Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 165 Naval Bombardment
Early the next morning

Zheng Guohui brought Governor Zheng Shouxin to the dock to see off Joe Smith, the trade representative of the Wan Guo Tong Bao Company. Zheng Xin was still accompanying him to North America.

Zheng Xin is the new trade representative of Da Chu to the United States. He is carrying the third procurement list in his hand. He will stay in San Francisco on the West Coast for a long time to supervise and assist the Wan Guo Tong Bao Company in purchasing and developing new North American suppliers.

Zheng Guohui carefully considered the appointment of Zheng Xin and believed that he could play a better role in North America and it would be a waste of his talent to place him in the Navy.

Zheng Xin also brought Zheng Yulan as his assistant on this trip. Zheng Yulan is proficient in English and can use German skillfully. He is truly a language genius.

There were also 730 experienced sailors accompanying them, at least one-third of whom had experience crossing the Pacific Ocean (Note: the other more than 1 experienced young sailors had already enlisted in the Da Chu Navy). These sailors were responsible for driving back the second batch of sailing ships purchased.

There are also 117 students accompanying them, all of whom have at least the title of scholar. They will enter the University of San Francisco and other North American universities to study professional knowledge including politics, law, economics, engineering and business. This is a pre-arranged move.

On the pier

Two tall, thousand-ton sailing ships, the Huangshan and the Hengshan, are ready to go.

The sailing ship was loaded with a total of one thousand tons of copper ingots, hundreds of thousands of pieces of porcelain, 500 dan of tea, 500 dan of raw silk, 200 tons of fine snowflake marble and other goods. Except for the marble, the others were all good things that could be worth several times more if shipped to the North American continent.

All the goods added together (excluding the marble which was difficult to price) were worth as much as 42 taels of silver. If they were shipped to North America, the value would be at least several times higher, making the huge cost of the transoceanic voyage worthwhile.

"Joe, my friend, I hope you have a safe journey!"

"Thank you, Your Excellency, the Respected Marshal. I will shoulder your expectations and trust and work hard to convince the board of directors to approve a large dollar loan. This is a good opportunity to expand trade, and I am very confident in this."

"Very good, I look forward to hearing from you."

"There will be news by the end of the year at the latest. By then, the first returning sailing fleet should have arrived, bringing the industrial equipment and good news you need."

"Don't forget, there's also my steel plant's blast furnace."

"Rest assured, Marshal. Mr. Zheng Xin and I will be in close contact. We will search for reliable suppliers upon arrival on the West Coast. As soon as the US dollar loan is approved, the order for four new blast furnaces will be placed."

"Ah That's good,"

A brief chat on the pier
Joe Smith, Zheng Xin and others boarded the ship one after another, and the two large sailing ships, the Huangshan and the Hengshan, set sail and sailed along the Davao River all the way to the estuary.

"Uncle Shouxin, since they have left, let's do our own thing." Zheng Guohui greeted him.

"Please, Marshal!"

Mindanao Governor Zheng Shouxin followed closely behind with a respectful look, and the other entourage followed one by one.

The other side of the pier

There are four ironclad warships quietly moored. Under the sunlight, their dark bodies reflect a cold light, giving people a feeling of indestructibility.
The sailing fleet anchored here had entered the bay early to start training. Only these four ironclad ships were quietly anchored at the huge dock. All officers and soldiers had already stood along the side of the ship, waiting for the Marshal's inspection.

"Reporting to the Marshal, Navy Commander Dong Kui has sent you a report. Please give your instructions."

"Reporting to the Marshal, Commander Phelan Williams of the Navy Ironclad Fleet reports to you, please give your instructions."

"No need for formalities, just get on board first." Zheng Guohui ordered.

Surrounded by several naval officers, he and Zheng Shouxin boarded the ironclad fleet flagship "Zhendong" one after another. The commander of the ironclad fleet, Phelan Williams, immediately issued the order to set sail.

The melodious bells rang one after another, echoing over the riverside pier.

The navigation flag was raised to the top of the mast, black smoke billowed from the huge chimney, and the steam engine began to hum, pushing the heavy hull of the ironclad ship slowly away from the dock and heading towards the mouth of the Davao River.

This era
The communication and order issuance between fleets were done by flag signals during the day and by lights at night.
Zheng Guohui and Zheng Shouxin stood on the circular front turret, where the view to the front hemisphere and both sides was the best. He chatted with several naval officers, and his words were full of concern for the fleet training.

"Have all three fleets set sail?"

"Reporting to the Commander, yes, the main sailing fleet, the cruiser fleet, and the vanguard fleet all go out to sea for training every day and return in the evening. This has been going on for more than half a month."

