Chapter 111: Breakthrough Interception Entering the Strait

The Ottoman navy has always been a very powerful force in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and this officer heard Zheng Zhilong say that they were not allowed to affect the navigation of ships from other countries, and he knew that it was not good, but he also knew that if he opened this head to let the ships of the Ming Dynasty in and out casually today, the empire would probably lose control of this waterway in the future.

"Our Ottoman Empire has controlled this place for a long time, and ships of any country must pass through here with our permission, otherwise they will bear the consequences!"

"Huh!" Zheng Zhilong was waiting for this sentence, "You have just been defeated and ceded land and paid compensation, do you still want to fight again?" ”

This Ottoman officer didn't expect Zheng Zhilong to be so arrogant, and after being stunned, he roared: "Our Ottoman Navy is not muddy. Don't look at the ships in front of you, it's only a small part. I tell you, thousands of warships of the Christian navy have not taken advantage of it! Besides, our artillery on the shore is not for the sake of viewing. If it's hard, you won't be able to cross this waterway. This waterway belongs to our Ottoman Empire! ”

"Huh!" Zheng Zhilong looked at the young officer and said with a smile, "Young man, just a little bit of determination, and still come out to negotiate?" Well, go back and tell your fleet to prepare for battle! Don't forget to tell them that if they dare to fire at us, we'll go over and blow you to the ground! ”

The young Ottoman officer, whose face was purple, did not speak, descended the rope ladder to their dinghy, and rowed away.

Seeing that the Ottoman officer was gone, Mu Yi came out and said to Zheng Zhilong: "It seems that the cannon is going to pass today?" ”

"We have to fight for our free passage from here, or our ports on the Black Sea will be subject to them." Zhang Zhimu looked at the Ottoman fleet in front of him, "Let's talk about it when their letter arrives, otherwise we will bully them." ”

"I'll send a telegram to our branch in Istanbul, otherwise they won't be prepared at all!" Mu Yi said.

"I don't think it's necessary, these people in front of me dare to confront us because they didn't ask the Sultan. Their sultan has been beaten by us, and he does not dare to do anything to our people! However, we will notify the family of the situation first, and whether to send a telegram to the branch or not, it is up to the family to decide! Zheng Zhilong saw it very clearly.

The officer returned to their flagship and told Zheng Zhilong about his encounter with righteous indignation, and the Ottoman officers on the ship gritted their teeth one by one angrily and demanded that the cannon be fired.

But the fleet commander was really in trouble, he knew that he couldn't defeat a ship as big as someone else in a war, and besides, it was easy to get into trouble for the empire if he started a war. The empire has just set aside a large area for the Ming Dynasty, just because it really can't beat people. But in front of me, the Ming Dynasty fleet is enlarged in front of me, what should the empire do? Could it be that the control of this waterway was given to the Ming Dynasty in this way. The commander knew that such a thing could not be done by a small person like himself, so he immediately sent someone to report back by speedboat, and their fleet was lined up here without firing cannons, delaying time.

The Yaogang fleet didn't have time to spend here with them, it was estimated that the time was almost up, Zheng Zhilong picked up the binoculars and looked at it, and said to Mu Yi: "I'll see it!" Here we go! ”

"Yes! Don't accompany them here! Mu Yi nodded and said.

"Warning shots!" Zheng Zhilong ordered.

"Knock knock!" The three 130-caliber cannons on the Tarzan each fired one shot, and the shells fell into the sea in front of the Ottoman fleet, blowing up a column of water that soared into the sky.

The commander of the Ottoman fleet knew that it would not be possible to fight without fighting, and the officers and men of the entire fleet could not bear it in the face of such humiliation. The commander has a heart, and the big deal is death!

Commanded: "Raise the sails and rush over!" Shoot at the enemy! ”

These ships rushed over, and in the eyes of the kiln people, it was a suicide attack.

Although the guns of the Ottoman ships beat the sea like a boiling pot, they could not help these steel giants. A few rows of guns from the Yaogang warships passed, and the dozen or so warships of the Ottoman Empire became floating objects on the sea.

This naval battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire in the Aegean Sea was very short-lived.

