Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Vulcan cannons and naval guns of Ximentang opened fire fiercely.

In front of the ships, three ironclad ships drew fire and blocked the cannon fire.

These ships continued to approach the warships of Ximentang.

Instead of fleeing, Tsushima, aboard his cruiser, chose to ram into the main warship of the Ximen Tang.

His target was the First Squadron's main cruiser—the Tianjin!

Capture the thief first and capture the king!
Although Shimazu Yasuke's command abilities were not great, he was very clear about the basic principles of warfare.

Tianjin was the main cruiser of the First Squadron of the Ximentang.

If they can capture this main battleship, the Satsuma fleet will have a chance to turn the tide.

Shimazu, who was concerned with saving his own life and leading his elite troops, was extremely confident in his martial arts skills.

Once on board the Tianjin, he was confident he could take complete control of it.

then,

Shimazu quickly made up his mind to take down the largest cruiser, even if it meant being bombarded by cannons.

If all else fails, then let's go for a mutual destruction.

have to say,

Shimazu, who reveres the spirit of Bushido, is now fearless and single-mindedly focused on turning the tide of the battle.

Moreover, as the ships drew closer to the Tianjin, Shimazu was remarkably lucky to survive.

When the Tianjin and nearby gunboats opened fire fiercely, their shells were actually blocked by the armored ships.

The warship that Shimazu was on miraculously avoided the main guns' attack.

Several shells exploded beside the ship at his feet, sending up waves dozens of meters high.

Although the naval gun was destroyed by a single shell, it did not cause further damage to the ship's hull.

In less than half a minute, the ship under Shimazu's feet was less than thirty meters away from the 'Tianjin'.

at this time,

From a distance, the Tianjin appears as a colossal object, but visually there is nothing amiss.

However, as the ship drew closer, Shimazu Yasuke suddenly realized that the warship beneath his feet was much smaller than the Tianjin.

After the two ships approached each other, the height difference between their decks exceeded three meters.

The difficulty of successfully breaching the pass has increased exponentially.

To save his own life, Shimazu had no choice but to order his men to open fire immediately, first using muskets to fire at the 'Tianjin'.

Then they sent Japanese samurai to board the enemy's warship deck and build a ladder with ropes.

Just as Shimazu gave the order to fire.

Da da—da da—!
The piercing sound of heavy machine guns rang out from the Tianjin.

Bullets rained down on the warship's deck like a storm.

The Japanese soldiers didn't even have time to aim before they were hit by machine gun fire and fell to the deck, bleeding profusely.

In addition to the Vulcan cannon, each of the Ximentang warships was also equipped with ten fixed heavy machine guns.

These heavy machine guns were specifically designed to block enemy forces from approaching. Deng Yonghe saw that Shimazu's main warship, which was protecting its life, had actually broken through the artillery's coverage and launched a fierce attack on the Tianjin.

then,

After seeing that the enemy soldiers had all climbed onto the ship's deck, he decisively ordered the heavy machine guns to open fire, unleashing a barrage of fire on the Satsuma Domain's ships.

The Tianjin's gunwale was already nearly three meters higher than the other ship's gunwale, giving it a commanding position.

The heavy machine gun opened fire fiercely, in less than a minute.

Not a single Japanese soldier on the entire Satsuma ship was standing.

They lay sprawled on the deck like dead dogs, covering the entire ship's deck in a chaotic mess.

Although the commander Shimazu was skilled in martial arts and able to sense danger in advance, he was able to save his own life.

However, under the saturation attack of the heavy machine gun, his body was almost riddled with bullets, more than a hundred bullets in his body, and he died instantly.

Then,

The armored gunboats next to the Tianjin turned their guns around, unleashing more than thirty cannons at the nearby Japanese warship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
With a violent explosion, the Japanese warship was instantly shattered and quickly began to sink.

in fact,

This fierce battle at sea was almost a one-sided massacre.

The ships of the Satsuma Domain in the East were almost powerless to resist and posed no threat to the ships of the Nishimondo.

They didn't have armor-piercing shells, so even when shells occasionally hit Ximentang's ships, they couldn't penetrate their armor.

Moreover, their blind charge against the Ximentang fleet was tantamount to suicide.

As a result, the Satsuma fleet was almost completely wiped out in less than half an hour.

All the capital cruisers were sunk, not a single one survived.

Before the battle even began, Chen Jie had already given a death order—sink them all!
The commander of the Satsuma Domain in the East, Shimazu, survived, while Fujiwara Muneyuki and others were killed and annihilated.

