In fact, many generals in the Japanese army wanted to ask this question of Mouri Hidemoto. There was more than one reason why they had this question, but one of the important reasons was that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was beaten by Yi Sun-shin in order to strengthen the navy to save the country.

Due to the situation, many heavy artillery originally equipped with the land division were transferred to the navy for transformation and eventually put on ships, which harmed the interests of the land division.

In addition, Toyotomi Hideyoshi also dismantled some shore defense artillery originally used in the port and moved them onto warships. However, the generals of the Army Division did not bother to ask about this because it did not concern themselves.

At this time, whether it was Takatora Toudo or Anji Wakisaka, all the navy generals actually didn't want to answer this question, but they just couldn't do it. After all, Kuuki Yoshitaka was dismissed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi because of his previous failure, and he is no longer in charge.

Japanese navy.

In this way, Toyo Takatora and Wakisaka Anji, the two direct Toyotomi generals, became the two top generals in the navy. If they didn't answer, no one would answer.

Todo Takatora and Wakisaka Anji looked at each other, and finally bit the bullet and said: "Your Majesty Mouri is unaware of something. After the Meiryo naval battle, our navy conducted some tactical reviews, especially a very strict sea cannon bombardment test.

Our army's Anzha ships, Guan ships, Xiaowan ships and several types of Korean warships that were damaged in the naval battle were used as target ships to test the actual combat value of large-tube shelling."

"Oh?" Mouri Xiuyuan asked: "What's the result?"

"The results are mixed." Todo Takatora said with a wry smile: "First of all, it is very difficult for a large tube to hit the target ship at sea. We conducted shooting tests with a single large tube. At a general engagement distance with very little wind and waves, it would take dozens of projectiles to hit the target.

once.

And if about ten large barrels are fired from the side string at the same time, the hit rate will indeed be improved, but it often takes several rounds of salvos to hit once."

Kuroda Ruishui frowned on the side, but he did not speak immediately. Instead, Maori Hidemoto was shocked, staring and said: "Ten large barrels, several rounds of volleys, can only hit once?"

Before Todo Takatora could answer, Ukita Hideie added: "I noticed that Todo-kun also said that this kind of test was conducted at a 'general combat distance with very little wind and waves'.

So I can’t say this from this: This test result means that if the wind and waves are bigger and the combat distance is longer, it will be almost impossible for this big salvo to hit, or...it will take dozens of rounds of salvo fire to have a chance.

Getting a hit, is that it?”

"Based on the test results, I'm afraid this is indeed the case, and the reason why the Navy conducted such a test is precisely because in the Myeongryang Sea Battle, it was clear that our army had far more large cannons than before, but at the end of the review, we found that

, the actual results we achieved through Otsutsuki are very limited." Wakisaka Anji also intervened to answer at this time.

"This is strange. If the large cannon salvoes cannot hit the enemy ships at all, how can we explain that each ship of the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance fleet is equipped with a large number of large cannons, and at the same time they also despise joining forces?"

Mouri Xiuyuan frowned and pointed out: "You must not forget that the Sea Trade Alliance completely defeated the Andong Navy in the naval battle in the Northeast. If the big tube is not the key to victory, then what is?

In particular, as far as I know, the performance of the long-established Anton navy in that naval battle can only be described in one sentence, that is, it has no backhand power - how to explain this?"

Before Toudo Takatora and Wakisaka Anji could explain, Kuroda Yusui spoke. He said calmly: "Nothing else, just enough."

"Master Ru Shui, what does this mean?" Maori Xiuyuan didn't react for a moment.

Kuroda Rusui said: "I mean, the Sea Trade Alliance wins because of the extremely large number of large tubes. In this way, even if the hit rate of large tubes in naval battles is extremely low, as long as there are enough large tubes firing at a certain ship at the same time, then

Naturally, the hit rate has been greatly improved.”

Maori Xiuyuan wondered: "Master's words should be correct in theory, but I still find it unbelievable. Master, the big barrel is not an iron cannon. Every time it is fired, a large amount of gunpowder is used. To the side of the Jinghua giant ship,

Considering the number of fourteen large barrels, each of their ships would consume about a hundred kilograms of gunpowder for each salvo.

Then we can roughly calculate how much gunpowder it takes for the Sea Trade Alliance to conduct a naval battle? Everyone knows the price of gunpowder. People like them are not fighting, they are just throwing money into the sea!"

Ukita Hideie frowned and said: "The Sea Trade Alliance is different from us in Japan. The Ming Dynasty should have saltpeter mines, so I expect that their gunpowder cost should be much lower than that in Japan."

"Cost is naturally a factor, but I think the most critical reason may not be this." Kuroda Rushui said with a stern face: "You might as well think about it, since the Anton navy was beaten and almost completely wiped out.

, after a setback, which Japanese navy still has the courage to challenge the maritime hegemony of the Sea Trade Alliance in the past ten years?

