1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 792 Chapter 790 II Finding New Targets

Due to the outstanding performance of the Special Operations Battalion in the past few years, the military budget has always enjoyed a special preferential policy. Therefore, the value of the individual equipment of the soldiers belonging to the Special Operations Battalion is nearly half higher than that issued by ordinary troops. The same goes for the pay of soldiers and officers.Even the navy, which has received key support from the Military Commission in recent years, is not as good as the special warfare battalion in terms of per capita treatment.

And Qian Tiandun is not worried that this high investment will not get a reasonable return. In fact, in the process of the Haihan military's southern and northern wars in the past few years, almost all key battles were taken by the special warfare battalion. The performance on the Internet has never disappointed the Military Commission and the Executive Committee.And such important tasks will definitely be exclusive to the special warfare battalion for a period of time in the future-the Military Commission deployed him and the special warfare battalion to the bridgehead of Penghu, which obviously also has this consideration.It has become a consensus between the Military Commission and the Executive Committee to hand over the most difficult tasks to the special warfare battalion.

Although the special warfare battalion is organized as a "battalion", its current actual strength has exceeded the standard of the Haihan Militia, and the size of its personnel continues to expand slowly.One month after recruiting Sun Zhen's group of recruits, the recruitment office of the Penghu base recruited another group of ignorant new recruits from among the immigrants without stopping, and continued to recruit new recruits at monthly intervals.When Sun Zhen and others happily received their personal equipment and weapons, the last batch of recruits from the Penghu base in 1632 was listening to relevant policy propaganda on Baisha Island.Based on the current establishment and conscription frequency, it is estimated that the Special Operations Battalion will increase the strength of three companies in the coming year, making the total strength of the Special Operations Battalion exceed 500 people, which is actually enough to upgrade the formation to "regiment "Are.

Of course, the reason for the special warfare battalion's conscription is also very good. At present, the Military Commission has not appointed any troops to station in Kaohsiung. Therefore, the special warfare battalion must simultaneously undertake the guard duties of Penghu and Kaohsiung.Although there are no strong foreign enemies in the nearby area, this deployment arrangement is undoubtedly an excellent reason for the special operations battalion to expand.Under the condition of being able to enjoy the preferential treatment from the Executive Committee, Qian Tiandun will of course try his best to increase the number of troops he can command to a little bit more.

More than 1000 troops is not the upper limit record of Qian Tiandun's commanding force. When he was the supreme commander of Annan, he was able to directly command more than 5000 troops.Of course, not all of these troops belonged to the Haihan militia, and some of them were affiliated to the Annan military.For a general leading troops, the more troops he can command, the better. What's more, what Qian Tiandun wants to pursue is to make contributions in this era and become a famous general who will go down in history.

However, Haihan's expansion speed was obviously slower, and the frequency of war outbreaks could not satisfy the desire of the soldiers headed by Qian Tiandun to make meritorious service.If it is not limited by logistical conditions, Qian Tiandun actually has a strong willingness to go north to explore the situation.Whether it's the pirates operating in the East China Sea or the Spanish colonists entrenched in Jilonggang, Taipei, they are all good opponents for the special warfare battalion-the so-called good means that they can't beat themselves, but from the perspective of position, they are really good opponents. There are certain threats to Haihan, or there are irreconcilable conflicts of interest, which must be eliminated during the development process.

Which side to attack first, Qian Tiandun actually already had a choice in his mind.One is an unknown battlefield 1500 miles away from Penghu, and the other is a place whose voyage is only one-third of the former, and is more valuable for occupation.There are much more resources worth developing in the northern part of Taiwan than in Tainan and Kaohsiung. The undeveloped gold mines alone are enough to make the executive committee excited.

According to historical records, the Jinguashi gold mine near Jilonggang was not discovered until the end of the 200th century, which made it easier for the Japanese who occupied Taiwan at that time. Later, the place was once called "the first gold capital in East Asia".Qian Tiandun will not keep such a treasure for more than [-] years. If the military can take the lead in occupying the area in the near future, there will be more reasons to ask the Executive Committee for military expenses in the future.

