Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Take the initiative and lift the maritime blockade!
After completing the defense arrangements for the capital, Chen Jie began preparations to launch a head-on attack on the Eastern Fleet.

This time,
Chen Jie didn't want to continue waiting passively; instead, he took the initiative.

Using Tianjin Port, the fortress of Dagukou in Tianjin, as a base, they could sweep away the Japanese fleet in the Bohai Bay, the Yellow Sea, or the East China Sea, repelling the enemy on the high seas.

With the deployment of the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean, their forces were strong and well-equipped, and their combat power was almost enough to sweep across the entire Asia.

Therefore,
The two fleets of Ximentang dared not let their guard down in the slightest.

After the two fleets were established, they had not yet experienced actual combat at sea.

A naval raid on the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean would serve as a good test of the combined combat capabilities of the two fleets under Ximentang.

of course.

Chen Jie wasn't trying to compete with the Japanese fleet in terms of the number of warships, nor was he trying to compare the tonnage of their warships.

On the high seas, the Simond Fleet has its own unique tactics.

The true naval spearhead is the 'Storm' fast attack ship.

Speed!
This is the overwhelming advantage of the Ximentang fleet: by employing rapid maneuverability, it can create a naval strangulation attack and crush the Eastern Fleet in one fell swoop.

Simultaneously,

Chen Jie's personal expedition was also intended to intimidate the various forces within the Great Qian Dynasty.

Therefore,
After discussing the matter with the core members of Ximentang, Chen Jie made a decision.

The Second Fleet and the French Fleet were dispatched, along with transport ships from the Grand Canal, while the First Fleet docked at Tianjin Port to ensure the safety of the coastal area of ​​Daqian.

Ten days later.

Chen Jie, Jack Bonaparte, Zhang Wenbo, and others boarded the cruiser and set off for Jeju Island in the East Sea.

Jeju Island is located in the middle of the seas of Daegu, Dongyang, and Goryeo.

It was also known as Tamna and belonged to the Goryeo Dynasty.

After departing from Daqian, the Ximentang Second Fleet and the French Fleet arrived at Hanlim Port on Jeju Island in half a day.

Hanlin Port is just a very small harbor, much like a small fishing village.

Although Jeju Island belonged to the Goryeo Dynasty, the Goryeo Dynasty was a vassal state of the Daqian Dynasty.

Ximentang's fleet arrived at Jeju Island without needing to inform the other party.

After landing on Jeju Island, Chen Jie instructed his intelligence personnel to contact the military intelligence department.

quickly,

Specific intelligence regarding the 6th, 7th, and 8th Fleets of the Eastern Ocean has arrived.

This time, the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean consisted of a total of 24 cruisers, and the commander-in-chief was named Sato Kichigo. The largest cruiser among them was the "Toyo", with a displacement of 4500 tons.

In addition, there were the Yoshida and Oigumo, the most advanced protected cruisers in the Eastern Fleet.

Each cruiser had a displacement of over 3000 tons and was equipped with several 150mm rapid-fire guns and 120mm rapid-fire guns.

The three fleets set out together, with a total force of over 100,000 men.

Among them were as many as 36 troop transport ships and more than 50 gunboats.

Clearly, the Japanese military wanted to build an invincible naval fleet to compete with the Western powers.

Therefore,
After the Japanese defeated the Beiyang Fleet of the Daqian Dynasty in the Yellow Sea, they began to develop their navy on a large scale.

The eight fleets of the Eastern Ocean had more than sixty cruisers alone, and more than three hundred gunboats.

With such a massive naval force, it's no wonder that the Japanese were targeting not only the northeast of the Great Qian Dynasty, but the whole of Asia.

Chen Jie led the Ximentang Second Fleet to Jeju Island, which conveniently blocked the throat of the Eastern Fleet.

The Eastern Fleet had to pass through Jeju Island to reach Lushun Port in Dalian, northeast of the Daqian Dynasty.

The local Korean natives quickly surrendered after Chen Jie led his troops to land.

The Koreans were quite efficient, organizing more than 20,000 people to help build defensive fortifications.

but,

Chen Jie stated that Ximentang possessed sufficient strength to defeat the Eastern Fleet, and instructed the Koreans to prepare manpower on Jeju Island to detain the Eastern prisoners.

Chen Jie is full of confidence for the upcoming battle.

of course,

This great battle is inevitable, and Ximentang will not be allowed to back down.

As soon as Chen Jie disembarked, he immediately summoned all the key personnel of the Second Fleet of the Ximentang Navy, and at the same time convened Jack Bonaparte for a meeting to discuss the next tactical arrangements.

The information provided by various intelligence agencies was largely the same as the information about the Eastern Fleet provided by Jack Bonaparte.

therefore,

Chen Jie gained a detailed understanding of the main cruisers, guns, and speeds of the Eastern Fleet.

