Chapter 2709
Chapter 2709
Chapter 2709
When the United Fleet passed through the Hirado Strait, Shi Chengwu invited all the missionaries to come to the deck to recall the great battle that took place here 17 years ago.
The Battle of Hirado is a famous event written in the history textbook of Haihan, as long as the younger generation who grew up under the banner of Haihan Shuangse must have learned this lesson.During the training period of the military academy, the officers of the Haihan Army must study this classic amphibious landing battle and master the various tactics used by their predecessors when attacking such a large island.
So everyone present, except Zhu Zian, knew more or less about that battle.Being lucky enough to come to the legendary battlefield is also of great significance to them.Shi Chengwu even moved a map to the deck to restore the battle for everyone.
Zhu Zian did not know much about this. He bought a few idle books while he was waiting for the mission to leave in Zhoushan, and learned some information about the Battle of Hirado from the books, but he only knew that the Haihan Army fought in this battle. During the war, the Hirado Navy Fleet, known as Japan's No. [-] Navy, was defeated, and the Hirado Port, Japan's most important foreign trade port at that time, was burned down.As for the cause and effect of this matter, and the course of the battle, he didn't know anything about it.
However, it is a rare opportunity for an expert to explain this war. Zhu Zian would not miss it, so he stood near Shi Chengwu to listen to his explanation.Although Shi Chengwu did not personally experience the battle, but because he served in the East China Sea Fleet and had been here more than once, he knew the Battle of Hirado better than others, so he was qualified to be the explainer.
"Everyone, the front is the Hirado Strait, and the west coast is the Hirado Island. Later we will slow down and sail through the Hirado Port, but the Hirado Port at this time is very different from 17 years ago. It's an ordinary fishing port, so you don't have to have any expectations." After Shi Chengwu briefly explained the current location and the next arrangements, he began to talk about the battles of the year.
After listening for a while, Zhu Zi'an realized that Haihan sent troops to attack Hirado because the Hirado clan was in collusion with the pirates of the Ming Dynasty, and the so-called "Eighteen Zhi" pirate gang happened to be Haihan's old enemy. Only then did this battle occur.
But for Haihan, the significance of this battle goes far beyond the elimination of hostile armed forces.After the war, the Haihan army became the strongest armed force in the East China Sea and the Korean Strait without any suspense, which greatly promoted the expansion of Haihan's influence in the Japanese archipelago.Later, the Haihan Armed Fleet toured the Japanese archipelago to declare its military power, and signed a trade treaty with the Japanese shogunate, all of which went very smoothly. It also had a certain relationship with the original Hirado Battle. Shi Chengwu even called it unabashedly Haihan's first battle in Japan.
Zhu Zian raised his hand to signal, Shi Chengwu nodded and said, "What's wrong with Zian?"
Zhu Zi'an said: "The waterway here is narrow, and it is an important waterway for going south and north, and there is the foundation of Hirado Clan's operation for many years and a ready-made port. Then why didn't the Haihan army attack this place directly, but completely burn it down? , and find another harbor nearby to establish a base?"
Shi Chengwu said: "Your idea is correct, but objective conditions have limited the development prospects here. The terrain of the Hirado Strait is dangerous, but it lacks a natural harbor that meets the needs of our Haihan army, and it is difficult to station a large fleet. Although Hirado Port It was the main port of Japan’s foreign trade at that time, but its conditions were not ideal, and it was not much different from the Aso Bay on Tsushima Island we just visited.”
Zhu Zian said in surprise, "It's similar to Asu Bay? Why are all the ports in Japan so petty?"
Shi Chengwu said: "This may also be a means of control by the shogunate. Although these vassal states have obtained foreign trade authority, because the port is too small, no matter how they operate, there will be an upper limit. When the shogunate is free, it will set up a new stove to take back the management rights. It is also difficult for these small ports to be competitive enough. For example, the Nagasaki Port in the south was operated in this way. Many business houses in Western countries left Hirado Port and moved to Nagasaki Port before the Hirado War. "
Zhu Zian suddenly said: "Then the natural conditions of Nagasaki Port must be much better than here."
Shi Chengwu nodded and said, "The harbor is more than ten times bigger than Hirado."
Zhu Zian continued to ask: "How is that compared to Sasebo Bay?"