Of course, if Haihan wants to directly intervene in local development, he will inevitably conflict with the Spaniards currently occupying Jilonggang.Compared with the Portuguese and the Dutch, who put their interests first, and who can completely give up their integrity for the sake of money, the Spaniards, who claim to be the boss of Europe, are not the ones who can be subdued by the threat of force alone.Although Spain in this era has begun to decline, the war on the European battlefield is not going smoothly, and it is also facing competition from many rising stars in the colonial world around the world, for the ruling royal family, Spain is still the one The invincible empire with dry sky and dry air in the middle, and the Habsburg dynasty favored by God can fight for at least another 500 years.

If you look at the Battle of Rocroix in 1643, which marked the end of Spanish hegemony in Europe, it seems that Spain still has ten years of good life to live, and it will take a long time for the French to really challenge Spain in Europe. authority.But from a global perspective, Britain, France, Portugal, and even the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East have become opponents who can compete with Spain in some areas.Of course, the Spaniard's biggest overseas opponent at this time is the Dutch, who is currently fighting with him in the European battlefield.

In terms of population, Taiwan Island is not an ideal colony, and the level of civilization of the indigenous tribes living here is not even comparable to that of some contemporary African regions.However, due to the ideal geographical location of Taiwan Island, people with discerning eyes will establish a stronghold here to support trade routes in Northeast Asia.Therefore, the two have been fighting back and forth for several years around their foothold on the island of Taiwan.It's just that the foundations of both sides here are relatively shallow, and the troops they can invest are relatively limited, and there is no real difference between fighting and fighting.

Although the two were rivals, when Haihan attacked the Dutchman, the Spaniard did not show the slightest intention to get involved and kill the Dutchman together.Perhaps in their view, the powerful Spanish Empire does not need to cooperate with the humble Orientals, or they are cautious because they cannot figure out Haihan's intentions. After all, the history of Haihan's rise is not a secret. As long as the Spaniards do not Crazy, he must have regarded this group as one of his competitors in the Far East.

As far as Qian Tiandun knew, the Spaniards had already built a small castle in Jilong Port and stationed an armed fleet equipped with an unknown number of artillery pieces.Just collecting this level of information is not enough for Qian Tiandun to make up his mind to attack the local area. He has to wait patiently for more detailed information and better timing.

In the early morning of a certain day at the end of December, before dawn, a Guangzhou boat with black sails sailed into Magong Port in Penghu silently.Except for the dock staff on the shore who were responsible for guiding the ship into the berth, no one noticed this humble sailboat at all.However, after the ship docked, the crew on the ship did not go down to the shore immediately, but waited quietly for something.

After a while, a covered carriage arrived at the pier, and the driver flashed his badge to the staff on the pier: "The Ministry of Security is in charge, the venue is cleared, and no entry is allowed!"

Magong Port is still under military control at this time, and a curfew is imposed at night. The curfew has not yet ended so early, and there are actually no idlers waiting on the pier.However, the Ministry of Security obviously needs to pick up some important people or materials that need to be kept secret before making such a request.

After clearing the scene, several sailors carried out a heavy sack package from the boat, followed by a middle-aged man dressed as a businessman.The driver on the shore lifted the curtain of the car, got into the car with people and goods, and immediately drove the car away from the pier.

Qian Tiandun got the news just after waking up from his sleep, and hurried to the headquarters without even having breakfast.The Penghu Office of the Haihan Security Department is in the courtyard next to the military headquarters. Qian Tiandun walked into the headquarters without stopping, and walked directly across the courtyard to the Security Department.

"I've met Chief Qian!" When the people in the room saw Qian Tiandun, they immediately stood up and saluted.

"Du Rong, what's the situation?" Qian Tiandun nodded, and then asked the head of the local security department.

Before that, Du Rong was working on Ambuna Island. Before Haihan seized the place, the two secret agents of the Ministry of Security were lurking on the island. One was Li Dagui who was still staying there to assist Roger, and the other was Du Rong.Not long after Annbuna Island was captured by Haihan, Du Rong was transferred to Fujian to work.

Du Rong's public identity was a barefoot doctor when he was on Ambuna Island. Although he didn't change his name and surname after being transferred from the local area, his occupation changed slightly, from a doctor to a medicine merchant.Except for a few high-level personnel such as Qian Tiandun, few people in Penghu know that Boss Du is actually an intelligence officer of the Haihan Security Department.

