Volume 4: Hot! The whole world is a warring state Chapter 696: The Navy’s New Weapon
"In order to buy enough time for the engineers who were building the fortress, the navy officers and soldiers, although knowing that they were defeated, still left the port without hesitation... After a day and two nights of fierce fighting, the main fleet of the Ming Navy fought for a full 36 hours. The Yunnan sank, the Guizhou sank, the Sichuan sank, and even the flagship Jilin was severely damaged... But we still did not retreat! Admiral Li Guozhu was killed, and a new commander continued to fight! There were also warships like the Shangqiu, which returned to the battlefield immediately after emergency repairs outside the battlefield. At the most dangerous moment of the battle, they hit the enemy ship with their own bodies. Captain Zhu Congquan and Chief Gunner Zhang Daniu did not hesitate to feed the torpedoes with their own bodies, and used their own broken bones to exchange for the heavy damage of the enemy flagship!
...Finally, thanks to the hard work of the soldiers at the front, the mine fleet was able to lay several layers of mines along the Singapore Harbor. By the time the enemy sent cannon fodder ships to wade through the mine array again, 72 hours had already passed. Faced with the well-equipped defense system of the Singapore fortress, the enemy had no choice but to withdraw in disgrace..."
On December 9, the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, the Yanjing Daily was the first to publish the article, which was quickly followed by other major newspapers. This article, written by Zhu Youdong himself in pure vernacular, "Knowing that they were defeated, they still did not hesitate," completely ignited the emotions of the people of the Ming Dynasty. For a while, in addition to the young people enthusiastically signing up to join the army, there were countless donations of money and materials.
However, although Zhu Youdong used a very sensational article to cover up the predicament of the Ming Dynasty in terms of sea control, it is an indisputable fact that the sea control has changed hands.
In the Battle of Malacca from November 5 to 7, 1639, the main fleet of the Ming Dynasty sent out 30 ironclad ships, but only six 3,000-ton warships were withdrawn in the end. More than 9,000 people on the warships boarded the ships, but some were killed, some were missing, and some were captured... In short, 6,000 people failed to return to Singapore Port!
The Ming Navy suffered its first devastating blow since its reconstruction by Zhu Youdong.
When the news of the battle reached Beijing, Zhu Youdong burst into tears. Then he cursed Li Guozhu, who had died in the battle, and Yan Siqi, who was seriously injured and lost an eye and an arm in the battle.
In his opinion, if the Singapore fortress was not completed and could not be defended, there was no need to defend it. The preservation of the main naval force was more important than anything else. There was no doubt that the enemy's plan was clear: to capture Singapore and block the Ming forces in the South China Sea. Spain, which had captured Singapore, could also use it as a base to send warships to wantonly invade the Ming mainland and the coastal areas of various vassal states.
Now, Singapore was defended, but for the Spaniards who had almost completely annihilated the main fleet of the Ming Dynasty, although they could not take Singapore for the time being, the Ming Dynasty's South China Sea hinterland was also completely open.
Think about it, if the Spanish took Singapore, but the Ming main fleet was still there, then if the Spanish wanted to invade the coastal areas of Ming and its vassal states, for the sake of safety, the entire fleet must be held together.
Now, although the Spanish failed to take Singapore, the Ming Dynasty’s fleet almost no longer exists. Couldn’t Spain split its fleet into many squadrons and harass most of the Ming Dynasty and its vassal states at the same time?
Therefore, even though Li Guozhu and Yan Siqi fought with inferior forces to destroy the enemy's four heavy cruisers and fifteen light cruisers and destroyers, and the Marquis and Duke had to return to the mainland for repairs before returning to the battle line, the enemy's remaining 10,000-ton battleship and two heavy cruisers were already able to march sideways in the South China Sea.
The strategic situation of the Ming Dynasty became .
On December 15, Zhu Youdong summoned a person to the Qianqing Palace.
"Your Majesty, Inukai Tōji, pays homage to the Emperor."
"General Inukai, please stand up. You have worked hard in the battle of Malacca."
"I am ashamed. Admiral Kunisuke died a heroic death. I was originally prepared to follow in his footsteps. But then I remembered the emperor's teachings that if you save people, you lose land. So that day, when the mine warfare team sent someone to inform us that the mine array had been laid, I did not fight to the end with the remaining three warships. Instead, I chose to run ashore nearby, just to leave more naval seeds for the emperor."
"I am very pleased that you can think of this when the battle is at its most intense. Alas, if all the soldiers on your three warships were killed, my navy would be left with no one to use in the future."
This is not a lie: the Ming Navy had four fleets before the EU's attack on India: the mainland, the South Seas, the Americas, and India. After the Battle of Malacca in November, the Ming Navy now only has the American Fleet, commanded by Lieutenant General Du Youning, who succeeded Zheng Zhilong and just transferred from the South Sea Fleet to the American Fleet.
Fortunately, Inukai Toji led three 5,000-ton ships to the beach that day. After the three ships landed, in order to prevent the three warships from being captured by the enemy, they blew up the keels of the warships and retreated safely - thus bringing back nearly 2,000 people. Otherwise, the Ming Navy would have really lost everything.
