The Dagukou Fort was built in the autumn of the third year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty. It was initially started by Hejian Prefecture in accordance with Zhu Youjian's imperial edict. In the fifth year of Chongzhen, the project was taken over by the Ministry of Industry and construction continued until the spring of the sixth year of Chongzhen.

All were completed and handed over to the Fort Department of the Ming Dynasty Navy.

The fort, which took nearly three years to complete, is located on the south bank of the estuary of the Tianjin Wei River (Hai River). It borders the Tianjin Wei River to the north. There is a narrow and flat sandbar on the sea to the east. Between the sandbar and the Dagukou Fort, there is

It is the only channel leading in and out of the Weihe River in Tianjin. This channel is very narrow, with only one mile at its widest point, so it is easily blocked by shore defense artillery.

The Dagukou Fort stands on the west side of the waterway. The fort occupies a small area. Its east and north sides are less than one mile in length. Because both sides face the water of the waterway, they are not built into bastions.

It just looks like two exterior walls with rammed earth bricks at a certain angle, about two or three feet high. The bottom of these two rammed earth brick exterior walls are also reinforced with stones, which looks like it from a distance.

Seems very solid.

The other two sides of the Dagukou Fort were built like a bastion. A total of three rammed earth-brick walls with certain bevels were built. There were also many boulders at the base of the walls. In addition to these three walls facing the southwest,

Wall, Dagukou Fort also has four prismatic gun platforms facing the southwest. Outside the gun platforms and the city wall, wide and winding trenches were dug.

Although he couldn't see what the cannons mounted on the fort looked like, Hans Putsmann, who led the fleet to pass under the Dagukou fort, still smelled the smell of danger - this fort was bigger than what he had seen before in Malacca.

Any fort seen in the eastern region must be huge and strong!

Considering that the Ming Empire had already mastered the casting technology of 12-pound long cannons, most of the artillery installed on this Dagukou fort were also powerful 12-pound long cannons!

Looking at the size of this bastion-style coastal defense fortress, you can imagine the number of artillery equipped... It should be absolutely impossible to attack from the water to capture or destroy the Dagukou Fort.

The only way to capture it is probably to land on the beach near Dagukou Fortress, and then attack its flanks and rear, that is, launch a strong attack from the front of the four prismatic gun platforms... If you refer to Ned's

The situation of the fortress offensive and defensive battle on the Lan battlefield may require thousands or even tens of thousands of well-equipped soldiers to besiege it for several months and pay heavy casualties before it can be breached.

Of course, the premise is that the defenders in this Dagukou Fortress are a truly combat-effective force!

As far as Hans Putsmann knows, most of the Ming Dynasty's official army was very weak. According to European standards, even the militia was inferior... If the defenders of the Dagukou Fortress were also so weak, maybe they could

It's easy to capture.

"Li, Han," Hans Putsmann inquired again as the Bradmond slowly sailed into the mouth of the Weihe River in Tianjin and headed towards the Dagu Commercial Port on the north bank of the Dagu Port on the north bank of the river.

"Who is defending the Dagonkou Fortress? Is it the Ming Emperor's Guards?"

"As far as I know, the Dianqian Army will send a regiment to garrison the Dagukou Fortress." Li Guozhu, the son of Li Dan, was a fat black man who answered him. He always had a sly smile on his face, and he looked like a

Profiteer.

He has also been recruited by the Ming Dynasty and has been given the official position of Royal Navy Commander, but he has not officially taken up the post. This time he went to the capital with Zheng Zhilong, Hans Putsmann and others just to meet the emperor, confer an officialship and thank him.

.

Although he has not officially taken office, he is an officer of the Royal Navy after all, and he still has some understanding of the situation of the first fortress of the Royal Navy (the official designation of Dagukou Fortress).

At present, the Royal Navy has not established a fortress garrison, so the defense of Dagukou Fortress is the responsibility of the Dianqian Army.

Han Bu'an, a disciple of Zheng Zhilong, smiled and said: "Commander, this army in front of the palace is one of the nine new armies established by the emperor himself. It is not comparable to those in the south."

