Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 556 The Hunt (Part Six)

Colonel Juan de la Cruz, commander of the Peruvian squadron, stood on the battered stern deck of the Santa Felipe, feeling a cold, heavy rock lodged in his chest.

He was almost certain that Almighty God had been away on some important heavenly business these past few days, so much so that He had completely ignored his—a loyal but obviously unlucky servant—heartfelt prayers and calls, and might even have temporarily removed him and his fleet from the list of those He favored.

Otherwise, how could they stand by and watch as the Lord's believers were repeatedly chased like stray dogs by pagans in the Pacific Ocean?

Two weeks ago, under the cover of night, they resolutely rushed out of the port of Callao, with their fireships as the vanguard.

It was a high-stakes gamble, betting that the sudden fire attack would throw the new Chinese fleet into disarray, thus creating an escape route for the main fleet.

At first, the fire ships rushing toward the fleet of scattered lights in the darkness did bring a glimmer of hope.

However, the alertness and reaction speed of the Xinhua people were beyond imagination. They not only skillfully avoided most of the fire ship attacks, but also organized a fierce counterattack and interception with astonishing efficiency in that chaotic situation.

That chaotic battle was like walking on the edge of hell.

The deafening roar of cannons, the chain blasts tearing through the night sky, the sea glowing red with the light of burning ships, and the constant cries of alarm from friendly vessels being hit...

In the end, they did manage to escape under the cover of darkness and with the sacrifice of their comrades, but at a heavy price.

Seven ships went missing—some were torn apart by relentless gunfire and sank to the cold seabed, some were battered and hung white flags, and some lost their way in a panicked escape.

This included three warships under his command, which nearly crippled the Peruvian squadron, which originally had five warships.

The nine ships that escaped and gathered together were also half damaged and looked quite disheveled.

Several jagged gashes remained on one of the secondary masts of his flagship, the San Felipe, marks left by chain shot. Although it had been reinforced urgently, it was still a cause for concern when the sails were full.

There was a hole near the port waterline caused by a solid shot. The carpenters managed to plug the leak with planks and hemp, but the speed had already been affected.

The exquisite carvings on one side of the stern tower were now in ruins, with an ugly hole torn open by a shell, allowing the sea breeze to blow directly into the officers' quarters.

The deck was a scene of utter devastation, with dark bloodstains seeping into the wooden planks and scorch marks from shells silently testifying to the horror of that night.

The other damaged ships were in no better condition, with bullet holes all over their sides, bow and stern towers, and decks, and their sails were torn, with unsightly patches sewn on between voyages.

The only saving grace was that the seven treasure ships they had fought so hard to protect successfully broke through.

The two ships, the "Holy Spirit" and the "Atalaya", were almost completely intact.

It should be noted that their hold was filled with gleaming gold and silver ingots extracted from several mines in Peru.

Perhaps this was the last bit of mercy and surprise that God left for the Spanish people before He took a nap.

Well, as long as this wealth can be safely transported to Panama, all the sacrifices seem to have been worthwhile.

Because they were carrying such a precious "surprise," they dared not stop for even a moment along the way.

Even when passing through a relatively well-equipped major port like Guayaquil, Colonel Cruz resisted the temptation to enter the port for repairs and strictly ordered the fleet to continue north.

Heaven knows, those incredibly fast Xinhua warships might catch up from behind.

They must get to the port of Panama as soon as possible to unload the wealth before their mission is truly complete.

With only a few days' journey remaining to their safe destination, everyone on board the fleet breathed a sigh of relief, their tense nerves relaxed, and they even began to feel secretly fortunate.

However, fate once again demonstrated its cruelty.

Just when everyone seemed to have seen hope, the lookout sounded that chilling alarm—an unidentified convoy had been spotted ahead!

"Fleet spotted to the northeast! Six ships!"

"...It's a Xinhua person! It must be a Xinhua person!"

Yes, there is no need to look closely. At this time, in this sea area, besides the fleet of the new Chinese, would there be any Spanish fleet?
Despite the small number of enemy troops, Colonel Cruise's heart still skipped a beat.

"Turn! Everyone turn northwest!"

"Full sails!...Quickly!"

He practically roared the order, his voice unusually sharp with tension.

The entire Spanish fleet, like a school of startled fish, frantically adjusted its sails and struggled to turn northwest, trying to avoid this sudden encounter before the new Chinese arrived.

However, the enemy, like sharks smelling blood, pounced without hesitation. What made him even more humiliated and powerless was that two enemy warships broke formation and launched a direct pursuit of their fleet of nine ships—well, mostly cumbersome and poorly armed treasure ships!
Moreover, the two warships were extremely fast, and the distance of one league (about 5.5 kilometers) was quickly closed in less than two hours, giving them no chance to delay until dark.

With a mix of helplessness and resentment, Colonel Cruz glanced at the only remaining friendly ship beside him, the USS St. James.

He knew that at this moment, someone had to make a sacrifice.

"Signal to the 'San James'," Colonel Cruz said resolutely. "Turn around and stop the new Chinese. God bless Spain, bless each and every one of us!"

