Xinshun 1730

Chapter 687 Help Allies
The task Yoniko Ming accepted was to fight the Netherlands, a simple war, not too difficult.The Dutch did not have many troops in Ceylon, and were at both ends of the island.If the Netherlands cannot gain control of the sea, Dashun can defeat them one by one.

But outside of simple wars, it is difficult to not only beware of being used as a gun by allies, but also to kill allies as much as possible.

France is in the Indian region and does not have a strong fleet.The nearest fleet is in Mauritius, which is the island where the legendary "Dodo" lives. It is called Ile de France at this time, and it is near Madagascar.

The reason for sending the fleet to India, or telling the French, is that the British are plundering, and now France has opened up the ginseng and mink fur route, and each ship is worth about 10 taels of silver. Allies are willing to send warships to deter Britain, forcing Britain not to rob ships, so as to ensure peace.

Britain and France have not yet declared war. Although the two sides are fighting in full swing, Britain has never declared war on France.In the name of the British sending troops, the Elector of Hanover signed the edict of the successor of the former Holy Roman Emperor, fulfilling the obligations of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire.Including the troops sent by the United Kingdom to the European continent, they are not called the British Army, but the "National Edict Army".

The East India Company itself has the right to wage war and diplomacy on its own.Britain and France are still in peace in India.But the possibility of the British robbing the ship is extremely high, especially now that the value of the ginseng mink trade in France is extremely high.

In private, Liu Yu also made it clear to Duplex that the Dashun Fleet would not participate in the war against Britain.Dashun officials will definitely not issue a declaration to defend free trade in the Indian route and declare war on anyone who dares to rob a ship.

If the British were brave enough to rob the French ships, Dashun's fleet would choose to withdraw directly and refuse to go to war.

Duplex is quite courageous and thoughtful. He can think of a way to systematically train the Indian soldiers. If it weren't for France's lack of sea control, India would probably be French.This man is capable, and his failure is really not due to his ability.

It's okay if he is just pretending to be powerful, but I'm afraid he will use some tricks to drag Dashun's fleet into the war between Britain and France.That is really Dashun making wedding clothes for France.

At any time, it is more troublesome to guard against and use allies than to deal with enemies.

Yonikoming stayed in Ceylon for a meeting. One was to convey the real purpose to senior military officers, and the other was to make this clear: we must guard against being used by the French.

In a word, during the berthing in India, always maintain a high level of vigilance, keep ships patrolling outside the port, and avoid conflicts as much as possible.

As for how Duplex will use the visit of the Dashun fleet, as long as Dashun's famous swordsman is not allowed to fight with the British, how much he can use is his ability.

The fleet did not stay in Ceylon for too long. Maps, terrain, port hydrology, etc. had already been drawn into maps and compiled into books. February happens to be the dry season, with drought and little rain, which is suitable for combat in the gunpowder era.Those secret operations hidden among the immigrants continue to lurk, and there is no need for them to do anything for the time being.

In early December, the squadron arrived in Pondicherry as scheduled.During the voyage, they also encountered several ships of the British East India Company. Seeing the size of the Dashun fleet, the British side rationally chose to avoid them, and even lowered their sails to show their favor.

The French held a grand welcome ceremony in Pondicherry, and Duplex's speech was also quite connotative, advocating the friendly relationship between China and France.These speeches were neither for the French nor for the people of Dashun, but for the British.These words will definitely pass through the mouths of some people to the British East India Company.

The earliest battleships of the Dashun Navy were all French, and the new battleships were also based on French blueprints. Most of the instructors were French. The only difference is that Dashun did not choose to bury the corpse in the sand, but threw it into the sea in the British style. Water burial.The senior officers of the fleet can basically speak French, and there is no obstacle in communication. They are basically satisfied with this welcome ceremony.

After the welcome ceremony, Mantou reiterated the meaning of Dashun with Duplex again, and Duplex also expressed his absolute support and understanding.

But in my heart, I have a different idea.

It would be best to get Dashun involved in the war between Britain and France. This is the best result, but it is also the most difficult.

The second point is to use the opportunity of the Dashun fleet's visit to scare the British ships from dispatching, because the British fleet in India is not large, and it is not the opponent of the Dashun squadron.

As long as the British did not gain control of the sea, Duplex believed that he could capture Madras.

Pondicherry is the territory of the French, and one or two hundred miles to the north is Madras in England.Further north, there is also the territory of France.Madras is like a nail stuck in the heart of France in southern India, and Duplex has long wanted to pull it out.

But Madras is by the sea.

As long as the British fleet is dispatched and supported at sea, it is really delusional to want to capture Madras.

Even if Dashun does not participate in the competition between Britain and France, as long as it can frighten the British and keep the British fleet from dispatching, it will be considered a great help.

Dashun's fleet was watching from the side, and the British would definitely not dare to gather all the fleets to defend Madras.I'm afraid that in case of an undeclared war, the British fleet in India will be piled up near Madras and wiped out by a wave, then this battle will be impossible to fight.

Therefore, even if Dashun didn't participate in the war, but just stood on the platform, it was a great help.

Duplex's strategy is very simple. He believes that the soldiers of various Indian princes, Jiedu envoys, and Tubang are of no use even if they hold muskets and cannons.

