daming, and finally they were able to keep Guozuo.Now that the Ming Dynasty is weakening day by day, and the Jin Dynasty is aggressive, who can provide North Korea with military asylum?Li Xi felt that apart from Hai Han, he no longer thought of anyone else.

If the Haihan army put these weapons on the Liaodong battlefield, how long can those Jurchen barbarians be rampant in front of the artillery fire?If the Haihan army can be stationed in North Korea, how many Japanese Japanese pirates in Japan would have the guts to come and die?Even Daming, who has always regarded himself as a kingdom of heaven, probably won't be able to look at people with his nostrils in the future, right?
The more Li Xi thought about it, the more he felt it made sense, and seeing Fei Cexian's disheartened expression, the more he felt that he should persuade the king and ministers to choose a clear path as soon as possible - as long as he hugs Haihan's thigh, the future of North Korea The trend is bound to improve.

Seeing envoys from several countries flocking to flatter Haihan's high-ranking officials, Li Xi spat secretly, then quickly walked to the side of Navy Commander Wang Tom, saying that he had something important to report.

Tom Wang nodded to him, and after exchanging pleasantries with several foreign officials around him, he asked kindly, "What advice does Mr. Li have?"

Li Xidao: "I would like to ask Chief Wang to take a step to speak."

Wang Tom saw that he was mysterious, and thought to himself that he wanted to ask about buying weapons again, so he went to the side alone to talk with him at his request.Before Li Xi could speak, Tom Wang took the initiative to say, "If Mr. Li wants to inquire about buying weapons, then I can only say sorry."

"Please don't worry, chief, what I want to say is not about this matter." Li Xi replied very humbly: "I want to say, your country's army...will it be possible to separate troops and station in North Korea?"

"Huh?" Tom Wang didn't react for a while.Although he led a fleet to visit Seoul last year, he forced the Korean royal family to sign a covenant with Haehan, and asked the other party to contribute money and efforts in the Liaodong War to provide logistical support for Haehan.But even so, he has not considered sending troops to North Korea for the time being, and the executive committee has no plans in this regard, so he never thought that the North Korean envoy would take the initiative to mention this matter.

"What I mean is that if the Haihan army can enter North Korea at the right time, it will be able to deter the thieves from Dongying and Houjin, and provide effective security for our country." Li Xi also couldn't figure out what Wang Tom's response was. Meaning, two more sentences were explained immediately.

"Garrison? Provide asylum?" Wang Tom finally confirmed the meaning of the other party, and responded with a smile: "Master Li is very thoughtful... May I ask whether this is what Mr. Li means, or His Majesty the King of Korea?"

Li Xi quickly responded: "At present, this is just an immature idea of ​​the lower official, but if your country also has this plan, then the lower official is going to write a letter to persuade the king to do so. This matter is beneficial to the country, and I believe His Majesty the king will definitely do it. I will agree with the idea of ​​the next officer."

Wang Tom thought that the North Koreans were really weird. No wonder the era before time travel would beg the Americans to station troops on their own land at their own expense. It is a tradition that this practice of attaching to the strong has been going on for hundreds of years.This kind of weird idea is really unacceptable.

(End of this chapter)