Chapter 435: The Rift of the Allies - The Anglo-Dutch War Breaks Out

[Today's second update, make up for the recently owed chapters]

While the Imperial Chinese Pacific Fleet and the fleet of the Dutch East India Company were engaged in a fierce battle in the Gulf of Siam in the Far East, a fierce naval conflict broke out between Britain and the Netherlands in Europe on the side of the Calais Strait in France.

On 5 November, a convoy of silver-carrying ships from the Dutch East India Company crossed the English Channel to return to the Netherlands. This silver fleet was the private property of the main officials and consuls of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, who were afraid of the war between the Dutch East India Company and the Chinese Empire, and feared that the fish in the pond would be affected, so they transported their wealth back to the Netherlands in advance for storage.

The Dutch East India Company sent a fleet of thirty cruisers and frigates to protect the treasure and the dignitaries on board, carrying tens of millions of silver dollars worth of gold and silver nuggets, as well as a large number of goods in demand in the East.

It is known that the Dutch had a large number of transport ships, and few fleets carried out escorts along the way. Especially in the waters around Europe, the Dutch ships were even more proud, and no one dared to touch the Dutch merchant ships.

This was mainly due to the fact that in the First World War, the Spanish Armada completely annihilated the Dutch navy, which caused the Dutch navy to rise to become the first naval power in Europe (the Dutch themselves considered the world's first naval power). At the same time, the Dutch Navy carried out large-scale shipbuilding operations and engaged in a large-scale naval arms race with the Imperial Chinese Navy. With the financial resources of the United Republic of the Netherlands, it is difficult for other European countries to compete with it.

In this case, the Dutch Navy is even more arrogant, and Dutch Navy warships can be seen cruising in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Mediterranean, and even as far as the North Atlantic.

The direct impact of the expansion of the Dutch navy's sphere of influence was the rapid increase in the number of Dutch-flagged merchant ships, from 16,000 before World War I to 34,000 after the war.

The arrogance of the Dutch navy was directly affected by the British and French navies. The British and French navies were greatly damaged after the First World War, especially the latter, France, which suffered a huge loss of vitality, coupled with the discord between the cardinal and the prime minister, and the French watched the Dutch arrogant but had nothing to do.

Britain is different, although the Dutch do not have the money, and cannot spend as much money to build a large number of first-class battleships for the navy as the Netherlands, but Britain has a backstage, and that is the Chinese Empire. As Charles I became more and more in debt, he had advanced British taxes to the Chinese Empire for twenty years, and had become economically a de facto slave to the Imperial Bank of China.

Economically, it was controlled by the Chinese Empire, which directly influenced the political and military leadership, and eventually Britain became the thug of the Chinese Empire.

To be a thug for the Chinese Empire, the British seemed to be happy. Because they have not been able to intervene in the affairs of the European continent for a long time, because the countries of the continent have rejected the British as a "heretic". Now with the support of the Chinese Empire, the British also have a say on the European continent.

Britain's economy was constrained by the Dutch, and it could only eat the "garbage" left over by the Dutch in terms of colonial competition and trade. As the British Navy received more loans from the Chinese Empire, the British Navy grew.

Britain and the Netherlands are separated by a strait, and they don't see anyone looking down, and watching the Dutch ship by ship of gold and silver back to China, the British are naturally blushing. Over time, the British began to fight the Dutch idea.

British pirates plundered Dutch merchant ships in the North Sea and the Strait of Dover (the French Strait of Calais), while the British navy backed the pirates and paid dividends.

The Dutch navy was naturally unwilling, and sent fleets to clean up pirates many times, but with the cover of the British navy, the pirates were always unclean. Gradually, the Dutch Navy found a lot of evidence, pointing the finger at the British Navy, and the two navies became nervous, and the governments scolded each other for being shameless and red-faced.

The Netherlands built ships on a large scale and had a strong navy, but taking into account the Chinese Empire behind the British, they adopted a peaceful negotiation method to resolve the contradictions. France next to it is fanning the flames everywhere, first, to see if there are any loopholes in interests to exploit, and second, to see how much the Chinese Empire supports Britain.

