In its heyday, the Guangdong Navy Division had dozens of small ships totaling more than 11,000 tons and 37 large and small ships, but its shortcomings were also obvious, the boats were small and chaotic, and their combat effectiveness was not high. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

Since the three largest warships of the Guangdong Naval Division, Guangjia, Guangyi, and Guangc, were sunk in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Guangdong Naval Division has never purchased warships equal to or larger than these three ships. For Admiral Li Zhun of the Water Division, this may be the biggest shortcoming.

"Could it be that the imperial court is not sure about the charter of the naval merger, so you delay the plan to add ships one day?" Li Zhun's meeting was harmonious, and he once again mentioned the matter of adding new ships to the Guangdong Navy. And the merger of the navy he mentioned is indeed one of the reasons for Chen Wenqiang's perfunctory delay.

In 1905, Zhou Fu, Minister of Nanyang, and Yuan Shikai, Minister of Beiyang, jointly proposed the merger of the navy; In 1906, Yao Xiguang, who was transferred from the Training Department, put forward the idea of organizing the nation's naval vessels into two fleets, one for ocean and one for river patrol, according to the division of strategic tasks. In 1907, the Navy Department was set up within the War Department, which consisted of three divisions: Confidential, Shipping Administration, and Operations Research......

Under the intensive planning and arrangement, the reorganization of the navy is almost a foregone conclusion. And before he could determine how to reorganize, Chen Wenqiang certainly didn't want to be transferred away just after adding a new ship.

"Brother Li, look-" Chen Wenqiang stretched out his hand and pointed to the houses built outside the shipyard, and said: "The Fujian Shipbuilding Bureau was closed due to poor management, and most of those workers were hired by me. ”

The Fujian Shipbuilding Bureau broke ground in 1866, from a wilderness to the construction of a 600-acre well-equipped, large-scale Mawei shipyard in the Far East, witnessing the rise and fall of the Westernization Movement.

For more than thirty years. The Mawei Shipyard built a total of 40 ships, accounting for 70% of the total domestic volume at that time, formed the first naval fleet, the Fujian Navy, and equipped a large number of ships and generals for the Beiyang and Nanyang naval divisions. During this period, the three naval divisions of the Qing Dynasty experienced the Sino-French Majiang Naval Battle and the Sino-Japanese First Sino-Japanese Naval Battle respectively, and their defeat to the French teacher who taught them to build ships and build the army is understandable. However, the defeat to the Japanese Navy, which was also in its infancy, made the Chinese people embarrassed. In 1907, the Qing government ordered the dismal Harbour Administration Bureau to stop shipbuilding.

Funds are not sustained, management is backward, raw materials are mostly imported from abroad, and the cost of shipbuilding is too high...... There were many reasons for the closure of the Harbour Bureau, but after all, the technical force was still very strong in the manufacture of cruisers such as Guangjia, Guangyi, and Guangc, and the manufacture of steam engines.

Right now. These skilled workers and technicians were recruited by Chen Wenqiang to the Huangpu Shipyard, which raised the technical strength of the Huangpu Shipyard by more than one level.

"When it comes to management, no one can surpass you, but-" Li Zhun stopped talking and shook his head slightly.

"You don't see what's going on in the dock." Chen Wenqiang's finger changed direction and said, "Two motorized sailboats that are being refitted, and two torpedo boats that are being manufactured." One is to sell it to the Taihe Fishery Company, which is about to open, and the other is to leave it to the Guangdong sailors. Protecting the sea. ”

Using civilian profits to subsidize the military, Chen Wenqiang's thinking is very clear. The South China Sea is rich in fishery resources. However, traditional fishing techniques, backward fishing vessels and equipment have greatly restricted the development of the fishery and limited the amount of money that Chen Wenqiang has amassed. Therefore, he suggested and advocated the establishment of a fishing company to manufacture and renovate motorized sailing boats, so that the fishing industry could develop towards modernization.

"Torpedo boats?" Li Zhun grinned. He smiled bitterly and said, "Lord Chen, you are not familiar with the navy, and if you want to protect the sea frontier, you have to be a giant ship and a cannon." Torpedo boats, too small. It's hard to take on the heavy responsibility! ”

"It's true that I'm not familiar with the navy, but Brother Li shouldn't look at things with old eyes." Chen Wenqiang smiled quite proudly and said: "Brother Li will first select capable sailors, and when the torpedo boat is built, he will drive the boat for training." Well, Brother Li should read more newspapers and learn more about the latest developments in science and technology! ”

In 1866, the British engineer Robert? Whitehead succeeded in developing the first torpedo. The torpedo uses a compressed air engine to drive a single propeller to propulsion, and the horizontal rudder plate at the tail of the torpedo is controlled by a hydraulic valve to control the depth of the torpedo. At that time, the speed of the torpedo was only 11 km/h, the range was 180-640 meters, and there was no device to control the direction of the torpedo. Because of its fish-like appearance, it is called a "torpedo".

