Chapter 171 Zheng He: Can Artillery Be Installed on Sea Ships?

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Liujiagang.

Accompanied by three people, Zhu Gaoxu was preparing to review the Ming Dynasty Navy.

A few times before, he had been here to watch the Ming Dynasty Navy from a distance because of the tasting meeting.

The wind is gentle and the sun is shining, hundreds of boats are vying on the river, flags are flying in the sky, drums and horns are blaring, the Ming Dynasty Navy is mighty and majestic, and its military appearance is unprecedented since the founding of the People's Republic of China!

Looking at the entire world, the Daming Navy at this moment is the most powerful navy in the entire world, bar none!

However, what is regrettable is that such an invincible navy gradually declined due to the intervention of literati, and did not even shine with the dazzling glory it should have!

Fortunately, Zhu Gaoxu came to the Ming Dynasty, and he would not allow such ridiculous things to happen.

The Ming Dynasty Navy will shine with the dazzling light of an invincible navy in his hands!

When Zhu Gaoxu was in later generations, he was a military enthusiast and had seen many advanced warships.

Despite this, when he approached the treasure ship, he was still shocked by the large ship in front of him.

The part floating on the water alone is four or five stories high. It is impossible to see how deep the underwater part is.

You must know that this is the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Gaoxu can't imagine how those craftsmen created such a shocking and brilliant masterpiece!

A treasure ship is like a water fortress, giving others an unparalleled sense of oppression and suffocation!

It is conceivable that when the ignorant barbarians from overseas countries saw Zheng He's treasure ship, they were frightened enough to kneel down and beg for mercy without Zheng He starting a fight.

Thinking about it, Zhu Gaoxu was a little frightened and asked subconsciously: "Zheng He, where can you find such a long keel on your treasure ship?"

The keel is a longitudinal member that connects the bow post and the stern post in the center of the base of the hull. It is located at the bottom of the ship. This means that how big a ship can be built depends entirely on the length of the keel.

The treasure ship in front of me is like a damn sea fortress, so how long is the keel used as a structure?

Zheng He gave a reasonable explanation: "Your Majesty, how can there be such a long keel? The keels of treasure ships are all spliced ​​together using a mortise and tenon structure..."

Zhu Gaoxu: "???"

What?

Mortise and tenon structure?

Damn it, this is a bit of a trap!

The so-called "mortise and tenon structure" is a connection method that uses concave and convex parts on two components.

The protruding part is called a tenon or tenon; the recessed part is called a mortise or mortise and tenon groove.

This is at sea. Facing those strong winds and waves, won’t this thing fall apart?

"Zheng He, is there any risk in splicing the keel? You must know that the biggest enemy of your fleet is the emergencies that may occur at any time at sea..."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, this treasure ship was built by Longjiang Shipyard. There is no problem with the quality. Moreover, I have been sailing on the sea for so long and it has never appeared before..."

"Then when you fire the cannon, won't the spliced ​​keel crack?"

Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand and looked at Zheng He and the others with suspicion.

Unexpectedly, the three of them were stunned, and their minds were a little confused.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit strange, Wu Xuan asked hurriedly: "Ahem, Your Highness, King of Han, what cannons are being fired? There is no need to fire cannons on a treasure ship!"

Zhu Gaoxu: "???"

Um?

Am I falling behind?

Your damn strong ship and sharp cannon took up the first two words?

"Wait a minute, my blood pressure is a little high now. Can you tell me how the shipowner fought when a fight broke out at sea?"

Zhu Gaoxu stroked his forehead and sat down on the deck.

For a moment, he felt that the Ming Dynasty's dream of becoming a maritime power was shattered.

Damn it!

Such a big boat!

You don't even care about the artillery on top!

Is the naval fleet of the Ming Dynasty here just for fun?

Wu Xuan was in charge of the fleet's armament and immediately explained: "My lord, there are many artillery pieces on the ship, but they are not for naval battles, but for amphibious troops to use on land when landing."

