Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Red Flag Fleet, a Formidable Foe

The Red Fleet, the largest plying the South China Sea, was a force to be reckoned with. Not only was the fleet larger than most navies of the day, but they were also well armed and manned.

The oceangoing junks were equipped with between twenty and thirty cannon and could carry up to four hundred men. The coastal junks usually carried anywhere from twelve to twenty five cannon and two hundred men. Imagine watching swarms of pirates coming over your bulkheads

And, although the smaller river junks may not have carried too much in the way ordinance there were dozens of these craft each carrying between twenty and thirty men. The Red Fleet was a formidable force indeed.

Under the Black Flag, David Cordingly

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