In 1899, the Austro-Hungarian naval cartographer Ludeger? Aubrey mounted the gyroscope on the torpedo and used it to control the direct course of the torpedo direction, making the world's first torpedo to control the direction, which greatly improved the accuracy of the torpedo's hit. Subsequently, the first thermodynamic torpedo (also known as steam gas torpedo) was invented by the American E.W. Bliss to replace the compressed air engine, which increased the speed of the torpedo to about 65 km/h and the range of more than 2,700 meters.

In fact, with the development of science and technology, the torpedo boats under construction in the dockyard are very different from what Li Zhun remembers. Not only did the speed and range of torpedoes improve by leaps and bounds, but also ships equipped with German-made high-horsepower diesel engines reduced the weight of torpedo boats to less than 50 tons, but increased their speed from 20 knots to 37 knots.

Small size, high speed, flexible maneuverability, good concealment, and great attack power. The advantages of torpedo boats are obviously not something that an old-fashioned admiral like Li Zhun has deep understanding and a thorough understanding of.

And under the conditions at that time, it was impossible for China to build a strong navy in the short term. The most cost-effective, quickest, and most effective way is to form a force of speedboats to use high-speed torpedo boats against the enemy's large warships.

Of course, the torpedo boat is just a sword, and Chen Wenqiang has to sharpen another one, that is, the submarine. With the progress of science and technology, submarines have become more and more powerful, but the light of submarines is faint and has been greatly ignored by the navies of various countries that advocate giant ship cannons.

Although Li Zhun was not satisfied, he was helpless. If it weren't for Chen Wenqiang, the Guangdong Navy would not have had to expect to add new ships at all.

"You've attracted a lot of foreigners." Li Zhun and Chen Wenqiang chatted while walking, and when they saw foreign devils from time to time, they couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh again.

"Yes, there are Germans, and there are Americans." Chen Wenqiang didn't care, and said: "They are all scrambling to sell me the engine!" In this way, I am not afraid of being stuck, he doesn't sell me, and there are others. Of course. Learning other people's technology and making it yourself is the ultimate goal. ”

"Your wrist is admirable, and the foreign devil has to listen to your fiddling obediently." Li Zhun half-truthfully complimented, and asked with some doubts: "What is the purpose of asking the Guangdong Navy Division to strengthen the patrol of the waters near Macao?" Is there going to be a war with the Portuguese in Macau? ”

As early as the end of 1906, the gentry, businessmen, and people in Guangzhou, Xiangshan, and Hong Kong petitioned the government one after another. Ask for "sending personnel to Australia to draw boundaries". Soon after, Liu Shixun, the Chinese minister to France, went to Lisbon to discuss with the Portuguese Government the issue of demarcation of Macao. In 1907, China and Portugal reached an agreement and decided to send personnel to survey the boundary site of Macao, and the place of negotiation was to be located in Hong Kong. The Portuguese sent General Machado, who had been the colonial governor of Portuguese East Africa, as the negotiator, and the Chinese negotiator was Gao Erqian, a Fujian official who had served as the Sino-French diplomatic envoy to Yunnan.

After the Sino-Portuguese negotiations officially began in Hong Kong, Masador was very arrogant at the negotiation meeting. Under pressure from the Portuguese representatives, Gao Erqian said. China is willing to "cede the Macao Peninsula (from A-Ma to the Border Gate), as well as Ilha Verde, Taipa, Coloane and other places, and the nearby inland rivers and seas will be managed by China and Portuguese-speaking countries". But the Portuguese colonists were not satisfied. Masador's insistence on claiming the opposite mountains and the islands of Hengqin, as well as controlling the entire water boundary, brought the demarcation negotiations to a deadlock.

The people of Guangdong learned that "the Portuguese are trying to occupy the nearby areas, cunning and extravagant hopes, and their ambitions are bound to succeed", and "the misery of land cession." Right now. It was decided to "gather a large group and try to save it". The people of Xiangshan, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places have successively established the "Boundary Survey and Maintenance Association". Reflect public opinion and public sentiment to the government and propose negotiation guidelines. Subsequently, the Xiangshan County Boundary Survey and Maintenance Committee passed the "Charter of the 98 Township People's League of Lianli", announcing the establishment of a people's group to take up arms to fight against Macao and Portugal. Defend your hometown.

The people's struggle resisted the Qing court's tendency to compromise during the negotiations. The Qing government had no choice but to express its "subordinate public opinion" and "be extremely cautious and take into account all considerations" in the negotiations, resolutely rejecting the unreasonable demands of the Portuguese colonists. Masador's blackmail tactics did not achieve the intended ends. It was convenient to "walk away" at the ninth meeting and flagrantly sabotage the negotiations.

Chen Wenqiang did not know whether there would be a war in the future, but the Portuguese negotiations did not succeed, and there was still a possibility of trying to achieve their expansion plan by force. Therefore, in addition to hoping that the Cantonese sailors would be able to deter the Portuguese, Chen Wenqiang also transported weapons and ammunition to the islanders of Coloane Island, sent instructors to the militia group*, and a platoon of armed police stationed on the island, to be vigilant against the Portuguese who occupied Lychee Bay on the island in 1864 and built forts on an area of dozens of acres.