Mu Yi saw that there were no more Ottoman ships on the sea, and snorted with his nose, "Hmph! Hit the stone with an egg! Is this a hero or a fool? ”

"I guess I'm still a hero!" Zheng Zhilong said, "After all, they have fulfilled their responsibilities as soldiers!" ”

Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong didn't seem to be talking about what they were doing, but like talking about the past.

After beating these dozen Ottoman warships, the officers and soldiers on the Yaogang ship didn't seem to be too excited, but they just exchanged that they could get off the ship and start quickly today, and they sank a lot.

After a period of search and rescue of the Ottoman sailors who had fallen into the water, Zheng Zhilong said: "Commander Mu, since you have done it, I think you have lifted the batteries on both sides of the waterway in front of you." Otherwise, it will be troublesome in the future. It's not a problem for our ships to always pass under the guns of others! ”

"Good! Just listen to you! Of course, Mu Yi agreed.

In front of the flotilla is the Turkish Strait. The Turkish Straits are the only gateway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, including the Bosphorus, the Marmara and the Dardanelles (also known as the Canakkale Strait).

Zheng Zhilong said to Mu Yi: "The Dardanelles Strait in front is more than 60 kilometers long, 1.2 kilometers at its narrowest point and 6.4 kilometers wide at its widest point. There are many ports on both sides of the river, as well as many castles. However, the narrowest part of the danger is this, on the east bank there is the Fort of Sultaniyah (Canakkale), and on the opposite bank there is a fort on the heights of Kilidir Bashir. Zheng Zhilong has long been familiar with these local intelligences.

"The whole strait is narrow, and where to put a cannon is a threat to us. So when we enter the strait, we have to be careful at all times, and all the cannons are loaded and aimed at both sides! Mu Yi pointed to the strait on the map and said.

"Good! I'll immediately inform the entire fleet to stay in combat condition! Zheng Zhilong said.

The flotilla was led by two 500-ton frigates in front, followed by the Taishan, and when approaching the entrance to the Dardanelles, Zheng Zhilong pointed to the left front and said: "Ahead is the top of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and the castle is called Saidir Bashir." When the Prophet Muhammad attacked Constantinople (Istanbul), eight citadels were built to block this strait, and this was one of them. It's still in use and it's very sturdy. ”

"Oh!" Mu Yi held up the binoculars and looked at it and said, "If the prophet knew that we were going to bombard this place today, would he be angry?" ”

"I'm going to be angry!" Zheng Zhilong said, "However, we can't control that much!" Ha ha! ”

The location of this Saidir Bashir Castle is too important, it is just guarding the entrance to the Dardanelles, and the cannons on the castle can directly threaten the ships entering and leaving here, so Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong both know that the threat of this castle must be cleared first.

Before the Yaogang fleet approached the castle of Saidirbashir, seven or eight more warships rushed out of the Dardanelles, and Mu Yi decided that someone must have gone back to report that the Ottoman warships that could be dispatched on the dock on the shore would reinforce the fleet intercepting at sea.

The two frigates that opened the road in front saw them rushing over, and opened fire first, and the 65-mm guns fired quickly, and with a burst of shells, the Ottoman warships in front began to catch fire and disintegrate. The rest felt that it was not good to turn the bow of the ship and try to run, and the "Dong Dong" frigate took advantage of the opportunity of their warship to turn around and be bombed, and sank a few more. Only two ships remained to flee to the shore, knowing that there was artillery cover from the castle of Saidir Bashir on the shore. Sure enough, the cannon on the castle "Dong Dong" fired at the Yaogang fleet.

Mu Yi said to Zheng Zhilong: "Lao Zheng, use our cannon to blast the castle, and then fire a few shots *** to fight quickly, we still have a long road ahead!" ”

"Huh! It seems that Commander Mu is going to be ruthless! Zheng Zhilong said with a smile and gave an order to the captain of the Taishan.

Soon, as the hull of the ship continued to tremble, fifteen 304-mm cannons on the Tarzan opened fire on the castle of Saidir Bashir.