Shi Chengwu smiled and said: "The bay area of Sasebo Bay is more than ten times larger than that of Nagasaki Port. Compared with it, Hirado Port is simply worthless. And look at this map, the south side of Sasebo Bay is connected to an inland bay It is called Omura Bay, and it is more than [-] miles long from north to south, and [-] miles wide from east to west, and its area is more than ten times that of Sasebo Bay. Even if ten East China Sea fleets enter, it will still be able to accommodate them.”
Surprised, Zhu Zian took a closer look at the map and found another detail: "The southern end of Omura Bay seems to be near Nagasaki Port?"
Shi Chengwu responded: "That's right, after landing at the southern end of Omura Bay, and then heading south for more than ten miles, you will reach the city of Nagasaki Port. In case of war, the Sasebo base can be divided into two groups, and the other side will seal off Nagasaki Port from the open sea." Nagasaki can be captured within a day by attacking from the north to the south.”
Wang Anguo added next to it: "Of course we will not use such an expression for Japan. According to standard diplomatic rhetoric, it should be said that our country's Sasebo base can provide the necessary security protection for Nagasaki Port."
"That's right, it's protection, it's protection!" Shi Chengwu also changed his words immediately.
Of course, Zhu Zian would not naively believe this kind of rhetoric. The Haihan garrison in Sasebo Bay has actually brought Nagasaki Port under his control.From another perspective, this is actually equivalent to controlling the most important trade channel at the western end of the Japanese archipelago.
Later, when the fleet sailed through Hirado Port, everyone gathered on one side of the ship to watch, and Shi Chengwu specially distributed a telescope to each of them.
Zhu Zian took the adjusted binoculars and held them up in front of his eyes like others, and immediately had a panoramic view of the scene in the harbor.
In fact, with the size of Hirado Port, it is possible to have a panoramic view of the harbor without using a telescope, but with this tool, everyone can clearly see the scene on the coast.
Most of the piers and trestles built in the early years still remain, but there are no stretches of warehouses and merchant ships on the shore, only some fishing boats are docked.All the coastal fortifications built by the Hirado clan on the coast were also completely demolished.According to Shi Chengwu, most of the bricks and stones originally used to build fortifications were dismantled by nearby fishermen to build houses.After all, this is just a fishing port now, and there is Haihan Military Port nearby, and there are no pirates and pirates in the surrounding waters, so there is no need to worry about safety issues, and no longer need any defensive means.
(End of this chapter)
When the United Fleet passed through the Hirado Strait, Shi Chengwu invited all the missionaries to come to the deck to recall the great battle that took place here 17 years ago.
The Battle of Hirado is a famous event written in the history textbook of Haihan, as long as the younger generation who grew up under the banner of Haihan Shuangse must have learned this lesson.During the training period of the military academy, the officers of the Haihan Army must study this classic amphibious landing battle and master the various tactics used by their predecessors when attacking such a large island.
So everyone present, except Zhu Zian, knew more or less about that battle.Being lucky enough to come to the legendary battlefield is also of great significance to them.Shi Chengwu even moved a map to the deck to restore the battle for everyone.
Zhu Zian did not know much about this. He bought a few idle books while he was waiting for the mission to leave in Zhoushan, and learned some information about the Battle of Hirado from the books, but he only knew that the Haihan Army fought in this battle. During the war, the Hirado Navy Fleet, known as Japan's No. [-] Navy, was defeated, and the Hirado Port, Japan's most important foreign trade port at that time, was burned down.As for the cause and effect of this matter, and the course of the battle, he didn't know anything about it.
However, it is a rare opportunity for an expert to explain this war. Zhu Zian would not miss it, so he stood near Shi Chengwu to listen to his explanation.Although Shi Chengwu did not personally experience the battle, but because he served in the East China Sea Fleet and had been here more than once, he knew the Battle of Hirado better than others, so he was qualified to be the explainer.
"Everyone, the front is the Hirado Strait, and the west coast is the Hirado Island. Later we will slow down and sail through the Hirado Port, but the Hirado Port at this time is very different from 17 years ago. It's an ordinary fishing port, so you don't have to have any expectations." After Shi Chengwu briefly explained the current location and the next arrangements, he began to talk about the battles of the year.
After listening for a while, Zhu Zi'an realized that Haihan sent troops to attack Hirado because the Hirado clan was in collusion with the pirates of the Ming Dynasty, and the so-called "Eighteen Zhi" pirate gang happened to be Haihan's old enemy. Only then did this battle occur.
