Chapter 3600
Chapter 3600
Chapter 3600
Although the garrisons in Fujian and Taiwan were willing to send troops to Luzon, this expedition would require a large amount of military funds and supplies, and it was impossible for them to bring their own dry food to fight for the Luzon region. Therefore, Luzon still had to bear most of the supplies during the operation, even including rewards linked to the combat performance of the expeditionary troops.
This is naturally a considerable expense for the Luzon Region, which has shortened the operation period in order to save military expenses. It is far beyond the financial budget previously formulated for this operation.
To this end, the Manila authorities had to use a chromite mine that had just been discovered on Palawan Island as collateral and apply for a special temporary loan from the Haihan Bank to pay the military expenses to the two support forces.
Chromite is the main source of industrial chromium, and chromium plays an irreplaceable and important role in metallurgy, casting, refractory materials, etc. The chromium reserves in the areas under Hai Han's rule are very small. This mine on Palawan Island is the largest chromite mine with proven reserves. Its industrial value is difficult to estimate, so it is no problem to use it as an emergency mortgage asset.
The Executive Committee agreed, and with the funds in place, the reinforcements were dispatched at a fairly fast speed. While Zheng Agui was trapped on Timor Island, Fujian and Taiwan had already dispatched troops one after another, each sending an armed fleet to the Luzon region.
The Taiwan fleet was led by Colonel Li Zhencheng, who was affiliated with the Taiwan Combat Command. His father was Taiwan's Governor Li Dou.
Among the people who participated in the time travel operation, Chen Yixin and Li Dou were the only two high school students, and they were considered the younger generation among the time travelers. The two had also worked together for a period of time on Dawanshan Island at the mouth of the Pearl River, and later they were transferred to Penghu to work together.
After Hai Han defeated the Netherlands and Spain and seized Taiwan Island, Li Dou went to Kaohsiung Port as the chief officer, while Chen Yixin followed Qian Tiandun and others to start the journey of fighting in the south and the north. When Chen Yixin was still helping Qian Tiandun in Shandong, Li Dou had already been appointed as the governor of Taiwan Island by the Executive Committee.
Given Li Dou's age and experience at the time, he would have undoubtedly had a bright future if he had wanted to move up the ladder. However, he did not have much political ambition. After becoming consul, he quickly married and had children and settled down, and did not try to squeeze into the core of power in Hai Han.
However, as a father, Li Dou couldn't help but have the idea of wanting his son to become a successful person, so he spent a lot of time and effort to cultivate Li Zhencheng. He sent him to Sanya to study since he was a child. After graduating from the Administrative College, he went to the Naval Academy for further studies. It can be said that he was proficient in both civil and military affairs.
However, Li Zhencheng was more interested in the military and eventually chose to join the navy. After serving in the First Squadron of the South China Sea Fleet for two years, Li Dou contacted the Ministry of National Defense and transferred his son back to Taiwan.
Although the jurisdiction of Taiwan Island is not too large, due to its special geographical location, the size of the garrison fleet is indeed quite large. There are three military bases alone: Taipei Keelung Port, Tainan Kaohsiung Port, and Penghu Magong Port, with more than 60 large and small ships and more than 4,000 naval personnel.
The main functions of the Taiwan fleet, in addition to patrolling the surrounding waters, are to monitor the Dutch in the island's Tainan Port and keep an eye on the Xu family across the strait.
The Dutch naturally did not dare to act rashly in this place, and the Xu family had been honest for many years and had not caused any trouble. This led to Li Zhencheng having an easy life, but he did not have many military merits to gain. He was able to be promoted to colonel, mostly because of the independent organization of the Taiwan Fleet, which required a colonel officer to serve as the fleet commander.
The reason why we were able to get the opportunity to go into battle this time, in addition to the Luzon region's active request for help, was more importantly because Fujian also had to send troops to reinforce at the same time. In this way, it would be legitimate for the Taiwan fleet to go out and perform its supervisory duties.
Although the Luzon Region stated that this operation did not require the reinforcement troops to directly participate in front-line combat, and their main task was to escort the supply fleet, in order to ensure that military merit would not slip away, Li Zhencheng still specially mobilized an elite force for this purpose, including more than 20 combat ships including the flagship of the Taiwan fleet.
Moreover, Li Zhencheng also knew that the Xu family had been trying to make Fujian suppress Taiwan, whether in terms of political status, economic and trade exchanges, or military strength, as if to prove the Xu family's ability to govern the local area.
It is said that the Xu family sent out all their best troops this time, determined to win military merits. Li Zhencheng was also very careful. This dispatch was related to the face of the Taiwan fleet, and they must not let the other side see a joke. Li Zhencheng also specially adjusted the departure time, intentionally one day later than the Fujian fleet. Considering the distance from Zhangzhou to the waters near Tainan, it would take nearly a day.
Sure enough, several hours after setting out from Kaohsiung Port, the lookouts had already spotted the sails of the Fujian Fleet on the distant sea.
Li Zhencheng did not try to get closer, but just let his fleet follow from a distance, keeping a distance of about thirty or forty miles all the way.
The Fujian Fleet seemed to have long been accustomed to such following and did not deliberately increase speed or suddenly turn to get rid of it.
The two fleets arrived at Manila Bay on the west coast of Luzon Island four days later, one after the other, and docked at Cavite Port in the bay for supplies.
The two leaders of the Luzon Region, Qiu Yuan and Xiao Liang, personally went to Cavite Port to receive the two fleets.
Li Zhencheng also met the commander of the Fujian Fleet, Xu Kaiyuan, the son of Xu Yuzhuo.
This was not the first time he had met Xu Kaiyuan. In the past few years, Xu Kaiyuan had represented the Fujian Fleet in many joint exercises between the garrisons of Fujian and Taiwan.
Xu Kaiyuan was a few years older than Li Zhencheng, and Li Zhencheng didn't put on airs, but took the initiative to greet him, "Brother Xu." Xu Kaiyuan forced a smile on his face, bowed in return, and exchanged a few formal pleasantries with Li Zhencheng.
As soon as Qiu Yuan and Xiao Liang appeared, the two men immediately stopped talking and stepped forward to greet the two senior officials.
"Thank you for coming thousands of miles to help Luzon! Your fleet can rest in the port for two or three days. After completing the replenishment, you can set out south to perform the escort mission. This mission is a long journey, so you all need to be careful."
Qiu Yuan expressed his gratitude and the next arrangements in a concise manner.
Xiao Liang spoke more directly: "If you have any questions, you can raise them now."
Xu Kaiyuan asked first: "Excuse me, Sir Xiao, should our two fleets act together or separately?"
Xiao Liang responded: "You will each be responsible for escorting a supply fleet. The specific route and itinerary will be communicated to you later."
Li Zhencheng frowned and said, "Your Excellency means that the destinations, routes, and mission contents of the two fleets should be different?"
Xiao Liang nodded and said, "That's right. Because the two supply fleets have different missions. One is to deliver supplies to the combat troops in the war zone, and the escort fleet needs to move with the supply fleet for a period of time depending on the war situation. The other is to pass through the war zone and continue southward, with the destination being a port in the New World."