Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 475: Escape Battle
Although war does not depend solely on weapons and equipment, if the gap in weapons and equipment is really large, it will be one-sided at least at the beginning.

Then, problems are likely to arise in the governance, logistics, willpower and management of the occupied areas due to the depth.

The shape and terrain of Japan determined that the army on the Eastern Expedition could only advance steadily and must first digest the areas that had already been captured.

The Oriental Fleet led by Shen Yourong also needed a qualified naval port on Kyushu Island: if the war continued for a long time, the warships would have to undergo a lot of maintenance and replenishment.

But the Seto Inland Sea can be cleaned up first.

Since arriving in Japan, the Oriental Fleet has not encountered any surface resistance - the retainers of the Shimazu family who controlled the navy had long been contacted by Li Dan and surrendered.

Now they used the Atakabune, the Sekibune and the smaller Kobaya to lead the way for the Oriental Fleet, and the result was that the warships of the Oriental Fleet had to move slowly.

"How does the Shogunate navy compare to yours?"

The person Shen Yourong was asking about was the former naval admiral of the Shimazu clan who had changed his surname to An and his name to Zhongming.

"More ships." An Zhongming replied after listening to the translation, "The shogunate has issued an order to speed up shipbuilding."

"Are they all these Anzhai ships?" Shen Yourong pointed at the largest ships in front of him and frowned, "They are so slow, what's the point of building them?"

An Zhongming said awkwardly, "Of course we can't give up because of this. We built more Anzhai ships just to rely on their height and agility to engage in boarding battles."

Shen Yourong understood what was going on, so he just sneered and said nothing more.

The so-called Atakubune does not look small. The characteristic of this kind of ship is that there is a tall wing on the deck.

This side building has guard plates all around. If the ship is not big, this floor is only for sailors. Yes, although the Antaku ship can also set up sails, the main source of power is manpower. Each ship has dozens or even hundreds of oars. The biggest feature during combat is that it is very flexible to drive by manpower. But the normal speed is less than half of the current Ming warships.

However, because of the wing towers, the Ataka ships were very high. Especially the large Ataka ships had a "total arrow warehouse" on top. Although there were still wooden boards around them, they could be lowered and there were also shooting holes. Because of the height, plus the flexibility of turning during war, there was a certain short-term burst speed, so the main tactic was to board and lower the guard plates to act as a wooden bridge and jump on board.

I heard that the shogunate was thinking of building a large number of large Ataka ships, so of course they wanted to take advantage of this characteristic and display their fearlessness and bravery to board the ship and fight.

Their iron cannons were nothing in front of the Ming Dynasty, and the navy was basically equipped with cold weapons. In addition to using the advantage of numbers to carry out this kind of ant-like warfare, what else could they do?

The Ming warships first absorbed the characteristics of European warships, and later further improved them. Now the Zhiyuan warship has steam power, and its speed will make the Japanese navy despair. I am afraid that the sailors will be exhausted to death and will be taken for a walk.

Unless a large number of ships are chasing and intercepting: the naval guns on the Ming army warships always have firing intervals, and the hit rate of naval artillery battles is not that terrible.

But if you want to board the ship, it is a different matter. This is a life-and-death battle.

The question is: jump onto the Ming army warship with nine thunder guns?
The combat troops on board an Ataka ship were no more than 100 or 200. To board a ship at such close range facing a flintlock rifle...

Shen Yourong shook his head: "You are familiar with this sea, so lead the way. Once we clear out the navy on this sea, it will be much easier later."

There are many small islands scattered across the Seto Inland Sea between Shikoku Island and Honshu Island.

If they want to go to farther places later, there must be no mistakes on these small islands, not to mention Shikoku Island, so as not to give any navy the opportunity to suddenly appear and disrupt the Ming Dynasty's logistics routes.

At this moment, the strongest naval forces in this area are naturally the feudal domains on the north side of Shikoku Island. A major source of their profits in the past was the trade in the Seto Inland Sea as an important waterway.