The megalithic castle of Saidil al-Bashir is also very strong, and it has survived many wars, and still stands to guard the entrance to the Dardanelles. But as a 304-millimeter high-power cannonball hit him, the boulders on the castle, together with the large-caliber artillery, and the soldiers on the castle, flew into the sky one by one, and the castle was blown open with big holes, and many soldiers in the castle were shocked to death. After two rows of shells passed, the 130-caliber cannon fired another row of ***. The century-old castle was transformed from a pillar of smoke into a torch soaring into the sky.

The Ottoman officers and soldiers were very brave and fearless of death, but they were also frightened by such powerful shells, and the officers and soldiers on several forts near the castle did not wait for the kiln warships to fire at them, and they all ran away.

But no man's fort could be kept, and when the Kiln Gang fleet passed, they were overturned with heavy artillery.

After entering the strait, the Yaogang fleet found that there were artillery batteries on both sides of the shore, which were all overturned by artillery fire, and all armed ships on the shore were sunk. It can be said that the flotilla swept by.

All the way to the narrowest point of the Daniel Strait, Zheng Zhilong said to Mu Yi: "In front, the circular castle on the left is the Zilit Bashir Fortress, which was also built by the Prophet Muhammad, and on the right is the Sultaniyah Fort (Canakkale). ”

"Huh! What a hard work the Ottoman Empire had! However, we are here, and no more castles are to be built here to erect cannons, and this must be a waterway that can be passed peacefully. Mu Yi said firmly.

"Commander Mu said great! But we still have to shoot them first! Zheng Zhilong said, "It's a pity that our two 5,000-ton warships didn't come together, otherwise the two of them would have gone forward in parallel and done all the work. ”

"Lao Zheng just started talking, it's annoying to shoot the gun!" Mu Yi said, "We all come out, don't leave a few ships for Commander Fan, he has really become the commander of the bare pole, if something happens, what if the two of them are empty-handed?" A country that big can't be empty! ”

"This year's 25,000-ton warship, and three 5,000-ton warships can be launched, it should be enough!"

"In this way, the ship cannot be put into service immediately after launching, and it will take a lot of time for the sea trial transformation!"

"Oops! There was no war, and if there was a war, it would be a sea trial while fighting! Zheng Zhilong said.

"That's right!"

At this time, the sound of "knock knock knock" cannon sounded intensively, and the cannons of all the ships in the kiln began to shoot at the two castles. The castle, along with the batteries outside the castle, was assigned tasks to the ships.

The two ancient castles were finally destroyed by the cannon fire of the Kiln Man. This bombardment lasted longer, because this is the narrowest part of the Dardanelles, the distance between the east and west sides is only a little more than three kilometers, in addition to two castles, there are many fortifications, it is the most tightly fortified place in the entire strait, and it is also the place where the Ottoman Empire has made the most efforts.

In the end, the kiln people did not hesitate to cast a lot of ***, burning both sides of the strait into a sea of fire. In the light of the fire, the kiln flotilla passed through the throat of the Dardanelles.

The flotilla passed here, and there were many castle batteries on both sides to fire at them. From the moment they entered the strait, there were fast horses on both sides of the strait along the strait to report on the military situation, with the ultimate goal of sending intelligence to Istanbul. The officers and soldiers of the forts and castles on both sides of the strait have been waiting for them for a long time. It is a pity that these officers and soldiers really do not understand the combat effectiveness of their opponents, and they pay a heavy price for this. The Ottoman officers and soldiers who did not die knew that the power of the cannonballs could be so great. A single heavy artillery shell can blow up a turret.

When the Yaogang fleet entered the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles, the information transmitted by the Ottoman Empire's fast horses was also sent to Istanbul. When the Imperial Sultan heard the news, his head went to war, and he knew that his navy was in trouble. Since the Sultan ceded a large area of land including the two river valleys to the Ming Dynasty in the spirit of a strong man's broken arm, he wanted to exchange for time to recuperate, because the Ottoman Empire still has a large area of land and a strong war potential, as long as there is time, it will soon recover its war capability. He needed more time to make up for the huge gap in military equipment with the Ming Dynasty. But the peace that was paid for at such a great sacrifice was destroyed by these bastards of the navy.

