Qianlong: Qing Dynasty?What about my Daqing?

Chapter 156 British Empire, win spicy!
plan?

Nelson looked at the Marquis of Wellesley who was about to take up the post of the new Governor of India, pondered for a moment and said: "I think it is unwise to have a large-scale decisive battle at sea now. Our purpose is to block the Indian market and destroy the Ming Empire. merchants out of the Indian Ocean."

"That is to say, there will be no decisive battle at sea?" Richard Wellesley asked with a frown, "Then why bring such a huge fleet?"

"This is just in case." Nelson said, "Under bombardment and rockets, wooden sail warships are too fragile, so I believe that if the soldiers of the Ming Empire were smart, they would try to avoid the so-called of the decisive battle."

"Whether you win or lose, such a decisive battle will consume the lives of precious sailors. We can't afford it, and neither can the Ming Empire!"

Marquess Richard Wellesley nodded.

He knows the current state of naval equipment.

Although it is said that Britain's "rocket victory theory" is quite convincing.

From the perspective of firepower density, the bombardment artillery used by the Ming army is not as big as the Congreve rocket, and the range is not as far as the Congreve rocket.

Theoretically, as long as the fast ships of the Ming army are discovered, they will be wiped out by concentrated fire.

But both Nelson and Richard are clear.

This is only in theory.

As long as there is a fish that escapes the net and breaks through the firepower net, it can cause great damage to the British warship.

For example, the flagship of the Eastern Intervention Fleet under their feet.

Battleship Victory!

As a first-class battleship, the cost of this battleship is extremely high.

The cost is as high as more than 13 pounds.

In the current battle order of the Royal Navy, there are only 10 first-class battleships of the same level as the Victory in service. In addition, there are 17 other battleships of the same level that have been sealed up for use.

Even if it is a second-class ship or a third-class ship, the cost is also very expensive.

And in this era of bombardment, maybe rockets.

The firepower of a Tier VI light schooner with only more than 20 cannons is enough to sink several Victory ships.

therefore.

In Nelson's war games.

He believes that in such a naval warship, there is a serious "offensive strength and defensive weakness".

The first thing the major powers will do is to avoid capital ship confrontations as much as possible.

Although a first-class battleship like the Victory has more artillery.

Can equip more rockets.

It can also have certain advantages in war.

But this advantage can never offset the contradiction between the expensive cost of the first-tier battleship and the cost of use.

Therefore, the optimal solution now is to use some light and fast ships for offshore operations - that is to say, the current situation is that the ocean-going fleet that needs to use large ships is not decisive at all when facing the enemy's light hunting ships operating in the offshore The advantages.

For example, the current expedition of the British Empire requires large ships to cross the waves of the ocean.

But now the Ming Empire only needs to use a large number of light warships to guard the straits, ports, and coastlines.

The British Royal Navy did not dare to approach.

This is another naval theory after the development of the "rocket victory theory": the theory of offshore invincibility!
The cost of using large ocean-going fleets for expeditionary operations is too high.

in the future.

That is, countries that have mastered more strategic nodes and can rely on these strategic nodes to deploy a large number of light bomber ships can control the ocean!
And at this point.

The UK obviously also has an absolute advantage.

Because their colonies are all over the world, and their colonies exist on every shipping lane.

Although the Ming Empire controlled Nanyang.

But they are also unable to continue to expand into the depths of the ocean in such an era.

Under the threat of bombardment and rockets, the Ming Empire could not build a large number of large battleships to expand its hegemony in the ocean like the previous British Empire, because such large battleships were likely to face some weaker battleships. The country's light bombardment gunships have no decisive advantage.

"It is impossible for us to use the ocean-going fleet to approach the coastal waters where the Ming Empire has an advantage. However, our purpose is not to land on the coastline of the Ming Empire, but to drive their trading fleet out of India, so what we have to do now On the one hand, it is to expand the number of light warships in the coastal waters of India. Anyway, the cost we need to pay in this regard is not high. As long as the coastline of India is closed, it will be difficult for the power of the Ming Empire to penetrate in."

Nelson said.

"The next step is to expel the forces of the Ming Empire from the Indian Ocean. In this regard, we can issue private plunder certificates, plunder the merchant ships of the Ming Empire, and attack their warships when the Ming Empire dispatches warships to escort them, forcing them to compromise and accept The hegemony of the British Empire in the Indian Ocean!"

Richard Wellesley nodded upon hearing that.

"General, it sounds like we can win the war without actually sending gunboats to the coast of that huge country, but what about our allies?"

