After all, the best training is actual combat. After six months of intensive sailing and combat, the sailors of the Coast Guard have become more and more accustomed to operating large ships on the bumpy ocean, and their skills have grown rapidly.
While rapidly moving southward to seize the entrance to Futian Bay, the Punishment Fleet also completed its formation during the voyage. Twenty-one warships formed a neat column and quickly blocked the entire bay entrance.
Seeing that the Ming warships had no intention of attacking immediately, Colonel Pinto on the Duke of Goa first breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Ming people were intimidated by their huge warships and did not dare to act rashly.
But soon, his brows furrowed again, because the tactics adopted by the Ming people were so strange and familiar.
He said it was unfamiliar because he had never seen people from the Ming Dynasty, or even Asians, adopt such a formation before... They always followed the thinking of the army and divided their fleets into the front army, rear army, center army, left army, right army, etc. They would engage the enemy at full speed and strive to engage in boarding battle.
Of course, this is understandable, because for a fleet lacking heavy firepower, a naval battle is nothing more than a land battle moved to the sea. Those stupid Mediterranean countries also fought bloody battles with the Ottomans in this way.
But countries like Portugal and Spain, which have the most advanced navies, no longer act recklessly. Decades ago, the Royal Navigation School in Sagres had already taught future captains, "You should try to avoid getting too close to the enemy, and only use your cannons to destroy them... This allows the war to be carried out in safer conditions and reduces the loss of fleet crews."
Therefore, in any case, the Portuguese overseas fleet always lined up in a line to meet the enemy, fired a broadside, and then turned around to return for the next round of bombardment.
But in the waters of East Asia, because there were few opportunities to form fleets, the Portuguese had not yet demonstrated the line of battle tactics that they relied on to conquer Africa and the Indian Ocean... Yes, the line of battle was a great tactic invented by the Portuguese and achieved brilliant success, not the British, that group of Anglo-Saxon robbers always wanted to take everything for themselves, even the honor of others!
Think about it, four hundred years later, the Anglo-Saxons still wanted to expel the Portuguese and Spanish from the white race. What's the big deal about stealing their titles? Didn't you see that the people who liberated Berlin became noble Anglo-Saxons, and had nothing to do with the Russians?
Bah, shameless, even with the lights off! Blatant, disgusting!
~~
When Pinto saw that the Ming Dynasty fleet was also using the same tactics, he became a little confused.
Because this shows at least three things: first, their naval thinking has been innovated; second, they have enough confidence in their own artillery; third, their warships have become strong enough to withstand the recoil of heavy artillery salvos...
"I told you, these damn Ming people are so good at imitating! Our precious sailing ship will make them pregnant if they just take a look at it!" Although Pinto did not believe that the opponent could compete with the Royal Navy by imitation alone, at the moment we were outnumbered and should not act rashly unless it was absolutely necessary.
He immediately sent a signal to the Oriental Beauty, transferring the right to open fire to the flagship.
At the same time, he ordered the Chinese sailing ship to retreat. Although the ship was not worth much, it was full of Japanese gold and silver earned from trade and could not be lost.
~~
Colonel Pinto was right about at least one thing, that is, the Ming people were stunned by their two huge ships that looked like castles on the sea.
Having always faced the vulnerable Japanese navy, the coast guard officers and soldiers, no matter how cautious they were, could not help but develop an arrogant attitude that looked down on the heroes of the world.
Only then did they realize that there is always someone better than you. That smaller Western sailing ship was a full circle larger than their own ship 101, the Wanhu Wuwei ship!
And that larger super sailboat must be four or five times larger than the previous one, right?
In fact, the displacement of the Duke of Goa was only two and a half times that of the Oriental Beauty, but its towering forecastle and poop made it look too large.
Looking at the stern expressions of his generals, Master Zhao was very satisfied. No matter how much he said, it would not be as impressive as letting them see it with their own eyes.
Think about it, the main fleets of the future European maritime powers can deploy one or two hundred such warships. Even their overseas colonial fleets have dozens of main battleships. The strength of the Coast Guard is really not enough to fill the gaps in their teeth...
"Seeing is believing. I never thought the gap between us and Westerners has become so big." Wang Rulong said sternly, holding the railing.
"This is normal. When Westerners saw Zheng He's fleet, they would have felt the same way." Young Master Zhao said calmly, "In the past 150 years, we have been closed off from the outside world and have regressed greatly, while they have set sail on the oceans and made great progress. It is natural that we have become what we are now."
Zhao Hao raised his voice and encouraged the soldiers on the ship, saying, "Now that you have known shame, you must be brave! Let us learn from the foreigners to defeat them. Let's capture their oriental beauties, strip them naked and study them carefully! Let's build a taller warship than theirs!"
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The soldiers immediately burst into earth-shaking wolf howls, the depressing atmosphere was swept away, and their fighting spirit was instantly boosted.
