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Chapter 1440 Tactics and Techniques 2
"Is there a support fleet behind us?" Even though command was assured, Yan Busi didn't show the slightest joy, remaining as dull and unresponsive as ever.

"The fleet carrying two thousand households of the Tuolongwei is expected to arrive in two days, totaling 12 armed cargo ships. There is no other support for the time being. I did not receive any notification before leaving the Seychelles base whether the Colombo and Salim bases would send additional fleets."

Wang Tiemao also adopted a businesslike demeanor, giving a brief overview of the current situation of the Indian Ocean Fleet as if reading an official document, only discussing matters related to combat and omitting any other details.

"Why would 12 armed cargo ships be needed to transport 2 thousand households?" However, Yan Busi seemed more comfortable with this kind of conversation, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he asked the second question.

"As per the previous plan, I transported all the supplies and equipment stored at the Seychelles base here. Now it's a ghost town, with nothing left except a few communications ships and whaling ships."

Wang Tiemao remained calm and collected, letting people ask whatever they wanted. As long as they didn't voluntarily relinquish command, he would still be the overall commander of this operation. Anyone who dared to voluntarily relinquish command would immediately become a prisoner of the military police.

"Is it loaded with sea mines?" Upon hearing that the Seychelles base's stored supplies had been brought along, Yan Busi immediately thought of those large black spheres again.

"There aren't many left in the warehouse, and we didn't bring any!" Wang Tiemao's forehead turned black when he heard the word "mines." He had only had a sudden idea and brought some on board to test their effectiveness, so why was this person so fixated on it?

"Oh... Yesterday I only learned of the arrival of the support fleet through the lookout, without any face-to-face communication, so I don't have a full understanding of the situation, which is why there was no unified arrangement. After this briefing, I have made my decision. Please correct me, Chief of Staff!"

This time, Yan Busi finally stopped dwelling on the topic of naval mines. He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and quickly came up with an answer, not forgetting to add a polite remark.

“Commanding operations is your task, and I can take on any position if needed.” But Wang Tiemao wasn’t really interested in listening, let alone offering any corrections.

Although Yan Busi had an eccentric personality, he was a general who had risen through the ranks based on his military achievements, and his abilities were beyond question. How could someone who had never independently commanded a single regular battle possibly instruct others?

"No need. The Chief of Staff can continue to command the support fleet. My plan is simple: cover the armed cargo ships as they enter the port area, and then you can take the support fleet back to the Seychelles base."

Yan Bu Si was even more ruthless. He didn't care whether Wang Tiemao wanted to listen or not. He pulled out a map of the waters near Enbird Port from the nautical charts, spread it out on the table, picked up a pencil, and explained while pointing. He finished the deployment in a few words.

"Hiss... Huff... I say, Yan Bosi, I am your Chief of Staff, shouldn't I be given the necessary respect? Ever since I boarded your ship, I have accommodated you time and time again, but you really don't take me seriously at all!"

No matter how hard Wang Tiemao tried to breathe, he couldn't hold back any longer. The Chief of Staff of the Indian Ocean Fleet, a figure of immense authority, had been utterly disrespected by the commander of his own fleet. He had traveled a great distance to provide reinforcements, only to be met with disapproval and an order to leave, as if his presence would only provide a buff to the enemy.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you, it's just that the support fleet has nothing to do if it stays, and it might even suffer losses if a storm comes. It's not worth it."

Faced with his furious, seemingly deeply insulted superior, Yan Busi finally showed a hint of bitterness. But it was only a slight hint; the order to leave was still an order to leave, just with a couple of annotations added to make it sound less harsh.

"How is it not worthwhile! I've only been here for a little over a day, and I've already sunk four enemy ships and damaged more than ten. Even if it was mostly due to mines, it can't be said that it was completely useless!" Wang Tiemao was even more unwilling to hear this. Yes, he wasn't a pure warrior, but his staff officers weren't useless either. So what if they had less combat experience? Actually, they'd all learned about the same things. With a little practice, who could be significantly better than whom!
"Chief of Staff, please calm down. Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. Please let me explain in detail! Boatswain, quickly get someone to fetch a cup of hot tea, and be mindful of blackout regulations!"

Seeing that Wang Tiemao was about to pounce on him for hand-to-hand combat, Yan Busi finally remembered the proper etiquette for entertaining guests. He'd talked for so long without even offering his superior a sip of water; no wonder he was disliked.

But after instructing him to make tea, he added another command: it would be better not to make tea at all. What if the fleet's location was exposed? Would it be considered the responsibility of boiling water?
"I'm not drinking, I'm not thirsty, explain yourself clearly!" Sure enough, Wang Tiemao's anger hadn't subsided at all, and he even slammed his fist on the table.

"Chief of Staff, please look. This is the sea area currently controlled by the enemy fleet, and this is our position. If the armed cargo ship detachment arrives, be sure to have it dock here first. There is a small bay here, deep enough to provide shelter from the wind, and we must maintain a blackout at night."

There's a reason I arranged it this way. Look here, they are two islands very close to each other, with workshops for extracting whale oil. The Xhosa people call them the Big Whale Island and the Little Whale Island.

Whale Island is a little over 70 kilometers in a straight line from the port area and only 6 kilometers from the shore, located at the easternmost point of Enbird Harbour Bay. The hydrological conditions there are very complex, and the area is full of reefs, so no ships other than the Xhosa whaling boats are willing to approach it.

There used to be a lighthouse on the island, but it was destroyed by the Xhosa when the enemy attacked. From what I observed, the Europeans lost at least two slugs there, both of which were washed ashore on reefs by the waves. That's why they didn't set up an anchorage nearby, for fear of them being blown away by strong winds.

I plan to send a few sailors familiar with the waterways there to the island secretly. The lighthouse certainly cannot be restored in a short time, but we can use gas lamps as a temporary substitute.

With navigation lights as their guide, armed merchant ships could enter the port area from Whale Island and the waterways along the shore. They would inevitably encounter European interception en route; at least 20 warships were anchored outside the mouth of the Enni River, primarily to provide supplies and protection for the landing forces.

But that's not a problem. We can launch a surprise night raid before the armed cargo ships enter the port area, drawing as much attention as possible from the Europeans. If nothing unexpected happens, the convoy should be able to enter the port area safely.

Then they could dock in the port and serve as permanent gun emplacements, or dismantle the guns and use them on land. When the Europeans wanted to retreat, they could even chase after them and take advantage of the situation.

With these two additional thousand-household commanders, if Zhu Neng and Xiao Si still can't hold the port, they'll be facing a military court. But then, we'll be rendered useless. As the commander of the garrison fleet, my duty is to defend the port. As long as the port stands, even if the city falls, the enemy will be like rootless duckweed.

But there was no point in the chief of staff and the support fleet staying here any longer. The seas here were rough and the nearshore waters were full of reefs and shoals, making it easy for unfamiliar ships to run into danger. Seven or eight European ships had already run aground in the past day, and if they weren't careful, the anchored ships could be washed ashore by the ocean currents.

I have no intention of attacking the European fleet, mainly because it's not worth risking my brothers' lives. Even the best ships have their bad days; why take the risk when we can force the enemy to retreat without a fight?

Yan Busi truly thought differently from most naval commanders; he actually wanted to abandon naval warfare and rely on attrition to force the European coalition forces to retreat on their own. His motivation was even more unbelievable: simply out of fear of casualties.

(End of this chapter)