I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Upon seeing Rintaro, he didn't even exchange pleasantries, and immediately said, "Rintaro, quickly tell me all the information about the enemy ships."

Katsurin Taro was taken aback for a moment, then quickly came to his senses, nodded vigorously, and gestured for Aoto to sit down.

As soon as Qing Deng's buttocks touched the stool, Sheng Lin Taro spread a map on the table in front of him.

"Qingdeng, please look."

Aoto leaned down to look—this was a nautical chart of the Tsugaru Strait, with Hakodate to the north and Aomori to the south.

"Just the day before yesterday, our scouts successfully located the enemy ships' location. All three enemy warships were anchored east of Hakodate Bay."

As Katsura Rintaro gave his concise report, he pointed to the map.

Hakodate Bay – as the name suggests, is located at the mouth of a bay on the south side of Hakodate.

With the strong support of the shogunate, Hakodate Bay is transforming into an international port, and its infrastructure has developed significantly, making it capable of accommodating huge warships.

Qingdeng asked:

"Have you identified the type of enemy ship?"

Katsura Rintaro nodded:

"Confirmed. All three warships are ironclad! Each warship is equipped with 16 cannons!"

When he mentioned the words "ironclad warship" and "16 cannons," Katsura Rintarou unconsciously emphasized them, and his face darkened.

"...Now that we know the enemy ships' location, what are we waiting for?"

Qingdeng straightened his back, his tone indifferent.

"Rintaro, prepare all ships for attack! Launch a night raid tonight! Sink the enemy ships!"

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Chapter 1066 "Who do you take me for? Move the boat closer!" [5200]

Upon hearing the words "Launch a night raid tonight! Sink the enemy ships!", Katsura Rintaro suddenly fell into a huge state of confusion, as if a bomb had exploded in his mind.

He stared wide-eyed at Qingdeng with disbelief.

To verify its authenticity, he cautiously asked in return:

"Qingdeng, I'm sorry, you just said..."

Qing Deng smiled, his tone carrying a hint of teasing:

"Rintaro, you're not even old yet, how come your hearing is deteriorating? Have all the ships prepare for attack. Tonight, launch a night raid and sink the enemy ships."

His tone turned serious and earnest for the second half of his speech.

You heard right... Qingdeng really plans to launch a night attack on the enemy ships!

After a brief moment of shock, Katsura Rintaro rallied his spirits, frowned, and quickly said:

"Qingdeng, please forgive my bluntness, but isn't it too hasty to launch a strong attack on the enemy ships tonight?"

Aoto remained calm and composed, not directly responding to Katsura Rintaro's question, but instead asking in return:

"Rintaro, if you were to lead our fleet into a direct confrontation with the enemy fleet, what are your chances of winning?"

"..."

Katsurin Taro fell silent. He pursed his lips tightly, as if choking.

Although he was the creator of the Shogunate Navy, he was only very knowledgeable in theory.

In reality, he had no practical combat experience whatsoever!

He can strategize from the rear and easily devise hundreds or even thousands of plans, but when it comes to actually putting them into practice on the front lines, he doesn't have that same confidence.

Moreover, the equipment gap between the two sides is simply too great.

We are currently living in an era of rapid advancements in naval technology, with new naval equipment emerging almost every year.

Ironclad warships are the most advanced and powerful warships to emerge in recent years! Without a doubt!

The enemy's three warships were all ironclads covered with steel armor, possessing first-class defensive capabilities.

In contrast, their punitive expedition's warships were all wooden paddle steamers (exterior-wheel type), powered by sails, making them one or two generations behind their opponents.

The gap in artillery was even greater.

The Kanko Maru and Fuji Maru each had 6 cannons, while the Kanrin Maru had slightly more, with 12. In total, the three warships had only 24 cannons.

Each of the enemy's warships had 16 cannons! That's a total of 48 cannons! That's twice as many as theirs!

As the vice-commander of the punitive expedition, Katsura Rintaro did not want to say anything discouraging.

With such a huge equipment gap... the chances of winning in a head-on confrontation are slim!