Britain and the Netherlands were pitted against each other, and the contradictions could not be resolved, and they intensified day by day.

After that, the Dutch navy intensified its efforts to combat piracy, sometimes even when it encountered the British navy, and the two sides often clashed guns, and the situation became tense day by day.

When the Dutch East India Company officials returned home with their treasures and passed through the English Channel, the Dutch East India Company convoy was blockaded by a deliberately difficult British patrol fleet.

The Dutch Navy was inferior to the British Navy, but the Dutch East India Company's convoy did not dare to compete with the British Navy.

When the British Navy asked the Dutch East India Convoy to lower its flag at half-mast to salute the British King and Navy, the Dutch East India Company fleet obediently complied.

In this way, the British navy arrived to delight and tunnel them through the English Channel.

However, when the Dutch East India Company fleet entered the Calais Strait via the English Channel in Guò, it happened to encounter a Dutch naval formation cruising there.

Dissatisfied, the Dutch East India Company executives on board informed the Dutch naval commander, Colonel Vanti.

When Commander Van Ti heard that the British were so unreasonable, his own people actually lowered the flag at half-mast to the British Navy and the King, which was simply a great insult.

As a result, the Dutch commander, Colonel Van Ti, gave an order, and the patrol formation of six warships immediately rushed to the English Channel, ready to seek justice.

Unexpectedly, before he reached the English Channel, he ran into the British Navy patrol fleet just now.

The commander of the Dutch Navy, Colonel Van Ty, immediately protested to the commander of the British Navy's patrol fleet, Colonel Root, demanded an apology from Colonel Root, and lowered the flag at half-mast to salute the Dutch Republic and the Dutch Navy.

This request was obviously impossible, and the British immediately refused, and laughed at the stupidity of the Dutch navy opposite, and even a few British sailors openly burned the Dutch flag.

This immediately angered the Dutch commander Fanty, and the six Dutch warships sounded the alarm in the tunnel, and the artillery entered the combat position.

As the gun doors were raised, one cannon after another was pushed out, and the pitch-black muzzles were aimed at the British warship opposite.

The British, though nervous, did not flinch, and the commander of the British fleet, Rut, ordered seven British warships to enter combat condition.

The two sides were only 200 meters apart, and either side would take the lead in firing a cannon that would kill or inflict heavy damage on the other.

The first to fire the artillery will take advantage of it, but the commanders of both sides still make the last restraint, knowing that the side that fires the first artillery will cause a huge passivity of international public opinion.

So, the two sides drove in a direction, aiming their guns at each other, and entered the confrontation phase.

Neither side backed down, shouting to each other for the other to lower their flags and salute, and even began to scold each other verbally, and the anger became extremely nervous.

Finally, the Dutch Navy was the first to lose its breath, and Vanti's flagship was the first to open fire, which immediately turned the British Navy's ship Rout into a hornet's nest, and the hull was damaged and the personnel suffered heavy casualties.

As soon as the Dutch made a move, the British immediately returned fire, and more than a dozen warships on both sides suddenly entered a white-hot state.

The cannon roared, the smoke filled the air, and in an instant, the sea water boiled.

The two sides were too close to each other, less than 200 meters apart, and the hit rate of each other's shells was very high, and the destructive power caused by them was quite amazing.

At the end of a round of shelling, the Dutch fleet, which was the first to fire, took advantage of it, sinking one British battleship and inflicting heavy damage on the remaining four, while its own losses were only minor damage to three ships.

However, most of the naval guns of the British Navy were short-barreled rapid-fire guns, and the second round of preparation was completed in less than three minutes. At this moment, most of the guns of the Dutch battleships were in the charge stage.

Although the British suffered a loss, the second round of artillery was prepared quickly and preemptively. Suddenly, the cannonballs were fired at the Dutch battleship with a vengeful fury, causing heavy damage to the Dutch battleship.

