Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Volume 1

Summary of Ocean Maps Volume 1

...even if the water is only a few feet deep, by circling from a distance, one can certainly occupy the windward positionoriginal: "shangfeng" 上風 — the advantageous position upwind of the enemy, essential for maneuverability and controlling the spread of fire.. If attacking the bow, one must first strike the bow-nose original: "toubi" 頭鼻 — the prow or the very front point of the ship's hull.. If attacking the stern, one must first strike the aft cabin. The aft cabin with glass windows is where the high-ranking commanding officers reside; gunpowder and other such supplies are also kept there. Constant, repeated attacks on this area will surely breach it. Once breached, the gunpowder will ignite on its own. Although the rudder is clad in copper, it is made of raw copper original: "shengtong" 生銅 — likely referring to cast or unrefined copper, which the author suggests is brittle enough to be shattered by heavy impact. and can be broken by bombardment. If both the rudder and the bow-nose are broken, the entire ship will lose its steering and control. Furthermore, the sailors pulling the sails are most numerous at the front and back of the vessel. If several cannon shots knock them into the sea, there will be no one left on the ship; it will be unable to move, and even their great cannons will fall into our hands.

1. When sailing close to the bow or stern of a barbarian ship, our vessels must divide into left and right wings, moving in a wild goose wing formation original: "yanchi" 鴈翅 — a tactical V-formation designed to concentrate force while maintaining mobility.. By approaching the enemy's bow at an angle while keeping our sterns spread wide, we can concentrate many of our ships together. Furthermore, this ensures that our firearms do not The text likely concludes that this prevents friendly fire or "hitting our own."