Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 180 Raid on Corregidor Fortress (Please support with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, thank you!)
at the same time
On August 1866, 8, at about 29: a.m.,
North Manila Bay

This is a world-class seaport with a huge encircling bay. The water depth allows huge ships of hundreds of thousands of tons to enter and exit freely, and the geographical conditions are excellent.

The mountains of the Bataan Peninsula and the Central Cordillera form a natural barrier that shields the South China Sea from frequent storm disasters, protecting the harbor and making Manila Bay one of the world's top anchorages.

No matter how rough the sea is, there is always a gentle breeze in the bay, and the waves are calm, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

The entire Manila Bay is shaped like a narrow-mouthed bottle with a big belly. The area inside the bay is extremely vast, reaching 2,000 square kilometers.

It is also ranked among the top in the world, with no more than five of them being ranked on the fingers of one hand.

Between Manila Bay and the open sea, there are four scattered islands: Corregidor Island, Caballo Island, El Fraile Island, and Carabao Island, which block the narrow entrance and exit of Manila Bay and form a waterway for entry and exit.

The widest waterway is next to Corregidor Island, about 3 kilometers wide, and is within the firepower range of the Corregidor Fortress artillery carefully built by the Spanish, thus greatly ensuring safety.

And here, we have to break through the first barrier of Manila Bay.

There are a total of 5 forts in Manila. The Corregidor Fort is the most critical one. It is the main fort guarding the entrance to the strait and the gateway to Manila Bay.

On Carabao Island, there is also a lonely small fortress guarding another narrow channel, which can be regarded as a small gate to Manila Bay.

Generally speaking

If the main door is open, this small door is of little use.

On the Cavite Peninsula deep in the bay, there is a palisade citadel built by the early Musnin prince. After it was taken over by the Spaniards in 1571, it was expanded into the stone Cavite Fortress.

The overall layout of Cavite Fort has not changed, but the defense has been enhanced to become a stone fortress, which is the second barrier or the second gate in the bay.

Its function is much inferior to that of the Corregidor Fort.

"Look there... what kind of sailboat is that?" The white Spanish soldiers on the watchtower of Corregidor Fortress rang the bronze bell three times as per custom, sounding a warning that a ship was approaching.

Follow the convention
Whenever a large sailing ship approaches the waterway, the watchtower will issue an alarm.

The Spanish captain, a burly man with a full beard, climbed up the narrow stairs to the watchtower and asked, "Yamal, did you find anything interesting?"

"It's a large sailing ship. I suspect it's a man-of-war. It looks familiar."

"Isn't it just like the two lumps of flesh on Sergeant Major Kupmenas's wife? I see you're always staring at them. Don't deny it. Don't worry, no one will blame you." The rude captain joked as he walked over, took the monocular, and stood at the lookout looking at the sea in the distance.

After a closer look, he cursed, "Oh, God, damn it! That's the Count Fabiano Perez. They seem to be in big trouble."

After saying that, he rang the alarm.

After ringing several times in succession, the crisp sound of the alarm spread, attracting the attention of other fortress officers and soldiers, and they all looked up.

An officer with soapy face, a sharp razor in his hand and a white towel draped over his shoulder came out of the room when he heard the alarm.

He looked up and cried out, "What the hell! Why are you ringing the alarm so early in the morning? What have you discovered?"

"Sir, I've spotted the battleship Count Fabiano Perez. He's not in good condition, so I think you might need to come and see him in person."

"Oh… God, I'm almost there."

The officer didn't care that he hadn't finished shaving his beard. He hurriedly wiped off the foam with the white towel on his shoulder, and then ran quickly along the passage towards the watchtower.

few minutes
He climbed up the watchtower panting, without saying much, took the telescope and began to observe carefully.

On the distant sea
The large sailing ship coming towards us became clearer. The sea was calm and many details could be observed under the bright sunlight.

The visitor was indeed the battleship "Count Fabiano Perez", but its mainsail was torn to pieces, and the tattered sail fluttered in the sea breeze like a snarling tentacle.

The entire hull seemed to be tilted. It might be that the hull was damaged and water was entering, which would be dangerous.

The officer who climbed the watchtower was Major Lenormand-Simon, commander of the Fortress of Corregidor, who commanded 171 officers and soldiers of the fortress's battery.

"Good God! What has happened to the Count Fabiano Perez? It's in great trouble, and we must help it."

