Chapter 380 Leave

On the light cruiser Jinghai, the sailors who finished their work stood on the deck in twos and threes, watching the comrades-in-arms of the artillery group slowly point the muzzle of the four triple L52/152mm guns at the big island on the horizon.

Around

, the other seven sister ships of the same type have also been lined up with Jinghai as the center, forming a standard straight artillery array on the opposite shore. Under the sea in front of them, six whale-like shadows quietly submerged under the blue.

The blood of the sailors boiled with the shells filled into the gun. Although the island of Hong Kong in the distance is its own land, it has left the embrace of the motherland for too long. At this moment, it is not itself that has it, but a British fleet that has been trapped there for a month.

It's time for the British to go too!

At this weakest moment of the Chinese nation, the fleet that knocked on the door of China with opium and cannons has also tasted the feeling of being blocked, so it is time for them to leave, because Xinhua has already has its own navy and two fleets that can guard the blue sea border that only belongs to China!

Standing on the narrow observation bridge protruding from the left side of the tall bridge, Le Fei sucked his nose. Obviously, he realized the mistake of the restriction at that time, but it's not too late. Philip Man was trapped in Hong Kong and didn't even have a chance to break through. He could have fun with this guy!

Thinking of this, he took out two betel nuts from his pocket and handed them over: "One?" Ji Rushan quickly pinched his nose and shook his head. He smiled bitterly and said, "Lefei, when did you like this thing?"

Le Fei smiled, threw one into his mouth as if no one was around, and answered the question, "Brother Ji, do you know what we are thinking?"

Ji Rushan twisted his eyebrows and replied, "What's the matter? Did you see my mistake?

Le Fei looked up, glanced at the reconnaissance sea eagle flying around Hong Kong Island in the sky in the distance, and said, "Brother Ji, you are wrong. Under the weather and sea conditions at that time, I think you have done a good job. We can't always look at the boring numbers. There are too many situations affecting the naval battle, and I believe that if At that time, it would be another result to be as light as today.

"Then I'm also wrong. If I can be bold and take the initiative to close the distance with losses, I may be able to anniperate the Phillyman." Ji Rushan did not avoid his mistakes at that time at all and said bluntly, "And I didn't make good use of the destroyer. If I had used the destroyer to carry a spear at that time, I don't think it would have been so hard."

"That's what I'm thinking." Le Fei smiled and nodded: "When it comes to artillery battles and head-on confrontations, I'm not your opponent, but you can say that using speed, you... are not as good as me."

"Remember what we discussed? Speed will change the naval battle!"

At this point, Le Fei's eyes flashed, straightened up, and raised three fingers to the staff behind the bridge. The public momentum suddenly emanated from him. With his movements, eight Jinghai-class and ninety-six naval guns roared at the same time.

Thirty minutes, six shells per minute, more than 17,000 shells. Although this level of shells do little damage to the capital ship at a maximum distance of 18,000 meters, and the accuracy is still terrible, so many shells still form a rain of bullets covering the sky.

"I'm leaving. Thank you for reminding me." In the roaring naval gun, Ji Rushan looked at Le Fei standing in front of him like a javelin, and the lines of his mouth gradually bent: "I really hope to fight with Felixman again. Unfortunately, he will be tortured to death by you!"

"Hehe, isn't that the result of the general reference? When they have a mental breakdown, let's see how they can fight back!" Le Fei smiled and waved his hand.

Ten minutes later, the seven capital ships of the First Fleet waiting in the distance continued to sail south under the protection of several destroyers. Their task was to prevent the British dogs from jumping over the wall. When the rolling black smoke permeated the sea, the Victoria berth area in Hong Kong in the distance was already full of water, and countless fires rose from everywhere. From a distance, it seemed that the whole island was trapped in the smoke.

The sudden artillery attack tore up the last pride of the British Far East Fleet. Phillipman could not even organize a counterattack, because the distance of 18,000 kilometers had exceeded the shelling and aiming of all his warships, and he did not have the guidance of the floating reconnaissance airship overhead.

Now he is extremely regretful. Although he was almost equal to his opponent, he was also afraid at that time, so he almost avoided Hong Kong without thinking about it, but he didn't expect that his opponent was waiting for him in Victoria Bay. If he was not in a hurry to enter the port at that time, but waiting to lead the fleet outside the port with the sea as the base, maybe not You will fall into this situation!

This is his second and most critical mistake. He made the fleet lose its speed and maneuver as life, and bound his hands and feet.

Although all the six-inch shells fell, and most of them fell on the sea at a long distance, even those that fell on the deck would not cause too much damage to the main body of the warship, but the sad roar and sky shells were fatal to morale. If such a shelling lasted for a period of time, I'm afraid that even if the reinforcements come to the Far East Fleet, they can't fight.