"Well, it seems you guys are taking training very seriously, which is good."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Marshal. Our naval officers and men are holding their breath. No matter what, we must show our best spirit and high morale to live up to your expectations."

"As an archipelago in the South China Sea, the Luzon Islands are reportedly home to over 7,000 islands of various sizes, spread over a wide area. This requires our naval fleet to be strong and capable of defending itself, and to be resolute."

Zheng Guohui said this, and sighed with emotion, and continued;

"Otherwise, if someone comes to your door, you'll just be bullied and humiliated!
People think you are easy to bully. If it happens once, twice, there will be a third time. This is absolutely inevitable.

With so many islands, it is impossible to defend them all with just the army.

Therefore, the coastal defense of the Luzon Islands is more important than the land defense, and the naval fleet must build a solid barrier to become the vanguard and iron fist to keep the foreign powers out.

Only if we have a strong fist will the great powers not dare to underestimate us and covet the property and women of the Luzon Islands. The role of the navy is crucial."

The Marshal's words resonated strongly with the ears of several naval officers, and they felt their blood boiling.

During the First and Second Opium Wars, China suffered repeated humiliation at the hands of the great powers. Everyone felt the same pain and naturally developed a sense of solidarity against the enemy.

"Please rest assured, Marshal. There is not a single coward among our naval officers and soldiers. They are all men of steel and passion. We are determined to fight the great powers to the bitter end. No one will retreat."

"At the command of the Marshal, our naval officers and soldiers must advance without retreat and fight to the death on the battlefield."

"Your Excellency, I swear on my military honor that there are no cowards here."

The last person who spoke Chinese with a strange accent was former US Navy Lieutenant Colonel Phelan Williams. He is now the commander of the ironclad fleet and the firepower strike force of the navy fleet, and he bears heavy responsibilities.

Zheng Guohui nodded with satisfaction and said to Zheng Shouxin beside him, "Uncle Shouxin, the morale of our fleet officers and soldiers is good. This gives me more confidence in the Northern Expedition."

"Master, you are wise. Our Great Chu army follows the will of heaven and the people, and we have the support of the American fleet and artillery. With the officers and soldiers working together, how can we not be victorious?"

"The timing and location are favorable, but time is tight and the navy fleet is undertrained."

"My Lord, the Franks are cunning and treacherous, and have always oppressed our Chinese compatriots, causing widespread resentment. With a simple internal and external communication, our Chu army can descend upon the Luzon Islands with overwhelming force, and we can immediately eliminate them."

"Hahahaha...that really makes sense."

Listening to the conversation between the Marshal and the Governor, it seemed that they were planning to advance the Northern Expedition. Several naval officers showed joy on their faces and exchanged glances with each other.

Only by waging war can one gain merit, and this has been the case since ancient times.

If the Marshal ascends the throne, everyone present here will also have the opportunity to be granted titles and appointed as generals. Wouldn't they be happy to hear about the battle?

As for the rank of nobility, judging by the Marshal's usual temperament, it was ultimately determined by military merit, and that was almost certain. The ironclad fleet slowly sailed out of the Davao River estuary, its movements not just a beat slower than the sailing ships, but several beats slower.

Because the ironclad ship was covered with iron armor, its hull was heavy. The two tall masts at the front and rear compared to the huge hull weighing thousands of tons gave the feeling of a small horse pulling a large cart.

As for the steam engine equipped on the ironclad ship, it can only play an auxiliary role. After the ship speed gradually increases due to inertia, it can push the ironclad ship to a high speed of 12 knots.

Using either of these two power systems, the speed is only between 6 and 7 knots.

After entering the azure Davao Bay, we soon saw two sailing fleets on the sea. They were practicing changing formations and practicing offensive and defensive formations while cutting through the waves, and they seemed to be at ease.

Zheng Guohui picked up the copper monocular telescope and observed carefully, asking the officers around him from time to time.

"Well, what formation is this?"

"Report to the commander-in-chief, this is a sea pursuit and annihilation exercise. The main sailing fleet will split in two and attack from the left and right."

"Oh... looks quite skilled."

"Reporting to the Commander, the brothers of the sailing fleet have trained very hard and have mastered the sailing techniques. They will have no problem handling high-intensity naval combat and complex subjects."

"Sounds good."

"Reporting to the Commander, after careful evaluation by the officers and the specially-appointed American officers, we believe that the three sailing fleets have reached combat effectiveness and can perform at 80% of the US Navy's level."

"Eighty percent of the U.S. Navy, that's less than half of the English Navy."