"Really?" Hans Putsmann vaguely heard the harsh but rhythmic sound of the trumpet. He quickly raised his telescope and looked towards the place where the trumpet sounded, and saw an empty flat land.

, the soldiers of the brigade really drilled.

Hans Putsmann, a German whose hometown was fighting the Thirty Years' War, could see at a glance that what those Chinese soldiers were putting up was a Chinese-style Spanish phalanx - the Spanish phalanx was actually a type of infantry

The general term for tactics is not a single formation. As long as the spear formation is used as the city wall, muskets and artillery are used to project firepower, halberdiers, swordsmen or other hand-to-hand combat units are used to protect the surroundings, and cavalry is used as a supplement.

Consider the Spanish square.

The Ming army formation that appeared in front of Hans Putsmann had all the characteristics of the Spanish phalanx... it was equipped with spears, muskets, artillery, cavalry and melee combatants. Moreover, it could also

Under the guidance of a very harsh bugle, advance, retreat, or change formations.

Looking at their proficiency, Hans Putsmann knew that this was a rigorously trained army. Even if they were sent to the German battlefield, they would not be considered weak soldiers... It seems that about the Chinese military

The statement that the strength is weak is an overstatement.

At this moment, the Bradmond had slowly docked at the dock of Dagu Commercial Port.

Dagu Commercial Port is not a brand new port, but an old port that has existed for a long time. But now it has gained new vitality due to the opening of the port for trade and grain shipping. The original Dagu Port was the residence of the Tianjin Navy.

It is also an important port responsible for the transshipment of grain, wages and military supplies in Liao Town.

However, after the Liao Town payment was contracted by Huaiyang Salt Industry, Dagu Commercial Port experienced some decline and depression. It was not until the fifth year of Chongzhen that the water transportation from Huai'an to Dongchang was abandoned, and it ushered in an opportunity for great development. Lao

On both sides of the port, along the north bank of the Wei River in Tianjin, you can see construction sites under construction everywhere, docks, markets, official roads, government offices, warehouses, and various infrastructure facilities, all of which are under intensive construction.

Hans Putsmann also saw the same busy construction scene on both sides of the Wusong River in Shanghai!

Two major commercial ports, one in the south and one in the north, are already taking shape.

Obviously, the Ming Emperor was still very determined to open up ports for trade... This ancient Eastern empire was really determined to go to the ocean!

This matter is both a danger and a great opportunity for the United East India Company - once such a large empire comparable to Western Europe squeezes into the ocean, it will definitely change the balance of power on the ocean! If it cannot be allowed

Since the Ming Dynasty has become a reliable ally of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, it must give them a resolute blow when they fail to grow bigger!

However, he, a German mercenary, and even the governor of Batavia had no say in this matter. It had to be decided by the 17-member committee of the Netherlands and even Prince William II of Orange himself.

...

Datong Mansion, Imperial City, Chengyun Hall.

"Long live my Lord, Governor Shuntian and Dianqian Military Headquarters are reporting that Zheng Zhilong, Li Guozhu and the naval admiral of the Dutch United East India Company, Hans Putsmann, have arrived at Dagukou Commercial Port. Those who came with them

, and there are 20 ships, 3 of which are ships from the Netherlands, and the rest are ships from Zheng Zhilong and Li Guozhu."

Li Chengyun, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, Bingbi, put the two memorials together and handed them to Zhu Youjian, who was reviewing the memorials.

"Twenty ships came at once?" Zhu Youjian snorted, "They must have brought a lot of goods, right?"

"I don't know," Li Chengyun smiled, "How about I draft a decree for you and ask the Shipping Department."

The municipal shipping department he is talking about is the Tianjin Shipping Division. Like the other three municipal shipping divisions, the Tianjin Shipping Division has direct access to the internal shipping warehouse.

The commercial tax income does not go to Taicang, but after deducting the royal navy's expenses, it goes to the inner shipping warehouse.

However, the current income of the Shanghai, Fuzhou and Xiangshan Divisions is limited. After deducting the three naval divisions of the Royal Navy (Tongyang Navy, Fujian Navy, and Guangdong Navy), there is almost no wealth. Only the income of the Tianjin Ship Division is left.

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Chapter completed!