Chapter 082 Battle of Toyoshima

Chenghuan is located in a hilly area, with gentle mountains, but the river network is horizontal. The Qing army set up infantry positions in Yuefeng Mountain in the southeast of Chenghuan and Nanshan in the south of Chenghuan, built fortresses and machine gun positions, built wild artillery positions in Niu Xieli southwest of Chenghuan, concentrated eight wild guns, and provided artillery support to Yuefeng Mountain and Nanshan. The three positions are horns of each other, respond to each other, and can attack and defend.

After all night, it was dawn and the position was almost deployed. Nie Shicheng was very satisfied with Zhou Charter's deployment, but the problem was that the troops were insufficient. Nie Shicheng's Wuyi army was only more than 1,000, scattered in three positions and was overstretched.

Zhou Charter suggested: "Wu Yi's army can be deployed in Yuefeng Mountain, where it is condescending and can dominate the overall situation. Admiral Ye's troops can be stationed in Nanshanli and be responsible for the defense of the artillery positions in Niucheli. When the reinforcements from the Asan Sea arrive, they will strengthen the positions everywhere. In this way, it can be guaranteed.

Nie Shicheng sighed, "I also thought of this, but Admiral Ye insisted on sticking to Chenghuan City and refused to come out. He is the coach, and it is inconvenient for me to mobilize his subordinates.

Zhou Charter asked in shock: "General Nie, once the Japanese army encircled Cheng Huan, the defenders inside will become turtles in the urn. Admiral Ye won't even be able to see this."

"It's not that he can't see it!" Nie Shicheng shook his head and sighed.

In fact, Ye Zhichao refused to transfer his subordinates out of the city. There was an unspeakable reason, but Nie Shicheng knew the reason.

Ye Zhichao wants to run!

Three thousand reinforcements from the sea are nowhere to be seen. Ye Zhichao's confidence has collapsed.

The two were talking when they suddenly saw that Ha Wuyi ran over and salute a Western-style military salute to Nie Shicheng. This military salute was very eye-catching and won the true biography of Zhou Charter!

Zhou Charter was very surprised. Two days ago, this guy was still "inviting dogs"!

"Naha Wu, you should kneel down and worship General Manager Nie." Zhou Charter said that Western-style military salute is Zhou Charter's request to his subordinates, and in the army of the Qing Dynasty, this is a heresy and will even be regarded as disrespectful by the governor.

Nie Shicheng waved his hand: "No, on the battlefield, why kneel! Besides, there is a wound on the buttocks. Hawu, what's the matter? Tell me quickly.

"Thank you, Lord Nie!" Na Hawu said, "Admiral Ye's messenger came just now. Please go to the city as soon as possible."

"What's the matter?"

"The messenger said that the reinforcements in Yashan could not come."

"What?" Nie Shicheng was shocked: "Where's the messenger? Where is he?"

"He said it was unsafe outside the city, and after saying that, he hurried back to the city."

"Damn!" Zhou Charter scolded, "What kind of soldiers are these!"

A soldier and a bear, a bear nest! Even a messenger is so cowardly. What else can such a force do when it comes out of the city? Who dares to hand over the position to them!

Nie Shicheng said, "Zhou Charter, you wait here. I'll go to see Admiral Ye first."

Na Ha Wu said, "The messenger said that he wanted the boss and General Nie to go together."

Nie Shicheng became vigilant: "How did they know that Zhou Charter was here?" Zhou Charter is a deserter of Tianjin Wubei School, and Yetao is the guard of the school. If Yetao has evil thoughts, it will be greatly unfavorable to Zhou Charter - deserters are a capital crime!

"The villain doesn't know." Then Hawu said

"General Nie, since Admiral Ye summoned me, I'd better go with my adult." Zhou Charter said.

Nie Shicheng frowned: "The Ye family's father and son have some disagreement with you. I'm afraid they will be against you."

"I can't care so much," Zhou Charter said: "At present, the enemy needs the generals to work together, and they must not cause discord because of me alone. I think Admiral Ye should understand this truth.

"That's all I can do." Nie Shicheng sighed.

The two got on the horse and galloped into Chenghuan with their own guards and came to Ye Zhichao's handsome mansion.

Ye Zhichao's mansion is located in a local gentry's house. After Ye Zhichao's troops entered the city, they requisitioned a large number of local North Korean houses. They said they were expropriation, but in fact, they forcibly occupied them. They forced the North Korean people out of their homes, making them become full of complaints from the people in the city. Nie Shicheng was afraid of losing the hearts of the people and allocated some grain and silver from Wu Yi's army to the North Koreans who were expelled from their homes, which was regarded as compensation, and the people's mood was a little better. But there are still many people who are dissatisfied with the Qing army.

Nie Shicheng once advised Ye Zhichao to order to withdraw from the house to appease the people, but he was reprimanded by Ye Zhichao. In Ye Zhichao's view, the Koreans should have contributed to the Qing Dynasty sending troops to help North Korea fight against the Japanese.

When the group came outside the commander's mansion, they saw Yetao standing at the gate with a military uniform and a pistol around his waist, with a blank face. Behind him was a row of soldiers with live ammunition.

Nie Shicheng and Zhou Charter disembowed and came to Yetao.

Yetao saluted Nie Shicheng first: "Lord Nie, please." Then, he took a cold look at Zhou Charter and said, "Zhou Charter, are you all good?"

Zhou Charter saluted a Western-style military salute, neither arrogant nor humble: "Thank you for Ye's guarding and thinking about it. The charter is okay."

"It's easy to say." Yetao made a gesture of invitation and led the way. Nie Shicheng and Zhou Charter followed Yetao into the Shuai Mansion.

