Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 242 Surrender

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Van Bommel tried to calm his superior, who was once again in a rage: "Sir, now is not the time to discuss honor. Staying alive is more important than anything else, and they only gave us fifteen minutes to think it over..."

"To hell with a quarter of an hour, open fire now! I swear in the name of the Dutch soldiers, I will never surrender to these monkeys..."

Hearing this, Van Bommel sighed and expertly turned around to call out, "Guard, the officer's mental state isn't very good. He needs enough rest..." Some things become easier with practice, like "soothing" an emotionally unstable superior.

Putmans flew into a rage: "If you are determined to continue treating your superiors so rudely, I will write to the council and recommend that you be removed from your position as captain..."

After the guards escorted Putmans away, Van Bommel shrugged and muttered to himself, "I also hoped that you could still be sitting in the position of Chief Administrator after this war ends, but given the current situation, it's unlikely. I estimate that you will soon lose the qualification to recommend my removal from office..."

The dispute had dragged on for quite some time, and the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was quickly up. Van Bommel was hesitating whether to send another envoy to negotiate and end the war in a more dignified manner when a dense cloud of flames erupted from the flank of the opposing fleet, followed by the deafening roar of cannons—the enemy had brazenly opened fire!

“Oh no, they actually opened fire…” Van Bommel was interrupted before he could finish speaking. A whistling shell slammed into the side of the ship, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. One piece even grazed his ear.

More shells rained down, further damaging the already battered warship, which teetered precariously amidst the hail of bullets.

The first mate of the HMS Midtburg, risking being hit by shells, found Van Bommel at the bow and shouted, "Captain, I need your orders. Should we open fire?"

Van Bommel glanced at the opposing fleet, which was similar in tonnage but had significantly more gun ports and twice the number of ships, shook his head, and loudly replied, "Resistance is pointless under these circumstances. We surrender!"

In addition to the Caron cannons, the Wuyi-class battleships were also equipped with 12-pounder cannons. Although the caliber was slightly smaller than the Dutch 18-pounder cannons, the Wuyi-class ships had the advantage of superior casting technology and more concentrated firepower. Because white cast iron was used as the material, its machinability was excellent, and the clearance between the bore and the shell was very small, approaching the level of the British fleet during the Opium Wars of the 19th century. This was a full two centuries ahead of the Dutch, and the accuracy of the firing and the penetration power of the shells were unmatched by the cannons of the early 17th century.

Van Bommel and his first mate were experts in artillery, able to visually assess the superior performance of the enemy's cannons. Their own naval guns, upon which they depended for survival, paled in comparison to such an adversary. Having lost their artillery advantage, with exhausted soldiers and outnumbered, the Dutch fleet had no means to contend with their enemy.