Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 691 Pearl River Estuary Task Force
The navy is responsible for carrying out this operation, and the specific combat area is expanded to the entire Guangdong sea area, with the Pearl River Estuary as the key combat area.

"The goal of this military operation is to create as much turmoil and chaos as possible in the Pearl River Delta region, so it is not only necessary to organize shelling, but also to carry out small-scale landing warfare to destroy and attack targets on the shore." Chen Haiyang explained the campaign Determined, "Our strike targets are mainly government facilities, and try not to strike civilian targets. However, if we encounter resistance from local armed forces, we will conduct a comprehensive annihilation operation."

Ships at sea, unless they are naval warships of the official army, are not captured in principle, unless the other party first engages in provocative and aggressive behavior.

"Because of the particularity of this operation, the ships participating in the operation will be equipped with more sailors than usual, and additionally carry a number of army artillery for the landing battle."

"If this combat activity is carried out, the warship will enter the Pearl River." Mond stood up and asked, "We don't know anything about the hydrology of the Pearl River in this time and space. We don't know the dark sand, shallows and tidal conditions very well."

"No, we have a good grasp." Xu said, "Don't you think that the ships of the Gaoguang Shipping Company and our navy's transport ships have not carried out hydrographic surveys so many times to and from Guangzhou?"

"So we have enough hydrological data of the Pearl River for the captains to use?" Mond has spent many days in the hospital since the rescue of the five-masted ship, and also in the nursing home for a long time.

Xu Xu said: There are many such intelligence materials in the intelligence database set up by the Foreign Intelligence Agency, and they are currently concentrating manpower to compile them.Soon the Navy will be able to obtain an unprecedented detailed information on the hydrology and waterway conditions of the Pearl River Estuary.

"The sailing conditions in the waters of the Pearl River are very good. From the mouth of the Pearl River up to Guangzhou, even holy ships can reach it. The small and medium-sized sailboats we mainly use will not have any problems. So there is no need to worry about the depth of the water - and it is now more difficult than in the 21st century." 400 years earlier, the sedimentation of the Pearl River was much lighter."

Chen Haiyang said: "The waterway of the Pearl River is still quite complicated. Especially the landing battle will enter the near-shore waters, so some indigenous captains who are familiar with the waterway of the Pearl River will be arranged to participate."

Despite everyone's strong confidence in their technological superiority, the more experienced naval officers still had great apprehension about the Pearl River Estuary campaign.This is not only because of the complicated hydrological conditions in the Pearl River Estuary and the interior of the Pearl River. There are dark sands under the river, and the waterway has not been repaired.

During the Opium War, when the British Navy entered the Pearl River waterway to attack Guangzhou, it mainly used paddle steamers as towing ships, and sailed warships and bombardment ships to gain mobility.

"We don't have paddle steamers for the time being, but we have Daihatsu motor boats." Chen Haiyang said, "Daihatsu boats have good maneuverability, and they can barely do the job of towing ships. convoy."

Wen Desi disagreed: "How did the British fleet go to Baietan during the Opium War? Their hydrological data may not be more than ours, and they also drove thousands of tons of warships to the city of Guangzhou? Even if there is no hydrological data Information, it is enough to use a small boat to measure the water depth and place channel buoys. At most, the sailing speed will be slower.”

"In order to ensure this blockade and harassment operation, the Navy will set up a Pearl River Estuary Detachment." Li Di began to report on the formation of the fleet in the plan.

The battleships of the squadron will mainly use spy boats—that is, refitted traditional Chinese-style brigs and three-masted ships, and some spy boats will reduce the amount of ammunition they carry, and ship as many sea troops and cannons as possible.

16 special agent boats and 8 fast single-masted patrol boats are used as the armed fleet, and another 20 special agent boats are incorporated to transport sailors and supplies.Considering that the Pearl River Estuary is 500 nautical miles away from Lingao, the "Big Whale" and several special supply ships were also included.

At the beginning of the operation, the Navy will first establish a temporary fort on Hong Kong Island.As the logistics supply and rest base of the Pearl River Estuary Detachment of the Navy.

Regardless of the future commercial value of Hong Kong Island, it is located outside the Pearl River Estuary, with excellent ports and certain fresh water resources, making it an ideal base for naval detachment activities.The crossing group is located in Hainan, and its sea power is in the westernmost part of the Guangdong-Guangzhou sea area. It has little influence on the entire Guangdong coast. Once it occupies Hong Kong Island and sets up a permanent detachment and a naval base, it means it has a strong presence outside the Pearl River Estuary. Every move can affect Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta region.It not only controls Guangdong's foreign trade, but also protects the safety of its own routes.