"Scared?" Chen Wenqiang glanced at Li Zhun teasingly, and said with a smile: "It's hard to determine whether to start a war or not, but preparation is to be made." Wouldn't it be better if the Portuguese ambitions could be curbed? ”

Li Zhun rolled his eyes, snorted, and said: "When cruising in the South China Sea, this officer was ready to fight against the British and French warships, not to mention the little Portugal now." But—"

"However, in the event of a war, the official will be held responsible." Chen Wenqiang smiled faintly and said, "No problem." The imperial court or Yuan Shuxun can deal with you, to me, hehe, I'm not afraid at all. Of course, since I am asked to take responsibility, then give me the command of the ships and sailors I have sent, and let them temporarily return to the Marine Police system. ”

Li Zhun glanced at Chen Wenqiang with some surprise, then shook his head and sighed: "Good at speculating on other people's minds, maybe it is a weapon that you can be invincible." But the soldiers are in danger, and the court is mainly compromising and forgiving foreigners, so don't be willful and brutal and cause a big disaster! ”

"I'm not afraid of catastrophe." Chen Wenqiang smiled half-truthfully: "If the imperial court wants to deal with me, I will join the revolutionary party, I believe it will be very popular, right?" ”

"Don't talk nonsense." Li Zhunquan thought that Chen Wenqiang was joking, but kindly persuaded: "Be reasonable, have moderation, and then mobilize public opinion support, and the court will not easily dispose of you." What's more, the current Guangdong, doesn't all depend on you, and Wu Luzhen, to maintain it from being invaded by the chaotic party? Therefore, it will not be easy for you at this time. ”

"Hehe, just kidding." Chen Wenqiang was only slightly tempted, and looking at Li Zhun's appearance, he knew that almost no one suspected that he would be involved in the Revolutionary Party. This kind of thinking is not wrong, industrial shops are everywhere, and power and official positions are also satisfactory, how can you kill the things of your head?

……………

Money is not everything, but no money is everything.

Chen Wenqiang, the Fuxing Society, the Chinese Revolutionary Party, and the Manchu court were now desperately trying to amass and accumulate funds in order to build up their strength and defeat their opponents.

Comparatively speaking, although the Qing court was still the ruler of great China, the financial pressure was greater. The reason is simple: it is burdened with huge foreign debts, and it will take a huge amount of money to promote the New Deal. Not to mention the training of the new army, the new army in one town will cost more than 3 million taels a year, including equipment and maintenance expenses. In addition, corruption is rife among officials, and work inefficiency is low, and a lot of money is wasted.

After the war in the southwest, the Qing court's attempt to eliminate the rebellious party in a short period of time failed, and the huge military expenditure made the Qing court's finances even more in crisis, making it difficult to maintain. If you count with your fingers, you will understand that if the war lasts for one day, the cost of food and drink for 40,000 or 50,000 Qing troops will exceed 100,000 yuan a day, as well as the consumption of ammunition and materials, which cannot be supported without 3 or 4 million yuan per month.

Fiscal constraints make it impossible to implement the planned New Deals, or discounted them. Taking the formation and training of the new army as an example, the central government's increase in the dispatch of funds to the local governments has forced the localities to postpone their plans, or to use alternative methods to perfunctory, such as drawing strong and strong troops from patrol battalions to form a new army. Obviously, such a new army has only undergone great changes in weapons and equipment, but if the accumulated shortcomings of the old army are not removed, how can we talk about being able to dare to fight?

However, the situation in the southwest battlefield did not give the Qing court more time, and in the superficial confrontation, the towns in southwest, northwest, and west of Yunnan fell one after another, and more than 4,000 revolutionary troops were dispatched from Baoshan to conquer Yongping, Dali, Xiangyun, Midu, Binchuan, Weishan, Nanjian and other counties, and annihilated more than 1,000 enemies. More than 2,000 patrol troops retreated in panic, and did not stop until they met the reinforcements from Kunming in Chuxiong.

From the analysis of the number of Qing troops who annihilated the enemy and those who fled in defeat, it is clear that the Qing army patrol in Yunnan Province has lost its fighting spirit, and most of the areas occupied by the revolutionary army have been taken lightly, or even without a fight.

So far, the troops of the Yunnan Provincial Military Region have basically achieved their strategic objectives, forming a flanking attack on Kunming in the west and south directions of Yunnan Province, so that the Qing army group in Kunming has no choice but to divide its troops in Chuxiong and Yuxi to build Kunming's outer defense line.

In Guangxi, the Qing army could only rely on key points such as Liuzhou, Hechi, Fengshan, and Anlong to build a defensive line to prevent the revolutionary army from moving north; In Guangdong, it was a trench defense line established by the troops led by Wu Luzhen at a distance of about 100 miles east of Nanning.

……………… (To be continued.) )