trurle
Banned
8 May 1644, Kanmon Straits, near Shimonoseki
The Combined Tokugawa Shogunate army have started ferry operations since early morning. The straight was dotted with multiple boats, junks and even rafts. The two lines of picket boats, each wielding a strange-looking device, a combination of the wheeled wagon and the cannon, were covering the flanks.
Finally a a boat carrying a Tokugawa Iemitsu departed the Honshu coast and lead to Moji camp, covered by a dense formation of the boats filled with bodyguards. Suddenly, a half-dozen falcons fly off from the top of the 150-meters high Moji hill overlooking the ferry route.
The man in left-most picket boat, with his face displaying a peculiar mix of Japanese and Chinese traits, turned briskly, to his obviously European-looking partner.
- We are in range, right? Even with buckshot..
- Half of rhumb to port..Fire!
The Tokugawa Iemitsu did not die easily. The buckshot balls have "just" penetrated his intestine, and he seen everything. The suicidal charge on the picket boats. Bodies blown apart by point-blank cannon shots. A plunging fire from siege mortars hidden on Moji hill. One after another wave of boat attacks against these "gunboats". The samurai hacking the gunboats crews (these Hizen traitors to stay in Naraka forever!) to pieces. Dispersed boats rushing to Moji coasts. A clanging of weapons, shouts and deafening blows of bombs thrown by siege mortars. The lights on the Chinese pirate vessels back in the straits. What he did not see (at least while he was alive) is the retreat of this shattered army back to Honshu island. Overall, out of 200,000 army, less than half have managed to return home. Enemy losses were just few thousands, and Shogunate did not manage to take that damned Moji hill. They took the Funa-jima, right..after twelve assaults. By the time Moji was outflanked, the Army was low on arrows, food, forage, gunpowder..on nearly everything. Even worse, the dysentery have started to take its toll.
Meanwhile, in Kagoshima Castle..
- I still suspect we are making an error. Recruiting a pirate Dutch-Ming alliance after they openly racketeered us..is not going to end well. What they need is our gold, not our well-being. Coastal fortifications are not going to save us. We need some high quality army and fleet, but where? Dutch will close on our throats and intercept all our communications. - the face of Mitsuhisa Shimazu was grim.
- We still can ask the Portuguese. They will be happy to restore their influence in Shimabara, and they have no other allies in the region. So less danger for us. Or send a mission to Joseon Korea for covert help. After all, we got dragged into war against Qing, right?
- Yes, definitely. I hope at least these "falconet" things in Kanmon straits will prove their worth. We chiefly need a few years to prepare the neutralization of the Shogunate threat. Too bad the Sadamasa Ise in no longer with us..i need his advice too much.
P.S. Falconet cannons were in use in Europe since at least 1547, but their adoption for the naval warfare was slow because of the low availability of smaller (~50mm caliber) models safe for wooden-hull ships. Wide adoption of falconets for pre-boarding "softening" volleys has happened only about 1680.
P.P.S. The Koxinga (a son of Zheng Zhilong), among with some Dutch military advisers, have died in the battle of Kanmon Straits. IOTL, he will expel Dutch from Taiwan, create Tungning Kingdom, and resist advancing Qing for years. In this ATL, will anybody take his place?
The Combined Tokugawa Shogunate army have started ferry operations since early morning. The straight was dotted with multiple boats, junks and even rafts. The two lines of picket boats, each wielding a strange-looking device, a combination of the wheeled wagon and the cannon, were covering the flanks.
Finally a a boat carrying a Tokugawa Iemitsu departed the Honshu coast and lead to Moji camp, covered by a dense formation of the boats filled with bodyguards. Suddenly, a half-dozen falcons fly off from the top of the 150-meters high Moji hill overlooking the ferry route.
The man in left-most picket boat, with his face displaying a peculiar mix of Japanese and Chinese traits, turned briskly, to his obviously European-looking partner.
- We are in range, right? Even with buckshot..
- Half of rhumb to port..Fire!
The Tokugawa Iemitsu did not die easily. The buckshot balls have "just" penetrated his intestine, and he seen everything. The suicidal charge on the picket boats. Bodies blown apart by point-blank cannon shots. A plunging fire from siege mortars hidden on Moji hill. One after another wave of boat attacks against these "gunboats". The samurai hacking the gunboats crews (these Hizen traitors to stay in Naraka forever!) to pieces. Dispersed boats rushing to Moji coasts. A clanging of weapons, shouts and deafening blows of bombs thrown by siege mortars. The lights on the Chinese pirate vessels back in the straits. What he did not see (at least while he was alive) is the retreat of this shattered army back to Honshu island. Overall, out of 200,000 army, less than half have managed to return home. Enemy losses were just few thousands, and Shogunate did not manage to take that damned Moji hill. They took the Funa-jima, right..after twelve assaults. By the time Moji was outflanked, the Army was low on arrows, food, forage, gunpowder..on nearly everything. Even worse, the dysentery have started to take its toll.
Meanwhile, in Kagoshima Castle..
- I still suspect we are making an error. Recruiting a pirate Dutch-Ming alliance after they openly racketeered us..is not going to end well. What they need is our gold, not our well-being. Coastal fortifications are not going to save us. We need some high quality army and fleet, but where? Dutch will close on our throats and intercept all our communications. - the face of Mitsuhisa Shimazu was grim.
- We still can ask the Portuguese. They will be happy to restore their influence in Shimabara, and they have no other allies in the region. So less danger for us. Or send a mission to Joseon Korea for covert help. After all, we got dragged into war against Qing, right?
- Yes, definitely. I hope at least these "falconet" things in Kanmon straits will prove their worth. We chiefly need a few years to prepare the neutralization of the Shogunate threat. Too bad the Sadamasa Ise in no longer with us..i need his advice too much.
P.S. Falconet cannons were in use in Europe since at least 1547, but their adoption for the naval warfare was slow because of the low availability of smaller (~50mm caliber) models safe for wooden-hull ships. Wide adoption of falconets for pre-boarding "softening" volleys has happened only about 1680.
P.P.S. The Koxinga (a son of Zheng Zhilong), among with some Dutch military advisers, have died in the battle of Kanmon Straits. IOTL, he will expel Dutch from Taiwan, create Tungning Kingdom, and resist advancing Qing for years. In this ATL, will anybody take his place?