Now, the Ikoma family, which controls the entire Sanuki region, is engaged in a family feud, the so-called Ikoma Disturbance. Their salt-saturated navy had long since evacuated to the old port, only hoping to save themselves first.

The shogunate had originally placed great hopes on the town of Hachisuka in Awa Province.

During the Battle of Sekigahara, the Hachisuka family adopted the strategy of "double support of the Eastern and Western armies". The father Hachisuka Iemasa joined the Western Army, and the son Hachisuka Nozomi joined the Eastern Army. In the end, they managed to keep the territory, and now Hachisuka Nozomi is the daimyo.

He participated in the reconstruction of Osaka Castle and now controls Awaji Island, which is the throat of the Kii Channel and cannot be ignored when going to Osaka Bay or Harima.

Shen Yourong's destination for this trip was there.

As the Ikoma family's Shiota navy was wiped out near the port, people on Shikoku Island were already in panic.

The Ming army did not land, but the advantage of artillery fire prevented the Yanbao navy's ships from being lifted ashore. Some of them were still hiding, but most were sunk or burned outside the harbor. Even the Ikoma family's port in Tamano was bombarded, and the dock suffered heavy losses.

The fleet then continued to sail eastward, and the cargo ship behind it carried Lindan Batur and others, preparing to spread out to the small islands in the Seto Inland Sea first, to plunder them cleanly and ensure that there was no force on so many small islands that could threaten the situation behind.

The threat was getting closer and closer, and the Hosuka family knew they couldn't escape this disaster.

But they couldn't surrender yet - the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army was not far away, and the naval vanguard admiral who came to support from Edo had already taken control of the navy of the Hosuka family.

The three great families mobilized by the shogunate are already on their way to Osaka, but Kuki Moritaka, the son of the pirate daimyo Kuki Yoshitaka, has already arrived here from Shima with the Kuki navy.

However, he was only the deputy admiral of the naval vanguard. The admiral was Watanabe Moritsuna, one of the Sixteen Divine Generals of the Tokugawa River, known as the Hanzo of the Spear, and now the patriarch of the Owari Tokugawa family, one of the Three Great Families.

Also arriving was Fujido Takatora, who was known as the best castle builder.

"The Imperial Army Headquarters and the Imperial Guards all agree that Awa Province, especially Awaji, must not be lost!" The elderly Watanabe Moritsuna solemnly said to Fujido Takatora, "Fujido-san, I'll leave the city defense construction to you!"

Fujido Takatora just nodded solemnly.

"Mr. Moritaka, I'll follow your advice. The iron plates will be delivered here in two days." Watanabe Moritaka said to Kuki Moritaka, "How long will it take?"

"Sir Watanabe, it will take at least two months to add iron armor to all the Ataku ships." Kuki Moritaka said, "Back then, my father relied on iron armor to almost wipe out the Mori navy at the mouth of the Kizu River. Although the Hanyi warships have cannons, as long as they are all equipped with iron armor, even if they approach more slowly, they will definitely be able to withstand the bombardment!"

Watanabe Moritsuna nodded and said, "Then let the Edo Ashigaru navy I brought go forward to slow down their pace. As for Zhen-san, Fujido-san, the Ikoma family has wasted the opportunity to ambush the enemy with the Sanuki Islands. You're welcome! Sanuki, you guys go and take it down, and the Shio-sho navy must be rebuilt as soon as possible!"

"I will definitely not let down the general's trust!" Feng Xuhe was overjoyed when he arrived in the town.

Watanabe Moritsuga, known as one of the Tokugawa Sixteen Divine Generals, was originally the commander of the Ashigaru navy in Edo Bay, responsible for the maritime defense of Edo Bay.

Although Kuki Moritaka did not have the great reputation of his father, it was the same decision as his own family during the Battle of Sekigahara: the father joined the Western Army and the son joined the Eastern Army.

But the Kuki navy has always been an outlier. Many years ago, the Kuki family tried to add iron armor to the shield of the Ataka ship and tried to use firearms. It was because the Mori navy was helpless in the Battle of Kizugawa that Oda Nobunaga gained a decisive advantage in the Battle of Ishiyama.