"Indeed, the British Navy's officers and soldiers are among the best in the world today in terms of both operational skills and combat awareness. Even the US Navy cannot match them. This is our ultimate goal in the future."

"It's good to have a goal. It gives us motivation to strive for success. Where's the armored fleet over here?"

"In terms of speed and maneuverability, an ironclad fleet certainly couldn't catch up to a sailing fleet. However, it could be very effective in blocking ports and engaging in decisive battles with enemy fleets, as demonstrated in every naval battle in North America."

"Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, do you think the ironclad fleet is combat-ready? Please answer in English; I understand."

"Your Excellency, during the Civil War, the Northern Navy's ironclad ships had just left the shipyard when they had to engage in fierce naval battles with the Southerners. They performed equally well, but they didn't have as much time to train."

"Haha...it seems that I am too cautious."

"Your Excellency, I dare not speak rashly, but what I can confirm is that the young men of the Ironclad Fleet are fully prepared for both combat and sailing."

"Hahaha... this is good news." Zheng Guohui laughed heartily, then looked around and said, "Since Mr. Feilan is so confident and hasn't fired a shot in training so far, let's try firing a few shots."

"Reporting to the commander, the Ironclad Swords' main artillery shells are very precious. Can each battery fire one shot?"

"Well, yes."

The 68-pound Dahlgren cannon was incredibly powerful, but its shells were also very expensive, costing $34 each.

一艘战舰前后两座主炮台，一次骑射就要耗费68美元。4艘战舰一次齐射就要耗费272美元，这相当于购买一门M1857型12磅野战火炮的价值。

It is true that the navy is a money-eating beast.

Previous training consisted of simulated artillery operations, and we trained for more than a month without firing a single shot because the shells were too expensive and there were not many of them.

Even in the naval artillery training of the British and American navies, it is impossible to really fire a few shots. Most of them are simulation exercises and occasional live ammunition firing.

In this era, naval artillery battles were mostly conducted within a range of one or two hundred meters. It was extremely difficult to miss a target as large as an enemy warship.

Really can't do
When the distance is shortened to less than 100 meters, facing an enemy warship that is forty or fifty meters long, the target will basically not miss.

Now that the Marshal has spoken, there is no problem.

Upon hearing the news of the live-fire exercise, all the officers and soldiers of the ironclad fleet became visibly excited and more motivated.

It's not that they opened fire immediately. The ironclad fleet was in the bay, constantly forming formations with the main sailing fleet and the cruiser fleet to simulate confrontation.

The training lasted until nearly 2:00 in the afternoon. Five or six hours had passed. After repeated practice of various training subjects at sea, the order for live-fire bombardment was finally issued.

Senior officials such as Zheng Guohui and Zheng Shouxin were invited to the captain's room, a little further away from the front and rear gun platforms to avoid being injured by the huge cannons.

The target of the ironclad fleet's bombardment was the four ships of the vanguard fleet. To ensure safety, the vanguard fleet moved more than 4 meters away to prevent being mistakenly hit.

The two formations were heading towards each other in the bay. When they approached, they began to adjust their courses. When they were more than two kilometers apart, the "Zhendong" in the front fired the first shot.

"boom……"

There was only a deafening roar, and the fierce muzzle flames enveloped the side of the ship. The entire circular turret shook violently, and a huge black dot flew out visibly.

The huge recoil produced by the artillery pushed the ironclad ship "Zhendong" sideways for three or four meters, and the sound of steel creaking under the pressure could be heard.

The huge black dot flew over about 1600 meters and slammed heavily on the sea surface. After a few seconds of pause, it exploded. It was as if a terrifying monster had risen from the seabed, causing the sea water within a radius of more than meters to bulge in a semicircle.

The power of this shot scared the vanguard fleet greatly.

Although the distance was still more than 400 meters, the power of this shot was earth-shattering.

The stirred sea water was churning, and the waves from the side of the sailing ship pushed over, causing the sailing ship to sway violently.

Nie Tongsheng's face turned pale as he shouted, "Send a flag signal to suspend the artillery training. Our fleet needs to stay further away for safety."

The flag bearer immediately ran to the side of the ship, waving flags with both hands to signal the opposing armored fleet to be careful and wait until they had a distance before attacking.

The commander of the Ironclad Fleet, Phelan Williams, saw the other side's flag signals through the telescope and smiled proudly. He could have guessed this result.

Phelan Williams couldn't suppress the arc of his mouth and commanded;

"Pause the bombardment and wait until the target fleet is far away. Also... notify the fleet's gunners to aim and fire hard."

Zheng Guohui; “?”

Zheng Shouxin; “?”

Dong Kuifa; “?”

(End of this chapter)