Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 386

When Da Ming and Dongying were preparing for the final decisive battle in the Five Kingdoms of Gyeonggi, Dongying's long-awaited savior finally came!

Dutch Admiral Verhofen brought a huge fleet of [-] gunboats and [-] ordinary warships to Penghu by the southwest monsoon.

Taichang guessed right.

The Dutch found that they could not win Quanzhou Prefecture or Yuegang, so they would definitely find a way to land in Dongfan.

Because that's what the Dutch did historically.

Verhofen thought so too.

He felt that the Ming Empire had a large population. Even if they could defeat the Ming Empire Navy, they would have to face a terrifying number of infantry if they wanted to land on the coast of the Ming Empire.

In that case, it is too difficult to gain a firm foothold on the shore.

Landing in Formosa is different. It is rumored that there are no Ming Empire infantry stationed there at all. As long as they rush over and defeat the Ming Empire navy, they can easily land and gain a firm foothold on it.

The so-called Formosa is Dongfan, which is the name of Dongfan in European countries.

However, he didn't have a route map to Dongfan in his hand, because Wei Malang, who was sent by the East India Company to explore the road, had been to Penghu, but never to Dongfan.

Moreover, Wei Malang is no longer here.

The fleet they sent to attack the Ming Empire was wiped out last time, and none of the warships fled back to Batavia. Wei Malang and Gao Wenlu didn't know whether they were dead or captured.

So, at this moment, he didn't even have a guide.

Of course, this doesn't matter much.

As long as you arrive at Penghu according to the route map provided by the East India Company, you should be able to reach Dongfan after sailing about a hundred miles east.

At least, that's how it's drawn on the map.

Verhofen stood in the cockpit of the flagship with a grim face, raised his binoculars to look at the sea ahead, and then looked down at the route map and compass. The Navy of the Ming Empire was a piece of cake.

This is not his pretense.

That's what he thought.

Because the fleet under his hand is too powerful.

Twenty building boats and gunboats!

Plus thirty ordinary warships.

This strength can go sideways in the European waters. He doesn't pay attention to the Spanish fleet or the British fleet, let alone the fleet of the Ming Empire, a native of the Far East.

As for the annihilation of the fleet led by Gao Wen Law Firm last time, it has no reference value at all.

Because at the beginning Gao Wenlu had only two buildings and gunboats and ten ordinary warships.

Right now, the strength of his fleet is almost ten times that of Gao Wenlu's. How can there be any comparison?
With this strength, he doesn't think that an indigenous country in the Far East can still pose a threat to him.

He felt that he was already invincible in the sea area of ​​the Far East!
Therefore, he led the fleet to Penghu without any scruple, not worrying about being discovered by others, or organizing a fleet to attack them.

At this moment, Yu Zigao was also looking down at the chart in front of him in the pilot's cab of the flagship.

The Dutch fleet came, a total of only twenty building gunboats and thirty ordinary warships.

This has been clearly detected by the scout ship he sent.

To be honest, with this level of strength, even the Nanyang Navy fleet under his command can't do it.

Because at this moment, he has 21 large-scale gunboats and more than a thousand large and small warships under his command.

He is even considering whether to send the Clippers to Dongpu for help, because he can already beat it!

However, after thinking about it, he decided to send the Clippers for help.

Although he was able to beat others, he couldn't guarantee that the soldiers under his hands would not suffer too many casualties.

After all, the number of other buildings and gunboats is about the same as his, and their ordinary warships are more powerful than the large and small warships under his hands.

If he mobilizes all the warships of the Nanyang Navy to encircle and fight, the casualties of his soldiers will definitely be unavoidable, and it is very likely that the casualties will be heavy.

The emperor regards the sailors as treasures. If he loses thousands or even tens of thousands of people in one battle, even if he wins, the emperor will not be happy.

Alas, I still can't show my strength, let's stick to it and wait for help.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and said in a loud voice: "Order Chen Mang to speed five fast boats with chariots to Dongying to ask for help from the emperor, order the other chariots to spread around the periphery of Penghu to patrol and guard, and order all the nearby warships to return to Penghu Port and wait at the pier. A line of fish scales are waiting nearby."

He is now sitting in Penghu Port, because he also has a premonition that the Dutch will go to Penghu first, and then go east.

Of course, it doesn’t matter where the Dutch go first, because the number of ships near Quanzhou’s Kinmen Shouyu Qianhusuo, Penghuwei and Dongfan Zhongwei are all about the same. .

In fact, any one of these three places was attacked by the Dutch fleet and had to retreat to the port first, and rely on the artillery of the guard to hold on for help. This was also arranged by him long ago.

As for whether to attack in an all-round way or continue to stick to it, it depends on the Dutchman's follow-up actions.

How could Verhofen have imagined that the Ming Empire had already built a fortress and dispatched a navy fleet to stand ready.

He just assumed that neither Penghu nor Formosa was stationed by the army of the Ming Empire.

No, he even led his fleet to the outskirts of Penghu, but he still saw nothing.