This is a psychological blow!

More importantly, he can't break through!

As early as after Yokosuka, the British Admiralty speculated that Li Mo might have mastered the submarine, and only the little thing lurking underwater could launch this invisible attack, causing him to lose nearly ten warships in an instant.

From the fact that the other party puts this little guy here to wait for himself, instead of arranging it in the Bus Strait, it can be seen that the other party also knows that the submarine does not have ocean-going combat capability.

He doesn't know whether Li Mo's submarine technology is better than that of France, because he has never seen a shadow so far, but their natural low shape is doomed to not be able to see the water surface several kilometers away. They can only ambush with the enemy's route in advance, and cannot be used in the wider strait, because once The sea is wide, and they can't find their opponents. Even if they find it, at their pitiful speed underwater, it is enough for an old ironclad ship to escape, and once they surface to chase, they will become targets, so this is why Britain has not paid attention to this research.

Because the submarine does not have the ability to combat from the ocean, it is normal for Britain, which has a global strategy, to ignore it, because the decisive battle of the British navy will be carried out at sea, not in the harbor! And this neglect also infected him, and even forgot that Li Mo had a submarine, and took the initiative to retreat to the narrow near-sea waterway!

But it is precisely because of my negligence and the second mistake that triggered a chain reaction, giving the opponent the opportunity to harass the other party endlessly. The narrow Victoria Bay in Hong Kong is almost their paradise!

It was too late to regret. In the end, he had to order all the mines stored in Hong Kong to be sprinkled, sinking several seriously injured warships into the waterway, and turning Victoria Harbour into a stuffy jar. Although he temporarily solved the problem of being attacked, he could not leave, because he sent warships to bypass several times. As soon as the curved reserved waterway leaves the port, it will be ambushed, either sinking or fleeing back in confusion.

But after the underwater crisis was solved, a bigger crisis appeared, and the Xinhua Army appeared on the back of Hong Kong! The consequences of Britain's lack of army power finally appeared. With little effort, the Xinhua Army seized Kowloon and completely turned Hong Kong into an isolated island.

Boom...!

A six-inch shell accidentally hit the mines scattered in the harbor. A huge explosion gushed out of the water, forming a huge column of water rushing straight into the sky, and the waves even quickly offset the hull of the nearest cruiser.

Looking at the splash splashing little by little, Phillipman knew that the only thing he could expect now was when the negotiations would end and how many warships he could have left at the end.

"Pon!" Sa Daoyi patted the table fiercely and roared hoarsely: "Lord Tang, you must stop shelling Hong Kong immediately, otherwise the negotiations between us will end!"

Tang Shaoyi leaned against the chair, and the assistant and recorder on the side faithfully recorded every character of Sa Daoyi's roar. When the British delegation stopped accusing and insulting, he leaned forward slightly and suddenly took out a document from his bag and handed it over.

"Sir Sa Daoyi, don't you want to see it first?"

"Look at the file? What's good about a document? Looking at Tang Shaoyi slowly pushing down the document in front of him, Sa Daoyi's heart thumped, and a bad feeling suddenly rose. When he took a deep breath and opened it, he suddenly felt dizzy.

How can this be possible!

Xinhua actually mastered his bargaining card this time, and also knew the secret plan designated by the navy! How on earth did they know? Who revealed the secret?

Looking at this confidential document that seemed to be printed from the British Prime Minister's Office, Sa Daoyi seemed to feel like a well-dressed warrior who was ready to enter the arena, but when he faced a fierce beast in the entrance, he suddenly found that his whole body was **, and he suddenly had no confidence.

"Sir Sa Daoyi, there is a lack of trust between us, so I personally feel that the negotiation that cannot establish trust is meaningless at all. With all due respect, I don't want to participate in such a negotiation. If you insist, I will ask my assistant to discuss it with you."

"This is a forgery, a rumor!" Sa Daoyi pushed the document coldly, tried to maintain the aristocratic demeanor, and asked, "Lord Tang, how on earth will your country release our soldiers!"

"It's very simple." Tang Shaoyi crossed her fingers and put it on the table: "We need a guarantee that we can believe that your country will not interfere with and occupy our territory. If we can't do it, we might as well continue to let the army speak."

"Fry it down, hum!" Dou Maile next to him snorted coldly, "Lord Tang, do you know the consequences of angering the British Empire?"

"Mr. Dou Maile, please remember your identity. You are just a diplomat, not the British Prime Minister who makes the decision!" In the face of Dou Maile's threat, Tang Shaoyi did not show weakness and said, "In addition, do you know the consequences of offending 400 million people?"

