1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 688 Han-Dutch Combined Fleet
On May 1653, 5, a large fleet of Qi State headed north after leaving Guangning Fort (now Cilegon City in the northwest of Java Island, Indonesia).A few days later, near Bangka Island, two warships escorted three armed merchant ships under the Indian Trading Company and turned northwest toward the Strait of Malacca.

On May 5, the fleet sailed to the vicinity of Batam Island at the entrance of the Strait of Malacca. Commander of the Indian Fleet and Lieutenant Colonel Ling Hui (Lieutenant Colonel) Luo Shouxun stood at the bow of the ship and carefully observed the islands on the left and right sides of the strait with a telescope.

On the left is Batam Island. Three years ago, a raiding fleet of the State of Qi used this as one of its bases to attack and intercept the passing merchant ships of the East India Company in the Strait of Malacca. It took several months to sink and capture six Dutch merchant ships. The East India Company was shocked.And this indirectly contributed to the rapid end of the war between the East India Company and Qi, the restoration of peace between the two sides, and further deepening of mutual economic and trade exchanges.

The north-central part of Batam is hilly, with the highest point not exceeding 200 meters, and there are large tracts of virgin forest; while the south, southwest and northwest coasts are plains, suitable for farming and living.The coastline of the whole island is winding, with many bays and small ports. It is an island with an excellent strategic location.

On the right is Temasek Island (today's Singapore Island). 200 years ago, after the passing of Sri Lankan Prince Paramesura established the Malacca Sultanate, he built a port here to communicate with the Nanyang Islands and develop trade.But it is a pity that the Portuguese burned down this stronghold at the mouth of the Johor River in 1613, turning it into a deserted island.

Temasek Island is adjacent to the southern entrance of the Strait of Malacca, and the narrow Johor Strait on the north coast. The terrain of the whole island is gentle, with green hills and forests in the central and western parts, and plains in the eastern and coastal areas.There are many short and small rivers flowing into the sea along the coast, and the water source is sufficient.

"Batam Island in the south is much better located than Temasek Island in the north." Wei Mingli, the first mate of the professional warship "Qi Ming" and the captain of the Royal Military Academy (Captain), pointed at the island of Batam. Fang Xiang said: "This island is slightly in the middle of the strait, and it is far from the land, so it is not easy to be attacked by the Kingdom of Johor. If we occupy it and station a powerful sea and land force here, we can completely guard the entire strait At the east end, stop any enemies coming from the west. Even the Dutch will have to follow our faces in the future."

"However, Your Majesty prefers the Temasek Island (Singapore Island) in the north." Luo Shouxun put down his binoculars, shook his head and said, "However, the islands near this strait are all the territory of the Kingdom of Johor, and we cannot easily occupy them. Ten years ago, The Kingdom of Johor united with the East India Company, broke the city of Malacca, expelled the Portuguese, and its national power became stronger and stronger. With the support of the Dutch, it overwhelmed several Sudanese kingdoms in the north and west in the Malay Peninsula. On the island of Sumatra In addition, several Sudanese kingdoms such as Jambi, Deli, Pagarurong and so on have been slashed for peace, and their forces have expanded extremely fast. Therefore, if our country of Qi wants to seek an island here, we can only find They talk and get a foothold on loan."

"However, whether it is Batam Island or Temasek Island, it is not far from the royal city of the Sultanate of Johor. I am worried that they do not want outsiders to get involved in these islands. If the Sultanate of Johor is not willing to lease it to our Qi State, then So what?"

"How?" Luo Shouxun smiled wryly, "Naturally put it aside and wait for the incident. The Johor Kingdom has made enemies everywhere, and we will always find opportunities.... If there is no opportunity, our Qi Kingdom can create some opportunities. In the Straits of Malacca, we In the future, Qi State must completely control it."

On May 5th, the fleet sailed into the mouth of the Johor River. A 24-ton galley sailed away from the fleet and went up the river to the King City of Johor. There were several diplomatic envoys from the Honglu Temple on board, preparing to meet the Sultan of Johor. King Abdullah Mayassa discussed the further deepening of trade between the two parties, and incidentally proposed the lease of Temasek Island.

