Chapter 78
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: First to Strike, First to Fall (4)
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The Opium War of the original history was a conflict both peculiar and profound.
By the standards of the previous century, sending an expeditionary force halfway around the globe to wage war was an act bordering on madness.
Take the American Revolutionary War, for example. Had the United States been located where France was, the British offensive would hardly have ended so meekly.
And now, they were to send troops around the Cape of Good Hope, past India, and all the way to the South China Sea?
This meant entering a fight with an enormous handicap from the very start.
Of course, subduing some piddling nation would be no issue, but their opponent was the Qing Dynasty, the most powerful nation in the East.
Countless European powers had long coveted the colossal market of 400 million people, but why had they hesitated to apply pressure?
It was because they were reluctant to send an expeditionary force halfway around the world to face that eastern lion of formidable stature.
A gross overestimation of the Qing Dynasty's actual military strength also played a part, of course.
At present, the only ones who knew the precise difference in military power between the Qing and the British Empire were the British government, who had received my detailed report.
Even so, the expeditionary force's commander, Admiral George Elliot, seemed intent on approaching the fight with the Qing cautiously.
“I am George Elliot, commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force.”
“It must have been a long journey. I am Killian Gore. While I have been appointed plenipotentiary for this war, I am only here to handle negotiations in the final stages. I have no intention of interfering with the command of your troops, so I will leave everything in your hands, Admiral.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“However, as you may lack local intelligence, Admiral, I would like to take on the role of filling that gap. This is not to give orders, of course, but to discuss matters through the co-commander, Chief Superintendent Charles Elliot.”
“If you follow such procedures, I have no complaints. An informant is a precious asset. In fact, the report you submitted to the government on Qing's military strength and armaments has been an immense help. It has made planning our operations much easier.”
The admiral pointed to a large map spread out in the center of the room and began to roughly outline the plan he was formulating.
“Thanks to you, Minister, we have calculated the precise extent of our superiority. But that is merely a calculation. The reality of battle can always differ, can it not? Therefore, I intend to take a more conservative approach at first. This is not to question the reliability of your intelligence, but simply to ensure we are fully prepared. I hope you are not offended.”
“Offended? This isn't child's play; it's war. It is only natural that you would want to take the most certain path.”
He was right. Once they actually fought, his perspective would change.
The gap wasn't merely in the quality of weaponry; it extended to tactical execution and the morale of the commanders—an insurmountable difference that couldn't be understood through words alone.
“So, we will first observe their response off the coast of Guangzhou. We will postpone landing on shore as long as possible, scouting the coastal metropolises and striking the most suitable locations to establish a naval blockade. If we blockade all their major port cities and starve them out, they will naturally have no choice but to come to the negotiating table.”
So he intended to use the textbook method for opening up a secluded Asian nation in the 19th century.
By using their superior naval power and warships to completely seal off the seas, the blockaded Asian nations would slowly wither and die.
Forced to the negotiating table against their will, they would have no choice but to accept grossly unequal treaties.
No matter how infuriated they were, as long as the seas remained blockaded, they would face ruin. They had no other option but to follow the demands of the other side.
This was how most Western nations initiated trade with Asia.
Later, the United States would use this exact method to open Japan's ports.
“However, Minister, there is one thing I am still not certain about. How do you predict the Qing will respond when we approach Guangzhou?”
“How important could the opinion of a man who has never served in the military be?”
“Common sense dictates they would never engage, but would instead blockade the estuary and rely on shore batteries for a defensive battle. Even if their cannons are far inferior to ours, engaging shore batteries with warships is a great risk, so they wouldn't dare attack rashly. But somehow… reading your report, it seems their common sense and ours often do not align. I believe you would know more about that than I, which is why I ask for your opinion.”
“I believe it's quite simple. The reason you think that way, Admiral, is because you are accurately aware of the power disparity between us. If the Qing also believe we are far superior, they will remain meekly on the defensive. If not, they will crawl out to pick a fight.”
Originally, after the Battle of Chuanbi, Lin Zexu had been horrified to learn how pathetic the Qing navy was compared to the British. He had promptly purchased new weapons from American merchants and fortified his defenses.
But now, the Battle of Chuanbi had never happened, and the Son of Heaven, who had originally ordered a passive response, was now seeing red and spoiling for a fight.
Even in the original history, where they knew their navy was weak, they had still engaged in a naval battle when negotiations broke down. A little provocation would likely be enough to make them unable to resist crawling out.
As I spoke with a grin, Admiral George nodded as if it made sense.
“I understand. In that case, we shall begin with a light jab. We needed combat data for the newly constructed warship anyway. If a battle breaks out immediately, it would be convenient for me.”
“You mean the Nemesis? It seems she's already been built.”
“Construction was originally scheduled to begin this year, but your report's arrival in Parliament moved the schedule up considerably. Thanks to that, we were just barely able to meet the timeline. To be honest, even I cannot yet gauge the full extent of its power.”
How ironic that the warship sailing to avenge the merchants supposedly sacrificed by the Qing attack was named Nemesis, the goddess of retribution.
Even with my superficial knowledge, I knew just how alien a presence this ship was in this era.
One could list its detailed specifications—five 6-pounder guns, ten cannons, and so on—but that wasn't the important part.