In fact, the Ximentang fleet only used 60% of its strength in the entire naval battle. It did not even use armor-piercing shells, incendiary shells, or heavy artillery, yet it easily annihilated the Satsuma Domain fleet in the East.

Many Japanese samurai boarded small boats, brandishing their samurai swords, and actually intended to perish together with their enemies.

But faced with such overwhelming firepower, there was only annihilation, not mutual destruction!
None of the Eastern warships escaped the 'Storm' fast attack ships surrounding them.

Just as the Satsuma Domain fleet in the East was completely annihilated, Povich and Nino led the French mercenary army to the battlefield.

hiss--!
Popovich originally thought he would need to help Simondang block the escape of the Eastern Fleet.

but,

When they arrived at the battlefield, they were astonished to find that the battle was over.

Although the overall combat strength of the Satsuma Fleet in the East was not particularly strong.

But the Satsuma fleet consisted of more than eighty warships. How could they have been completely wiped out in less than half an hour?

too fast!
The Eastern Fleet was like paper, the battle ended in half an hour, which overturned Povich's understanding.

He was Jack Bonaparte's second-in-command and had always known that Simon's fleet was extremely powerful.

Moreover, he had previously accompanied Simond's fleet in a naval battle.

But this time,
He realized that he had underestimated Simon's fighting strength.

He originally thought that after this period of development, the French fleet's overall combat power was much stronger than before, and it must be not far from the combat power of the Simondal fleet.

But at this moment he realized that the gap between the French fleet and the Simon's fleet had not narrowed, but had instead widened.

The reason is simple: the French fleet did not possess several of Simon's most powerful weapons.

High-explosive torpedoes, Vulcan cannons, the latest generation of naval guns, and diesel engines!
Even incendiary bombs and armor-piercing shells are unique equipment of the Ximentang and cannot be copied.

Upon seeing the French fleet appear, Jack Bonaparte, standing next to Chen Jie, immediately ordered Povich and Nino to go and retake Ishigaki Island.

at this time,

The second fleet of the Ximentang also appeared and headed towards the Miyako Strait to pursue the enemy in order to achieve the previously set goal of eliminating all the Satsuma troops.

The fleet that had originally set out from Miyako Island to support the Shimazu clan in their escape fled in disarray, terrified by the unfavorable situation. However,

Although the Ximentang fleet's warships were much larger than those of the Eastern ships, they were faster.

Moreover, there was also the 'Storm' attack ship blocking their way.

The distance from Ishigaki Island to the Miyako Strait is about an hour and a half by boat.

The fleeing Japanese fleet, though fleeing at top speed, could not escape the pursuit of Ximen Tang.

Many Japanese warships were being shot down one after another.

Several ships from the Satsuma Domain in the East stopped to surrender along the way, but they did not have the opportunity to surrender.

By the time the Ximentang fleet reached the Miyako Strait, the entire Miyako Island had already been captured by Shen Zhenhe's second squadron.

The Japanese garrison on Miyako Island and the remaining cargo ships were all wiped out.

The few scattered ships that tried to escape on the high seas were also completely annihilated in the final pincer attack by the Ximentang fleet.

The Satsuma Domain's fleet was completely destroyed, leaving not a single ship behind.

Around 2 p.m., Chen Jie led the fleet to Miyako Island at a leisurely pace.

The entire Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island have fallen under the control of the Ximengtang. With the end of this naval battle, the Ximengtang Fourth Fleet has achieved a great victory.

In this battle, a total of 122 ships belonging to the Satsuma Domain in the East were sunk.

Shimazu survived, but Fujiwara Muneaki and other key generals were all annihilated, and more than 40,000 soldiers of the Satsuma Domain died.

The losses suffered by the Ximentang were very small; only two armored ships were hit by shells, and only 106 soldiers died.

Moreover, armored gunboats were mostly damaged during the melee.

Chen Jie ordered the Ximentang fleet to be stationed on Miyako Island, and held a meeting to discuss the next operational plan.

After recapturing Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island, the next step is to completely reclaim the Ryukyu Islands.

then,

Chen Jie ordered the Ximentang garrison, which was originally stationed on Keelung Island, to set off immediately to join the Ximentang Fourth Fleet and prepare to land on Ryukyu Island.

Povic and Nino led the French mercenary group and temporarily stationed themselves on Ishigaki Island.

Ryukyu Islands!

This place is located between Kagoshima and Ryukyu in Kyushu, Japan, and runs in a north-south direction.

The Ryukyu Islands consist of more than fifty islands, covering an area of ​​over 3,000 square kilometers.

If divided geographically, the islands can be divided into three groups from south to north.