Major Lenormand-Simon looked at the large sailing ship through the telescope. The tall mast was obviously tilted, and he subconsciously thought that the hull of the warship was damaged and water was entering.

This is a very dangerous situation and the ship may capsize and sink at any time.

He put down the telescope, reached out and pulled the rope of the alarm bell, and it rang rapidly.

The urgent alarm bells echoed over the fort, alarming almost all the white officers and soldiers. They rushed out from the houses, artillery positions and corners, looking up at the watchtower.

The rapid sound of the alarm bell indicated an emergency, and the atmosphere in the fortress instantly became tense.

Major Lenormand-Simon leaned halfway out of the lookout, waved his arm toward the sea, and shouted;
"It's our warship, the Count Fabiano Perez, that's in big trouble. I need to organize a 60-man rescue team, bring tools and some wood, and gather at the small dock.

The Count Fabiano Perez needs help. Bring axes, saws, and any tools you can find. Bring extra buckets for bailing water. It looks like we'll be busy."

Upon hearing the order, the officers and soldiers in the fort took action and soon organized more than 10 mule and horse carts, loaded with wood and tools, as well as some food and fresh water, opened the fortress gate and headed out.

They came to the small pier at the foot of the mountain and saw the "Count Fabiano Perez" coming from afar, looking very miserable.

The mainsail on the ship had been completely torn to pieces, and was fluttering in the air like the rags worn by a tramp.

Large areas of charred skin could be seen on one side of the hull, and the entire hull was tilting severely, which made the Spanish officers and soldiers worried and they talked about it in a speechless manner.

"Oh my God, what happened to him?"

"It shouldn't be a storm. A storm couldn't possibly have blackened the hull of the Count Fabiano Perez. Could it be that it was attacked by pirates? Were they Oriental pirates?"

"Who dares to do this?"

"Maybe it's the Dutch. Those damned Lowland merchants often disguise themselves as pirates and plunder passing ships. That's for sure."

"That's not right...why is the sail torn to pieces?"

"Maybe he was attacked by pirates and then caught in a storm. What a poor fellow."

The fortress officers and soldiers standing by the small pier were talking among themselves, looking relaxed, as if to say, "Seeing you have bad luck... I felt much better."

Major Lenormand-Simon also rushed over from behind. He was wearing a neat military uniform and shiny leather boots. When he heard the soldiers' random guesses, he immediately became angry.

"Damn it, you bastards who just talk nonsense for no reason, shut up!"

"Go get some people to help bring up the cable. I also need a doctor. Two people go to the fortress to call the doctor. Remember to bring some stretchers." "Go help, you idiots!"

The approaching "Count Fabiano Perez" looked even more miserable than it did from a distance. There were more than a dozen shocking holes on one side of the hull, and it was obvious that it had been bombarded by artillery shells.

Many sailors on the warship had bandages wrapped around their heads and bodies, and there were obvious bloodstains, which were the injuries sustained after a fierce battle.

A Spanish sailor standing on the side of the ship shouted, "We need a doctor. The damn French have attacked us. There are dozens of wounded on board. We need a lot of medicine and help."

"Oh, my God!" Major Lenormand-Simon was stunned by this shocking news, and his heart sank.

Everyone knows
The French are not to be provoked, and are certainly not a formidable enemy that Spain, now in decline, can handle.

If the French take action, then...

Major Lenormand-Simon was shocked by the huge amount of information that came at him at once. He was at a loss for a moment, and then he heard the white crew member on the side of the ship shouting at the top of his lungs;
"Please, our captain is seriously injured and in urgent need of medical treatment. Many crew members are also injured and need more help."

"Come aboard quickly! Take them down for treatment."

"This amount of manpower is not enough. We need more help."

"Oh... all right." Major Lenormand-Simon recovered from his shock and, without having time to think, quickly ordered the young officer beside him, "Go and inform the fortress to send 50 more men and prepare more stretchers. Go!"

"As you command, sir."

After receiving the order, the young officer immediately turned around and hurried towards the fortress.

The other sailors climbed onto the boat and found sailors lying all over the boat. Without thinking, they walked over to help.

"Do it!"

Give an order

All of these sailors suddenly got up, brandishing the sharp blades in their hands and stabbing at the white soldiers fiercely, or two or three of them pinned down one and directly cut his neck.

In a blink of an eye
They knocked down twenty or thirty people, and the rest were held at gunpoint, thrown to the ground, and disarmed in a single blow.

