1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2078
Although no valuable information was obtained from Jin Shangxian, the arrangement of the supply port on Jeju Island was basically finalized through this meeting.At this time, seven or eight days had passed since the Datongjiang base received the notification from Sanya, and the staff department had already formulated a rough action plan, and the ship could be arranged for departure after Tom Wang approved it.

And Chen Yixin also sent a message from Lushun, informing him of the investigation mission in the waters near Kyushu, Japan that year.But at that time, his task was not to prepare for the war, so he basically just looked around, and his understanding of the local area could not be said to be very deep.

However, Chen Yixin specifically pointed out in the telegram that there were many Japanese pirates entrenched in the Goto Islands west of Kyushu back then. Time has passed, and whether these Japanese pirates are still active in this sea area is also a place that needs attention.

Considering that the operation at this stage is only for the purpose of reconnaissance, Wang Tom does not intend to send an organized armed fleet to the local area, but uses brisk reconnaissance ships as the main force, and only sends a few exploration-class light warships as auxiliary.And this kind of configuration can also make the North Koreans feel more at ease. After all, the Haihan Navy has not made a big move, and the possibility of trouble on Jeju Island is not great.

This reconnaissance operation is not just dispatched by the navy, Qian Tiandun's special operations group also participated.It's not that Tom Wang kindly wants to share credit with Qian Tiandun's men, but that several early enlisted Japanese officers in the Special Forces Regiment, represented by Takahashi Minami, can just play a role in such reconnaissance missions. .

These officers of Japanese descent were all captured during the attack on Victory Port, and their backgrounds were basically down-and-out samurai whose families were so poor that they drifted overseas.At that time, they were able to be selected by the military to serve as soldiers, mainly because they had a certain combat ability, and they also had the willingness to serve Haihan as the main and loyal to Haihan.

The implementation proved that the military's decision at that time was correct. It was precisely among these prisoners of war who converted to Haihan that outstanding officers like Takahashi Nan emerged, which made great contributions to the development and growth of Haihan.

Today, there are no longer any problems with the origins of Takahashi Nan and others. The language and living habits used in daily life have been completely sinicized. It also rarely plays a role, so many people don't even know that they are Japanese naturalized people.

Qian Tiandun did not let Takahashi Minami go out in person, but sent Amakusa Shiro, who is currently serving in the staff of the Special Operations Regiment, to carry out this mission. When Chen Yixin led a team to scout the Kitakyushu area, Amakusa Shiro was also in the team.Amakusa Shiro himself was born in Kyushu, so his understanding of the local environment is second to none among the Haihan Army, and he is just right to perform this task.

As for the navy, Major Yuan Zhi, who is in charge of maritime reconnaissance operations of the Northern Fleet, serves as the commander. Although this Major Yuan is not well-known in the army, he has participated in many combat operations.Since the Haihan army attacked Zhoushan in 1634, Yuan Zhi basically participated in almost all military operations carried out by the navy on the northern coast of Daming.The reason why his reputation is not obvious is simply that the reconnaissance missions he is engaged in are rarely as distinguished as combat troops, and there is little chance of getting public attention.

But for the navy, the reconnaissance link in the combat process is indispensable, and the risk of performing such tasks in an unfamiliar environment is not lower than that on the frontal battlefield.Moreover, in order for the scouting sailboat to maintain a high speed, the ship will hardly be equipped with heavy weapons such as naval guns and hull armor. Only individual weapons such as muskets are used for self-defense at the last moment. None of them will seek to fight, and can only voluntarily evacuate in order to protect themselves.

The reconnaissance ship currently used by the navy is a sailfish-class light sailing ship with a displacement of less than 1628 tons. This light sailing ship, which is specially used for fast shipping and reconnaissance tasks, was developed by the shipping department as early as [-]. Based on the feedback from the Navy, three modifications have been carried out successively on the basis of the prototype ship.

Today, the Sailfish-class C-type light sailing ship is serving in the Northern Fleet, and it is also the latest improved model, with a maximum speed of more than fifteen knots.This kind of sailboat can only be built at the Shengli Port Shipyard in Sanya because of its special technical requirements in terms of material, structure and manufacturing process, so the number currently in service is extremely limited.However, because the Northern Fleet is in a war zone and needs to perform more combat missions on a daily basis, it has given priority to obtaining this new type of sailboat with more powerful performance.