In addition to Penghu, the area Du Rong was in charge of also included Taiwan Island and the area to the north, and to a certain extent shared the work of the Ministry of Security's intelligence agency in Fujian.Under his command, there is a field team that is responsible for collecting intelligence on Jilong Port. Since Haihan captured Nanri Island a year ago to ensure the safety of the waterway at the northern end of the strait, he has regularly set off from Fuzhou to Jilong Port to collect medicinal materials and wood. For the main trade project, deal with the local Spaniards.

Over the past year, Du Rong's men have made four or five trips to Jilonggang, and have gained some preliminary understanding of the local conditions.However, since outsiders cannot enter the castle built by the Spaniards, they can only trade at the seaside, so there is still not much useful information collected about the deployment of local defense forces.After Qian Tiandun asked twice, he stopped urging the Ministry of Security to take action, and focused on the preparations for the previous attack on Penghu.Later, after Penghu was taken over, Qian Tiandun had to handle a lot of affairs in person, and then he attacked the southern part of Taiwan Island, so he didn't get involved in the intelligence collection work of the Ministry of Security for a long time.Early this morning, Du Rong sent someone to Qian Tiandun's residence to report that there was an urgent matter, which was a bit beyond Qian Tiandun's expectations.

"Chief Chief Qian, please let me introduce you. This is Jin Ming, the secret agent in charge of collecting information about Jilonggang. He just came back from Jilonggang. Let him explain the specific situation." Du Rong introduced the situation behind him. The one who caught him was the middle-aged businessman who had just disembarked at the pier.

"Thank you!" Qian Tiandun nodded slightly to him, "Sit down and talk slowly."

"Please see Chief Qian!" Jin Ming bowed before taking his seat: "The humble staff left Fuzhou ten days ago and headed to Jilong Port to meet with Nafranji...the Spaniards did business. After arriving there, they waited for the other party to raise goods. , and stayed for a few days. After the night before yesterday, the goods had been loaded on the ship, and I was about to leave the place and return to Fuzhou. Unexpectedly, when I was leaving, I encountered an accident..."

Jin Ming went to Jilong Port this time to buy some high-quality wood from the local area, and stayed there for a few more days because he was waiting for the Spanish to arrange shipment.Of course, Jin Ming didn't care about the delay for a few more days. He wished that the Spaniards would procrastinate as long as possible, so that there would be a reasonable reason to stay in the area and slowly investigate information.After staying for five days, all the goods had been loaded on the ship, and Jin Ming prepared to leave overnight in order not to arouse the other party's suspicion.But just as they were about to let go of the cable and raise the sails to leave the port, a drunk man came to the pier. Crazy walked along the gangway to the deck, and then fell to the ground.

However, Jin Ming recognized this person. He was a blacksmith in the castle, and he was also responsible for repairing weapons, armor and other equipment part-time.Although he was not a big shot, as an intelligence officer, Jin Ming naturally knew that this person also had a lot of valuable information.At that time, the sky was already dark, and there was no one on the pier at all. This guy climbed into the boat where Jin Ming was drunk, and no one else noticed at all.Jin Ming made a decisive decision, and asked someone to pack it in a sack, tied it with a cowhide rope, carried it into the cargo hold and hid it, and then left the port immediately.After going out to sea, I didn't even return to Fuzhou, so I went straight to Penghu.There was a guard on duty from the Security Department at the pier. After seeing the unexpected appearance of the ship, he immediately called a carriage according to the operating procedures and picked him up from the shore.

Jin Ming went to the office and reported the situation to Du Rongyi. Du Rong also felt that the matter was too big and he couldn't make up his mind, so he had to report to the higher authorities for instructions.However, he was already the highest-ranking official of the Ministry of Security in the local area, and he could only report to the base camp if he went up to report, and the urgency of the matter could not allow delay, so he could only notify the base camp by telegram.But the only radio station on the island is in the hands of the military, and Qian Tiandun's approval must be obtained to send a telegram, which cannot be circumvented anyway.Du Rong didn't hesitate too much, so he decided to report the matter directly to Qian Tiandun, and let him make the decision.

"He came back alive after being caught alive? Yes, you guys!" Qian Tiandun couldn't help showing a smile on his face: "Where is the person?"

(End of this chapter)