This warship, a perfect fusion of a steamship's advantages with an iron hull, boasted a level of defense that made it physically impossible for the Qing's primary junk ships to sink it.
Admiral George, as well as the Birkenhead Iron Works that built the ship, likely knew in theory what kind of results this warship could achieve.
But theory and reality are always different, so a commander cannot help but consider the variables of actual combat.
At this point, neither the British Empire nor the Qing Dynasty truly knew what the outcome of a full-scale clash would be.
The Qing probably believed they could overwhelm them with numbers, and Admiral George, too, must have been inwardly tense, knowing that the force of numbers could not be ignored.
Let's see if they still think that way after they watch their antiquated cannonballs bounce off an iron hull.
***
The moment Lin Zexu became certain that war was inevitable, his first act was to build up the thickest possible defense.
He blockaded the entire estuary with iron chains and deployed as many cannons as he could gather.
But he couldn't prepare as perfectly as he had planned.
He had wanted to purchase the latest cannons from the American merchants, but unfortunately, circumstances did not permit it, and he could only acquire about twenty.
He had originally wanted to buy around three hundred, but rumors that he had killed British merchants and set fire to their ships had spread, making the American merchants hesitant to trade.
“Bastards who would sell their own families for a coin, now they’re playing it safe.”
Still, time was on his side. If he continued to fortify his defenses, the British would not even dare to think of attacking this place, so it didn't matter.
The real problem was Beijing's overly belligerent attitude.
“Engage in active combat once you have ascertained the strength of the British forces and are certain you can mobilize more than double their numbers…”
Of course, he understood the sentiment of the ministers in Beijing and the Son of Heaven.
If the British decided to rampage along the coast and strike the cities, the damage would be beyond words.
Moreover, unlike the Liangguang region, other areas had not yet stockpiled as many weapons.
If the British ignored this area and simply sailed north to strike a place like Zhejiang Province, that region would be unable to offer proper resistance.
Thus, the order was for him to take responsibility and stop them here, so they wouldn't get any other ideas.
It also implied a reprimand: since Lin Zexu had provided the pretext for war, it was his duty to stop them.
“Hmph, one moment they tell me to pressure the British forcefully, and now they want me to take responsibility for starting the war.”
Of course, it was a solemn command from the Son of Heaven, so he could not dare to refuse.
Lin Zexu investigated the number of warships the British had brought, and fortunately or unfortunately, he was able to determine their scale without much difficulty.
Five warships spewing smoke, and sixteen others.
There were also reports that among the smoke-belching ships was one strangely shaped vessel.
In any case, with a fleet of just over twenty ships, his side had more than 2.5 times that number, with over fifty vessels. In the end, he had no choice but to go out and fight.
Having superior numbers was a powerful advantage, but honestly, he wasn't sure if they could win.
When he recalled the British warships he had seen up close, he had no confidence that they could overwhelm the enemy with a twofold numerical advantage.
“Do not worry, Your Excellency. No matter how powerful their warships are, they will eventually break if they are hit by our cannons.”
“The important thing is whether we can hit them, is it not?”
“We outnumber them by more than two to one, so we can just overwhelm them with numbers. It will require some sacrifice, but if worse comes to worst, one of our ships can draw their fire while another closes in to shoot its cannons, can it not?”
What a truly marvelous tactic that is.
Lin Zexu swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.
Perhaps it was a truly effective tactic that he, a non-military man, was simply unaware of.
If he had his way, he would have bolted the gates and waited for the enemy to exhaust themselves and leave, but he no longer had that luxury.
The moment a report reached Beijing that Lin Zexu seemed to be avoiding a fight with the British, he would be dismissed, and one of the countless jackals eyeing his position would take his place.
There were no other options.
All he could do now was pray that his navy could achieve some results, even if only through human-wave tactics.
***
Armed with the courage of a hundred men to drive out the wicked Western barbarians, the Qing navy waited for the enemy to appear off the coast of Guangzhou.
And at last, as they were deploying their formation with what they considered thorough preparation, the enemy ships appeared on the distant horizon.
“Attack!”
“Uoooooh! Drive out the Westerners!”
From a distance, Lin Zexu watched through a telescope as his wooden ships advanced toward the British warships.
Watching them, he felt a sense of unease, like watching eggs being thrown against a rock, but an arrow, once loosed from the bow, cannot be recalled.
But no matter how he tried to think positively, the moment nearly twenty black ships appeared, spewing smoke…
“...Can we really capture those ships just by overwhelming them with numbers?”
Even the hope he had clung to, the advantage of numbers, began to flicker precariously like a candle in the wind.
As expected, ominous premonitions usually become reality…
*KABOOM!*
“One ship sunk!”
“Stay calm! Return fire!”
“It’s impossible! We can’t even reach them from this distance!”
“You idiots! Then get closer and fire!”
“Aaargh! We can’t close the distance!”
“The Westerners’ ships are too fast!”
As the sight of his ships being instantly shattered by enemy cannonballs—fired from an impossibly long range and an unbelievable angle—was seared into his retinas, unreal…
“Damn…”
With Lin Zexu's single cry of despair, the curtain rose on the historic naval battle.