Not to mention the entire Maritime Trade Alliance, even the Kanto fleet stationed in Misaki Castle, which Japanese naval force would dare to challenge it? Oh, even His Highness Taige, hadn't he been able to release the 'new fleet' before?

Are you always on guard at Osaka Bay and not easily sent to fight in Kanto?

As for His Highness Tokugawa, he is considered the most powerful daimyo in Japan since Taiko, but Taiko ordered him to recover the two cities of Misaki and Tamana, but he still refuses to do anything.

The Tokugawa Imperial Household said that even if they occupy these two cities, the Kanto fleet can rely on the island of Misaki Castle to hold on to that maritime stronghold. After that, the thousands of miles of Kanto coastal defenses will be opened, and the Maritime Trade Alliance can attack wherever it wants. No matter how strong the Tokugawa army is, it can only

They can be exhausted running for their lives and eventually be dragged down. Therefore, as long as the Kanto Fleet cannot be eliminated, the Tokugawa family will not be able to use troops against Misaki and Tamana.

Gentlemen, this is the reason why the Sea Trade Alliance dared to spend so much gunpowder in a war: in exchange for more than ten years of smooth trade in one war, what a huge benefit it is, how could it be a loss?

On the other hand, with the support of such huge trade income, the Sea Trade Alliance has reduced the number of troops required for gang-hopping wars, and instead fully strengthened the equipment of large tanks. What is wrong with this? Soldiers must be paid monthly, large tanks

As long as the equipment is equipped and there is no war, then you don’t need to spend much money in the future - it’s just for the big drummer to do some rust-proofing and other maintenance.”

Kuroda Rusui's explanation was so detailed that Maori Hidemoto came to his senses and suddenly said: "No wonder, no wonder... I understand. I had always been curious about why the Sea Trade Alliance always sailed in groups and rarely single people.

The ship travels alone.

It turns out that due to the limitations of their tactics, their single-ship combat power is very limited. If you want to use the power of the big cannon, the bigger the fleet, the better."

Ukita Hideie turned the topic back to the navy's statement just now and asked: "Master Rusui, can I understand it this way? The significance of large tube shipments is that there are enough large tubes, and they must be used intensively in wartime to be effective?

Although our navy is currently equipped with a lot of large cannons, it may still be at a disadvantage when facing the Ming Navy or the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance. Therefore, it is better to give up shooting with large cannons and still use the ones that our navy is most familiar with.

Joining forces and joining forces to fight?"

Kuroda Asui did not answer directly, but looked at Toudo Takatora and Wakisaka Anji, and said: "This question needs to be asked for the final judgment of the Navy. I just explained the phenomenon of the Sea Trade Alliance's light ship and heavy ship.

.”

What Takatora Toudo and Anji Wakisaka could say, naturally, they could only express their recognition. Takatora Toudo also added: "In addition to the fact that the number of large tubes is definitely at a disadvantage compared to the Ming army, there is also a very important point: our army is short of gunpowder.

.According to calculations, if we were to engage in a large-barreled artillery battle with the Ming Navy, the existing gunpowder reserves would definitely be seriously insufficient, and the Army would probably need to provide the Navy with at least 10,000 kilograms of gunpowder before we could even try.

"

Upon hearing this, all the Japanese generals shook their heads. Not to mention Mouri Hidemoto, even Ukita Hideie said bluntly: "This is completely impossible. Now the new admiral of the Ming Army Army, Ma Guizheng, is leading an army of 100,000 people."

Going south, the land division is under huge pressure, and the gunpowder reserves may be insufficient. How can we allocate so much to support the navy? Absolutely not, absolutely not."

It's interesting to say that due to the influence of highly pragmatic butterfly wings, the Japanese Navy at this time actually saw the development direction of the world's navies, especially the development direction of maritime armaments, more than two hundred years earlier. It was only limited to Japan's national power. They ultimately failed

Be able to make correct choices or changes accordingly.

In fact, let alone Japan, if it had not been for the emergence of high pragmatism, even if the Ming Dynasty had earlier contact and had a naval battle with the Western Navy, the naval battle thinking of the Ming Dynasty would not have changed very quickly in the original history, and even left many consequences for later generations.

One impression is that the Ming Dynasty Navy was conservative in thinking. Although they clearly saw the direction of naval development, they were still stubborn and unwilling to make progress.

In fact, this idea is problematic. The Ming Dynasty was an important period when the gap between Eastern and Western military technology began to widen, and it was also an era when Western learning spread to the east. After Jiajing, Japanese pirates, pirates, and European forces successively and continuously intruded on the Ming Dynasty, so in response to

To meet the needs of coastal defense, the Ming Navy actually experienced two technological and tactical changes.

The first time was during the Jialongwan period, centered on the introduction of Folang cannons; the second time was during the Tianqi and Chongzhen periods, centered on the introduction of red cannons. These two changes also brought corresponding tactical adjustments to the Ming Dynasty Navy

.