Speed, guns, armor, tonnage!

This is the standard for measuring the overall combat capability of a cruiser.

The main cruiser of the Eastern Fleet, the "Toyo", was one of the world's top warships in terms of both displacement and gun firepower.

Each cruiser was equipped with more than eighty naval guns.

From massive 330mm heavy artillery to light 120mm heavy artillery, they possess a range of weapons, creating crossfire and making their combat power formidable.

to be frank,
In terms of ship tonnage, the cruisers in the Simondang fleet still have a certain advantage.

After all, Simon's cruiser was a state-of-the-art cruiser captured from the Western Allied Forces and built by the British Empire.

In addition to attack cruisers, there were also escort cruisers.

If it weren't for the fact that the artillery of the Ximentang fleet had been completely replaced with the most advanced artillery,

Therefore, winning a battle between the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean would be extremely difficult.

More importantly, the core of the Simond Fleet's combat capabilities was not cruisers, but the fast attack ship "Storm".

This was, after all, the first encounter between the Ximentang fleet and the Dongyang fleet.

Therefore,
Chen Jie dared not be careless in the slightest. It would be quite difficult to defeat the three major fleets of the East in one fell swoop with fewer troops.

First of all, everyone believed that the marching route of the three major fleets of the East Asia must have started from Lushun Port in the northeast of Daqian, and when supplies were needed, they would have to pass through Jeju Island.

This route was the regular route for the Eastern Fleet from the Eastern Empire to Port Arthur, and it had been traversed many times.

Chen Jie led the Ximentang fleet to anchor at Hanlin Port on Jeju Island, with the aim of remaining still and waiting for the three major fleets of the East to appear.

Otherwise, it would be too difficult to find the three fleets on the high seas.

All they need to do is dock at Hanlin Port and then send out reconnaissance ships to locate the movements of the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean.

Once the Eastern Fleet is discovered, troops can be dispatched quickly to catch them off guard.

In terms of specific tactical arrangements, Chen Jie divided the Second Fleet into four combat units.

Each combat unit consists of two cruisers and six 'Storm' fast attack ships.

The core of the tactic was to cut off the formation of the Eastern Fleet after it was discovered.

By disrupting the formations of the three fleets and employing a rapid assault tactic, Ximen Tang's tactical advantage of rapid mobility can be better utilized.

The 'Storm' fast attack ship of Ximentang has a speed of over 40 knots and an incredibly powerful firepower configuration.

The six 'Storm' fast attack ships, employing a divide-and-conquer strategy, could easily sink the enemy's cruisers.

This highly mobile combat method had already been proven effective in battles against Seymour's Western fleet.

not to mention,
The current 'Storm' fast attack ship has more firepower, is faster, and is more maneuverable.

After listening to Chen Jie's explanation, all the core elite troops unanimously agreed with his tactical ideas. Based on Chen Jie's tactical arrangements, Jack Bonaparte designed a set of tactics suitable for the French Allied Forces.

First, a group of armored warships will be used to cut through enemy warships and draw enemy fire.

Once the main force of the enemy fleet is engaged, the 'Storm' fast attack ship can launch an attack from the rear, avoiding losses.

Currently, the attack angles of the warships in the Eastern Fleet are limited.

The artillery configuration at the rear is usually very weak, and the armor is unable to withstand the attack of armor-piercing shells.

of course,

Simon's cruisers also have their most formidable weapon – torpedoes!
As the 'Storm' fast attack ship launched its attack from the rear of the Eastern Fleet.

Simultaneously, the cruisers of the Westminster launched torpedoes, targeting the enemy cruisers.

The combined attacks of cruisers, gunboats, and fast attack ships can create an all-around strike, whether from the sides, the front, or the rear.

If the three major fleets of the East can be successfully separated, they can be sunk one by one and then jointly besieged.

Chen Jie offered some additions to the 'rapid penetration' tactic.

When the three major fleets of the East are discovered, the ironclad frigates can be separated to divide the three fleets into three parts.

The plan was to outflank the enemy, using armored frigates to draw enemy fire.

The ironclad frigates of Ximentang are completely different from ordinary ships.

Although its speed is not as fast as the 'Storm' fast attack ship, its armor is very thick, and it is only equipped with light naval guns.

Its armor can withstand attacks from 250mm caliber artillery.

As long as you avoid the main guns of the cruisers of the Eastern Fleet, there is no need to worry about being sunk.

It was created not for attacking, but to draw enemy fire.

After breaking up the formations of the three major fleets of the East, the high mobility of the 'Storm' fast attack ship can be used to easily complete this encirclement mission in the same way as when the Seymour fleet was sunk.

Jack Bonaparte was completely convinced by Chen Jie's tactical arrangements.