The Sultan kept receiving news that the castle had been cannon shots, but he was not very impressed. He knew that in the face of the advanced equipment of the kiln people, this result was not strange at all. Although he did not yet know the true strength of the Yaogang Naval Army, the Sultan knew that the Ming Dynasty Naval Army would be very powerful, and it was a great feat for them to travel across the ocean to his backyard.

The Ottoman Sultan, who had calmed down, judged the location of the Yaogang fleet according to the news that kept coming, and sent an envoy to run towards the Sea of Marmara. At the same time, I went to ask someone to ask the shopkeeper of the Ming Dynasty branch.

The envoy came to a pier, took out the Sultan's order, asked them to send a ship, carry him into the Sea of Marmara early in the morning, stopped in the middle of the channel, lowered the sails, and hung up the white chess.

The captain of the warship did not want to fly the white flag, and had just come over to say a few words, when the envoy sent by the Sultan said: "Shut up! If you don't hang the flag, I'll kill you right away! ”

The captain immediately shut his mouth and had the white flag hoisted.

The Yaogang fleet also traveled day and night into the Sea of Marmara.

Zheng Zhilong slept soundly, and was very reluctant to be woken up by the officer on duty, "Damn, Lao Tzu still has to sleep for a while!" ”

"Commander Fan, hurry up! There is a case! ”

"Huh? There is a case! Hearing that there was a situation, Zheng Zhilong turned over and rescued him.

"Yes, deputy commander, an Ottoman ship was spotted in front of you!"

"Damn, this is also calling me, just sink it!"

"No! The sails of their ship with a white flag have been lowered, and I don't think that's right! ”

At this time, Zheng Zhilong's mind cleared up, "Could it be that their sultan reacted and wanted to negotiate with us?" He said, "Not good! He immediately put on his clothes, went to the cockpit and looked ahead with a telescope, and sure enough, he saw a ship with a white flag on its sails parked in the channel ahead.

Zheng Zhilong picked up the radio microphone and ordered a frigate to lean over to see the situation!

After a while, the frigate made a nimble U-turn and returned, and he received an envoy from the Sultan to take him aboard the Tarzan.

At this time, Mu Yi was also woken up and came to the deck.

The envoy came to the deck along the gangway, and the general went over to introduce him that this was our commander-in-chief Mu Yi, and this was our deputy commander-in-chief Zheng Zhilong.

The envoy immediately stroked his chest and saluted, saying, "I have seen two generals, and I am the emir of the envoy sent by His Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to meet you. Shaheen! ”

Zheng Zhilong said: "Oh! And your Sultan sent men to meet us? Why bombard us with artillery! ”

"Our Majesty was furious when he received the news of the exchange of fire between our two sides, and at the same time felt very sorry for the original guest. Our Majesty said that although we don't know exactly what happened, Your Majesty knows that there must have been a misunderstanding! We have just signed a peace agreement with the Ming Dynasty, and we all want to reconcile forever. There should never be an armed conflict in any case! Our Majesty said that if it is really our responsibility that has been misunderstood, we will severely punish the perpetrators and give you satisfactory compensation! ”

The words of the envoy, Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong couldn't say what they said when they wanted to fight!

Mu Yi said: "We didn't want to fight in the first place. After entering the Mediterranean, for fear of misunderstanding, we did not dock at all the ports you occupied! However, when you passed through the Aegean Sea and had not yet reached the Strait of Daniels, one of your fleets blocked our way, and if it did not make sense, they opened fire on us. We entered the strait, all the castles and batteries opened fire on us, and all the ships opened fire on us. This misunderstanding is a bit big, isn't it? ”

As soon as the envoy heard what Mu Yi said, he knew that the situation was much more serious than what the Sultan knew, and immediately said: "The general is angry! Our Majesty said that no matter what kind of misunderstanding happened before, we will give you a satisfactory answer. In any case, from now on, there will be no more armed conflicts! ”

"Huh!" Zheng Zhilong smiled and said, "Our shells are very expensive, and we don't want to play with them!" ”