The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 134
  May 5, Taihua Island, Zhiyuan Port (now Santa Cruz Port, Tenerife Island).

A group of emaciated English prisoners of war, under the supervision of several armed escorts, laboriously unloaded the supplies from the carriage, and then transferred them to a supply ship docked at the dock.

The long life of hard labor, harsh living environment, poor food, and occasional beatings and corporal punishment have severely damaged their bodies. But under the coercion of Qi people's bayonets and whips, no one dared to complain at all, hunched over and worked silently.

Occasionally when I stop to take a breath and rest, I can't help but look up and glance at the ironclad ship moored at the dock. The cold forged armor, majestic gun barrels, thick chimneys, and the proud and professional sailors on the ship are all... Their faces were filled with envy, and at the same time there was a hint of fear and horror deep in their hearts.

Oh, God, the people of Qi not only mobilized a large number of ships to come to Europe, but also sent such a powerful ironclad ship!
  It's incredible! A warship made of steel can actually float on the sea like a wooden sailboat. How did the people of Qi do it?

The Qi fleet arrived at the island five days ago. In addition to more than a dozen of their own warships, there were also several captured English warships and merchant ships, adding hundreds of new English compatriots to the island. They will suffer the same hard labor as them.

In recent months, almost every once in a while, several motor and sailing ships will transport large amounts of materials, including coal, gunpowder, guns, ship materials, canvas, grain, cans, cattle and sheep, quilts, medicines, cement, building materials, steel Bars, cane sugar, coffee, cocoa, etc., filled several large warehouses near the dock.

To this end, the Qi people expropriated many of the original Spanish residents and Berbers on the island, and began to carry out large-scale construction, expanding dock berths, adding new storage facilities, building fortresses, and also the city of Santa Cruz - oh, the Qi people called it A large-scale renovation of the infrastructure of Zhiyuan City will be carried out to make the residents and the Chinese naval officers and soldiers who come here to live more comfortable.

As wartime prisoners, the English were responsible for the heaviest work here. When the sky got slightly brighter, they would be roughly driven to the construction site by armed guards for a day of hard work. Many poor compatriots, after months of hard labor, could not bear the torture and left this world forever.

Thanks to the hard work of many coolies, the entire island has been built into a perfect naval logistics supply base. It not only provides coal, fresh water, food and weapons for organic sailing ships, but also a temporary medical care building that can accommodate [-] people. The facility can provide on-site treatment and care for sick and injured personnel in the Qi Expedition Fleet.

In less than a year, after spending countless materials and labor and human lives, the people of Qi have built this small town of Santa Cruz into a serious small city, one that can provide all kinds of services. A sea base for the supply of war supplies.

As we all know, the improvement of logistics supply capabilities is crucial to improving ocean combat capabilities. Previously, Europeans, including England, always felt that across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Qi navy was not a particularly big threat to them, because the expedition was both draining and dangerous. If you were not careful, your entire army would be annihilated. That's what the wise do.

Of course they were right to think so, because during this period, a cross-sea expedition was extremely difficult. In later generations and until the beginning of the 20th century, if a fleet did not receive good supplies and rest, its combat effectiveness would drop to a very low level after an ocean voyage.

The most typical example is the Japanese-Russian Naval Battle of Tsushima. The expedition of Tsarist Russia’s Second Pacific Fleet started from the Baltic Sea, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sailed to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope, and then headed straight to the east coast of the Pacific. The entire journey was [-] kilometers long and took seven days. Many months. As a result, they were completely wiped out by the Japanese navy in the Battle of Tsushima Strait, and they barely caused any harm to the Japanese.

In fact, before the fleet set off, there were many opponents in Tsarist Russia, but the Tsar insisted on having his own way. As a result, most ports along the way were not open to him. As a result, when sailing to the East Asian waters, the linen clothes of the Russian sailors were tattered into strips of cloth. , the mental state of the personnel was also extremely bad, morale was completely lost, and the operating condition of the battleship equipment was even more terrible. Under such a situation, even the arrival of Daluo Jinxian could not help it, making the Japanese-Russian naval battle a one-sided massacre, and the Japanese navy's reputation was in vain.

