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Volume 1: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 683: Unyielding Dinghai

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    |->Chapter 683 Unyielding Sea There are still six days before the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. After the Western King came to power, he modified the previous calendar of the Kingdom of Heaven and adopted the internationally accepted Gregorian calendar as the annual calendar. At the same time, he used the traditional lunar calendar  As a reference and supplement, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a solar term and an important festival, comes at the right time, instead of the fact that the moon in the sky is half-circle during the Mid-Autumn Festival due to the 366 days in the celestial calendar.  Watch the latest chapter of Perfect World and it will make you lose your eyesight.

    Dinghai County, across the sea from Ningbo County, does not have the slightest festive atmosphere. People in and out of Dinghai County are soldiers and civilians. Among them are migrant workers who are going to the forward forts to carry out reinforcement projects, and soldiers who are ordered to garrison.  , and the rural soldiers responsible for inspections. The entire Dinghai began active preparations for war after the Taiping Army declared war with Britain and France three months ago.

    Although the Anglo-French fleet suffered a defeat in Shanghai two months ago and fled back to Hong Kong in the south, all the soldiers and civilians in Dinghai did not relax. On the contrary, they became more active in preparing for war. They knew that the foreigners would definitely come.  For revenge, Dinghai is their primary target!

    In 1843, Fessel Company of London published "China: Landscape, Architecture and Social Customs of That Ancient Empire" by the famous British watercolor painter Thomas Allom. In this English album, Allom clearly pointed out that the Zhoushan Islands  The geographical location is "the first gateway to the East China Sea": "Zhoushan, shaped like a giant boat, is China's fourth largest island, lying across Hangzhou Bay. There is a saying: Ningbo's defense lies in Zhoushan, and Zhoushan's danger lies in Dinghai. Ningbo is  The giant town in eastern Zhejiang is built on the Yongjiang River, with Zhoushan Island and Zhoushan Islands as natural barriers. Zhenhai at the mouth of the Yongjiang River and Dinghai on Zhoushan Island form a corner, controlling the sea passing through the Zhoushan Islands to Ningbo and Hangzhou Bay.  Passage. With such an important position, Dinghai is naturally the first gateway to the East China Sea."

    Arom also pointed out that the British occupation of Zhoushan during the Opium War in 1840 was related to Zhoushan's superior geographical location and good port conditions: "The British had already investigated the navigation route and figured out the topography of Zhoushan. They  As you know, Zhoushan Island is the fourth largest island in China. Its shape is similar to Singapore, but larger than Singapore. The nearest point of the island is more than ten kilometers away from the mainland. It is both safe and convenient for contact. Their ambition is to occupy it by force and open the port by force.  Turn Dinghai in Zhoushan into the second Singapore." In the eyes of the British.  Zhoushan is an archipelago with numerous islands, long coastline, wide waters, deep water and smooth waves.  It has unique port conditions, which provides great convenience for them to carry out domestic and foreign shipping and trade.

    During the first Opium War more than 20 years ago, although Dinghai fell twice, it did not turn into the second Singapore as the British imagined.  After being occupied for the first time, the people of Dinghai launched a strong resistance. The British army could not guarantee the supply of materials here. Foreigners who went out alone often ended up being beaten to death.  At the beginning of the second year.  More than 20 prisoners including Assassin Deji, Mrs. Nabu and Antu De were retrieved from China, and they retreated from Dinghai to Guangdong.

