The Navy of the Netherlands is powerful. No matter which world it is in, since the fall of the ancient Roman Empire, the lowland area has been firmly occupying the economic center of the world at that time. But compared with the past, it suffered from the same situation as the world's largest at that time.

Compared to the Netherlands, which was a powerful country during the Seventy Years' War with Spain, the Netherlands in this world had better luck, because they only fought a religious war that wasted people and money.

When Cheap Daddy wanted to hook up with Wendell, I did some research. This small country in Europe, which is less than 40,000 square kilometers, has a territory in the entire world that is no less than that of Rome today. From North America to Central America,

There are also South America and Africa, and there are many Dutch colonies and trading houses around the world. As

The country that makes up the entire world trade system, the Federal Republic of the Netherlands, in addition to having huge colonies, also has the largest number of ships and the largest number of warships. Even though many warships are deployed overseas, in Rotterdam and other seaports

, the Dutch fleet is still very impressive.

In order to ensure the Netherlands' transportation lines to the rest of the world, the Dutch quickly organized 126 warships at the beginning of the war to cruise within their territorial waters.

Now, half a year after the declaration of war against France, the angry Dutch have increased the number of warships to 202. Although many of them are armed merchant ships, facing the French navy, the number of artillery guns of the Dutch navy has increased to 202.

The advantages are huge.

In March, the Netherlands sent a total of 113 warships, 6,000 cannons and 32,000 sailors to the crucial Strait of Dover to actively seek a decisive battle with the main force of the French army. On the other side, the Netherlands

The people had a total of 43 warships and 2,500 cannons to blockade the Groningen Province and ensure the smooth sea route to the Baltic Sea. Then the remaining navy cruised near the territorial waters to protect the lines of communication.

The Dutch navy, which had obvious advantages, immediately achieved considerable results at the end of March.

Battle of Dunkirk,

The main force of the Dutch navy, with 113 warships and 6,000 cannons, challenged the main French navy's fleet of 70 warships. After a day of fierce battle, the Dutch navy defeated the main fleet of the French navy in the waters of Dunkirk.

Ned

The Dutch Navy successively invested more than 100 battleships and more than 25,000 people, lost 3 large battleships, 11 armed merchant ships, destroyed and captured 24 French fleets, and the remaining main force of the French navy could only survive by relying on the protection of Dunkirk.

In difficulty.

There is no doubt that the Netherlands Navy has taken the strategic initiative, but just when we thought the situation was gradually becoming optimistic, England and Portugal declared war on the Netherlands.[

"What a tragedy."

"Yeah, it's so tragic."

"It feels like all the troubles in the world have been caused by you Dutch people."

"Yes, a few months ago, there were clearly more than a hundred capital ships in the port. If I had known better, I shouldn't have sent out more than thirty ships to protect those merchant ships."

"I didn't ask you to come here just to listen to your sarcastic remarks. Tell me, as outsiders, what do you think about the future of the Netherlands?"

"But I don't understand, why did you come to me? We are not naval majors, could we be mistaken?" I said, spreading my hands.

William of Orange smiled: "Perhaps you don't know that the French general we blocked some time ago was the famous French Generalissimo Turenne!"

I was stunned, and my next move was to pinch my waist, and Sachs's response was to pick his ears: "What did you just say?"

Faced with the questions asked by the two of us, William Orange said excitedly: "I got the news that the French general who was defeated by the three of us on the bank of the Vaal River was Turenne who was training in France! He was the same as Condé.

The French Generalissimo who is as famous as a prince!"

incredible!

Just like in a dream, I managed to disintegrate the offensive of France's most capable general with a few cautious moves?

wrong.

It was Sachs who blocked Turenne's attack. In this French offensive, I was only slightly at a disadvantage against Turenne.

Slightly at a disadvantage…

Faced with such a result, I can go back and show off to Alexander![

Wow hahahaha.

I didn't feel proud for long. William of Orange and his group of staff and generals brought me and Sacks the latest news. Portugal, England and France had formed an anti-Netherlands alliance.

At the end of April, a Portuguese fleet of more than 70 warships and a French fleet of 20 warships sailed into Dunkirk, while the English warships were frantically strangulating around the traffic lines of the Netherlands to completely blockade them.

.Since the English fleet is fighting in pieces, so far, William of Orange does not know how many warships England has, but he is convinced that England alone now has no less than 70 main naval fleets on the mainland.

ship.

With more than 70 Portuguese warships, 20 newly arrived French warships, 46 remaining warships of the French main fleet, plus 70 ships from England, the number of naval fleets formed by the Triple Alliance was no less than 210 ships, and the number of artillery pieces exceeded 9,000.

, and this is not the full strength of the Triple Alliance navy. Portugal and England also have large escort fleets in various places, as does France.

Although the Netherlands can still build a larger fleet to compete with the Three Kingdoms Alliance, many of the Dutch fleets have evolved from merchant ships. Just like the last decisive battle with the French navy

Like the fleet, one-third of the ships are supported by "patriotic" merchants

It can be said that the Netherlands has fallen at a disadvantage simply by comparing the powerful gunboats, because there are only 89 large warships docked in various places in the Netherlands, even if they are in the Baltic Sea.

The escort fleet was called back, but the Dutch fleet was still at a disadvantage.

This is not the worst.