"Now, I am preparing to rebuild the Ming Dynasty's home fleet. After discussing with the country's important ministers, everyone unanimously agreed that you will serve as the commander of the home fleet."
"Ah? Your Majesty, this is inappropriate, isn't it?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"I am Japanese. No, I am of Japanese descent. I am a member of the Japanese ethnic group."
"So what?"
"Your Majesty, where is General Yan Siqi?"
"He is seriously injured and will need a long time to recover. Even if he recovers, I don't plan to let him board the ship. His future position is to replace the elderly Mr. Xiong and serve as the Privy Councilor."
"Oh, this is really good news. Can our navy also serve as privy councilors?"
"Why not? After fighting with Spain for so long, everyone has seen clearly that without the navy, the army is at a disadvantage everywhere. So, isn't it natural to let someone from the navy serve as the privy councilor at this time?"
"Your Majesty is wise. However, I still feel that it is not suitable. Um, what about General Du?"
"He has just been transferred to America. How can it make sense to spend half a year there and then transfer him back? Besides, you know that the navy of our Ming Dynasty is still composed of many heroes brought back from Japan by Li Guozhu and Yan Siqi. It seems that only you can control these people now."
"...I understand. In this case, I will accept this position with all my heart. I beg Your Majesty to find a suitable candidate to replace me as soon as possible."
"Very good." Zhu Youdong stood up and walked in front of Inukai Dongji: "Next, how do you think the battle situation will change?"
"Your Majesty, there is no doubt that after the Battle of Malacca, we will lose control of the South China Sea . Our merchant ships will not be able to cross the Strait of Malacca, and will be very unsafe even in the South China Sea. The current task of the navy is to concentrate all the combat forces and conduct guerrilla warfare at sea in accordance with what Your Majesty taught us in the early years: 'When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy stays, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue'. Once we have a local advantage, we will try to attack the enemy or even annihilate it. Rely on multiple battles to gradually eliminate the enemy."
Hiss, how come this guy is so good at learning? Yes, Li Guozhu and Yan Siqi, especially Li Guozhu, had been independent at sea for a long time before following me. Their thinking has long been fixed. In particular, they have the mentality of "The emperor can't know more about naval warfare than me, I will just listen to what he says and decide whether to do it or not."
But this Inukai Dongji was different. He was born in a humble family. When he came to the Ming Dynasty, he was taught by the emperor. He remembered every word of Zhu Youdong's words. So now it sounds like he knows everything.
"General Inukai, what you said just now is very good. I am now more confident in handing over the entire Ming domestic fleet to you."
"Well, Your Majesty, I dare to ask a question. How many ships do I have as the commander of the Home Fleet? Can we recall some more from the American Squadron? After all, as far as I know, the Home Fleet doesn't even have a 5,000-ton ship now."
"Yes, that's true. I'm telling you the truth. After the Privy Council and the Ministry of National Defense have counted, there are only eleven 3,000-ton warships in the entire South China Sea. In addition to the two battleships, Yu Tonghai and Zheng He, under construction in the shipyard, there are ten more 2,000-ton warships that will be put into service within a month."
" Huh?" Inukai Touji raised his head in astonishment. "Your Majesty, I know that Yu Tonghai and Zheng He will take at least two years to enter service, and I don't expect to have a 10,000-ton warship in the short term. But, I remember that Changsha Factory and Binhai Factory both have a 5,000-ton warship that has completed outfitting and started sea trials. You have to give me these two ships."
"There are no 5,000-ton warships. In addition to the three existing 5,000-ton warships in the American fleet, the two new ones will also be sent to America. I have already decided that since the Western bandits have not been satisfied with India and want to take Southeast Asia, I will deploy heavy troops in America and completely destroy his backyard... Therefore, the naval power of America must be strengthened."
"Your Majesty!" Inukai Touji was about to cry, "I originally thought that the South China Sea is much wider than Malacca, and there is no point that must be defended. I relied on two 5,000-ton warships as the backbone, with a group of 3,000-ton warships, and took advantage of the fact that the enemy only has one 10,000-ton giant ship available... As long as I am smart, the navy can still do something. But your arrangement... Your Majesty is far-sighted and has a comprehensive view of the overall situation. I fully agree with deploying heavy troops in America at this time. However, this is the homeland of my Ming Dynasty!"
"Hahaha, General Inukai, how could I make things difficult for you? Don't worry, in the next naval battle, our Ming Dynasty still has a chance. The balance of victory lies in the ten 2,000-ton fast battleships that will soon be commissioned."
"Your Majesty, please stop playing tricks on me. What's the use of a 2,000-ton warship? Can it be used as a communication ship relying on its high speed?"
"Well, I didn't explain it clearly to the general. Of course, this matter is also absolutely confidential. The people of Fangshan Academy of Sciences feel deeply guilty because of the disadvantages of the Ming Dynasty in naval battles. When they couldn't create giant ships in the short term, the remedy they thought of was to develop new naval weapons for the navy. There are no finished products now, but I have given these guys a name - torpedoes!"