    On the sixth day after the British army occupied Dinghai for the second time, a government was established in Dinghai. In January of the following year, Dinghai and Hong Kong were declared as international free trade ports.  On August 29, 1842, the Treaty of Nanjing between China and Britain was signed. In addition to the five trade ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo, and Shanghai, the British ceded Hong Kong to Britain and paid compensation, Article 12 also specifically stipulated:  "Only the Zhoushan Island in Dinghai County and the small Gulangyu Island in Xiamen Hall are still temporarily garrisoned by British soldiers; and all the foreign silver discussed above has been paid. And after all the previously discussed seaports have been opened for British trade, it will soon  The sergeants stationed in the second station will withdraw and no longer occupy it." On March 12, 1846, China and Britain signed the "Return of Zhoushan Clause", the main content of which is: "After the British army returns Zhoushan, Zhoushan and other islands will never be given to other countries; Zhoushan and other islands will never be given to other countries;  If it is invaded by other countries, the British army should protect China from danger and still defend it." etc.  May 17th.  The British army withdrew from the city of Dinghai to the seaside. Dinghai, which had been occupied by the British troops for four years and nine months, finally returned to the embrace of the motherland.

    It is extremely ironic that the Third Battle of Dinghai is very likely to break out again, and the main force of the invasion is still the British army that once declared that "if Zhoushan and other islands are invaded by other countries, the British army should protect them."  However, it was no longer the Qing army that guarded Dinghai at this time, but the emerging Taiping Army.

    Ten days ago, a liaison ship from the Taiping Army¡¯s East China Sea Fleet came to report the enemy¡¯s situation.  A British and French coalition fleet consisting of more than 30 warships anchored from Hong Kong and came north. According to reliable intelligence, the target was Zhoushan Dinghai!  As a result, the soldiers and civilians in Dinghai seized the time to make their final efforts and tried their best to strengthen the positions and forts on the shore.  They don't want to be occupied by foreigners for the third time. The Chinese people say that only three things can happen. If Dinghai is occupied for the third time, the soldiers and civilians of Dinghai will be unable to hold their heads up for the rest of their lives. The unyielding Dinghai will once again resist foreign aggression.  enemy!

    With half of the mountain covered with green bamboos and half with pine trees, seven parts are on land and three parts are in the sea. The Zhushan Gate towers majestically in the south of Dinghai City in Zhoushan.  More than twenty years ago, the Qing DynastyIt was here that the British army fought to the death with the invading British fleet. More than 20 years later, the forts and in-depth defense positions here have been renovated. The extensive use of new building materials cement makes the forts here look stronger.

    The sea outside Zhushan Gate is quiet. The Taiping Navy's East China Sea Fleet has no ships here. The strategy formulated by the Taiping Army's navy is to avoid using a weak enemy as a guerrilla strategy, so there is not even a single warship in the sea outside Dinghai.  Patrolling, and there are only a few small fast sailing ships patrolling here as warning and communication ships.

    It was noon, and a Dinghai Taiping Army coastal defense fast sailing ship rushed towards Dinghai with a full sail. A flag representing the enemy's situation was hoisted at the highest point of the sailing ship's mast. It was a dazzling bright red flag. When it approached Zhushan Gate, the flag on the ship was  The sailors sounded the ship's cannon and followed the sailboat to a stop not far away. After putting down a small boat, the sailboat quickly headed towards Ningbo.

    Several sailors on the small boat rowed hard and quickly boarded the shore. A group of soldiers and civilians on the shore immediately surrounded them.

    "A large number of foreign fleets have appeared in the outer sea. It is less than an hour's journey from here!" As soon as he stepped onto the shore, the sailor who sent the message loudly shouted: "Young and old men, prepare for war!"

    The soldiers and civilians in Dinghai immediately exploded. Soon the soldiers were organized by their officers, and the civilians began to withdraw to safe cities and deep positions. The officers and soldiers nervously opened the artillery jackets, prepared ammunition, and fired each weapon.  The troops began to enter their respective preset positions.  Everything was in order and everything was so well organized that only half an hour passed after everything was in place.  Some officers and soldiers even had time to take a puff of cigarettes in the trenches or gun emplacements to relax their tense nerves.

    Off the coast of Zhoushan, the commander of the British fleet, Uncle He, was a little angry. He had left Hong Kong ten days ago.  After heading north to look for the main force of the Taiping fleet, the thirty-six-ship fleet under his command had a difficult journey.