He raised his binoculars to look at the entrance of Penghu Bay, thought for a while, and then ordered: "Order, all warships enter Penghu Bay for repairs and stand by."

After all, they have been sailing at sea for nearly a month, and everyone is already exhausted, so it's better to fix it first.

As for going to Dongfan, there is no need to rush.

Anyway, we have already arrived in Penghu, and it won't take long to go to Dongfan.

He can even establish a base in Penghu first, and then expand eastward.

After all, Penghu is the most important stop on the route from Batavia to Japan, so since they are all here, it would be good to take it first.

He was having a big dream there, and the fleet was slowly sailing into Penghu Bay.

This Penghu Bay is a huge bay surrounded by dozens of islands. After entering it, turn right and it is a natural sheltered harbor. These nautical charts are marked.

However, when they turned right and came outside the port, they were startled by the situation inside.

Hundreds of large and small warships were parked densely in this harbor, and behind these warships there was a towering double-decker bastion!

What's the situation?
Verhofen raised his binoculars and scanned for a while, but he was still in a daze.

The naval fleet of the Ming Empire has been waiting for them here a long time ago, and they also have buildings and gunboats!
What's even more frightening is that a towering double-layer bastion was built next to the port pier!

What to do now?
Although there are not as many buildings, boats and gunboats as them, they have bastions as their backing!

Coastal defense artillery is no joke.

The reason why they dare not attack Manila is because there are too many coastal defense artillery.

This is also the case in Penghu Port at the moment.

He really didn't know what to do.

They made it clear that they hid within the range of the coastal defense artillery and waited for him to attack!
In the end is to fight or go?

He frowned and pondered for a while, and then ordered: "The ten gunboats in the front line up in a row, go forward and fire a salvo from the starboard side, to test the firepower of the Ming army."

It's too shameful to turn around and run without doing anything.

He still decided to try the firepower of the Ming army.

Perhaps, the range of their artillery is simply not comparable to theirs, or perhaps, the number of coastal defense artillery is not a big threat to them at all.

If this is the case, he can take this opportunity to wipe out the Navy of the Ming Empire!

Such a good opportunity, if he doesn't try it, how can he be willing?

I have to say, he is looking for a beating!
If Gao Wenlu and Wei Malang can escape, they will definitely persuade him not to do so.

Because the artillery of the Ming Empire was too terrifying.

People can make you doubt life!
It's a pity, at this moment, he doesn't know at all!
After waving the command flag, the ten building boats and gunboats in the front row quickly lined up and slowly headed towards the port wharf.

Seeing this, Yu Zigao couldn't help sneering.

Isn't this him looking for a beating?

He immediately gave the order without hesitation: "Order, all the gunboats of the building and gunboats should turn their bows to the right, sideways, and prepare to fire broadside salvos. Order, all the artillery of the Penghu Guards should be loaded with shells and ready to bombard!"

The ten Dutch gunboats had just entered within five miles of the port, and before they could turn to fire, there was a violent roar of artillery from the opposite side.

"Boom boom boom boom"!
In an instant, five or six hundred shells roared towards them, and the buildings and gunboats in front of them were smashed into sawdust, and there were holes everywhere, and the nearby sea surface was even submerged by the soaring water column.

My God, what firepower is this?
Seeing this, Verhofen was so frightened that he hurriedly ordered: "Quickly, order the gunboats in the front row to turn around."

"Boom boom boom boom"!
As soon as he finished speaking, there was another burst of violent artillery roar from the opposite side.

The first building, the gunboat, was about to be blasted into a hornet's nest!

They really poked a hornet's nest.

The artillery of the Ming army kept firing as if it didn't need to be loaded with ammunition. The gunboat in the front was bombarded and sank slowly into the water!

All the ships and gunboats were sunk, but Verhofen still dared to enter the port.

Without even thinking about it, he took the remaining warships out of Penghu Bay in embarrassment and headed straight for Dongfan.

Fortunately, with that gunboat blocking most of the shells, the losses of other gunboats were not too great, at least there was no leakage and sinking.

As for why he didn't hurry back and go to Dongfan, he felt that all the naval warships of the Ming Empire should have assembled at Penghu Port, and Dongfan must have no defense at all.

In this case, he naturally went to Dongfan to try.

If the navy of the Ming Empire chased them out, he would not be afraid.

Because he believed that without the support of coastal defense artillery, the navy of the Ming Empire would not be able to handle them at all.

Well, maybe with seven building gunboats and more than [-] large and small warships, it may not be able to beat the Dutch fleet.

Yu Zigao looked at the Dutch fleet leaving in embarrassment, thought for a while, and then gave the order: "Order, the wheels on the outer periphery follow from a distance and see where the Dutch fleet has gone."

He hoped that the Dutch fleet would go to the east to defend.

In this way, he can attack the Dutch fleet on both sides with the ships of Dongfan Zhongwei.

Soon, news came back from the wheels that the Dutch fleet really drove straight towards Dongfan Zhongwei!
(End of this chapter)