"Sir, can we have them all?" The police officers looked at the largest battleship hungrily. The dark Governor of Goa seemed more attractive.
"Haha, good, you have great ambition!" Zhao Hao laughed and thought that it was probably the flagship of the Portuguese Macau Fleet. If they really seized it, they would become mortal enemies, which was inconsistent with the strategic direction.
At this time, the fleet completed an arc battle line, surrounding the bay tightly. Small ships and speedboats were still patrolling on the outer line for protection as before.
This time even the 101st ship joined the battle line, which shows that they were facing a formidable enemy.
~~
Seeing the small boat with a white flag coming from the harbor, Master Zhao couldn't help but laugh and said, "It seems that our previous performance was not in vain. These Westerners only think of talking nicely when they are afraid of them."
"So despicable!" Wang Rulong spat and ordered the fleet to drop anchor and stay where they were, maintaining the best attack posture.
The warships dropped their front and rear anchors and were fixed to the sea by long anchor chains.
Eight South Asian sailors rowed their boats to the front of the fleet. The nearby 404 boats immediately came forward to intercept them. After searching them, they sent the two red-haired devils and a Han Chinese who was also wearing tight pants to the flagship.
Many police officers saw Europeans for the first time and found these guys with curly hair, high noses, deep blue eyes very novel.
"No wonder it's called the Red-haired Ghost. It's the same as the Yaksha in the City God Temple."
"So ugly, so pitiful, how can you find a wife with such a high nose?" The police officers saw the dense red hair on their arms and the abundant hair on their chests under their wide shirts. They couldn't help but feel sympathy for these Portuguese. "Even if you pay them, they won't serve you even if you are a little bit nice. Even when the lights are off, they still complain about the irritation..."
"Hahahaha!" The crew members drifting on the sea said something vulgar after just a few words. "I have nothing to say!"
"Hey, don't worry too much. Cats look for cats, dogs look for dogs, and monkeys look for big monkeys. There must be a female ghost there." The experienced old policeman laughed and said, "Everyone has fur, no one dislikes anyone else!"
Fortunately, the two Portuguese crew members did not understand Chinese, otherwise they would have been angry to death.
~~
The wind was strong on the sea, and Master Zhao met with the Portuguese envoys in the large conference room on the stern.
A map of the Northern Kyushu empire was still hanging in the conference room, with Young Master Zhao sitting on a grand chair. Wang Rulong and other generals stood solemnly on both sides of him, all wearing dark blue police uniforms, looking neat and imposing.
Two Portuguese were brought in, took off their hats, bowed, and muttered something in Portuguese. The Chinese interpreter hurriedly explained that they were introducing themselves and extending their most sincere greetings to the great men of the Celestial Empire.
Mr. Zhao couldn't help but think of the translator in "The Devils Are Coming". He probably didn't translate honestly. Unfortunately, he couldn't understand Portuguese either, so he snorted coldly and said, "No need to pretend. Just state your purpose."
"They said they wanted to ask you why you came." After the interpreter finished translating, he wiped his sweat and said with a smile, "Don't mind it, these red-haired devils are very direct and rude."
Zhao Hao waved his hand to indicate that it was okay, and then Wang Rulong replied in a deep voice:
"Listen carefully, this is the Imperial Shipping Company of the Ming Dynasty, which shoulders the important task of transporting grain for the Celestial Empire! The Japanese pirates dared to send out a large army to attack our shipping fleet. Afterwards, we interrogated the captives and learned that the Japanese pirates were all instructed by the Japanese Kyushu Hizen Daimyo! This is the most serious provocation to our Celestial Empire and the most extreme contempt for our Imperial Family of the Ming Dynasty. This time, we are here to suppress the Japanese pirates in Kyushu, so that the people of the world will know that those who offend our Ming Dynasty will be punished no matter how far away they are!"
The interpreter was stunned, and it took him a long while to wake up from his dream, and he began to translate in a mumble. I don't know what he would translate the last sentence into.
The Portuguese were clearly not afraid of being frightened. They had fought all the way from Lisbon to Africa, defeated the powerful Ottoman and Indian fleets, and controlled the African coast, the Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. They were clearly more qualified to say this.
So the two of them whispered to each other for a while, and then said firmly that they didn't know anything about the Japanese, they only knew that this was the defense zone of the Portuguese Royal Navy, and asked the Ming people to leave quickly!
Zhao Hao's face darkened upon hearing this. He slapped the armrest of his chair and shouted, "Don't give me that. This is the Ming Dynasty and a vassal state of our country. How dare you say such things to your Japanese master?!"
Without waiting for the other party to speak, Master Zhao shouted again with a stronger tone: "I knew long ago that you were accomplices of the Japanese! If I hadn't brought so many warships, we would have been greeted not by messengers waving white flags, but by your artillery fire! Just like what you did to the Japanese here four years ago!"