Tang Shaoyi's words just hit Britain's biggest weakness like a sharp sword, and even Sa Daoyi was shocked, because it was not only Britain's weakness, but also the weakness of the whole Europe, population!

Because the whole of Europe adds up, it is impossible to gather 400 million people. The more people there are, the stronger the potential for war. At this moment, it is impossible for Britain to even gather 100,000 troops to the Far East. Even if it wins at sea, unless Li Mo's army has defected, what will it take to occupy the land?

"I'll be back." Sa Daoyi took a deep breath, grabbed the document and left the venue with the negotiation team, because he knew that it would be an extremely difficult battle.

On October 10, the negotiations between Xinhua and the United Kingdom on the future of the Far East, which attracted worldwide attention, fell into an impasse at the beginning. In the face of the sudden shelling of Hong Kong by the Xinhua army and the British cards they threw, the British political axe panicked first, checking who leaked the secret, and quickly reformulated the discussion. Judge the policy.

At the same time, the Nanyang Fleet led by Lefei launched long-range shelling from time to time. In the early morning, noon, and even in the middle of the night, waves of shells and explosions made Felix, who was in trouble, panic. Originally, a large number of Chinese had already left the island to avoid war. After the loss of Kowloon, it became an island, and even the food was There is no normal guarantee at the beginning.

At the same time, the British army in Shanghai also fell into a bitter battle. On October 2, the 20,000 newlywed troops launched a general attack on the British Concession in Shanghai. The British army was exhausted and lost most of the streets in just one day. Three days later, Major General Samira, who was out of food in Shanghai, could not see foreign aid. Declare surrender.

On October 15, the Prime Minister's Office of Xinhua announced the liberation of Shanghai.

At this moment, the British political axe really realized that its hesitation had completely out of control of the Far East, leaving only the last two ways to negotiate and continue the war in front of the British political axe.

The decision to continue the war is difficult.

According to statistics, in order to defeat Xinhua, at least 20 battleships and more than 300,000 troops need to be mobilized. The former may still be sent, but the latter is fantastic.

On October 16th, when he learned that the Xinhua Army began to gather a large number of army troops outside Hong Kong and gathered 15 airships at the same time, Sa Daoyi had to return to the negotiation table, and the first problem in front of him was how to get credit from Xinhua.

The answer given by Tang Shaoyi is very simple. He is in charge of Malacca!

However, this proposal was directly rejected by Sa Daoyi as soon as it was put forward. Malacca was too important, so it was proposed to withdraw all the Far East fleets to India and limit the number of ships entering the South China Sea every year with the Strait of Malacca as the limit.

Tang Shaoyi refused.

The reason is very simple. Without the Strait of Malacca, the restriction is just a joke.

Seeing that the negotiations were deadlocked, Britain began to find another way, trying to go directly to Li Mo to persuade him, but this move was also blocked from the negotiations on the grounds that the emperor was not in Yanjing and the itinerary was a state secret.

On October 17, Tang Shaoyi made another suggestion that the New China Army must be allowed to set up a naval monitoring station in the Longya Islands without changing its ownership, and put forward a new concept for the first time, the patrol power of the Strait of Malacca!

The Longya Islands are named by the Chinese. Among the European population, it is called the Linga Islands. It is located east of Sumatra Island, only 50 nautical miles from the Strait of Malacca. From the map, if the narrow Strait of Malacca is regarded as a dragon, then this is the tooth of the dragon.

The naval patrol power is more aimed at the special status of the Strait of Malacca. Although the British political axe has not restricted the entry and exit of merchant ships from various countries, because the Strait of Malacca is an important strategic channel to enter and exit the Far East, if the warships of various countries want to pass, they must first inform the British garrison, and the British Far East Fleet will be stationed in the new The surveillance of the Jiapo sub-fleet, even if the Xinhua Navy wants to get in and out, can't escape, let alone enter the strait as a regular patrol.

This proposal does not seem to be as important as jurisdiction, but in fact, once the Xinhua Navy establishes a normalized patrol system in the Strait of Malacca, it means that the New China Army can monitor every ship entering and leaving the Strait of Malacca, and setting up a naval monitoring station in the Longya Islands is equivalent to pulling out any warship entering and leaving the waterway. Teeth!

For the Longya Islands, although Sa Daoyi was right, he did not insist in the end, because it was under the jurisdiction of the Dutch in Sumatra. As long as it has Singapore, no one can shake Britain's position in Malacca.

At this point in the negotiations, everyone understood that Li Mo had been thinking about Malacca since he was determined to go to war with the British. He could not directly annex the strait, because it was related to the interests of all European countries, but it did not prevent him from using the war to urge and force the other party to withdraw from Xinhua. , digging out part of the power from Britain on the grounds of trust.

