Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 521 "Supply Chain" (Part 1)

On May 23, 1642, the sun at the southernmost tip of the California Peninsula was scorching and dry, baking this desolate and primitive land to a sweltering heat.

In this arid region, which the Spanish colonists scornfully called "the land abandoned by God," a hidden temporary supply base of the Xinhua Navy has revealed astonishing vitality.

Located in the bay where San José del Capo is located in the future, two slender "Petrel-class" cruiser warships are quietly moored, with the red five-star flag on their masts fluttering in the sea breeze.

The azure sea gently lapped against the beach, and dozens of naval officers and soldiers were taking advantage of this rare rest time to bask in the sun, enjoying a moment of peace and tranquility amidst the war.

This leisurely atmosphere contrasted sharply with the fierce fighting in Guadalajara, more than a thousand kilometers away. If the army soldiers saw this, they would be green with envy and might even curse the navy for its laxity and indolence.

Actually, it's no wonder the navy is so relaxed, because the Spanish naval forces in this area are weaker than expected.

In the Pacific Ocean, they not only lacked a single decent warship, but even their merchant fleets that traveled between the colonies were mostly poorly equipped and virtually unarmed, leaving the Xinhua Navy feeling a sense of invincible loneliness.

At the start of the war, all Spanish ships that received the news wisely retreated into the depths of the harbor, relying on the protection of the coastal fortifications to avoid being attacked by the Xinhua Navy.

When the Xinhua Expeditionary Fleet, consisting of six professional warships, four armed merchant ships, and two supply ships, suddenly appeared outside the port of Acapulco, the entire port fell into a deathly silence. The Spanish could only rely on the dozen or so cannons on two coastal defense batteries to gain a sense of security.

After patrolling Acapulco Bay for several days, the Xinhua Fleet gained nothing except for a few demonstrative volleys of shells fired at the port.

Xinzhou's Naval Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force, Wei Yingbin, made a decisive decision to divide the fleet in two: leaving five warships and one supply ship to continue blockading the port of Acapulco, waiting for an opportunity to capture any Spanish ships that might risk leaving (or entering) the port.

He personally led six other warships northward to patrol the Pacific coast, searching for any potential prey.

However, neither the Acapulco detachment that remained behind nor the Northern Patrol Fleet personally led by Wei Yingbin achieved much during this month.

The only spoils of war were the Spanish merchant ship "Morelia," with a displacement of 180 tons, and five small fishing boats that were completely unaware of the outbreak of war.

Most of the time, the sailors could only stare blankly at the boundless blue sea or count seagulls to pass the time.

In order to maintain the blockade of Mexican coastal ports and protect the Banderas Valley Army logistics base, Wei Yingbin decided to have more than ten warships patrol in shifts, with off-duty warships sailing into this secret supply port located at the southern tip of the California peninsula for a short rest.

A month before the outbreak of the war against Spain, a skilled advance team, relying on some kind of prophetic geographical knowledge, crossed the arid Californian peninsula and found this coast that the Spanish had rejected, where they established a stronghold called Jingyuan Fort.

Xinhua's top management seemed to have known long ago that the southernmost coast of the peninsula, which the Spanish considered "useless wasteland," held excellent conditions for establishing a base.

A natural lagoon is nature’s most generous gift to this arid land.

It's like a piece of jade broken in two, nestled between the dunes and the coast: to the north lies the mouth of the San Jose River, which is currently in a dry season, with trickling streams constantly flowing in, giving this half of the lake a faint green hue, and even the roots of the reeds at the bottom of the lake are clearly visible.

The newcomers built a water intake trough made of logs, with fine grooves carved into the walls, to draw fresh water from the lagoon into a stone reservoir on the shore.

The reservoir was built with bricks and stones, and the inner walls were plastered with several layers of cement to prevent water seepage.

The base staff will come here every day in small boats carrying a large number of buckets to collect water to ensure everyone's fresh water needs are met.

According to the base's plan, at some point in the future, a water diversion tunnel will be built on the north side of the Xiehu Lake, leading all the way to the base, thus avoiding the time-consuming and laborious daily trips to fetch water.

The south side of the lagoon presents a different picture. Seawater seeps in through the underground sand layer, or occasionally overflows during high tide, turning this area into a brackish water zone that is undrinkable.

Some sailors were fishing and catching shrimp there to add fresh ingredients for dinner.

In contrast to the soldiers' leisurely pace, a bustling construction scene unfolded behind the camp.

Militiamen and laborers from Yongning Bay are working hard, using locally felled hardwoods and large quantities of prefabricated panels brought from the mainland to continuously expand warehouses and barracks.

Sturdy warehouses have sprung up, filled with cured meat, grain, ammunition, canvas, and timber and tar needed for ship repairs.

At midday, the sentry on the watchtower suddenly blew his horn, breaking the tranquility of the bay.

"A ship is coming from the south!"

Two!

"It's our transport ship!"

The officers and soldiers who were resting got up and looked curiously at the sea.

Soon, the two black dots gradually grew larger, revealing Xinhua's transport fleet.

Surprisingly, these returning boats were drafting quite deep and moving very slowly, clearly carrying a heavy load. "Good heavens! So many animals!"

The "Haifeng" ship, which was leading the way, entered the bay, and the scene on its deck left the officers and soldiers on shore speechless.

The area was crowded with cattle and sheep, their calls carried on the sea breeze.

"Seventy-two cows, forty or thirty horses, and more than one hundred and twenty sheep," the fleet leader said with a smile. "There wasn't much to carry back, so we just brought back some of the livestock that the military had confiscated. Oh, right, there were also more than forty Spaniards, who were said to be sent to Yongning Bay for colonization."