Now, Fujido Takatora, who planned and built many famous cities such as Osaka and Edo, has come to help Awa improve the city defense system. Hachisuka has more confidence in the outcome of this battle.

The Shogun is also coming to Sekigahara, and the various feudal lords in Kanto are gathering there.

According to Watanabe Moritsugu, the shogunate has tacitly agreed to his and the Todo family's annexation of Sanuki. As long as they achieve the final victory, the territory of the Hachisuka family will be greatly expanded.

The naval vanguard in the Awa area began to actively prepare for war, and the naval forces that supported this area were not weak: the Edo Ashigaru navy, the Kuki navy, plus the navy of the Hosuka family in Awa and the navy of the Todo family in Iyo, there were 35 Ataka-fune ships that could carry more than 400 soldiers and sailors. Together with the smaller Ataka-fune ships and the remaining Seki-fune and Kobayashi-fune ships, the number of large and small warships of the Goi navy vanguard had reached more than 300.

Among them, the Ashigaru garrison in Edo Bay first went to Shodoshima, northwest of Awaji Island.

Their goal was to fight with the Ming fleet there first, and then lead them into the Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and Shikoku Island. This was a pre-set ambush circle. The relatively narrow strait was enough for the navy from the east of Shikoku Island and the north of Awaji Island to ambush and block the north and south entrances of the Naruto Strait.

Most importantly, would the Ming army know about the Naruto whirlpool that would appear there when the tide rose and fell?
The Ming army's warships, which were mainly powered by sails, would definitely panic at that time.

The Goi navy, who are familiar with the water currents here, can take advantage of the Ataka ships and approach quickly by taking advantage of the whirlpool currents.

……

"You mean, the place where they are most likely to engage us is the Naruto Strait?"

The Ming army was anchored and resting on a small island west of Shodoshima.

There are so many islands in the Seto Inland Sea that it is said that there are more than a thousand.

The Oriental Fleet has advanced quite deep into the enemy territory, and there are hundreds of islands of all sizes behind them, so they need to be more cautious.

He looked at the map on the Zhiyuan and pointed to the east: "Isn't this place better? There are many islands. Shodoshima is not small. Maybe there are naval forces in Okayama."

An Zhongming smiled flatteringly and said, "With the Heavenly Soldiers' tactics, we will naturally continue to destroy the ports along the way. Since Tamano's Shiotoku navy has been destroyed, there must be a main force on Shodoshima. After all, if Shodoshima is lost, the general can abandon the Kii Channel first and attack Harima. But the shogunate can't just put up a little resistance, it must find ways to severely damage the Heavenly Soldiers. The Naruto Strait has geographical advantages."

Since the Ming army conquered Kyushu Island, they certainly knew the fame of the Naruto Strait.

After listening to An Zhongming's explanation of the specific whirlpools and currents that would appear in the Naruto Strait, Shen Yourong understood.

"I see... If we are caught off guard, it would be a bit difficult." Shen Yourong nodded, "It only happens during high and low tides?"

"We also need strong winds. Now it's almost winter and there are indeed many strong winds." An Zhongming explained.

Shen Yourong pondered for a long time before saying, "But what if I don't go to the Kii Channel first?"

"The general will have to go sooner or later." An Zhongming said, "If the Kanto navy wants to come to support, they can only come via the Kii Channel."

"That's true. However, it's not easy to ensure that the fleet led by me is still in the strait when the tide goes out."

Shen Yourong looked at the map and asked him about the distance from Shodoshima to the Naruto Strait.

He had an idea in mind and laughed, "It seems that they will pretend to be defeated to lure the enemy deeper. The navy on Shodoshima should be quite large in number, and I will think it is the main force. In your opinion, what kind of bait will make me chase after them regardless of the danger?"

An Zhongming was familiar with the strength of the naval forces in various places, and said without hesitation: "There is only the Edo Bay Ashigaru Navy. If the general sees that number, as long as he can completely annihilate this navy, it will be much easier to advance into Edo Bay later."