In the battle with the Qing army last year, this kind of sailfish reconnaissance ship was dispatched several times, going deep into the Yalu River to scout the enemy's situation, and it was also used as a logistics support ship to transport the wounded in the later stages of the war.The most recent dispatch was two months ago when the Marine Corps entered the Qing army-occupied area to find the Musketeers, and the Sailfish reconnaissance ship also played an indispensable role in it.

After carefully reviewing the combat plan submitted by the staff department, Wang Tom finally approved the small fleet consisting of two sailfish-class reconnaissance ships, two exploration-class warships, and two comprehensive supply ships to go south to carry out this reconnaissance mission.Yuan Zhi and Amakusa Shiro were the commanders and deputy commanders of the reconnaissance fleet, and the fleet carried a set of radio equipment to facilitate communication with the Datongjiang base.

Since the fleet will be temporarily stationed on Jeju Island during the mission, the North Korean military also sent a senior military attache to participate in the operation in order to properly arrange the logistics support of the small fleet of Haihan in Jeju Island.Of course, by the way, you can also monitor the actions of the Haihan fleet nearby to see if there is any wrongdoing, and at the same time find out what kind of means Haihan is going to take against Japan.

The rank of the military attache sent by the North Korean military is not low. This officer named Shen Xueyi is Habayashi Guard General, and his rank is from the second rank. He is the son of Shen Jingzhen, the current military judge.Shen Xueyi also participated in the battle with the Qing army last year, and for a period of time he cooperated with the Haihan army at the Datongjiang base, so he is quite familiar with the garrison generals at the Datongjiang base.

Shen Xueyi rushed to the Datongjiang base to meet up, and informed the Haihan military that he had obtained the king's permission to temporarily borrow the port, and was willing to take the initiative to bear half of the supply costs.

Such a statement can be regarded as quite knowledgeable and interesting. Not only did he provide the Haihan fleet with ports and supplies, but he also took the initiative to bear half of the cost. It is estimated that Jin Shangxian was worried that Haihan was not satisfied with his previous attitude. This comes as compensation.Of course, Jin Shangxian didn't need to worry about the local supplies, let alone fill the hole with his own pocket. When Seoul issued a decree, the local officials could only try to solve the related expenses by themselves.

Of course, Wang Tom had nothing to criticize about this. For various reasons, the North Koreans were unwilling to take the initiative to provoke Japan, and Hai Han could not force them.But as long as Haihan's requirements can be met in terms of logistics support, it can be regarded as a job.

On a certain day in late March, the reconnaissance fleet slowly sailed away from the pier of the Datongjiang base and headed south along the river bank to the mission area.

Shen Xueyi was not allowed to look at the chart used for this mission until after departure, on which the approximate route and area of ​​action had been marked with a red marker.

"Because the high-level secrecy requirements for this operation are extremely high, so General Shen did not show you the relevant marching route map and action plan before departure." Yuan Zhi spread out the chart and asked Shen Xueyi Explain previous arrangements.

Shen Xueyi hurriedly said: "This operation must be of great importance, so there is such a request. I should cooperate. General Yuan is welcome."

Shen Xueyi looked at the chart carefully, and only then did he realize that the target area of ​​the Haihan Army's trip was near Kitakyushu, Japan.As a senior military officer, he was no stranger to this area, so he immediately asked, "Is your army going to attack Hirado or Nagasaki?"

Yuan Zhi shook his head and said, "I don't have any plans yet. We're just going to scout the situation in that sea area this time. As for the future plans, that's something to be considered by the higher-ups."

Shen Xueyi thought to himself that you all started to send ships there to scout the terrain and environment. It is impossible to send merchant ships there just to do business, right?He knew that Nagasaki and Hedo are currently the only two trading ports in Japan that are open to foreign businessmen. If there is a war between these two ports, Japan's foreign trade will be interrupted immediately.I don't know how the Haihan people were provoked there, and Haihan planned to send troops to solve the problem. I'm afraid it will be a pain.