"The Spaniards?" Nelson smiled. "Their fleet from New Spain has also completed the bombardment modification. Maybe we can see the naval warfare in the bombardment era. This is very important for the Royal Navy's next plan."

Richard shrugged: "Good luck to the Spaniards."

Just now.

The young man standing behind the two suddenly interjected, "What if the Ming Empire sends an army to land in India?"

Nelson and Richard were slightly taken aback.

Nelson looked at the young man who interrupted, with indifference and contempt in his eyes.

This young man named Arthur Wellesley was the younger brother of Richard Wellesley, and he already carried the rank of colonel on his shoulders.

but.

His military rank does not come from military exploits, but donated officials.

Yes.

The British Empire, like the Qing Empire, had donated officials.

The title of the Marquess of Wellesley was inherited by Richard.

So Arthur had to find his own way out.

When he was studying at the Pinherol Military Academy, he was evaluated as "weak and not focused on learning", and his evaluation was not high.

So after graduation.

He didn't get any good positions either.

Fortunately, the Wellesley family has considerable contacts in the UK. His eldest brother Richard helped him join the 73rd Highland Regiment and obtained a position as an artillery lieutenant.

The 73 Highland Regiment was stationed in India, but by virtue of the family relationship, Wellesley was not transferred to India, but stayed in the UK.

Then he used his family relationship to carry out a series of transfers, and finally found the position of assistant to the Governor of Ireland. As an officer, he has hardly participated in a battle or performed a military mission in these years.

In this case.

His military rank has been steadily promoted from lieutenant to colonel-the Wellesley family has really paid a lot of money for his ineffective young son.

This also gave Arthur the nickname "The Vase of the Wellesleys".

And now.

Richard, Marquess of Wellesley, served as the governor of India, and this time he also brought the younger brother of the Wellesley family.

He also obtained the position of commander of the 33rd Division of the British Army in India with the rank of colonel, and became the commander-in-chief of the British garrison of a new division in India.

As such.

The total strength of the British Army stationed in India reached 3000.

It can be said to be a record high - this is entirely due to the impact of the rise of Ming Dynasty.

But in Nelson's view.

Let such a colonel Wellesley, who looks like he hasn't grown up yet, and doesn't even have any actual combat experience, to command a division of the British army.

It's really outrageous.

Fortunately, India's opponents in land battles are mainly local Indian states.

Generally, there is no too intense fighting.

As for the Ming army landing in India?

This possibility has also been discussed in the British cabinet.

The final conclusion is.

Now China is in the melee of the Ming, Qing, and Taiping Heavenly Kingdoms.

It is impossible for Zhu Daohua to send his precious army to India because it would disperse the strength of his army.

in Europe.

Continental countries are usually faced with the choice between a large army and a large navy—and the choice is usually the former.

Continental countries like France and Austria.

Most of their energy will be put on the army, and the army will consume most of their military expenditures, leaving very little military expenditures for the navy.

The reason why the United Kingdom can have maritime hegemony is that the United Kingdom is an island country. They can give priority to the development of a large navy with limited resources, and at the same time they don't have to worry about the land defense of their homeland.

According to European experience.

It is almost impossible for a country with a large army to develop a large navy.

Therefore, on the one hand, the Ming Empire did not have the ability to send their armies to India.

on the other hand
It seems a little unwise to disperse their own army power to India, which is a marginal force for the Ming Empire.

After all, their real core interests are in China, in northern China.

"If that Chinese Majesty is smart, he won't disperse his power at this time!"

Nelson said.

Richard Wellesley also patted Arthur on the shoulder.

"Dear Arthur, your worries are unnecessary. The Chinese Majesty is the greatest scientist of this era, and he is definitely a smart man. He knows that he has more important things to accomplish."

Both Nelson and Richard thought so.

Before the unification of China.

It is impossible for Zhu Daohua to send too much force to India.

So this time the war.

It's more of a broken war on the ocean.

By plundering, the merchant ships of the Ming Empire were squeezed out of the Indian Ocean.

The British Empire wins!
Arthur Wellesley.

The young British Army officer who was later honored as the "Iron Duke Wellington" frowned.

Governor Richard of India and Commander-in-Chief Nelson of the Eastern Intervention Fleet seemed a little too optimistic.

The Ming Empire was not a European country.

They are a super empire with a population of more than [-] million.

Use the experience of European countries to analyze such a huge country.

There seem to be too many unreasonable places.
British Empire.

Can you really win so easily?

(End of this chapter)