But for Haihan, the significance of this battle goes far beyond the elimination of hostile armed forces.After the war, the Haihan army became the strongest armed force in the East China Sea and the Korean Strait without any suspense, which greatly promoted the expansion of Haihan's influence in the Japanese archipelago.Later, the Haihan Armed Fleet toured the Japanese archipelago to declare its military power, and signed a trade treaty with the Japanese shogunate, all of which went very smoothly. It also had a certain relationship with the original Hirado Battle. Shi Chengwu even called it unabashedly Haihan's first battle in Japan.
Zhu Zian raised his hand to signal, Shi Chengwu nodded and said, "What's wrong with Zian?"
Zhu Zi'an said: "The waterway here is narrow, and it is an important waterway for going south and north, and there is the foundation of Hirado Clan's operation for many years and a ready-made port. Then why didn't the Haihan army attack this place directly, but completely burn it down? , and find another harbor nearby to establish a base?"
Shi Chengwu said: "Your idea is correct, but objective conditions have limited the development prospects here. The terrain of the Hirado Strait is dangerous, but it lacks a natural harbor that meets the needs of our Haihan army, and it is difficult to station a large fleet. Although Hirado Port It was the main port of Japan’s foreign trade at that time, but its conditions were not ideal, and it was not much different from the Aso Bay on Tsushima Island we just visited.”
Zhu Zian said in surprise, "It's similar to Asu Bay? Why are all the ports in Japan so petty?"
Shi Chengwu said: "This may also be a means of control by the shogunate. Although these vassal states have obtained foreign trade authority, because the port is too small, no matter how they operate, there will be an upper limit. When the shogunate is free, it will set up a new stove to take back the management rights. It is also difficult for these small ports to be competitive enough. For example, the Nagasaki Port in the south was operated in this way. Many business houses in Western countries left Hirado Port and moved to Nagasaki Port before the Hirado War. "
Zhu Zian suddenly said: "Then the natural conditions of Nagasaki Port must be much better than here."
Shi Chengwu nodded and said, "The harbor is more than ten times bigger than Hirado."
Zhu Zian continued to ask: "How is that compared to Sasebo Bay?"
Shi Chengwu smiled and said: "The bay area of Sasebo Bay is more than ten times larger than that of Nagasaki Port. Compared with it, Hirado Port is simply worthless. And look at this map, the south side of Sasebo Bay is connected to an inland bay It is called Omura Bay, and it is more than [-] miles long from north to south, and [-] miles wide from east to west, and its area is more than ten times that of Sasebo Bay. Even if ten East China Sea fleets enter, it will still be able to accommodate them.”
Surprised, Zhu Zian took a closer look at the map and found another detail: "The southern end of Omura Bay seems to be near Nagasaki Port?"
Shi Chengwu responded: "That's right, after landing at the southern end of Omura Bay, and then heading south for more than ten miles, you will reach the city of Nagasaki Port. In case of war, the Sasebo base can be divided into two groups, and the other side will seal off Nagasaki Port from the open sea." Nagasaki can be captured within a day by attacking from the north to the south.”
Wang Anguo added next to it: "Of course we will not use such an expression for Japan. According to standard diplomatic rhetoric, it should be said that our country's Sasebo base can provide the necessary security protection for Nagasaki Port."
"That's right, it's protection, it's protection!" Shi Chengwu also changed his words immediately.
Of course, Zhu Zian would not naively believe this kind of rhetoric. The Haihan garrison in Sasebo Bay has actually brought Nagasaki Port under his control.From another perspective, this is actually equivalent to controlling the most important trade channel at the western end of the Japanese archipelago.
Later, when the fleet sailed through Hirado Port, everyone gathered on one side of the ship to watch, and Shi Chengwu specially distributed a telescope to each of them.
Zhu Zian took the adjusted binoculars and held them up in front of his eyes like others, and immediately had a panoramic view of the scene in the harbor.
In fact, with the size of Hirado Port, it is possible to have a panoramic view of the harbor without using a telescope, but with this tool, everyone can clearly see the scene on the coast.
Most of the piers and trestles built in the early years still remain, but there are no stretches of warehouses and merchant ships on the shore, only some fishing boats are docked.All the coastal fortifications built by the Hirado clan on the coast were also completely demolished.According to Shi Chengwu, most of the bricks and stones originally used to build fortifications were dismantled by nearby fishermen to build houses.After all, this is just a fishing port now, and there is Haihan Military Port nearby, and there are no pirates and pirates in the surrounding waters, so there is no need to worry about safety issues, and no longer need any defensive means.
(End of this chapter)