On the evening of May 5, the fleet arrived in Malacca, where they stopped for a two-day rest.Subsequently, the East India Company's armed merchant ships "Fremburg" and "Ghent" and the Qi State warships "Qi Ming" and "Xing Ming" formally formed a joint cruise fleet and began to carry out the battle from the Strait of Malacca to the east and west coasts of India. Cruise missions, and provide timely escort for the trade ships of both parties, combat pirates and some "unfriendly" forces along the way, and maintain the trade security environment of the entire region.

Although the Dutch East India Company only dispatched two armed merchant ships, it sent a colonel and officer to lead them.When discussing the command of the joint fleet, the other party pointed out that the commander of the Qi fleet, Luo Shouxun, was not only young, but also had a lower rank, and proposed that the commander of the fleet should be Colonel Rick Enriquez.

"Sir, we should fight for the position of fleet commander." Seeing that the second lieutenant liaison officer sent by the Dutch on the deck was enthusiastically greeting the officers and sailors on board, Wei Mingli couldn't help but leave Curling his lips, he said complainingly: "We are all piloting professional naval warships. In terms of force, they are much stronger than the Dutch. Why should we obey the command of the Dutch in the next few months?"

"It doesn't matter." Luo Shouxun said with a smile: "We are just a joint fleet formed temporarily. We are performing sea cruising missions, and we don't really participate in regular sea battles. That Colonel Enriquez once served in their Dutch native navy. , and also participated in a large-scale naval battle against the Spaniards, and has rich experience in naval warfare. We can learn some Western naval warfare techniques from him."

"Huge large-scale naval battle?...how large-scale?" Wei Mingli said, "Anyway, it's a hundred and eight thousand miles away from Europe, so you're just bragging!"

"I'm really not bragging. 14 years ago, Colonel Enriquez's Dutch fleet destroyed the Spanish Armada in World War I in a sea area called Downs." Luo Shouxun looked yearning, " The warring parties used more than 200 warships and tens of thousands of officers and soldiers. In the end, the Dutch sank nearly 1000 Spanish ships and killed [-] people at the cost of only losing [-] arson ships and killing about [-] people. Call it a model of naval warfare."

"Hundreds of warships confront each other, tens of thousands of people fight at sea!" Wei Mingli was shocked, "When will our Qi State Navy have such a scale and such a combat power?"

"I reckon that we will have to wait at least 20 years." Luo Shouxun sighed, "The population of Qi is too small, if there are millions of people, maybe we can also have a powerful navy with tens of thousands of people. "
-
On June 6, the waters south of Madras (Chennai, India).

An armed merchant ship of the British East India Company turns south after leaving Fort St. George (the British East India Company's fortress in Madras, India, established in 1640) and prepares to cross the strait (Palk Strait in Sri Lanka and India) , around the southern tip of India and on to Surat.

In view of the fact that Britain and the Netherlands were already at war, and the waters near Ceylon were within the traditional sphere of influence of the Dutch East India Company, British merchant ships should not have risked long voyages with only one armed merchant ship. Vulnerable to being attacked and intercepted by the opponent.

However, the "Businessman" armed merchant ship believed that the cargo it carried was light cotton cloth and pepper, and a small amount of tea from Ming Dynasty. Even if it encountered a malicious Dutch armed merchant ship, it was confident that it could rely on its skilled driving skills , the lightweight hull can perfectly avoid their chasing and intercepting.The sea is vast and there are passages everywhere, and the Dutch may not be able to catch up with themselves.

"Sir, do you need me to make you another cup of tea?" Kieran Swan, a young apprentice sailor, asked respectfully.

"Well, okay. Make me another cup of tea. Although it is a little bit bitter in your mouth, it has a refreshing aftertaste and refreshes your mind. It is really a magical oriental leaf." Captain Finn Berg said with a smile.

It took less than half a day to leave the port, and the sea was calm. In order to pass the long and boring life at sea, as the captain, Finn Berg was entitled to enjoy a cup of tea brewed in hot water, and taste this luxury that only nobles can enjoy drinks.

"Kiran, are you sixteen or seventeen this year?" Taking a sip of tea lightly, Captain Finn Berg watched the hard-working apprentice sailor with a rag, scrubbing the bulkhead and floor of the captain's cabin.

"I'm seventeen, sir." Kieran Swan looked up at the captain.

"How does it feel to come to this far away India?"

"Everything is fine, sir. Well, it's so much hotter than Liverpool here, especially in June, it's hard to sleep at night."