Of course, the Qi expedition fleet would not be in such a miserable state. They had many intermediate supply points on the shipping route to Europe, such as Changning (today's Durban), Huining (today's Cape Town), Taihua Island, Tangier, and Tianmen (today's Spanish North African city of Ceuta), etc. Several maritime strongholds allow the fleet and personnel to obtain necessary rest and replenishment during long-distance travel.

Under this circumstance, England's assumption that the Qi Navy's combat effectiveness would drop significantly after the expedition was a bit too optimistic. Of course, crossing such a long distance will still have a certain impact on the fleet, such as low morale of the officers and soldiers, acclimatization, a large number of non-combat attrition, and the lack of sufficient overhaul capabilities of the ships, etc. But the overall combat effectiveness will never drop too much, and it will not cause another Tsushima naval battle.

After nearly a year of battle consumption, the Qi Expeditionary Fleet lost six sail warships one after another, and suffered more than [-] casualties among officers and soldiers (including [-] killed, sick, and missing). There were also five sail warships. The battleship and three sail battleships were seriously damaged and have been undergoing overhaul at the ship repair station in Zhiyuan Port.

This time the Second Task Force Support Fleet came to Europe, in addition to bringing the new armored ship, a big killer, it also brought a large number of supplementary personnel to the entire expedition fleet through the implementation of redundant personnel for various positions in the fleet.

I believe that the reunification of the fleet will not only greatly boost the morale of the officers and soldiers, but also provide sufficient confidence for the fleet to launch a decisive naval battle with the English Navy.

"Did you see that? That armored ship is said to be worth more than [-] yuan." On the watchtower of the military camp, a young upper class soldier pointed to the "Li Ying" battleship parked in the harbor in the distance, with an unconvinced expression on his face, " Those things in the Navy are ruinous. Such a warship is worth the expenses of our entire Fifth Mixed Regiment for a year, right? We have lived and died overseas, fighting and killing with the barbarians, while the Navy people are drinking leisurely. Tea, just by driving a warship with ease, you can successfully defraud so much money from the cabinet to build such an expensive warship! Think about it, it’s really unreasonable!”

"Why are you jealous?" A sergeant sat on a pillar, smoking his pipe and puffing away contentedly, enjoying this rare time of peace. "The navy has always been valuable, but our army is just a mess." Those who come out have always suffered a life of suffering. After these decades, what can't be figured out? Besides, the main force of this expedition to England is their navy, and our army is just a start and a side drum."

"But, a few months ago, didn't the company commander say that after defeating the English navy, it will be our army's turn to go to war, and maybe we will invade England and occupy their capital, London."

"Hi!" The sergeant sneered, "You can't believe everything the superior said. Do you think we can invade England with just a few thousand troops? You still want to occupy their capital? What good things are you thinking about? No matter how bad England is, it is still a medium-sized country with a population of six to seven million, and it cannot just allow a few thousand people to land on their soil."

"Then why have we been rehearsing landing battles frequently in the past few months?" "I guess, it may be to land in Ireland after gaining basic control of the sea, or cooperate with the Spanish to seize Gibraltar. Of course, we do not rule out attacking the Portuguese. Madeira and the Azores.”

After the third mixed regiment arrived at Taihua Island in July last year, it was divided into two. Half went with the main fleet to Morocco and Europe to deal with possible landing battles, and the other half stayed on the island for adaptive training. And rest, waiting for the later rotation to go to sea for combat.

Because they are fighting overseas, the troops naturally have to undergo high-intensity military training. With the cooperation of the local guards, they almost completely cleaned up several surrounding islands, and all the Spanish residents and Berbers who did not accept the king's rule were captured as coolies to support the construction of local infrastructure.

Although the army can obtain sufficient supplies of supplies when fighting overseas, and its officers and soldiers also enjoy necessary overseas allowances, it is still incomparable to the navy. People in the Navy usually spend more than ten or two hundred thousand yuan at a time when they go to sea for exercises. All kinds of weapons and ammunition are consumed like water, food and alcohol are freely available, and personnel subsidies are also frighteningly high. When it truly enters wartime, the navy's expenditure will be even more staggering, far beyond what the army can afford.