Wei Yingbin took the goods list handed to him, glanced at it casually, and his smile suddenly froze.

"How can there be so much gold, silver, and currency?"

"Reporting to Minister Wei, our expeditionary force successfully captured Guadalajara more than twenty days ago, and then sent some of the spoils to the Banderas Valley. Commander Zhou ordered us to take them back to our homeland on our return voyage."

Wei Yingbin looked up at the docked ships and nodded slightly: "I didn't expect the Spanish to be so rich!"

Thirteen thousand taels of gold, eighteen hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver ingots, and approximately two hundred thousand pesos of various gold and silver currencies!

And these were only the first batch of captured supplies that the expeditionary force brought back from Guadalajara.

It is said that many more gold and silver ornaments, sacred objects, gemstones, porcelain, and valuable works of art can only be transported slowly due to the inconvenience of mountain roads and the fear of collisions and damage along the way.

There are many reasons for the war against Mexico, but in Wei Yingbin's view, Mexico's wealth alone justifies such a war.

In just two months since the start of the war, the Xinhua Army has captured only one major Spanish city, Guadalajara, yet it has managed to seize so much gold and silver.

Therefore, given the formidable fighting power of the new Chinese army and the relative disarray of the Spanish colonial army in the ensuing war, it is likely that they will be able to capture several more major Spanish cities and strongholds, and the spoils of war will undoubtedly be even more abundant.

Perhaps, after two years of fighting, the Xinhua Army can not only earn back all the expenses of this war, but even have a surplus!

Robbery is indeed a low-investment, high-return business.

A young naval captain, looking at the spoils of war, couldn't help but say sourly, "Good heavens, these army guys are shipping war booty back to the mainland ship by ship, while we navy guys can only sit in the Pacific, blowing in the wind and soaking in the sea. Tsk tsk... it just doesn't feel right. To put it bluntly, the army has stolen all the limelight in this war so far. We're practically here to be their underlings and look after them."

Several officers around him nodded in agreement, their faces showing resentment and frustration.

Another major said with a wry smile, "Minister Wei, although our navy's blockade of ports and escort of ships will be recorded in the merit book, it is ultimately not as glorious as the army's conquest of cities and territories. If the army takes another city, or even marches straight to Mexico City and forces the Spanish to sue for peace, then the mainland will probably only write about the army's glorious military achievements, and our navy will become a mere foil?"

Wei Yingbin listened to his subordinates' complaints, but his face showed no anger. Instead, he revealed a meaningful smile.

He shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said in a steady tone: "What, are you jealous of the army's achievements? Gentlemen, you must take a long-term view! Our Xinhua is located on the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean. Although it is not the center of the world, the territory, interests and prestige of the entire country will be tied to the vast ocean."

"The army's victory has expanded the territory of the Republic and laid a solid foundation, but the strength of the navy is the lifeline of our new China and the only ladder to the top of the world. Even though the army has made outstanding contributions in this battle, it cannot shake the navy's absolute dominant position in the future national strategy."

He paused, then continued, "As for this ongoing war, who says the navy can just sit idly by? The Spanish are no fools, and they certainly won't stand by and watch us take control of this sea. Just you wait and see; they'll definitely make a move in the second half of the year."

"Does the minister believe... that the Spanish will launch a counterattack against us at sea?" A young officer's eyes revealed a hint of longing.

“Inevitable.” Wei Yingbin nodded. “The Spanish are understandably anxious and frustrated by our constant blockade of their ports and coastlines. In the coming months, they will either arm all the merchant ships that are operational along the Pacific coast, assemble a fleet, and try to drive us out of this area, or they will spare no expense to draw several naval warships from their homeland or the Caribbean, cross the ocean, pass through the Strait of Magellan, and come to the Pacific to fight us to the death. Either way, it is a long-awaited opportunity for us.”

“But… but what if the Spanish are cowards and don’t dare to go out to sea for a decisive battle?” the captain asked earlier.

"If they avoid battle, does that mean we won't take the initiative to attack?" Wei Yingbin's lips curled into a ruthless smile as he turned his gaze south. "I've already chosen the target for you."

Upon hearing this, the officers perked up and all looked at Wei Yingbin.

“Cayao,” Wei Yingbin slowly uttered the name. “Every year in August and September, gold and silver produced in silver mines all over Peru would be transported to this port, loaded onto so-called Spanish ‘treasure ships,’ and shipped to Panama. From there, they would be transferred by pack animals across the isthmus to ports on the Atlantic side. It was a vital lifeline for the Spanish royal family, a key lifeline supporting their European dominance.”

He turned around, his gaze fixed intently on the group of naval officers: "Imagine what it would be like if our fleet suddenly appeared outside Callao harbor and intercepted that treasure fleet? Even if the army conquered countless Mexican towns, the impact would be limited to the Americas, and the losses would only be in the wealth of the colonies. But if we were to seize the Spanish King's treasure fleet..."

As he spoke, he paused deliberately, allowing each officer present to make their own interpretation.

"...That would shake the Madrid court! The hijacking of the treasure ship would result in direct losses for the Spanish royal family, and would be a heart-wrenching tragedy for Philip IV himself! If this news were to reach Spain, the shock would be a hundred times greater than the loss of a few Mexican towns!"

“By then…” Wei Yingbin said with confidence, “everyone will understand that in this war, it is our navy that can truly choke Spain and deliver a fatal blow.”
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(End of this chapter)