Aoto spoke for Katsu Rintaro, saying what he couldn't say:

"If we confront them head-on, we will only suffer a crushing defeat."

"Since there's no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation, we can only try a different approach, right?"

"Night raids have always been the best way to turn the tide between the enemy and ourselves."

"Given the current situation, we have no other options besides launching a night attack on enemy ships."

As Qingdeng spoke, he took out three black pieces and three white pieces from the chess box next to him.

He placed three black pieces in Hakodate Bay to represent enemy ships, and then placed three white pieces in Aomori to represent his own ships.

"I plan to send all my warships to approach Hakodate Bay under cover of night and carry out a boarding maneuver against the enemy ships. It just so happens that today is a cloudy day, which is perfect for our operation."

He turned his head and glanced at the sky outside the tent.

Thick, gray clouds separated the sky from the earth.

Judging from the thickness of these clouds, they won't dissipate even at night, which will perfectly block out the moonlight and conceal the fleet's movements.

Katsura Rintaro raised an eyebrow:

"Should we use boarding maneuvers to deal with the enemy ships?"

"Rintaro, do you think our cannons can penetrate the enemy ship's armor?"

"If we fire a dozen or so rounds in one go, we might be able to penetrate the enemy ship's armor."

Qing Deng shrugged:

"But night raids are all about speed, quick in and quick out, we don't have time to fire slowly."

"If we can't take down the enemy ships in a short time, we'll be in trouble when they launch a counterattack."

Even the most sturdy ironclad warships are bound to have internal vulnerabilities.

“We should send our most elite swordsmen and gunmen to board the enemy ship and sabotage it from the inside.”

"Close combat is our strength, and there's no reason not to make good use of it."

Qing Deng paused for a moment, then joked:

"Luckily, I brought the Second Division with me."

Katsura Rintaro stared intently at the map before him, his facial features tense and his cheeks filled with deep thought.

A moment later, he let out a long sigh of relief, a look of understanding on his face.

"...Yes, Qingdeng, you're right. The only feasible strategy to destroy the enemy ships right now is a night raid!"

"If the night raid succeeds, even if we only destroy one enemy ship, it will greatly increase our chances of winning!"

Qingdeng nodded:

"Now there's only one problem left—how to resolve the elevation difference between the warships. Rintaro, which ship has a higher deck compared to the enemy ship?"

Without hesitation, Katsura Rintaro answered:

"The enemy ship was taller, with a height difference of about 3 meters."

"3 meters...this height is tricky..."

Katsura Rintaro interrupted:

"We can only use traditional tactics now. Throw out a rope with a grappling hook, hook it onto the enemy ship's hull, and then climb up the rope."

"Okay, let's do it this way. Do we have a hook rope?"

"Of course. Don't forget, we brought more than just the Hamrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru; we also brought dozens of old sailing ships. These old ships have plenty of grappling hooks and ropes."

Qingdeng nodded:

"Very good, bring all the hooks and ropes tonight!"

A hint of hesitation appeared on Katsura Rintaro's face:

"Qingdeng, isn't launching a night raid tonight a bit too hasty?"

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Now that we've made a decision, there's no reason to drag things out. Besides, it's a cloudy day today, and the timing is in our hands. If we miss this opportunity, who knows if we'll ever have such a good chance again?"

Aoto paused for a moment, then cast a mocking glance at Katsu Rintaro.

"Rintaro, don't tell me that while I was away from headquarters, you guys spent your days eating, drinking, and playing, neglecting your training and losing your fighting spirit."

Upon hearing this, Katsu Rintaro immediately straightened his back, raised his head, and declared in a righteous and resounding voice:

"Absolutely impossible! I, Katsu Rintaro, would swear on my life that our army is always in a state of high morale and ready to fight at any time!"

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

Having said that, Qingdeng, supporting himself with the Vairocana pendant at his waist, slowly stood up.

"Tonight, I will personally lead the charge!"

Katsura Rintaro was taken aback:

"Qingdeng, are you going to the front lines again?"