A large crowd of people poured down from the ship. Some of them carried stretchers and rushed towards the fortress, while others controlled the remaining white officers and soldiers on the dock, including the confused Major Lenormand-Simon.

He was once again stunned by this series of changes, muttering, "God, this is a Trojan Horse. We have been tricked by the Orientals."

Unfortunately, it was too late to understand it now.

The cabin of the "Count Fabiano Perez" could accommodate a maximum of 1200 officers and soldiers. All the cabins were crowded with people, and there was no space to move around.

If they hadn't made a few big holes in the side of the ship, they would probably have suffocated to death.

This sudden attack was as swift as thunder.

The soldiers who rushed forward carrying the stretchers first were commandos, more than 30 in total. They were all wearing Spanish military uniforms, with their heads lowered, carrying the stretchers all the way up.

On the way, they met more than 50 Spanish officers and soldiers rushing down without stopping at all, and the two sides passed each other.

Most Spaniards also have black hair, but their facial features are different.

The group of soldiers carrying stretchers up the mountain kept running with their heads down. The Spanish soldiers carrying stretchers hurried down the mountain didn't notice them at all, and at most they glanced at them.

Even though it felt a little strange, the time they crossed each other was very short.

There was no time to stop and question them carefully. The fortress soldiers subconsciously thought that the visitor was a sailor from the "Count Fabiano Perez" and did not raise any doubts.

The slightest doubt disappeared quietly in the urging voice.

The one who led his men forward was Major Hu Jinqi, commander of the 2nd Battalion, A Regiment, 1st Expeditionary Division, a young officer of both wisdom and courage.

He was carrying a stretcher and walking in front. Seeing that he had deceived the white officers and soldiers who were rushing down the mountain, he was suddenly ecstatic. He glanced back and said hurriedly:
"Brothers, get your weapons ready. Once you're inside, quickly seize the fortress gate and hold it firmly at all costs. Also, get the reinforcements from behind. Remember that?"

"Don't worry, Commander, we're in a good position." The company commander Zhu Guangquan behind him replied excitedly.

A group of more than 30 people arrived at the gate of the fortress and rushed in without any nonsense.

Six or seven white soldiers standing at the gate of the fortress were looking over curiously. Seeing these people rushing into the fortress without saying hello, they subconsciously became alert.

They all raised their guns and shouted, "Hey, stop! Do you know the rules? You are not allowed to come in, damn it, didn't you hear me?"

At this moment

The dozen or so strong men rushing behind raised their heads, a fierce look on their faces, drew out the sharp daggers in their arms and rushed forward.

In the blink of an eye

The six or seven white soldiers at the door were knocked down one after another. There was a sound of sharp blades entering the flesh, which made people's scalps numb. They were stabbed more than ten times before they could react.

Then, these strong men, covered in blood, jumped up, drew their revolvers and rushed in.

Soon, the crisp sound of gunfire rang out. These elite men rushed into the fortress and started killing like a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep. The white officers and soldiers in the fortress who were caught off guard were shot to the ground one after another.

Until death came, these white officers and soldiers in the fort had no idea what was happening?
Then, gunshots were heard at the foot of the mountain.

A large number of Chinese officers and soldiers surged in like a tide, quickly occupied the important Corregidor fort, and opened the door to Manila Bay.

Everything went incredibly smoothly. The second battalion commander, Major Hu Jinqi, stood on a high point in the fortress, vigorously waving the Great Chu Army flag brought on board the ship, his face filled with the uncontrollable joy of victory.

Between the distant sea and the horizon

On a two-masted clipper ship of the vanguard fleet, the lookout standing high on the masthead saw the flag waving high above the fortress through a monocular telescope and excitedly rang the copper bell beside him.

He shouted loudly;
"Reporting to the commander, the advance team has successfully captured the fortress. I have seen the waving flags, and the news is confirmed. We can send a signal to the main fleet."

This news instantly ignited the emotions of the sailors on the ship. They jumped and cheered, and the deck turned into a sea of ​​joy.

The brigantine immediately sent out a signal of "successful occupation". Not long after, a large forest of sails appeared on the sea in the distance. It was so dense that there was no end in sight.

Leading the way were four heavy ironclad warships spewing black smoke, cutting through the waves. The bright sunlight shone on the dark hulls, emitting a chilling cold light.

(End of this chapter)