Shen Yourong said with a tut-tut sound: "Using this navy as bait? Wouldn't the navy that ambushed us be more powerful and more numerous?"

"I think that even if the general does not pursue them, they will take into account that the general knows about the Naruto Whirlpool. As long as they keep their real main force there, the general will not be able to tolerate their continued existence. To attack the Harima headquarters, the transport fleet will definitely pass through Shodoshima. Would the general be willing to be pinned down by them and only be able to escort between Kyushu and Harima?"

"That's right. We have to annihilate them to feel at ease. The actions we have taken along the way have given them some confidence."

After thinking for a long time, he said, "Rest here for a while, and when the supplies arrive, we will meet them. As for the whirlpool... we just need to destroy it as soon as possible between rising and falling tides."

He has confidence in his subordinates.

In the past, the Japanese navy mostly fought each other in the Seto Inland Sea or in nearby bays. How could they be as experienced as the Ming fleet?
Many officers, soldiers and sailors in the Eastern Fleet already had experience in naval battles in the South China Sea.

Since they knew that the opponent's hoped-for tactic was to approach like a wolf pack and board the ship, the Eastern Fleet could make adequate preparations.

Shen Yourong had already known about the existence of the Jiugui "ironclad ship" from people like An Zhongming. She didn't expect that the steam ironclad ship that the Ming Dynasty wanted to build in the future had been made by someone here.

It's okay to bully other Antaku ships, but it's naive to think that you can use this to resist the Ming Dynasty's naval artillery.

"Send a patrol boat to Kyushu and ask them to bring more drifting mines."

He issued orders and planned to make more preparations here for this decisive battle at sea.

The so-called floating mines were modified from the underwater dragon king cannons that existed in the early years of the Wanli reign. In the past, the underwater dragon king cannons were made of cow urine bubbles as the mine shells, filled with gunpowder, and ignited with fuses. When used, the fuses were ventilated with goose wing tubes and sheep intestines, and stones were hung on them and dropped under the wooden boards floating on the water. After being ignited by the long fuse, they could be detonated with a delay when the enemy ships approached, launching an unexpected attack from the bottom of the water.

Nowadays, the navy is also developing more advanced mines. During the Hetuala War, there were already delayed-explosion shrapnel shells, and the navy is simply making some new shells that can have the effect of the underwater dragon king cannon floating mines.

Anyway, to deal with boarding tactics, this type of shell can be timed well and fired when the enemy ship enters the range for more accurate firing.

Floating mines can float on the water surface. If they explode at the side of an enemy ship, they can be very powerful. If they break below the waterline, it will be a headache for the current watertight design of Japanese warships.

Both sides were preparing for the Battle of Naruto, one side was adding armor to the shields, and the other side was replenishing more targeted military supplies.

An Zhongming, who had witnessed the true speed and agility, navigation level and firepower of the Ming warships, felt that all preparations of the shogunate navy would be in vain.

So what if Naruto Uzumaki helps?

Time passed day by day, and after sufficient preparation, the Oriental Fleet and the reorganized Satsuma Navy continued to sail eastward at the speed common to the Japanese navy.

Shodoshima is ahead.

In a natural harbor south of Shodoshima, which is surrounded by land on all sides and has a strait only on the southwest side, the densely packed Edo Bay Ashigaru navy is also gathering.

They had already detected the movement over there through the lightest small morning boat.

"Gentlemen, the first water battle that will determine the fate of our nation has begun!"

Watanabe Moritsuna encouraged the morale on the shore: "This battle depends on the strength of the sailors! Now, let's have a full meal first!"

There were not many combat soldiers because their mission was to row to the Naruto Strait as quickly as possible to avoid being caught up by the Ming fleet.

Therefore, there are actually not many elite navy troops on the Shodoshima side, and the strong sailors who row the boats are the main force - each ship is equipped with two relay shifts.

"Don't be discouraged just because you are on the run! Success or failure is all up to me! We will win!"

"Must win!"

The sailors, chewing meat in their mouths, shouted.

It is relatively safe to just run away, and they think this is a good idea.

In this battle to escape, you need to eat more.

(End of this chapter)