Yuan Zhi asked back: "Does General Shen know about this area?"

Shen Xueyi said: "I have never been to Japan before, and some of the things I know are all from hearsay, but there is nothing special about it."

Before Shen Xueyi set off, he got a warning from his father, Shen Jingzhen, to keep his words low-key in front of the Haihan people. He also kept it in mind, and was very cautious when dealing with Yuan Zhi and Amakusa Shiro.

Yuan Zhi didn't have too much hope for Shen Xueyi at first, but he just tried it out with the idea of ​​making a shot.If you really want to talk about your understanding of the local area, I am afraid that Shiro Amakusa, who was born in Kyushu, has more say.

In Shen Xueyi's eyes, except for his name, Amakusa Shiro was completely different from the Japanese in his impression. He was obviously a typical Haihan talent.However, Shen Xueyi also realized that the reason why Shiro Amakusa participated in this operation was probably mainly because he was of Japanese descent and could provide more information during the operation.

However, Amakusa Shiro is also a person who doesn't talk much, and he didn't make any expression at the moment.For him, his career and family are now in Haihan, and he has not been back to his hometown for more than ten years, and there are not many things there that he will miss for so many years.

If it weren't for the requirements of this mission, Shiro Amakusa would actually be reluctant to mention his Japanese origin.He prefers his current identity, a Haihan officer who is respected wherever he goes, rather than the Japanese samurai who was so downcast that he could only live overseas as a pirate.He even once wanted to change his name and use a Han Chinese surname to mark his identity, but Gao Qiaonan told him that this change did not make much sense, no matter whether they used Japanese surnames or Chinese surnames, now They are all Haihan nationals, and what matters is nationality rather than surname.

Although Amakusa Shiro did not fully agree with Takahashi Minami's opinion, in the end he gave up his plan to change his name and continued to use the surname Amakusa for his children.But if he was asked to return to Japan and restore his previous identity, he would never accept it, so when faced with topics about Japan, he just listened quietly and did not open his mouth to join the discussion.

Shen Xueyi asked: "It is said that the two light sailboats dispatched this time are traveling very fast, so why don't we take those two boats and rush to Jeju Island as soon as possible, and we can squeeze out more time to make arrangements before the operation."

Yuan Zhi smiled and said: "General Shen has never been on a sailfish sailboat, so he asked this question. In fact, the reason is very simple, that is, the riding experience of that kind of sailboat is not very good."

In order to pursue speed, one of the main technical measures for sailfish-class light sailboats is to reduce the total weight of the ship by reducing various non-essential facilities on board. Except for naval guns and other heavy weapons, all of them have been cancelled, and some living facilities have also been removed. With the utmost simplification, a long voyage out to sea on a sailfish sailboat isn't going to be a pleasant ride.

So on the way to the south, several senior officers took the exploration-class warship, at least there was room on the ship for them to sit down for a meeting, lie down and rest, and the sailing process was relatively smoother, so that they could save a little money on the way physical strength.

According to the action plan, they will stay for about two days after arriving in Jeju Island, and then drive east to the Kyushu area before departing again.During the operation, they will complete the maritime reconnaissance of the Goto Islands, Kitakyushu, Hirado Island, Iki Island, and Tsushima Island, especially the two trading ports of Hirado and Nagasaki. key goals.

Of course, if it's just a sea reconnaissance, it may be difficult to confirm the current situation of the Eighteen Zhiyu Party in the Hirado Domain, so if a suitable opportunity can be found, perhaps they will send people ashore to enter the area to collect first-hand intelligence.And the person who is suitable for this task is probably only Amakusa Shiro.

Three days later, the horizon of Jeju Island appeared in the sight of the watchmen.The outline of Halla Mountain on the island is very conspicuous, and it is easy to confirm that this place is Jeju Island from a long distance.

However, the supply port requested by Wang Tom must be on the south side of the island, so that the area to be reconnaissance will be closer, so the fleet has to continue to go south around the island to reach the temporary supply port provided by North Korea.

(End of this chapter)