In this way, the two sides fought more and more fiercely, and the distance became closer and closer, and in the end the Dutch were inferior to the British in artillery control, and the battleship suffered heavy losses. But the Dutch liked to jump in gangs, and the tunnel took the opportunity to lean on the British battleship and engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Both sides fought fiercely for several hours, both suffered heavy losses, and finally were evenly matched and unable to subdue each other. When the sun set over the sea, both sides involuntarily chose to retreat.

The battle ended at the time, with heavy losses on both sides, and nothing was taken advantage of. However, the crisis caused by this firefighting clash is inexorable.

The conflict between the British and Dutch navies directly led to a new round of turmoil in the European political arena. Diplomats from all over the world have gathered in London and The Hague to move between the two countries, ostensibly seeking reconciliation between the two countries, but in fact they are probing the rhetoric and attitudes of each country in order to take advantage of the opportunity to reap the benefits.

Most countries are not optimistic about the Netherlands, although Britain is less than half of the Netherlands in terms of national financial resources and naval investment, but Britain has backers. As a member of the Central Powers, Britain was backed by a powerful Chinese empire, as well as France and Russia.

The Netherlands had no allies other than one of Sweden's allies. In this case, European countries are not optimistic about the Netherlands, and their attitude is more biased towards the United Kingdom.

However, when the Allies convened a ministerial meeting, the attitude of France and Russia suddenly changed, and the French cardinal, who had always disliked the Chinese Empire's intervention in European affairs, asked the French Empire not to intervene in the Anglo-Dutch conflict and let Britain and the Netherlands solve the problem on their own.

The French Prime Minister did not oppose the Cardinal on this issue, because the French Prime Minister Richelieu believed that if the Chinese Empire supported the British war against the Netherlands, then the Netherlands would definitely be defeated. And the Netherlands has always been the fat in the eyes of France, but it is a pity that France does not have the strength to occupy the Netherlands now, if the Chinese Empire and Britain occupy the Netherlands, then France will undoubtedly suffer the most. Therefore, for the first time, Richelieu did not sing against the cardinal, and the two sides reached a tacit understanding.

The Russian Empire, on the other hand, demanded restraint from the British, because it was during the Second Crusade in Europe, and if war broke out between Britain and the Netherlands, it would inevitably involve the energy of European countries and would not be conducive to fighting against the Ottoman Turkish Empire. In the course of this crusade, the Russian Empire had already seized many cities and territories of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in northern and western Europe, and the tsar who had eaten the sweetness naturally demanded that this situation continue. France and Spain were the main forces of the Crusades, and since France was against it, then Russia would also support France for its own interests.

For the first time, the disagreements within the Allies made the Chinese Empire feel that France and Russia were no longer looking out for the Chinese Empire, and that they were beginning to have their own ideas.

If there is first opposition, there will be a second, so the Chinese Empire began to gradually distance itself from France and Russia, and instead supported Britain, which acted as a-stirring stick in Europe and a thug for the Chinese Empire.

The differences and differences of opinion within the Allies surprised and pleased the European countries. The strength of the Central Powers is too large, and in today's world, the Allies control three-quarters of their military strength and two-thirds of their financial resources, and no country dares to say no to the Allies. For any country, it is obviously not willing to lie on the chopping block and wait for the knife. Now the internal divisions within the Allies prove that there are entanglements and contradictions within the Allies, and other countries are secretly using means to bring down the Allies to the fullest.

France is the largest land power in Europe, France opposed the outbreak of war between Britain and the Netherlands, and many countries around France also rose up to support it. The Chinese Empire remained firmly behind the British, much to the displeasure of the Spanish Empire. The king of Spain has always held a grudge against the Chinese Empire, and the Chinese Empire has robbed him of his treasures, so as long as the Spanish Empire is supported by the Chinese Empire, it will basically oppose it.

Now that the Confederates could not unite to decide the fate of the Netherlands, Spain naturally had to take the opportunity to win over France and strive to form a Catholic alliance and disintegrate the Allied powers.

France's voice on the European continent is very important, and European countries have to look at France's face. Although they were also afraid of the Chinese Empire, the Chinese Empire was far away in the Asia-Pacific region, and its influence in European affairs was hardly comparable to that of France and Russia.