"Yes, it's very hot here this year. Oh, damn the weather, it makes me miss the wet and cold days in London." Captain Finn Berg complained, "I don't know why the gentlemen in the company chose Establishing a stronghold in Madras, the hot summer will make all of us intolerable. Relatively speaking, the climate and environment in Surat will be slightly better, and then we..."

"There are boats!...Four boats appear in the south!" Suddenly, a shrill cry came from outside the cabin.

"Hmm..." Captain Finn Berg suddenly got up, stepped out of the cabin in a few steps, and rushed to the bow.

"Captain, there are four ships in the south!" Lil Larsen, the first mate, said solemnly: "And they are heading towards us. Obviously, their target is our Kommersant. I think we encountered Trouble."

"Turn, turn immediately!" Captain Finn Berg ordered: "We return to Fort St. George. God bless us, and hope that we can get rid of their pursuit before dark."

"It is estimated that there are still five hours before dark." First officer Lil Larsen looked at the red sun above his head, "Now the wind direction is northerly, and the return flight to Fort St. George is against the wind, and it is estimated that it will take seven to eight hours. "

"Don't worry, the opponent is at least one-third of a league away from us (1 league is approximately equal to 3.18 nautical miles, 5.556 kilometers), and we should escape their pursuit before dark. Hehe, unless we encounter a navy Professional fast cruiser." Captain Finnberg said calmly: "Okay, guys, let's act fast and get rid of those damned pirates. God will be with us!"

Behind the British armed merchant ship "Businessman", a chasing battle started immediately. The four ships gradually divided into two parts, and the speed of the two slender warships gradually accelerated. , with the help of the weak crosswind, rushing quickly.

"Colonel, with the advantage of the speed of the Hanzhou warship, I estimate that I will catch up with the British merchant ship before evening." Major Enkobat Lauder, the captain of the Flenburg, put down his binoculars and said excitedly.

"I agree with your judgment very much." Colonel Rick Enriquez, commander of the Hanhe United Fleet, said with a smile: "The British merchant ship should fall into our hands. Hehe..., we are in Malawi. In the waters of Dras, the capture of this merchant ship at the gate of Fort St. George by the British will definitely deter those arrogant British people."

"Yes, Colonel. The British must have never imagined that we would block the gate of their Indian stronghold with the Hanzhou people." Major Enkobat Lauder nodded and said: "However, hang out the battle signal flag and order When the Hanzhou warships attacked the British merchant ship, I was very worried that they would refuse to obey the order. After all, attacking the British merchant ships would also trigger conflicts between Hanzhou and them.”

"Perhaps the Hanzhou people think that they are well-deserved powerhouses in this sea area, and they don't need to worry about the British's revenge. They seem to have a saying that no matter how powerful the dragon from other places is, it will be difficult to suppress the local snake. This is probably what they have in mind at the moment." Let’s describe it. However, with the maritime strength and geographical advantages that the Hanzhou people possess, they have reason to face the challenge of any foreign European forces.”

A arduous and exciting sea chase, as expected by the Dutch, came to an end before the sun set.The two Hanzhou battleships blocked the way of the British merchant ships, one on the left and one on the right, and fired shells continuously, warning the other party to drop the sails and stop the ship, accepting the fate of being captured and hijacked.

"Captain..." Lil Larsen, the first officer of the Kommersant, looked at the captain Finn Berg bitterly, hoping that he would give the order to surrender.Under the threat of two professional warships, their armed merchant ship has no chance of winning, and the opponent has a faster speed than their own.If you resist to the end, everyone on board will be sent to the bottom of the sea by the opposing warship to feed the fish.

"Boom! Boom!" A battleship on the right fired two shells, crossed the hull, and fell a few meters to the left of the ship, stirring up two huge jets of water.

"...Sail down!" Finn Berg ordered, subconsciously making a sign of the cross on his chest with his right hand.

"...Sir, will we be killed by them?" Kieran Swan, a young apprentice sailor, was pale, with a trace of fear on his face, staring at a battleship on the left that was setting down two ships. Small boats, ready to send armed sailors to receive their armed merchant ship Kommersant.

"God... will bless us!" Finn Berg glanced indifferently at the young sailor, who was less than 17 years old, and then turned his gaze to the battleship on the left with countless muzzles exposed.

The damned Hanzhou people actually dispatched professional warships to do piracy!

(End of this chapter)