Even people with little sailing experience know the difference between merchant ships, armed merchant ships and large warships. For the sake of profit, merchant ships naturally have more loading capacity, better performance, sail steering, and sailing speed are rarely considered. To protect

Armed merchant ships, which are mainly merchant ships, also focus on ensuring navigation profits, but what is better than pure merchant ships is that armed merchant ships will transform the space for loading cargo, so that the ship has the ability to resist pirates, but

This ability is very limited. Otherwise, one privateer would not dare to chase several ships all over the world. The power of artillery cannot match others, the warships cannot turn, and the sailing speed is even more tragic. Armed merchant ships can go to sea to fight, relying on

That is to say, there are many individuals, but unfortunately, this time the Netherlands faced Portugal and England. The latter was a pirate leader notorious for condoning pirates, and the English navy was too numerous to deal with armed merchant ships.

.

In other words, the numerical advantage of ships that the Netherlands was proud of no longer existed.

Without the advantage of the fleet, this is fatal to the Netherlands. For no other reason, the Strait of Dover, which controls the entrance and exit of the Netherlands, is controlled by Britain and France at the same time. The merchant ships of the Netherlands want to

Getting in and out is impossible.

Without the supply of merchant ships, the Netherlands would lose silks and spices from the east, grains from the Americas, sugar, wood, gold from Africa, and ivory, and its funds would be depleted. The current situation can no longer be described as dire.

It's erosion. I already suspect that William of Orange may suffer from impotence and premature ejaculation as a result.

But it's not that I didn't foresee the possibility of Portugal and England joining the war.

The Netherlands has the right to export two-thirds of oriental spices, one-half of tea, and three-fifths of porcelain. The remaining share is divided equally between Britain, Portugal, France and other countries. 5,000 Dutch ships set sail in the Baltic Sea

Traveling has almost completely closed the trade routes between Britain, France, Portugal and the Nordic countries. More merchant ships are operating in Africa, North and South America, ivory, wood, resin, **,

Materials such as steel have to pass through the hands of the Dutch before they can flow into the hands of countries such as Portugal and the United Kingdom. What's more, with the advantages established in the early days, Dutch merchants squeezed out merchants from other countries everywhere, and now the Netherlands is a maritime bully.

After being beaten to a pulp by the French on land, how could England and Portugal, the second and third oldest at sea, not add insult to injury and take advantage of this good opportunity to beat up the drowned dog and become the masters?

The unprecedentedly large Three Kingdoms Alliance of France, England, and Portugal concentrated a powerful fleet and completely blocked the strait. It also sent a fleet to the channel in northern Scotland to attack the Dutch silver ships, and to the North Sea to sink or capture the Netherlands.

Fishing boats even entered the Baltic Sea, disrupting maritime trade between the Netherlands and Northern and Eastern Europe.

There is no doubt that this kind of action will have a very fatal blow to the Dutch economy. No, it is only May, and it has only been just over twenty days since Portugal and England declared war on the Netherlands. The Dutch people cannot sit still.

Lived.

"Well, let me tell you, what do you idiots over there think?" The opinions of those pig teammates are very important, and they have a great influence on William of Orange, so I want to hear their countermeasures.

"What Congress means is to use a powerful fleet to form a convoy to protect merchant ships passing through the Strait of Dover." After William of Orange finished speaking, Sachs and I became cheerful.

"I didn't expect that you, the Netherlands, are hiding a fleet. Where is it? Is it one hundred or two hundred?" Sachs asked, rubbing his hands.

I also looked at William of Orange with great anticipation, and I said, how could the Netherlands be defeated all at once? Dare the lover’s family still has a back-up plan? Wow, I have to say, the Netherlands is such a big deal, and it’s so easy to do it right away.

Having hundreds of large warships as frigates is quite a luxury. It's like in a novel where dozens or twenty sword masters and great magicians appear to protect a convoy.

"There are 89 ships, which is the total of all large warships in Rotterdam, and the number of merchant ships we want to escort is 373." William of Orange said calmly.

After hearing this, Sachs burst into laughter: "You are still humorous. If it weren't for the common sense, I would have thought you were telling the truth by looking at your face!"

"This is indeed the truth."

The saxophone's voice stopped suddenly, and I couldn't help but open my mouth wide. Damn, how stupid is this!!!!

I couldn't help it: "The other side's strategy is mainly to control the Strait of Dover and the North Sea, and cut off all connections between the Netherlands and the outside world. Don't you understand?"

"I know! They know too!"

"Then do you understand that the three opposing countries most likely want to use such a strategic arrangement to force you Dutchmen to fight them with inferior forces, thereby destroying the Dutch fleet protecting the coast in one fell swoop and completely collapsing your resistance?

Strength, and then open the way for the army to land on the coast of the Netherlands! Orange, think about it, if the French army lands from behind, will the Netherlands still have the ability to resist?" I was so angry that I didn't fight anywhere. I have seen people who are not afraid of death.

I have never seen someone so desperate for money rather than life!

"Ah?" Orange William was stunned. The next second, he was sweating profusely, "I really didn't expect it."

Ugh, it's terrible!

"You have to stop this stupid behavior in your Congress!"

"But many members of the Chamber of Commerce in Congress have suffered huge losses. If they are not allowed to ship, they will make a fuss." Orange William said with a bitter face.

"What's the loss? I think some of those guys want to escape by going to sea this time! Orange, if anyone 'forces' you again, you will arrest them for treason, because anyone who intends to 'force' the navy

The people escorting the merchant ships out of the port are all traitors bribed by the French. They want the enemy to take the opportunity to destroy our fleet. Well, you have to let everyone know this! Let’s see who dares to continue in the face of the turbulent public opinion.

Say something like this!”

"But are we going to be besieged by France, England, and Portugal like this?"

"How many warships do your Netherlands have in Africa?"
To be continued...