Hearing the differences of opinion within the Allies, the Dutch Republic breathed a sigh of relief. Because the Netherlands is too small, if the Allies decide to sanction the Netherlands, then the Netherlands will have to endure the beatings. After all, the power of the Allies has far exceeded the allied power of the Netherlands and Sweden, especially France, a land power, is too close to the Netherlands, and once France attacks the Netherlands from the land, then it will be difficult for the Netherlands to cope.

However, not long after the Dutch were happy, the Imperial Chinese Consul in Britain held a press conference to openly support Britain in front of the rest of the world, and offered Britain a loan of 10 million silver dollars for the military expenditure of the British navy.

This was a signal to all countries that the Chinese Empire was paying for the war of the British Navy and supporting the British Navy in waging war.

After the news was released, the Allies quickly convened a closed-door meeting. France and Russia appealed to the Chinese Empire and Great Britain, but were sternly rejected by the Chinese Empire and Great Britain. The two sides discussed for a whole day, but no progress was made, and the Chinese Empire declared its determination to support the British in their war with the Netherlands, and finally the two sides broke up.

From then on, the Confederates began to divide within themselves. France and Russia gradually came together, while the Chinese Empire and Britain came together, and the interests of the two sides began to diverge, even friction.

In fact, friction has been there for a long time. The secret armistice agreement between the Chinese Empire and the Ottoman Empire had been discovered by other countries, much to the displeasure of France and Russia, because as a result, the Turkish Empire focused its forces on France and Russia, resulting in increased military pressure and losses on their side.

Having received an affirmative reply from the Chinese Empire, the British immediately began preparations for war against the Netherlands. The Dutch side traveled between France, Spain and other countries, lobbying them to help, and at the same time, they also began to prepare.

Both Britain and the Netherlands began to prepare for war, and both sides had mutual advantages. The Dutch navy was stronger than the British, and the financial strength was stronger than the British. However, the British Navy had a geographical advantage, and the economic lifeline of the Netherlands was always under the threat of the British Navy's naval guns.

From the outset, Britain was strategically prepared. Because the funds and technology that the Chinese Empire had aided Britain could not bear fruit in a short period of time, especially the construction of large advanced warships and artillery, which would take years to prepare. On the Dutch side, the Dutch had the technology and financial resources, and in a short period of time no navy in Europe could compete with the Dutch navy.

Thus, the British Navy, while preparing for naval warfare, strategically suppressed the economic lifeblood of the Netherlands.

On January 8 of the following year, the First Anglo-Dutch War broke out in the Strait of Dover, and the British Navy fired the first shells as a prelude to the war.

The British Royal Navy and the Dutch Navy engaged in large-scale naval battles, mainly in the Strait of Dover (including the North Sea) and the Mediterranean, with the Strait of Dover being the main theater - this was determined by the geographical location of the two countries.

In almost every naval battle, 40,000 to 50,000 sailors were used by both sides, and the number of battles was probably rare in history.

According to the statistical reports of the personnel of the observation group, between January and April alone, the number of battles fought by the fleets of the two sides was no less than the total number of battles in the world's oceans at that time.

The two sides fought almost every day, and hundreds of naval battles were fought large and small. The strategy developed by the British side was mainly to control the Strait of Dover and the North Sea, cut off the Dutch from the outside world, and force the Dutch to surrender. To this end, the commander of the naval fleet, Blake, adopted the tactic of concentrating a powerful fleet and intercepting a Qiē Dutch ship through the Guò Strait to ensure its absolute sea supremacy. He boldly introduced the operational concepts and tactics of the Imperial Chinese Navy in naval operations, and paid attention to the formation and overall effect of the tactics in naval warfare, and developed the textbook tactics of the British Navy.

At the beginning of the war, Britain hired a large number of Imperial Chinese naval officers as instructors, and restrained the British Navy in accordance with the combat regulations of the Royal Chinese Navy, and promulgated the "First British Naval Discipline Ordinance" to rectify military discipline.

According to the principle of the Royal Navy of the Chinese Empire in the formation of separate teams during battle, Blake divided the British fleet into four teams: red, white, blue and black, so as to facilitate command. A