"The naval warfare method of our Ming Dynasty Navy is still based on weapons such as crossbows and fire blunderbuss. It adopts the principle of 'use big ships to defeat small ships, use big blunderbuss to defeat small blunderbuss; use many ships to defeat few ships, use many blunderbuss to defeat few blunderbuss'" Combat policy..."

Hearing this explanation, Zhu Gaoxu was a little dumbfounded.

Did the navigators of the Ming Dynasty never think of firing cannon directly on the ship?

We obviously have decent artillery, but we have to transport it to land for use. Isn't this stupid?

"Old Wu, the three of you have never thought about the possibility of installing artillery directly on the warship, so that as soon as the enemy is discovered, the cannon can be fired to destroy it?"

Three people: "???"

What?

Put artillery on a warship?

Then directly fire cannons on the warship to annihilate the enemy?

Can this be done?

After the three of them were stunned for a short time, they all felt moved.

After all, how satisfying would it be to fire cannons directly on the vast sea to annihilate the enemy before they can make any reaction? !

In this way, there is no need for naval officers to rush forward in Mengchong, fighting ships and other warships to fight the enemy to the death.

As long as we are within the range of the artillery, my Ming Dynasty is the law of heaven!

However, there is still a problem that needs to be solved, that is, the spliced ​​keel cannot withstand it, otherwise the recoil of the artillery will definitely crack it!

Zheng He immediately raised this difficult question. After hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu just smiled lightly and asked: "Has this treasure ship ever participated in the battle?"

The treasure ship under your feet can be called a unique and shocking giant ship in the world!

But it was not as Zhu Gaoxu expected. Not only was it a strong ship, it was also equipped with a variety of powerful cannons!

The armament of the entire treasure ship is not strong, it can even be said to be imperfect!

Zheng He pointed out the reason directly.

"Your Majesty, this large treasure ship does not participate in the battle. It is used to receive officials from the kings of Western countries, to intimidate Western countries, and to promote the prestige of our Ming Dynasty."

"Besides, the larger the hull, the more difficult it is to operate. Only flexible warships such as Fighting Ships and Sea Falcons are the main force."

Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu nodded.

To put it bluntly, this big treasure ship is just a face-saving project to provide deterrence. The real combatants are those small warships. UU reading www. uukanshu． net

However, battleships, sea falcons and other warships are a little too small to install artillery!

Thinking about it, Zhu Gaoxu immediately ordered: "Stop building treasure ships immediately. One of these honorable things is enough, and let the craftsmen in the shipyard build strong ships that can carry artillery!"

"Can a flashy thing like a big treasure ship really enhance the prestige of the Ming Dynasty? When encountering a first-class powerful country like the Ottoman Empire, if you dare to dock, it would be strange if they don't rob you!"

Zheng He originally wanted to dissuade him. After all, this big treasure ship was the face of the fleet.

However, when he heard the next sentence, he immediately became honest.

He may not be thinking about it, but when he sees the big treasure ship, he really dares to snatch it!

"The order is passed down, and all shipyards and shipbuilding companies must use combat and transportation as standard requirements, and build practical ships."

"One more thing, I have to remind the three of you that you are going to Japan to cause trouble. You must make every effort to improve the armaments on the ship before setting off in the spring of next year, including this flashy treasure ship. Otherwise, how will you die then? They don’t even know!”

To be honest, Zhu Gaoxu was a little disappointed after inspecting the naval fleet.

Fortunately, there are still opportunities for improvement, which is enough to increase the navy's combat effectiveness by several levels!

When Zheng He and the other three heard this, their expressions all changed, and they immediately expressed their opinions one after another.

"Go to the craftsmen to discuss and find a way to install the artillery on the warship. This is the greatest confidence for your naval fleet!"

"After the New Year, you will go to sea and go north without stopping to wipe out the pirates and Japanese pirates that are ravaging the coast. One is to train troops, the other is for the people, and the third is for wealth!"

"As for artillery and firearms, I will let the Ordnance Bureau and the Military Warfare Bureau give priority to equip your navy. Don't let me down again!"

The three of them looked at each other and finally bowed to accept the order.

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