GBP Chapter 293 The Power of the Battle Line
Chapter 293 The Power of the Battle Line
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Gao Jie commanded the fleet using the standard battle line + T-formation tactic, aiming the sides at the enemy's bow. This maximized the firepower advantage of the side guns, concentrating all the broadside firepower to fire at the enemy's lead ship at a wide angle. With the enemy being bombarded from three sides, they could only use their bow guns to retaliate, and their firepower was greatly suppressed.
This tactic, also known as the T-shaped flank tactic, was the ideal combat method dreamed of by all fleet commanders until the advent of the combination of steel steam warships and rifled cannons. Although the concept of battle lines was still in its infancy in Europe in the early 17th century, and the true T-shaped flank tactic had not yet been proposed, with seasoned military enthusiasts like Liang Xiaoming and naval talents with strong comprehension skills like Gao Jie, it was only natural that this tactic would emerge ahead of schedule under Liang Xiaoming's leadership.
The Qiongzhou naval force has participated in numerous naval battles, but the weak small groups of pirates could not force them to reveal their true strength. In the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, because they joined the battle halfway through and the situation was chaotic, the firepower and tonnage of the Wuxiang-class ships were insufficient to support a line-of-battle engagement. Therefore, the true line-of-battle plus T-formation tactic is only now being truly applied in naval warfare.
Of course, a T-shaped flank attack is not as easy to execute as one might imagine. Naval warfare differs from land warfare; the vast ocean means that the positions of both sides are constantly shifting. The attacked side will not willingly walk into a trap. Success depends not only on objective factors but also on the commander's ability. If Zheng Zhilong had understood this tactic, he would certainly have chosen to evade it upon seeing the enemy lined up. However, the use of this tactic was still relatively rare in East Asia, and Zheng Zhilong had never heard of it, let alone evaded it in advance.
Two Yongle-class and twelve Wuxiang-class ships, each with eight 24-pounder cannons and sixty 12-pounder cannons on one side, concentrated their firepower on a single direction. Such firepower density was unprecedented on the Fujian coast in the 17th century. Even the battle-hardened sailors of the Zheng family had never witnessed such a terrifying scene: dense solid shot, like a hailstorm, pelted the forward troop transports. The sailors, unwilling to be crammed into the damp and sweltering cabins, became live targets standing on the deck, with no way to escape. The whistling shells plowed through the crowded masses, leaving bloody tracks and limbs flying everywhere. The bow and sides of the ships were pierced by the powerful solid shot. The waves, driven by the wind, washed over the huge holes, and seawater slowly poured into the ships. After just one round of bombardment, the troop transports began to take on water and list. Corpses and severed limbs slid into the water, and the surrounding seawater was stained red with blood.
When the second round of bombardment began, Zheng's fleet still did not react in time, and did not even think to lower the sails and turn to avoid it. The ships behind continued to rush into the fan-shaped encirclement of the battle line and were subjected to high-intensity bombardment. More and more ships listed and sank. The sailors on board either died or were injured and fell into the sea. The booming cannon fire was mixed with cries of pain and shouts for help. The once orderly fleet began to fall into chaos.
Before Zheng Zhilong could react, the vanguard of the fleet suffered a heavy blow, leaving him momentarily stunned. He never expected that what was supposed to be his aggressive visit to exert pressure would turn into the Qiongzhou camp blocking his doorstep and launching an unreasonable attack, starting with deadly force and showing no mercy, completely disregarding the status of each other's officers and soldiers.
Zheng Zhibao, who was standing nearby, exclaimed, "Has Liu Ye gone mad? Hasn't he thought about how to explain this to the officials in Fujian and Guangdong, or to the imperial court?"
Both sides were government officials and soldiers, not pure pirate groups like Liu Xiang and Zhu Cai Lao. Within the system, they had to adhere to certain rules of the underworld. Although Zheng Zhilong's trip was grand and imposing, he didn't intend to wage a full-scale war. He merely wanted to blockade the Qiongzhou Strait, give the enemy a warning, and incidentally "accidentally" destroy a few warships that dared to sail from Bofu Port. As for attacking Lingao County, he didn't even dare to dream of it. However, the Qiongzhou camp seemed to have no such concerns; they treated the Zheng family like pirates of Liu Xiang's caliber.
Zheng Zhilong regained his senses and said, "Now is not the time to talk about this. Let's drive away the Qiongzhou Camp first. If this continues, no matter how many ships we have, they won't be enough to feed the cannons. Now the Qiongzhou Camp is riding on the Zheng family's head, not us who started the trouble. That way, we'll have an explanation later..."
Having been a seasoned sea lord for many battles, Zheng Zhilong, though unfamiliar with the enemy's formation, immediately recognized that this "T"-shaped formation was disadvantageous. Even if the Zheng family possessed cannons capable of firing from miles away, they would be hampered by the situation. Charging forward under fire would be futile, only adding fuel to the fire and increasing casualties. He quickly assessed the situation and ordered, "Order the big blue-headed ships to spread out and advance, closing in on their large ships to exchange fire. The remaining troop transports will flank from both sides, waiting for an opportunity to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Once the enemy's formation is disrupted, board the fire ships!"
Because there was no prior preparation and no intention to use the fire ship tactic, there were naturally no dedicated fire ships. It should be noted that it is very dangerous for an arson ship loaded with firewood and cooking oil to sail for more than ten days. If it accidentally gets a spark, it will spontaneously combust. Generally, preparations are only made a day in advance before a major battle, once the decision to launch a fire ship offensive is made. However, this was no problem for the wealthy and powerful Zheng family. This time, they mobilized a couple hundred ships. They simply selected some smaller ships, piled up some planks, poured some cooking oil, and that was their fire ship fleet. As long as it was effective, they could rebuild the ships when they burned down. The Zheng family was rolling in money and had no shortage of funds.
Gao Jie held up his monoculars and observed the changes on the battlefield. When he saw Zheng Zhilong's response, he shrugged regretfully: "Our opponent is not stupid after all. His response is the only correct choice we can make at the moment. It's just a pity that our battle line has only been tested and has not yet fully unleashed its maximum power."
Liu Ye asked curiously, "Although I don't quite understand the T-shaped traverse tactic you and Mingzi were discussing, it can be used when stationary and also during maneuvers, right? Our fleet can use the advantages of sails and ship shape to seize the lead of the T again, can't we?"
Gao Jie shook his head: "General, your statement is theoretically correct. However, our opponents are not a well-trained fleet. At their core, they are still pirates fighting their own battles. Even if we can seize the first position of the T-shaped formation, we may not be facing their main force, but just a bunch of scattered soldiers. It would be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, a complete waste of firepower."