Before the second revolution, the order of importance of the naval battle tactics of the Ming Dynasty was still burning ships and "using ships to plow" as the most important. In naval battles, sinking pirate ships was the first, followed by beheading and capturing prisoners.

As for the use of cannon to injure people and destroy ships, it is rare.

However, by the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch successfully came east because they won the Western naval competition. Their ships had more guns and more power than the Portuguese ships. After several conflicts, the Ming Dynasty also understood their performance characteristics and specialized in them.

It is called the "Red Yi" cannon.

On the southeastern coast, where the coastal defense problem is the most severe, the Ming Dynasty Navy quickly applied red cannons to coastal defense warships, and broke through the limit on the number of large artillery-equipped warships. Specialized "畕ships" appeared, and broadside guns were also derived.

Technology, this is already very close to the artillery tactics of European ships.

Since the Chongzhen year, pirates and official ships have been equipped with multiple red barbarian cannons. In the naval battle of Heliaoluo Bay in the Ming Dynasty in 1633, the large warships of the Ming army were equipped with 16, 20, and 36 cannons respectively.

Later, Hans Putoman, the governor of Taiwan in the Netherlands, recorded this: Zheng Zhilong's warship was "built according to the Dutch model. It is a large and exquisite, well-equipped sailing ship and fleet. It is also equipped with a part on the ship that can be towed and equipped with ring bolts.

Double-deck cannon".

In the battle to annihilate Liu Xiang in 1635, Zheng Zhilong's warships "can carry twenty-four gunmen per ship, and when the cannon fires, it splits the clouds and penetrates the waves, forming a formation of soldiers."

Of course, at that time, it was not common for warships to be equipped with more than a dozen or even thirty-six Hongyi cannons. First, the Hongyi cannons were very heavy and equipped with more than a dozen or even dozens of cannons, which was very difficult for warships.

The size requirements are relatively high; secondly, the original Ming Dynasty's cannons and Hongyi cannons are technically inherited, so it is likely that the Ming Dynasty warships mixed Hongyi cannons and cannons.

In addition to the increase in quantity, the supporting equipment of the Ming Dynasty naval artillery was also gradually improved at that time. The initial equipment of the gun or red cannon was placed on a wooden frame, with mud, chaff, and straw spread under the wooden frame to buffer the recoil.

However, as the number of large artillery increased, the Ming Dynasty Navy also began to have gun carriages, portholes, gun holes, artillery decks, etc., and even warships with double-decker artillery decks appeared.

For example, it is recorded in "Military Records": "There are gun holes on the left and right sides of the lower deck (main deck) of the ship, maybe thirty or twenty places, and red barbarian cannons are placed. Each gun weighs 2,300 to 400 ribs, with a

The wheels are mounted on them to facilitate the advancement and retreat of charges. These cannons are arranged one on each ship, or six or eight, on the left and right; the remaining holes are also lined with cannons with one thousand ribs and five hundred ribs, and those with five hundred ribs are necessary.

The square is heavy and does not jump, and the feeding end is straight."

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zheng Chenggong’s watercraft cannons are also arranged in layers, with battlements on top, surrounded by towers, covered with iron leaves, and hung with leather curtains.

A wind gate was cut in the middle to use the cannons and crossbows.

What's even more interesting is that the double-layer gun deck technology was not only used in the southeastern coastal areas, but also penetrated into the inland rivers. According to "Ping Wu Lu", in 1674, Wu Sangui rebelled and built "three layers in the middle and two layers in the upper and middle"

It is a large river warship with thirty-six gun positions on each side and twenty-four oars on each side of the lower deck. It can move very fast.

As the number of artillery continued to increase, bombardment tactics gradually matured. In August 1627, Zheng Zhilong and Yu Zigao's troops fought in Jun'ao, Fuzhou. Zheng Zhihu used a bucket-head cannon to penetrate the Ma Shengchuan of the Ming Navy and set fire to the gunpowder barrel.

In June 1628, Zheng Zhilong and Yu Zigao fought again in Xiamen. The Ming army's Sun Xiong ship was sunk by Zheng Zhixiong's cannons. In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, Zheng Zhilong destroyed Liu Xiang in Tianwei Yang, Guangdong. Both warships were sunk by cannons.

Multiple ships.

In May 1661, Zheng Chenggong launched a naval battle with Dutch warships in the Taijiang waters. The Dutch warship "Hector" exploded and sank first, and then the Chinese ships came close to the "S. Grafland" and "Egret" No. 2

At the stern of the ship, the Zheng Army soldiers fired cannons at the decks and cabins of the enemy ships, and the Zheng Army also used fire to attack the ships.

In this battle, the role of shelling ships and shelling people has become very prominent. The traditional burning of enemy ships still plays an important role, but the most commonly used jumping ship battle in the past has never appeared again.

In 1680, during the battle of the Qing army to regain Haitan, Wan Zhengse's warship "launched a salvo of artillery fire and sank sixteen pirate ships." In 1683, during the Penghu naval battle, artillery tactics became more important, and muskets were fired first in sea battles.
To be continued...