Zhili Admiral Ye Zhichao, with a round face and a mustache, is fat. Sitting on a handsome chair, a pair of armor is almost swollen by his fat. Broken.

When Ye Zhichao saw Nie Shicheng, he stood up in a hurry, with a sad face and a depressed look: "Mr. Nie is coming. Please sit down quickly!"

Nie Shicheng sat on the left hand of the handsome tent, Zhou Charter stood behind him, and Yetao stood beside Ye Zhichao.

Nie Shicheng arched his hand and said, "Admiral Ye, I heard that there is something wrong with the reinforcements in the direction of Asan?"

Ye Zhichao shook his head and sighed: "It's not a little problem, it's a big problem!" Yesterday, the British ship Gaosheng, which transported reinforcements, was shelled by Japanese warships in the waters of Toyoshima. Gaosheng sank, and 1,200 soldiers, together with 12 cannons and countless guns and ammunition, were buried in the sea!"

Nie Shicheng was shocked: "What! My Qing Dynasty did not declare war on Japan! How dare the Japanese fight without declaring!"

In the early morning of July 25, 1894, the Qing Dynasty hired the British ship Gaosheng to depart from Dagukou and transport 1,200 Qing troops and 12 cannons to Asan Bay. Beiyang sailor Jiyuan and Guangyi were ordered to escort Gaosheng in Fengdao waters.

At 6:30, Jiyuan and Guangyi met the three ships of the Japanese fleet's first guerrillas, Yoshino, Naniwa and Akizu. At 7:52, the Qing-Japanese fleet fought. During the fierce battle, the Guangyi's mast and bridge were blown up and forced to withdraw from the battle. They ran aground and blew up near Laolin Bay. Jiyuan's gunfire hit Yoshino's gunpowder depot, but the shell did not explode. The Jiyuan ship was immediately besieged by three Japanese ships and suffered heavy damage. He took Fang Boqian to hang a white flag and withdraw from the battle.

At this time, Gao Sheng entered the Fengdao sea area under the escort of the gunboat Caojiang. The retreating Jiyuan ship alerted Gao Sheng, and Cao Jiang turned its way and fled west. Gao Hui, the British captain of the Gao Sheng, was a British merchant ship. Despite the alarm, he ordered to continue sailing to the combat area and meet the Japanese ship Langsu head-on.

Dongxiang Pinghachiro, the captain of the Nansu, ordered the Qing army carrying the Gaosheng to surrender, but was rejected. Hannagan, the German military adviser who went with the Gaosheng to Asan with the Qing army, failed to mediate. Dongxiang Pinghalang brazenly ordered the launch of torpedoes and sink the Gaosheng.

After the sinking of the Gaosheng, the Japanese ship Langsu only sent a small boat to rescue the British captain and four Western sailors. Not only did it rescue the Qing army that fell into the sea, but also shot the Qing army floating in the sea and killed the Qing soldiers.

The Battle of Toyoshima opened the prelude to the First Sino-Japanese War. Although the two sides have not declared war since the naval battle.

The Battle of Fengdao caused heavy losses to the Qing army. The Jiyuan ship was seriously injured, with 13 people killed and 27 injured; the Guangyi ship self-detonated, killing 10 people and injuring 40; the Caojiang surrendered and 82 people were captured. Of the 1,200 soldiers carried by the British merchant ship Ascension, 1,030 drowned, including 3 Filipinos and 64 sailors. German military adviser Hannagan and 170 Qing troops narrowly escaped and drifted near Shopal Island, 112 of whom were rescued by German warships.

After the Battle of Toyoshima, Higashigo Heihachiro returned to the Japanese base camp and said, "I succeeded!"

Heihachiro Togo became famous in World War I and later became the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet. In the Russo-Japanese War, Togo Heihachiro commanded the Combined Fleet and defeated the Russian Far East Fleet, creating another glory.

The Battle of Toyoshima also set a precedent for the Japanese to fight without declaration. Since then, the Russo-Japanese War and the Pacific War have become the magic weapon for their victory.

The biggest result of the Battle of Toyoshima was that the Japanese army fought tacitly in Toyoshima and took the lead. From then on, the Beiyang Marine Division did not dare to leave the offshore to fight a decisive battle with the Japanese joint fleet. The Japanese army occupied the sea control in the southern waters of Korea and cut off the Qing army's maritime transportation line.

This means that the Qing army will no longer receive reinforcements on the southern line of North Korea.

There is silence in the commander's mansion. Everyone knows that Cheng Huan will fall into the danger of fighting alone. The Japanese are also clear about this, even better than the Qing army! They are bound to seize this favorable opportunity and quickly go south and besiege happily!

In Pyongyang thousands of miles away, tens of thousands of Qing troops could only watch Cheng Huan besieged by the Japanese army.

The direct cause of this crisis is the Battle of Toyoshima. However, the strategic decision of the Qing Dynasty in North Korea was the real cause of this bad result, and Ye Zhichao timid, which aggravated this bad result.

The Qing Dynasty could have increased tens of thousands of troops in Yashan, but in three months, the Qing Dynasty did nothing. If Ye Zhichao had entered the capital as soon as possible, he would not have fallen into such an unfounded situation.

Ye Zhichao said, "According to the horse search report, the Japanese mixed brigade that captured the capital has sent 3* infantry, 47 cavalry and 8 mountain cannons this morning, and the front of the soldiers pointed straight to Cheng Huan! Chenghuan's situation is critical. I don't know what General Nie's opinion is?

Nie Shicheng bowed his head and sneered in his heart. He knew Ye Zhichao's thoughts clearly.