The news in Shanghai has made everyone understand that Britain has lost all opportunities in the Far East, and hesitation has become Britain's biggest mistake. When the news that Li Mo wants to share a cup of soup in Malacca spread to Europe, William II seemed to have seen the opportunity and proposed an international co-managing method for the first time through the newspaper. It is also supported by France and Italy.

This is something that Britain can't tolerate. Germany's first construction of the scratch level has made Britain very unhappliable, but it didn't expect that it could not fight back for the time being. Instead, it was regarded as a weakness. Unexpectedly, everyone wanted to come to Malacca to share the cup.

On October 20, when the Xinhua Pacific Fleet appeared off the coast of Singapore, after blocking four Junquan-class battleships that were about to go to Singapore through the Strait of Malacca, Britain finally panicked. Because the main force of the Far East Fleet was trapped, there are only three Junquan-class in Singapore at present, although Junquan-class has 343 mm guns. However, it is the earliest open-air fort design. In front of the other party's new duke level, I'm afraid there is no power to fight back.

Sa Daoyi urgently announced the adjournment. Finally, after three days of communication, under the pressure of reality, Britain finally agreed to give Xinhua the right to patrol the Strait of Malacca for mutual trust between the two sides, but at the same time, it strictly stipulated the distance, number and tonnage of ships entering and leaving the ships.

Strict restrictions did not discourage Li Mo. Patrolling is just an excuse. Even if liberals can enter a few torpedo boats, it is a victory, because as long as this thick iron curtain is pushed open, it means that the time to control a real international strategic waterway is not too far away.

After solving the biggest problem of mutual trust, the negotiation finally entered the substantive stage. The withdrawal conditions proposed by Sa Daoyi were also directly rejected, and a series of questions such as how to protect the interests of British businessmen in China were brought to the negotiating table.

On November 8, after a long period of suffering and bargaining, China and Britain reached an agreement. According to the agreement, Britain gave up all concessions in China and withdrew all its troops. At the same time, the number of British Far East fleets was strictly limited to a total tonnage of no more than 200,000 tons, of which only six battleships could be used at most. .

In exchange, Xinhua sold the China-class battleship technology to Britain for one million pounds, and delivered it after the last British soldier left. At the same time, it guaranteed that the legitimate interests of British businessmen in China were not infringed. At the same time, the total size of the Nanyang Fleet was actively limited to 150,000 tons, and the battleships did not exceed six. .

Five days later, when Dou Maile led 2,000 Xinhua sailors into Hong Kong, he couldn't believe his eyes. He only saw that the remaining four battleships and seven first-class cruisers were all dilapidated. On the deck, the hull was full of traces of shells. Once huge, with as many as ten battleships, ten The British Far East Fleet, with five first-class cruisers and a large number of second-class cruisers and auxiliary ships, was completely disabled and could not be restored in three to four years.

And the sailors were in a trance by the intermittent shelling that lasted for nearly a month. Not to mention the counterattack, I'm afraid there is even a problem to continue to go to sea.

After receiving the news, Britain was outraged, but when the negotiations were over and there was no immediate ability to fight back, they could only choose to retreat temporarily.

On November 15, according to the agreement, the 7th Infantry Division of the Xinhua Army took the lead in entering Hong Kong and took over all military facilities in Hong Kong. At the same time, after the British Far East Fleet destroyed an unusable cruiser, all the remaining ships anchored and connected with the four days later under the supervision of the Nanyang Fleet of the Xinhua Navy and the boarding sailors. Cross the Strait of Malacca and go to the Indian base for rest.

At this point, the Xinhua Marine Corps sent a battalion to land on the Longya Islands despite the opposition of the Netherlands, began to build monitoring stations on it, and ordered the expulsion of all non-New Chinese indigenous people on the island.

On November 20, when the last southern province of Yunnan announced the restoration, Li Mo, the emperor of Xinhua, who had been silent for a long time, sent two medical teams, led by Duan Yueer and Luo Sanniang, to Shanghai and Hong Kong to treat the British soldiers who were preparing to return to China.

Even the British political axe expressed appreciation for this news. You should know that months of blockades and fighting have not only made British soldiers exhausted, but also many seriously injured people could not even get on the ship to accept the turbulence of the sea journey. Now Li Mo has extended a helping hand, at least to solve the big problem.

But in fact, Sa Daoyi regretted it in the end!

Because of the hundreds of seriously injured soldiers, they finally stayed in Shanghai for three months before embarking on the ship back to China! ......

(to be continued)