The northern part is Amami, the central islands are Okinawa, and the southern island group is Sakishima.

Okinawa is one of the largest islands in the entire Ryukyu Islands and the center of the Ryukyu Kingdom, with an area of ​​1,200 square kilometers.

The capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom was located on Okinawa Island.

Occupying Okinawa would mean controlling the entire Ryukyu Islands.

The goal of Ximentang's attack on Ryukyu this time was to occupy Okinawa and drive all the forces of the Satsuma Domain out of the Ryukyu Islands.

Ximentang mobilized a large force, dispatching the Fourth Fleet, with Chen Jie personally leading the expedition. In addition to annihilating the Satsuma Domain's fleet, another strategic objective was to cut off the Eastern Empire's sea routes.

The distance between Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island is approximately 1,300 kilometers.

According to the itinerary of the Ximentang fleet, it will take about a day and a half.

There are two small islands near Okinawa.

These two small islands have significant strategic value and are called Kumejima and Awakunijima respectively.

They were about 30 kilometers away from Okinawa Island, making them Chen Jie's primary targets.

First, we will occupy these two small islands as temporary bases for the Ximengtang. The next step is to launch a full-scale attack on the Ryukyu Islands.

Although before the expedition, Chen Jie had already emphasized to all the generals of Ximen Hall that the location of Ryukyu Island was very special and that it was necessary to take Ryukyu Island.

They even went so far as to raise the battle flag of the Great Qian Dynasty, insisting that it be planted on the Ryukyu Islands.

Since ancient times, the Ryukyu Islands have belonged to the territory of the Daqian Dynasty.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was originally a vassal state of the Daqian Dynasty, and was required to pay tribute to the Daqian Dynasty and accept its investiture and official robes.

Now it is occupied, enslaved, oppressed, and colonized by the Japanese Empire.

therefore,

This attack on Ryukyu is by no means an invasion, but a recapture!

In other words, Ximentang's dispatch of troops occupied the high ground of national righteousness, which was of extraordinary significance.

in fact,

All of Simon's generals, as well as Jack Bonaparte and others, did not quite understand Chen Jie's orders.

Given Ximentang's current strength, if they were to directly occupy Ryukyu and turn it into a colony, I believe no one would dare to say anything.

but,

Chen Jie, however, insisted on raising the banner of "righteousness for the world".

Because no one had a deep understanding of sea power, and they did not know the importance of settling in Ryukyu on the grounds of "righteousness for the world".

If we directly occupy Ryukyu Island, it would be tantamount to colonizing Ryukyu, which would be no different from the Eastern Empire.

In this way, if the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands become even slightly powerful, or if they are instigated to rebel, they could easily break out into rebellion.

Bloody suppression would not help in ruling Ryukyu.

This place is far from the Great Qian Dynasty, so it's impossible to relocate a large number of Great Qian people here.

Ultimately, the Ryukyu natives will still need to govern this area, so it is essential to occupy the "righteousness of the world".

The generals of Ximen Hall were not clear about Chen Jie's specific ideas, but they understood one thing: as long as Chen Jie said he would take Ryukyu Island, then they should start fighting immediately without any hesitation.

The Japanese were too weak in combat and had almost no ability to resist.

Therefore,
Everyone was full of confidence that they would take the Ryukyu Islands this time.

All the generals of Ximen Hall were in high spirits and hoped to gain more military merits from this capture of Ryukyu.

After a half-day rest, Chen Jie led the Ximentang army and set off for Nagasaki Island in Ryukyu.

After a day and a half's voyage, Simon's fleet finally arrived at Kume Island.

Kume Island and Awakuni Island, although colonized by the Satsuma Domain of the Toyotomi Hideyoshi for many years, had harsh living conditions and were inhabited by the original inhabitants of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

On each small island, there are not many natives, less than a thousand people, all of whom are fishermen who have lived on the island for generations.

In order to completely control the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Satsuma Domain of the Eastern Ocean stationed several thousand troops on the Ryukyu Islands.

When Shimazu Yasume led his army from Ryukyu, fearing a rebellion by the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands, he specifically arranged a force of one hundred men on each island to suppress the natives.

More than a hundred Japanese soldiers were naturally no match for Ximentang's marines landing.

Chen Jie led the Ximentang fleet to Kume Island and easily captured Kume Island and Awakuni Island without breaking a sweat.

All one hundred Japanese soldiers stationed on the island were annihilated, leaving no one alive.

After resting for an hour on the two islands, Chen Jie immediately ordered a general offensive. (End of Chapter)