Of course, this move is likely to be viewed by Liu Xiang as a challenge to his maritime supremacy in Guangdong.But the General Staff and the Intelligence Bureau judged: Even so, Liu Xiang might not dare to open fire with the Crossing Group immediately——Zheng Zhilong was still staring at him.If he goes all out to attack the time-traveling group, Zheng Zhilong will never let go of this good opportunity to attack him with the time-traveling group.

Li Di expressed concern: "But the Pearl River Estuary is his territory after all. This is his fundamental place, and he will not back down easily!"

"If he wants to start a war, we will completely eliminate him," Chen Haiyang said. "We will have a battle with Liu Xiang sooner or later. It is inevitable."

Having said that, Liu Xiang's strength is very strong after all, and the waters of the Pearl River Estuary are the areas where his fleet is often active.Compared with the sparse Ming army camps and outposts on the shore, it is entirely possible for Liu Xiang to use his numerical advantage to deal with the squadron.

The navy's plan is: if this happens, use the Hong Kong base as a support point to firmly attract Liu Xiang's main force near the Pearl River Estuary, and then dispatch the main naval force from Lingao to deal a devastating blow to Liu Xiang.The plan is even to dispatch holy ships to fight if necessary.

The squadron sent to the Pearl River Estuary was led by Chen Haiyang himself.There are quite a few navies who are willing to be fleet commanders, but most of them just know how to operate a ship.I swallowed a lot of naval knowledge in my stomach, and only God knows if I can digest it.Therefore, the executive committee and the navy have reconsidered that it is better for Chen Haiyang to lead the fleet in person.At least he was a real naval officer.

"I really feel a little incompetent," he said.As of today, all his sailing achievements are only as a captain.The concept of how to command a fleet of sailing ships is basically all from books and Vendor.

Modern naval soldiers like Chen Haiyang don’t know more about how to command warships in the age of sails than Wen Desi. Anyway, the knowledge of both comes from the books of naval history.

"Mr. Wen, do you want to go with the fleet?"

"Of course, I am very happy." Wen Desi readily agreed.

"That's great, I think the burden is too heavy. I haven't engaged in a sailing fleet."

"I haven't done it either, anyway, it's each other." Wen Desi touched the beard on his chin, "Which one is your flagship going to choose?"

"Linte No. 11, this is a three-masted large ship with nearly [-] tons. It is the largest ship in the task force. It also has many cabins and can carry the headquarters. Would you like to take this ship with me? "

"Okay." Wen Desi nodded. Although it was a ship of nearly [-] tons, it was actually a very small ship.Even a large European sailing ship like the Gothenburg with a displacement of more than a thousand tons has a very limited internal volume.When going to sea, the environment is not much better after being crowded with sailors and supplies.But it will take a few days to reach Hong Kong Island.At that time, the headquarters will be directly located on Hong Kong Island.

Shi Shishi licked his fingers in satisfaction - this was a bad habit that he never got rid of in the training class for naval officers.Of course, it is impossible for a person who boarded a boat at a young age and wandered around to have good manners.The chest of his naval officer's uniform was stained with grease.A big lunch left him feeling drowsy.

There are not many traces of being a pirate in Shi Shishi's body anymore. Although his body was very strong in the past, his posture is crooked, and his head is always turned to one side.The current queue training and systematic physical training have greatly improved his mental outlook and physical posture.He became strong and well-proportioned, with a clean-shaven beard and hair.

He is wearing a dark blue navy officer uniform, which is a new summer suit. In addition to using cotton and linen blends to increase air permeability, he also changed the stand-up collar to a small open collar-all army and navy officers feel uncomfortable about wearing stand-up collar clothes in summer. Hot and uncomfortable.

Shi Shishi is now a lieutenant in the navy—commanding a squadron of spy boats.He has learned how to command the squadron to form at sea: the most important thing is that the whole squadron fires in a column; how to seize the upper hand in naval battles, and how to grasp the best firing distance and time.

He never thought that naval battles could be carried out in this way. In the past, he knew a little bit about the inside ways, but no one had ever summed it up so accurately and meticulously, and explained it clearly in words. If he couldn't understand the description in words , and numerous diagrams and model presentations to facilitate his understanding.

He learned the semaphore, learned how to judge the distance of the target and the speed of the ship... Finally he knew the rules for firing salutes, how to eat and speak as a naval officer... Naval training and red tape made Shi Shishi gradually Become unrecognizable.

However, such days made him feel very happy - because Shi Shishi knew that he had become a "noble" person now, and as a pirate, no matter how many men and ships he had, he was still a bandit.It's not loud enough to say it either.

(End of this chapter)