No one else raised any objections to Chen Jie.

Therefore,
The entire operational deployment and plan were quickly finalized.

of course,

Once in battle, you can adjust your tactics and make minor adjustments at any time.

After the Second Fleet of Ximentang was divided into four sub-fleets.

Captains Ma Ming, Shen Zhenhe, and Huang Xingang were extremely excited.

They could independently lead their fleets, and after completing an encirclement and annihilation operation, they would gain a large amount of military merit for each Japanese ship they sank.

-

Noon on the third day.

Chen Jie dispatched five patrol ships to search for the Eastern Fleet along the outer perimeter of Jeju Island towards the west in the East China Sea.

All other warships, including transport ships and troop transports, remained at Hallim Port on Jeju Island, awaiting news and holding their positions.

The maritime patrol vessel is a high-speed boat powered by four diesel engines.

It was not equipped with naval guns, but only with some light artillery, in order to reduce weight.

It is half again as fast as the 'Storm' fast attack ship, with a top speed of 60 knots.

Since there were no naval guns on board, the purpose was not to fight enemy ships, but to patrol the sea and search for enemy traces.

It wasn't until the early hours of the next day that a maritime patrol vessel returned to Hanlin Port.

The Eastern Fleet was spotted 100 nautical miles away from the direction of the East.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Jie immediately ordered the entire Second Fleet of the Ximen Hall to be deployed.

Next,
The Ximentang warship started up, sailed out of Hanlin Port, sped across the sea, and headed toward its destination.

By daybreak the next day, the Second Fleet of Simon and the French Fleet had reached within 200 nautical miles of the East Sea.

At this time,

All the soldiers began to eat breakfast on the ship.

Chen Jie soon received a report from the second patrol ship that the three major fleets of the East Ocean had returned from the Huangpu Port of Daqian and were heading towards the waters of the five islands of the East Ocean with several merchant ships that had been seized to transport supplies.

The Goto Islands are an archipelago located off the west coast of Kyushu in the Eastern Ocean, and belong to Nagasaki.

It includes five islands: Fukue, Kuga, Naru, Wakamatsu, and Nakadori, and is surrounded by countless uninhabited islands.

Chen Jie opened the sea map in the command cabin of the escort cruiser "Taishan".

The straight-line distance between the five islands and Jeju Island is only over 200 kilometers, and they are right across the sea from each other.

Therefore,
Chen Jie quickly decided to use the five islands of the East as the sea area to confront the three major fleets of the East.

Based on the speed of the Eastern Fleet, it will take about another hour for the Eastern Fleet to reach the Goto Islands.

All the soldiers of Ximentang were eating breakfast and making their final preparations.

Then,

Chen Jie ordered Shen Zhenhe and Ma Ming to lead two squadrons to set off along the perimeter of the five islands, using a roundabout approach to carry out the pre-planned annihilation plan.

After Shen Zhenhe and Ma Ming led their respective squadrons away, Chen Jie and Huang Xingang led two other squadrons, widening the distance between them.

Huang Xingang's fleet, led by ironclad frigates, headed towards the Five Islands.

The biggest difference between the navy and the army is that once the two sides make direct contact, there are almost no natural defenses to hold. At this point, the battle comes down to the speed of the ships and the power of the naval guns.

of course,

Naval tactics are also very important; attacking from the flanks and rear can reduce one's own risk.

The most basic quality of a naval commander is to remain calm and never lose his composure.

The escort cruiser "Taishan" was the main flagship of the First Fleet.

The escort cruisers of the Second Fleet of Ximentang were named after the famous mountains and rivers of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Among them, the 'Huashan', 'Lushan', and 'Huangshan' were all top-tier cruisers.

The Saimondo Naval Operations Regulations clearly stipulate that after the fleet has marched in column and formed an attack formation.

Under no circumstances shall other ships change order unless the fleet captain orders a halt.

The main flagship was at the very front, flanked by the 'Storm' fast attack ships.

This rapid and maneuverable fleet movement allows it to quickly change direction and alter its course.

Standing on the cruiser "Taishan", Chen Jie watched as the four squadrons dispersed, and suddenly felt a sense of vastness in his heart.

The vast blue sea stretches to the horizon, and a golden sun rises slowly.

Fish occasionally leap out of the water and swim happily.

Thinking about the upcoming first clash with the three major fleets of the East, Chen Jie suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

The last time I felt excited was when I defeated Waldersee's Western coalition forces in a land battle.

And this time,
The goal was to engage in the first real naval battle with the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean.

Although Chen Jie was very confident in the combat capabilities of the Ximentang Second Fleet.

But this is a battle we cannot afford to lose.

Less than half an hour later, the maritime patrol vessel reported the news to Chen Jie again.

The three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean are only ten kilometers ahead! (End of Chapter)