The two Spanish warships began to turn with difficulty, drawing heavy and tragic arcs on the sea, eventually blocking the pursuit route of the "Sea Falcon" and "Haicang". The gun ports were pushed open one by one, revealing the dark muzzles of the guns.

They attempted to sacrifice themselves to buy more time for the seven treasure ships behind them, which carried the hopes of the kingdom, to escape.

After two direct confrontations, Cruise no longer held much hope of defeating the new Chinese.

The Xinhua warship's fierce firepower, superior maneuverability, and admirable professionalism left a deep impression on him.

Those who stayed behind to cover the retreat will likely meet a bad end.

The battle broke out quickly, but it swiftly turned into the situation Colonel Cruise least wanted to see from the very beginning.

The two Xinhua warships coordinated extremely well. One of them (Hai Jun) used its maneuverability to patrol around them, constantly harassing and restraining them with accurate and rapid broadside gunfire.

Xinhua's sailors had clearly undergone long and professional training, maneuvering the entire ship like a swimming fish. They could always swiftly avoid their sides, seize advantageous "T" positions ahead, and then fiercely bombard their bow and stern, causing continuous casualties and hull damage, effectively trapping them.

Meanwhile, the other Xinhua warship (Haicang) did not linger in battle. Taking advantage of the opportunity created by its comrades, it suddenly changed course and, like an arrow released from a bow, grazed the port side of the "St. James" and quickly passed through the simple interception line.

"Oh God, stop it!...Stop it now!" Colonel Cruise shouted in vain, his eyes bloodshot.

Because they were locked in a fierce battle with the Xinhua warship (Hai Jun), they could only watch helplessly as the enemy sped towards the seven treasure ships rushing into the distance.

Xinhua's intention was clear: to use two highly maneuverable warships to entangle their entire fleet, buy time, and wait for the four slower Xinhua warships behind them to catch up.

Once they join the battle, the treasure ships, with their clumsy and weak fighting power, will certainly not fare well.

Sure enough, after the Xinhua warship (Haicang) caught up with the treasure ship fleet, its target was very clear. It ignored the other ships and went straight for the two ships with the deepest draft and the largest size, the "Holy Spirit" and the "Concepción".

Instead of rushing close to the boarding block, it calmly maintained its distance, using its agility to conduct a deterrent circling maneuver.

It would fire warning shots from time to time, the chain shot whistling through the air, constantly beckoning to the masts of the treasure ships, or suddenly close in and bombard the decks with bullets, applying psychological pressure and intimidating the crew to force these cumbersome ships to make small evasive maneuvers, thus delaying their escape speed to the greatest extent possible.

It successfully disrupted the formation of the entire treasure fleet and slowed down the two most important treasure ships.

Meanwhile, the two warships under Colonel Cruz's command remained entangled with the Xinhua warship (Hai Jun), with cannons roaring and both sides taking advantage of every opportunity to unleash a barrage of shells at each other.

The "San Felipe" attempted to hold off the "Sea Falcon" on its own, allowing the "San James" to break free and drive away the Xinhua warship that was "harassing" the treasure fleet.

However, the Sea Falcon disregarded the danger of being hit from the side and rear, quickly moved forward, clinging to the enemy like a leech, and launched a fierce close-range attack, forcing the St. James to turn back to deal with it.

In this one-on-two battle, although the Sea Falcon was frequently hit, it successfully kept the two Spanish warships at bay and launched fierce counterattacks from time to time, constantly inflicting new damage on them.

Time passed second by second, and on the distant horizon, the sails of the four Xinhua armed merchant ships became clearer and larger.

They are billowing their sails and rushing over with all their might.

The Xinhua's entanglement tactics were successful; the "Sea Falcon" and "Haicang" locked onto the four Spanish ships, preventing them from breaking away quickly.

When the first two Xinhua armed merchant ships, the "Shunchang" and the "Pingbo," joined the battle, the situation began to change fundamentally.

Ignoring the "San Felipe" and "San James", they charged directly toward the treasure fleet and surrounded the treasure ship "Holy Spirit" and opened fire.

With the arrival of the last Xinhua armed merchant ship, the "Shunyun-6", Colonel Cruz knew that all was lost.

The ensuing battle was almost a foregone conclusion; the Xinhua Fleet, reinforced with fresh troops, immediately launched an attack on the Spanish ships.

The St. James was the first to give way; its mainmast was completely destroyed by chain shot, and water entered many parts of the hull, forcing it to lower its flag and surrender.

The San Felipe was also badly damaged under the siege, and Colonel Cruz himself was wounded. In the end, to avoid unnecessary sacrifice and sinking, he painfully ordered a halt to the resistance.

The two precious treasure ships, the "Holy Spirit" and the "Concepción," were captured one after another after a period of futile resistance.

Only five other ships, quick to react, seized the opportunity amidst the chaos of the Xinhua Fleet's attack on their comrades and warships, frantically billowing their sails and fleeing into the deep sea to the northwest, eventually disappearing below the horizon.

As the sun set, it dyed the sea a blood red, as if reflecting the twilight of the Spanish fleet.
-
(End of this chapter)