According to his observations, adopting a new drill method and training a group of Indian soldiers according to the standards of European field troops is enough to form a snowball effect.It only needs to be conquered by force, as long as the British are driven away, it is not difficult for those people in the Palace of Versailles to conquer India like a dream.

After capturing Madras and connecting the spheres of influence of France, you can train the soldiers.

He has his own ideas, and wants to use part of Dashun's strength to pretend to be a tiger.

However, Dashun also has its own ideas, and wants to trick the French.

What's more, this big pit has been dug many years ago.

The Battle of Britain and the West broke out in the Jenkins Ear War, and Dashun provided the British with ports and supplies, allowing the British to capture Manila.

Now in Manila, the fleet led by George Anson has just captured a Manila galleon, with rich results and high morale.

This is the foundation of Liu Yukeng Frenchman.

Although George Anson had a conflict with Liu Yu, and Liu Yu was quite disgusted with his insulting attitude, but there is one thing to say, the command ability at sea, it is not a problem to beat the French.After all, it is also the No.1 fleet sailing around the world.

Now the news that the Dashun fleet is going to Pondicherry must have spread to Luzon.Duplex is here to promote the friendship between China and France. When the Dashun fleet set sail, Dashun himself promoted it in the same way. Of course, the British East India Company's shop in Dashun can get the news.

Once China and the Netherlands go to war, the British will suddenly realize: Oh, so you are going to fight the Netherlands, so what are you afraid of?George Anson directly led the Luzon fleet to support India, wouldn't he directly regain the sea power?

As long as Britain gains control of the sea, life will be difficult for France.

How big is the difference?
Historically, Duplex used his personal relationship to find the Governor of Mauritius, asked for fleet support, gained command of the sea, and captured Madras... 6 dead, 14 injured, and captured Madras, which the British have worked hard for a century .

Subsequently, the French fleet encountered a "kamikaze", and Britain regained its command of the sea.The same troops and the same commander attacked Fort St. David, and were defended by the British for 18 months, and it was the garrison commander who went out and was caught by the French cavalry before the siege.

Liu Yu doesn't want France to have an advantage in India. It is best for the British to have an advantage, so that France can choose a more intelligent diplomatic strategy in Europe. Don't be too aggressive in Europe, and sell some of its interests appropriately, so as to achieve both sides. It can pull Austria and Russia into its allies at any time.

Dashun's strategy here is to capture some of the Dutch strongholds in India after occupying Ceylon, and prepare to intervene in the infighting of the Jiedu envoys in various parts of India.

Return to the old story of Yelu Deguang's adoption of the emperor.

In these years, once the military leaders and Jiedu envoys from various places in India die, the people under their command or their children and grandchildren will definitely have their brains beaten out.If outsiders can provide support, or even directly help from the army, not to mention three or five cities, they can do it even if they go to Dashun to pay tribute.

Jiedu envoys of the ruling class, how can there be any morals, whoever sells the country well, and whoever sells the country badly, most of them will die.

Dashun wants to get ahead of France and intervene in the infighting between Indian envoys.This requires that France must lose the wind in the confrontation with the United Kingdom. It is powerless and can only watch Dashun gain an advantage in the south of Pondicherry.

And this is the basis of the future "Shangdang Return to Zhao" plan.

Mantou got the news from Liu Yu, he is the best candidate to uphold Liu Yu's strategic conception.

In August before, Liu Yu had already arrived in Guangzhou, had a face-to-face meeting with Mantou, and clarified her vision.

In view of the monsoon season and the rainy and dry seasons, the French must launch an attack as soon as possible and take the initiative to launch an attack, so that the British fleet in Luzon can understand Dashun's intentions tacitly after receiving the news of Dashun's war against the Netherlands, so that George Anson led the circumnavigation fleet with the battleship Centurion as the flagship and arrived in India during the dry season.

Give the British command of the seas and sea superiority in India before the monsoons to hit the French.

Generally speaking, the British have an advantage in the number of troops. Mumbai, which was used as a dowry, is still in the hands of the British, and the British in the north are not small.As long as he has the command of the sea, even if Duplex is capable, it is impossible to change the fleet, and it will be useless after all.

In addition, in order to stimulate the British, use Sino-French cooperation to stimulate the British, so that the British will increase their investment in India, thereby completely suppressing France. Dashun cannot cut itself too cleanly from France.

It is necessary for the British to see a kind of "separation", which looks like an ally, but does not feel so close.

In order to achieve these two goals, Mantou offered a "help" to Duplex.

"Mr. Duplex, there is no doubt about the personal friendship between Whale Hou and you. He asked me to give you appropriate help."

"For this, we can provide you with two cruise ships. We have also brought some French instructors from Weihai this time, and they can directly become fleet commanders. Some of our gunners can be used as mercenaries, and the sailors, most importantly It’s better that you provide it yourself.”

"We will also send observers and ships. You can only fly the French flag and recognize that this is your ship."

"Of course, if it is used normally, you only need to be reimbursed for repairs, wear and tear, and gunpowder. If it sinks, you need to pay for the cost of the warship."

"As for our main fleet, it is absolutely impossible to participate in the war. We are just standing in the street for friendship, and if we really fight, we will run away."

"These two cruise ships must be held in a grand ceremony and publicly leased to your country, so as to completely disregard the relationship with the Celestial Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)