On June 23, offshore outside Osaka Port, the warships of the British-Dutch Combined Fleet were parked leisurely in the Seto Inland Sea. The sailors on the warships were a little bored, lying lazily on the hammocks and hammocks on each deck.
Enjoy the coolness on the ground - the weather is very hot at this time, which makes Europeans who are afraid of high temperatures intolerable.
Some of the old sailors were bragging to the new sailors about their travels around the world, especially the stories of Spanish widows in the Caribbean Islands and ecstasy with Indian women. The stories had been told many times, but the new sailors who surrounded the old sailors
Still never tire of listening to it.
Some sailors were biting various types of sushi, while others took turns drinking a bottle of sake, each one taking a sip. The shogunate army was very grateful for the help of the British and Dutch fleets and sent rich supplies to the sailors. Common things like eel sushi were
Good food that the Japanese cannot eat is very common on the fleet.
The atmosphere of the entire fleet is very relaxed. In fact, the Anglo-Dutch fleet has been in such a lazy state since it defeated the ironclad ship that came to challenge three months ago. The Dutch and British are now waiting to be trapped.
The 25,000 people in Osaka Castle came out and surrendered, and then the Japanese could cross the sea and attack Korea.
British Fleet Commander Gascoigne took a lifeboat to the Dutch flagship Swordfish. Dutch Fleet Commander Adelbert walked to the side of the deck to welcome the ally.
It is also a Protestant parliamentary country, and this time the British and the Dutch cooperated happily.
Gascoigne climbed onto the Dutch flagship, looked around, and said in Dutch: "Dear Commander Adelbert, our fleet has been staying in the Seto Inland Sea for three months."
Adelbert nodded and said: "You are right, Mr. Gascoigne. The defenders in Osaka City do not have much food and grass. In three months, we will be able to capture Osaka City. It is said that the Japanese shogun hates Lee very much.
Zhi's troops and horses are ready to kill all 25,000 people."
Gascoigne patted the guardrail on the side of the ship with his hand and found that the guardrail was made of hard oak. Gascoigne secretly said that the Dutch were really willing to spend money on making battleships, and the workmanship of this Swordfish was very solid.
He was silent for two seconds and said: "Commander Adelbert, I think something is a little strange. Don't you think Li Zhi is too quiet?"
The Dutchman Adelbert laughed loudly and said: "Your Excellency, Captain, your worries are unnecessary. Li Zhi is indeed very quiet, but he can only be so quiet."
"Based on our experience in fighting Li Zhi over the years, as long as Li Zhi has a chance to defeat us, he will never be silent. He is a militant. There is only one reason why he is so silent now. He does not have enough navy.
The forces are at war with us, and we can only watch Osaka being captured by us."
"We have investigated and found that Li Zhi has six shipbuilding sites in Tianjin and Shandong. But even if all these shipbuilding sites are started, they can only produce six ironclads in five months. Even if Li Zhi gathers eighteen ironclads to challenge us, it will not be possible at all.
Not our opponent."
"Lord Gascoigne, the situation is now very clear. Li Zhi has completely lost hope of victory. The next question is how his 80,000 soldiers can withstand the siege of 110,000 shogunate troops and 160,000 Jiangbei troops.
Already."
"This time, we will definitely be able to reach Tianjin."
Gascoigne heard Adelbert's words, thought for a moment, and said, "Do we have any spies hiding in Tianjin?"
Adelbert said unhappily: "Captain, we don't need spies. Li Zhi is very strict in catching spies in Tianjin, and we can't lurk in. But we don't need to worry about Li Zhi's navy at all. No one can
The Netherlands cannot produce thirty battleships within six months or one year, nor can the United Kingdom, nor France, nor Spain."
"We don't need to worry that Li Zhi will conjure up battleships to defeat us. Dear Captain of the British Fleet, you are worried about an impossible thing."
After hearing Adalbert's words, Gascoigne fell silent.
After a long time, he smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly and said: "It is indeed impossible, unless Li Zhi is not a mortal but a god. Maybe this hot weather has made me a little paranoid."
Adalbert smiled and said: "You are indeed suspicious, Your Excellency, Captain." After a pause, he said: "Captain, in fact, the Jiangbei Army has promised us that after occupying Tianjin, everything Li Zhi will have
All machines and craftsmen will be given to our combined fleet. Li Zhi's various technologies will be enjoyed by us Dutch and British people in the future."
Gascoigne's eyes lit up when he heard this. Li Zhi's technology is very advanced, even surpassing the European level. If Li Zhi's craftsmen can be obtained, the overall national strength of Britain can even be improved. I don't know what technologies the Dutch will give to them.
To the British.
But the premise is that Li Zhi will not suddenly become powerful and come to Japan.
Gascoigne didn't know why, but he felt a little distracted today and always felt uneasy. He pondered his concerns and fell silent.
Adelbert saw Gascoigne's worry, laughed, and said: "Mr. Gascoigne, don't worry about Li Zhi. As you said, unless Li Zhi is a god and not a human being, he cannot create anything."
Send out thirty ironclads to fight us. Come! Come to the captain's cabin and try some of my gin and..."
However, before Adalbert could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a panicked roar from the mast: "There is a large fleet ahead!"
Hearing the shouts of the lookout, Gascoigne seemed to have heard bad news, and his face turned pale. He looked at Adalbert who was full of surprise, strode up to the poop of the Swordfish, and used his own
Telescope observing the west coast.
There were no ships visible on the western horizon, but Gascoigne saw a black smoke rising from below the sea level. Gascoigne knew it was the smoke coming from the steamer's chimney. He counted the black smoke carefully.
There were ten lines of smoke, twenty lines, thirty lines, and finally he was surprised to find that the fleet rushing over actually had forty ships.
The Dutch officer on duty shouted: "Enemy attack! Everyone is in position!"
Dutch sailors rushed up from the lower deck, grabbed their Formosa rifles and prepared for battle. The gunners rushed to the gun emplacement, opened the gun window, and pushed the cannon to the firing position.
Adalbert also ran up to the poop. He held up a telescope to observe the black smoke in the distance and said loudly: "Impossible! It is impossible for Li Zhi to build forty armored ships in three months! Li Zhi must have
They are desperate to pull the steamer up and fight us!"
But Adalbert's roar was interrupted by the lookout on the ship: "Number of enemy ships! Forty! Types! Ironclads!"
Adalbert was stunned for a moment, clutching the telescope and speechless.
I don’t know whether it was the hot weather or the panic inside, but a thin layer of sweat broke out on Gascoigne’s forehead. He gritted his teeth and said: “Your Excellency Adalbert, Li Zhi is the most terrifying enemy I have ever seen!
I think we’re in trouble!”
Gascoigne finally saw the forty menacing ironclads clearly through the telescope. The new steel armor painted with gray tree paint made Gascoigne's heart beat wildly.
