Chapter 113 Section 7 The sinking of the "Hector"

On the second day, which was the first day of May in the fifteenth year of Yongli in Nanming (AD 1661), fierce battles broke out between Zheng and He's troops both at sea and on land. "Neglected Formosa" records that on the morning of the first day of May, Captain Beder of the Dutch Army angrily demanded to lead troops to attack the Chinese because his son was wounded by the Chinese.Captain Bader was determined to let these daring Chinese have a taste of the strength of the Dutch soldiers, "calling on the soldiers to fight bravely, not to be afraid of the Chinese, saying that he can lead everyone to victory. He was confident that he would win, and his optimistic attitude encouraged Soldiers. They believed that the Chinese could not bear the smell of gunpowder and the sound of the guns, and if they fired a volley of guns and hit a few of them, they would run away in fright and all would collapse."

Kui Yi, the "Governor of Taiwan" of the Dutch East India Company, recalled that Beder's idea was not unfounded. "In 1625, there was indeed such a thing. At that time, two or three hundred soldiers on our side were able to overwhelm and defeat about seven or eight thousand armed Chinese. Since then, the Chinese in Formosa have been regarded by the Dutch. They thought they were weak and cowardly, unable to fight. According to the Dutch estimates, twenty-five Chinese combined could not be worth a single Dutch soldier. They had this view of the entire Chinese nation: No Divide peasants and soldiers, as long as they are Chinese, there is no one who is not timid and impatient to fight, this has become an irrefutable conclusion of our soldiers."

Because of his confidence in his own fighting power, after Captain Beder led the Dutch army out of the city, he was not timid in the face of 4,000 Chinese soldiers. "The Dutch army marched bravely in a row of twelve people. When they approached the enemy, they fired three rows of guns. The enemy did not show weakness. The arrows rained like a shower. Even the sky seemed to be dark. Both sides suffered casualties, and the Chinese did not. Not ready to flee as expected." The Dutch were shocked.They found that these Chinese were far braver than they were, and they were hardly the same species as the Chinese they knew before. "These (Chinese) soldiers, bowing their heads, hiding behind their shields, rushed into the enemy line with such ferocity and audacity, as if each had another body stored in their home. Although many were killed, they did not Stopping and advancing, never hesitating, but just lunging forward like a mad dog, without even looking back to see if his comrades are following."

"Now, they (the Dutch) know that they underestimated the enemy in the past, so that they did not expect to encounter such resistance. If they were brave and fearless before the battle, and wanted to emulate the behavior of Gideon (the hero of ancient Israel), then Their courage was completely replaced by fear, and many dropped their guns before firing at the enemy. They fled with their heads in their arms, and fled shamefully, abandoning their heroic captain and fellow countrymen." "The Chinese took advantage of the momentum to attack, see People were chopped down without mercy, until the captain and his 118 subordinates were all killed in battle."

Even in naval battles, the Dutch suffered a crushing defeat.The Netherlands took the initiative to attack, trying to decide the outcome at sea.The Dutch recorded: "The enemy's large sailing ships, about sixty, each equipped with two cannons, sailed out of the fleet to meet. Our ships fired first, and the cannons sounded like thunder. So the naval battle began. The largest and heaviest The Hector sailed ahead, and the battle went well. As soon as she passed, she shot through many of the approaching ships with her cannon, and one or two sank quickly." It seems that the Dutch navy, like the navy in the Opium War 180 years later, will easily level the sea.However, Zheng Chenggong's army was not so easily subdued. "But the valiant enemy did not retreat. In the frenzy of battle, five or six of the bravest sailing ships laid siege to the Hector from every direction." It exploded and sank, destroying all cargo and soldiers on board."The other warships fled in a hurry, and the Netherlands Navy lost its first battle.