    The night before departure, the battleship Prince he was aboard was blasted underwater by Taiping Army water ghosts, causing a large hole in the bottom of the ship. Fortunately, he was rescued in time.  The ship ran aground on the shore and did not sink.  Uncle He was very angry about this. Why did the Taiping Army's water ghosts appear in Hong Kong?  How about he unknowingly break through the patrols on the docks and small boats on the water, and sneak into the water to get close to his flagship?

    Leave all this to the Governor of Hong Kong to worry about. Uncle Ho transferred to another battleship, the Faith, as the flagship the next day to lead the fleet to sail.  The Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Elgin, began his troubles. According to subsequent investigations, it was learned that at least hundreds of Taiping spies or spies had infiltrated Hong Kong, and there were even more people active in Hong Kong. Sir Elgin began here.  He participated in the intelligence spy war in Hong Kong, and his mission was to capture these nasty intelligence officers. Unfortunately, it was not until the end of the war.  He also failed to completely clean up Hong Kong. Taiping spies and spies have been active among the people.

    After leaving the Hong Kong anchorage, Uncle Ho recovered from his injuries and led the powerful fleet northward in high spirits. He soon forgot the unpleasantness of the Prince incident. He aggressively prepared to find the location of the Taiping Navy fleet, and then went to work.  field.

    Xiamen was his first target. He felt that instead of searching in the vast sea, it would be better to come to a encirclement point for reinforcements, as long as it threatened the port city of the Taiping Army.  The Taiping Navy will definitely appear.

    But when Uncle Ho came to Xiamen, he was shocked by the Taiping Army's defense in Xiamen. Lu Chao'an, then director of the Military and Political Department of Xiamen, spent 2 million taels of silver to prepare for war in Xiamen and deployed a total of 50 large and small forts.  .  More than 400 shore artillery, 5,680 defenders, and 9,274 returning soldiers.  The artillery fortifications on the south coast of Xiamen Island are all built of solid granite, called stone walls. They form a three-point cross-fire network with the two forts on Gulangyu Island and Longhai Island Zaiwei. The waterway is tightly blocked by 279 new artillery pieces.  It can be said.  Xiamen had become one of the most powerful coastal defense fortresses in the southern part of the Taiping Rebellion at that time.

    Recalling the capture of Xiamen in the First Opium War, Uncle He decided to try his luck. Because the Taiping Army's forts could not move, but his own fleet could move, Uncle He decided to use several ships to bombard one fort, and then  Clear all the turrets one by one.

    The result is sad. Although the enemy's fort cannot be moved, the artillery on the shore is no longer the backward artillery used by the Manchu and Qing Dynasties more than 20 years ago. After several warships besieged the Gulangyu fort for an hour, the price in exchange was the British and French fleets.  Two ships were seriously damaged, one sank, and most of the Gulangyu fort was destroyed.

    So Uncle He launched an attack. If this situation continues, if all the shore forts are to be completely cleared, maybe all of his fleet will be lost here.  When they were riding a tiger, news came from the warships serving as peripheral security guards. Several Taiping warships were spotted watching in the distance.  Overjoyed, Uncle Ho immediately ordered to withdraw from the battle and instead sailed out to sea to search for the Taiping fleet.

    But the cunning Taiping Navy shipsHe ran away. Uncle He led the fleet to search for a while but found nothing. When they returned to the sea off Xiamen, they found that the two warships that had been seriously injured and anchored here had been sunk by Taiping warships and were floating on the sea.  After being rescued, the crew described to Uncle Ho the scene of the Taiping navy's attack.

    Furious, Uncle Ho repeatedly searched the waters of Xiamen, but found nothing. Faced with Xiamen's fortress-like coastal defense, Uncle Ho had no choice but to order to continue northward to search for fighters. He did not believe that the Taiping Army could build all the seaport cities in the south as iron-clad as Xiamen.  So he led the fleet towards the Zhoushan Islands (To be continued.)
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