From this point of view, the army trained with just one leg, one gun, and a few cannons is really incomparable, even if their third mixed regiment is the main ace in the domestic rankings.

Just as the two soldiers were discussing the inequality between the army and the navy, the target of the complaint - the Second Task Support Fleet Headquarters and the Expeditionary Fleet (First Task Force) staff were discussing a plan. conduct deductions for strategic decisive battles at sea.

"We have set the battlefield in Gibraltar, which will have a huge advantage for us." Yan Chuansong, chief of staff of the expeditionary fleet and Zhenguo General (Lieutenant General), placed the baton in his hand heavily on the Strait of Gibraltar, "This sea area Compared with the Atlantic Ocean, the wind and waves are relatively calm, which makes it very inconvenient for the English sail warships to move and lose corresponding mobility. However, our fleet has many sail warships. Driven by steam engines, they are not affected by the wind direction and ocean currents. The influence can better give full play to our advantages in mobile warfare."

"What if the English don't do what we want and their main fleet doesn't come to Gibraltar?" Liang Yuanfu, the commander of the Second Task Force Support Fleet and the general of the country, asked with some worry.

"If our fleet had gathered in Gibraltar a few months ago to seek a decisive battle with the English navy, they might have hesitated and might not have come as they wished." Yan Chuansong said with a smile: "But in March, they sent a A fleet entered the Mediterranean and went on an expedition to Egypt, in order to cut off the connection between that place and the Ottoman mainland, and also to achieve the purpose of preventing our fleet from obtaining supplies from Egypt. Therefore, when we gather the main fleet to block the strait, there will inevitably be Make the English Navy nervous. Not to mention that we will cooperate with the Spanish to seize Gibraltar, and to remove their key point at the entrance of the Strait will be to trap their Egyptian fleet in the Mediterranean. This is also a result that the English Navy is unwilling to accept. Therefore, when our fleet appears in the waters near the Channel, the English Navy will inevitably gather its main fleet to come."

"The main fleet will be divided into three and will engage in a decisive battle with the English Navy in the waters near Gibraltar. Can they arrive at the battlefield as scheduled?" Zheng Xirui, Chief of Staff of the Second Task Force Support Fleet, Guangwei General (Rear Admiral) asked softly.

"In August last year, after the expedition fleet split up near Ireland, it was agreed that the squadrons would meet in Tangier in early June this year." Yan Chuansong said: "If there are no unexpected situations, the squadrons will be able to arrive at the battlefield as scheduled. .”

"Do we need to capture Portuguese Madeira and the Portuguese Azores before a decisive battle with the English navy?"

"When we head north to Gibraltar, we can consider seizing the Madeira Islands." Yan Chuansong said: "However, in order to ensure that the fleet is in a good state of readiness, we will not take military action on the Azores Islands for the time being. We will defeat England. After the main fleet, we will directly attack the Portuguese mainland to threaten Lisbon and force it to withdraw from the war."

"Are we really going to help the Spanish take back Gibraltar?"

"No." Yan Chuansong smiled slightly and said meaningfully: "Not only Gibraltar, but also Menorca, we will continue to keep it in the hands of the English. In this way, the two countries cannot achieve true reconciliation, which makes After the war, our Qi State divided and disintegrated the British and Spanish countries and manipulated them to obtain the greatest benefits. Because a united Europe does not conform to our strategy. A Europe without disputes, It will also deprive us of the opportunity to intervene and intervene.”

"So, after the war, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance must also be dissolved?"

"That's right. If the Portuguese want to achieve decent results, in addition to ceding some overseas islands, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance must be dissolved."

"What if they don't want to?"

"Then they can't blame us, Qi State, for uniting with Qing State and attacking their Brazilian territory."

"We won't let Qingguo eat Brazil in one fell swoop, right?"

"How is it possible? The Qing Kingdom occupies half of the sacred land of La Plata, and it already has the appearance of a great power. If it gains Brazil again, it will be even more difficult to control. ... Perhaps, it is also a good idea to let Brazil establish an independent country. option. Of course, the premise is that the Portuguese are ignorant and have to confront us, Qi, to force us to make this choice."

(End of this chapter)