Battlefield situations are ever-changing, and no one can guarantee that what is anticipated will occur. However, for a qualified commander, thorough and detailed planning and meticulous deployment are not particularly stringent requirements.
Of course, to achieve multiple responses, we need to mobilize more manpower to plug any possible loopholes.
Shen Yourong obviously achieved this, and the emperor also gave his utmost support.
Referring to the last time the Dutch attacked Macau, the Dutch had thirteen warships and 1,400 to 1,500 soldiers. Shen Yourong mobilized nearly ten times the force, which was actually not much.
Think about it, if you want to completely wipe out the enemy, you have to surround them from all sides.
The Pearl River Estuary side could be weaker, while the other three sides could fight the Dutch head-on. With the force divided tenfold, the military strength of each side would only be three times that of the Dutch.
Although Shen Yourong and others did not expect that the Dutch only sent six warships and hundreds of soldiers, and the Ming Dynasty navy seemed to be overdoing it, it was necessary to crush them with absolute strength and achieve a complete victory.
Moreover, Shen Yourong was well aware of the navy's strengths and weaknesses. Its strength lay in numbers, both in terms of ships and manpower; its weakness lay in its youth and lack of actual combat experience.
But Shen Yourong was convinced of victory. First, fighting on home soil gave him a psychological advantage; second, his generals were young and more motivated, and would not be afraid of death when fighting.
The last point is weapons and equipment. In addition to the Red Cannon that is comparable to the Red-haired Devils, there are also the powerful Garang cannon at close range, as well as intensive long-range rocket bombardments.
Rockets are simple and light, and dozens of them can be deployed on the deck, equivalent to dozens of cannons, and their firing rate is much faster than that of the Red Cannon.
As for the problem of poor accuracy, it could be compensated by quantity. In Shen Yourong's opinion, at long distances, the accuracy of the Red Cannon was not much better than that of a rocket.
The overwhelming rocket bombardment, some causing explosions and some causing fires, poses a considerable threat to ships.
Rockets have the advantage of being able to carry more and faster. Moreover, they have been continuously improved, with their performance indicators greatly enhanced.
For all these reasons, the Ming Dynasty navy was already invincible in this battle, and it only depended on the final losses and results.
Shen Yourong and his generals hoped to achieve the greatest victory at the lowest cost, which meant they wanted to win beautifully and cleanly.
The emperor's bottom line was a decisive victory, and a stronger navy. As for the losses, they could be viewed as lessons learned, beneficial to the growth of the young Ming navy.
Shen Yourong might have some understanding of the emperor's thoughts, because the emperor did not give too many instructions for this battle and completely released the command power.
But for the naval generals below, they only think about victory, winning cleanly and neatly, and do not consider it too deeply or in detail.
Like Gan Hui, another squadron commander, Hong Xuzheng, led a fleet from Cam Ranh Bay towards the Pearl River Estuary.
His idea was the same as Gan Hui's, to defeat the red-haired barbarians, demonstrate the power of the navy, and make achievements for himself.
Young people, of course, are full of drive and courage. He's already a senior officer in the navy, but he doesn't have any achievements to show for it. It's a shame.
"Six galleons, the large ones have forty guns each, and the medium ones have thirty." Hong Xu picked up the latest intelligence again and thought about the comparison with the enemy's strength.
The Dutch Reds had a total of more than 200 artillery pieces, and their own fleet had twice as many artillery pieces as the enemy, and with the addition of rockets, they had an absolute advantage.
In other words, relying solely on his own squadron would be enough to defeat the enemy, though annihilating them completely might be difficult.
"Sir," the staff officer rushed over to report, "If we maintain our current speed, we might engage the Red Barbarians before our allies. Should we reduce speed, please advise, sir."
Hong Xu thought for a moment, shook his head vigorously, and said, "We must maintain our speed. Whether it's engaging the enemy first or blocking their retreat, we can't afford to delay."
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